Bailing out the auto industry, without making significant changes to how they do business and what they produce, is not in the best long term interest of America or the environment. Bankruptcy may “not be an option” for automakers but it may very well be the best thing that could happen for consumers.
We are facing difficult economic times and America needs to change its attitude concerning what is really necessary to maintain healthy, satisfied lives. Our excesses have finally caught up with us and we must learn to now become more frugal. We have adopted a destructive throw-away mentality in this country that has to be reversed. The automotive industry is no exception.
There are far too many cars on the market. A Long Beach California port is warehousing thousands of new cars due to lack of buyers. Detroit has housed thousands of unwanted American-made cars over the last two years at Michigan’s state fairground and in lots at its airports. Car lots across the country remain crowded with unsold new cars. We need to make our cars last longer. We will survive without a new car every year or even every three years. Automakers do not need to make new model changes every year.
What is wrong with driving a used car a little longer? The Big 3 likes to tell us that the after-market parts industry will suffer without new cars every year, this is simply a scare tactic. As their cars age, car owners will need to replace parts and this will keep the after-market parts industry alive. Automakers need to concern themselves with making a product that produces less pollution, gets better fuel economy and lasts longer than just a couple of years. All of this can be done by combining current and developing technologies.
Wages in the auto industry are out of whack with the rest of the nations work force. They need to be brought in-line with everyone else.
Automaker CEO’s will actually survive without their exorbitant multi-million dollar a year salaries and private jets. My advice to them is to get your heads out of the clouds and live amongst the consumers you claim to care so much about. Take this time and the money already given to you to build the new breed of cars that the environment needs and Americans truly want.
Flying private jets to Washington to ask for financial help and then defending the practice as ‘standard procedure’ shows that their ‘standard procedure’ leans towards excess that a financially troubled corporation should not be indulging in. Are they more concerned with hanging on to their exalted perch so they can continue to loot their respective corporations than they are in keeping millions of Americans employed? Extremely high executive salaries and membership in exclusive country clubs, use of private jets, and various other miscellaneous fluff that typically goes with being the figurehead of a large American corporation does not help the average American auto worker put food on their table.
Auto executives say they are going to streamline business operations, keeping in mind that their idea of streamlined business operations in the past was to layoff thousands of workers and move their operations overseas, I can’t help but think they are a bit disingenuous in trying to convince us that asking for our help is going to benefit us.
This request for help, from an industry that affects so many aspects of American life, comes at a pivotal point in our economic and environmental health. The concerns of both must be taken into account, for they can both benefit if we proceed responsibly.
Should we bail them out of a situation of their own making? The painful lesson of British Leyland must be heeded in the limited effectiveness of bailouts. The government got in the business of trying to make a winner out of a structurally flawed company. Is the U.S. auto industry structurally flawed? They have already proven they are willing to deprive U.S. auto workers of jobs by sending those jobs outside the U.S. Flint Michigan, and ultimately the entire state, has been devastated due to auto executives decisions to hire cheaper labor in Mexico. And GM is currently building a $300 million facility to build cars in Russia.
And when Americans began turning away from American made cars in favor of foreign made cars that got better gas mileage, the U.S. auto makers, instead of listening to the trend and retooling their industry to make what Americans obviously wanted, their answer was to increase the production of gas guzzling behemoths to help keep the price of their product down. By ignoring consumers U.S. auto makers took a path that led to an oversaturated market of ever larger vehicles that increased our dependence on fossil fuel which in turn increased pollution. Environmentalist have been demanding for decades to have access to vehicles that addressed these two major concerns. Auto executives chose to ignore these demands and that decision put them in their current situation.
I don’t think they can be trusted to put America’s best interest first. Their current business model of bleeding the industry dry to pad their executives’ lifestyle and let their employees fend for themselves needs to end. They need to listen to their consumers to produce a safer and more fuel efficient product and prove they are willing to put America first by keeping jobs here in America.
Bailing them out is not going to force changes that need to take place. Perhaps the humbling experience of a bankruptcy is exactly what is called for.
Showing posts with label automobiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label automobiles. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Bailing out the auto industry
America’s automobile industry is suffering, along with the rest of our economy. Few of us are shedding tears over it. Those that are crying bailout depend on the auto industry for their livelihood.
Auto sales are at their lowest in 25 years. Chrysler sales are down 35%, General Motors sales are down 45%, Ford posted a loss of $3 billion in its latest report. They are all asking the federal government for a $25 billion bailout. This is in addition to the $25 billion already granted them just last quarter.
Let’s get past the question of whether or not the federal government should bail out all of the hard working middle class Americans who are suffering from the result of corporate greed and mismanagement and take a close look at what caused this problem and what we can do to turn it around.
The auto industry has a long history of sleeping with big oil and believe that since they are considered the manufacturing backbone of our economy that they should receive special benefit of a bailout anytime industry leaders decisions backfire on them.
In a free enterprise system, there are winners and there are losers. Winners keep themselves abreast of the latest technologies and consumer trends and adapt their products to keep up with the market. This is simple economic strategy and every successful business owner knows this rule inside and out. The American auto manufacturers have not followed this rule. They have repeatedly lost sales to far superior foreign products all the while knowing they had the ability to change their methodology to match or exceed their competitors products. They simply did not keep up with the competition. They lobbied the federal government to pass laws so that their products did not have to meet strict emissions standards even while foreign manufacturers were beating those standards. They did not take it upon themselves to make their product financially attractive enough to American consumers.
Why should they be bailed out when their own behavior has put them in this position? They ignored the writing on the wall when people began buying more fuel efficient foreign vehicles and instead of reinvesting in retooling to produce lighter-weight, more fuel-efficient vehicles continued to build the largest ‘land-yachts’ in the world.
