gamby
SuperDork
10/6/08 10:49 p.m.
MitchellC wrote:
tuffburn wrote:
but then again, the soccer mom driving a mini van at 90 and yammering away at her cell phone should'nt be allowed to drive
Fixed.
Agreed heartily.
On anything but a sparsely congested freeway in the wee hours of the morning, 50 over is just asking for trouble.
It's a ticking time bomb if people get into the habit of driving that fast. BTW--is this that bridge/freeway where dudes in Lambos have filmed themselves @ ludicrous speed?
The real question would be how to identify a vehicle driven by someone licensed to operate at a higher speed. Brock Yates suggested graduated licenses a couple of years ago in his editorial in C&D, and he suggsted making xenon lights mandatory, along with special license plates front and rear. Overall, he made a pretty well-reasoned case for it, talking as well about insurance and license fees, which would both increase for "master" drivers.
I agree with the Yates philosophy. My state has graduated licenses for drivers 16-21, increasing priveledges over three tiers based on experience and age. Why not let it continue for those wanting to do it? There are of course liabilities, and even with the higher insurance limits and fees no one wants to see someone killed, even if its paid for.
To achieve the Yates vision, I think you would need specific and restricted freeway lanes, maybe with blue markers and signage,and then enforcement of the restrictions for non-licensed drivers. Too much public money for something that isn't a necessity. It makes for a nice fantasy, though. If I were in FA, I'd probably be suspended, too.
One thing I know is that a crotch rocket will go from legal to 50 over in a heartbeat. Way too easy to blast up to those speeds at will, and that usually means that they are not taking the time to consider their moves and make sure all is safe. In most cars I have had, 50 over took some pre-planning, a tail wind and a downhill section of road!