Europe plans to take away freedom to drive in 2022

Mozart

In Communist countries  people needed internal passports to travel from one city or town  to another city or town.   That is where the  EU is going too.   Expect that ruling sooner rather tha n later.    

Some of the things sound logical, but what's next? Forced after birth abbortions if you don't meet a certain criteria? We are losing our freedom one small step at  a time. Some elected (by low IQ electorates) are making laws that have a direct impact on my life...and I can do nothing about it. Mob rule is here to stay.

Ya Snark, good idea, what's next? Not allowed to walk outside without GPS controller? They are turning up the heat and the frogs are just about to start boiling...too late to jump out now.

Another Globalist conspiracy Draad ? 

Dr Moz indeed they will be getting the thought police up and ready to deal with any dissent it will be called hate speech. The Globalist NWO will be the greatest tyranny this world has ever seen. A one world government they totally control.

Regarding Brexit it seems to me the very worst deal is May's deal which is not Brexit at all. Better to remain in the EU than that and fight the globalists in the EU Parliament. Every chance of winning that battle as opposi tion to their rule rises every day

Hey beeno, your god is all for thought control so I would imagine you would be all for it.

Just another example of double standards from the christians

"Hey beeno, your god is all for thought control so I would imagine you would be all for it.

Just another example of double standards from the christians"

"Free will" is at the center of Christianity, the fact that some so called Christians want to force their sense/brand of morality on others is heresy. I don't see Beeno saying: "Convert to my way of thinking or get your head chopped off."

Shark, do you have one of these cars? What does it cost? Will all the cars that does not have these gadgets be illegal? Will owners be reimbursed? How?

In the UK, the roads are narrow, and there are often cars parked on the side of roads. This creates lots of obstructions and blocks visibility. Most crashes are caused when people go over 30 miles per hour because there is no time to react. 

It is a very densely populated place with limited space.

In town areas, 30 miles per hour is the maximum speed limit. Sometimes when you pull out into a road, someone that is going over 30 miles is just not visible at the time of entering the road via a junction. 

Slowing down, even more than 30 miles per hour, when there are obstructions is also a good idea.

 I think in 10-15 years time driverless cars via satellite will be a better option. Once a computer has a program that is advanced enough- statically driving will become much safer. It also is possible to drive faster once the system is advanced enough. If the system was 100%, driving speeds up to 400 miles per hour etc, could be feasible. 

The article said in 3 years time. Technology is always a good thing, but forcing on people isn't right either. And Shark, it's no conspiracy theory , it's a product from our society. The more densely populated we become, the more difficult it is to live together in relative peace. More rules becomes more complex. Big problems arise when we elect stupid people to make these laws and regulate society. Throw in a bit of greed and you've got a recipe for desaster.

Now lets get to the straight ad narrow - ie as narrow as the roads are in Europe.   Personally I think that rules gets stricter and with good reason.    I have in fact no problem worth trying to ensure safer roads and the use of modern technology is no doubt the answer.  After all there are already serous restrictions on cars entering the central cities in Europe and those did not come from the EU.

Problem is the EU rules are regarded as interference in their daily lives and disliked by people.  It  would be better if the EU provide guidelines for member=countries to consider. After all circumstances differ from country to country,

However, I am afraid the dictatorial behavior of the Brussels Government has to be accepted and  made applicable to all countries.    Who is going to pay for getting their cars updated to cater for the testing - obviously the owners and drivers of the cars,  Another Yellow Vest revo lt in the offing.               

Perfect point Moz. When will it end? We keep on giving away our freedom bits and pieces at a time. To what end? Hive mind in the making? Me thinks not. Evil Dictator seems more likely.

SB

In many ways I agree with you on this topic - but the critical mistake was to levy revenue through the petrol price to make available money for measures that could help to prevent an environmental disaster,  Critical mistake because the price of petrol is in all countries already a major revenue earner for Government  - and the further price increase caused the yellow vest upheavals.   Things are not all that good in England either,

I dislike the idea that the EU Government in Brussels lays down the rules and every other country must kow-tow  and implement it  that may end up having negative implications,   The wise ting would have been to propose changes that the Governments of individual countries can then consider for implementation/ ,           

• Share
• Pin
• Email

Have you been feeling more anxious about getting in a car more now than ever? In 2016, the latest figures available, the National Safety Council estimated that 40,200 individuals died in car accidents––a 6 percent rise from 2015. The previous year saw a similar increase in fatal crashes: 7 percent. In just two years, that means we have seen a 13 percent rise in car accident fatalities, the most significant jump in more than 50 years. What is causing this, and what can be done about it? 

