If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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... |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
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
|
|||
|
|||
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
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:58:25 -0700, Ed White wrote:
> Do you think having one glass of wine is enough to impair your driving? Unless you are an alcoholic it does, even though the impairment may be small. And if you are an alcoholic your driving is already impaired when you are sober. > And do you think that any driver that has had three beers, is a worse > driver that every other driver on the road? No, a driver, who has had 5 beers is definitely worse. > It is not just drivers that have had three beers that have poor reflexes. Their reflexes are significantly worse than if they were sober, which is the only thing that counts. You are required by law to minimize the risk for others on the road and driving drunk is the exact opposite of this, which is why it is illegal. > And it is not just drivers that have had three beers that make bad > decisions. No, the drunks just make much more 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. There is no such thing as driving 'in a safe manner' when drunk. Your reflexes are slowed, your ego is boosted (which is why most drunks think they are driving in a safe manner) and your situational awareness goes down the drain. > 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. ..08% is a very generous number in my opinion. Most European countries are down to .05% and alcohol related deaths went down with it. If you don't want to be jailed, don't drink and drive, it's that simple. > No politician that wants to get re-elected is going to come out for > relaxing drinking while driving rules no matter what the facts. The facts say that stricter rules would save more lives than all speed enforcements together. Unfortunately the alcohol lobby is going to stop that from happening, which is why drunk assholes continue killing people and thinking 'it can't happen to me'. Chris |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
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.) |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Two Million Miles in a '66 Volvo P1800 | Highway Star | General | 0 | July 5th 04 02:00 AM |