Practice makes perfect, I guess. I worked for almost 3 years at the local Two Men and Truck to get through college. (Just quit in Dec.) And for the last 2 years drove the trucks. We had 28ft straight trucks and I learned how to back them up w/ only the drive and passanger side mirrors. Only used a spotter once in awhile. The hardest back up jobs were when people lived out in the middle of nowhere and had those long winding driveways through the woods and had to back up the whole way. I guess after doing it so much in such a big vehicle and having such a big blind spot, everything seems to not be an issue.

 

My point exactly!

I used to have to service up 12 trucks ever Saturday for 8 years and I used to have to pull them in and back them in to service repair the tail gates.

The trucks would have 2-3 inches clearance on easch side of the iron bed.

I started doing this at 16 years and had to know who and what were behind me. I also had to learn to use my mirrors since I could not see.

One truck was full of Liquid Oxygen. If it was full it would clear the top of the door if it was not I could only get half in. Talk about blind spot I had no miroor for the top. I would have to hang out the window looking up driving a stick in a large truck.

Throught the week I also would have to work on larger trucks in this small bay and at times would nearly rub both sides.

As for kid I know no one wants to see a child hurt. I have one of my own and the last thing I would ever want is to do anything to hurt him. Even my Dog who is still a wild pup is a major concern.

The fact is when I move a car I either put them in the house or fenceded in backyard before I move the car. I have also taught my son who is now older to stay out of the way and he knows better now so the risk is not really a factor or as he now knows to keep out of the way. Now when he is grown up he will know better and will get out of the way. I hope this will be something he will pass onto his son and so on.

Childeren can be hurt or die 1001 ways and it is our part to teach them or make the moves to protect them. Even then a accident will happen somewhere and we will never stop them all.

Sure the sensors may stop something somewhere. But what else do we need to do ban all small objects that can be swallowed? I mean all not just childens toys. Or do we do the right thing as adults and take responsibility and put these small objects up and out of the way then teach the child not to eat them. Do we ban windows in houses because a chile may fall out? Where does it stop.

I hope you understrand that I feel the responsibility is on the adult to protect the child not just some beeper on the car. The adult should be aware to check and clear an area.

The bottom line is I just see so many of these laws are just removing the responsibility from the person and in turn removing the common sense snd skills they used to have.

This is only my opinion but I wouild like us to put more on the person and less on the device. It is time for people to wise up to raise kids not laws.

I understand where some are coming from and will not say they are wrong as this is not a right or wrong deal. I just have a different opinion and that is all. I just feel we as a society are losing our edge becsue we too often leave it to others to teach and be responsible for out kids for things we should already be doing and teaching.

 

I refer to this as dumbing down society to the least common denominator.

 

Actually I want to get rid of the convex passenger side mirror and replace it with a straight mirror and then apply one of those small convex mirrors. Yes, I am use to large truck mirrors as well.

 

Lord knows watching one episode of Cops bears this out

We as a society are losing so many skills anymore. Not just driving. Many we do not realize till the electric goes off.

 

Does this mean that my HHR is illegal? I do not have abs or tcs.

 

Not in an 09 you don't

 

Yeah, for a while they were starting to make ABS and TCS a standard feature... But then in the last few years it became an option to make the cars cheaper, and now it almost appears as if they may be bringing them back. One option I think SHOULD be standard in all new cars is side airbags. You're starting to see more of those in new cars. Those are more useful and practical than ABS or TCS in my opinion....

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the USA has now made stability control mandatory on all vehicles below 4535kg beginning September 2011. The September 2011 deadline applies for carmakers that produce over 5,000 cars a year - other manufacturers will be given more time to put the technology in.

So now stability control systems like DSC and VSA has joined the ranks of mandatory safety systems in all vehicles, airbags being one of them. This will indirectly make ABS mandatory, as stability control depends on the same functions as ABS to selectively activate brakes.

The NHTSA expects SUV rollovers to drop by 59%, and passenger cars to drop by 34% once the regulations are in effect, making stability control available on all cars. Of course, most manufacturers will include an option to disable stability control for some crazy driving opportunity in safe, controlled environments.



Read more: http://paultan.org/archives/2007/04/...xzz0F8iTiWTd&B

And add to that that TPMS is already mandatory

http://www.tireindustry.org/features..._Time_TPMS.asp

 

Side air bags I think are or will be required soon.

I don't have an issue with some air bags but they are getting a little over the top with them too.

I see the now are looking at bags for the center console, and we aleady have them for the lower legs too.

In Europe they are now wanting them for pediestians where if you hit one a bag blows out of the rear of the hood and covers 90 percent of the wind screen.

I am all for safety to a point but like the enviroment and other goverment regulated things it gets too big and complicated.

As for air bags I have been felt the effects. I know they are for my own good but one went off on me in a crash I would have walked away from unscratched with cuts, bruises and burns. If I had more air bags it may have killed me! LOL!

We should keep a little elemnent of damger out there as if we make things too safe people will only do even more stupid thing feeling invincable.

Like I say survival of the fittest and thinning the heard. We already have a few too many " HEY WATCH THIS" kind of guys around on youtube already.

I am into and nature handles it . If you make it hurt most won't do it again and if they do try again they remove themselves from the gene pool. You have to love nature and how it works.