The German Autobahn was officially opened on August 6, 1932 with an expressway going from Cologne to Bonn . Opening ceremonies were held by Konrad Adenauer who said, “So werden die Straßen der Zukunft aussehen.” Which in English means, “This is how the roads of the future will glimpse.” (3)
Adenauer proved proper in his prediction as the people of the world started to shift their main mode of transportation to the automobile. In December of 1940 America’s first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway, was opened to traffic. Both segments of roadway are still in use today. The cologne-bonn road is now part of the A555 autobahn and the Arroyo Seco Parkway is now called the Pasadena Freeway.
The earliest predecessor of the autobahn was the German AVUS. Began in Berlin in 1912 the AVUS was not completed until 1921 and was not connected to Berlin’s public road network until noteworthy later. The world’s first limited access motorway was built in Italy in 1924. Designed by a man named Piero Puricelli, and was overseen by Benito Mussolini. It spanned 80 miles and connected Milan to Varese. However, unlike the German autobahn to come this superhighway was a toll road and did not have divided lanes until much later.
There were numerous organizations that helped with the planning and construction of the German autobahn. The first was organized in 1924 and went by the name STUFA (Studiengesellschaft für den Automobilstraßenbau). STUFA published a plan for a 22,500 km German highway network, twice the length of the current German road network. In 1926 the HaFraBa (Verein zur Vorbereitung der Autostraße Hansestädte-Frankfurt-Basel) which in English means, Association for the Planning of the Hanseatic Cities-Frankfurt-Basel Motorway, took over for STUFA. HaFraBa did most of the major planning and groundwork for the German road network and in 1928 Kurt Kaftan, head of HaFraBa public relations, was the first to call it by the name we use today, the autobahn. It was HaFraBa’s new intention to charge a toll to finance this project however a German law later passed preventing this. Today it is financed through taxes on gasoline and oil and also there is now a toll system in residence for trucks only. (5)
In 1933 Adolf Hitler became Reichskanzler under Hindenburg, the Nazis took over HaFraBa and renamed it the GeZuVor (Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Autobahnbaus). They keep civil engineer Dr.-Ingr. Fritz Todt in charge of all matters of highway planning and construction. From 1933 to 1938 Germany added 3000 km (1860 mi) to its autobahn network. The next year Germany invaded Poland, slowing down construction progress. By 1941 only another 800 km (500m) had been built. The Nazis were unable to meet the costs of both the war and construction of the autobahn system. On December 3, 1941 all autobahn construction was halted. Only 3,860 km of mostly damaged or incomplete roadway out of the planned 6000 km was laid. (3)
Today the German autobahn (pictured below) is a expansive network of intertwining freeways that stretches 11,000 km (6830 mi). (2) It is a fast moving and efficient road network managed by a state of the art electronic monitoring system. While there is no enforced speed limit on about three quarters of the autobahn, there is an advisory speed limit from the German government called the Richtegeschwindkeit that is always in do. It advises all drivers to not go faster than 130 km/hr, roughly 81 mph. Driving faster than this speed can be considered driving with “increased operating misfortune” Erhokte Betriebsgefahr, and in cases of accidents may result in one’s insurance company withholding claims. (4)
There are posted hasten limits in areas surrounding cities and areas with difficult terrain (such as this piece of autobahn near the Czech border pictured below). The electronic monitoring system allows complete control over the autobahn system, and an site that is usually governed by the Richtegeschwindkeit rule can be rapidly changed if poor weather conditions or if traffic density necessitates this to be done. This electronic signing system can also be stale to open and finish extra lanes when needed. (1)
Another tool venerable to keep the autobahn safe are radio broadcasts used to give traffic reports. German radio tuners continue to monitor the last selected radio station even when a tape or CD is being played. Radio stations broadcast a special tone at the start of traffic reports which causes the tuner to switch the tape or CD being played to the radio so that you can hear the information. (6)
There are also restrictions placed on distinct vehicles. Bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians are not allowed to exercise the Autobahn, as are any other vehicles unable to achieve a speed of 60 km/h (36 mph). Buses carrying standing passengers and motorcycles pulling trailers are both restricted to 60 km/h. Vehicles with a gross weight of over 3.5 tons, passenger cars and trucks with trailers, and buses are restricted to 80 km/h.
