RE: Must See! Beautiful Pre-Production Tango!

["Roger Stockton" <rstockton@delta-q.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ev@listproc.sjsu.edu 
> [mailto:owner-ev@listproc.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Arnaud Hubert
> Sent: January 28, 2002 10:20 AM
> To: ev@listproc.sjsu.edu
> Subject: RE: Must See! Beautiful Pre-Production Tango!
> 
> 
> I don't think a thousand Tangos on the road - nor even 10,000 
> - would be enough to have the lawmakers consider the split 
> lane concept. Even the bikers lobby in the US can't do that 
> (except in California, and who knows how long it will last).
> 

Probably true, however, the split lane concept is no more essential to
public adoption of the Tango than lane splitting is to the public
adoption of motorcycles.  If/when the split lane concept became reality,
the attraction and utility of the Tango would increase (same as for all
other narrow vehicles, e.g. Sparrow and motorcycles, which would also be
able to take advantage of the split lanes).

> I think the split lane concept poses 
> another entirely different safety issue, and that one is not 
> just "perceived". Changing lane is already pretty tricky 
> (think LA, think Miami, think NY). I certainly wouldn't want 
> to do the same exercise with twice as many lanes and vehicles 
> of various widths...

I disagree.  All drivers must be competent at changing lanes to use the
present road system safely, and this does not depend on lane or vehicle
width.  Consider that the present situation with motorcycles is exactly
the same and that splitting a lane into two dedicated "narrow vehicle
lanes" only adds one more lane change at most (and only for the narrow
vehicle driver).  The lane change from one narrow lane to another narrow
lane will be safer than a present wide lane change maneouver with a
narrow vehicle due to the elimination of the enticing "empty" space
adjacent to the narrow vehicle in a wide lane.  Lane changes by a narrow
vehicle in a wide lane will be no different from present, widespread,
motorcycle operation.

Split lanes would be safer than the present accepted (and legal in some
places) practice of lane-splitting.

Cheers,

Roger.