What's Up Ahead Technology Vacuum

A frustrating thing about driving on highways, besides "stop and go", is not being able to know what's happening up ahead until it's too late. Where I drive there are alternative routes, but knowing when to take them is "guess and by gosh". Another headache is not being able to see the highway just before you get on a ramp to that highway. Highway technology for getting that information to the driver is still "CB" dependant. Not impressed with traffic management systems that work only for the News media.

Reply to
Erness Wild
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On Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:38:36 -0400, Erness Wild cast forth these pearls of wisdom...:

Never heard of GPS? Maybe with your frustrations, you should get a navigator to ride along with you. Really - you seem to want everything done for you. Maybe a train would be better for you?

Reply to
Mike Marlow

The GPS navigation systems are getting better all the time about this sort of help.

And, satellite radio gives weather and traffic updates constantly for the major cities.

Reply to
HLS

So how long have you been working for the Dept. of Transportation?

Mike Marlow put down his tube steak and a half hour later scribbled:

Reply to
Erness Wild

Let's not introduce more distractions into vehicles. Listen to local radio, find a route that parallel or above the highway, before getting on. Commonsense is uncommon. I, too, have driven up a ramp, only to find the highway at a standstill.

Reply to
Alan Illeman

Yes, that's the thing. Highways are supposed to be faster than crawling along city streets where there are too many traffic lights which are not in sync together. Time is money during the day. I think the highway planners only look at building roads from a birds eye view and don't consider the "looking up the road" aspect of driving. Obviously it's too late now that all the highways are built. But considering the availability of cheap radar detectors and solar digital signs, they could give some companies the job of installing current speed signs along the road and on the ramps to warn drivers. If I saw a ten mile speed warning before a ramp, I, and I'm sure many other drivers would consider an alternate route. Rather than adding to the congestion on the highway. There's nothing worse than trying to get to your next appointment and not knowing the highway is "dead" until you're at "the point of no return" on an on ramp. I've seen some idiots backing up ramps because of this.

Reply to
Erness Wild

On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:49:47 -0400, Erness Wild cast forth these pearls of wisdom...:

Though you think I work for DOT, I don't. However, I do know that they most certainly do design highways with the road-level view as a consideration.

Or, they could rely on the driver's responsibility to be aware of his own speed. Not too much to ask, I should think...

Actually, GPS services now offer something very much like this. The subscription cost is less than what you would probably pay in taxes to support a state or federal program to do the same. Radio stations offer this service for free. Most highways post the AM radio station for highway conditions in commonly congested areas. Bottom line - there is plenty in place already, that does exactly this.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

Too bad it doesn't work. Real time information is needed.

Reply to
Erness Wild

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