Comments on: They drive close together here http://www.jonmasters.org/blog/2008/04/26/they-drive-close-together-here/ World Organi[sz]ation Of Broken Dreams Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:35:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: David Cantrell http://www.jonmasters.org/blog/2008/04/26/they-drive-close-together-here/comment-page-1/#comment-131181 David Cantrell Fri, 23 May 2008 03:50:49 +0000 http://www.jonmasters.org/blog/?p=665#comment-131181 One of the biggest problems in the US is the fact that states have the authority to license drivers as they see fit. Since there is no coordination between states, you have all sorts of differences such as the youngest age at which you are allowed to drive alone to all sorts of driving differences. For example, I grew up in Georgia where you got your license at 16. It's now 18, but even by holding a valid GA license at 16, I was allowed to drive in any state. Also, states set up different rules of the road. In California, lane split is legal for motorcycles....but not in other states. In New Mexico and Nevada, it's legal for pedestrians and cyclists to be on the Interstate. Most drivers are aware of about 60% of the traffic laws for their state of residence, but it doesn't matter because once they hold that license, they can drive in any other state. Regarding truck drivers, there are far more regulations in place (coordinated even at the North American level). Federal DOT safety inspections and audits are required quarterly for most companies, and logs must be kept by all drivers and audited quarterly. Failure to comply with any of these regulations results in any number of things, such as revocation of your DOT operating authority (look at a truck door the next time you see one...there will be something that says US DOT #XXXXXXXXX), suspension of license, hefty fines, or any number of those. Most people like to blame truck drivers on the road, but every single one I've ever met and talked to has been far more knowledgeable at operating vehicles than your average US driver. It's almost always the SUV asshole trying to overtake the vehicle in the truck's blindspot. I wish the federal DOT imposed a set of minimum standards that states have to adhere to for licensing individual drivers. Let states decide on things such as how much the license costs, how often to renew, and age restrictions, but everything else needs to be coordinated at a national level. Rules of the road should not vary by state. BTW, if you want to experience some _real_ surfing, you need to visit Hawaii. :) One of the biggest problems in the US is the fact that states have the authority to license drivers as they see fit. Since there is no coordination between states, you have all sorts of differences such as the youngest age at which you are allowed to drive alone to all sorts of driving differences. For example, I grew up in Georgia where you got your license at 16. It’s now 18, but even by holding a valid GA license at 16, I was allowed to drive in any state. Also, states set up different rules of the road. In California, lane split is legal for motorcycles….but not in other states. In New Mexico and Nevada, it’s legal for pedestrians and cyclists to be on the Interstate. Most drivers are aware of about 60% of the traffic laws for their state of residence, but it doesn’t matter because once they hold that license, they can drive in any other state.

Regarding truck drivers, there are far more regulations in place (coordinated even at the North American level). Federal DOT safety inspections and audits are required quarterly for most companies, and logs must be kept by all drivers and audited quarterly. Failure to comply with any of these regulations results in any number of things, such as revocation of your DOT operating authority (look at a truck door the next time you see one…there will be something that says US DOT #XXXXXXXXX), suspension of license, hefty fines, or any number of those. Most people like to blame truck drivers on the road, but every single one I’ve ever met and talked to has been far more knowledgeable at operating vehicles than your average US driver. It’s almost always the SUV asshole trying to overtake the vehicle in the truck’s blindspot.

I wish the federal DOT imposed a set of minimum standards that states have to adhere to for licensing individual drivers. Let states decide on things such as how much the license costs, how often to renew, and age restrictions, but everything else needs to be coordinated at a national level. Rules of the road should not vary by state.

BTW, if you want to experience some _real_ surfing, you need to visit Hawaii. :)

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