Another major problem adding to the auto industry woes is the rising cost of doing business in America. Both the federal government and the union should share the blame for this. Runaway insurance costs, the increasing tax burden, wages and inflation have made it more attractive for many industries to move their operations overseas to healthier financial environments where they realized greater profits due to not having to pay such high overhead.
The American auto industry relied too heavily on the old sentimental loyalty of Americans to “buy American” and it backfired on them.
Now the auto industry is using American jobs as the reason they should be bailed out. They are probably correct in assuming that if this industry goes under the loss of tax revenue generated from automobile sales, the loss of income tax generated by workers and the loss of payments into social security will cripple this economy even further. The America economy will suffer far greater damage than we can imagine.
Some people compare bailing this industry out with bailing out the bankers and Wall Street CEO’s and they don’t want to see it. This industry differs in that it directly affects hundreds of thousands of jobs, each contributing to a tax base that drives this economy.
What can be done to help the economy and the auto industry in the long run depends on the cooperation of the federal government and the auto industry.
Government should rewrite its laws to allow, and force, auto manufacturers to produce competitive products.
Any foreign country that sells a car here should be required to manufacture it here, this will create jobs here and will help keep some of the money here in this country instead of shipping it overseas.
Create an international standard for fuel efficiency, gas emissions, and alternative means of power to help us get away from fossil fuels and force the auto industry to adhere to these standards.
Any car manufacturer that wants to ship vehicles to the U.S. should pay higher tariffs making less attractive for them to do so.
In fact, raising tariffs on everything that comes into this country would help other American industries as well. America has become the dumping ground of cheap products made overseas and this needs to stop. Americans used to feel a certain pride in making quality American products. There is no pride in sending our money overseas for product that should be made here.
Ideally, these changes will entice all industry to bring their manufacturing back to America and re-employ Americans.
Let’s face it, Americans are not loyal to American products, we are loyal to getting the best product for our money. It will always be this way.
Auto sales are at their lowest in 25 years. Chrysler sales are down 35%, General Motors sales are down 45%, Ford posted a loss of $3 billion in its latest report. They are all asking the federal government for a $25 billion bailout. This is in addition to the $25 billion already granted them just last quarter.
Let’s get past the question of whether or not the federal government should bail out all of the hard working middle class Americans who are suffering from the result of corporate greed and mismanagement and take a close look at what caused this problem and what we can do to turn it around.
The auto industry has a long history of sleeping with big oil and believe that since they are considered the manufacturing backbone of our economy that they should receive special benefit of a bailout anytime industry leaders decisions backfire on them.
In a free enterprise system, there are winners and there are losers. Winners keep themselves abreast of the latest technologies and consumer trends and adapt their products to keep up with the market. This is simple economic strategy and every successful business owner knows this rule inside and out. The American auto manufacturers have not followed this rule. They have repeatedly lost sales to far superior foreign products all the while knowing they had the ability to change their methodology to match or exceed their competitors products. They simply did not keep up with the competition. They lobbied the federal government to pass laws so that their products did not have to meet strict emissions standards even while foreign manufacturers were beating those standards. They did not take it upon themselves to make their product financially attractive enough to American consumers.
Why should they be bailed out when their own behavior has put them in this position? They ignored the writing on the wall when people began buying more fuel efficient foreign vehicles and instead of reinvesting in retooling to produce lighter-weight, more fuel-efficient vehicles continued to build the largest ‘land-yachts’ in the world.
Another major problem adding to the auto industry woes is the rising cost of doing business in America. Both the federal government and the union should share the blame for this. Runaway insurance costs, the increasing tax burden, wages and inflation have made it more attractive for many industries to move their operations overseas to healthier financial environments where they realized greater profits due to not having to pay such high overhead.
The American auto industry relied too heavily on the old sentimental loyalty of Americans to “buy American” and it backfired on them.
Now the auto industry is using American jobs as the reason they should be bailed out. They are probably correct in assuming that if this industry goes under the loss of tax revenue generated from automobile sales, the loss of income tax generated by workers and the loss of payments into social security will cripple this economy even further. The America economy will suffer far greater damage than we can imagine.
Some people compare bailing this industry out with bailing out the bankers and Wall Street CEO’s and they don’t want to see it. This industry differs in that it directly affects hundreds of thousands of jobs, each contributing to a tax base that drives this economy.
What can be done to help the economy and the auto industry in the long run depends on the cooperation of the federal government and the auto industry.
Government should rewrite its laws to allow, and force, auto manufacturers to produce competitive products.
Any foreign country that sells a car here should be required to manufacture it here, this will create jobs here and will help keep some of the money here in this country instead of shipping it overseas.
Create an international standard for fuel efficiency, gas emissions, and alternative means of power to help us get away from fossil fuels and force the auto industry to adhere to these standards.
Any car manufacturer that wants to ship vehicles to the U.S. should pay higher tariffs making less attractive for them to do so.
In fact, raising tariffs on everything that comes into this country would help other American industries as well. America has become the dumping ground of cheap products made overseas and this needs to stop. Americans used to feel a certain pride in making quality American products. There is no pride in sending our money overseas for product that should be made here.
Ideally, these changes will entice all industry to bring their manufacturing back to America and re-employ Americans.
Let’s face it, Americans are not loyal to American products, we are loyal to getting the best product for our money. It will always be this way.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Driving needs to be taken more seriously
A van driver ran a stop sign at 7 AM where children were waiting for a school bus. The van was struck by a pickup truck with such force that the van was knocked onto the sidewalk where the children were standing. The van struck two children injuring them both.
A witness was so enraged at this van’s driver that he began beating the driver with a pipe. I say good for him for inflicting punishment on this van driver that the court system does not have the balls to.
I am not an advocate of this type of violence but the frustration that this guy showed that drove him to this violence is felt nationwide at the carelessness of our fellow drivers.
There are several things wrong with this picture, every one of them are preventable and should be paid a hell of a lot more attention than what we do.
