🚀 go-pugleaf

On 15 Nov 1998 09:56:48 GMT, Rahul Dhesi <c.c.eiftj@22.usenet.us.com> wrote:
>In <slrn74stbe.ko.joel-garry@home.com> joel-garry@nospam.home.com (Joel Garry) writes:
>
>>On 13 Nov 1998 01:34:03 GMT, Rahul Dhesi <c.c.eiftj@22.usenet.us.com> wrote:
>>>In <slrn74mu5k.e3.joel-garry@home.com> joel-garry@nospam.home.com (Joel
>>>Garry) writes:
>>>
>>>>Assuming causation where none has been shown is silly.
>>>
>>>But I provided you with a simple exepriment to verify that a higher rate
>>>of lane changes will result in more accidents.
>
>>And the same can be said of speed, or removing steering components, or
>>any other variable that can be manipulated until a chaotic event
>>occurs.  It is a reducto ad absurdum argument, which may be fine for
>>politics, but not so good for figuring out a rational method of
>>improving highway safety.
>
>But isn't it true that as you keep increasing speed, accident rate will
>eventually get significantly high?  And that's the point there the speed
>limit ought to be set?  There is nothing reducto ad absurdum about this:
>if you want to decide what the speed limit ought to be, try to find a
>threshold speed beyond which accidents significantly increase.

This oversimplifies too many variables.  Speed advisories need to reflect
the ambient roadway, not the capabilities of drivers and cars.  Also, you 
are using a grouping function to control single events (not that traffic
engineering studies don't, but at least they self-control for driver
perception).

>
>The same is true of other variables too, including the rate of lane
>changes.
>
>I don't see what's wrong with a law against driving unsafe vehicles
>(e.g., vehicles from which critical steering components have been
>removed).

I don't either.  People will do amazingly stupid things.  Including using
inappropriate yardsticks to make law.

>-- 
>Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@spams.r.us.com>
>a2i communications, a quality ISP
>    "Any idiot can avoid automobile accidents that are his own fault.  It
>     takes skill to avoid accidents that are the *other* person's fault."

jg
-- 
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