As far as fatalities go the autobahn has proven repeatedly to be safer than most other roadway networks in the world. The autobahn with no posted hurry limit and sporting a larger average daily traffic density than the US still has a lower fatality rate. In 2004 the German Autobahn had an annual fatality rate of 3.2 per billion km, the United States interstates had an annual fatality rate of 5.0 per billion km. (7)
Recently certain activist groups have tried to get a law passed giving a blanket speed to Germany’s autobahn on the grounds of ecological concerns such as fuel consumption and the level of carbon given off at these high speeds; however, they have had little success. I acquire that this is rightly so. The German autobahn is an immensely intricate road system and a hallmark of German engineering and should be left the way it is. Besides, how much longer are we going to be driving cars fueled by gasoline?
- “The German Autobahn.” Destination360.
Destination360. 2008.
< http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/autobahn.php>
- “The Autobahn.” german-way.
TheGermanWay. ND.
http://www.german-way.com/autobahn.html>
- “Hitler and the Autobahn.” german.about.
About.com. ND.
http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth08.htm>
- “Autobahn.” en.wikipedia.org.
Wikipedia. 25 Feb 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/autobahn>
- “An Autobahn Timeline.” german.about.
About.com. ND.
http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth08_autobt.htm>
- “Autobahn Information.” german-autobahn.
German-Autobahn. ND.
http://german-autobahn.eu/index.asp>
- “Road Traffic Safety.” en.wikipedia.org.
Wikipedia. 25 Feb 2009.
- “Autobahn.” autobahn-online.
Henmar Internet Solutions. 3 Feb 2009.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Wiki by on Feb 17th, 2011. Comment. 
Recently, it was reported by CNN that health insurance companies have spent millions of dollars hiring lobbyists to influence legislatures’ decisions on health care reform. If Congress and the president pass health care reform, this could be one of the most significant changes in health care policy in this country in decades. Obviously, the health insurance industry stands to lose millions, or even billions of dollars in business if a competitive public health option is introduced which is lower in cost, and competitive, with private health insurance.
Otherwise, why would the health insurance industry spend millions of dollars hiring lobbyists? In fact, approximately $263,000,000 has been spent to hire lobbyists for the health care insurance companies. In fact, the health insurance industry has reaped profits over the past decades due to their ability to influence lawmakers.
One law, the McCarran-Ferguson Act, allows health insurance companies to be exempt from antitrust laws. The McCarran-Ferguson Act allows state governments to control the health insurance business without federal governnent oversight in many cases. Basically, this has resulted in the health insurance industry being free from antitrust regulation. Many antitrust experts feel that the McCarran-Ferguson Act is not needed, and President Obama may make efforts to repeal this act in order to allow greater competition among health insurance companies.
Many health insurance companies dominate the space in which they operate. In fact, if you look at the set of Maine where Olympia Snowe is a senator, the health insurance company Wellpoint Inc., controls 71% of the Maine health care insurance market. In fact, Olympia Snowe has commented on the problem of the lack of competition among health care insurance companies. A government health care plan would not need to turn a profit, rather, just balance incoming funds was services provided for participants. With reason, health care insurance companies terror such a plan because the most likely will result in a disruption to their decade’s long domination of the health care industry.
