Las Vegas drivers say Jetsons have right idea

If Las Vegans had their choice of vehicles, get this, it wouldn't be a Hummer or Escalade. Nope, they'd rather be controlling George Jetson's vehicle, whipping through the open skies.

This might change if more aggressive drivers get tangled in the Stratosphere needle rather than flowing over a Smart car, but as it stands now, according to a survey by The Hartford insurance company, most of us would like to be zinging around in a flying saucerlike thingy.

Personally, if I were to wish upon futuristic Jetsons technology, I'd opt for the conveyer belt that guides Jane through the morning process by showering, doing her hair and putting on makeup before coughing her up and sending her on her way.

The 39 percent of motorists polled by The Hartford probably envisioned soaring over the congested roadways and avoiding accidents and construction zones.

I thought it was a little weird that motorists would randomly choose Jetson's "vehicle," so I had to ask these surveyors whether this was a multiple choice question. Yes, and the other options were the Batmobile, Bumble Bee from "Transformers" and K.I.T.T., the "Knight Rider" car.

So, duh, Jetson it is -- not only because you avoid traffic jams, but because it's pretty cool to hover over your kids' school, open the hatch and let 'em fly.

This survey was actually not all goofy; it tried to determine how motorists feel when it comes to their roads and commute in Las Vegas.

"The Hartford is very focused on how drivers feel when they drive," said Steve Jones, assistant vice president of marketing. "Happy drivers are safer drivers."

Feedback from about 300 Las Vegans generated one of the nation's lowest approval ratings for "very drivable" arterials. The Hartford study shows 42 percent of our Las Vegas population believe the roads are very drivable, 50 percent say they are somewhat drivable, 8 percent say not to drivable and 1 percent said the roads are not drivable at all.

To make the drive more tolerable, motorists point to better synchronizing the traffic signals, reducing construction zones and adding more lanes to the highways.

On the flip side, 69 percent of those polled said they believe transportation officials are doing a good job maintaining our roadways.

Skepticism swirls around these types of studies and surveys.

A study conducted last year by the National Transportation Research Group would have you believe that fewer than 42 percent would give a thumbs-up to the conditions of our highways and thoroughfares.

The study showed that we spend 44 hours of our lives every year idled by traffic; that 10 percent of our major arterials are in poor condition and 26 percent are in mediocre shape.

These badly maintained roads combined with lost time stuck in traffic cost us $1,481 each year.

Of course this organization is funded by businesses involved in highway engineering, construction and financing. Those businesses undoubtedly and understandably are desperate for work.

According to The Hartford, roads in other major cities apparently are in better shape. But, hey, we're on target with everybody else on the sillier questions.

Your favorite theme song? Those surveyed said Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" best describes our driving habits.

Obviously another multiple choice question with the other options being "Highway to Hell" (sorry, AC/DC) and "Life in the Fast Lane."

And take comfort in the fact that we're also on par with other cities: We like to fly and we'd like to fly.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Adrienne Packer at 702-387-2904, or send an e-mail to roadwarrior@reviewjournal
.com. Please include your phone number.