> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 15:48:34 -0600
> From: "Laura Gharazeddine" <Laura.G@141.com>
> Subject: Re: Seatbelts & Bumpers
>
> But, driving a regular, average sedan *is* different from driving
> a big truck or SUV-a vehicle which is so much bigger, and heavier
> and with a different center of gravity. 'Drivers' are barely
> trained to drive a *car*, let alone a truck. Most people
> (emphasis-most) just don't realize how much more power that big
> Siverado or whatever your choice is, has as compared to that
> Saturn-and are woefully over their heads. Having driven a couple
> of different trucks (one BIG and the other not so much so) this
> summer, the driving skills are different. Being up high and able
> to see (and intimidate smaller vehicles) doesn't equal
> understanding of the machine and ability to control it in all
> situations. Even if one went to drivers school and learned on a
> Chevy Cavalier, and were good in that training, it doesn't mean
> that person can drive a truck or SUV without extra training. The
> only way people are going to get that extra training is if there's
> a different license for those vehicles specifically. (Just as
> there is for motocycles.)
>
> Laura
Have to admit that I agree with this. Pilots who fly large or complex
aircraft need to pass a test for every single type (i.e. model) of
aircraft they fly. Even for smaller aircraft, where there's no legal
requirement to get training on a specific type, the insurance company
will usually insist on 5 hours of instruction when a pilot transitions
to a new type - and if the insurance company doesn't require it, many
pilots will do it anyway.
But a drivers license covers us to take our test in a 1-litre Nissan
Micra (or equivalent), then drive a Ferrari F50 or a very large van with
no extra training at all. That really doesn't seem right. Front wheel
drive cars behave differently to rear wheel drive cars. Under heavy
braking, knowing where the centre of gravity is actually can be relevant
to the way the car handles, and the way you drive it. When I first get
into the driving seat of a type of car I'm not familiar with, I take it
easy - I know that it takes a while to get to know a car, and understand
how it handles. But the authorities don't appear to realise that this
difference between different types of car exists.
But could you imagine the public outcry if cars were subject to the same
rules as aircraft? Every time you buy a model of car you've never
driven before, you have to drive with an instructor for a couple of
hours, taking the car right to the limit - exploring how it corners, how
it brakes, even how the air conditioning and electric seats work(!) -
before you can drive the car on the public road? The roads would be a
much safer place - but it would be a very unpopular move!
A middle ground of having to pass a test for various different
categories of vehicle, based on their weight, would be a very good move,
though.
Dean
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