That’s it ! I’m pushing for national legislation to require that anyone with a motorhome or 5th wheel RV over 24’ long
must first take a driving test before putting said vehicle on the road. And should there be a maximum age limit ? Hmmmmm …
oooooooo… there’s some tough legislation, there.
Why not offer as an incentive… if you take a course in learning how to drive the things, you can get a break in your car insurance? With the insane rates in CA, that would be a very attractive idea.
And the maximum age thing has been gone over and over. But let’s face it… yes, your timing and attention on average do seem to decline as you get older, but I’ve known some really good drivers in their 70s… as opposed to dorks in their 30s who can’t put the freaking cellphone away while they drive. Should there be mandatory testing? Unless you do this across the board, then it won’t work. I just got done with traffic school (I was caught speeding, and boy, did I learn my lesson), and we had a wide cross-section of the population in the class of about 20 people.
Trust me, Chuck-- I do understand and empathise with you. But unfortunately, with the graying of the boomers, we just have to be on our guard, and pray for more passing lanes.
Melis
Wench #407, IWG
Wenchmommy extraordionaire
Goddess of Typos, Dark Chocolate and Fyne Ale
I don’t know why RV’ers shouldn’t be required to take a special test. You have to take a different test to drive a motorcycle. You have to get a CDL for certain types of vehicles. Whats the dif?
Kathy
Motorcycles are a different KIND of vehicle. Tractor/Trailor trucks are a different KIND of vehicle. I believe the differences in the liscense categories are based on different designs. My father’s motor home is a Chevy van front end, so the engine is Chevy, the trans is Chevy, it drives like a Chevy, except for the fact that it’s 14’ tall and 25’ long. All that being said, I agree - the damned things drive differently enough (handling, size, backing up, etc. And there is a good reason for camper bans during high winds!), that you should at least practice for a couple of hours in an empty parking lot before taking it out on the road. Additional liscensing doesn’t sound that bad, but it won’t help without the actual experience.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics”
Benjamin Disraeli
How about an IQ test for truck drivers - such measures would immediately create thousands of job openings.
Incompetent RVers are particularly frightening…some guy who sits behind a desk eleven months of the year and then jumps behind the wheel of a Land Behemoth towing a car behind. They drive me nuts! Part of the test should require them to back the thing up between some cones.
“History is just one damn thing after another!” -Winston Churchill