Stefan Richter

Not sure this is entirely true - I think it's also about the lowest common denominator. Here in the US, a driver's license can be obtained by having your father teach you to drive, followed by a 10 minute test PA's finest. In Germany, many hours of professional instruction are required. Also, have you seen some of what has presumably passed state inspections here in PA - scary. Then there is the state of our roads - again frightening. Considering all that, I agree that speed limit enforcement is revenue driven

Stefan

Wellardmac

Agreed - poor quality driving instruction and dumbing down driving rules to the lowest common denominator are a large part of it.

My CA driving test was literally a drive around the block. I was disgusted at how easy it was... from there I've transferred that single road test into a Massachusetts and an PA license... just goes to show the damage that poor quality instruction and testing protocols with low standards can do. It's easy to get a license from Podunk, MS and b e woefully equipped to drive anywhere in the world.

I never thought I'd be an favor of having a driving test as difficult as the one I passed in the UK as a teenager, but I really do believe that high quality instruction and high standards for testing do translate into safer roads.

rmillnj

I get to Germany often and drive the autobahns. It works. I feel safer there driving 100mph ormore. Traffic tends not to bunch up since NO ONE ever sits in the left lane. And NO ONE ever passes on the right under normal circumstances.

But where there are conditions that require a slower speed, they do put up speed limit signs and EVERYONE slows down in those sections. I don't recall ever seeing the police pulling anyone over for speeding on the autobahn. They leave that up to the speed cameras, but they tell you where they are and it always obvious why the speed is restricted in those sections.

pat056

Wanna hear something funny about SC? About 10 years ago, there was an uproar about people just paying a few extra $$ to get their car to pass state inspections instead of shops actually doing inspections. So guess what our brilliant politicians did to "solve" the problem? They eliminated state inspections! So now we have logging trucks going 90 mph on blad tires and 30 year old pieces of crap w/no mufflers, and the cops pull over $50,000++ cars for speeding 46 in a 35 or better yet, 66 in a 55 on the Interstate!!
Unbelievable

Stefan Richter

My wife went to school in Michigan, and remembers many cars making four tracks when driving in snow.

Stefan

Jayv911

Hey El Torrente - I'm looking to move to Baltimore in the next few weeks - do you drive in the city?? Heard a few bad things about the town - not too sure whether to buy a DD or just go with the p-car??

fast1

It depends upon where you live and park. There are many areas ib Baltimore that I would avoid at all costs, much less park my car there. The biggest issue I have with Baltimore is that it's part of MD which is one of the most highly taxed States in the country. I'll be exiting this State as soon as I get the opportunity. Also with the new governor MD has, look for the proliferation of red light cameras and speed cameras.

fast1

Speed is only an issue when some eight ball tries to go faster than the majority of cars on the highway. When that happens you see the guy change lanes every 20 - 30 seconds to move up a car or two. One guy passed me earlier in the week, and during the next 15 minutes I watched this jerk change lanes at least 20 times. Many of the passes were extremely risky. When we exited the highway, this guy was no more than ten cars ahead of me on the exit ramp. So when all was said and done, this guy may have cut his commute time by 10 seconds, but antagonized numerous commuters in the process.

On the other hand if everyone is travelling at 80 MPH, I see no added risk as long as they are driving cars that are properly maintained: good tires, brakes, and suspension systems.

ElTorrente

I've seen some areas that were down-right scary..

It all depends on where you live/work, I guess. I live in Perry Hall (it's also listed as Nottingham), and it's nice and quiet and seems like a nice area. I work in Timonium, and that, too, seems like a safe area. Both cities I mentioned are on the North side of Baltimore.

Coming from San Diego, basically everywhere in Baltimore doesn't really compare in terms of general cleanliness, crime, and how nice things are in general. I'm getting used to it, though. I would probably get a DD if I was going to work in the inner-city and couldn't park in a secured parking garage.

Jayv911

Thanks guys - much appreciated.

I'm moving from NY, so I'm looking forward to hitting some of those 'country roads'!

Work will be in Fells point and there is a secure garage - maybe I get a dd and use the p-car on those sunny Friday commutes!

If it all works out for me - are there any p-car events / drives etc that happen?? I'll be out in the 'burbs so I'll need something to keep me sane!

Gaspasser19

There are some fantastics roads west of Baltimore. Less than 30 minutes from the Inner Harbor there are hundreds of miles of beautifully paved twisty turny roads just begging for a Sunday morning blast. Ask me how I know.

ElTorrente

I was going to ask about this myself before Jayv911 mentioned it.

Can you please give us directions on how to get to a couple of your favorite roads? I haven't been out of the city in a month now, and I'm in need of some curves and open spaces..

Jackel

I feel they are missing the biggest problem (even though some areas sould have higher speed limits for sure). The left lane law.
The biggest causes of accidents is inattentiveness, imparement, and DIFFERENCES in speed. If people were ticketed as much for hanging out in the left lane as they spend on 10+ speeders there would be a lot less accidents. Then (and only then) would a strict "no passing on the right" also work. There is a reason there are fewer serious accidents in Germany than here in the U.S.

Also, mandatory skill checks for a drivers licenses wouldn't be a bad idea...

assuming they're even legally in the Country....

rmillnj

And speed limits only encourage the left lane bandits to think they are within their rights to sit in that lane and bottle up traffic. Drive any interstate and just watch how the traffic is bunched up because of one or two cars forming a moving road block.

Charlie C

On many of the roads with 55MPH limits, you'll be passed on the right and left if you're doing less than 70-75. It's all BS. Even the state troopers cruise at about 75.