There are many different factors at play. Some government officials argue that one of the most significant factors is the lax enforcement of and laws on the books that cover drunk driving, speeding, and seatbelt laws. Many states do not consider the lack of wearing a seatbelt to be an offense an officer can pull someone over for, and speed limits around the nation are rising. Given that about half of all fatal car crashes happen to a victim that is not wearing a seatbelt, and about a third of fatal accidents involve a driver who was impaired by drugs and alcohol, the logic that these all contribute to the deadly car crash epidemic may very well hold true.

As the New York Times reported, seeding may play a role in all of these cases. David Brown, a research associate at the University of Alabama’s Center for Advanced Public Safety, notes that “Total crashes were up less than 5 percent, but fatalities were up 25 percent,” he said in an interview. “I think speeding is the No. 1 problem. There are times of the day when we only have one or two troopers on duty in a county so that you can speed, and there is no one there to deter it.”

In addition to the law and order reasons for the increase, there are also simpler ones. Since the economy has been continuing to improve, people are driving more to their jobs and on family trips and joyrides. But that does not explain the increase in fatal accidents, because the number of deadly crashes per mile driven is also on the rise. In addition to the traditional sources that can divert one’s attention from the road, such as eating, speaking to passengers or chatting on the cellphone, new dangers are also emerging as people become more reliant on technology.

Distracted driving from new sources––think scanning Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat on your phone––have also been blamed for part of this increase. 

Are There Any Times That Fatal Car Crashes Are Most Likely? 

Hospital visits to the emergency room are often highest around the holidays, and likewise, fatal car accidents correspond to times when risky behavior is often overlooked. July 4th, in addition to fireworks, brings with it the highest number of fatal car crashes. Second to July 4th is January 1st, presumably because drivers are either sleep deprived or still walking off the effects of a midnight toast of champagne. Indeed, nearly half of either the drivers or the victims of deadly crashes on both of these dates have blood alcohol levels over 0.08, which is the legal limit in most states and localities.

Close on the heels of New Year's Eve regarding fatal accidents is April 20th or “420,” the unofficial holiday on which legal (and probably recreational) marijuana sales are the... highest. You are about 12 percent more likely to get in a fatal car crash on 420 than on any other day of the month. 

What Can We Do To Stop Fatal Car Crashes? 

There are several possible solutions in the works, and none of them are without controversy. The National Transportation Safety Board has started a highly ambitious initiative that is aimed at eliminating fatal car crashes in the next 30 years. This initiative is future looking and mostly relies on the assumption that self-driving cars which are also extremely safe and self-efficient will soon rule the roads, a possible future is also not so sure. 

Without requiring massive technological advances, there are other measures consumer advocates are backing. The National Safety Council advocates for smart ignition locks that keep drunk drivers from driving their cars, mandatory seatbelt laws, and banning the use of all cell phones for drivers.

There is one thing Mozart said that is real and that is that there was over the last 30 years or so  not enough road updates and maintenance updates on US roads,   I found that out from SA Engineers who attended numerous conferences in the USA on road issues - especially also how those affect SA roads issues.

The same applies to SA - but here we have that major killer called grossly overloaded minibus taxis  as well.    Most of those are not even roadworthy and the driver could buy drivers licenses over the counter for R200. 

No modern technology or road improvements would change the latter.

Benefits of Automation

SAFETY

The safety benefits of automated vehicles are paramount. Automated vehicles’ potential to save lives and reduce injuries is rooted in one critical and tragic fact: 94 percent of serious crashes are due to human error. Automated vehicles have the potential to remove human error from the crash equation, which will help protect drivers and passengers, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians. When you consider more than 35,092 people died in motor vehicle-related crashes in the U.S. in 2015, you begin to grasp the lifesaving benefits of driver assistance technologies.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL BENEFITS

Automated vehicles could deliver additional economic and additional societal benefits. A NHTSA study showed motor vehicle crashes in 2010 cost $242 billion in economic activity, including $57.6 billion in lost workplace productivity, and $594 billion due to loss of life and decreased quality of life due to injuries. Eliminating the vast majority of motor vehicle crashes could erase these costs.

EFFICIENCY AND CONVENIENCE

Roads filled with automated vehicles could also cooperate to smooth traffic flow and reduce traffic congestion. Americans spent an estimated 6.9 billion hours in traffic delays in 2014, cutting into time at work or with family, increasing fuel costs and vehicle emission. With automated vehicles, the time and money spent commuting could be put to better use. A recent study stated that automated vehicles could free up as much as 50 minutes each day that had previously been dedicated to driving.

MOBILITY

While its full societal benefits are difficult to project, the transformative potential of automated vehicles and their driver assistance features can also be understood by reviewing U.S. demographics and the communities these technologies could help to support.

For example, automated vehicles may also provide new mobility options to millions more Americans. Today there are 49 million Americans over age 65 and 53 million people have some form of disability.

In many places across the country employment or independent living rests on the ability to drive. Automated vehicles could extend that kind of freedom to millions more. One study suggests that automated vehicles could create new employment opportunities for approximately 2 million people with disabilities.