Yupkwondo

Hey Everyone, I had to do a project for writing a new law, here it is, let me know what you think...would it work, or not. Any improvments, or things that should be taken out? Thanks!!

~Jason

Explanation…

This law would restructure the current licensing system used today, and would have graduated levels, signified by classes of: A through E with A being the highest-class driver. Every driver would have to be reevaluated of their driving skill, they would be tested on every driving level, from residential driving to highway and turnpike driving. A more advanced maneuverability test would be implemented and a reaction test would be developed. In addition, a hazard and environmental test would be constructed to test the level of thinking a person has when confronted with a dangerous situation.
After the reevaluation process is completed, a person would be assigned their driving level.

Class A: Highest-class driver, is given most privileges, fast lane on highway is for their use. Can exceed posted speed limit by up to 25 mph on rural highways, state highways and turnpikes are limitless to a “Class A” driver, but must remain in left most lane when observing limitless driving. May exceed speed limit by 5-10 mph on rural roads, but other laws still apply. All residential laws still apply including posted speed limit. “Class A” drivers may drive at any time day or night and in any weather, as long weather does not impede traffic completely.

Class B: An intermediate driver, Given most privileges of a “Class A” driver, other than state highways and turnpikes always have a limit of 20 mph over the posted limit. May drive in fast lane, but must always merge to a slower lane in the event a car would like to pass them. All other “Class A” driving laws apply.

Class C: An average driver and today’s driving laws apply. May exceed posted speed limit on all highways, rural and state, by 10 mph. A “Class C” driver is not allowed in the left most lane on any highway. May exceed rural road posted speed limit by 5 mph. Is allowed to drive in any weather granted the weather does not impede traffic completely. A “Class C” driver is also allowed to drive any time. All other traffic laws of a “Class A” driver apply.

Class D: A below average driver that must “at all times” abide by all posted speed limits on all roads. May only drive in right most lane on highway, and highway usage is restricted to off-peak hours. Are not allowed to drive in weather where a weather advisory or warning has been issued. In addition, driving hours are restricted to 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; driving hours may be extended under special circumstances.

Class E: An inadequate or new driver, a driver who has had their license less than 6 months, or has not tested out of this level is assigned a “Class E” license. Drivers are never allowed on any highway under any circumstance. And must always abide by posted speed limit on all rural and residential roads. Driver times are restricted to time of sunlight, and may never drive in any inclement weather of any kind. Driver can be accompanied by a higher-level, Class A through C driver, and may be considered a “Class D” driver under that circumstance.

License level may be advanced through classes and retesting. Also with each driving level come certain requirements to keep their respected level.

Class A: Free retesting every 2 years, no tickets or offenses within that period.
If a ticket is issued or an offense is committed, License is immediately dropped to “Class C” and Cost Based retesting is implemented at next retesting. In addition, a fine of $5,000 is issued.

Class B: Free retesting every 2 years, 1 ticket or offense within that period. If a ticket is issue or an offense is committed, License is dropped to “Class C” at next retesting period for a period of 1 year, and cost based retesting is implemented.

Class C: Free retesting every 5 years, 3 tickets or offenses within that period. If a 3 tickets are issued or 3 offenses are committed, License is dropped to “Class D” at next retesting period for a period of 1 year, and cost based retesting is implemented.

Class D: Free retesting every 7 years, 5 tickets or offenses within that period. If 5 tickets are issued or 5 offenses are committed, License is revoked for a period of 6 months, and “Class E” license is issued for a period of 1 year. After a year period cost based testing is implemented.

Class E: Cost Based Retesting every 2 years, 2 tickets or offenses within that period. If 2 tickets are issued or 2 offenses are committed, License is immediately revoked for a period of 5 years, and a Fine of $1,000 is issued. In addition, cost based testing is implemented.

Class Laws under no circumstances, except in life threatening cases, can be broken, if set laws for a drivers license level are broken, a ticket will be issued at a cost of $500 for the first ticket and $500 more for each ticket fallowing the first.

Addendum...

Speed limits are as fallows;[list=A][*]State turnpikes 75 mph.
a.Left most lane has a minimum speed limit of 90 mph.
b.Right most lane has a minimum speed limit of 65 mph.
[*]Interstate highways 70 mph.
a.Left most lane has a minimum speed limit of 80 mph.
b.Right most lane has a minimum speed limit of 60 mph.
[*]Route (Rural) highways 60 mph.
a.Left most lane has a minimum speed limit of 65 mph.
b.Right most lane has a minimum speed limit of 55 mph.
c.One lane highways minimum speed is the posted speed limit.
[*]Rural roads 55 mph, unless otherwise noted.
a.Rural roads must always have a minimum speed limit of 35 mph
[*]Residential areas 30 mph.
a.Maximum speed is always 30 mph, with a 20 mph minimum.
b.School zones are always 15 mph[/list=A]
A new driver is given a “Class E” license unless they test out of “Class E” at their initial testing session.

