Poll: Auto Accident Fatalities and Injuries

[Ken]

By the way, using one's phone while driving is actually MORE reckless than drunk driving. Various studies have confirmed this. Here is one: https://www.racfoundation.org/wp-conten ... report.pdf

They tested reaction times of drivers drunk, high on pot, and texting and found the following:

• Drinking to the legal limit: 12 percent slower
• After using cannabis: 21 percent slower
• Texting: 35 percent slower

There is a reason why it is against the law.

[RZehr]

Regarding charges of murder, manslaughter, and intent - why is this case different than George Floyd? I think the only important difference is the outrage and politics, not objective law.

[Neto]

....
Now you made me curious - is there any law governing mobile phone use while operating a human ... powered vehicle?

A lot of Amish go past our house on bikes, and I do sometimes see someone talking on a cell phone while going down the street. But most often, it is a battery bike.

[Soloist]

Regarding charges of murder, manslaughter, and intent - why is this case different than George Floyd? I think the only important difference is the outrage and politics, not objective law.

You want a subjective answer? Or an objective one?

[RZehr]

Regarding charges of murder, manslaughter, and intent - why is this case different than George Floyd? I think the only important difference is the outrage and politics, not objective law.

You want a subjective answer? Or an objective one?

Just give me positive affirmation that what I wrote is right, that’ll do.

[Ken]

Regarding charges of murder, manslaughter, and intent - why is this case different than George Floyd? I think the only important difference is the outrage and politics, not objective law.

I think the objective law is different too.

George Floyd was already restrained in handcuffs when the incident started. After he was already in handcuffs and on the ground, Chauvin deliberately strangled him with his knee and body weight for 9 minutes using techniques that were against policy policy (i.e. illegal). That would be felony assault if you or I did it, and it is felony assault if a police officer does it against police policy. Consequently, the charges were elevated from manslaughter to unintentional second-degree murder while attempting to commit felony assault.

In other words, accidentally killing someone while committing another felony is considered a worse crime than just accidentally killing someone.

The conviction of Chauvin has withstood appeal so it seems that they made the case that it merited 2nd degree unintentional murder charges rather than simple manslaughter charges.

[Soloist]

Just give me positive affirmation that what I wrote is right, that’ll do.

You used the word “right” that sounds right to me!

[RZehr]

Just give me positive affirmation that what I wrote is right, that’ll do.

You used the word “right” that sounds right to me!

Oll korrect.

[JimFoxvog]

Turning back to the original topic--

5. What could be done on a national level to drastically reduce the number of auto accident fatalities in 2024 and subsequent years, until new policies or a new culture take effect?

Support the expansion of public transit, especially intercity high speed rail.

I think this is one good national-level response. Free mass transit, with frequent and dependable rides, would also help. The intercity highways would be much less crowded and dangerous with most freight moved from trucks to railroads.

[Josh]

Turning back to the original topic--

5. What could be done on a national level to drastically reduce the number of auto accident fatalities in 2024 and subsequent years, until new policies or a new culture take effect?

Support the expansion of public transit, especially intercity high speed rail.

I think this is one good national-level response. Free mass transit, with frequent and dependable rides, would also help. The intercity highways would be much less crowded and dangerous with most freight moved from trucks to railroads.

Experiments with mass transit such as Portland’s Fareless Square have not been encouraging. Without strict policing, it tends to become a vehicle for drug use and drug dealing, and then normal people avoid it and stay in their cars.