Xmas road toll inquiry to look beyond speed?

[Captiva Fan]

Originally posted by RotaryRocket
My point here: We need better driver education. The system in NSW is really only suitable for first time trolley users at woolies, not for people going out onto the roads with a 1 ton 100 kmh weapon.

I don't think that car-control training is necessarily the answer, either. If you think about it, when you see someone doing something stupid &/or dangerous in traffic, there's virtually never an element of the driver not being able to actually control their car. The problem is, in 99.999% of cases, purely the driver not watching; and usually because they don't give a shit.

I truly believe that you don't need to have Schumaker's car control skills to be a good driver. It's simply about observation, and giving a shit about what you're doing to other people in your driving.

Excessive speed-limit enforcement does not address the root problem; I expect our governments would admit that. What they won't admit is the reality that excessive speed-limit enforcement doesn't work as a band-aid fix to the problem, either.

[rowdytoot]

Rotary Rocket--- at least someone agrees with me

I honestly don't have a problem with roads having no speed advisories-- it'd force people to look at the road, and not the signs... lets face it - they aren't that consistent in their advised speed in relation to the actual speed that it's safe for joe average to take the corner anyway... some 25 km/hr advisory corners I can rip thru in the rally car , or my g/f's Pug at 70 others it's 40 ....

some 85 km/hr corners are fine at 140 , others 100 is a stretch... and then you add rain, oil on the road etc.. into it.. and it gets back to a pure judgement call.. ie.. driver skills and judgement..

I, as do a lot of others here, recommend that everyone go on a defensive driving course, until it becomes compulsory with licensing ( dreaming I know)


and once you've learned the skills, practise them... in a safe environment...


Rowds

[rowdytoot]

Forg-- I agree you don't have to be schumi... but I don' think there is an excuse for being lame brained and ham fisted when it comes to car control..
and yes attittude is one of the primary factors in being a good driver..

Rowds

[RotaryRocket]

That is what i mean by people driving their cars like weapons it all comes back to the drivers attitude and judgement as you said.

Cheers

[Frogger]

[i].......it all comes back to the drivers attitude and judgement as you said.

Cheers [/B]

And the best time to start forming the correct attitudes is in pre-school / kindergarten.

Kids should be taught from as early an age as possible that you don't drive like a dickhead.

Unfortunately, this is a long term solution & has no political mileage so won't be done - speed cameras are the easy "solution".

[Frogger]

Originally posted by rowdytoot
Forg-- I think we had a look at this before chrimbo---- per distance travelled, or per head of population the NT is worse.. BUT I would go so far as to state that I would imagine the majority of crashes are either DUI ( a huge issue up there) fatigue, or lack of driver ability-- ie.. misjudging distances when overtaking, or coming into a corner at 160 km/hr.... etc..

Rowds

Doesn't the NT have the highest number of alcoholics per capita in the civilised world?

I remember reading once of an attempt to set up an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting - turned into a piss party.

Probably the alcohol may be a factor in the NT road toll.

[Torana_Chick]

Originally posted by rowdytoot
Forg-- I think we had a look at this before chrimbo---- per distance travelled, or per head of population the NT is worse.. BUT I would go so far as to state that I would imagine the majority of crashes are either DUI ( a huge issue up there) fatigue, or lack of driver ability-- ie.. misjudging distances when overtaking, or coming into a corner at 160 km/hr.... etc..

Rowds

I would have to agree with you on this one. I used to live in the NT and misjudging distances when over taking is a major prob.. I've seen it happen, a car towing a caravan over took (tried to) a semi trailer and ... well ... not nice