Thread: Remember "No Turn On Red" ?

Remember Burma Shave signs?
Within this vale
Of toil
And sin
Your head grows bald
But not your chin
Burma-Shave

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Driving a white ford E250 van @ 35 mph I got T-boned (I had the right of way) by a gal who pulled out from a stop sign (accelerating) and was talking on a cell phone. At 4 O'clock in the afternoon, on a sunny day, said she didn't see me.

That is, I feel, an even bigger threat to highway safety than alcohol.

Right turn on red after a stop was required nationwide by the feds. In MA, they tried right turn on red allowed only if there was a sign at the intersection to allow it, but that was vetoed by the feds with a threat of suspension of highway funds to MA. It is OK to forbid right turn on red using a sign at each intersection where it is to be forbidden.

Smart phones are a significant cause of drivers losing road focus/awareness. Too many Kids today drive switching their focus back and forth between the road and their incoming text messages. Even worse, this may be happening while the driver is singing and bouncing away on the seat in time with loud music from the sound system/radio.

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

Even worse, this may be happening while the driver is singing and bouncing away on the seat in time with loud music from the sound system/radio.

People who have those booming sound systems in their cars .... and no consideration for others, and play their 'music' (that's what they call it) so loud that the bass vibrates through everyone's vehicle at traffic stops, ought to be shot on the spot. IMHO.

Out here Tucson there does not seem to be that many people cranking their stereo systems of their cars, but rather it seems most drivers, bicyclist, motorcyclist, etc have their ipod/mp3 player headphones plugged into their ears. I don't know about other cities or states, but that is illegal here and I think the state list the offence as impaired driving. For instance, just last week I was driving down a 6 lane road and stopped at the light next to me was a young kid with his earphones in his ears. Light turns green, off we go only to have a ambulance come racing up behind us with lights and siren going. The kid couldn't hear the siren, and barely noticed the ambulance was right on his arse before he yielded his lane almost hitting other cars as he panicked to get out of the way. I hate driving in this town. Lately, my mentality while driving is that everyone on the road is trying to wreck me, so watch out and be safe.

I remember the simple days when there weren't many cars on the road and they were always running into horse drawn buggies.

Originally Posted by nessmuck

I remember when our family drove from Rhode Island to Florida back in 1965 and we were in a 1955 Buick Super and I fell asleep on that shelf under the back window. How much of a fine would that be today!!!!!

You were lucky - my brother got the comfy back seat, my sister got the rear window ledge, & being the youngest I was doomed to dealing with the transmission hump in the floorboard. Let me tell you, no matter how many pillows you pile up on either side, you still have that hard hump right between your ribcage and pelvis

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I remember the simple days when there weren't many cars on the road and they were always running into horse drawn buggies.

The ice delivery guys were the worst.always in the way.

Lot of kids in my family and there seemed to always be a car crib in the back of the station wagon. I remember trips across the NY State Thruway sitting on the tailgate with my legs hanging off the pickup truck.

After logging 2 million miles or more, I have seen everything you can imagine going on in automobiles passing me but the self absorbed vacancy of attention which seems to be habitual with drivers today concerns me the most. I was trained to drive "defensively" (remember those commercials?) always expecting aggressive maneuvers from poorly skilled operators to threaten your safety. These days I am gobsmacked to observe drivers slowing or completely stopping in the middle of congested intersections under a green light or entering the freeway at 25mph and stopping while totally absorbed gesticulating to their hands free phone connection.

I really want to be appointed a highway monitor and given the license to use my evaporative laser cannon with impunity.

Originally Posted by nessmuck

I remember when our family drove from Rhode Island to Florida back in 1965 and we were in a 1955 Buick Super and I fell asleep on that shelf under the back window. How much of a fine would that be today!!!!!

Yeah, or on the floor, or even in the box of the pickup! Parents would get lynched for that nowadays.