Features which significantly increase the car’s price – and for the most part only affect the car owner’s own safety and expense – should be options, not requirements. Electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring, and anti-lock brakes are good examples of features that should be at most an option offered to the car purchaser, and never required by gov’t mandate. Electronic gadgets and features on cars are getting a little out of hand, and result in cars which are less reliable in the long run. Just my opinion.
+1 for GeorgeSanJose.
@GSJ,I agree completely-Kevin
So I take it Oregon doesnt want any electrics on the road?-Kevin
Miles driven and gas consumption is trending down in OR. We are #3 in Prius sales behind #1 CA, and #2 WA. But so is electric consumption per capita (electric consumption overall is slated to dramatically increase and threaten current rate structures—)
Didn’t I see somewhere that Oregon has free charging stations along one of the major freeways so that electric cars would be feasible for longer drives? Maybe this is how they plan on funding the charging stations.
blinknetwork dot com
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/Pages/inn_ev-charging.aspx
I short term deal with Amtrak-PCC Markets is “Companion Fare” from Eugene OR to Vancouver BC or any points between, at Buy one-Get one free, fare. Till 30 April 2013, blackout dates apply.
@longprime,the northwest is commendably green ,I hope this rate structure gets worked out to the consumers advantage for a change-Kevin
I believe those safety features should be required, as they are now. Since there are a lot of bad drivers out there, at least these features will help somewhat.
Let’s be realistic. Most owners do NOT check their tire pressure. TPMS is not perfect, but at least it will warn them that one of their tires is low. If the owner then chooses to ignore this warning, well, that’s his choice.
What about airbags? How can anyone argue AGAINST them? My brother used to be a pretty fast and reckless driver. One time he plowed right into the car in front of him. His car was pretty much sandwiched and the airbag deployed. But he walked away unscathed. I think he might have cracked his skull on the steering wheel in an older vehicle.
The catch-22 with safety devices is that, yes, they do save lives. BUT it also creates a false sense of security that one is cocooned in pillows and flowers and, therefore, immune from the dangers of the road around them.
Would you be inclined to tailgate the driver in front of you if a 4 inch spike protruded from the middle of the steering wheel, so that if you crashed, it’d impale you through the heart and kill you?
Mandated safety devices can also drive the cost of new cars up to the point where much of the driving populous can not longer afford them and ends up driving their old beaters longer instead of getting newer, safer cars. At that point the safety deviices become counterproductive.
Maybe its just a negative day but I wasn’t all that impressed with the article. As I remember, the 60’s weren’t all that great economically either. Some of the things that were rare back then were; automatic washers and dryers, air conditioning, snow blowers, power mowers, snow mobiles, boats, non-domestic travel, air travel, color TVs, and so on. Of course gardens and canning were plentiful and second jobs.
My folks did buy a new house in 65 for $16K but I’m pretty sure that was three or four times annual income. When Dad bought a new shotgun to replace the single shot, we went down to the store each week to pay on it so it would be paid off by hunting season ((I’m hanging onto that one). Then I remember three or four layoffs that were extended and I think my CDs were paying about 3%. There were no Ed Jones offices on every corner so the bank was pretty much your option. Somewhere around then I developed a dislike for the ruling class taking advantage of the workers.
But my folks worked hard, I was smart, saved my money, and guess it paid off. Best thing about back then is they changed car styles every year and you could walk to the show with a date. Of course shows were 50 cents and cokes were a dime too. The thing I really miss is that I was 13 instead of being over the hill.
“it also creates a false sense of security that one is cocooned in pillows and flowers and, therefore, immune from the dangers of the road around them”
Car makers used this same argument in the 60’s to weasel out of things like padded dashboards, seatbelts and collapsible steering columns.