My stress levels went down right after my son got a ticket for his glass pack muffler on his Acura, He changed to the stock muffler, and my intake of anti anxiety drugs went way down. Noise does hurt, As someone mentioned above if you get caught on the autobahn your in deep trouble, Also you can't drink coffee soda, or any that stuff or you get a ticket. Also, you run out of gas on the bahn the police will give you 5 Liters of gas plus a ticket. If you have a rusty hunk of junk car, which I never saw in Germany when I was there, it is confiscated. Imagine what a bloodycrnage there would be if the US opened up an interstate of two to no speed limitsTo paraphase the words of Charles Dickens and spoken by Mr Scrooge, it would decrease the surplus population? ? One other thing Drunk Driving is not tolerated over there. You'll never sit behind the wheel of a car again at least a moving one. Talking on a cell is ilegal even with a head set. Cup holders don't exist, German think we are crazy people for wanting cup holders in cars. They are probably right, even thou I admit I have a cup of Joe moust everyday. But I do pull over to the side of the road or park to make or receive a cell call, I don't answer them when driving.

 

I drive at least 150 miles every day. I drink coffee or water (from a bottle) and drive every day. I use my cell phone and answer calls while driving. I don't dial out while on the move. I don't eat and drive, except maybe an apple or toasted bread. I think everyone needs to be responsible for knowing their level of concentration necessary to maintain a conversation while driving if they want to do it. I use the speaker phone function a lot and it frees both my hands, but takes the same concentration as with the phone pressed to my head. I think it is like most things we do; the more we practice, the better we get at it. I have learned to give others plenty of room and move over to the right if I am on the phone and on the highway.

I think fumbling with papers, paying attention to a baby fussing, reading, loud music, smoking and grooming are more distracting activities. I see these every day on the road.

 

Apparently you weren't paying attention, or you refuse to accept reality and insist on sticking to your story? Montana removed speed limits on Intertsates and state highways. The result? NO CARNAGE. Fatalities from car accidents went down. When the speed limits were reinstated, guess what happened? CARNAGE. The fatality rate went back up. Read the study results.

 

I'll be the first one to admit that i drive worse when i am thinking that a cop might be around cause i am consentrating too much on speed and every little law that i might break rather than being safe on the road. But if i aint thinking about cops then i notice that my driving abitlity goes up cause i am less distracted speed limits are a good idea but i think that being a resonable person knows how fast they can drive and what they can do while they are driving. One of the most distracting thinks to me while on the move is if i have to adjust the mirror or something like that. Thats y i do it b4 i leave but a cell phone is not a problem for me yet i know other people that are the exact opposite.

 

Well, there ya go. We need two or three speed limits. One for people who have a high opinion of themself, and another one for the rest of the dumb asses on the road. Maybe another one for the truly retarded.

 

Hey Lug, have you noticed that the more regulation is instilled on us "for our safety"; the more death, pollution through inefficiencies and financial costs occur?

 

Yeah, that's the underlying point of where this thread has drifted. You just can't die in peace anymore. You have to do it by government regulations.

 

Freedom in America is only a figure of speech. And the way things are going, it will soon only be a figment of the imagination.

 

It's not nearly that bad. Come on. Not when you compare America with other countries. Whenever I feel my freedoms slipping away, I think of any other country and whether I'd feel freer there. Look at the big picture, not the details.

That's not to say we should dawdle on our laurels. As soon as you're not looking, whoosh. There goes another freedom for someone else's convenience. You gotta sleep with one eye open. Nevertheless, we in America are way ahead of the world in the freedom game.

 

As long as keep a lid on social programs designed to even out the masses.