the problem lies with both the dumbing of the boe standards and the easing of the licensing tests at the dmv. kids are not challenged or taught proper grammer and higher levels of math any more. social promotion and the lacking of discipline will prove to be the death of this country. between illiteracy and the promotion of being sheople, it is what is causing the lack of a proper work force sending companies overseas and people allowing politicians to pass laws they know should not be made. it also has given most people a shortened attention span, making driving with road awarness difficult, if not impossible. when i took the test a number of years ago, i didn’t know if i should laugh or stand in shock (i walked in shock to the counter). it consisted of the easiest test i have ever taken in my life (one question was; when leaving your vehicle, you should:A.make sure your passengers are accounted for B.roll up your windows C.take your keys D.account for your belongings. the most relevant and correct answer was c, but i can imagine people getting this wrong.) i ride a motorcycle, my wearing a helmet depends on where i ride. i beleive that it should be my choice to wear, or not wear a helmet. the government should not put this kind of additional control in our lives. they have already failed in the controls that they already had that has lead to the dangers that have increased on the roads for all drivers, not just motorcyclists.
Just think, if they ban the use of motorcycles then we will be even more safe!
There are thousands killed in vehicle accidents each year…better ban cars too!
I’d cut and paste the good parts but it’s a PDF. The good stuff starts on page 13 or so.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/statepatrol/docs/cell-phone-use-in-crashes.pdf
One study showed cell phone to be the 6th leading contributing factor to vehicle accidents. I wonder with all the truckers and others on CB radios over the years why that never seemed to be a hot button. I do see a lot of truckers on cell phones now and it doesn’t appear to me that it impairs their driving like it does the soccer mom in the minivan. Then again the trucker doesn’t have a van load of kids behind him.
Here’s more but it’s long and dull. Also a PDF. It’s a cost vs. benefit study of cell phone bans.
http://www.aei.brookings.org/publications/related/cellphones.pdf
Only 30% of subjects used a cell phone while their vehicle was moving. According to the American Automobile Association, wireless phones were not among the top 5 contributing factors in car accidents (as reported by Rachel Konrad, news.com, July 3, 2001). The AAA analysed 32,000 accidents and found only 1.5% due to cell phone use; cassette or CD players caused more accidents. Many people feel that scientists should at the very least conduct more research into the driver distractions before legislators pass laws banning cell phones.
The rest of this is here: http://www.taylordergo.com/september_october_2003.htm
Good stuff all around.
I also refuse to drive my motorcycle without my helmet, but I haven’t ever given serious thought to buying one for my pedal bike. Hypocritical…maybe.
As for cell phone use, it’s not the cell phone, but the idiot drivers who can’t do two things at once and don’t know how to put the phone down when they need to focus. I traveled all across this county and would talk on my phone for hours. But when I got to a city or in traffic, I’d put the phone down. The police should just ticket those drivers who appear to be driving distracted instead of those of us who can chew gum and walk at the same time. And I totally agree that CD players are more distracting.
Lumpy…considering your history of posts, I’ll take any defense of liberal with a grain of salt. That said, I did overcharacterize liberals. Maybe it would have been better to say that he is a government hands on type of guy, much like the other liberals I see. After all, there are plenty of conservatives who want government hands on as well, just in a different way.
Again, in my view, there are many things that create a social net loss in dollars and cents, but we still allow and encourage. There is no reason for skydiving, yet we value the act as a sense of personal autonomy. As for the argument that it does infringe on the rights of others by imposing a social cost, yet still are allowed. Smoking gives you cancer, yet we allow it for a sense of choice.
I will never buy the line of ‘passing a helmet law to save taxpayer money’, that’s nonsense. By that line of reasoning tobacco and alcohol should have been banned long ago, along with automobiles,guns, Mcdonalds, white flower, sugar, or any number of ‘dangerous if abused’ products.
If you ride a motorcycle without a helmet you’re simply ‘not too bright’, but you’re personal safety and need of common sense is not my business to legislate.
As for the bicycle helmet, I have a very nice scar under my right eye and several smaller ones on the right side of my face to remind me that I would likely be dead if I had’nt had one on during a moutain bike wreck 8 years ago.
Helmet laws suck!