Drive the speed limit. These speeds are posted with safety in mind., not to punish you for being late.
Obey stop signs. Where is the confusion here? You see the sign. Stop!! Look around for anything and everything before proceeding.
Pay attention!! You cannot predict anything! You don’t know when someone or something is going appear in your path. Now, because you are speeding you have complicated matters because there is an even less of a chance of stopping in time. Do not divert your attention to anything that takes your mind off of the road. Things outside of your control happen way too fast when you are watching and anticipating, you cut down your response time even more by not watching.
When children are around, slow down!!! You cannot predict what they are going to do. What does it matter if you are late, or what does it matter that you piss off the guy behind you for driving slower than they want to. You could actually save a life by slowing down. Which is more important to you?
Drive defensively!! We first heard this advice before we ever started driving and again when we first picked up a drivers manual. For most people it is probably the only time they ever picked one up. why do people have to be so damned aggressive on the road? Forget the car commercials that tell you how fast your car can go. Safety and arriving alive is the only thing that matters.
Never, never, never be in a hurry behind the wheel of any automobile!! You really do not save time by driving faster. There are always traffic lights and there is always traffic to slow you down. They all want to get to where they are going and you are only compounding the problem of driving safely by being an object they have to focus on due to your carelessness. You are not in a race with anyone.
Every one of these things I have mentioned here are just plain good common sense and yet every one of them becomes secondary when most people get behind the wheel. Why???
Why are we so convinced that nothing is ever going to happen to us? We see it on the news every day that someone was involved in a car accident. Do you suppose they thought nothing was every going to happen to them? Do you think the victim of that car crash was convinced that since they are such good drivers they will never be in an accident?
Not enough attention is being focused on drivers habits. These vehicles are not toys. Yet too many people are too careless behind the wheel. They think they don’t have to obey traffic laws. Too many people use their vehicles to intimidate others to get out of their way. Too many people change their demeanor once they get behind the wheel. They think they are invulnerable and that everyone else is in their way.
Why is there such a shortage of common sense?
We are all intelligent enough to know that we cannot predict what someone else is going to do yet I have seen a driver speed up when someone in front of them is going to turn with the anticipation that by the time they get there that vehicle will be already turned and out of the way.
We make foolish assumptions like this all the time. Why??
I’ll bet when this guy got into his van this morning, being involved in an accident was the farthest thing from his mind. He obviously choose to think about something else besides the most dangerous activity he was to be involved in that day, that being driving a vehicle.
Yes, it is the most dangerous thing we do everyday. Safety should be the first thing we think about. We are stepping into a vehicle weighing anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 pounds that can easily kill and we think it will never happen to me. We allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security in the fact that since I know I won’t be the cause of an accident then it cannot possibly happen to me.
Fools who choose to impair themselves and then get behind the wheel are on the road daily. This is a proven fact. You have to watch out for them. People do foolish, careless things all the time, you have to watch out for them.
Driving is not a sport. It can be dangerous and you never know when your full attention will be required to prevent an accident, so give it, 100%, all the time.
A witness was so enraged at this van’s driver that he began beating the driver with a pipe. I say good for him for inflicting punishment on this van driver that the court system does not have the balls to.
I am not an advocate of this type of violence but the frustration that this guy showed that drove him to this violence is felt nationwide at the carelessness of our fellow drivers.
There are several things wrong with this picture, every one of them are preventable and should be paid a hell of a lot more attention than what we do.
Drive the speed limit. These speeds are posted with safety in mind., not to punish you for being late.
Obey stop signs. Where is the confusion here? You see the sign. Stop!! Look around for anything and everything before proceeding.
Pay attention!! You cannot predict anything! You don’t know when someone or something is going appear in your path. Now, because you are speeding you have complicated matters because there is an even less of a chance of stopping in time. Do not divert your attention to anything that takes your mind off of the road. Things outside of your control happen way too fast when you are watching and anticipating, you cut down your response time even more by not watching.
When children are around, slow down!!! You cannot predict what they are going to do. What does it matter if you are late, or what does it matter that you piss off the guy behind you for driving slower than they want to. You could actually save a life by slowing down. Which is more important to you?
Drive defensively!! We first heard this advice before we ever started driving and again when we first picked up a drivers manual. For most people it is probably the only time they ever picked one up. why do people have to be so damned aggressive on the road? Forget the car commercials that tell you how fast your car can go. Safety and arriving alive is the only thing that matters.
Never, never, never be in a hurry behind the wheel of any automobile!! You really do not save time by driving faster. There are always traffic lights and there is always traffic to slow you down. They all want to get to where they are going and you are only compounding the problem of driving safely by being an object they have to focus on due to your carelessness. You are not in a race with anyone.
Every one of these things I have mentioned here are just plain good common sense and yet every one of them becomes secondary when most people get behind the wheel. Why???
Why are we so convinced that nothing is ever going to happen to us? We see it on the news every day that someone was involved in a car accident. Do you suppose they thought nothing was every going to happen to them? Do you think the victim of that car crash was convinced that since they are such good drivers they will never be in an accident?
Not enough attention is being focused on drivers habits. These vehicles are not toys. Yet too many people are too careless behind the wheel. They think they don’t have to obey traffic laws. Too many people use their vehicles to intimidate others to get out of their way. Too many people change their demeanor once they get behind the wheel. They think they are invulnerable and that everyone else is in their way.
Why is there such a shortage of common sense?
We are all intelligent enough to know that we cannot predict what someone else is going to do yet I have seen a driver speed up when someone in front of them is going to turn with the anticipation that by the time they get there that vehicle will be already turned and out of the way.
We make foolish assumptions like this all the time. Why??
I’ll bet when this guy got into his van this morning, being involved in an accident was the farthest thing from his mind. He obviously choose to think about something else besides the most dangerous activity he was to be involved in that day, that being driving a vehicle.
