There is furor about the epidemic of texting and cellphone use while driving. The consequence is more wrecks on the highway and more deaths and injuries.
As usual, the authorities cannot come up with any plan other than wring their hands helplessly, even though public highways are under both Federal and State/Local jurisdictions. All highways are subsidized to some degree with Federal transportation funds and are therefor subject to the reach of Federal laws.
In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin
The first study of drivers texting inside their vehicles shows that the risk sharply exceeds previous estimates based on laboratory research — and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions.
The new study, which entailed outfitting the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras over 18 months, found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which compiled the research and plans to release its findings on Tuesday, also measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts.
In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices — enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.
Even though trucks take longer to stop and are less maneuverable than cars, the findings generally applied to all drivers, who tend to exhibit the same behaviors as the more than 100 truckers studied, the researchers said. Truckers, they said, do not appear to text more or less than typical car drivers, but they said the study did not compare use patterns that way.
Compared with other sources of driver distraction, “texting is in its own universe of risk,” said Rich Hanowski, who oversaw the study at the institute.
First of all, there is no controversy: this is absolutely insane! That this country is in the grip of some death drive is evidenced by this phenomenon. Add the trillions of dollar debt, climate gas emitted and resources depleted and there isn’t much in the way of an exit strategy for us … or is there?
This problem is actually simple to solve, what is needed is a national driving license. This would be hard to get, would require knowledge of how vehicles work, how to get places and what not to do. It would require driving practice, like that given at auto racing schools. The difference is this license would be given only to those who were the safest, rather than the fastest drivers.
The cost of these licenses would be high; the license itself would cost at least $2000 plus the cost of the driving school. A year of study and practice would be required. Teenagers would not be permitted to drive. Most elderly would not qualify. There would be a probationary period of at least one year. Annual renewals would be required with driving tests administered at random, with renewals at a cost of at least $1000 per year.
Any DUI, reckless driving, racing, tailgating, using any distracting devices such as GPS or cell phones as well as speeding would result in the automatic and permanent forfeiture of the license. There would be no ‘second chances’.
A consequence of this program would be a cadre of excellent drivers, most of whom would become professional for either public service, livery or transport companies.
Additionally, the country would use a system that was designed in New York City in the 1930’s to regulate taxicabs.
Keep in mind at all times the world in in the grip of an energy constriction. Peak Oil on a dollar for dollar basis took place ten years ago. The increase in price over that period is destroying the US’s and the world’s economies. Something drastic must be done to reduce oil consumption as well as highway carnage.
A medallion system will accomplish both goals. In order to operate a yellow taxicab in New York, the operator must obtain a taxi medallion; since the City does not ordinarily issue these, a medallion must be bought from another cab company. The current price for a medallion is very high as a result:
NYC Taxi medallion sold for record $600,000
Forget the stock market. If you’re in the possession of a NYC taxi medallion, you’re sitting on a goldmine. A retiring Pakistani driver who’d been driving a cab in New York for the last 25 years sold his medallion Wednesday for a staggering $600,000 — an all-time record for such a sale. The medallion, which gives cab drivers the right to operate legally in the city, cost $30,000 when it was purchased in 1981. The new owner is a taxi fleet operator who already owns somewhere around 100 medallions.
As you can see, the limitation on the number of medallions makes them a valuable investment and importantly, the medallion holders themselves keep prices high by vehemently opposing adding to the numbers of medallions. Consequently, there are only a few taxi medallions auctioned by the city and only on rare occasions.
This medallion system can be expanded to all autos and trucks used on US highways. The US government would issue no more than 20 million medallions (there are almost 300 million motor over the road vehicles in the country currently.) The first batch of 100 thousand would be sold directly at a fixed price of – say – $200 thousand each. All subsequent lots would be sold by auction. Most of this number would be bought by commercial users and those whose need for transportation could translate into sufficient cash flow to service the expense of the medallion.
Needless to say, past a certain date, no vehicle would be allowed on the road without a medallion.
All initial returns of sales of medallions would accrue to the Treasury. If 20 million were sold @ an average of New York’s $300 thousand apiece, the total to the Treasury would be $6 trillion dollars, enough to pay the national debt!
Would Americans pay? Of course they would! Americans are as addicted to car travel as they are to sugar and greasy food. Financing by the government would be provided – at a profitable rate of interest to those without the cash. Americans’ car love would be distilled downward at a 15-to-1 ratio, those who love most would be required to prove it. This rationing by price would self exercising!
The medallions would be investments. Persons who bought them would be able to sell them for higher prices. The return on use would be the ‘dividend’ or yield, the growth in appreciation would be investment value. Medallions could be bought by persons not intending to drive. This would push medallion prices higher. To insure this, owners would lobby furiously against adding more medallions as taxi companies do currently in New York City.
There would be no traffic. Driving would require less fuel. Less vehicles using less fuel would result in less climate gas emissions and end the fuel crisis. Wear and tear on surfaces and bridges would be reduced along with maintainence expense. There would be far fewer wrecks.
A reason for this is the contractual obligation attached to the medallion: any DUI, reckless driving, racing, tailgating, using any distracting devices such as GPS or cell phones as well as speeding would result in the automatic and permanent forfeiture of the medallion! Causing a wreck would also cost the medallion. The attrition losses of medallions would also increase scarcity increasing the value of each. Losing a license is one thing, losing a half- million dollar investment is something else! Medallion owners would be among the most cautious and safety conscious law- abiders in the USA.
American traffic fatalities and injuries would decline to the level of air crashes casualties: triple digit fatalities per year. This is opposed to the usual 40 thousand lives taken on the highway, annually, currently. The safe drivers and less congested roads would leave traffic space for bicycles and other non- motorized traffic.
Right now the government is adminstered by craven and selfish lowlifes who are only interested in lining their pockets with ill gotten loot, they have no initiative and feel free to steal only as long as they are peddling more of the auto- manic status quo. As energy prices rise, the opportunity will pass as more Americans become too poor to own or drive a car.
Never expect anything like the national license or medallion plan to take place here, in the Good Ol’ Brain- Damaged USA.