Easter Road Toll (1 Viewer)

[Jiga]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/five-killed-on-nsw-roads/2007/04/06/1175366439139.html

If your lazy, long story short a number of full license holders (including 2 or 3 70 year old people) have been involved in crashes of their fault, with people dying.

Ok now these full license holders are dropping like flies. We need a knee jerk reaction now to be fair because we did it for the young drivers, what restrictions do you think should be put in place? (Maybe forward it to your local member of parliament as well).

I can think of:

* Passenger restrictions - A couple of these recent crashes involved passengers, the full license holders get easily distracted like EVERY human being
* Speed restrictions - 110km/h is obviously to fast, limiting them to 100km/h or 90km/h is going to make a MASSIVE difference because highways: long, flat, straight roads are where the crashes always occur because of speed........
* We need an ad campaign, something along the lines of 'You stop a full license holder from speeding, you stop a full license holder from dying' - it really worked on the p-platers
* Over 60 year olds need to complete 200hours of driving with a COMPETENT full license holder, because they themselves aernt competent enough to control their vehicles.
* Restricting mobile fone use including hands free for full license holders, it only makes sense seeings as though young drivers cant because mobile fones are always the causes of crashes not the fact that they hit a massive pothole in our well maintained roads like Parra Rd which caused a tyre blowout which then made them veer onto the wrong side of the road into a truck who was doing 140km/h in a 100 zone (who later tells the cops he wasnt the one speeding). It was the mobile fone that did it!!!
* Over 60 year old drivers must display their 'S' plates externally, S standing for 'sh*t driver' <- part of me thinks something like this should seriously be in place, if young drivers need to have something marking them as they are inexperienced and a danger to others then why dont older drivers who lack many sensors have them so people know either watch out this guy doesnt check his blind spot etc or change lanes this guy is going to do 50km/h below the limit becuase he can only see 2m ahead of his car

 

[Jiga]

I found it interesting in their reports on the news today, when a p-plater crashes they say 'a p-plater has crashed his car today' while when your older driver has a crash and dies its 'his CAR hit a pole'. Its subtle but its funny how they dehumanise the actions for a full license holders... it wasnt the driver who crashes it because he was speeding, it was his car that has a mind of its own and wrapped itself around a pole!

 

[Josie]

From a couple of reports I've heard..

blah blah X deaths. blah blah so many thousand caught for speeding..
OMG 2 P PLATERS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT SPEEDING.

....

What about the thousands of non-p-platers caught speeding

 

[iamsickofyear12]

From a couple of reports I've heard..

blah blah X deaths. blah blah so many thousand caught for speeding..
OMG 2 P PLATERS HAVE BEEN CAUGHT SPEEDING.

....

What about the thousands of non-p-platers caught speeding

It's impossible (and dangerous) for people to maintain the speed limit every single second so of course its going to be easy to catch a whole lot of people speeding when you have a million cops out with radars.

They are just out to make a point by catching a whole bunch of good drivers that don't deserve to be fined/lose points just because they go a little bit over the speed limit.

That is why I don't drive during double demerits unless I absolutely have to.

 

[Josie]

That wasn't my point. The thousands of non-p-plate drivers got a couple of seconds mention. Then they spent 5 minutes reporting the two P plate drivers.

 

[umop 3pisdn]

Damn arbitrary period tolls

Why don't they report the number of road casualties between say the 13th and 17th of October?

WELL, WHY DON'T THEY? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?

 

[Jiga]

That wasn't my point. The thousands of non-p-plate drivers got a couple of seconds mention. Then they spent 5 minutes reporting the two P plate drivers.

Yeah its bullsh*t... at this level of road toll during christmas there was major coverage because the issue was p-platers being crap drivers. Yet now 16 people have been killed on the roads and you see only a small report mainly talking about the few p-plate deaths, and only alittle bit on how a full license holders CAR crashed with the driver dying or a full license holders CAR was involved in a head on with the driver dying.

Its funny at times how they present their stories to get a certain response and its so obvious, but seeings as though these same kinda stories in the past are what have led to more stupid restrictions on young drivers, its also getting annoying.

EDIT:

Damn arbitrary period tolls

Why don't they report the number of road casualties between say the 13th and 17th of October?

WELL, WHY DON'T THEY? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?

Lol because it wouldnt make for good news. Fact is people die everday on our roads, its a fact of life when you have human beings controlling powerful machines. Its also common sense that during a holiday period more people will die because you have ALOT more cars on the road. But the media tries to make it out like every holiday period its shocking that people are dying on the roads... when its nothing out of the ordinary really.

