Australian Driver's Group

[Ben Wilson]

Jim - Any word?

[Jim]

I am booking time with a lawyer on my next RDO to discuss the legal aspect and get advice on how to set it up.

it's happening, just not as quick as I wanted.

[Mike V]

Count me in.

[Jim]

I have a meeting with my lawyer on monday on how to set ADG up and legal implications so by tuesday I'll have an update.

In the meanwhile, here is the only real response I have received from the mass mail out:


PEDESTRIAN COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLA, has asked me to thank you for your e-mail of 23 August 2004 regarding the activities of Mr Scruby from the Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA), and to reply on her behalf.
It is unfortunate that these exchanges have occurred between you and Mr Scruby. However, I do not believe that we have a role in this matter. The PCA is an incorporated (public) company, limited by guarantee. The Council is supported by a group of directors, honorary solicitor and auditor. The PCA operates within its jurisdiction in New South Wales, and its key role is to educate, promote and advocate the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians in New South Wales.
While Western Australia does support the “Walk Safely to School Day”, which is promoted by the PCA, there is no funding association. All work currently undertaken to promote walking for active transport or healthy recreation in Western Australia is under the auspices of the Walking WA Committee and the Physical Activity Task Force, in conjunction with organisations such as the National Heart Foundation.
Thank you for bringing this matter to the Minister’s attention.
Yours sincerely

Signed on 9 September 2004
ROB GILES
CHIEF OF STAFF

[Sockz]

I'll help where I can.

I would strongly suggest screening members before accepting them - there's some incredibly dumb 'car enthusiasts' out there...

Pssst... Underneath your avatar it says you think the R34 GTR is better then a McLaren F1.

[SuperBoRi]

Just as a side note - is this group set up just for the purpose of complaining? Might I suggest that the group be structured around commenting on ALL liht vehicle related topics, and not just of a complaining nature. If it is found that you support many of the governments motions then you have a serious chance of becoming an important part of the consultation process for policy setting (as a mister Harold scruby seems to be). To think that there may be a chance to get our voices heard I hope to hell that people will not think "hey, lets use this to getout of speeding fines" but rather for the betterment of many peoples lives.
meh, who am I kidding - people only care for themselves.

[tandy ass]

L plates are also voluntary...

You know the funny thing about L plates - I always thought you got treated worse on the roads to be honest, those learner cars covered in L plates are just beacons for other drivers to instantly blame you for having to go slow in traffic

You get treated differently on the road if there is L-plates on the car that's for certain

'twas great when I was teaching a mate to drive in my R32 GTS4

Say we're the first car in the middle lane of a 3 lane hwy. There'd be 15 cars in the left and right lane and nobody behind us. Lights go green and we're the first to the speed limit, perhaps by a long shot. Everyone starts merging back into the centre lane. Come the next lights and only the P platers would be behind us, everyone else merged back into left and right lanes. Repeat process indefinitely.

[tandy ass]

Just as a side note - is this group set up just for the purpose of complaining? Might I suggest that the group be structured around commenting on ALL liht vehicle related topics, and not just of a complaining nature. If it is found that you support many of the governments motions then you have a serious chance of becoming an important part of the consultation process for policy setting (as a mister Harold scruby seems to be). To think that there may be a chance to get our voices heard I hope to hell that people will not think "hey, lets use this to getout of speeding fines" but rather for the betterment of many peoples lives.
meh, who am I kidding - people only care for themselves.

Very good point SuperBoRi. Such as the combined red light/speed cameras. This is one of the few places I support speed cameras as it has dramatically altered my driving habits at well known intersections, completely eliminating the drop down two gears and floor it syndrome.

[smellytofu]

Very good point SuperBoRi. Such as the combined red light/speed cameras. This is one of the few places I support speed cameras as it has dramatically altered my driving habits at well known intersections, completely eliminating the drop down two gears and floor it syndrome.

True to a certain extent. What happens if you were the watch the speedo, don't realise it's red and bowl over a pedestrian syndrome? or drop 2 gears and slowly coast by the intersection 15km/h under the limit just so you don't need to look at the speedo syndrome? (both aka Victorian syndrome ) I'd rather be watching the lights rather than my speedo and not have another govt monkey on my back telling me to watch it past a speed camera.

Btw, I've gotten better and have gotten up to 5km/h under the speed limit (sometimes) past a speed camera but still 10km/h under is still my speed past these revenue cameras (Imagine the no. of Canon 1D Mk2 u could buy with a speed camera revenue??!!). Still, please run me off the road.

[Jim]

ADG will be there to support drivers AND AUTHORITIES to make our roads safer and enjoyable ina RESPONSABLE manner. To me, this means shifting the focus from speed cameras to driver education and maybe a campaign for people to pay attention, instead of the stupid "Speed and you will spontaneously combust" message we now get.

I want it to be more than just a whinge-group.

[smee]

ADG will be there to support drivers AND AUTHORITIES to make our roads safer and enjoyable ina RESPONSABLE manner. To me, this means shifting the focus from speed cameras to driver education and maybe a campaign for people to pay attention, instead of the stupid "Speed and you will spontaneously combust" message we now get.

I want it to be more than just a whinge-group.

This was my understanding also.

The group was able to canvas a greater range of the driving / walking public and have their matters heard.
Instead of having to listen to the propaganda sprouted by the Scruby's and police commissioners etc.

Speed and you will get killed, has it's place..
But only if you insert that the driver was unable to control the circumstances that unfolded. I still cannot believe they perpetrate the image that the car lost control.. The car was never in control. The idiot behind the wheel was not trained to operate the machinery at the required level of competence.

FFS you can now get a fine for operating a fire extinguisher if you are not licsenced correctly, yet you can drive around the block and be issued with a permit to kill.

Sorry,
These are some of the areas I would like to see we come from, and give real world experience. Not just trumped up statistics.

[carcrazy]

Im in too, great work!

[Jim]

Ok, www.ozdrive.org is mine (I stuck a one page temp blurb on there for something to say) and chatted with the lawyer on what to do next so it's starting to roll along.

I think I have my 5 directors (incl me) so no offence to everyone that offered, its truly appreciated but I have settled on the 5 that I know and believe to be dedicated, but if they chuck it in hopefully the ADG forums will be up by then and everyone can nominate and vote for replacements.

I also have a PO box now, so I wont get hate mail and dog turds in my home letterbox :D (well, no more than usual)

[NAliberty]

To me, this means shifting the focus from speed cameras to driver education and maybe a campaign for people to pay attention, instead of the stupid "Speed and you will spontaneously combust" message we now get.

If you want to test how strong your argument is against the "Speed and you will spontaneously combust" theory try it on my mum!!!

I was having this argument again (pops up about twice a month) with her today... Lets just say i skateboarded the last KM to uni, and i was safe the whole way there thanks to the Pedestrian Council!

BRAINWASHED I TELLS YA! BRAINWASHED!

[walkie]

I read with interest a story in the October issue of MOTOR where Bill Tuckey described the NMAA as "a helluva lot more active and outspoken than any of the service associations", and went on to talk about a proposal of theirs. They were mentioned earlier in this thread as not having been active in the last twelve months. Would teh ADG work together with such associations as the NMAA or would it work independently?