Lesson #6: Poor Maintenance
The automobile industry spends millions of dollars testing every one of their products to insure safety. However, it has no real control of just how well these sophisticated machines will be maintained. Faulty machines are more the result of owner neglect than manufacturing defects. How often do each of us see a car with something as simple to fix as a burned out brake light bulb, a burned out headlight or a low tire? How often do we see a car pulled off to the side of the road that won't even run? These are all potential hazards to the rest of us - that should ideally be eliminated. It doesn't even consider the poorly maintained cars with dangerously unsatisfactory braking capability, bald tires, badly misaligned front suspensions, long ago worn out shock absorbers, etc.
SkyTran will eliminate accident due to poor maintenance by incorporating twice a day fully automatic system inspections. The cost to perform these completely automated system checks will be inconsequential. Each vehicle's maintenance history will be tracked continuously. Again, there are no moving parts on the vehicle that effect power, sensing and control. SkyTran is a Solid State transportation system. This means minimum maintenance and long life.
