Preventing vehicle collisions / accidents on our roads
I have been witness to many vehicle collisions in my time, some of these were due to people speeding, some due to other factors such as people driving under the influence, the driver's attitude and offenders evading Police.
What do you guys think will help reduce people slamming the pedal to the floor?
Donating Member
more driver education and advanced training before getting their licences. and common sense
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Originally Posted by JEZIMP
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Diagnostician
LOL Oh god! You have no idea on what you have gotten yourself into making this Thread! Nothing will change the way some people are, some people think they are just god and are fully sick and can handle anything upto a twin turbo v12 with blad tyres and bent struts.
If it's not a Symptom its not relevant, and if its not relevant I don't care!
It depends on what the training and education encompasses. If it teaches defensive driving skills - things which can be practiced continually every time a car journey is undertaken whether driving or not (think about it) - then maybe. If it means teaching car control skills, as in emergency braking, collision avoidance etc., then probably not.
The problem with teaching car control skills is that the skills aren't going to be practiced enough to be useful, especially over a 50-60 year driving lifetime. Probably the most valuable outcome of teaching these types of skills is that it allows experimentation in a safe, controlled environment rather than on the road and then some idea of where the limits are.
The best improvement in road safety has and will continue to come from improvements in vehicle technologies such as ABS, ESP and brake assist. Ultimately, there will be no driver, just solely computer control as that is the way the technology is heading. There will undoubtedly be input from the US military efforts to remove the requirement for a driver in their vehicles.
As that is a some way off, more improvement in road safety is, as Warpy has alluded to, includes drivers' attitude. So many people (probably most) do not attend to the driving task with as much seriousness as they should. It is very easy to simply direct a vehicle along, much more difficult to actually drive.
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Stop letting people drive cars. End thread.
Ahhh Yes, Ahhh Yes....
Change the laws so if you commit a traffic offence, you loose a limb.
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####, I would have no arms or legs by now...
In all seriousness I believe driver training and "attitude adjustment" is the only thing that will curb the amount of ####sticks on the road; it's quite clear that cracking down on "hoons" or speed camera does ####ing nothing... General, Defensive and Advanced driver training should all be compulsory subjects in high school, learner hours should be logged with an authorised driving instructor only (parents teaching kids bad habits is real good). I also think learner drives should be shown the consequences of shit driving - a visit to the trauma unit, or a recent crash scene would hopefully knock a bit of sense into them.
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I don't think driver training will do much at all. Most accidents are due to people driving outside their ability and/or being distracted/DUI.
No amount of training is going to prevent this. Teach people how to handle their car better, and they will take it up yet another notch and still drive beyond their ability and/or the cars ability.
The reason there are increasingly more crashes on the road is because there are more cars on the road, more congestion and cars are a lot more powerful than they used to be. A dirty old $500 VN V6 will humiliate most old 70s/80's V8's!!
Onto the point of young drivers, most teenagers think they are bullet proof (let's face it most of us did at that age as well). You can train them, show them all the gory pictures of twisted & maimed bodies from car accidents.... their stomachs may squirm, but they get back behind the wheel and simply think they can handle their car so it's not going to happen to them.
I believe one way of reducing the amount of speed/hoon related accidents is for the government to subsidise/organise sponsorship of local racetracks and encourage drivers who have the 'need for speed' to take it to the racetrack. I've been to a few track days now, and it really has taken a lot of the urge away to put the boot in on the street. I'm probably almost a model citizen now when it comes to driving on the street! Because on the race track you get to push yourself and the car to the limit, releasing all that built up addrenaline that you usually would be tempted to release on the street. I no longer need to see how fast I can go around a street corner, or how fast my car accelerates on the highway. I really think if it cost a lot less money for boy racers to take their cars out on the track, then they would take up the opportunity and have less need to treat the roads like a racetrack.
But sadly the government doesn't do anything to encourage people to take it off the street. They are big talking the talk when it comes to road safety, but when it involves spending money they aren't interested. They will always choose the option of revenue raising strategies such as speed cameras - it's a 'win-win' situation for them. They can claim it's a road safety initiative and make millions of dollars revenue at the same time...
Last edited by Darren_L; 19-11-2010 at 04:29 PM.
Blues Brother # 1
Well Im 20, I Witnessed a Head on Smash at 110Kms, One driver hang out the door dead, Really made me wake up. I drive like a grandma now, but not the type that does 70 every where lol.
Its really not hard, Just keep a distance, use your mirrors and focus on the road and not whats around
Donating Member
that first post was quick and i didnt go into detail.
