Victoria records lowest annual road toll in 89 years

[Grennan]

there is a difference between speeding and not driving to the conditions.
when they say speed, they really mean not driving to the conditions

What they mean and what they publicly say are two different things. I know theres a difference. They know theres a difference. The general populace of mums and ACA watchers heres speed was a factor and proclaims THINK OF THE CHILDREN.

They say its speed, because it drills in the notion that every kay is a killer.

What they dont say is "The driver wasnt paying attention, cut off the person next to them, failed to indicate and then sped up because they were annoyed with the man behind them giving them the finger and then hit a tree".

TLDR, Speed was a factor.

 

[Calaber]

There can be no doubt that driving must be a lot safer today than it was even forty years ago, because the road toll is so much smaller, despite huge increases in the population and the number of cars on the road. I started driving in 1970 and for that year, the road toll for NSW was the worst it has ever been (about 1100). The national population was only around 11 million. The road toll for NSW last year was around 400 (CBF looking it up) and the national population has doubled to over 22 million. The car population has almost quadrupled in that time. The reductions in the toll are similar in magnitude across the nation.

Polies will tell you it's tougher laws, speed cameras, their outstanding work upgrading our roads (though never admitting it is taking far too long to do so), ADR's, yadda yadda.

Manufacturers will tell you its the safer designs of vehicles.

They're all right to some extent, but the poor ol' driver never seems to get any credit. So, are the tougher laws, better roads and safer cars the only reasons the toll drops, or does the driver have a part in all this as well?

Opinions?

 

[Grennan]

Well personally, Ive never seen anyt of these better roads you speak of.

I think that hot spots for accidents that have cameras on them may be safer.

Speaking from experience, theres a speed/red light camera literally top of my street and that has just been highlighted as one of the biggest crash zones in Melbourne, so the camera is doing sweet #### all (the camera has been there for about 4 years now).

As I said, id like to see the figures between how many reported accidents there are each year against how many fatalities.

I suggest we would see a rise in accidents but a decrease in fatalities and that would indicate a higher safety standard of cars on our roads.

 

[Calaber]

Well personally, Ive never seen anyt of these better roads you speak of.

Perhaps you need to be my age to recognise the improvements that have been brought about, and I admit I can only speak for NSW. However, over the forty odd years since 1970, there have been incredible improvements in major and secondary roads that I can recall. The Hume Highway bears little resemblance to what existed when I started driving. Other major highways are improving in large sections each year and there are now freeways where none existed at all back then, so it's fair to say that roads have improved. They just haven't improved enough.

 

[SavVYute]

The introduction of .05 drink driving laws would have been a big one.
Up until then you could basically drive drunk and only really got into trouble if you caused an accident....or killed someone with your vehicle while intoxicated.
It was a regular thing in those days to see a car weaving all over the road with a drunk at the wheel.

 

[Eevo]

What they dont say is "The driver wasnt paying attention,

actually in SA, this is listed as the biggest killer. ~40% from memory

 

[ari666]

The introduction of .05 drink driving laws would have been a big one.

i strongly disagree with this. i think the media hyped it up to be more that what it really is. id like to see the stats of fatalities that were 0.6 and those that were 0.9... in the UK (when i was there, may have changed since) the limit was 0.8 and drink driving was far far less of a "problem". their alcohol-induced fatalities were no worse than ours (per capita of motorists) but it wasnt an huge deal cos' 0.5 drivers were not counted on their statistics of "drunk drivers"

its easy to say "we have a drink driver problem" when your limits are so low and make everyone freak out so tougher laws can be put in place.

and just another note, the .05 laws have been in place since i can remember (late 70's) and it didnt do diddly-squat till just now? what 0.5 laws exactly have they changed in the last 3-5 years to make it drop?

 

[Eevo]

what 0.5 laws exactly have they changed in the last 3-5 years to make it drop?

the laws havent changed, but in the last 10 years police have stepped up their efforts for detection.
it just took a few years to get these idiots off the rd

 

[ari666]

so its taken only 10 years for it to finally have an effect... yep. good use of police resources.

 

[Eevo]

so its taken only 10 years for it to finally have an effect... yep. good use of police resources.

blame the courts, not the police.
takes 10 years to get someone off the rd

sob story - no conviction,
slap on the wrist,
stern talking to,
small fine,
small fine,
slap on the wrist,
suspended sentence,
stern talking to,
loss of licence,
regain licence due to sob story