Yes, it is the most dangerous thing we do everyday. Safety should be the first thing we think about. We are stepping into a vehicle weighing anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 pounds that can easily kill and we think it will never happen to me. We allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security in the fact that since I know I won’t be the cause of an accident then it cannot possibly happen to me.
Fools who choose to impair themselves and then get behind the wheel are on the road daily. This is a proven fact. You have to watch out for them. People do foolish, careless things all the time, you have to watch out for them.
Driving is not a sport. It can be dangerous and you never know when your full attention will be required to prevent an accident, so give it, 100%, all the time.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Who benefits from car crash tests?
Crash tests are not real world tests. They are geared toward the automobile industry. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a private organization funded by auto insurers, determines how a vehicle will withstand a crash in respect to how it will protect the passengers of the vehicle.
Sounds like a noble organization who keeps the buying public’s best interest at heart, doesn’t it? But are we really being given the whole truth?
I’m not saying that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety fudges test results for the benefit of auto makers. Insurance companies use the results of these tests in determining how to insure these vehicles.
My biggest problem with these tests is they are not ‘real world’ enough to be of any real use to the average everyday driver.
Front end tests crashes are not full frontal, they are ‘offset impacts’, meaning the vehicle strikes a barrier with just one side of its front end. What is the result of a full frontal crash? Why not tell us those results? The test is performed at 40 mph. Why not 55 mph or the more realistic 65-75 mph (and higher) that people actually drive regardless of the posted speed limit of 55 or 65?
Side crashes are done at a slower speed of 31 mph. Why not 35-45 mph which is more realistic? Because, again, people travel at these speeds despite the posted 25-40 mph speed limit.
Rear end tests are performed at an even more ridiculously lower speed of 20 mph. Why not the 35-45 mph which is more realistic? Because, again, people travel at these speeds despite the posted 25-40 mph speed limit.
How about the results of a full front end into the rear of another vehicle at 40-55 mph? How would either vehicle fair from that crash?
The reason they don’t perform these test at ‘real world’ speeds under ‘real world’ conditions is because that would do far more damage to the vehicle than the public wants to see and would cut into vehicle sales.
Another problem I have with these tests is how the auto makers spin the results to sell their vehicles.
The auto industry gets to choose whichever result favors their vehicle and that is the result the public sees.
Chrysler said the government gave them 5-star ratings across the board even after the institute gave them less than five. A clear case of Chrysler lying to sell its product.
Who do we trust? The car makers only want to sell their vehicles so they don’t want the public to see all of the results. The only reason vehicles have airbags and other safety features is because auto makers are forced to build their vehicles this way by the government.
The auto industry takes these figures and spins them to their benefit and the consumer is not being informed as to the true results. The auto industry figures it is not their responsibility to inform the public of anything except how sleek their new vehicle looks, or how much fun you can have if you drive their vehicle, or how fast it will go (Why does it have to go fast??). Safety rarely gets mentioned unless it is to brag how their vehicle stood up against a competitor in a front end crash. They don’t tell you that that same vehicle failed miserably in side and rear crash tests or that the front end test was a low speed test and was not a full head-on crash.
After the test results are filtered through the automakers advertisers embellishing process, how accurate and helpful is this information?
If these test results were advertised as well as the automakers advertise their vehicles, we would be a much better informed public. Better informed as to which vehicle is truly safer and which automaker resorts to using half-truths to sell their product.
In light of this, Are we really being protected?
Presumably, these tests are to inform the consumer, but just who are these tests truly performed for?
These little white lies and concealed truths erode the integrity of sellers and destroys the trust consumers should feel when trying to decide who to give their hard earned dollars to when trying to determine which vehicle is the safest for their family. This commonly known truism is once again pushed aside in the pursuit of profit.
Sounds like a noble organization who keeps the buying public’s best interest at heart, doesn’t it? But are we really being given the whole truth?
I’m not saying that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety fudges test results for the benefit of auto makers. Insurance companies use the results of these tests in determining how to insure these vehicles.
My biggest problem with these tests is they are not ‘real world’ enough to be of any real use to the average everyday driver.
Front end tests crashes are not full frontal, they are ‘offset impacts’, meaning the vehicle strikes a barrier with just one side of its front end. What is the result of a full frontal crash? Why not tell us those results? The test is performed at 40 mph. Why not 55 mph or the more realistic 65-75 mph (and higher) that people actually drive regardless of the posted speed limit of 55 or 65?
Side crashes are done at a slower speed of 31 mph. Why not 35-45 mph which is more realistic? Because, again, people travel at these speeds despite the posted 25-40 mph speed limit.
Rear end tests are performed at an even more ridiculously lower speed of 20 mph. Why not the 35-45 mph which is more realistic? Because, again, people travel at these speeds despite the posted 25-40 mph speed limit.
How about the results of a full front end into the rear of another vehicle at 40-55 mph? How would either vehicle fair from that crash?
The reason they don’t perform these test at ‘real world’ speeds under ‘real world’ conditions is because that would do far more damage to the vehicle than the public wants to see and would cut into vehicle sales.
Another problem I have with these tests is how the auto makers spin the results to sell their vehicles.
The auto industry gets to choose whichever result favors their vehicle and that is the result the public sees.
Chrysler said the government gave them 5-star ratings across the board even after the institute gave them less than five. A clear case of Chrysler lying to sell its product.
Who do we trust? The car makers only want to sell their vehicles so they don’t want the public to see all of the results. The only reason vehicles have airbags and other safety features is because auto makers are forced to build their vehicles this way by the government.
The auto industry takes these figures and spins them to their benefit and the consumer is not being informed as to the true results. The auto industry figures it is not their responsibility to inform the public of anything except how sleek their new vehicle looks, or how much fun you can have if you drive their vehicle, or how fast it will go (Why does it have to go fast??). Safety rarely gets mentioned unless it is to brag how their vehicle stood up against a competitor in a front end crash. They don’t tell you that that same vehicle failed miserably in side and rear crash tests or that the front end test was a low speed test and was not a full head-on crash.
