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Re: The fallacy of DRLs




 In article <NEWTNews.810364261.5219.cbaltzer@WS.NSX.COM>,
> Craig Baltzer  <cbaltzer@nsx.com> wrote:
> >Anyway, government regulation is needed for important things. Screwing 
around 
> >with whether or not my lights come on when I start my car is not one of 
them. 
> >Want to save lives and reduce accident injuries, get better enforcement of 
the 
> >seatbelt laws, drunk driving laws and raise driver education requirements. 
> >Likewise, getting worked into a total lather about "never owning a car with 

> >DRL" is just as assinine.
> 
> Seatbelt laws should not be in place, let alone enforced. The government has
> no right and certainly no duty to attempt to protect people from themselves.
> If your own stupidity endangers noone but yourself, that is your right.

Unless I'm paying the tab for your stupidity in *almost* killing yourself 
through higher taxes or medical insurance costs. If you don't wear seatbelts, 
either don't get hurt or have the curtesy to the rest of us to fully exercise 
your right of choice and kill yourself.

> 
> Better driver education is a good idea. I took driver's ed, and it's crap.
> (never taken defensive driving, though).
> 
> I'd like to see the written test be *much* harder. A 5 year old's knowledge
> of traffic and driving could pass him one on that test. And that seems to be
> one of the biggest problems (right below inattentiveness/carelessness) - you
> can get a license anywhere in the US without knowing what a yield sign means
> or what the left lane is for or that you're supposed to signal lane changes.
> Chances are, you could get away without knowing when to make a left turn
> after a light changes (depends on your road test and whether you hit a light
> if it has one, and whether there is traffic for you to yield to).

Well, the written test is a place to start, but I'm more concerned about the 
level of actual training. Current driver ed programs should be called 
"non-taxing coast around the block courses". Some teach "paper" defensive 
driving, but most don't teach any hands on defensive driving techniques. One 
thing which I think would be valuable is something along the lines of the 2 
day course put on by Skip Barber's Driving school teaching emergency 
maneuvers, skid control and high performance driving techniques. Graduated 
licenses may also be a good idea, and would help get the Interstates up to a 
reasonable speed by keeping inexperienced drivers off them. Also mandatory 
testing for the elderly after a certain age.

Craig




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