Originally Posted by
Daniel4
There are many solutions studied around the world but again political will gets in the way in favour of the bad driver.
Intentional traffic calming obstructions force motorists to drive carefully. But critics say they slow down traffic times too much.
In Ontario, legislation is being proposed to increase the fine for road fatalities to $50,000, max 2 years in jail and demerit points. Current fine is only $500. An election is coming up and I can see critics state that the proposal is another cash-grab. How much is a life worth?
I have stated many times in these discussion forums that in order to earn a drivers license one should be required to have 8 hours of in traffic bicycle experience. One survey indicated a lot of would-be cyclists don't because of motorists. That's people being afraid to cycle because of themselves.
Frankly I have long thought that driving and the ethics and history of driving (ie bikes) should be taught in public schools... at the lower grades, on bikes to show how to interface with traffic and get used to signs and marks, at the upper grades, more emphasis on the ethics and safety, with simulator time (graded), eventually leading to a license. So rather than merely 40 hours of training on a couple of weekends... it would be something like several semesters. Heck more time is spent these days teaching sex than driving.
When I went to high school in the very early '70s, drivers ed was a one semester class... now it's two weekends with no real time for it to sink in.
Our only real salvation is to remove humans from the equation...