Sources:
Millions Spent To Sway Healthcare Options
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/24/health.care.lobbying/index.html
Repealing-insurers-antitrust-exemption-under-mccarran-ferguson-less-there-than-meets-the-eye
http://www.healthreformwatch.com/2009/10/22/repealing-insurers-antitrust-exemption-under-mccarran-ferguson-less-there-than-meets-the-eye/
McCarran-Ferguson Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarran-Ferguson_Act
Competition Lacking Among Private Health Insurance Companies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/22/competition-lacking-among_n_266153.html
Filed under Automobile Insurance Wiki by on Jan 21st, 2011. Comment.
Everyone who is a fan of American Idol should know who David Archuleta is. He came in second place on the 7th season of the show with 44% of over 97 million votes cast during the finale [1]. He had been a front runner from the beginning and had captured millions of hearts from the first note he sang. After the thrilling experience of the American Idols Live Tour, where he performed in over 50 venues along with the rest of the Top 10 [2], he went on to release his debut single, “Crush”, which tore up the charts, landing a #2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 [3]. Not soon after, he released his self-titled debut album, which has sold over 700,000 copies so far in the US alone [4]. So it’s no doubt that the adorable Archuleta has become a household name across the world. However, a silky tenor voice and charming good looks aren’t the only things that Archuleta has in store.
Archuleta’s powerful voice has the power to touch people’s hearts and melt their souls. His persona is like that of no other. He is sweet, kind, caring, humble, funny, excellent, fine, and truly unique. Day by day, he continues to impress with his down-to-earth nature that is shown in everything he does–blogs, interviews, tweets, and more. He is so generous and giving to his fans, never wanting to turn down a fan asking for a photo or an autograph, and he is a positive influence and role model to all. He has made such a big impact on millions of lives around the world, whether it be motivating them to go out and do something good for the world, giving them hope in rough times with his uplifting songs, or even just helping them meet new friends. His support for multiple charities, including Rising Star Outreach, has inspired his fans to form groups to raise money for those meaningful causes. He has shown that music is more than just a pretty melody, and he has taught his fans to have more patience and love towards others. Thank you David Archuleta for being so selfless and caring towards everyone. You truly are changing the world for the better.
See David Archuleta and Disney star, Demi Lovato, on tour this summer in a city approach you. Dates are listed below. [5]
June 21: Hartford, Conn. (XL)
June 22: Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza)
June 24: Newark, N.J. (Prudential)
June 25: Uniondale, N.Y. (Nassau Coliseum)
June 26: Boston, Mass. (Agganis)
June 27: Philadelphia, Pa. (Mann Music Theater)
June 29: Duluth, Ga. (The Arena at Gwinnett Center)
July 1: Lafayette, La. (Cajundome)
July 2: North Little Rock, Ark. (Alltel Arena)
July 3: Houston, Texas (Reliant Arena)
July 5: Grand Prairie, Texas (Nokia Theater)
July 6: Tulsa, Okla. (BOK Center)
July 9: Glendale, Ariz. (Jobing.com Arena)
July 10: Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center at Fresno State)
July 11: San Jose, Calif. (SJ Events Center)
July 13: Portland, Oregon (Rose Garden)
July 14: Seattle, Wash. (WaMu Theater)
July 16: Sacramento, Calif. (ARCO)
July 17: Los Angeles (NOKIA Theatre at LA Live)
July 18: Las Vegas (Orleans Arena)
July 20: Denver (Wells Fargo Theater)
July 22: Kansas City, Missouri (Sprint Center)
July 24: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
July 25: Cincinnati, Ohio (US Bank Arena)
July 27: Cleveland (Wolstein Center)
July 28: Harrington, Del. (Delaware State Fair
July 29: Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)
July 31: Tampa (St. Pete Times Forum)
Aug. 1: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (BankAtlantic Center)
Aug. 2: Orlando (Amway Arena)
Aug. 4: Greenville, S.C. (Bi-Lo Center)
Aug. 5: Louisville, K.Y. (Broadbent Arena)
Aug. 6: Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State Fair)
Aug. 8: Minneapolis, Minn. (Target Center)
Aug. 9: West Allis, Wisc. (Wisconsin State Fair)
Aug. 10: Indianapolis (Indiana Position Fair)
Aug. 12: Nashville (Sommet Center)
Aug. 13: St. Louis (Chaifetz Arena)
Aug. 14: Moline, Ill. (iWireless Center)
Aug. 15: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center Omaha)
Aug. 17: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
Aug. 18: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Music Theater)
Aug. 20: Fairfax, Va. (Patriot Center)
Aug. 21: Hershey, Pa. (TBA)
Aug. 22: Atlantic City, N.J. (Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort)
Aug. 23: Providence, R.I. (Dunkin Donuts Center)
Aug. 24: Manchester, N.H. (Verizon Wireless)
Sources
1. “‘Rocker’ Cook wins American Idol” Independent Television News. 22 May 2008.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idols_LIVE!_Tour_2008
3. “Chart Beat: David Archuleta, Rihanna, Brandy and Monica, Journey, Isaac Hayes”. Billboard. 2008. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp? vnu_content_id=1003841437.
