[lug] Breaking braking?

[Nate Duehr]

On Jul 14, 2010, at 9:41 AM, Calvin Dodge wrote:

> On Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 9:36 AM, Carl Wagner
> <carl.wagner at verbalworld.com> wrote:
>> Something I have wondered about since the Audi issue:
>> Can't most, if not all, automotive brakes overcome engine acceleration?
> 
> Yes, if the brakes aren't overheated.
> 
>> If that is the case, then unless the brakes failed, I don't know how the
>> 'cars' could cause the accidents.
>> 
>> And why don't the people have the presence of mind to:
>>  1) shift into nutral
>>  2) turn the key off
>>  3) apply the ebrake
> 
> It's called "panic".

And lack of training/testing.  We'll make all sorts of traffic laws, for the sake of making laws... but we won't require recurrency training nor testing of drivers.  (Let alone dropping vehicle safety checks for an emissions sticker...)

As a pilot, I'm required to re-test every two years for just Private Pilot privileges (commerical pilots re-test even more), as well as have medical and drug tests, etc.  You'd think we'd do that with the FAR more dangerous automobiles... I fly a 3000 lb (maximum) Cessna.  Some soccer mom's drive 6700 GVW Yukons and even heavier suburbans... in weather I'm not even allowed to fly in.

The risks vs. the rewards seem way out of whack to me... how many people are killed on Colorado roads every year?  How many serious accidents?  Not a single driver's test after your first one?

--
Nate Duehr
nate at natetech.com

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