After the test results are filtered through the automakers advertisers embellishing process, how accurate and helpful is this information?
If these test results were advertised as well as the automakers advertise their vehicles, we would be a much better informed public. Better informed as to which vehicle is truly safer and which automaker resorts to using half-truths to sell their product.
In light of this, Are we really being protected?
Presumably, these tests are to inform the consumer, but just who are these tests truly performed for?
These little white lies and concealed truths erode the integrity of sellers and destroys the trust consumers should feel when trying to decide who to give their hard earned dollars to when trying to determine which vehicle is the safest for their family. This commonly known truism is once again pushed aside in the pursuit of profit.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Unsafe vehicles and drivers
Darius Moore, 17, of Gary Indiana, was driving while intoxicated on the night of September 15, 2007 when one of his tires blew out. He was also driving well over the speed limit.
All three of these factors combined to create a tragedy that is repeated far too many times. A tragedy that could have been prevented and will haunt him the rest of his life. He alone is responsible for the deaths of two of his friends.
As tragic as it is for him to live with his memory forever, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the negligent deaths of two individuals who left grieving families behind.
His carelessness and disregard for common sense affected a lot of people in a very negative fashion.
The police verified he had been drinking by field sobriety tests. His own admission verified the tire blew out. The fact that his vehicle rolled approximately 15 times attests to the high rate of speed at which he was driving.
All three of these factors could have been prevented by him, Darius Moore.
We have all been told for far too long about the inherent dangers of drinking and driving. We have seen the pictures. Many of us know families who have suffered as a result of this social evil. There are many bodies in the cemetery who thought they could safely drink and drive. Each one of them convinced themselves that no one else knew what they were talking about concerning their drinking and driving. They each thought they were the exception to all the ridiculous talk and scare tactics to get people not to drink and drive.
Darius Moore has no good excuse for being behind the wheel of that vehicle that night.
Hopefully MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and every other group that purports to be against drunk driving will do more than just talk and see to it that this individual is put away for his crime. Some of you will say he made a terrible error in judgment. This is not good enough to let him off. Every drunk driver makes a terrible error in judgment. This is exactly what needs to be addressed.
We can no longer go soft on these individuals for their crimes because they still are not getting the message. They are not convinced of their limitations under the influence. Much more needs to be done.
Even without adding the reaction-time stifling effects of alcohol to the mix, far too many drivers think they can safely drive at excessive speeds. Sure they can get away with it as long as nothing unexpected ever happens. There are a lot of things outside of their control that can happen, like a tire blows out, a dog runs across the street, another car swerves into their path, they focus too long on that text message they just have to send while driving, the car in front of them stops suddenly because the car in front of them stopped suddenly, etc. When you are driving above the posted speed limit you drastically shorten your stopping distance and therefore your margin of safety meaning you purposefully make it impossible to react in time. The result is your vehicle swerves suddenly from the excessive brake pressure you just applied, one of your tires blows due to the excessive weight of your vehicle being exerted on it, your vehicle then rolls over, you then are seriously injured or killed along with everyone in your vehicle and anyone who is in your path.
Somewhere in the U.S. these scenarios happen on a daily basis. Why do you think it cannot happen to you?
Why doesn’t anyone else take these facts seriously? These are not just exaggerations of what could happen but probably never will. This is not just some scare tactic to get you to slow down. The fact that they have happened should be enough for every driver to use more caution on the road. When you are driving you are responsible for the safety of everyone around you, not just yourself and your passengers.
Back to the accident involving Darius Moore, as far as the tires are concerned, if they were in bad enough condition to blow out then they should have been repaired or replaced. Does anyone take the time to check the condition of their tires or any other part of their vehicle before they are forced to after they break down? Why not? Again, your safety and the safety of everyone around you depends on your vehicle being in a safe enough condition to drive.
Did Darius Moore make the decision to spend money on alcohol instead of repairing or replacing worn out tires? Of course, he will tell you it wasn’t his fault. It never is. It is always some factor out of his control. But the truth is, there was a greater chance of that tire being worn out and needing attention than just coincidence that it blew out while he was drinking and speeding.
People are not taking seriously enough the fact that each one of is responsible for the safety of everyone around us on our roadways. No one respects the fact that we alone can cut the number of traffic accidents if only we would obey traffic laws and keep our vehicles in safe working order.
I would like to feel safer on the roads I travel. I would like for my family to be safe on these roads. I do not feel safe when some fool comes rushing up behind me and tailgates because by driving the speed limit I am not moving fast enough for him.
I do not feel safe when some fool is dividing their attention between the road and a cell-phone conversation or text message that could be, should be, taken care of while parked.
I do not feel safe knowing there are fools who disregard the fact that drinking slows their reaction time and judgment and as a result I could die for it.
All three of these factors combined to create a tragedy that is repeated far too many times. A tragedy that could have been prevented and will haunt him the rest of his life. He alone is responsible for the deaths of two of his friends.
As tragic as it is for him to live with his memory forever, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the negligent deaths of two individuals who left grieving families behind.
His carelessness and disregard for common sense affected a lot of people in a very negative fashion.
The police verified he had been drinking by field sobriety tests. His own admission verified the tire blew out. The fact that his vehicle rolled approximately 15 times attests to the high rate of speed at which he was driving.
All three of these factors could have been prevented by him, Darius Moore.
We have all been told for far too long about the inherent dangers of drinking and driving. We have seen the pictures. Many of us know families who have suffered as a result of this social evil. There are many bodies in the cemetery who thought they could safely drink and drive. Each one of them convinced themselves that no one else knew what they were talking about concerning their drinking and driving. They each thought they were the exception to all the ridiculous talk and scare tactics to get people not to drink and drive.
