What can be done to prevent theses accidents is more to the point.

Improve humans ability to manage risk?

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AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
For a Trucker, your Dispatcher is in charge of your route.

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Seti Ambassador
Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

What can be done to prevent theses accidents is more to the point.

For starters...

Police Officers should use their common sense

What can be done to prevent theses accidents is more to the point.

For starters...

Police Officers should use their common sense

I wonder just how police officers using their common sense is going to stop drivers carrying too many people in vehicles.

Or have I missed the point.

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What can be done to prevent theses accidents is more to the point.

For starters...

Police Officers should use their common sense

I wonder just how police officers using their common sense is going to stop drives carrying too many people in vehicles.

Or have I missed the point.

Part of the problem is that "Common Sense" is not as common as it used to be....

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

wonder just how police officers using their common sense is going to stop drives carrying too many people in vehicles.

Or have I missed the point.

Part of the problem is that "Common Sense" is not as common as it used to be....

The problem of overloading is simlar to using mobile phones whilst driving. You have to be caught in the act of doing it to get summonsed for it. The police cannot monitor every vehicle on the road 24/7, so a lot of people see it as an acceptable risk of their lifestyle. It needs a change of society attitude to these things but how you do that I don't know.

Here in NY state If your in an accident. They will get the records from the cell phone company to see if you were texting or talking on a cell phone.
To many teen drivers that have killed themselves or others have been proven they were doing either of the above in a fatal accident.

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[/quote]

Old James

The problem of overloading is simlar to using mobile phones whilst driving

Alberta is finally starting to take this seriously. I am
amazed at how many times I see people using their phones
when I am out and about. It has now passed DUI as a major
factor in car crashes up here.
(Sorry, I should have said: "oot and aboot..")



edit:
Greetings James!

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Here in NY state If your in an accident. They will get the records from the cell phone company to see if you were texting or talking on a cell phone.

That is a very good idea, I wonder why we don't do it over here? What we do do is routinely breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame.

Breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame?

That would violate a persons Constitutional right to privacy here in the US, unless people have been determined to be criminally liable and then charged with a crime, not to mention being read their Miranda rights by an officer as one is being either interrogated or arrested.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Here in NY state If your in an accident. They will get the records from the cell phone company to see if you were texting or talking on a cell phone.

That is a very good idea, I wonder why we don't do it over here? What we do do is routinely breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame.

Breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame?

That would violate a persons Constitutional right to privacy here in the US, unless people have been determined to be criminally liable and then charged with a crime, not to mention being read their Miranda rights by an officer as one is being either interrogated or arrested.

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

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Here in NY state If your in an accident. They will get the records from the cell phone company to see if you were texting or talking on a cell phone.

That is a very good idea, I wonder why we don't do it over here? What we do do is routinely breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame.

Breathalyse everyone involved in a moving traffic accident, regardless of alleged blame?

That would violate a persons Constitutional right to privacy here in the US, unless people have been determined to be criminally liable and then charged with a crime, not to mention being read their Miranda rights by an officer as one is being either interrogated or arrested.

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

+1 Here in NY its been that way for well over 30 years. You drive drunk and dont want to take a field sobriety test. Your presumed guilty and get a DWI anyway. Your DL is suspended for 6 months, Your insurance company puts the screws to you and you pay a big fine. The lesson is dont drive drunk.

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[/quote]

Old James

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

+1 Here in NY its been that way for well over 30 years. You drive drunk and dont want to take a field sobriety test. Your presumed guilty and get a DWI anyway. Your DL is suspended for 6 months, Your insurance company puts the screws to you and you pay a big fine. The lesson is dont drive drunk.

As Gary said, in California you can refuse the Field Sobriety Test, but you MUST submit to either a Breathalyzer, a blood test, or a urine test. If you refuse those, you are presumed guilty and all the penalties apply.

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

+1 Here in NY its been that way for well over 30 years. You drive drunk and dont want to take a field sobriety test. Your presumed guilty and get a DWI anyway. Your DL is suspended for 6 months, Your insurance company puts the screws to you and you pay a big fine. The lesson is dont drive drunk.

As Gary said, in California you can refuse the Field Sobriety Test, but you MUST submit to either a Breathalyzer, a blood test, or a urine test. If you refuse those, you are presumed guilty and all the penalties apply.

I'd partly fail on the field test, I have problems with balance, being 6'1" tall and heavy has its pluses and minuses. The rest I could pass with ease, but then I don't have any alcohol here, My depressive state would like it too much, so I'll pass.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

+1 Here in NY its been that way for well over 30 years. You drive drunk and dont want to take a field sobriety test. Your presumed guilty and get a DWI anyway. Your DL is suspended for 6 months, Your insurance company puts the screws to you and you pay a big fine. The lesson is dont drive drunk.

