Free Republic

People with gene variant perform more than 20 percent worse on driving test Bad drivers may in part have their genes to blame, suggests a new study by UC Irvine neuroscientists. People with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people without it - and a follow-up test a few days later yielded similar results. About 30 percent of Americans have the variant. "These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away," said Dr. Steven Cramer, neurology associate professor and senior author...

COVENTRY, R.I. -- The Coventry Police cruiser sat idle, with its lights flashing, at Exit 7 on Route 95 north, diverting traffic off the highway because of a three-car crash further up the road. No one was in the cruiser Wednesday night around 10 p.m. when an approaching Jeep Cherokee plowed into it, totaling both vehicles, according to State Police Lt. Eric LaRiviere. Crash site on Rt. 95 north, at exit 7, Coventry The driver of the 1994 Jeep -- David Mercer, 26, of 159 Bates Trail, West Greenwich -- told the police he hadn't seen the Coventry cruiser. "He...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is calling out his wife, Maria Shriver, for apparently violating a state law he signed — holding her cell phone while driving. The celebrity Web site TMZ.com posted two photographs Tuesday showing Shriver holding a phone to her ear while she's behind the wheel. It says one was snapped Sunday and the other in July. The Web site claimed that this was not the first time California's first lady was caught chatting on her cell while driving. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS) - On his Twitter feed Tuesday, Schwarzenegger wrote to TMZ.com founder Harvey Levin: "Thanks for bringing her...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2009 – In an executive order issued Oct. 1, President Barack Obama banned federal employees from text messaging while behind the wheel on government business. “With nearly 3 million civilian employees, the federal government can and should demonstrate leadership in reducing the dangers of text messaging while driving,” Obama said in the order. “A federal government-wide prohibition on the use of text messaging while driving on official business or while using government-supplied equipment will help save lives, reduce injuries, and set an example for state and local governments, private employers, and individual drivers.” Text messaging, or “texting,”...

Motorists should be forced to pay to drive on the busiest roads to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the Government's climate change watchdog says today. The Climate Change Committee, led by former CBI chief Lord Turner, wants ministers to introduce compulsory road pricing to prevent global warming. Under the controversial scheme, cars would be fitted with electronic tags and tracked either by satellite or roadside beacon. Charges would rise at times of peak congestion to around £1.50 a mile. In a report to MPs, the advisers called for a carbon revolution - with thousands of wind turbines, nuclear power stations...

Whether you’re taking that cross country trip you always planned, out on a scenic Sunday drive through the country, or fighting road rage on a jammed up highway, these songs are the perfect soundtrack to the streets. Pop in you favorite Willie Nelson Greatest Hits CD (ha) and get back on the road again! I had to cut this short as I found tons of songs that could fit this post. I left a lot of great stuff off for now, let me know which ones you think should go on future post like this. Sir Mix-A-Lot - "My Hooptie"...

This video should be shown to every teenager in this country...and anyone else who ever has an inclination or temptation to "text" while driving. Be forewarned, though a depiction, the video if fairly graphic in terms of injury. PSA Texting while Driving, U.K., August 2009 Please spread this one around. Consider showing it in schools and churches.

States would be required to ban driving while texting or face the loss of highway funds under legislation being pushed by a group of senators. New York Sen. Charles Schumer and three other Democrats plan to unveil the bill on Wednesday. It follows a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute that found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving. Under the Senate proposal, states would need to outlaw texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or...

Wake up, you Crackheads! No, I don’t mean the corner punks . . . they’re just small businessmen trying to pay the bills. They’re no threat to my family or me. It’s you arrogant Blackberry addicts, texting 50 words per minute while doing 75 miles per hour down the Pike. Could you please put that damn thing down? It’s bad enough that you self-absorbed jerks can’t stop texting when you’re on foot - bumping into your co-workers walking down the hall and stepping into traffic on city streets without even glancing up. I particularly hate the office Crackheads (you know...

How did I get here? That has to be the question Staten Island teen Alexa Longueira was asking when she suddenly found herself down a New York City manhole. According to MyFox New York:Alexa Longueira was walking down Victory Boulevard and getting ready to text-message when she fell into an open sewer manhole. Now the city is trying to figure out why the manhole was left open and unblocked. Alexa suffered some cuts and scrapes but is otherwise OK. So just how did Alexa end up in a manhole? Seems the young lady was too busy texting to pay attention...

