Questions tagged [driving]
18 questions
50
votes
5 answers
Are roundabouts actually statistically safer than traditional traffic patterns?
We have had a number of roundabouts installed near us in South Western PA in the past decade, and a quick internet search shows other states doing so as well. This seems to be an almost universally frustrating trend with those I've spoken to.
A…
Nicholas
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39
votes
1 answer
Do Chinese drivers intentionally hit to kill pedestrians (after injuring them)?
Disclaimer: the article actually contains a gruesome enumeration of cases, you might wish not to read it.
According to Slate the Chinese law is:
should you hurt someone (with a car?), you will provide for their care until death
should you kill…
Matthieu M.
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24
votes
1 answer
Are 20% of automobile drivers under the influence of marijuana?
An article by Quinton James and Johnkeria Kinglocke titled "The Truth About Marijuana" published on the website of the Hanley Foundation (an anti-drug abuse organization in Florida) claims (my emphasis):
Would you allow someone to drive you while…
Robert Columbia
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23
votes
1 answer
Are roads more dangerous when it first rains?
From DriversEd.com: Rain:
Slow down at the first sign of rain, drizzle, or snow on the road. This is when many road surfaces are most slippery because moisture mixes with oil and dust that has not been washed away.
Is it true that roads are more…
rtpax
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21
votes
1 answer
Is talking and driving more dangerous than any other type of distraction?
Are there any studies that demonstrate that talking on a cell phone is more dangerous than any other type of distraction? Yes, it seems clear that talking on a cell phone is a distraction, but for the number of laws passed, I would expect that it…
Russell Steen
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21
votes
2 answers
Do night driving glasses make it easier to see at night?
There are many yellow-tinted driving glasses being sold with claims like this one:
Yellow lens tint enhances contrast at night
Anti-reflective coating reduces glare.
There are also many posts like this questioning the effectiveness of them
Night…
James Jenkins
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17
votes
1 answer
Is a tow truck driver killed every six days on average in the US?
Along I-90 in Massachusetts (and I presume elsewhere in the state), there is a digital billboard which sometimes displays a message from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation that a tow truck driver is killed every six days in the US. (I'd…
user44729
17
votes
1 answer
Is there a "sweet spot" of secondary engagement that makes driving safer?
From Playing games while driving? BrightDriver's challenging proposition (emphasis added):
At first blush, playing games while driving sounds like the kind of thing only the accident-prone would love. But apparently, certain types of games -- like…
user792
15
votes
1 answer
Are Pennsylvania motorists required to hide their cars from horses?
News sources, blogs, email chains, and periodicals publish lists of "stupid laws", which are supposedly still on the books. One particularly amusing one:
Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover…
Frank
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14
votes
1 answer
Is it illegal to drive with a dirty car in Belarus?
I just saw on Fifth Gear (a UK TV car show) that it was illegal to drive a dirty car in Belarus. A Google search revealed many other people believe this to be true.
Can anyone confirm it is true and explain why?
cantsay
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13
votes
0 answers
Does California have a dress code for drivers?
Many "crazy law" sources claim that California motor vehicle law contains a bizarre sartorial proscription.
On CNN.com, the article "Do you know why I pulled you over?" by Craig Howie claims:
Some antiquated state driving laws are flat-out crazy.…
Robert Columbia
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12
votes
1 answer
Is it more dangerous to ride a motorcycle [with a helmet] than to drive a car?
Tell people you want to purchase a motorcycle and the usual response is "I hope you have your will made out" or "I don't want you to die" or similar. The implication is that motorcycle riding is more risky than car driving.
Per mile driven, are…
Kevin Burke
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11
votes
1 answer
Did Napoleon introduce driving on the right side because he was left-handed?
Traffic has almost always been keep-to-the-left since at least the time of Rome until relatively recently.
Some historians, such as C. Northcote Parkinson, believed that ancient travellers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road.…
user7920
7
votes
0 answers
Do defensive driving courses reduce car accidents in teenage drivers?
A fairly common claim is that young learner drivers should take defensive driving courses so that they know what to do if they lose control of their car. This comes with the implications it will reduce accidents.
Is there any evidence to back up…
user1605665
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6
votes
1 answer
Does the "Double Demerit Point" scheme in parts of Australia reduce serious car accidents?
In Australia, drivers earn "demerit points" for committing driving offenses. Being awarded more than a certain number of demerit points in a given period (typically 12 in any 3 year period) results in license suspension.
New South Wales, Western…
Oddthinking
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