A “Class A” license may only be given to individuals that attend High performance and dynamic driving schools to improve their driving skills. “Class A” drivers are required to have a vehicle able of obtaining at least 95 mph.

Drivers must only pay for their initial license test and any unscheduled test to improve their license level at a cost of $100. All retesting is free.

After the age of 65, drivers must retest every 6 months until it is determined that a driver is unfit to drive, and is a threat to the safety of other drivers.

Under no circumstance must a license be given to a person that is not qualified for the lowest class license.

On a two lane highway, all drivers except “Class A” drivers must remain in the right lane, and only use the left lane for passing slower drivers, after a pass has occurred a driver must immediately return to the right lane.

On a rural road, or 1 lane rural highway, if a car determines it is safe to pass another driver, the passing driver must flash headlights to signal a pass, and the slower car must slow down so the pass occurs in the least amount of time and distance possible. Once the pass has occurred, both drivers can return to their respected speed level.

In the case a dangerous life threatening manuver is attempted, all level of licenses will be revoked, and the driver will immedately be taken to jail for a minimum of 1 year, and a $10,000 fine will be assest.

All Class levels only apply to passenger vehicles; all other vehicles, i.e. Semis and Service vehicles, are issued a “Class C” license with their own special regulations.

• All Speed Limits Apply on all roads.
• Driving is permitted in all weather.
• Always have right of way, except for on Rural roads, and Residential areas.
• Never permitted in left most lane, and should in most cases not pass other vehicles.

MAVERICK

Hello! This topic is going to be "comment central." I'd love to be the first to offer suggestions and opinions, but I need to read it carefully and think about it. No time now so I'll do it at the end of the week. Can't wait to see some of the responses.

dwasifar

Hmmm. Though I like the idea of better drivers having fewer restrictions, I think there are some problems with this plan, to wit:

1) It's too complex. The speed limit and lane restrictions are widely variable from driver to driver, greatly reducing the predictability of other drivers' actions. If driver 1 does not know what driver 2's license level is, he won't know what to expect driver 2 to do in traffic, because he doesn't know what rules that driver has to follow.

2) It invites unlimited random traffic stops to check license levels.

3) The maximum fines are too high and the violations are subjective. Any time you dangle the promise of money in front of local governments, they will find ways to levy as many of those fines as possible. This is particularly true of your $10k subjectively-judged "life-threatening dangerous maneuver" fine, which will wind up being levied against people who run yellow lights.

4) Reserving certain lanes for certain drivers creates greater traffic problems in the remaining lanes. Atlanta's had most of their leftmost lanes reserved for carpool vehicles for years. The result is more congestion and greater road rage as single-occupant traffic is forced into a smaller area. It also prevents that traffic from using any left-lane exit, forcing people to take less convenient exits and proceed on local roads. Now they're talking about allowing people to buy the privilege, which is creating all sorts of controversy (the opponents refer to the proposal as "Lexus lanes"). Which brings me to point 5:

5) It's politically unworkable, for three reasons: a) if you bar a majority of drivers from traveling on roads their tax dollars paid for, you will be accused of elitism; b) senior citizens have lots of free time to vote and lobby against proposals like mandatory 6-month retesting; and mostly c) no state government will pass a law that allows anyone to exceed the posted speed limit, because those limits are designed to generate revenue for them.

Generally I oppose increased government control of the individual, and though this plan on the surface allows some looser restrictions for a few drivers, the net result is that ALL drivers come under greatly increased scrutiny and more draconian enforcement. I'd oppose this plan if it came to a vote.

Xipe

I don't mean to be repetitive, but like dwasifar also points out:
-- would lead to less personal freedom than there already is;
-- alot of the proposal is too general and arbitrary, leading to legal confusion (who decides for a class E driver that it's a bit too cloudy for him to drive in? well, except the cops... *after* they have stopped and fined him);
-- too complex laws for the public to be aware and follow them at all times, confusion as to what kind of behaviour to expect from other drivers (besides, most people would probably pretend to be A-class drivers and stomp on it in the left lane)
-- fines are way out of proportion ($5000 for a class A driver who commits *one* offence?!)

