aznorthstar's Blog

We don't need wider lanes, we need alert consciencious drivers. When you're behind the wheel and responsible for passengers, you need to be more alert than the average driver. When your behind the wheel and your alone, you're still responsible for drivers and life around you as well as your own.

Don't blame the roads! We're really talking about dangerous people here!

Twenty or in fact Thirty years ago most cars
were the size of today's trucks.

I'll agree with paying attention and being
accountable for your actions is the best way to avoid this issue.

As far as the road goes I just wish they would finish what they start (Loop 303) come to mind

Why "... widen the roads?"

Just make the 'bad drivers' walk!

In all actuality, our roads here are already wider than most surface streets back east. The standard is 12 feet wide for each lane and since the widest a vehicle can be legally is 8 feet (excluding mirrors) that should allow 2 feet on each side of the widest vehicles. A passenger car is only about 6 feet wide. If you need more room than that, you shouldn't be driving. There are a few locations where the lanes are narrower than 12 feet usually at intersections where speeds are slower and they try to squeeze in more turn lanes to increase capacity. Unfortunately, the powers of the time past deemed the standard rights-of-way widths for every type of roadway (arterial, collector, local) thereby limiting any widening without ridiculous costs to purchase right-of way. Finally, we could have 30 foot roadway lanes and there would still be idiots hitting the median curb even though the median is properly signed and painted for visibility. The problem is inatentiveness by the so-called driver, not the roadway.

Cuuute Puppy! hehe!

jteamaz:

I stand corrected. Thank you

If anything, roadway lanes will be narrowed due to smaller cars and higher volumes. Additional narrower lanes for autos and special 12 ft lanes for trucks and buses without purchasing additional rights-of-way. Similar to California's set-up where trucks are only allowed to use the 2 outer lanes on freeways only their lanes are all the same width. The wider lanes here would also be the outer lanes and trucks and buses would only allowed in them. This may not happen but, I would bet that there will not be any widening of lanes either. aksjfd: That's not a better question, it's just a different question and oneof the biggest reasons for not having seat belts is "who is going to make sure they are used and what happens if they are not." The driver cannot take the time to make sure they are used. There would need to be a special monitor person on-board to police the seat belt use. It takes a lot of money and who pays?

Make all roads square in design
where all dimensions are equal
in width and length.
Thereby, limiting the turning arc
and distance.
That will certainly decrease fuel
requirements and time utilized.
Furthermore, place roadway seat belts
affixed to the roadway itself to be
secured to each vehicle as a safety
factor that is occupied.
Not only will safety be improved,
but fuel cost and insurance cost will
be greatly reduced;
especially, if the engine remains off.

Geez, what a great idea!