Safer Roads? They're kidding right?

[foxbass]

Reading through some recent threads has reminded me of a belief that I've been barking on about since I was a kid of 20.

World governments are completely stupid not dealing properly with the situation that the road is a dangerous environment populated by the skilled, the lazy and the incompetent, plus every shade between.

I firmly believe that if someone is to be let loose with what is in fact a deadly weapon, then the following World Charter should apply:

1. First mode of transport should be a bicycle. This would involve training with a certificate and compulsory license and insurance. (Everyone else has to have one)

2. Step up to bike school on a moped or scooter. Once qualified, a statutory period of on-road experience completed before....

3. Finally, driver training. At least then people would have a deeper appreciation of what other road users are doing and how vulnerable we all are.

The current situation is about as sensible as giving a monkey a loaded gun.

I took the above route myself quite by chance and the fact that I'm not communicating this idea via a Ouija board proves that it could work.

To negotiate roads through any crowded place requires a bit of skill and team work and I've come to believe that crashes happen when Ignorance meets Arrogance.

 

[GTPAddict]

Not sure I agree with all of that, but your last sentence is absolutely dead on. :thumbup:

 

[FZ09Bandit]

We will pass. Good statement though. Accidents will happen regardless and so will collisions. You know how many pigs I see driving cop cars woth a phone stuck to the side of there face? Everyday! No matter what training you have, someone get complaceant and will hurt themselves or someone else. That it is the way of the world. That is why cars are getting safer, because drivers damn sure arnt.

 

[fb40dash5]

How about we just stop handing driver's licenses out like candy? It's not a ****ing standardized test, it's not little league teeball, it's the ability to drive a few tons of missile around at high speeds. Perhaps it should require proof of some skill, and there are people (a whole lot, IMO) who SHOULD fail the test?

I avoid a major wreck with someone who isn't paying attention or just plains sucks at driving pretty much on a daily basis, and it's not like I drive for a living. For that matter, my commute consists of only ~20mi to school each way 4 days a week, and <5mi to work 5 days a week, and pretty much none of that is even during rush hour. Either I'm a magnet for those idiots, or there's a whole lot more of them, and that's only the ones I'm exposed to, and only when they're bad enough to nearly hit me. I'll admit I'm not a saint when it comes to driving and I've had my share of close calls, but if I'm almost hitting or getting hit by one of them almost every day, imagine how many they must have...

 

[PosterFZ6]

Reading through some recent threads has reminded me of a belief that I've been barking on about since I was a kid of 20.

World governments are completely stupid not dealing properly with the situation that the road is a dangerous environment populated by the skilled, the lazy and the incompetent, plus every shade between.

I firmly believe that if someone is to be let loose with what is in fact a deadly weapon, then the following World Charter should apply:

1. First mode of transport should be a bicycle. This would involve training with a certificate and compulsory license and insurance. (Everyone else has to have one)

2. Step up to bike school on a moped or scooter. Once qualified, a statutory period of on-road experience completed before....

3. Finally, driver training. At least then people would have a deeper appreciation of what other road users are doing and how vulnerable we all are.

The current situation is about as sensible as giving a monkey a loaded gun.

I took the above route myself quite by chance and the fact that I'm not communicating this idea via a Ouija board proves that it could work.

To negotiate roads through any crowded place requires a bit of skill and team work and I've come to believe that crashes happen when Ignorance meets Arrogance.

I have ridden and driven on all of these. I started out by commuting to school in New York city on a bicycle.

I moved up to a car, then I moved to a moped and finally a motorcycle.

i believe that has made me a more conscious driver and a rider.

Driving exams/road tests are not adequate for the vast majority of retards here in New York City. Half of motorcycle riders here didn't even bother to pass the motorcycle road test and are riding illegally on their permits, which pretty much will result in a fine from the coppers if you get caught if you also happen to have a regular driving licence.

 

[deeptekkie]

Reading through some recent threads has reminded me of a belief that I've been barking on about since I was a kid of 20.

World governments are completely stupid not dealing properly with the situation that the road is a dangerous environment populated by the skilled, the lazy and the incompetent, plus every shade between.

I firmly believe that if someone is to be let loose with what is in fact a deadly weapon, then the following World Charter should apply:

1. First mode of transport should be a bicycle. This would involve training with a certificate and compulsory license and insurance. (Everyone else has to have one)

2. Step up to bike school on a moped or scooter. Once qualified, a statutory period of on-road experience completed before....

3. Finally, driver training. At least then people would have a deeper appreciation of what other road users are doing and how vulnerable we all are.

The current situation is about as sensible as giving a monkey a loaded gun.

I took the above route myself quite by chance and the fact that I'm not communicating this idea via a Ouija board proves that it could work.

To negotiate roads through any crowded place requires a bit of skill and team work and I've come to believe that crashes happen when Ignorance meets Arrogance.

Funny you would say this. (Though it's crazy to even think that this could ever happen but), IF every person was required to ride a bike for one year before they could get their car license can you imagine how much safer the roads would be for everyone involved? (From what I've seen though the truth is: Most people do not have the attention span, nor especially the reflexes, to survive on public roads on a bike)

 

[Wearyeyed]

I've been saying the privilege of driving should be proceeded by the experience of motorcycling for years, if for no other reason than more people than not are too lazy and/or distracted to stick to the overhead of riding a bike for any length of time, and would soon give-up the pursuit altogether.

Driving is popular in no small measure because it is so damn easy to do while you depend on others to accommodate you not doing it well...

 

[foxbass]

Man that last line should appear on road signs every mile for the benefit of the dumb! :thumbup: