GPS Causing Truckers to Crash Into Bridges
#11
11-22-2009, 10:32 AM
Dumbest statement yet.
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#12
11-23-2009, 04:20 AM
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state wants to crack down on truckers who rely on satellite devices to direct them onto faster but prohibited routes and end up crashing into overpasses that are too low for their rigs.
Gov. David Paterson on Wednesday proposed penalties including jail time and confiscation of trucks to come down on drivers who use GPS — global positioning systems — to take more hazardous routes and end up striking bridges. "To our knowledge, no other state has similar legislation," said Clayton Boyce of the American Trucking Associations, an industry trade group based in Washington. "Most trucking companies rely on GPS services that are specifically for trucks and route them away from restricted roads," he said. "Most of our members also use dispatching and fleet management systems that direct and track the vehicles by truck GPS services." In New York, a truckers' group called the proposal unfair and unwarranted. "We understand that bridge strikes have become an increasing problem for Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area," said Karin Kennett of the New York State Motor Truck Association. Requiring all trucks in the state that are using GPS to buy an enhanced device goes too far, she said "It places an unfair and unwarranted financial burden on every law-abiding trucking company doing business anywhere in New York at a time when our state claims to be trying to improve our business climate," Kennett said. A safety group said trucks taking restricted routes is a scary fact of life on the nation's highways and parkways and something other states will need to consider as more drivers turn to GPS. Gerald Donaldson, senior research director of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said GPS adds to the list of electronics that also distract truckers, including radios, cell phones and a computer keyboard to communicate with companies and other drivers. "GPS is the heart of it," Donaldson said. "Absolutely ... other states will be looking at Gov. Paterson's issue." GPS can direct truckers, many of them carrying hazardous material, to restricted roads with overpass clearances too low for the rigs. Hauling on restricted or residential routes also pounds the life out of roads because the trucks are over weight limits and clog traffic. "GPS for some truckers are crucial, and it also is part of a much larger array of electronic devices," he said. "You get paid by the mile, so it's your to your incentive to get as many miles and routes as you can in your tour of duty." New York state alone has seen more than 1,400 bridge strikes in the past 15 years, including 46 so far this year in suburban Westchester County, testing many old bridges already in need of repair, said County Executive Andrew J. Spano. One bridge in his county was hit nine times this year. "This sort of culture of just following the GPS and almost ignoring the road signs has created this public hazard," Paterson told reporters. "Every week we hear of another truck striking a bridge on our parkways," said Spano, standing with Paterson at the bill's announcement. "It's only a matter of time before someone is killed or a truck carrying chemicals or explosives hits a bridge," he said. The bill would increase penalties for illegally using parkways and require all large commercial trucks to use GPS devices that route them away from restricted roads. It would also stick trucking companies or their insurance carriers with the bill for repairs and cleanup after bridge strikes. The bill could hit the Legislature as early as January. GPS Causing Truckers to Crash Into Bridges - Auto - FOXNews.com All in all...those three words say it all, when it comes to New York state, and truck traffic. Clogging traffic is what gets their "goat" more so than a truck striking a bridge. :hellno: :hellno: :hellno: :hellno: Any driver whom strikes a bridge, then blames the incident on his or her use of a GPS device, deserves what they get. If a driver is to damned lazy to pay attention to signage placed along highway routes, advising of bridge clearances, bridge weight restrictions, or road weight restrictions....those people deserve everything handed to them, just for being stupid. Luckily for me, I seldom have to worry about striking a bridge. I will clear every obstruction that is taller than 11"6" (actually....10'8")!!  99.1% of the people hauling hazardous chemicals or explosives are smart enough to know when to ignore "technology" and use the ole` noggin and visual aids. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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#13
11-23-2009, 04:25 AM
Hobo's right, there was a thread on this just recently.
Hahaha...I just looked in the archives, only went back 3 pages http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/anything-everything/38945-gps-causing-truckers-crash-into-bridges.html This is before my time. I just got released from prison lately, and haven't been around. 
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Space...............Is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence! :thumbsup: Star Trek2009
#14
11-23-2009, 05:20 AM
I agree that GPS aint 100% accurate. Like HWY 82 in west Texas-where I run every night. I don't have a GPS, but I bet it wouldn't tell me about the deer and the pigs that cross over the highway in front of me.
#15
11-23-2009, 02:14 PM
If they pass this law and I have a truck specific GPS, does that mean if it doesn't warn me of a low-clearance bridge or other restricted route, the blame isn't on me?
Cool!!!
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#16
11-24-2009, 01:16 AM
 I got released early, because I signed up with ACORN. Thought I had a good thing going there. I don't know what happened. The economy I guess. Just one day some ACORN officials came around and said we were all on our own. No more paychecks or presidential pardoning for beating people up. They said we sould go sign up with SEIU. But SEIU is only around the big Cities. Shame I gotta go back into trucking, but I'm looking forward to hauling hazmat pingpong balls. Hell, the only other option I'd have is pulling for grocery warehouses.  Well, I'll be in that whitish looking Freightliner with the taped and wired on front bumper, broken glass, dents everywhere, bullet holes and bent rims. At least thanks to you guys, I know enough now, not to open the back doors. 
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#17
11-24-2009, 07:31 AM
Not to mention, that I don't know what the ME has to do with Governor Patterson's ignorant bill, but anyway I forgot more about the ME than you will ever come close to knowing thank you very much!
He is SO busy talking us all to death and overusing the word "inculcates" that he hasn't "tested the waters" here before imposing his opinions.
And as for as discerning what you think first before expressing my opinions, I hate to disappoint you but the truth is I could care less what your opinions are nor could I care less what your opinion is of my opinions.
(3) Am not a Liberal.
But, like a few others here that have questioned HIS "beliefs," he has branded me the enemy just as surely as he has lumped ALL Muslims into the camp of Al Quaida.
Thus, that's why you always observe Muslims constantly killing other Muslims for not being Muslim enough. Indeed, no one kills more Muslims than other Muslims. Nevertheless, all devout Muslims agree on what the ultimate outcome of Islam must be. Even AQ and the House of Saud are in total and perfect agreement with that ultimate outcome. However, they very vehemently and violently disagree on the mechanism used to reach that place. Sort of like Fatah and Hamas also totally agree on the ultimate outcome of their perpetual jihad against Israel. However, the two Islamic terror groups vehemently and often violently disagree on the mechanism of accomplishing that outcome.
I wonder if he's related to Dubya?
#18
11-24-2009, 07:32 AM
Okay, please forgive me. I should have said with the single exception of mike3fan, everyone who does use them already knows not to trust them to do routing. Sorry!
#19
11-24-2009, 07:51 AM
Any driver whom strikes a bridge, then blames the incident on his or her use of a GPS device, deserves what they get. If a driver is to damned lazy to pay attention to signage placed along highway routes, advising of bridge clearances, bridge weight restrictions, or road weight restrictions....those people deserve everything handed to them, just for being stupid.
Not to mention that the existence of GPS devices that are capable of doing truck specific routing is also a myth. Therefore, his bill will have the ultimate outcome of needlessly outlawing all GPS devices and at the same time inevitably destroying an industry.
99.1% of the people hauling hazardous chemicals or explosives are smart enough to know when to ignore "technology" and use the ole` noggin and visual aids.
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