RE: 30 days in the hole [was: I ate a sandwich in a car inthe UK]

["Geoff Jenkins" <jenkinsg@pilot.msu.edu>]

> [mailto:owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net]On Behalf Of Bruce Aukerman
[Snippage]
> Simply because the UK requires you to test in a standard shift car in
> order to be licensed to drive one
> does not mean you won't have a moron behind the wheel.  Rather,
> you have a moron that knows how to shift, so what?

I'd have to disagree. The UK driving test is much more thorough, and has to
be passed with a much higher standard of (a) skill (b) technical competency
and (c) awareness of other road users than _any_ of the US state tests I've
encountered. Do the British still have plenty of idiots on the roads? Sure.

_But_, if you look at road accident data for the first world, even once
you've removed factors covering population, traffic-density, average speeds
etc., the US consistently gets either the worst or one of the worst traffic
accident (and death) rates out there. If it's not the cars, or the roads, or
the laws, what's left? The average drivers and their (for want of better
words) "skills" & "style".

God help us all when they start selling Caddilacs and SUV's with built-in
NYSE price-tickers and "in-dash" TVs (for those long boring stretches on
freeways).

Have you ever met _anyone_ who thought that didn't pay enough attention to
the road, rather than their phone, makeup, Nintendo etc? The people who feel
that they _are_ a risk stop using the phones. Does that make the people who
still use them safe? Not likely.

Geoff

Why do you think that the "coaching" videos some attorneys give to drivers
(before depositions) specifically tell the clients _not_ to mention talking
on cellphones, putting on makeup etc?