🚀 go-pugleaf

In <slrn746nkh.e3.joel-garry@home.com> joel-garry@nospam.home.com (Joel
Garry) writes:

>There really isn't any single simple solution to the problem.  There
>are actually a number of problems, each of which has a number of
>solutions.  And of course each solution has a set of costs as well as
>benefits.  Since it is politically inexpedient to raise taxes/fees to
>pay for anything, and not much more will be done voluntarily, no one
>really cares to do anything....

Personally I think the real culprit is unrealistically low speed
limits.  Why?  Because too-low speed limits leave motorists in a
quandary:  In order to drive in the faster lanes, they must either break
laws against speeding, or laws against obstructing traffic.  Different
motorists choose different laws to break, but everybody in the fast
lane is breaking some law, so nobody feels bad about it.

Now consider the situation where we keep speed limits based on the
actual physical conditions, but greatly increase other maximum limits.
E.g., the 65 mph California statewide limit could be increased to 90
mph.  Limits in residential zones, school zones, sharp curves,
construction zones, etc.  would be based on actual conditions.

Now a motorist driving slowly in the fast lanes is breaking the law, but
a motorist driving with the flow of traffic in the fast lanes is not
breaking the law.  This puts some pressure on the slower drivers to stay
in the slower lanes.  It also allows law enforcement oficers to cite
slow motorists without having a double standard.

To replace the speeding laws, we must have other laws to discourage
bad driving.  We do this with a new law limiting lane changes:

   A vehicle may make any number of lane changes provided all but one
   are in the same direction.  A vehicle may make any number of lane
   changes to accomodate an unexpected road hazard.  Except for this, a
   vehicle may not make more than N lane changes in M seconds may be
   cited."

The net effect will be that you may drive as fast as you wish (up to 90
mph), provided you say in your own lane.  And you may still make lane
changes when entering a highway or leaving it.  But you may not legally
weave left and right in order to drive fast.  This will automatically
prevent most reckless driving.
-- 
Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@spams.r.us.com>
a2i communications, a quality ISP
   "Life is an obstacle course.  Get used to it."