Problem with Wisconsin State Patrol

Jon Davis jfdavis@epix.net
Tue, 1 Jan 2002 23:28:37 -0500


George Roffe

> trusted those around me, I wouldn't trust most Americans to drive on the
> freeways at such speeds.

Niether would I...

American drivers could learn to deal with high speed. It's not like we're
genetically inferior to the average German driver. Call me naive, but IMO
people rise to what is expected of them. The problem is, American drivers
are expected to be lumbering lazy-asses who rely on speed limits, technical
widgetry and superior mass to be safe. I would wager that large-scale driver
training would save more lives than speed limits, widgetry and mass
combined... something about an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure
comes to mind. It is almost like the NHTSA and others can't see the forest
for the trees... what the hell is wrong with just training drivers?!? In PA
you can take a motorcycle safety course that teaches you how to ride and
deal with emergencies. The course is free to the student (paid for by a $2
fee in motorcycle registrations). I wish there was something similar for
cars. I would gladly pay an extra $2 every year to have the drivers around
me trained! Hell, I would pay $20.

Jon Davis