Comments on: Why Don’t We Have… CRASH-PROOF HIGHWAYS (Jun, 1953) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:39:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: iRoy http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/comment-page-1/#comment-957287 iRoy Wed, 26 Dec 2007 02:59:58 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/#comment-957287 Err, we now have those roads here in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as several other European and Australian cities. No autopilot, instead the driver only controls velocity. Steering on our adapted buses is controlled by guide wheels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guided_bus Err, we now have those roads here in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as several other European and Australian cities.

No autopilot, instead the driver only controls velocity. Steering on our adapted buses is controlled by guide wheels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guided_bus

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/comment-page-1/#comment-949481 Neil Russell Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:50:39 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/#comment-949481 I'd love to see that article, I think the best way would be an invisible "third rail" in the road that would let regular cars continue to use the highway until everyone made the changeover to electric. Think of the industry in conversions. Your favorite car with an electric motor and a receiving set in place of the engine and transmission. Not to mention the day could come when electric cars wouldn't have to be pint-sized but the kind of finned chrome-dripping behemoths we were promised all those years ago! :) I’d love to see that article, I think the best way would be an invisible “third rail” in the road that would let regular cars continue to use the highway until everyone made the changeover to electric.
Think of the industry in conversions. Your favorite car with an electric motor and a receiving set in place of the engine and transmission.
Not to mention the day could come when electric cars wouldn’t have to be pint-sized but the kind of finned chrome-dripping behemoths we were promised all those years ago! :)

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/comment-page-1/#comment-949409 jayessell Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:25:59 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/#comment-949409 <b>Neil</b> Like personal streetcars? A Popular Science of the 1960s proposed a electric car with a short range battery. Battery power from your house to the highway, then a special lane with rails that your car rides on. No steering! Power supplied by a third rail. A barcode on the driver's door is read at each exit. (A crank allows you to change the displayed barcode.) When it matches the exit the car is switched to a siding allowing the rubber to touch the ground and you drive away. Todays microelectronics would simplfy the operation (and tolls.) Neil
Like personal streetcars?
A Popular Science of the 1960s proposed a electric car with a short range battery.
Battery power from your house to the highway, then a special lane with rails that your car rides on. No steering!
Power supplied by a third rail.
A barcode on the driver’s door is read at each exit. (A crank allows you to change the displayed barcode.)
When it matches the exit the car is switched to a siding allowing the rubber to touch the ground and you drive away.
Todays microelectronics would simplfy the operation (and tolls.)

]]> By: Neil Russell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/comment-page-1/#comment-947696 Neil Russell Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:07:03 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/#comment-947696 I'd like to see it taken a step further with coils in the pavement that provide electricity transmitted up to electric or hybrid cars passing over, charging the batteries and providing motive power to electric motors. Part of the system could be navigation and even auto-pilot control when a driver logs on to the highway. I’d like to see it taken a step further with coils in the pavement that provide electricity transmitted up to electric or hybrid cars passing over, charging the batteries and providing motive power to electric motors.
Part of the system could be navigation and even auto-pilot control when a driver logs on to the highway.

]]> By: Githyanki http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/comment-page-1/#comment-947297 Githyanki Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:37:22 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/12/23/why-dont-we-have-crash-proof-highways/#comment-947297 If they had the lanes set up as pictured, the highways would become unusable. You couldn't change lanes. Everyone would be stuck in the slow lane unless they were willing to run over divider. If they had the lanes set up as pictured, the highways would become unusable. You couldn’t change lanes. Everyone would be stuck in the slow lane unless they were willing to run over divider.

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