(July 7) - The cash-strapped state of California will shell out $335,000 to settle a lawsuit filed over a former lawmaker's crazy driving, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday. Carole Migden, then a state senator from San Francisco, rear-ended another motorist following a wild drive on May 18, 2007, the newspaper said.

A word of caution before you head out for the long Memorial Day weekend: It's also No-Refusal Weekend. Which means? Well, if Dallas police pull suspect you're drinking and driving, you'll be stuck with a butterfly needle attached to a vacuum-packed container, and two vials' worth of your blood will taken and tested. And, no, you can't refuse the test; hence the name, as discussed in our cover story on the very subject last month.

Despite bans on the practice in seven states and the District of Columbia, 26 percent of drivers still drum out messages on their phones - even though 83 percent of drivers say the practice should be illegal...Americans sent about a trillion text messages in 2008 - triple the amount sent just in 2007 - or about 3.5 million a day.

 While the Pennsylvania legislature passed up a ban on driving while texting or talking on a cell phone, it did pass new guidelines on the use of cell phones while driving.The legislature hopes that these guidelines will not only help make the roads safer, but pave the way for video game use on the road. Glendale White, PennDOT's driver's education spokesperson, said the state will benefit from smarter cell phone motoring."We want to raise awareness that if you must talk on a cell phone about whether Lindsey snubbed you last night, or whether you should buy Coors or Budweiser at...

Several studies have shown that distractions while driving, such as using cell phones or texting, can be dangerous. New research confirms these findings among teens. The study of 21 teens in a driving simulator found that while texting or searching their MP3 music players they changed speed dramatically, wove in an out of their lanes, and, in some cases, ran over virtual pedestrians. Similar studies have found that adults who talk on cell phones while driving in simulators perform as dismally as drunken study participants. Studies from the University of Utah show that hands-free devices do not make it safe...

<p>Police arrested a 28-year-old Petah Tikvah man for drunk driving late Friday night after he was caught driving erratically on the highway while having sexual intercourse with a female passenger.</p>

When Gary Sanders was pulled over by police he was sure he had done nothing wrong. The company director was obeying the speed limit and not driving dangerously. But to his astonishment he was told he had been stopped for excessive laughing. Mr Sanders had been talking on a hands-free kit and was chuckling at what his friend had said. But the officer who ordered him to stop at the exit to the Mersey Tunnel told him: ‘Laughing while driving a car can be an offence.’ If that had been the end of the matter then Mr Sanders, 47, would...

Waterproof, Louisiana mayor and police chief arrested for corruption. The pair received federal grants to create speed traps. The mayor and police chief of a federally funded Louisiana speed trap town were arrested Wednesday on felony corruption charges. A Tensas Parish Grand Jury indicted Waterproof Mayor Bobby Higginbotham for felony theft, malfeasance in office, payroll fraud and using public funds for personal use. Waterproof Police Chief Miles Jenkins faces three felony counts for receiving bonuses for meeting traffic ticket quotas and altering traffic citations. The activities of both officials were fueled by federal taxpayer dollars. In 2007, Higginbotham received $37,500...

Last night the Hannity Show said that the dems are discussing a new MILEAGE TAX on how many miles we drive.

ScienceDaily (Dec. 31, 2008) — University of Utah researchers have developed an automobile ignition key that prevents teenagers from talking on cell phones or sending text messages while driving.

aghdad –APA. An incident took place between US troops and Russian diplomats in Baghdad. Three cars of Russian diplomats left the embassy in the Green Zone for the international airport, APA reports quoting Vesti.ru. The Foreign Ministry of Russia said a group of U.S. armored personnel

Driving while stupid BY DAVE BARRY (This classic Dave Barry column was originally published Sept. 22, 2002.) So I have to tell you what I saw on the interstate the other night. First, though, you must understand that this was not just any old interstate. This was I-95 in downtown Miami, proud home of the worst darned drivers in the world. I realize some of you are saying: ``Oh yeah? If you want to see REALLY bad drivers, you should come to MY city!'' Listen, I understand that this is a point of civic honor, and I am sure that...