As Gary said, in California you can refuse the Field Sobriety Test, but you MUST submit to either a Breathalyzer, a blood test, or a urine test. If you refuse those, you are presumed guilty and all the penalties apply.

I'd partly fail on the field test, I have problems with balance, being 6'1" tall and heavy has its pluses and minuses. The rest I could pass with ease, but then I don't have any alcohol here, My depressive state would like it too much, so I'll pass.

I, too, am physically incapable of passing a Field Sobriety Test. Learned that in the Navy, as part of Shore Patrol training. With my chronic sinus condition and allergies, I have trouble taking a Breathalyzer, too, so it will be a blood test for me.

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Yes/No. If you remember Vic, when you sign your DL application you waive your rights and agree to be tested. Courts still allow you to refuse, but refusal is presumption of guilt. The issue you were trying to raise is reasonable suspicion. That is what the field test (recite the alphabet backwards, etc.) is for. Higher classes of license and pilots, train operators, testing is mandatory.

+1 Here in NY its been that way for well over 30 years. You drive drunk and dont want to take a field sobriety test. Your presumed guilty and get a DWI anyway. Your DL is suspended for 6 months, Your insurance company puts the screws to you and you pay a big fine. The lesson is dont drive drunk.

As Gary said, in California you can refuse the Field Sobriety Test, but you MUST submit to either a Breathalyzer, a blood test, or a urine test. If you refuse those, you are presumed guilty and all the penalties apply.

I'd partly fail on the field test, I have problems with balance, being 6'1" tall and heavy has its pluses and minuses. The rest I could pass with ease, but then I don't have any alcohol here, My depressive state would like it too much, so I'll pass.

I, too, am physically incapable of passing a Field Sobriety Test. Learned that in the Navy, as part of Shore Patrol training. With my chronic sinus condition and allergies, I have trouble taking a Breathalyzer, too, so it will be a blood test for me.

Sinuses, yeah, I had a sinus headache today, took 2 pills, thats gone now.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Bill Walker suggested earlier in the thread that better education is needed. One cannot really fault that as better education on road use does make sense...

...however, no matter how much education is provided & taken onboard by individuals, you'll still get fools like this...

We're all going on a Summer Holiday...

...Had that lorry driver had slower reactions, then rather than being comical, it could have turned fatal!

Hmm, not exactly the brightest lamp in the chandelier. I know that road fairly well, and there is sod all space to pass in a "normal" car, never mind one encumbered by a caravan and driven by a moron. I wander what his wife is doing to him now their holiday has been wrecked and he nearly wiped them all out.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Could always go camping, after all, you can't "crash" a tent. :-)

Three years ago, not long after going to work for OFC, I was down in Kansas on my way to small dairy farm with a 48000 pound load of glycerin. At an intersection on the 2-lane highway just east of Haviland, a wreck happened when a car and pickup truck coming towards me collided. The pickup was stopping, to wait for the approaching line of traffic I was in, to make a left turn. The car came up behind the nearly stopped pickup at highway speed. For some reason the driver of the car didn't even slow down and seconds before I met them, the car crashed into the rear of the pickup. The impact spun the car into my lane. I tried to move right onto the shoulder and locked the brakes to avoid a collision with the car, but at 60mph, and with a gross weight just shy of 80000 pounds, there was no way to avoid it. Too far to the right and my sloshly liquid load would have put me on my side. The impact with the car completely destroyed my left steering tire, rim, and suspension. this put me into an uncontrolled leftward drift with the steering wheel frozen in that position from the collision. I was turning left whether I wanted to or not, all I could do was set the brakes and hope I could get stopped before crossing the oncoming lane and hitting the ditch. With much luck I came to a stop with the tractor off the road in the ditch and trailer, still upright and not damaged blocking the highway. With all of that, there were no serious injuries. Even the guy in the car, who I really nailed, had only a superficial cut on his arm and ultimately refused any medical help or transportation to the hospital. He was ticketed for careless and inattentive driving. His car was totalled, the pickup he initially hit heavily damaged, and my poor truck had to be flatbedded back to Omaha. It took about a month but that tractor was rebuilt and put back in service. Though I nor the company were ever able to verify, it is highly suspected that the inattentive driver was texting, causing the accident.

Wow Scarecrow! Glad you survived, here We call a highway like that a 'highway of death', CA-58 is slowly being upgraded from 2 lane highway like that to a 4 lane highway.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

It is never fun eh?
Good you are still here.

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