Darius Moore has no good excuse for being behind the wheel of that vehicle that night.
Hopefully MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and every other group that purports to be against drunk driving will do more than just talk and see to it that this individual is put away for his crime. Some of you will say he made a terrible error in judgment. This is not good enough to let him off. Every drunk driver makes a terrible error in judgment. This is exactly what needs to be addressed.
We can no longer go soft on these individuals for their crimes because they still are not getting the message. They are not convinced of their limitations under the influence. Much more needs to be done.
Even without adding the reaction-time stifling effects of alcohol to the mix, far too many drivers think they can safely drive at excessive speeds. Sure they can get away with it as long as nothing unexpected ever happens. There are a lot of things outside of their control that can happen, like a tire blows out, a dog runs across the street, another car swerves into their path, they focus too long on that text message they just have to send while driving, the car in front of them stops suddenly because the car in front of them stopped suddenly, etc. When you are driving above the posted speed limit you drastically shorten your stopping distance and therefore your margin of safety meaning you purposefully make it impossible to react in time. The result is your vehicle swerves suddenly from the excessive brake pressure you just applied, one of your tires blows due to the excessive weight of your vehicle being exerted on it, your vehicle then rolls over, you then are seriously injured or killed along with everyone in your vehicle and anyone who is in your path.
Somewhere in the U.S. these scenarios happen on a daily basis. Why do you think it cannot happen to you?
Why doesn’t anyone else take these facts seriously? These are not just exaggerations of what could happen but probably never will. This is not just some scare tactic to get you to slow down. The fact that they have happened should be enough for every driver to use more caution on the road. When you are driving you are responsible for the safety of everyone around you, not just yourself and your passengers.
Back to the accident involving Darius Moore, as far as the tires are concerned, if they were in bad enough condition to blow out then they should have been repaired or replaced. Does anyone take the time to check the condition of their tires or any other part of their vehicle before they are forced to after they break down? Why not? Again, your safety and the safety of everyone around you depends on your vehicle being in a safe enough condition to drive.
Did Darius Moore make the decision to spend money on alcohol instead of repairing or replacing worn out tires? Of course, he will tell you it wasn’t his fault. It never is. It is always some factor out of his control. But the truth is, there was a greater chance of that tire being worn out and needing attention than just coincidence that it blew out while he was drinking and speeding.
People are not taking seriously enough the fact that each one of is responsible for the safety of everyone around us on our roadways. No one respects the fact that we alone can cut the number of traffic accidents if only we would obey traffic laws and keep our vehicles in safe working order.
I would like to feel safer on the roads I travel. I would like for my family to be safe on these roads. I do not feel safe when some fool comes rushing up behind me and tailgates because by driving the speed limit I am not moving fast enough for him.
I do not feel safe when some fool is dividing their attention between the road and a cell-phone conversation or text message that could be, should be, taken care of while parked.
I do not feel safe knowing there are fools who disregard the fact that drinking slows their reaction time and judgment and as a result I could die for it.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Mandatory Driving Instruction
How many people do you know would know what to do if an ambulance or police car comes up behind them while driving? I have seen many people do nothing. They don’t pull over. They don’t give the right of way to the emergency vehicle.
How many people know that when the sunlight fades, at dusk, or when you drive through a tunnel you are supposed to turn on your lights? Turning on the lights is not so you can see it is so others can see you, which basically helps you too so oncoming traffic knows you are there.
How many people know you are not supposed to block a pedestrian crosswalk? Very few because I see it done a lot. Someone will pull up to a red light, viewing it as an inconvenience that they have to stop, and block the crosswalk forcing pedestrians to walk outside of the protection of the crosswalk and into the drive lanes of oncoming traffic. The person in the car doesn’t give a damn.
How many people know you are supposed to obey speed limit signs? Sounds like a foolish question, right? A question with an obvious answer? So let me rephrase it. How many people actually obey speed limit signs? Very few. Why is this? Do these people think they know better than the experts who are paid to determine the safe speed for a given neighborhood or traffic zone? Do they not realize that these are the same experts that are paid for by our tax dollars? So, to sum this up, we pay the experts to determine the safest speed, we pay them to post that speed, and then we ignore them. Where are we going that we have to get there as fast as possible? Do these people think that if the ‘coast is clear’ they can travel at any speed they want? Those speed limit signs aren’t posted just so a policeman has a guideline by which to give you a ticket for speeding.
How many people know the safe traveling distance behind the vehicle in front of you? Very few. Does anyone out there understand what a ‘cushion of safety’ is? If the person in front of you has to stop quickly and you cannot stop in time to prevent running into that person then you did not have a ‘cushion of safety’ between the two of you and you are the only one who can create that safety zone. Does anyone realize that by tailgating someone you are actually committing an act of terror? Yes, terror! Again if that person in front has to stop quickly you are endangering the safety of the occupants of that vehicle in front of you because you will not be able to stop in time. Nobody knows when someone else may have to stop quickly, why do you drive so fast that you take away the safety zone from people around you? Maybe a tire blows out, maybe something happens to the car in front of the car in front of you that you cannot see, maybe the brake lights don’t work on the vehicle in front of you and you don’t know until it is too late.
How many people know that turn signals are placed on vehicles to give other people warning about your intensions? Using a turn signal when you are already making the turn is really pretty useless. Not using your turn signal until after you apply your brakes is really inconsiderate to those people behind you. How about turning on your turn signal before you put on your brakes so people know why you are applying your brakes and so that they can go around you on the other side? When you put on your brakes the person behind you has to slow down because something might be happening in front of you that means it is best for them to slow down too. When you put on your turn signal first, only then is it a true warning signal, then the person behind you can begin shifting to the other side of you in order to pass you. Why make everyone slow down just because you want to turn?