If you drink and drive this weekend, Austin police say they will find proof through your breath or your blood. You can't refuse because this coming weekend will be a "no refusal weekend" in Austin. City leaders gathered outside Austin City Hall Wednesday to let people know that court-ordered blood-alcohol tests will be administered to people suspected of driving while intoxicated. Refusing a court ordered blood alcohol test could mean more criminal citations on top of a guilty DWI. A mobile blood-alcohol testing center -- BAT mobile -- will be available all weekend to administer blood tests for those suspected...

A young woman in Saudi Arabia who defied ultra-conservative kingdom's ban on women driving was injured when the car span out of control and plunged into a stream, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. The unnamed woman in her 20s "stole" her brother's car on Sunday, picked up a female friend and drove at high speed through a town in the Eastern Province before losing control of the vehicle, Al-Riyadh said. The car hit an electricity pole and plunged into an irrigation channel. Both the driver and her friend were taken to hospital in serious condition, the paper said. There have...

Texting behind the wheel impairs driving skills more than being drunk or high on drugs, according to new research. Reaction times deteriorated by over one-third, which was worse than alcohol at the legal limit or driving under the influence of cannabis.

The Traffic Guru by Tom VanderbiltIf you were asked to name a famous traffic engineer, in some pub quiz gone horribly wrong, chances are slight you could hazard a good guess. It is true that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, was trained as a traffic engineer, but his notoriety does not derive from tinkering with the streetlights in Tehran. Bill Gates got his start developing software for a device to count car traffic, but he was a computer boffin more interested in the technology than the traffic. Your memory might flicker in recognition at the names of William Phelps Eno,...

U.S. driving slid for the eighth straight month in June, making the decline more pronounced that the drop that occurred during the 1970s oil shock. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Americans drove 12.2 billion miles less in June than a year earlier. With that, the decline since November is now 53.2 billion miles, topping the 49.3 billion decline three decades ago. Rural travel has fallen 4% since late last year, while urban driving is off just 1.2%. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters used the latest data to again call for a rethinking of how the nation's transportation network is funded....

A new U website will show a disproportionate number of fatal accidents happen outside urban areas.Getting behind the wheel of an automobile has significant consequences, a list that includes death. But how often do people really think about that when they turn the key of their car or truck? The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota would like people to ponder just what might happen if they are distracted, tired, had a couple too many beers or decide that that seat belt is a pain. That's why the U's center dedicated to rural highway safety...

Just for purposes of curiosity: Do you plan to travel for the July 4th weekend? and why or wny not? Pesonally, i wasn't planning on it, but that's par for the course. It's been years and years since i sought to go anywhere but to the local fireworks celebration, and I think this has saved me much grief. But, if I were one to go to big amusement parks, or going to visit relatives, I still would likely not go this year, not because of panic, or being so short of funds that I could not literally buy the gas...

There is a stretch of North Glebe Road, in Arlington, Virginia, that epitomizes the American approach to road safety. It’s a sloping curve, beginning on a four-lane divided highway and running down to Chain Bridge, on the Potomac River. Most drivers, absent a speed limit, would probably take the curve at 30 or 35 mph in good weather. But it has a 25-mph speed limit, vigorously enforced. As you approach the curve, a sign with flashing lights suggests slowing further, to 15 mph. A little later, another sign makes the same suggestion. Great! the neighborhood’s more cautious residents might think....

Some say the only way to see Mexico is drive through it. With the construction of highway and toll roads by both the government and private individuals, you are now able to complete a trip from the Texas border to Acapulco on a multi-lane thoroughfare. With the addition of modern road and tolls, driving through Mexico along such corridors offers a chance to take a road trip otherwise not considered. This is not to say the trip allows the same regulations as bordering countries since Mexico has very rigid rules when it comes to its traffic laws, especially concerning accidents....

Stop talking and just drive. That's the message from West University Place city council members and police as a cell phone ban for school zones is considered. Those like Lt. Thad Olive say drivers with phones glued to their ears endanger children. "One of the reasons ... the distractions from actually dialing or people text messaging or being on PDAs checking e-mails," Olive said. Not everyone agrees. Resident Debbie Schetler asks: just what else might a ban target? "If you're going to legislate against using a cell phone in a school zone, are you going to legislate against drinking a...

