Highway Safety prescription - dated info

I orginally wrote this back in 2006--- but it still would apply today, especially since the
electronics info explosion!
http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=67&t=13896

Check it out!

rkmdogs wrote:

I orginally wrote this back in 2006--- but it still would apply today, especially since the
electronics info explosion!
http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=67&t=13896

Check it out!

Insert the bar code/chip under the skin at birth,. then big brother could limit you in alot of ways and things,.just get your fines instantly taken from your bank account automatically,.roving police scanners to make sure you didn't say or do anything illegal,.the sheep would say you have nothing to worry about if you do everything correctly.

IT guys would start a whole new business,.. there'll always be a "hack"

It only takes a balloon to defeat the ignition interlock boxes now,.

Nick

[quote="phantom 309"]

rkmdogs wrote:

I orginally wrote this back in 2006--- but it still would apply today, especially since the
electronics info explosion!

I originally wrote this piece on another foremat, but it seems as useful today as it was then;
maybe even moreso with the electronics revolution that has taken place!

Posted 03 December 2006 - 07:14 PM

Everybody touts automotive safety, and laments driver incompetence as a fact
of life in the USA; mainly because the theme idea is that everybody has a right
to a drivers license, and access to all the roads in the USA---- Freedom to travel,
right?

Well, what if we started to say, O.K., you can drive--- somewhere--- if you qualify!
Instead of the drivers license that we all can get basically by fogging a mirror,
what if you had to demonstrate your ability to handle a vehicle competently in
several emergency reaction situations, and were graded on how well you
avoided an accident? This would include performance handling as well.
Then, this score value was placed in a bar code on your drivers license. In order
to operate any car, you would have to place your drivers license in a reader in
the vehicle, which would read your proficiency level, and only then then allow you to start the engine, or restrict the performance potential to the drivers capability rating. If you were qualified to handle the performance potential of
that vehicle you would have no restrictions imposed by the cars computer! The license would stay in the holder as long as you were operating that car, and when you removed it, it would shut the car down. If you left the drivers seat, without removing the card, the vehicle would shut down and could not be restarted until a different card was presented. There could be a timed emergency override, in case of a need for departure, say from a car-jacking.
Also, part of the bar-code would light a display in your window, so that observers, the police would know you were qualified to operate a vehicle with a specific
performance level.

Along with this, the lanes on a highway with 4 or more lanes would have an imbedded reader and would be graded with increasing speed limits, that could read your performance quotient, and if you tried to change lanes to a higher speed one than one that you were qualified for, an alarm signal would go off,
both visually and audibly, inside and out, that you were exceeding your tested
driving capabilities. Penalties could then ensue, either by tickets, or restricting
the vehicle performance via an override code sent to the on-board computer.

This would prevent little-old-ladies from driving 500hp behemoths, unless they could show that they knew how to handle them, or a blocker code, like a limp-home mode would only allow them a percentage of that vehicles potential. The same with inexperienced teen-agers, until they could demonstrate thru the testing that they had the know-how and ability to respond to emergency road situations. The proficiency testing read-outs on the licenses could be changed by re-testing after having shown some form of driver education tailored to the tasks.

Drunk drivers could be prevented from operating a car by having a code entered onto their license with court-ordered restrictions. This would prevent their ability to start any car, but would not prevent their spouse from using the vehicle, since it would require a different license.

Service facilities could be issued special code cards, but these would prevent parking lot speed jockeys from laying down strips with your high-performance ride.

Now this would all take time, in vehicle design and smart electronics, plus some
roadway work to install readers and transmitters, and some legislation cooperation, but if it was pursued with conviction, could be done in 2 decades, nationwide!
Congress would have to get on the ball, and write some real legislation, without
the usual loopholes. States would have to get on board also.

Then we could enjoy a really fast, graded highway transportation system, and
have a real system of highway safety.--- and enjoy your ride as was intended.
Who needs autobahns?

Phantom replied:
Insert the bar code/chip under the skin at birth,. then big brother could limit you in alot of ways and things,.just get your fines instantly taken from your bank account automatically,.roving police scanners to make sure you didn't say or do anything illegal,.the sheep would say you have nothing to worry about if you do everything correctly.
IT guys would start a whole new business,.. there'll always be a "hack"

It only takes a balloon to defeat the ignition interlock boxes now,.
Nick

I never saw an ad for a driving school that had classes in the womb, so implants at birth would not tell how good a driver
you might turn out to be!
As far as big brother and driving goes, you already have a bar code on the back of your license now. Do you know what it says?
My concept was to re-introduce that novel idea of personal responsibility; ---- you would be accountable for your skills and granted
priveleges based on them! We don't need autobahns here with drivers who get their license via some untrained political hack who
needed a 3rd job! If you can demonstrate a skill level, why not be rewarded for it?------ but if you can't, then don't expect the
privilege!
Skillful driving is not a characteristic that you get at birth from your parents! It takes training and practice!!
Why not acknowledge that?

phantom 309 wrote:

the sheep would say you have nothing to worry about if you do everything correctly. Nick

Luckily my sheep can't talk.. only cower in fear.

^ LOL Dave... that's scary.

Stingroo wrote:

^ LOL Dave... that's scary.

You should have seen the one that didn't escape!

I withdraw some of my thinking on the use of computer overrides and control of
vehicle performance due to this piece of news:


Uh-oh: Government Motors wants to track you

Several years ago Glenn broke ties with GM as a sponsor, in large part because he was worried about their interactions with government. All that technology and access at the fingertips of the federal government just didn't sit well with Glenn. At the time, they said they wouldn't be doing any sort of tracking or anything like that. That was then, this is now. OnStar is now notifying its 6 million account holders that it will keep a complete account of the speed and location of OnStar-equipped vehicles even for drivers who discontinue the monthly service. - check it out at GlennBeck.com.