What it comes down to, is most drivers only focus on whats infront of them, phone dash, car infront. what makes an exceptional driver is someone who can read the road and traffic around them and adjust. its knowing whats around you and cattering for faults in everyone on the road. this is what you get with experience on the road and can help if you have an advanced driving course under your belt. yes abs esc and trac control help, but we're dumbing down the need/attention of drivers, the new mercs or bmw, that stop the car before you rear-end someone, its great technology, but its ' ah she'll be right, the abs will help me or it'll stop', while typing a message. i dont need to know how to take off, trac control will kick in.
more experience and teaching on the road in all situations with a proper instructor.
i have said it a few times in a couple of threads that have popped up, like "what makes a good driver"
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less driver distractions. Best example mobile phones. There should be police taskforces dedicated to busting people talking and stuffing around with phones when driving. Hit them with big fines and demerit points - zero tolerance.
same goes for all the other distracting crap manufacturers are putting into cars. The ads for the latest Commodore show the big touch display screen with blue tooth this and that. Too many driver distractions... I don't care if it's 'hands free', its just more crap to distract drivers from paying attention to what is going on outside their car. As far as I'm concerned ADR rules should created to ensure all of these devices are disabled whilst the car is in motion.
couldnt agree more... i want to do some track days out at eastern creek but its $240 at the cheapest... wakefeild park is cheaper but its a 3 hour drive to get there and youd probably pay what you saved in feul anywayI believe one way of reducing the amount of speed/hoon related accidents is for the government to subsidise/organise sponsorship of local racetracks and encourage drivers who have the 'need for speed' to take it to the racetrack. I've been to a few track days now, and it really has taken a lot of the urge away to put the boot in on the street. I'm probably almost a model citizen now when it comes to driving on the street! Because on the race track you get to push yourself and the car to the limit, releasing all that built up addrenaline that you usually would be tempted to release on the street. I no longer need to see how fast I can go around a street corner, or how fast my car accelerates on the highway. I really think if it cost a lot less money for boy racers to take their cars out on the track, then they would take up the opportunity and have less need to treat the roads like a racetrack
Too true, people just don't look ahead. Like there is a car ahead stopped to turn right, the number of people who wait till they're up his arse and hitting the brakes before they decide to change lanes... then me, who spotted the guy 200m back and changed lanes already, must slow down to let them in or get sideswiped.
Agree with Darren... too many distractions, along with a false sense of security from the "safety features" packed into cars now. There's no substitute for keeping your bloody eyes open.
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Personally I don't think there is any way to stop accidents happening - no-one ever means to have an accident! There is always going to be people who lose concentration, don't see something they should, etc. And there is always going to be c**kheads on the road too.
As far as rules/regulations go, there has to be a trade off between saftey and practicality. You can make harsher and harsher laws, and reduce speed limits but the positive effect on saftey may be far outweighed by the negative effects of making travelling harder for everyone.
Last edited by Shortstuff; 20-11-2010 at 07:43 AM.
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how many times do u see the coppers on the phone....they cant even set an example
Rolling on 4 again :D
Never yet. Only on radio, which incidentally, is legal.
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Police are allowed to. (And before anyone goes into the whole 'that's unfair, 2 sets of rules' crap, there are 2 sets of rules. Build a bridge.)
It depends on who's on the phone, I find all the people I know are very cautious and aware when their on the phone mainly because their looking for police, but you see (not to stereo type) a young girl on the phone right in it to her bestie or whatever not paying any attention. And all that awareness starts with shit like being courteous moving over a lane to let people in from a slip lane and actually giving way at a form one lane not racing to be there first, from what I've seen people who do that are better drivers and that all comes down to the attitude they have while driving.
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So while they're paranoid and looking for Police, they're not paying attention to everything else. Smart.
Stopping people from putting the pedal to the floor is not the key to preventing accidents as has been proven in Europe and the NT (I read somewhere that the number of car accidents in the NT have actually increased since capping the max speed limit). There needs to be a serious overhaul of speed limits and the conditions of the roads in this country. Living out in the sticks I drive anywhere from 1500 to 3500km's per week and if I sat on 100-110 along some of the longer stretches, I'd end up bored, losing my concentration or falling asleep.
We need more experienced/better educated driving instructors teaching our young learners too. They all teach the same basic crap not taking into account the personality and attitude of the learner. An overconfident leadfoot who thinks they know it all needs different training to a leaner who's nervous and scared when they get behind the wheel. I went to a couple of driving instructor when I was learning and it was a waste of time and money. in the end it was my mother and husband who taught me the most valuable lessons....mum taught me - don't just focus on the car in front, take note of the car up the road....take note of how the cars ahead move over the road (makes you aware of bumps, potholes and any possible obstructions that you may have to go around). Don't just check your rear view occasionally, I should be able to ask you at any given moment what is behind you and you should be able to answer correctly without looking. As for hubby well he knew my personality and that I liked powerful cars so he took me out in his vl, got me in the drivers seat and put me in a position where I found out for myself how everything can go from being really fun to being really fkd in a matter of seconds. i was in tears and shaking at the end but it was a lesson someone like me needed. Another thing driving instructors don't teach learners is that the condition of your car is paramount when it comes to safe driving, you could be the best driver in the world, it dont mean shit if you got bald tyres and worn brakes.
