Is the US ready for an unrestricted AutoBahn?

[Bignate603]

Knowing the risks is why I keep my corolla loaded down with rocks so it's firmly weighted down at all times :thumbsup:

Fixed.

 

[KentState]

Would love to see it. Been told that my wiper blades work up to 195mph but don't have a place to test that theory.

 

[Zap]

17mpg with a Prius at 80mph? That sounds like there's something wrong with the car... I tend to get the 48mpg or so highway (measured with odometer and pump guage) and I tend to go 75-80mph - rarely under 75mph, rarely over 80mph. I've never done a complete tank's worth of driving at highways speeds so it's hard to separate the city driving from the highway driving, but I've always gotten better than 45mpg when I go to fill up.

Maybe I was doing 85MPH? Anyways, it wasn't the average over a tank of gas, but the "you're getting this MPG right this instant" reading.

I don't think there was anything wrong with it because it otherwise got expected MPG.

Have you seen the Top Gear Prius vs BMW M3 segment where the M3 trumps the Prius in MPG?

 

[pm]

Maybe I was doing 85MPH? Anyways, it wasn't the average over a tank of gas, but the "you're getting this MPG right this instant" reading.

I don't think there was anything wrong with it because it otherwise got expected MPG.

Have you seen the Top Gear Prius vs BMW M3 segment where the M3 trumps the Prius in MPG?

No, I watched it now. I agree with the conclusion - that it can be more about how you drive and your driving style and not as much about the car... 17mpg in a Prius - and those, I assume, British imperial gallons and not US gallons. So it's like 15 miles per US gallon in a Prius... that actually must take some skill to achieve.

 

[Pariah]

I've heard that in Germany, the license required to use the unrestricted portions of the AutoBahn has a practical component to it, which isn't easy to pass.

http://www.german-way.com/driving.html

You missed the point I made. I said that is possible to assess driving ability through written and practical exams. However, you cannot test behavior with those. I think it is safe to say that no one talks on their cellphone, eats, or puts on makeup while taking their driver's test, yet you sure as hell see a lot of people doing that whenever you drive somewhere.

I'd say people don't camp in the left lane during driver's test either, but depending on where you got your license that might not even have been possible. I got my license in NJ, and the driving test took place on a closed course behind the DMV that looked like a My First Go Kart Course, where I never exceeded about 10MPH. During my driver's training I actually did get to drive on public roads, but never on a highway. Most Americans probably wouldn't be able to pass the standard test in many European nations let alone the more advanced ones.

 

[pm]

Most Americans probably wouldn't be able to pass the standard test in many European nations let alone the more advanced ones.

This is true. I took the test to be able to drive a van in England, and despite practicing, and 5 years of driving experience in the US, I had to take it twice. My wife's test involved reversing up a hill into a parallel spot with a manual transmission car that she didn't own and wasn't used to. The tests over there are substantially harder than in the US... although, that said, I would say that driving over there is harder than in the US... much narrower roads and all sorts of interesting things like having to reverse a quarter of a mile on a single-track road to find a lay-by... crossing a river at a ford in a car... and the interesting and ever changing protocol regarding overtaking/passing people that varied from country to country.

 

[satyajitmenon]

You missed the point I made. I said that is possible to assess driving ability through written and practical exams. However, you cannot test behavior with those. I think it is safe to say that no one talks on their cellphone, eats, or puts on makeup while taking their driver's test, yet you sure as hell see a lot of people doing that whenever you drive somewhere.

What if the special license also mandated a contraption that slapped the driver in the face if they used their cell phones or took their hands off the steering wheel/gearshift for more than 5 seconds at a time? :hmm:

 

[Zap]

What if the special license also mandated a contraption that slapped the driver in the face if they used their cell phones or took their hands off the steering wheel/gearshift for more than 5 seconds at a time? :hmm:

The ACLU would like to have a word with you. :hmm:

 

[Pariah]

What if the special license also mandated a contraption that slapped the driver in the face if they used their cell phones or took their hands off the steering wheel/gearshift for more than 5 seconds at a time? :hmm:

Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

do we want it? yes
can we have it? not even close

 

[CrackRabbit]

Texas doesn't have points and you can't lose your license or go to jail for speeding.

That isn't entirely true. What I was taught in drivers ed is that at 25 mph or more over the limit it is at the officers discretion to arrest you for reckless driving and impound your car. It has been a long time since I had to take driver's ed or a defensive driving course in Texas so it may have changed since then.