“I need a laugh today. Can you please print the ridiculous excuses people give for not using their turn signals? Please remind your readers that it is the law, common courtesy and a key to safety on streets and freeways.”
“Let’s see. You are driving a car or SUV weighing between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds. I am driving a fire truck that weighs 43,500 pounds. And that is just a plain-old pumper, not a ladder truck or tanker. If you do not yield the right of way and I cannot stop, who do you think is going to win? That is not saying who is at fault, but if you fail to yield and a crash occurs, mine’s bigger than yours and you are going to get hurt, at best. This rule is what I teach children to remind their parents: ‘Flashing lights? Pull to the right!’”
Knoxville police have lost red-light cameras to traffic accidents but never to gun play. “This is the first one that’s been shot,” Capt. Gordon Catlett said of the wounded camera at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Interstate 640 — one of 15 camera-equipped intersections in the city. Clifford E. Clark, 47, was charged with felony vandalism and reckless endangerment for allegedly firing at least three rounds from a .30-06 hunting rifle at the camera, knocking it out of action.
After a projected completion date of the last week in October, the switch was officially thrown on Nov. 21. The new signal light will hopefully serve to staunch the steady trickle of vehicle accidents that have occurred in the last few years. This article describes how a traffic light is implemented by the DOT.
A waste truck leaked poultry fat along 30 kilometres of Virginia roadway today, causing at least four crashes not to mention a stinky mess. State police say a valve was left open on truck hauling waste grease from the Perdue Farms rending plant in Accomac. The mistake wasn’t noticed until the truck reached a weigh station at the Maryland state line. At least four crashes and several spinouts were reported on northbound U.S. Route 13. One injured person was taken to hospital.
Cars spin out as waste truck spills poultry fat along Virginia highway
With all the talk of new, fuel-efficient vehicles, those of us who are still driving our regular old cars might feel left out. But there are still ways we can help save gas — and money — by making relatively simple adjustments to our cars and driving habits.
Most people would agree that the standards of driving in the UAE leave a lot of room for improvement. One way of trying to make our roads safer is to launch an awareness campaign, and just such an initiative has been started by the Emirates Driving Institute. The scheme aims to tell young people how to look after themselves on the roads and deal with emergencies and accidents.
Safety conscious schoolchildren handed-out their own ’speeding tickets’ to motorists in an attempt to improve road safety. “Although some people do take it steady near the school, some people like to speed along. I hope my ticket will make a difference to this as it shows what will happen if you speed,” one student said.
NMA says a speed trap is where “the speed limit is grossly underposted and universally ignored. Traffic is moving safely and expeditiously, but not legally. … As fast as the pen can be applied to paper, driver after driver is issued a speeding ticket that results in exorbitant fines, points on their driver’s licenses and insurance surcharges.” The NMA, established 25 years ago to fight the 55-m.p.h. speed limit that was lifted in 1995, “believes in freedom and responsibility to make choices, not in ‘one size fits all’ legislation, ticket cameras, unfair driving taxes, revenue-motivated traffic courts and speed traps.”
“The Houston Police Department was filmed testing an unmanned aircraft in a secretive gathering on Wednesday. The media were not allowed into the event; however they were told that the aircraft would be used for ‘mobility’ and ‘tactical’ issues, and possibly even for writing traffic tickets. The aircraft has a wingspan of 10 feet and is said to cost from $30K to $1M. Pictures and video are available at the link.”
