From: cka52397@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Slartibartfast)
Subject: Re: Raising the limit
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1992 01:55:08 GMT

In article <1992Nov13.175859.4771@news.mentorg.com> philip@mentorg.com (Philip Peake) writes:
>In article <1dv7t6INNr6h@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, aas7@po.CWRU.Edu (Andrew A. Spencer) writes:
>|> 
>|> In a previous article, philip@mentorg.com (Philip Peake) says:
>|> 
>|> >So, why don't those of you who both pay taxes and are allowed
>|> >to vote introduce some ballot measures of your own, to get the
>|> >speed raised to ... well ... say 90 m.p.h. on Interstates and
>|> >70 m.p.h. on restricted access divided highways ?
>|> 
>|> that is the problem..you are talking to the enthusiats on here..
>|> unfortunately..DC knows that MOST US drivers have no business
>|> driving..and try to protect us all from those of us who fall
>|> into that catagory(myself included, BTW..i have yet to manage
>|> to take a REAL driver's training course...)..so..limits are
>|> made..and the enthusiasts alone cannot really change something.
>
>You seem to be saying that US drivers are generaly incompetent.
>I have to disagree - well, let me re-phrase that to say that they
>are no worse than drivers in many other countries, and in some respects
>are better.
>
	Ok, so American drivers are better than those on the streets of Rome,
but that isn't saying much.  We in America have, all in all, the worst drivers
in the non-third world.  We pass on the right, go slow on the left, do our hair
in the rear view mirror, don't use our headlights in the rain, NEVER use our
Turn Signals.  Of course, that is most people, not necessarily the ones who 
read the NET.

>I have taken three driving tests, in three different countries, and
>have three driving licenses to prove it. There are SIGNIFICANT
>differences in the tests, and in the basic driving laws/styles,
>but I wouldn't say that the test that I took in Oregon was any less
>strict than anywhere else (they did want me to do things which would
>guarantee failure in other contries, and which would also upset police
>in most other countries, but thats another story).
>
>In the (not too distant) past, one of the reasons for high accident
>rates in the US was the horrible cars in use - with suspension
>designed to convince the driver that he was floating on a cloud,
>rather than being designed to keep the car on the road.
>
>That is now less true than it was.
>
>What is true now is that driving at 55 mph is liable to put the driver
>to sleep (and often does).
>
>But, getting back to the original point - do you REALY think that
>most US drivers WANT the 55 limit ?
>
>Philip
>

	I'd love to see the 70 mph limit, (hell, no limit would be great) but,
A) Our roads arent' quite as smooth as Germany's, and life at 90 would be hell
	our terrible roads.
B) Drivers suck here.  See above.
C) American/Japaneese cars (the majority) are _much_ less safe than the great
	European touring sedans...  We don't have the equipment, I'd hate 90
	in my Civic.


-- 
"You Poor Take Courage, You Rich Take Care, This Earth Was Made A Common Treas-
ury For Everyone To Share." <-- Billy Bragg "The World Turned Upside Down"
*******RUSH**YES**PEARLJAM**PETERGABRIEL**PAULSIMON**METALLICA**REM**U2********
The University of Illinois Go Capitals Go Illini Go Tarheels (c-amin1@uiuc.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.autos