Thursday, June 07, 2007

97 - Listeners Sound Off About How Right-Wing Road Safety Policies Endanger Us All

Today we'll follow up on an earlier podcast about how the Bush administration is putting you at risk on the roads, in the area of safety regulations applicable to truck drivers

The listener comments we'll go over will provide yet more evidence that putting profit before the public good, is the right-wing way.

Safety group and insurance industry research shows that

After 8 hours of consecutive driving, crashes increase dramatically, and even more steeply in the 10th and 11th hours of consecutive driving.

But the right-wingers at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration went in the opposite direction.

That agency increased the maximum continuous driving time from 10 to 11 hours.

Here's Pete from the UK:

Wow! (peter)

Those driving regulations you have in the States are outrageous. I drive a coach in the UK for a big corporate transport company.

The most hours I can drive under European rules, without a break is 4 hours 30 minutes. I must then have a 45 minute break.

If you've been the driver on a long trip, you know the difference between 4-1/2 hours at a stretch, and 11! That 45 minute break makes all the difference in the world.

Europe: 4-1/2 hours at a stretch. US: 11 hours.

Here's what I think is the worst of all:

The most I can do in 2 weeks is 90

The right-wingers in control of the federal agency upped the US limit to 88 hours. Less than the Europeans? Not on your life.

That's 88 hours in 8 days. What European truck drivers must take 2 weeks to drive, American truck drivers can marathon-drive in 8 days.

8 days vs. 14 days.

Are European truck drivers weaklings, or US drivers supermen and superwomen…

(PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

Jack Clark 2:20 PM [+]
Post #8591253261659239788