While I’m talking about turning, how about getting into the turn lane before you begin slowing down? That is what it is there for, to maintain an steady flow of traffic. So many people begin slowing down in the travel lane forcing everyone else to slow down too. Get out of the travel lane without slowing anyone else down and then begin slowing down. This way there is less danger of you being rear-ended. So you see it is really better off for everyone concerned to slow down properly.
And when turning in a double turn lane situation, why do people get in the left most lane to turn left knowing damn good and well that as soon as they make the turn they are going to turn right? Why not just stay in the right lane to begin with. This is just rude to people you now have to cut in front of (because nobody goes the extra block to turn around if they miss their turn, oh no, that would be too much trouble) and it is also rude to the people behind you that now are forced to slow down while you wait for an opening so you can make your turn.
I think we should have mandatory drivers safety and education courses and we should have to pass our drivers test every 4-6 years. Maybe the frequency could be based on how many traffic tickets a person gets. Some people might think that lower insurance rates might result from this, but realistically, insurance companies will only raise their rates so they don’t miss out on any income.
The reason I support mandatory safety education is because everyone has horror stories to tell of rude drivers or of near collisions. If everyone was made aware of their own bad driving habits I believe our roadways would be safer.
I am one of those lucky few who does not have to drive very often. When I do drive I try to maintain the speed limit and I am almost constantly terrorized by other drivers who come up on my tail, too quickly, and stay there as if I am not moving fast enough for them. I see improper use of turn signals, making them meaningless. I have had people pull in front of me to turn left from the opposite direction after a traffic light turns green and they just can’t wait for me to cross the intersection.
I have had people turn in front of me when they are on their cell phone.
Bad habits and just plain rude behavior need to be eliminated and education is the best method to do so.
How many people know that when the sunlight fades, at dusk, or when you drive through a tunnel you are supposed to turn on your lights? Turning on the lights is not so you can see it is so others can see you, which basically helps you too so oncoming traffic knows you are there.
How many people know you are not supposed to block a pedestrian crosswalk? Very few because I see it done a lot. Someone will pull up to a red light, viewing it as an inconvenience that they have to stop, and block the crosswalk forcing pedestrians to walk outside of the protection of the crosswalk and into the drive lanes of oncoming traffic. The person in the car doesn’t give a damn.
How many people know you are supposed to obey speed limit signs? Sounds like a foolish question, right? A question with an obvious answer? So let me rephrase it. How many people actually obey speed limit signs? Very few. Why is this? Do these people think they know better than the experts who are paid to determine the safe speed for a given neighborhood or traffic zone? Do they not realize that these are the same experts that are paid for by our tax dollars? So, to sum this up, we pay the experts to determine the safest speed, we pay them to post that speed, and then we ignore them. Where are we going that we have to get there as fast as possible? Do these people think that if the ‘coast is clear’ they can travel at any speed they want? Those speed limit signs aren’t posted just so a policeman has a guideline by which to give you a ticket for speeding.
How many people know the safe traveling distance behind the vehicle in front of you? Very few. Does anyone out there understand what a ‘cushion of safety’ is? If the person in front of you has to stop quickly and you cannot stop in time to prevent running into that person then you did not have a ‘cushion of safety’ between the two of you and you are the only one who can create that safety zone. Does anyone realize that by tailgating someone you are actually committing an act of terror? Yes, terror! Again if that person in front has to stop quickly you are endangering the safety of the occupants of that vehicle in front of you because you will not be able to stop in time. Nobody knows when someone else may have to stop quickly, why do you drive so fast that you take away the safety zone from people around you? Maybe a tire blows out, maybe something happens to the car in front of the car in front of you that you cannot see, maybe the brake lights don’t work on the vehicle in front of you and you don’t know until it is too late.
How many people know that turn signals are placed on vehicles to give other people warning about your intensions? Using a turn signal when you are already making the turn is really pretty useless. Not using your turn signal until after you apply your brakes is really inconsiderate to those people behind you. How about turning on your turn signal before you put on your brakes so people know why you are applying your brakes and so that they can go around you on the other side? When you put on your brakes the person behind you has to slow down because something might be happening in front of you that means it is best for them to slow down too. When you put on your turn signal first, only then is it a true warning signal, then the person behind you can begin shifting to the other side of you in order to pass you. Why make everyone slow down just because you want to turn?
While I’m talking about turning, how about getting into the turn lane before you begin slowing down? That is what it is there for, to maintain an steady flow of traffic. So many people begin slowing down in the travel lane forcing everyone else to slow down too. Get out of the travel lane without slowing anyone else down and then begin slowing down. This way there is less danger of you being rear-ended. So you see it is really better off for everyone concerned to slow down properly.
And when turning in a double turn lane situation, why do people get in the left most lane to turn left knowing damn good and well that as soon as they make the turn they are going to turn right? Why not just stay in the right lane to begin with. This is just rude to people you now have to cut in front of (because nobody goes the extra block to turn around if they miss their turn, oh no, that would be too much trouble) and it is also rude to the people behind you that now are forced to slow down while you wait for an opening so you can make your turn.
I think we should have mandatory drivers safety and education courses and we should have to pass our drivers test every 4-6 years. Maybe the frequency could be based on how many traffic tickets a person gets. Some people might think that lower insurance rates might result from this, but realistically, insurance companies will only raise their rates so they don’t miss out on any income.
The reason I support mandatory safety education is because everyone has horror stories to tell of rude drivers or of near collisions. If everyone was made aware of their own bad driving habits I believe our roadways would be safer.
I am one of those lucky few who does not have to drive very often. When I do drive I try to maintain the speed limit and I am almost constantly terrorized by other drivers who come up on my tail, too quickly, and stay there as if I am not moving fast enough for them. I see improper use of turn signals, making them meaningless. I have had people pull in front of me to turn left from the opposite direction after a traffic light turns green and they just can’t wait for me to cross the intersection.
I have had people turn in front of me when they are on their cell phone.
