Comments on: Were You Born to Ride … the Bus?

By: Bob Nedoma

Bob Nedoma — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:07:24 +0000

If driving (and riding) is a privilege, then according to the constitution, we all have the same right to that privilege. Remember? the: Life, Liberty and Pursuit of happiness (unles denied by the due process of law).
And I don’t remember that anybody was “created” less than equal.

By: Art

Art — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:50:57 +0000

Bjorn, not quite what you asked for, but along those lines of thought. Seems like another Freakonomics (why do crack dealers live with their mothers?) counter-intuitive result, one finding is lowering speed limits raised the number of collision injuries. But of course the self-appointed road safety lobby has been telling us for decades that speed is THE ONLY REAL issue (impaired driving aside).

I will cede that driver incompetence and inattention, when combined with speed beyond that ability base IS the leading issue. But why beat on good drivers who can handle higher speeds and refuse to require higher skill and attentiveness levels from “average” drivers? Then wonder why the stats never improve?

So until an unbiased and very competent statistician looks into general road safety and discovers the actual correlates, we will be presented with faulty analysis, bad. punitive legislation and stupid insurance rules. But of course, it’s our genes to blame. Riiiiggghhhttt.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111919.htm

Don’t think anything will help with the gear colour issue tho’…

By: Bjorn

Bjorn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:44:18 +0000

The study I would most like to see is what correlation exists between accident data, speeding fines and distance travelled.
Do those who speed, consistantly find themselves over represented in accident statistics on a per kilometre basis?
When will they find the gene for propensity to choose protective gear that looks as though the colours were choosen by a blind person?

By: OMMAG

OMMAG — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:03:36 +0000

Problem is they don’t take the bus.

I have to share the roads with them.

By: Art

Art — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:46:19 +0000

Sorry, Oldyeller8, gotta disagree. “Getting away with it” may work on occasion, but the stats show that eventually bad driving, or being unable to avoid bad drivers, will catch up with you. To drive for decades without causing collisions and also not being involved in potential ones due to others’ bad driving is an indicator of above average driving skill and situational awareness.

Neurological research is just starting to figure out little things like how a good baseball player’s brain/body finds it so easy to catch a fly ball without understanding any of the mathematics involved. We have a huge amount of built-in spatial and computational software that our progenitors used to stay alive. So I believe, if the proper approach is used and the right attitude present in the student, just about anyone that can walk and chew gum without constantly bumping into the furniture or biting their tongue can learn to drive, or ride a bike. Maybe not as fast as Schumacher, Rossi or Spies, but safely and with awareness and consideration for others sharing the road.

That said, the driving/riding collision/fatality stats indicate we have been mostly doing it very wrong. Genetics has little to do with it.