From: Ray O on 4 Dec 2008 18:16 "E. Meyer" <epmeyer50(a)msn.com> wrote in message news:C55DADDA.F0B%epmeyer50(a)msn.com... > > On 12/4/08 12:32 PM, in article > b98gj45933dq7unansu3dlmt3ng7ao9c8m(a)4ax.com, > "Vic Smith" <thismailautodeleted(a)comcast.net> wrote: > >> On Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:10:30 -0800, SMS <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Ray O wrote: >>>> "SMS" <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in message >>>> news:qkzZk.5873$pr6.3308(a)flpi149.ffdc.sbc.com... >>>>> Scott Dorsey wrote: >>>>>> SMS <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote: >>>>>>> A lot more engines are destroyed by a loss of coolant than "worn >>>>>>> out" >>>>>>> oil. My nephew destroyed a three year old BMW X5 by not knowing or >>>>>>> not >>>>>>> noticing the temperature gauge, after the water pump started >>>>>>> leaking. >>>>>> This is unfortunately a known issue on these cars. But in Driver's >>>>>> Ed, >>>>>> didn't your nephew get taught to run his eyes across the gauges every >>>>>> couple minutes and make sure everything was okay? You gotta watch >>>>>> them. >>>>> There is no more driver's ed in schools. >>>>> >>>> >>>> Our local high school still offers driver's ed. >>> >>> Wow, where's that? >>> >>> When I think back to drivers ed in high school, where we'd go four to a >>> car on the regular roads, with two students in the back seat, while >>> another student drove, and the instructor was riding shotgun, I can just >>> imagine the screams of horror by parents if this were to happen today. >> >> As far as I know driver's ed is still a HS graduation requirement in >> Illinois. > > When did they start doing that? It certainly was not a graduation > requirement in Illinois when I went to high school there. It was offered > in > most schools, but only as an extra cost after school activity. > Driver's ed was not a HS graduation requirement when I went to HS in IL either, but it was for my 3 youngest so the change was put in place some time after the 1970's. -- Ray O (correct punctuation to reply)
From: Brent on 4 Dec 2008 18:53 On 2008-12-04, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote: > Brent wrote: >> On 2008-12-04, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote: >>> Brent wrote: >>> >>>> with computer controls it would be entirely software to shut down the >>>> car now. >>> And the first time someone gets killed because he didn't have the choice >>> of sacrificing his engine to get to a safe spot.... >> >> I wasn't implying a hard cut off, 'now' meant in the present day. >> > > Yes... but does it make a difference? If the computer shuts the car off > 'now' or 'in 30 seconds,' its still out of the driver's control. I know > you mentioned an override switch, but I can still see the lawsuits > flying. "I got all scared when the warning went off, I couldn't find the > switch, so I looked around for it and hit a guardrail while I was > looking down, and then a truck hit me, my passenger was killed and I'm > paralyzed. The carmaker owes me 300 million dollars." What do these idiots do when the ignition module cuts out? Or better yet, when the engine ultimately siezes up from overheating?
From: Brent on 4 Dec 2008 18:53 On 2008-12-04, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote: > And the fact that basic driver's education is not offered in schools > anymore in many states (I'll vouch for Texas, we've already heard from > NJ and CA) is further evidence that "society" tolerates really lousy > drivers on the roads. tolerates? I say encourages.
From: Vic Smith on 4 Dec 2008 18:55 On Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:55:07 GMT, "E. Meyer" <epmeyer50(a)msn.com> wrote: >> As far as I know driver's ed is still a HS graduation requirement in >> Illinois. > >When did they start doing that? It certainly was not a graduation >requirement in Illinois when I went to high school there. It was offered in >most schools, but only as an extra cost after school activity. > Don't know when they started. I recall they were permitted at 15 - at school - got initial instruction at school, and had to spend some hours driving with a licensed driver - it was sometimes me, sometimes my wife - then did the test at school when they were 16. They just picked up the license at the DMV. DMV randomly tests some dates - my son caught that so was tested twice. They didn't even offer it when I was in school. My last two graduated in 2002 and 2003. It was required. Just like the Constitution test. --Vic
From: Steve on 5 Dec 2008 10:20
Brent wrote: > On 2008-12-04, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote: >> Brent wrote: >>> On 2008-12-04, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote: >>>> Brent wrote: >>>> >>>>> with computer controls it would be entirely software to shut down the >>>>> car now. >>>> And the first time someone gets killed because he didn't have the choice >>>> of sacrificing his engine to get to a safe spot.... >>> I wasn't implying a hard cut off, 'now' meant in the present day. >>> >> Yes... but does it make a difference? If the computer shuts the car off >> 'now' or 'in 30 seconds,' its still out of the driver's control. I know >> you mentioned an override switch, but I can still see the lawsuits >> flying. "I got all scared when the warning went off, I couldn't find the >> switch, so I looked around for it and hit a guardrail while I was >> looking down, and then a truck hit me, my passenger was killed and I'm >> paralyzed. The carmaker owes me 300 million dollars." > > What do these idiots do when the ignition module cuts out? > > Or better yet, when the engine ultimately siezes up from overheating? > > Brent, you're making sense. Stop it. Now think like a lawyer: Those incidents you mentioned are "acts of God" and you can't win a lawsuit based on them. But if the computer SHUTS DOWN the engine BY DESIGN, well my-oh-my, that's willful murder on the part of the manufacturer! Now we've got a CASE!! |