America's driving systems suck.
Things will have to change to support society's growth.
Gasoline usage, traffic, and safety all need improvement.

I don't want to anger anyone, but here are My ideas:

Obtaining a license not as easy. Many people are ridiculously poorly trained to drive when they get their licenses and most poor drivers are newer drivers. A license can be a meaningless indicator of safe driving ability at any age. The test to obtain a license needs to be far tougher. You should have to prove, beyond all reasonable doubt, that you can handle a vehicle safely in a wide variety of situations. Computer simulations can be used here to eliminate concerns over driving testers getting into a car with a teenager and putting them into dangerous driving situations. Less deaths from accidents would undeniably result.

More careful placement of traffic lights and timings. While traffic lights usually increase safety, they cost drivers time in stops and starts. Also important is uncountable amounts of gasoline are wasted in city driving where there are many lights. In areas of high congestion, traffic flow should be monitored by cameras and light changes controlled by computers or people. This does NOT mean "Big Brother" is entering our lives.

Left-lanes on two-lane highways exclusive for passing. 18-wheelers on three lane highways should only be allowed to use the left lane for passing. In four or more lane highways, no 18-wheeler should be in the left lane.

Fewer motorcycles. A lot disagree with me on this, but I retain my opinion. Motorcyclists are incredibly susceptible to serious injury in an accident and tend to be involved in many more accidents per vehicle, which also poses a danger to other drivers. In order to get a motorcycle license, you should have to be a minimum age of 21, and be able to complete a much more rigorous course than a standard class C/1 license. Also, while I believe a motorcyclist should be required to dress in more than shorts and a t-shirt, the full helmet inhibits peripheral vision. Smaller, bicycle-like helmets should still be required.

Enact a Driving while not Paying Attention Citation (DWNPA). While driving, driving should be the first thing on a driver's mind. Driving is not a casual, subconcious activity like many people seem to think it is. Eating, reading, and putting on make-up while driving should be illegal, ticketable offenses. Any driver that is driving recklessly while on a cell phone should also be eligible for a ticket.

A simple, one-day driver's ed class mandatory every seven years for license renewal. As people get older and more used to driving systems, they can often also become more careless or forget laws they had previously been aware of.

Fewer and smaller trucks and SUV's. Trucks have many functional uses, but many are unnecessarily large and built for more than they're ever going to be used for. Many of these vehicles are hard to see over and consume unnecessary amounts of gasoline. Soccer moms driving Suburbans are just dangerous. Nobody needs an F-350 diesel dooley to carry a couple 2x4's from Home Depot. In a decade, only companies, farmers, organizations, or schools that need more utility should be allowed to own a truck larger than a Nissan Frontier or an SUV larger than an X-Terra free of an extra tax. For everyone else, and since most large SUV's are already expensive, a $6000 tax ought to be required to buy a large truck or a gargantuan American SUV (i.e. Expeditions, Excursions, Suburbans, Navigators, Yukons, that stupid Avalanche, H2's, Escalades, the new Tahoe, anything that ends in XL, etc.). Even Ford Explorers are a little on the big side. While driving is a right, it is also a priveledge, so some things are about more than just freedom of choice. You could still have one; you'd just be paying a little extra for the building of new roads. Not to mention trucks and SUV's are already exempt from the gas guzzler tax for powerful sports cars, which they shouldn't be.

Reckless driving or aggressive weaving through traffic results in higher fines and/or penalties than speeding violations. Dangerous driving maneuverances and cutting off of other drivers is unarguably more dangerous than a car going 10 MPH over the speed limit.

Parking across from others on the sides of two-lane residential streets illegal. In other words, there should not be parked cars on both sides of a street parallel to eachother. When this happens, only one car at a time can pass through and oncoming cars or people beside the cars can be difficult to see. And we all know how many people fail to yeild the right of way when a parked car is blocking their route.

Elimination of stupid people who can't drive. Oh, wait.. That would be unethical.


And I guess it's too bad I don't live in Holland.




-Greg
hi[at]humans.com
Subject= humans.com