And that's how people end up with a young child as a hood ornament. If you don't focus on, or at least take not of, all your surrounds (as well as the road) you'll never see that kid playing in the park, yard or footpath off to the side up ahead and wont anticipate them darting into the path of your car until it's too late.
I could go on for pages with what I think would help prevent accidents but I will finish my ramble here with one last comment and a question.
When on the highway I often see people pulling just in front of semis and roadtrains and my gut churns 'cos these rigs can't stop on a dime. So please, unless you want to end up looking like a still shot from some gruesome horror movie, give them a bit of space.
Question - In the defensive etc driving courses you can do these days, do they have a program where you drive at 100kph and the tyre blows out? I think all learners should have to experience this (as well as a few other things) before getting their licence.
The End!
Life Sucks? Well cry me a river, put on a helmet, build a bridge and get the f**k over it.
the number of car accidents increases each year, irrelavent of whether the speed limit stays the same or is dropped. As much as we'd like to convince ourselves that raising speed limits is going to reduce accidents - there is no conclusive proof (only speculation) that it does. However there is plenty of proof that as vehicle speed increases, the chances of the occupants surviving a crash decreases exponentially....
I also travel big distances most weeks in rural Qld, and it's not safe to do 100kph on half the roads out there without increasing the limits. There are sections of the road completely washed out, narrow highways with broken edges, that road trains sway across the centre of the roads.. If you think you would go to sleep at 100kph on these roads, then you haven't had adequate rest. All too often people sit too long behind the wheel without stopping for a rest. We hammer truckies over it, but there is nothing in place to monitor car drivers for driving excess hours.
Wouldn't be referring to certain parts of the warrego around Towoomba -Dalby - Chinchilla would you? Some parts of that highway shouldn't be 80 let alone the signed 100-110. like I said above....There needs to be a serious overhaul of speed limits and the conditions of the roads in this country.
And no, I don't think i would go to sleep on roads such as you describe (if they're like the warrego, my adrenalin would be pumping) but there are more factors that cause driver fatigue/falling asleep than just simply getting enough rest. These include unchanging conditions (e.g. long uninteresting stretches of road, monotonous hum from the road), driving an uncomfortable vehicle that vibrates heavily causing driver stress, physical or mental exertion and driving during fatigue prone periods (Scientists have found that the biorhythm of the average person moves into a ‘low’ state between 2 pm and 4 pm and again between 10 pm and 6 am, making those times fatigue prone periods).
Life Sucks? Well cry me a river, put on a helmet, build a bridge and get the f**k over it.
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Police are allowed too. I know that here in QLD a lot of police cars aren't set up with terminals, so instead of blocking the radio with number plate and license checks and the like, they simple call up the police centre and ask for it, so really they are just doing their job.
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Obviously Unsensible
well im not sure if they have that in a driving course, but yes i have had it happen (while on my L's). (tyre went flat, then sliced all around, it was a rear btw)
its not that scary, as long as you dont panic. dont jump on the brakes, progressively slow down, but not skid (would cause problems).
this was out on a country road, so luckily no cars were around at the time.
just onto a bit of history here. william calder (calder highway namesake) was sent over here in the early 1900's or later 1890s or whatever. he had to drive every road in victoria, and reckoned most of them were horrible. im sure an independant group, funded by the government could be sent out on all roads (google managed this) and see what needs to be done, and what could be safe speeds etc. and have this information for all the public to see.
the problem is the mentality of people on the road. who only think of themselves, and not the other road user. at different times of days its different people that you see do more stupid things. schooltimes, its mothers in "4wd's" that havent seen a nature strip, and heading to work/hometime is those business people or those people who are running like 5 seconds late.
its also stupid things like when cars are merging onto a freeway/highway. can people not move to the right lane, to allow these oncoming cars an easier access. i know the people on the freeway have the right of way (law), but if the right lane is free, can they not use some common courtesy.
ive nearly been in an accident because of this. where im clearly infront, about to merge safely, and these other people hoon up, faster then the limit. or we are even, i take the foot off the accelerator, to slow down a lil, to get behind, and once they are a bit ahead, they then slowdown, for no reason! honestly.
peoples mentalities and ideas of courtesy really effect the flow of driving. some do not use their heads when driving, or have gotten their licences from their weeties box.
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