| Well as we have always said if you want to | | | | more congestion, more pollution and that |
| change the world you take something from one | | | | means more accidents not less. Oh well, leave |
| industry and apply it to another. History has | | | | it to the regulators to screw up something |
| shown this, for instance many of Leonardo | | | | else. Lockheed has some good ideas for the |
| DaVinci and his drawings and the Bicycle | | | | project and we stand to learn alot about |
| Mechanics Wright brothers. Well in that same | | | | human behavior, accident psychology and |
| tradition the Makers of Aircraft Jet | | | | survivability of Murphy-ism. Combine this |
| Simulators, Lockheed are now producing a | | | | with a new state of awareness in |
| prototype Truck training simulator. can buy | | | | transportation with regards to International |
| video games simulators in trucking just like | | | | Terrorism; your new drivers will be your last |
| the aviation ones by Microsoft already, | | | | and permanent line of defense.Just think if |
| sometimes art really does influence reality, | | | | Todd Beemer would have had all the training |
| 3D Virtual reality that is Well because there | | | | given to the Delta Force or Navy Seal Team |
| are certain things you will not wish to do in | | | | Six prior to the hi-jacking. Probably a |
| a truck during training, which will help a | | | | different result. Also realize that with |
| new driver learn experiences. For instance | | | | safer trucks and systems which measure tire |
| driving off the road accidentally and then | | | | pressure, instant weather reporting, GPS, |
| doing a gentle slow down, ride it out | | | | etc, these new trucks or a new driver could |
| recovery rather than jerking the wheel and | | | | possibly drive for years without a single |
| finding your self jack knifed along with | | | | incident and each mile with no incident makes |
| 40,000 -60,000 pounds of payload. This | | | | them a little less attentive and gives them a |
| project is a joint venture with GE. you do | | | | false sense of security, when the crap hits |
| not want to purposely blow out a front right | | | | the fan they will have never experienced |
| tire in an snow storm with black ice on the | | | | anything like that and might end up upside |
| road while passing a two lane narrow bridge | | | | down in the ditch and we have seen enough of |
| with construction vehicles parked there over | | | | those in our travels, but high winds, |
| night. Which could easily happen on | | | | blow-outs, boredom, unsafe four wheelers, |
| Pennsylvania's Toll Ways in the winter. The | | | | heavy traffic and road conditions, equipment |
| goal being total control, pre-planning, calm | | | | failures can occur. And as Lockheed will tell |
| cool and collected response, not panic, which | | | | you after testing all those X-Planes, "Events |
| could lead to death, injury and closing of a | | | | Occur" so then do them in a simulator first. |
| major arterial piece of infrastructure. Of | | | | I can recall my dad flew the DC-10 O'Hare |
| course these simulators are not cheap, but it | | | | Accident safely in a simulator after the |
| could save more lives than the bogus newly | | | | controls were put into the simulator exactly |
| enacted ridiculous hours of operation rules | | | | as those during that fatal flight. Imagine |
| by the DOT which will actually lead to higher | | | | the positive aspects of this.Lance Winslow - |
| freight costs, more trucks on the road and | | | | Online Think Tank forum board. |
| therefore more in experienced new drivers, | | | | |