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Add Truck Lanes to Interstates....
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<p>I think three lane highways were built to get workers in large numbers to and from wartime factories. Martin Aircraft comes to mind in Maryland.</p><p>Another reason we had "Beltways" was so that if the city was to get hit with Nuclear there was still a way to get aid to the city. No one ever thinks about closely surrounding areas that will probably also be turned into irradiated deathlands. I dont know if this is a urban myth or not but that is how I saw it.</p><p>I found the PA Turnpike to be safe during winter storms, one could make really good time out of the midwest into the coast ports no matter how stiff the storms were, at the time the alternative is to face mountain pass after pass in several feet of snow. Keep in mind we didnt use chains... much on the east.</p><p>Later on, the Pike became a liability in terms of tolls (Approx 100+ dollars and change for a 18 wheeler depending on weight) and it was easier to rely on high horse desiels and zip I-80 or I-68.</p><p>Several have posted about cars. Ive developed a firm belief that Cars and trucks just dont mix. When two try to occupy the same spot in space and time people die or get smashed and maimed.</p><p>USA driver training for cars is really a joke. Some lectures in high school and a spot of time with a family member who has willingness to endure transmission and other failures and a wild ride in exchange for the license and freedom of sorts from having to cart said kid from place to place on demand.</p><p>18 wheeler training depends on where you go and who trains you. Even then, a driver who has been on the duty behind the wheel in stress situations for 10+ hours isnt going to have the reflexes of a commuter jugging starbucks coffee bright and early fighting 20,000 other commuters all dependant on big engines, attitudes and big brakes to jam themselves to work downtown ahead of everyone else. I witnessed one time 5 complete lanes of cars jamming on thier brakes in panic braking at 80+ early one workday, the situation that presented to me was one of "someone will die today" if those brakes were not kept in adjustment. After I made that stop; my foot came down and used the roof of a station wagon filled with kids as a step down to the pavement. Those kids will never know the mortal danger they were in during the 8 seconds or so until I finished the stop and that was 2 decades ago.</p><p>Im not trying to make a hero or some big stuff on the trucking, but cars will go where they please and trucks dont compute at all where the car wants to go. Things like makeup, coffee, cellphones and work is much more important and requires the full attention of the driver. Things like actually manupilating controls or actually "DRIVING" is in the way of life.</p><p>Thus I say automate the cars and take away the need for people to actually drive. Let them board the thing, input the destination and just do what they need to do leaving the trip to the computer.</p>
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