This is driving me nuts. When I go into a specific forum, such as religion, I want to hit the comment button and ONLY see the comments for the religion forum. Not every other forum. I like being able to see what's being talked about the most and being able to see the latest comments from individuals is the best way. Is this going to be fixed or is this it? If this is it, then the site is unusable for the way I've been used to using it for the the last 10 years. Has anyone figured out a...

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Motorists in northern Mexico who are caught dabbing on lipstick, shaving or carrying a pet at the wheel will now face hefty fines as authorities try to cut down on traffic accidents. Putting on make-up or shaving with an electric razor will land drivers fines of up to 346 pesos ($32) in the northern Mexican city of Torreon from this month, Mexican media reported on Saturday. Along with a slew of higher fines for common traffic offenses such as driving while intoxicated, speeding, and talking on a telephone without a headset, Torreon city hall said new...

In the "no kidding?" hall of fame, a special place has been reserved for the just-released Transportation Research Board study that found cell phones (wait for it, now...) addle drivers. "The distracted driver tends to drive slower and have delayed reactions," said University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer, who coauthored this puppy. It's just incredible that we need a National Academy of Sciences-funded research project to belabor what ought to be obvious to anyone who's been out on the roads recently, and who has a smidgen of observational power and a dollop of common sense. How many times have...

Another new year, another list of new laws affecting California motorists. This year's batch includes restrictions on cell phone use, a law making it easier for vehicle owners to replace lost keys, and a prohibition of smoking in vehicles that contain minors. Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Anaheim, voted against two bills that will go into effect this year. "It starts to cross over to a nanny state when law enforcement officials are trying to regulate every aspect of everyone's lives," Spitzer said of the smoking ban. Similarly, Spitzer voted against the cell phone restriction, which will require motorists to use hands-free...

Straight men better driversGAY men and straight women share a poor sense of direction, research has shown. Both are poor at navigating and rely on local landmarks to get around, the study suggests. They are also slower to take in spatial information than heterosexual men. This means driving in a strange environment is likely to be more challenging for gay men and women than for straight male motorists. Psychologists at Queen Mary, University of London, conducted computer-based tests of spatial learning and memory on 140 volunteers recruited through advertisements in newspapers and magazines. They showed that gay men, straight women...

The Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are joining a new national safe winter driving campaign called, “Ice and Snow: Take it Slow.” “TDOT is ready to work around the clock to keep our roadways clear of ice and snow this winter,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “We also want drivers to remember that winter conditions call for different driving tactics, so when you’re driving in ice and snow, take it slow — slower speed, slower acceleration, slower steering and slower braking.” TDOT and the THP remind motorists to dial *THP from any cellular phone should they...

PAW PAW TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Having live electrical wires fall on her truck and set it on fire wasn't enough to slow a motorist in southwest Michigan. State police say the unnamed woman ran a stop sign Monday night in Van Buren County's Paw Paw Township and hit a cable supporting a utility pole. The pole came down and the wires fell onto the truck, but the woman backed onto the roadway and resumed driving. Trooper Rick Carlson said the driver kept going until flames engulfed the truck and she had to jump out. An ambulance caught up to her...

First she sounded sympathetic to the idea during a televised debate, and within moments had refused to endorse it. Afterwards, she changed her mind and endorsed it. Now today, after Governor Eliot Spitzer shelved a plan to issue New York drivers licenses to illegal aliens, Hillary Clinton shifted her position yet again to oppose the idea entirely: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday came out against granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, after weeks of pressure in the presidential race to take a position on a now-failed ID plan from her home state governor. Clinton has faced criticism from candidates...

Man cited for porn on wheels By DEANNA BOYD dboyd@star-telegram.com FORT WORTH -- This X-rated movie was moving, Fort Worth police say. Literally. Monday morning, a 24-year-old Irving man was cited after a Fort Worth police officer spotted porn playing inside the man’s car. The officer was conducting extra patrol at a club at in the 100 block of S. Main Street, south of downtown, when he saw the car drive by, then park near the club, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, police spokesman. According to a police report, a 10-inch screen pointed toward the rear of the vehicle showed “multiple...