And also what really shytes me is how they constantly have a report and say police are urging people to slow down, ffs most crashes dont involve speeding... I can speak from personal experience and 90% of people dont speed during holidays because of double demerits, its not hard to notice when you drive down a particular road that people normally speed through and everyone is doing the limit all of a sudden! Its just like I mentioned above, more people on the road, more crashes for whatever reason (fatigue, crappy roads, rain etc).

 

[ALLLICE]

either way us P platers lose.... if some DO die in the easter road toll then they'll say "another tragic P plater death...we need more restrictions!"....if not then they say "our current over the top restrictions are working" and they pat themselves on the back...

why can't they see that not all P platers are drag racing hooligans...

sorry if this went off on a bit of a tangent on P-platers

[/rant]

 

[mr_brightside]

Don't restrict what a driver can do. Just fucking teach them how to drive.

Just passing the radio before. 21 dead.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

On the point about hand-free mobile phones. There is so much psych research done on that which suggests that they are as bad as normal mobile phones.

The conversation has no more of an impact on attention than any number of other things people do while driving... talking to other passengers, eating, changing radio stations or just generally tuning out.

The problem that I have with the research is that it is completely unrealistic. They have people driving some kind of race course at a minimum speed. Of course they can't do it with a phone in one hand and if the track is difficult enough not while talking either. Problem is that in real life we have straight roads and it is often possible to drive and talk on the phone at the same time.

If people know how to drive properly in the first place a phone shouldn't be a problem. What next... make it illegal to talk to other passengers in the car.

 

[ALLLICE]

Its good that you went on a rant. Now you need to turn that into letters to the major newspapers to see how they respond - whether they edit your letter, or whether they don't put it in, or even how other people respond to it.

interesting idea

We need to bring about the reduction/end of this social stigmatisation towards P Platers.

I totally agree. P-Platers are far too often thrown into one big category when in reality the 'juvenille hooligans' only make up a small percentage. Also, it's not only P-Platers that are the cause of these 'P-Plater tradgedies'...the fact that they're a P-Plater just gets all the attention.

I think a lot of these restrictions are boarder line absurd. Consider this scenario: a P-Plater loses their license for 3 months for speeding. The media's reaction:*Shock horror* speeding! thank god they got that kid off the road! an accident waiting to happen! When really the definition of 'speeding' is a little ridiculous in itself. In my opinion I don't see going 5k over the limit down a hill as speeding...but in reality if a P-Plater gets caught doing this then they can instantly lose their license for 'speeding'.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

When really the definition of 'speeding' is a little ridiculous in itself. In my opinion I don't see going 5k over the limit down a hill as speeding...but in reality if a P-Plater gets caught doing this then they can instantly lose their license for 'speeding'.

I think it's completely ridiculous that there are people out there that will claim even if you go 5km/h over the speed limit you are a menace to society and under absolutely no circumstances should you drive even 1km/h over the speed limit. Anyone who makes this claim either:

a) drives over the speed limit themselves is a hypocrite
b) constantly watches their speedo... which is dangerous
c) drives significantly under the speed limit... which is also a problem

The issue isn't as simple as; speeding (even 1km/h over) = illegal = you shouldn't do it under any circumstances. Anyone who thinks it is shouldn't have a license.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

c) drives significantly under the speed limit... which is also a problem

Damn right it is. All those red lights that you could have pulled up to about five seconds quicker, such a problem. I drive, and I usually drive about 5-0km/h below the speed limit. Sometimes I might accidently go over, but on the rare occasion that I do I automatically slow down. You don't want that to happen so frequently to you, then slow down. Douchebags.

And honestly, why oh why do people care about the increased coverage given to P-Platers in the news? Lol, it's not as if the police randomly pull over P-platers for doing nothing, and nor would media coverage have an impact on this. You people are just as bad as those old people who constantly compain. Die.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Damn right it is. All those red lights that you could have pulled up to about five seconds quicker, such a problem. I drive, and I usually drive about 5-0km/h below the speed limit. Sometimes I might accidently go over, but on the rare occasion that I do I automatically slow down.

You actually fall in category a)... I wouldn't consider a maximum of 5km/h under significant....

Just because you only sometimes go over the speed limit doesn't change the fact that it is illegal. If you were to be pulled over for speeding when you do go over the fact that you have been driving under the speed limit for the whole journey so far counts for nothing.

Let me explain to you why driving significantly under the speed limit is such a problem. Most people are willing to sit behind someone who is doing the speed limit but if you are going under it basically everyone is going to want to overtake you. Having everyone move out of a lane and then back again is obviously going to cause unnecessary congestion. Not only that but makes everyone pissed off and frustrated and they sometimes do stupid things just to get around the slow person.

