Navigating Nitwits
Here's something you probably never would've guessed:
Thank you, Captain Obvious!
I'll tell you what's even more dangerous: stupidity. And it's much more widespread than satellite navigation systems.
Fiddling around with in-car satellite navigation systems is causing motorists to lose concentration on the road, according to a survey.
"Our research shows even satellite navigation equipment, if used incorrectly, can lead to driver danger."
Thank you, Captain Obvious!
I'll tell you what's even more dangerous: stupidity. And it's much more widespread than satellite navigation systems.
posted by Jar(egg)head at 14:45
1 Comments:
Oh, don't even get me started...
Failure to signal, illegal lane changes, tail-gating, failure to yield, driving in the blind spot, turning from the wrong lane, improper merging, and my favorite: surrendering the right-of-way.
If davispak is who I'm pretty sure he is, then he's a cop, (hi, Steve), and he'll back me up on this: the right-of-way is not yours to do with as you please. It is what you are expected and obligated to do. It's what keeps traffic flowing smoothly, and prevents wrecks and road rage. Surrendering the right-of-way is blatantly illegal and creates utter chaos on the roads.
I never thought I'd hear myself say this, since I like to drive really, really, really fast, (in the proper conditions on empty roads which I know very well, I must add in my own defense), but I'm starting to believe that the best way to improve traffic flow and target the truly dangerous drivers is to put completely unmarked traffic patrol vehicles on the streets. The problem, as our system is currently operating, is that the police can't target those motorists who are actually dangerous.
It's an axiom that when most people see a marked police cruiser, they immediately start driving like they're in a driver's ed class. That leaves the police with little option but to target speeders--they can prove the perpetrator was speeding, and it's easy to catch them doing it via speed traps. But when you come right down to brass tacks, speeding tickets are little more than revenue generation for the local government. The police know it, but there's not much they can really do about it under the current system. The real problem is reckless drivers, not speeders per se. Unfortunately, there is no way for the police to target those qualitatively bad drivers in an effective manner--at least not so long as they're restricted to driving marked cars.
Thus, as much as it goes against my grain, I say "bring on the unmarked cruisers." At least that way there's a better chance that the asshole who cuts me off by darting across five freeway lanes to make an exit while yapping on his cell phone will be caught and (hopefully) arrested for his stupidity.
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