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Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 25 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,223 posts, read 17,105,490 times
Reputation: 15540
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FordBronco1967
And with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and texting and driving being the main reasons for traffic accidents, what does adding bike lanes or lowering speed limits have to do with lowering traffic fatalities?
Nothing Secretary Buttigieg has proposed will actually solve the problem.
Road design does make a difference and when "better lighting and crosswalks. " are added where they were previously lacking safety for other than the vehicles improves.
But heck seeing "driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and texting and driving being the main reasons for traffic accidents," according to you why bother right. Safety isn't just for cars but others who travel in localities and the proposals are just that "proposals", the locality is choosing what's right for them.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 25 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,223 posts, read 17,105,490 times
Reputation: 15540
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellwood
Is anyone that Biden chose for his administration qualified or experienced to do the job for which they were appointed and paid $220K a year?
Not much different from his predecessor who was the wife of Mitch McConnell and the daughter of a Chinese shipping magnet, gotta love the nepotism and conflict of interest...
Road design does make a difference and when "better lighting and crosswalks. " are added where they were previously lacking safety for other than the vehicles improves.
But heck seeing "driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and texting and driving being the main reasons for traffic accidents," according to you why bother right. Safety isn't just for cars but others who travel in localities and the proposals are just that "proposals", the locality is choosing what's right for them.
Yes, better designed crosswalks with better lighting benefit drivers and pedestrians, but that is a small portion of what Secretary Buttigieg is proposing.
None of the solutions presented by Secretary Buttigieg solve ANY of the main causes of traffic fatalities, because that is something the government cannot control (though they'll do their best to) . There is a risk for everything in life, especially once we step behind the wheel of a car. That's a risk we've all come to accept. Risk is a part of life. Risk mitigation has to be reasonable. Lowering speed limits isn't reasonable.
Why is the Federal Government dictating how local municipalities design their roadways, to begin with? It seems like government overreach, to me.
Pretty serious trampling of the 10th Amendment, methinks.
They own the federal interstates, but not every other roadway in the US. Silly and ignorant proposed abuse of federal power.
Well, he's a Democrat, so there's that. When did they ever let little things like laws stop them?
Real question-how did we end up with this big a moron as transportation secretary? Instead of addressing transportation issues, he wants people to play with toys? He's as much of an idiot as his boss.
Now, if you were concerned about highway safety and pollution-you'd promote a company with the worlds safest driver assistance system that happens to be the world leader in electric cars, and builds them with American workers.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 25 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,223 posts, read 17,105,490 times
Reputation: 15540
Quote:
Originally Posted by FordBronco1967
Yes, better designed crosswalks with better lighting benefit drivers and pedestrians, but that is a small portion of what Secretary Buttigieg is proposing.
None of the solutions presented by Secretary Buttigieg solve ANY of the main causes of traffic fatalities, because that is something the government cannot control (though they'll do their best to) . There is a risk for everything in life, especially once we step behind the wheel of a car. That's a risk we've all come to accept. Risk is a part of life. Risk mitigation has to be reasonable. Lowering speed limits isn't reasonable.
Why is the Federal Government dictating how local municipalities design their roadways, to begin with? It seems like government overreach, to me.
I agree that personal behaviors are one of the chief causes but it will take the courts to drive that point home, but I doubt people will get the message. Lowering speed limits can be as simple as reducing an intown street from 45 to 35 due to congestion and heavy pedestrian flow, I think everyone thinks of interstates and I don't see many people walking on I-95.
I don't think their dictating but offering ideas and funding because so many localities place little emphasis on road conditions , upkeep or improvements. Just travel I-95 through South Carolina it looks like a garbage dump from one end to the other with poor upkeep, cross the line into North Carolina and its 180 out, clean & maintained. Local roads are no different.
I work in a place that the running joke is "how many deaths does it take at an intersection to get a traffic light study" , the sad part is without these types of incentives more people may die till something like they mention is done...
Here in the Denver area, there are speed cameras set up randomly and moved around. I believe the threshold is that if you are going more than 10mph over the speed limit, they send you a ticket by mail with a picture of you and your license plate. It's a small fine. The problem is that the local news picked up on the legality (or lack thereof) of a municipality issuing a citation without having an officer serve the ticket. There are also several other factors that make the ticket worthless and unenforceable in Colorado. I have received a couple by mail and shredded them when they came in the mail. I'm not sure if anyone really pays the tickets, as they are merely a revenue scam.
Speed does not always kill. Americans actually drive slow compared to many other developed nations. Most Americans would pee their pants if they had to drive on the highways around Europe. Interestingly, even though European highways have higher speeds and people drive much faster (think the autobahn), their fatality rates are much lower. Unlike the U.S., European drivers are highly trained and obtaining a license is much more difficult. They also seem to be more aware of and more diligently observe common safety measures (they don't clog the passing lane, they tend to use blinkers, and leave more following distance).
If the U.S. wants to improve highway safety, let's start with better driver training and stricter licensing requirements. Not placing silly speed cameras around that may or may not even hold up to legal scrutiny if challenged in court.
How does adding some bike lanes address traffic fatalities, when most accidents are caused by texting and driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
Let alone when bicycle fatalities per mile traveled are much higher than autos-an order of magnitude or more. We should be mandating crash testing, automated emergency braking, mandatory equipment to stop bicycles from running red lights, and of course air bag on bicycles. If it saves just one life, right?
Bicycle Accidents Increased During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Many cities throughout the United States reported increases in the number of bicycle accidents during the pandemic shutdown. The increase in bicycle accidents coincided with a steep decrease in the number of car accidents.
The only thing that could cause me to break the law is me.
So, a slower speed limit will cause people to speed?
A cop who lived 3 blocks from me was shot graveyard dead by a crook that he stopped for a missing brake light. I think cameras to notify people of missing lights would be just fine. The purpose is to correct the missing light. There is no need to fine people.
IMO red light cameras would also be a blessing. The nays always said the cameras could not prove who was driving. The owner of the car is responsible for who drives it. Let the owner pay. I'd be OK with a $500 fine for running a red light.
The thing is though, when cops pull people over for those kinds of things (like broken tail light, or directional flasher, license plate bulb, etc)...its not really about those minor things, they hope to discover more crimes, like an active warrant for the driver or passenger, under the influence, etc.
The broken lights is just the excuse to justify pulling them over.
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