One-Eyed Deaf Driver, 82, Tows Trailer At 88mph Oct 20 2007 By Gordon Currie Oap Faces Road BanA ONE-EYED, deaf 82-year-old was caught pulling a trailer at 88mph on one of Scotland's deadliest roads.Maurice Hollyfield told a court he wasn't paying attention because he had his stereo turned up loud so he could hear the music.He also claimed he thought his car's rev counter was the speedometer.Hollyfield, whose left eye is made of glass, was clocked by a speed camera on the A9 at Waterloo between Perth and Dunkeld. He should only have been doing 50mph.David Holmes, defending, told...

BROOMFIELD, Colo. - A 6-year-old boy was hungry and decided he'd go to Applebees. So he grabbed the car keys, took his booster seat from the back seat of his grandmother's car and placed it in the driver's seat, then made a go of driving himself to the restaurant Tuesday. He made it about 75 feet. Unable to take the car out of reverse, he crossed the street and ran into a transformer and communication box, knocking out electricity and phone service to dozens of townhomes. Nobody was injured and the boy, whose name was not released, got out of...

I was thinking of just taking Expressway 83 all the way. However, Google Earth is unclear on whether it's an expressway all the way. Is it like McAllen to Brownsville? Or, will I run through stop signs and traffic lights. Google Earth said to get off 83 at Rio Grande City, then 9. Turn right at FM-3167 10.4 mi 10 mins 10. Turn right at FM-649 37.3 mi 37 mins 11. Turn left at TX-16/TX-16 S 2.4 mi 3 mins 12. Turn right at FM-649 27.2 mi 28 mins 13. Turn left at TX-359 I need the FASTEST route. Thanks.

Drivers risk two years in jail for using their mobile phonesBy JAMES SLACK - More by this author » Last updated at 22:35pm on 6th September 2007Motorists who use a hand-held mobile phone or fiddle with a satellite-navigation system while driving could be jailed for up to two years.Prosecutors have said they could be charged with dangerous driving in a dramatically tougher approach to such offences. Those caught fiddling with an MP3 music player or texting on a mobile at the wheel could also face the charge. Scroll down for more ...  Prosecutions will be brought whenever it is...

Lafayette - A woman is in jail for allegedly allowing her five-year-old child to drive a car. Neighbors were able to prevent the situation from turning into a tragedy over the weekend. The car speeding around the corner near Wendy Barrett's Lafayette home, its tires screeching, wasn't driven by someone running late before it made a abrupt stop near her driveway. "I saw a toddler at the wheel and another toddler on the console. I said, 'Ma'am, are you letting your toddler drive?' She said, 'Yes. He's a good driver,'" said Barrett. Holly Schnobrich, 24, of Lafayette was also a...

A Tax Break for Driving to Work? The Fair Tax Will Fix This By Herman Cain August 20, 2007 There is a little-known deduction in the tax code that 400,000 people know about, and by which they avoid $150 million dollars in taxes each year. The issue is not that most of us do not know about this little sneak-a-tax, or even the amount that the rest of us are picking up through a higher federal deficit. The issue is that this is another example of how the tax code is used to encourage a desired behavior. The deduction encourages...

The Times is reporting that British teens may have to endure another six-months of practice with instructors and the 'rents before they'll be able to go it alone on UK roads. The proposal would increase the minimum training period to 12 months from six, effectively requiring prospective drivers to wait until they're 18 before they can secure a license. The move comes after recently released studies show that while crash rates have dropped overall, there has been an increase in novice driver crashes over the same period. The reason for the increase in time is to get new drivers more...

There's some potentially troubling and telling news for all you motorists out there who may be taking the Turnpike for the worst crime in marriage: cheating on your significant other. E-ZPass and other electronic toll collection systems are emerging as a powerful means of proving infidelity. That's because when your spouse doesn't know where you've been, E-ZPass does.

Map reading proves tough test for Britons http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL0616568420070806 http://tinyurl.com/yoyfhc Mon Aug 6, 2007 8:51AM BST London (Reuters) - As many as 11 million British motorists are unable to read a basic road map, according to a survey released on Monday. The poll revealed over three quarters of drivers were unable to identify the motorway map symbol, while only one percent of motorists would pass the Cub Scout Map Reader badge test. "It's pretty embarrassing the majority of Cub Scouts have better map-reading skills than the majority of the adult population," said Colin Batabyal, head of underwriting and business development at...