The most efficient way to drive is to make use of open lanes and keep up with traffic. That sometimes involves speeding but it's not motorists fault that the speed limits are wrong. The people who drive on the same roads every single day are more aware of the safe speed to drive than anyone else.

The amount of time I save every single time I drive from making use of free and open lanes rather than sitting behind someone doing the speed limit is much more than getting to red lights 5 seconds earlier. I probably save more than an hour a week. I don't speed crazily or drive dangerously I just don't drive unneccessarily slow.

 

[lengy]

Fucking slow drivers. Accidents are going to happen regardless of speeding. Distractions are more of a hazard than speeding.

 

[wuddie]

in respond to above - i'd like to see you get brake as quick as you can if you are actually going at 40 rather than 100.

i don't see the point of all those v6 which can get to 100k within 5 or 6 secs, i mean, as if you are not going to speed knowing your car can do that.

i say every car should be fixed with a stalling mechanism, which will stall the car as soon as it goes over 120 or so.

 

[Josie]

in respond to above - i'd like to see you get brake as quick as you can if you are actually going at 40 rather than 100.

i don't see the point of all those v6 which can get to 100k within 5 or 6 secs, i mean, as if you are not going to speed knowing your car can do that.

i say every car should be fixed with a stalling mechanism, which will stall the car as soon as it goes over 120 or so.

That was mildly intelligent until the last line.

Yeah, really good idea, dickhead, you want the car in front of you stalling when you're heading along the freeway at 110km/hr? I think not.

 

[lengy]

Acceleration and torque is used to overtake you slow arse drivers. Would you prefer to overtake and sit in the opposite lane for 20 seconds or do it in 3? You cunts take ages to change lanes and get in people's way. You get the shits when others overtake you and block them off. You cunts are the reasons people get frustrated. If you let us pass, we're gone and out of your way and no longer bother you, but not you fucktards don't get it. You enjoy being dickheads on the roads. How'd you like being in a tight supermarket aisle with someone blocking your way from getting an item or even leaving the store? It's false imprisonment what you're doing. Get the fuck out of my way!

 

[iamsickofyear12]

Is this your personal opinion? Or is this based on something? For the first point, There has been varied research on this which suggests otherwise.

As for your points about eating and changing the radio station. Yes, eating while your driving is probably unsafe too, so is changing the radio station. The difference is the driver can choose when to do those things and tend to do it at times that are safe. If your listening to someone in the car, studies have shown (see the first reference) that this is qualitatively different because people regulate their conversation in regards to traffic demand. On a mobile phone, your attention is divided to the voice that chats away.

Even 'tuning out' can be considered different. Because you are still readily able to react and tune in if something goes wrong.

phones do distract you, regardless of how good a driver you are. Even the research you have read (if you have indeed read any) should have told you that.

I didn't say there wasn't research that supported phones being distracting. My issue is that they are not equally distracting under all circumstances, there are other things that are just as distracting and people should be able to make their own decisions on when to talk on the phone and when not to.

If I was driving on a straight empty road talking on a phone isn't going to be that much of a problem.

A driver can choose when to talk on the phone. If they are in a situation that they can't talk they can always not answer or quickly conclude the conversation and hang up. It's not that different than choosing when to change radio stations or mess with the air conditioner or eat.

Not everyone regulates their conversation in regards to traffic demand. I have been driving many times and have had to tell the person I was speaking to not to talk for a second so I can concentrate. It would be just as easy to hang up a phone at this point.

It depends on how much you tune out.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Acceleration and torque is used to overtake you slow arse drivers. Would you prefer to overtake and sit in the opposite lane for 20 seconds or do it in 3? You cunts take ages to change lanes and get in people's way. You get the shits when others overtake you and block them off. You cunts are the reasons people get frustrated. If you let us pass, we're gone and out of your way and no longer bother you, but not you fucktards don't get it. You enjoy being dickheads on the roads. How'd you like being in a tight supermarket aisle with someone blocking your way from getting an item or even leaving the store? It's false imprisonment what you're doing. Get the fuck out of my way!

Lol. Shut the fuck up. If you sit on my tail I'm going to slow down. I'm the antagonist, you lose.

In response to the quote above somewhere concerning braking speeds, that's extremely relevant to the situation. Granted, 2km/h over, which IS illegal is going to barely make a difference, but it's certainly something to consider when Asian guys with their super modified fully-sik-bro cars say that they're in complete control.

Also, in response to the thing about the dangers of going slow, what rubbish. I get overtaken constantly during peak hour on my way to the station (on my way there, there's a bypass which is dual carriageway) and there's no congestion whatsoever. It's a moot point.