this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2024
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I wish we had different classes of drivers licenses in the US for commercial cars. Like a Class 3 license could only allow people to legally drive basic cars (sedans, station wagons, minis, etc.), and to drive things like coupes, muscle cars, sports cars, and those kind of cars you need a Class 2, and to drive light trucks, SUVs, Jeeps, and Hummers, you need a Class 1 license.
I sorta think it would actually help with road rage and aggressive driving since it would at least require those kinds of people to actually demonstrate they can safely drive those kinds of cars.
I used to wish that I could get some sort of racing license so that I could legally exceed the speed limit. The speed limits are ridiculously low, written for the worst possible drivers. I've been successfully exceeding the speed limit for 30 years without incident. Since we'll definitely never have a special license that lets you legally speed, I just got a radar detector and now I'm happy.
At risk of making driving less predictable… how about licenses for more aggressive driving too?
No right turn on red (unless Rated ++ or higher)
How would that be managed
Man, guess same way as commercial vs. personal licenses, & car vs. motorcycle (Class C vs. Class M) licenses? So only applies to people who get pulled over for doing something dangerous I guess.
This answer is pretty much “honor system”.
Those stupid, non-privacy-respecting (dangerous), incredibly expensive digital plates recently approved in California - they could display the driver’s license class. Then a cop behind you could tell when you’re not allowed to be pulling that U Turn at the narrow intersection that’s restricted to a class above you.
I guess an advantage is if somebody hit you, you’d have a chance to go after them for a class-violating move. But you also might get frustrated not knowing whether somebody in front of you could be making a right on red or something.
I think if you're caught driving like a jackass (not simply speeding, but weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, blocking the passing lane, that kind of assholish behavior) in addition to a ticket, you should have to keep a vehicular "dunce cap" on your car. Like a pizza hut driver sign but it identifies you as a moron to everyone. This would have to be on there until you take an extensive driving course to learn to be better.
As an european light truck driver I find it interesting that truck drivers have such a bad reputation in the US. Here the biggest assholes drive sedans and wagons. BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Volvos etc. Trucks are big, slow and clumsy. We're the people others fly by in the traffic. The only assholines I'm guilty of is drifting in the snow but I'm not doing it because I drive a truck but because it's rear wheel drive and without traction control of any kind.
It might have to do with car culture and even urban infrastructure in the US. US is very much a “cars first” nation where a lot of areas do require a car to even get to the closest grocery store, and a lot of people who live in the suburbs like that tend to have bigger cars since it’s perceived as one-part functionality (more space for stuff = less trips to go drive 30+ minutes each way for necessities), one-part status symbol, and one-part fear and/or overcompensating, since a good whack of people here do follow the line of thinking of “if I get into an accident, I’d rather be in the bigger car” despite the fact the chance of killing the other person is greatly increased due to the bad crash collision light trucks have with other cars.
Companies also found a loophole to bypass CAFE laws and can make light trucks cheaper without worrying about safety and emissions too much, so in the US there’s a ton of marketing for comically oversized trucks and SUVs (as a 2m tall person, you can barely see me in some of those cars), with nary a station wagon in sight. Since they have to follow CAFE laws in other countries, I would assume your guys’ trucks are more “normal” and comparable to station wagons and sedans, which also might help with safety.
Yeah I guess you could say that. Here's me parked next to an American truck. Don't get me wrong, mine is still a big and heavy vehicle and it would absolutely suck to get hit by one, but people don't generally buy trucks for everyday use here. They're work vehicles like vans and intented for transporting cargo. Mine only has two seats because I need the longer bed (and lower taxes) Our infrastructure is also more designed with pedestrians in mind and I feel like drivers are much more considerate towards them. Especially when it comes to kids.
I fucking hate these things. These “American” utes have invaded my country too. As I explained to someone else most of em you can tell are driven by cashed up fuckwits who don’t actually use utes for a job.
Know how you can tell? Snap ons/tool boxes. Rarely do any of these massively oversized public masturbation devices have tool/gear on them used by people that the owners of these vehicles pretend to be.
I've heard roads over there are in average smaller than over here, which if true, might help with that since you would need to be more careful in bugger cars.
I have had a coupe for the last 10+ years. Because I have no use for a full size sedan, and it weighs less so better mileage and handling. Plus I don’t want people asking me for a ride unless they need it enough to be uncomfortable in a tiny car (“sure, but I have a coupe” is a powerful line when people want a ride). It’s a Honda civic, which you’d struggle mightily to class with sports cars and muscle cars… so I’m pretty confused by your blanket classification - my civic coupe is nothing like the eclipse I used to have.
I’m a super cautious driver (no tickets no accidents 20 years driving) but I also basically never see sporty coupes around here (rural), so I don’t have any reason to assume coupe drivers are worse than sedan drivers as a general rule. As such, I’d be pretty pissed if I had to take a special driving test just because I don’t want a full back seat adding weight to my commute.
I’m with you on the rest of it, though I’d say to just ban large vehicles entirely unless you get special accommodation to have one for work purposes only. They are entirely unnecessary in 99% of cases and seem (anecdotally) to make people more aggressive drivers (I think because the height makes them feel slower), rather than just attracting aggressive drivers.