On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:21:47 -0600, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATcox.net wrote:


"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
...

"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news
In article ,
Jose wrote:

God almighty, I can't understand for the life of me why there
isn't an airplane in every American garage...

Would you really want Joe Sixpack on approach doing his lipstick with a
cellphone in his ear?

Jose

Darwin would take care of that!

Once upon a time that was true. Lately the "Guvmint" won't let Darwin do
his thing so well anymore.

Jay B


The "Guvmint" let's it happen all the time. This link
http://www.nsc.org/issues/driving/me...05fatality.htm at the National
Safety Council was a look at traffic death during Memorial Day weekend 2005.
They estimated there would be 25,400 disabling non-fatal auto accidents and
3,747 fatalities. That's in one long weekend.

They will have about 12 times that number of deaths in a year. If the
multiplier holds true that is almost 400,000 disabling injuries per
year. However it depends on what they mean by disabling. Missed
work, broken bones, hospitalized, or permanent disabilities? That
makes the number sustaining injuries almost unbelievably large.
..

But you are right, given the risk aversion that has swept and IMHO weakened
this country I really surprised that driving hasn't become as regulated as
flying.

That is because the average driver isn't smart enough to know it can
happen to him/her/them. It'll always be the other guy. So they make
their own rules of the road and with every one driving by their own
rules who knows what the car ahead is going to do be it coming or
going. There was a note in the local paper a while back stating that
every one knew it was far safer to drive in the passing lane and
probably close to 50% around here do so. That means some one pulling
out from your right will probably cross in front of you and into the
passing land. Never mind when some one pulls out your natural tendency
is to go left to miss them. It's not uncommon to see one from the
left go to the passing lane while one from the right goes to the
driving lane when they pull out, crossing in front of you.

It's difficult enough to get them to wear seat belts let alone
shoulder harnesses. I think the figure is some where up around 75% are
finally wearing seat belts, or restraining devices. We had to have
more powerful air bags to protect *unrestrained* passengers compared
to other countries.

Of course in Midland the have most of the traffic signs painted on the
road surfaces instead of overhead. One snow and no one knows which
road or lane goes where.
Drivers will not put up with things they find inconvenient.

So far, bicyclists and pedestrians are still fair game. You hit
another car and kill some one it'll probably be manslaughter and jail
time. Run over a pedestrian of bicyclists and it the court is in a
bad mood you might get a 6 month suspension.

Highway deaths and injuries doesn't even garner a mention in the local
papers or TV news unless it's a really bad one or buss load of kids.
Most don't even give them a second thought unless some one they know
was involved.

They have become "the *accepted* cost of doing business with "I think
it was 43,000 plus change, killed last year. Multiply by many times
for personal injuries which totals up to many billions of dollars in
medical bills (not counting the suffering) and more billions of
dollars in lost wages and production in industry.

One type of plane has five fatals in a year and there is an
investigation, the results of which will most likely cost the rest of
us money.
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com