I expounded on it somewhat,.

it is difficult when the other party infers a use of analogical reasoning,.
It would seem a given that fetus's are incapable of learning to drive,at this point in time and with todays technology.

As for drivers taught to be skillful,. yes to a certain point,. but i,ve observed my whole life people who were given excellent training and yet could not function as well in the task as others,.It takes a certain amount of talent, to be a truly skillful driver.
I applaud you in using the reasoning that all human beings are equal in these abilities,.but i beg to differ,. there is a certain factor that comes into play,.
It,s called the Moron factor.

Interesting idea's you have put forth,. but in my opinion they need to be re-examined. Nothing is finite as far as human beings are concerned.Over regulation is rampant in society as it is,.and the glenbeck article can be taken 1 step further,. an enforcement official from the safety and comfort of an office somewhere, might in time be allowed to assess you monetary penalties,. after the fact, done under the guise of a "safety audit" we want everyone to be safe right? so if you have an electronic record of speeding you may be punished for it.

I have 6 kids and they all display different levels of abilty when it comes to driving,. from our 26yr old man who is shop foreman in a mercedes dealership, and gets to play with cars i can only dream of drving,. and he is a poor driver, non of the mercedes track days has helped him,.,. my 19yr boy old is a natural,. he taught himself to drive my 18 wheelers by watching me,.and instinctively seems to do the right thing at the right time when pushing the envelope,.was pretty good feeling when he was 12 and we had company and i asked him to go out and hook up the end dump,. and turn it around so we could grease it and change the oil,.our company was watching out the bedroom window and they were all amazed,.
Our 9 yr old daughter is the same,. she hopped on our riding lawnmower and started cutting grass when she was 5, scaring her mother as she'd not had any 'training' although i do concede she did ask why it wouldn't start and i told her the brake needed to be depressed,. she is capable of moving the pickup around the yard with the firewood trailer on if necessary, (not in reverse tho,. My 7 yr old son is useless and needs to be shown over and over again how to cut grass, to the point we don't let him,. we just let him bomb aimlessly around the yard with the mower off,.it satisfies everyone.
Don't get me started on my wife and her abilities to consume brakes and ruin lockup converters,.

JM2c
JMHO
no malice intended.

Nick
Constantly have my abilities restricted, due to being compared to the incompetence of others.

nick

phantom 309 wrote:

I expounded on it somewhat,.

.......
As for drivers taught to be skillful,. yes to a certain point,. but i,ve observed my whole life people who were given excellent training and yet could not function as well in the task as others,.It takes a certain amount of talent, to be a truly skillful driver.
I applaud you in using the reasoning that all human beings are equal in these abilities,.but i beg to differ,. there is a certain factor that comes into play,.
It,s called the Moron factor.

Interesting idea's you have put forth,. but in my opinion they need to be re-examined. Nothing is finite as far as human beings are concerned.no malice intended.

Nick

nick

That's why Nick I also proposed testing for proficiency by appropriate testers, not political hacks!

Nice column gentlemen... interestingly realistic ideas and fears of what can happen in a society that becomes more controlled by a government that in itself is out of control.

Thanks for the sincere comments.

Dave

P.S. Got a link to the Glenn Beck article?

Very informative guys!You didnt even mention our numerous seniors that probably cause a huge
majority of accidents but because of no vehicle contact they usually just drive away completely
oblivious to what just happened!I am presently going thru this with my 81 year old father and
would greatly appreciate any helpful hints on how to keep his dignity intact while easing him out
of the drivers seat!
Jim

lakeffect wrote:

Nice column gentlemen... interestingly realistic ideas and fears of what can happen in a society that becomes more controlled by a government that in itself is out of control.

Thanks for the sincere comments.

Dave

P.S. Got a link to the Glenn Beck article?

Its on his website yesterday. www.glennbeck.com

Here is the link:

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/09/21/uh-oh-government-motors-wants-to-track-you/

Flasheroo wrote:

Very informative guys!You didnt even mention our numerous seniors that probably cause a huge
majority of accidents but because of no vehicle contact they usually just drive away completely
oblivious to what just happened!I am presently going thru this with my 81 year old father and
would greatly appreciate any helpful hints on how to keep his dignity intact while easing him out
of the drivers seat!
Jim

Need to check your statitics Jim. Teen-agers cause more accidents than seniors, due to lack of experience in real-world
driving situations.
For your Dad, enroll him in one of the senior driver refresher courses. If he passes-- good! If not, they will
suggest that he stop driving, leaving you off the hook! Pick a good one though, not one of those "pay your money
and I'll tell you whatever you want to hear" jobs. There are too many of them around!

Thanks for the advice and yes he takes a driving update class every 2 years.He has always
excelled in these classes and I know he takes his driving very seriously but I am more
concerned about his being prone to extreme forgetfulness whenever he becomes a little
fatiqued.Once he gets the least bit tired he can easily become very confused and that
scares the hell out of me.Maybe I just worry too much but he has a remarkable driving with
1 very minor accident last month in 70 years of driving.He has had cluster headaches for the
last 33 years and they are brutally painful and I know all the years of pain meds has had to
take its toll as well.
Thanks for the imput again
Jim

this is sounding like an other govt big brother thing,
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CT_DRIVER_LICENSE_CHANGES_CTOL-?SITE=CTNLD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT