Part 14 of 20 - Wrong-way Collisions, “What do I do with these kids that misbehave in the car?”
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Tags: Interstate safety,
semi-truck,
wrong-way collisions,
ghost riders,
Iowa,
I-80,
I-35,
I-235,
I-29,
I90,
I-5,
I-680,
I-370,
I-380
Minneapolis, Minnesota – July 2009 – A man driving the wrong-way on a one-way street was stopped by an officer on a bike after the officer ran on foot, was struck by the side mirror and managed to get the driver stopped in a parking lot. The 29-year-old driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The driver registered .23 on a breath test.
Sumter County, South Carolina – June 30, 2009 – In this case a 14-year-old girl was driving the wrong-way on U.S. 378, west in the eastbound lanes of travel. The time was about 11:18 p.m. The minimum age for driving in South Carolina is 15, when a person is able to receive a learners permit. Apparently this girl didn’t understand she was in enough trouble. She produced another person’s driver’s license, and then when questioned about the photo gave a false name and birth date. In the car were five passengers including an unconscious 22-year-old male in the back seat. A search of the car produced a lot of beer and a marijuana blunt.
Amarillo, Texas – June 30, 2009 - A 56-year-old driver was going south in the northbound lanes on South Georgia Street when he collided with several vehicles. The wrong-way driver is the only person who died or was seriously injured. Alcohol was not a factor and an autopsy was ordered to try and determine the reason for the driver’s behavior.
Garmin GPS Navigator Field Test - The field test involved several different Garmin models in Mexico The specific model is a 010-10755-00 and the Mexico Navigator Card in Mexico. The experience or finding important to this post is as follows:
“In other cases, the GPS/card can give incorrect directions to an address, even though the street has not been changed, or, worse, actually direct the driver to make an illegal turn. In Malinalco, for example, the GPS/card directed a driver to turn the wrong way on a desired hotel's street, and into oncoming one-way traffic. Again, the driver needs to pay attention to street signs while listening to the GPS.”
There is no indication if this would be true with other models or this same model in other cities or towns in other countries. Barbara and I have used GPS navigators in both Ireland and Germany with great success.