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Volvo asks gov't if it could drive drunk



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 20th 05, 09:13 PM
BE
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Default Volvo asks gov't if it could drive drunk

"Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
news reports said Wednesday."

http://tinyurl.com/ccarv

Interesting...


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  #2  
Old July 20th 05, 09:59 PM
John S.
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BE wrote:
> "Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
> strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
> news reports said Wednesday."
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ccarv
>
> Interesting...


Not a big deal since as the complete article says: The testing would
be done on a special track near Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast, where
Volvo's parent company, Ford Motor Co., has a safety development
facility.

As a side note I do like the Swedish approach to drunk driving.

  #3  
Old July 20th 05, 11:54 PM
Dave Head
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On 20 Jul 2005 13:59:22 -0700, "John S." > wrote:

>
>
>BE wrote:
>> "Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
>> strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
>> news reports said Wednesday."
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/ccarv
>>
>> Interesting...

>
>Not a big deal since as the complete article says: The testing would
>be done on a special track near Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast, where
>Volvo's parent company, Ford Motor Co., has a safety development
>facility.
>
>As a side note I do like the Swedish approach to drunk driving.


I don't - not if they're applying their traffic laws to private property which
a test track would be. Do they try to enforce speed limits at their auto
racing tracks?

Dave Head

  #4  
Old July 22nd 05, 04:58 PM
Ed White
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Do you think having one glass of wine is enough to impair your driving?
And do you think that any driver that has had three beers, is a worse
driver that every other driver on the road?

I think drunk driving laws (in Sweden and the US) as currently
implemented are extremely arbitrary.

It is not just drivers that have had three beers that have poor
reflexes. And it is not just drivers that have had three beers that
make bad decisions. However, drivers that have had three beers that can
be pulled out of a car at a random road block and thrown in jail, even
if they were driving in a safe manner.

I am not advocating drunk driving. However, I do think the
anti-drinking lobby has pushed the rules further than reasonable if the
goal is traffic safety.

No politician that wants to get re-elected is going to come out for
relaxing drinking while driving rules no matter what the facts.

Ed

  #5  
Old July 22nd 05, 06:43 PM
John S.
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Ed White wrote:
> Do you think having one glass of wine is enough to impair your driving?

The level of impairment depends on a whole lot of factors such as the
sex of the person, their age, size and bodily reaction to alcohol. The
swedes are rightly taking the safe approach and not allowing anyone to
drive with any alcohol in their blood.

> And do you think that any driver that has had three beers, is a worse
> driver that every other driver on the road?


I don't know about him being worse, but I do know that his reaction
time and judgement are impaired to some level.
Why would you want to drive with that much alcohol in your blood
anyway.

>
> I think drunk driving laws (in Sweden and the US) as currently
> implemented are extremely arbitrary.


Yup, as are most laws...they are a judgement call about the best
decision given the circumstances. If we had to have the agreement of
everyone to implement a law nothing would get done. There has to be
some arbitrariness - someone or group has to make a decision that may
not be popular but will benefit all.

>
> It is not just drivers that have had three beers that have poor
> reflexes. And it is not just drivers that have had three beers that
> make bad decisions. However, drivers that have had three beers that can
> be pulled out of a car at a random road block and thrown in jail, even
> if they were driving in a safe manner.


Well, yes drunk drivers are not the only ones that have poor reflexes
or cause accidents. But if we can reduce the number of accidents
caused by self-imposed impairment then I think we are better off as a
group don't you think? At less risk anyway.
>
> I am not advocating drunk driving. However, I do think the
> anti-drinking lobby has pushed the rules further than reasonable if the
> goal is traffic safety.


Spinnning your comment around, how are we safer by allowing drivers on
the road with alcohol in their blood given that we know alcohol impairs
us all differently.

>
> No politician that wants to get re-elected is going to come out for
> relaxing drinking while driving rules no matter what the facts.


Doesn't seem to be a problem in Sweden or several other scandinavian
countries.

  #6  
Old July 22nd 05, 06:49 PM
John S.
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Dave Head wrote:
> On 20 Jul 2005 13:59:22 -0700, "John S." > wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >BE wrote:
> >> "Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
> >> strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
> >> news reports said Wednesday."
> >>
> >> http://tinyurl.com/ccarv
> >>
> >> Interesting...

> >
> >Not a big deal since as the complete article says: The testing would
> >be done on a special track near Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast, where
> >Volvo's parent company, Ford Motor Co., has a safety development
> >facility.
> >
> >As a side note I do like the Swedish approach to drunk driving.

>
> I don't - not if they're applying their traffic laws to private property which
> a test track would be. Do they try to enforce speed limits at their auto
> racing tracks?


The Swedes as well as several other countries take safe driving
seriously...much more so than we in the U.S. do. Their rules regarding
drunk driving are probably very simple and comprehensive and go
something like this: Nobody may operate a vehicle in Sweden if their
blood shows any level of alcohol. I think that Volvo and the
Government are also sending a very good message by requiring Volvo to
ask for an exception. It provides public reinforcement of how
seriously the Swedes take driving safety.