Bad habits and just plain rude behavior need to be eliminated and education is the best method to do so.
Car Advertisements add to the problem
I saw a car commercial last night that just summed up a major problem with the way drivers view their automobiles and the way in which they drive them.
The ad was for something called an Odyssey, I don’t know who makes this thing but they really should be more responsible then to allow this to be a selling point of their vehicle. I had the sound muted, as I always do with car commercials (they seem to dominate the commercial airwaves and are usually BS anyway), but what I saw was a woman passenger holding onto a handle that was hung from the ceiling while smiling with anticipation as if she was on an amusement ride. The male driver was gripping the steering wheel and accelerating around a mountain curve, also smiling. Now with the sound muted it was very easy to see what the advertiser wanted to get across to the buying public, and that is that you can now drive even faster around curves. Now, I wonder, why do we have to drive faster around curves? I also noticed that there were no other vehicles on the road. There never is in car commercials (unless the advertiser wants to show how easy it is to pass everyone else) and sometimes they tell you in very small print and very briefly that the driver is a professional on a closed course. Of course the general public does not remember this part of the commercial. The general public sees this commercial with these people having a good ole time racing around a curve without a thought to what might be driving a little bit slower than they are around that curve or what might be passing another vehicle in their lane heading for them around that curve. But, hey, let’s go faster and have fun.
Another car commercial that never ceases to amaze me uses zoom, zoom, zoom as its mantra. As if they are selling race cars. Let’s all drive faster.
Then still another commercial that I only saw once, thank goodness, (they must have pulled it) was of a young boy having a vision of racing a car and the father telling his son that when he grows up he too can drive fast like that race car driver.
Have you ever seen a young child get behind the steering wheel of a car sitting in a driveway or parking lot pretending to drive? What does the child emulate while picturing himself driving? Twisting the steering wheel and going fast while making racing car sounds. Why are we teaching our children this behavior? Why are we teaching them that behind the wheel they can go as fast they want? Why not teach them about driving safely? The vehicle is merely a tool to take us from one place to the next not a means of getting there fast.
By the time these children grow up and get behind the wheel of an automobile after seeing all these car commercials the only thing on their minds is how fast can they go. They have these images of how fun it is to drive, to be free to go anywhere they want. They think of this as a sign of growing up, and it is. But how many are truly safety conscious? How many are told that they should be safety conscious? How many are aware of their responsibility to the safety of everyone else on the road? How many are picking up bad driving habits from their parents?
Safety consciousness is certainly not coming from the DMV. The DMV is only viewed as an obstacle to most people that must be overcome in order to drive. How many people actually take what they have learned in getting their drivers license to the road with them? How many people driving today would not have had their drivers license if they had missed one more question?
Cars are not amusement rides people. Safety should be foremost with every driver of every vehicle every time they get behind the wheel regardless of what car commercials tell or show you.
Car manufacturers need to endorse driving these vehicles safely, not how you can get from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds or how you can pass everyone on the road. Subliminal advertising is a well known fact in the advertising world and is used by every advertiser, please be responsible in its use.
The ad was for something called an Odyssey, I don’t know who makes this thing but they really should be more responsible then to allow this to be a selling point of their vehicle. I had the sound muted, as I always do with car commercials (they seem to dominate the commercial airwaves and are usually BS anyway), but what I saw was a woman passenger holding onto a handle that was hung from the ceiling while smiling with anticipation as if she was on an amusement ride. The male driver was gripping the steering wheel and accelerating around a mountain curve, also smiling. Now with the sound muted it was very easy to see what the advertiser wanted to get across to the buying public, and that is that you can now drive even faster around curves. Now, I wonder, why do we have to drive faster around curves? I also noticed that there were no other vehicles on the road. There never is in car commercials (unless the advertiser wants to show how easy it is to pass everyone else) and sometimes they tell you in very small print and very briefly that the driver is a professional on a closed course. Of course the general public does not remember this part of the commercial. The general public sees this commercial with these people having a good ole time racing around a curve without a thought to what might be driving a little bit slower than they are around that curve or what might be passing another vehicle in their lane heading for them around that curve. But, hey, let’s go faster and have fun.
Another car commercial that never ceases to amaze me uses zoom, zoom, zoom as its mantra. As if they are selling race cars. Let’s all drive faster.
Then still another commercial that I only saw once, thank goodness, (they must have pulled it) was of a young boy having a vision of racing a car and the father telling his son that when he grows up he too can drive fast like that race car driver.
Have you ever seen a young child get behind the steering wheel of a car sitting in a driveway or parking lot pretending to drive? What does the child emulate while picturing himself driving? Twisting the steering wheel and going fast while making racing car sounds. Why are we teaching our children this behavior? Why are we teaching them that behind the wheel they can go as fast they want? Why not teach them about driving safely? The vehicle is merely a tool to take us from one place to the next not a means of getting there fast.
By the time these children grow up and get behind the wheel of an automobile after seeing all these car commercials the only thing on their minds is how fast can they go. They have these images of how fun it is to drive, to be free to go anywhere they want. They think of this as a sign of growing up, and it is. But how many are truly safety conscious? How many are told that they should be safety conscious? How many are aware of their responsibility to the safety of everyone else on the road? How many are picking up bad driving habits from their parents?
Safety consciousness is certainly not coming from the DMV. The DMV is only viewed as an obstacle to most people that must be overcome in order to drive. How many people actually take what they have learned in getting their drivers license to the road with them? How many people driving today would not have had their drivers license if they had missed one more question?
Cars are not amusement rides people. Safety should be foremost with every driver of every vehicle every time they get behind the wheel regardless of what car commercials tell or show you.
Car manufacturers need to endorse driving these vehicles safely, not how you can get from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds or how you can pass everyone on the road. Subliminal advertising is a well known fact in the advertising world and is used by every advertiser, please be responsible in its use.
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