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#1
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have
read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be lower. .. http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits |
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#2
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
In article >, Rob wrote:
> Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have > read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be > lower. > . > http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits The thing you don't seem to grasp, when speed limits are used, they make sense there. Have you driven any part of the Autobahn at all? I have. I'd rather drive in congested traffic on the autobahn in a construction zone than about 90% of the interstate driving I do here given my past experience. |
#3
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
Rob wrote:
> Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have > read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be > lower. > . > http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits Ah, yes, the nirvana of the motorist, the Autobahn... "The police are allowed to collect fines (Verwarnungsgeld) for most traffic offenses on the spot. If you don't have enough cash on hand, your vehicle may be impounded (at additional cost to you, of course.) You need not fear when paying spot fines-- the German police are very professional and corruption is very rare, and you will be given a receipt for the payment. "Beware of enforcement cameras. Germany probably uses such cameras more than anyone else (except possibly Britain). Automatic cameras are stationed to catch speeders, red-light violators, and tailgaters. Sometimes an obscure sign will warn you of the existence of such a camera, but it's usually too late by then. You'll sometimes spot temporary cameras setup along the The tickets are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within a few weeks." (sic) "If you're driving a rental car, the ticket will go to the rental agency. They, in turn, will report you to the police as the driver of the vehicle and the ticket will be forwarded to you, although they frequently drop cases against non-EU residents-- it's too much of a hassle since the odds of collecting are pretty slim." "An interesting footnote: the police stopped sending a copy of the photo a few years ago when several spouses discovered cases of infidelity when they opened the violation notice. Now, you have to go to the police station yourself to see the photo and contest it if you so desire. Such an effort is usually fruitless, though." "Sometimes the police will travel along in unmarked cars or vans with front and rear mounted cameras looking for speeders and tailgaters. If you get busted, you'll likely be signaled to pull over by a "lollypop" traffic paddle (a white disk with red bull's-eye on a short stick) being held out of the window and perhaps a flashing sign on the back of the vehicle reading "Polizei-- bitte folgen" ("police-- please follow".)" http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/regeln.htm ===== When you have a total of 143,812 miles of paved roads including a measley 7475 miles of expressways, I think construction, maintenence and management become a tad easier. ----- - gpsman |
#4
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:45:56 -0400, Rob > wrote:
>Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have >read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be >lower. >. >http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits Fortunately all americans are not psycho-homos like you who think endangering other drivers makes you a big man. Why do you let the media brainwash you into believing this "speed is cool" craziness? |
#5
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
"Brent P" > wrote in message
. .. > In article >, Rob wrote: >> Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have >> read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be >> lower. >> . >> http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits > > The thing you don't seem to grasp, when speed limits are used, they make > sense there. Have you driven any part of the Autobahn at all? I have. I'd > rather drive in congested traffic on the autobahn in a construction > zone than about 90% of the interstate driving I do here given my past > experience. We lived in Germany for seven years, and I had the fortune to have an E-Type Jaguar. We were married in Basel, had to return to Mainz, and my child-bride woke up to find I was driving 130 mph on the Munich to Frankfurt Autobahn, and she made me promise to never do that again. The second time we had two kids and a VW Dasher, so I never saw 90 again. Germany has graduated driving licenses, and *all* of the drivers on *all* of the Autobahns know *all* of the rules (or they are not allowed to drive the Autobahn) and so they are very predictable in their actions, unlike the "free-form" driving that is done in other places. One always keeps to the right, and only pass to the left, and if there are blinking headlights behind, immediately dive back to the right. Back in D.C. there was a famous Dr. Nestor, who wrote many a letter to the editor of the Washington Post proclaiming how he was proud to drive the speed limit in the left lane. He would be dead, or in jail, in Germany. Accident rates, when we were there, were higher than the US. The reason is that the high speeds themselves are not necessarily unsafe, but when there is fog, or an unexpected stoppage, then many cars collide, at high speed. Overall there are fewer accidents, but when they happen they involve many more cars than on a US Interstate. We drove everywhere, the distances meaning little, by US standards. I was used to driving twelve hours a day in my annual commute from Dallas to Sacramento for the Jazz Jubilee, so six hours to Paris? A piece of brioche. We even drove to Calais, ferried the car to England, and drove the wrong way around England, then back, in about a week - no hurry. The secret to the Autobahn is the drivers, and the cars, both better than the US. You may not register a car in Germany if it has any leak, or any rust, at all. A number of American soldiers got good deals from Germans, who could not register their cars, but the soldiers could get NATO status-of-forces exemptions, and US Forces Germany license plates. Very few American cars that I saw, in Germany, could pass the rigid German registration. They make no bones about the fact that they do not want everyone to drive - it is a rich person's way of life - everyone is supposed to take the train. |
