Re: Newbie Needs GPS Selection Advice

From: Peter (prathman_at_comcast.net)
Date: 09/21/04 

Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 12:07:42 -0700

Gymmy Bob wrote:

> If you have ever driven in heavy fog, in the dark, you would understand what
> I posted. Other vehicles have lights on them and can be seen for possibly a
> 30 metres, more or less.

The reference to getting out at a corner made it appear that at least
part of this trip was on non-freeways. In that case there are a variety
of possible obstacles that would not have lights - children and other
pedestrians, parked vehicles, trees at the road edge, etc.

Even on freeways there is no assurance that there won't be unlit obstacles.

> Road signs and the dark pavemnet cannot be seen or
> perceived, at least. When making a turn the dark signs at the side of the
> road indicating the road name or highway number cannot be seen to the side
> of the headlights.

Fog where you can't see beyond the hood of the vehicle is much more
dense than fog which just prevents you from reading signs off the side
of the road. I have continued driving (slowly) in the latter but not in
the former.
All the vehicle codes that I have seen require that you drive slow
enough to ensure that you can safely stop when you see an obstacle. If
conditions are such that you can't see beyond your own vehicle then the
only speed that satisfies this conditions is 0.
>
> Without the GPS and only using a map you have been lost all night or parked
> until morning, if your car wasn't hit by another lost victim at the side of
> the road.
>
> Are you living in a second world country, like most of Europe or Asia, where
> cars are not that common?

I take it you haven't been in either Europe or Asia in quite a few decades.
>
> "Gary S." <Idontwantspam@net> wrote in message
> news:rm00l053jpd092kocpuca6vg397n2ad25p@4ax.com...
>
>>On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 20:48:33 -0700, Peter <prathman@comcast.net>
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Gymmy Bob wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>My wife won't leave the house anymore without our Garmin SP III. She
>
> was
>
>>>>caught in a very heavy fog with 100Km to get home once and would rebuy
>
> it
>
>>>>herself if we lost it. My youngest son had to get out to verify
>
> pavement at
>
>>>>the corner. She could literally not see the road at the end of the
>
> hood.
>
>>>This use of a GPS receiver disturbs me. The SP III is a very nice unit,
>>>but it's not an adequate substitute for being able to see the road. If
>>>the fog is that thick then pull well off the road so you won't get hit
>>>by anyone else and stop driving until it has started to clear.
>>>
>>>Hoping the "literally" above was an exaggeration.
>>>
>>
>>I would agree.
>>
>>Even if a GPSr were holding an accuracy of 3 meters, that might not be
>>accurate enough.
>>
>>In any conditions, you not only need to know/see where you are in
>>relation to the road, but you also need to be visible to others. In
>>dense fog like that, even with perfect GPS, no other vehicle would
>>have the slightest clue where your were until contact.
>>
>>Best bet in conditions like that would be to pull over, well off the
>>road, and wait it out. Rare for dense fog to last many hours.
>>
>>Happy trails,
>>Gary (net.yogi.bear)
>>------------------------------------------------
>>at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence
>>
>>Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
>>Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom
>
>
>

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