Giving it another try
Numerous legislative efforts through the years have failed to put much of a dent in the number of uninsured drivers in Oklahoma. This evergreen topic blooms again with a bill by Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville. Martin wants suspicion of driving while uninsured to be considered probable cause to make a traffic stop. That suspicion could be piqued through use of the state’s online verification system, which lets police know whether a vehicle they have pulled over is insured. Uninsured vehicles can be impounded after traffic stops — but driving an uninsured vehicle is not probable cause to make a stop. If Martin’s bill were to become law, he said, more vehicles could be cited or towed “without the need for the driver to break other laws at the same time.” It’s worth a try, at least until the next attempt comes down the pike.
Delay on the inbound
Folks in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., complain all the time about traffic. They can just stop it right now. Chinese officials report a 62-mile traffic jam on the outskirts of Beijing that makes snarls on the I-5 in LA and the Capital Beltway look like joy rides. Road construction is being blamed for hanging up all those Chinese cars and trucks. The jam began Aug. 13, and one official said things might not be normal until Sept. 17, when the road work is scheduled to be finished. As much as it may disappoint The New York Times’ Tom Friedman, who has opined on the Chinese government’s efficiency in dealing with problems, even a dictatorship apparently is no match for one of the byproducts of last year’s globe-leading 13.6 million auto sales to Chinese buyers.
Second-guessing a hero
Even Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, hero of “The Miracle on the Hudson,” has his second guessers. The Wall Street Journal reports that deep inside a federal report on Sullenberger’s emergency landing of a US Airways jet on the Hudson River last year are suggestions, based on tests with flight simulators, that Sullenberger could’ve made it back to La Guardia Airport safely. The Airbus A320 lost both engines after sucking in birds at 2,500 feet. Sullenberger was able land his 70-ton glider on the river, and no one was killed. For this he achieved instant fame, appearing on late-night shows, snagging a book deal and serving as grand marshal of this year’s Rose Parade.
But even the Hero of the Hudson has a Monday Morning Quarterback. Pilots on flight simulators were able to return to La Guardia in a number of tests — though those were based on an immediate decision to head for the airport. Even so, the National Transportation Safety Board and outside experts haven’t changed their conclusion that Sullenberger made the right call, The Journal reports. Like the rest of us, they know it’s a heck of a lot easier to clear the Manhattan skyline knowing that if you hit the Empire State Building you get a do-over.
LaHood’s stop and start
On the gas, off the gas. Makes you crazy when you’re in the car with someone who drives like that, doesn’t it? Well, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had that effect on owners of recalled Toyota vehicles – telling a House committee Americans shouldn’t drive those cars, then throwing it into reverse a few hours later, saying people should take the cars to dealerships for repairs. “What I said in there, or what I thought I said was, ‘If you own one of these cars or if you’re in doubt, take it to the dealer,’” LaHood said, pedal firmly to the metal. LaHood’s no-go/go remarks certainly fit the situation with Toyota, which has recalled millions of vehicles because of a potentially deadly problem with sticking accelerators.
Air travelers catch a break
Ever been stuck aboard a delayed commercial flight? Cramped quarters, stale air and, of course, the inevitable screaming baby. The Obama administration has felt your pain and on Monday ordered airlines to let people get off planes delayed on the ground after three hours. Consumer advocates called it a Christmas miracle, although the new regulation won’t go into effect for 120 days. Airline officials said the regs would result in more canceled flights and inconvenience for travelers, but it’s a trade off most travelers would gladly accept.
Cars still rule
High gasoline prices last year contributed to a 4 percent decline in vehicle miles traveled, but public transit didn’t capture all of the traffic that was lost to the roads. Sam Staley, Reason Foundation’s director of urban growth, testified before Congress recently and urged lawmakers “to prioritize transportation solutions that increase our mobility and decrease traffic congestion,” according to the libertarian foundation. Staley asked Congress to keep public transit in perspective when designing a stimulus package. Public transit is responsible for a tiny share of mobility in this country; increasing transit ridership significantly would require “a dramatic and largely involuntary relocation of people and families into housing they do not want,” Reason says. People still like to commute by car. One factor is time: On average, public transit riders spend about 36 minutes traveling to work while private automobile travelers commute about 21 minutes.”