  #7  
Old July 22nd 05, 10:46 PM
John David Galt
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BE wrote:
> "Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
> strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
> news reports said Wednesday."


Are the tests going to take place on public roads? (CHP runs test of
this type on its private track in West Sacramento.)
  #8  
Old July 22nd 05, 11:53 PM
Dave Head
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On 22 Jul 2005 10:49:01 -0700, "John S." > wrote:

>
>
>Dave Head wrote:
>> On 20 Jul 2005 13:59:22 -0700, "John S." > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >BE wrote:
>> >> "Car maker Volvo has asked the Swedish government to waive the country's
>> >> strict drunken driving laws to allow its test drivers to booze on the job,
>> >> news reports said Wednesday."
>> >>
>> >> http://tinyurl.com/ccarv
>> >>
>> >> Interesting...
>> >
>> >Not a big deal since as the complete article says: The testing would
>> >be done on a special track near Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast, where
>> >Volvo's parent company, Ford Motor Co., has a safety development
>> >facility.
>> >
>> >As a side note I do like the Swedish approach to drunk driving.

>>
>> I don't - not if they're applying their traffic laws to private property which
>> a test track would be. Do they try to enforce speed limits at their auto
>> racing tracks?

>
>The Swedes as well as several other countries take safe driving
>seriously...much more so than we in the U.S. do. Their rules regarding
>drunk driving are probably very simple and comprehensive and go
>something like this: Nobody may operate a vehicle in Sweden if their
>blood shows any level of alcohol. I think that Volvo and the
>Government are also sending a very good message by requiring Volvo to
>ask for an exception. It provides public reinforcement of how
>seriously the Swedes take driving safety.


New Jersey has some driving laws that they (attempt to) enforce on private
property, too. Its one of the reasons they're known as this nation's ultimate
nanny state.

I think the government should stick to making its traffic laws for government
property - that is, the highways, and let people take the risks they wish to
take on their own land.

I wonder if Volvo also, in addition to busting up the drunk driving laws, also
violate the reckless driving laws (some skidding, perhaps), speed laws (high
speed runs to test handling, stability, aerodynamics), and possibly have
accidents that they don't report to anyone (rollovers when the engineer's math
doesn't quite jibe with the vehicle's actual capabilities, or the test driver's
actual capabilities.)

Could be tough to sanction all sorts of adrenalin-producing activities, like
BMX, moto-cross, motorcycle-riding in general (exceptionally dangerous even if
you don't attempt to do anything exciting), etc. Wonder if the Swedes are
allowed to climb their mountains, or have to ask permission?

Dave Head

  #9  
Old July 24th 05, 02:27 AM
Dave
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Posts: n/a
Default


Dave Head wrote:

> New Jersey has some driving laws that they (attempt to) enforce on private
> property, too. Its one of the reasons they're known as this nation's ultimate
> nanny state.


If anyone here watches Mythbusters on Discovery, they'll recall the CHP
showing up to breathalize the staff who were going to drive as close to
drunk as legally possible without breaking the law to show how
dangerous cell phones were.

In addition, my friend Michelle in NY State could explain better than I
could how she got a DUI in her own driveway for sleeping in the back of
her car after having a fight with her roommates. (Basically, cop
noticed someone in a car at 3 am, woke her up, noticed she was wasted,
breathalized her, ticketed her, and she lost her license after facing a
judge with a lawyer without ever even turning the car on or leaving her
property.)

Dave

  #10  
Old July 24th 05, 01:01 PM
Dave Head
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Default

On 23 Jul 2005 18:27:41 -0700, "Dave" > wrote:

>
>Dave Head wrote:
>
>> New Jersey has some driving laws that they (attempt to) enforce on private
>> property, too. Its one of the reasons they're known as this nation's ultimate
>> nanny state.

>
>If anyone here watches Mythbusters on Discovery, they'll recall the CHP
>showing up to breathalize the staff who were going to drive as close to
>drunk as legally possible without breaking the law to show how
>dangerous cell phones were.


We've had Virginia cops invade a bar somewhere up near DC and breathalyze the
patrons for public drunkedness, I think it was. The coast, both of 'em, are
the homes of extremist anti-civil-liberties goons that are best avoided by
living in the midwest. People on the coasts refer to the midwest in disdain by
referring to it as "flyover territory" but they don't have a clue about the
best places to live in this country.
>
>In addition, my friend Michelle in NY State could explain better than I
>could how she got a DUI in her own driveway for sleeping in the back of
>her car after having a fight with her roommates. (Basically, cop
>noticed someone in a car at 3 am, woke her up, noticed she was wasted,
>breathalized her, ticketed her, and she lost her license after facing a
>judge with a lawyer without ever even turning the car on or leaving her
>property.)


Sounds like a good case for an actual jury trial. No way I would have voted
against her on that one. Again, a ridiculous coastal-state miscarriage of
justice - the law is everything, the citizen is nothing - and true justice is
nothing. Not on the coasts.

Dave Head

>Dave


 




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