4. http://www.archuletaavenue.com/2009/05/david-archuleta-reaches-700000-mark.html
Filed under Automobile Insurance Wiki by on Dec 18th, 2010. Comment.
NASCAR Driver Profile – Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon has raced on the NASCAR circuit since 1992. Along the draw he has won 81 races, 328 Top Ten finishes, 67 Pole Positions, Four season championships, and won over $94 million USD in prize money. Gordon has raced for Hendrick Motorsports during his entire tenure on the professional racing circuit, however, he has not finished first in the points standings since 2001. Teammate Jimmie Johnson has won the NASCAR Cup the past three seasons. Gordon enters the 2009 NASCAR racing season looking to show improvement on his 7th place finish last season and hoping to construct a go at his fifth championship this season.
NASCAR Driver Profile- Race History – Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon started racing in the Busch Series in 1991 and 1992 racing for Bill Davis Racing. He won the rookie of the year his first season on the circuit and followed that up with obtaining 11 pole positions in his second season. In 1992, Gordon ran his first NASCAR Winston Cup (Now called the Sprint Cup) Series race in the Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway going on to effect 31st after crashing in the 164th lap. Gordon would go on to win the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 1993 and obtained his first victory in 1994 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca Cola 600. He would finish 8th overall in Winston Cup point standings for the 1994 season. Jeff Gordon would then go on in 1995 to win his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship defeating Dale Earnhardt who had won his final championship the previus season. Gordon would finish second in the Cup standings to Terry Labonte in 1996 but would rebound and win his first Daytona 500 in 1997 followed by his second NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Gordon would repeat his Cup Championship in 1998, and go on to become only the third driver to win four NASCAR Cup championships in 2001.
NASCAR Driver Profile – Personal Acievements – Jeff Gordon
If Jeff Gordon were to quit NASCAR racing today, he would be considered to have had a Hall of Fame career. At 37, he’s by no means done. His accomplishments include:
USAC Triple Crown Champion (1990 Midget, 1991 Silver Crown)
NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year – 1991
Sprint Cup Series Champion – 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
Daytona 500 Winner – 1997, 1999, 2005
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard – 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004
Sprint All-Star Race – XI, XIII, and XVII Winner
NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year – 1993
2009 Inductee in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
Voted as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers
NASCAR Driver Profile – 2009 NASCAR Season – Jeff Gordon
After finishing second in the Sprint Cup Series in 2007 to team mate Jimmie Johnson, and seventh in 2008, Jeff Gordon is on a mission to show that he is still one of the top NASCAR drivers in the sport. He has started off the 2009 strongly finishing 4th in his opening race at the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Gordon would then go on to hold off Tony Stewart and win his 5th Gatorade Duel which was his first derive in over 41 races. As a result, he started in the third position at Daytona and despite some issues with his tires, finished 12th at the 2009 Daytona 500.
Filed under Automobile Insurance Wiki by on Dec 15th, 2010. Comment.