#6
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
In article >, Billzz wrote:
> Accident rates, when we were there, were higher than the US. The reason is > that the high speeds themselves are not necessarily unsafe, but when there > is fog, or an unexpected stoppage, then many cars collide, at high speed. > Overall there are fewer accidents, but when they happen they involve many > more cars than on a US Interstate. Actually fatality rates were higher there 30 years ago. Germany has since beaten the US interstate in safety. Much of the reason can be attributed to the fact europe no longer lags behind the US in crash safety as it did in the 1970s. (yes, there were exceptions of particular makes, but I am refering to entire marketplace and the requirements) > The secret to the Autobahn is the drivers, and the cars, both better than > the US. You may not register a car in Germany if it has any leak, or any > rust, at all. A number of American soldiers got good deals from Germans, > who could not register their cars, but the soldiers could get NATO > status-of-forces exemptions, and US Forces Germany license plates. Very few > American cars that I saw, in Germany, could pass the rigid German > registration. They make no bones about the fact that they do not want > everyone to drive - it is a rich person's way of life - everyone is supposed > to take the train. I saw all sorts of vehicles on the roads and I wasn't there long. While there weren't any rusty heaps like I see in chicago, I saw several US vehicles. Including an early 80s GM Fbody and an early 80s/late 70s GM station wagon. These cars would have been pushing 20 years old at the time. The reason american cars had trouble passing is that US cars don't meet ECE vehicle lighting standards and have to be retrofitted to pass. Sealed beam cars are no problem for headlamps, but the signal lamps, brake lamps, rear fog lamp etc all have to meet ECE standards. European makes however for the USDOT just have to be altered to downgrade their headlamps. I think the 'masses take the train' thing is dead too given the number of cars on the roads. |
#8
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
In article >, Rob wrote:
> That's what I was getting at actually. How the speed limits are > adapted to the conditions and not used where not needed. I thought you were getting at that there are offten low speed limits on the autobahn for construction zones etc as yet another 'low speed' thing... Sorry my mistake. An example of speed limits making sense is even though construction zone speed limits can be really low on the autobahn, I found that I didn't want to drive them much faster. Lanes so narrow that one is practically scraping mirrors has that effect. |
#9
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
"laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE" > wrote in message ... > On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:45:56 -0400, Rob > wrote: > > >Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have > >read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be > >lower. > >. > >http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits > > Fortunately all americans are not psycho-homos like you who think > endangering other drivers makes you a big man. Why do you let the > media brainwash you into believing this "speed is cool" craziness? I just get sick of your posts, your bull****, and you. Go away - forever.................. |
#10
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The Germans can do it. Why can't we?
On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 01:51:06 GMT, laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
> wrote: >On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:45:56 -0400, Rob > wrote: > >>Our interstates should be like this. According to everything I have >>read, their accident rates are no higher than ours. They may even be >>lower. >>. >>http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att...tm#speedlimits > >Fortunately all americans are not psycho-homos like you who think >endangering other drivers makes you a big man. Why do you let the >media brainwash you into believing this "speed is cool" craziness? Actually I'm not a speed freak like you would like to think I am. Hell, my car is only 140 hp. I'm usually the guy in the middle of traffic that goes with the flow of traffic and on an interstate, that flow is almost always speeding unless you want to take your life in your own hands. The other time I may speed is on those brief moments where gravity helps you speed going down hills. What I don't like is getting a ticket for not riding my brakes down a long downhill open straightaway when I may creep above the speed limit by 10 or 15 mph for a couple seconds just before I level out. Smart drivers can use that extra momentum to save a little gas you know. psycho-homo? Are you even old enough to drive? |
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