IMO traffic laws should regulate only two things, and they should enforce them in the simplest possible terms.
1. Ensure that only qualified drivers are let out on the road.
2. Ensure that drivers take responsibility for other people's lives and safety; while having full culpability for their own actions.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies, The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
--C.S. Lewis

__________________
Crashed '93, Mugello Rot, BMW M5

dwasifar

Thank you, Xipe - you reminded me of another point I wanted to make but left out:

6) The weather-related restrictions are unworkable. What if you're out driving on a class-D or class-E license and the weather changes? What are you supposed to do? Pull over and wait for it to stop raining? Or say there's a weather advisory issued while you're out driving - how are you supposed to know about it if the warned-against weather hasn't begun where you are?

The time restrictions are similarly impractical. Let's say you're driving on a class E license, you get caught in traffic, and dusk falls. Guess you have to pull over until morning - just what every parent wants their newly-licensed teen doing, or claiming to have done. "Morning, Dad! Where have I been all night, you ask? Oops, got caught in traffic again, had to sleep in the car at the side of the road, honest!" And what's with the midnight-to-5am restriction on the Class D? What makes this class of driver safe at 11:30pm but not at 1:30am? It's just as dark. In fact, at 1:30am, there's less traffic - should be SAFER.

Stem

You need one more class!! Class "O" or Zero. This is for all the drivers without insurance and/or, no or a suspended license. If you fall into this catagory, when you are stopped, you go directly to jail, do not pass GO, and do not collect $200. You have to pay $200 a day for every day you are in jail. But only $100 if you are on a chain-gang!

Yupkwondo

Thanks for the replys, this is what I was hoping for, constructive critisim....

Just for your reference, this isn't a law I would inact, just one I thought to make up and see what people think...I know there are some points which really are not mandatory, such as the weather and time laws, but here in OH, night driving is restricted to young drivers already...I was thinking of replacing the weather law with something along the lines of passanger laws, such as younger or less qualified drivers can not take along a passanger due to distractions, this would be mostly for the younger driver though...also I was considering changing it so that there is only a minimum speed limit everywhere except for rural roads where it would be anywhere from 35 to 55, and residental where it is always 30 or 25...that would be more like an american autoban, and if you are pulled over for something, maybe that is where your higher skill level would keep you out of a ticket...And lastly one more think I was thinking is that the stay out of the left most lane law would only be used in situations where the road or highway they are on is 3 or more lanes, thusly having two traffic lanes, and a passing lane...

As for the dangerious action regulation, I only added that thinking of road rage and stupid driving, but really did fail to take into account what some people would think, like running yellow lights like you said... Money was really the only punishment I could think of that effects the most people...and I realize that a government would try to abuse that, but I don't know what else I could suppliment for a monitary punishment?

I wanted to start it with the most possible and restrictive laws, and greatest amount of control, and slowly adapt and remove certian regulations until it would sound workable, so keep letting me know what you think...

Thanks,

~ Jason

pmiranda

I agree the weather part is unworkable. I'd axe it completely.

One thing you should consider is a window decal to indicate classes other than C.

Also, you can't completely prevent even the worst classes from ever driving on "highways", since that may be the only way to get around some areas, such as crossing rivers.

Overall, try to come up with the simplest set of rules possible to acheive what you want. That will make it easier to think through the possible outcomes.

Kudos for actually trying to come up with a complete plan for such legislation! Most people (including myself) just spout off vague ideas about how to achieve better driving conditions...

Xipe

I would probably have chosen the opposite approach, but you're off to a good start anyways. Just remember:

You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.
-- Lyndon B. Johnson

dwasifar

The scarlet letter, hm?
This assumes no one ever shares cars. Let's say I have a class B license and my 16y/o newly-licensed son has a class E license and no car of his own. If I put an E sticker in my car window so he can drive it, I get pulled over constantly whenever I try to drive up to my privileges; if we don't, he gets arrested whenever HE drives.

I agree with you about setting the simplest rules possible. The rules of the road as they are work pretty well, except when governments try to twist them to create revenue (speed limit enforcement) or perform social engineering experiments (carpool lanes). Besides those abuses, the only thing I would change is highway lane usage; enforce the laws about slower traffic staying right.

The whole carpool lane idea is a failure, achieving the opposite of its intended goal. It should be scrapped completely, by federal legislation if necessary. As far as speed limits are concerned, we could have realistic limits if the financial incentives of enforcement were replaced with financial liabilities. Outlaw speeding fines entirely - again, this would probably require a federal law - and replace them with mandatory jail time, one day per mph over the limit. This would create a situation where speeding enforcement COSTS the locality money, removing the incentive to set speed limits unrealistically low. If a road was safe at 80, they'd set the limit to 80, and save the enforcement efforts for people who were REAL hazards.