Re: vision2020-digest Digest V99 #192

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

Brett:  No doubt that economic survival is vital to enterprises in the 
timber industry and that efficient routing must be secured for 
profitability and competitiveness. If so, then your kind of company ought 
to make it very clear to the logging trucks and other service vehicles 
that they "share", not dominate, the roads along with tens of thousands 
of other vehicles and people. One cannot drive very far on ID roads 
without encountering plenty of trucks loaded with timber, and many of 
them drive excessively fast, sometimes a bit recklessly, and can be a 
threat to the rest of us. I have been driving for over 60 years, and my 
vast experience tells me that hiway safety is worsening all the time and 
violations of rules and courtesy count for 60,000 deaths each year (more 
than Viet Nam).  The federal DOT study, done by the U of Michigan, just 
released, tells us that while only 4% of all registered vehicles are 
trucks, they now account for 22% of road accidents! Something here is 
wrong and must change. If it doesn't , people will eventually get a 
referendum to change the regulations and threaten your economic survival, 
if that depends in some way on the present road behaviors of the trucking 
industry. Trucks on the 4-lanes and divided hiways/Interstates present 
less of a problem, but even there high speeds are rampant -- just try 
clocking them, which I occasionally do:  10 - 20 MPH above the legal 
limits. In CA, they're supposed to keep it at 55 !! Forget it. One of my 
relatives worked for the CA Hiway Patrol, and he told me they don't 
bother the trucks, except for glaring safety vilotations.  Othe prople 
and drivers, esp. with children in the car, deserve to see the rules 
followed. Where do you stand on this? Maybe the timber industry ought to 
begin investing in other economic pursuits, including tourism and animal 
parks and fish hatcheries and other small enterprises linked to the 
hi-tech industry. There are many options! Please give it some sober 
thought, and let's hear from you again. Thanks so much for sharing.  W. 
Ken Medlin, Moscow

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William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com