Now THAT is much more informative! *high five* Just so everyone knows, I'm not having a cry. I will be off my P's before this law comes into effect. I just think there are much more pressing matters, in regards to road safety.
Agreed, defensive driving should be a part of learning to drive. Too much emphasis on how to reverse park but nothing on safety. So you get your licence and you can back into that space at the side of the road but later that day a dog runs out in front of you or one of many other scenarios and you have no idea how to control you car.
Cookies must be enabled | Herald Sun the comments on that article gave me cancer. No wonder the government brings in knee jerk laws when people like that are always complaining.
That's why they make you pay hundreds of dollars for defensive driving. It's like "We'll teach you to drive, if you pay us, and we'll also teach you how to control your car in slit second situations via defensive driving, if you pay us more of course". They don't care about our safety, only making money.
If the government had any brains defensive driving courses could be subsidised from the money they take in from fines and the like. But then the government is better at just banning people from doing things rather than looking for positive ways to address matters.
Same with this new tailgating thing that's coming in. Instead of fining people for doing it, make them pay for a defensive driving course (like Mercotts, not a government ran one) and teach them the dangers of doing so. I could not count on one hand the amount of nose to tail crashes my Dad has had.
From watching those police patrol program's On tele I've seen them use someone's call history to prove whether they were on the phone..
i actually think this is a fantastic idea. too many young people are idiots and distracted while driving. take away the temptation and punish them hard. learn to concentrate and drive, can people not link people being distracted and these morons on the road? (whether young or not) how hard can it be to just not have to use a phone at all while driving? whether it be handsfree or not. if its that desperate pull over, get off the road, do whatever, but focus on 2 things at once (I dont care what people say, you cannot focus on 2 things at once to 100% levels of concentration and comprehend both together) hell. 80% of accidents on melbournes roads are caused by phones. does that not say something? tbh, anyone caught talking/texting on a phone (while in hand) while driving should get an insta-loss of licence and made to resit everything from L's P's and so forth. make it so people actually think before doing some stupid activity. and wont risk it. even hands free is bloody dangerous. think about how many people talk with their hands and get so involved in a conversation, that they loose focus. if people think they need to talk handsfree, i hope they have alot of experience driving and are sensible enough to choose the appropriate times to use it, not in dangerous environments/locations/etc. hell. my phone goes into my pocket when i drive, i physically cannot get it out, it is also on silent. that way, i cannot get distracted, cannot feel anything, and when i get home/to destination ill check it. it aint bloody worth it. but still. i think it is a wonderful idea. ban it all together for P Platers, remove a potential distraction and teach them to drive. and before you say anything. im currently a P Plater and absolutely loathe how many other young drivers think they are expert drivers and cant wait to check their facebook accounts, or have an enthralling call with a friend that could wait. and before you say "its the same as talking to someone else in the car" sure it is fairly similar, however again, its another distraction that because so many people cant drive in the first place, should be taken away so they can focus on the one thing, DRIVING! as for your 3rd point. its fairly obvious if someone is talking hands free, especially if noone else is in the car. and as said above. the call history will say it all. and this links your 2nd point, unless they can prove it they cant do anything. again via call history.
you don't engage in a conversation with your radio. A phone conversation is far more distracting than listening to the radio. Your brain doesn't require a lot of concentration to process music, whereas there is a higher level of concentrating processing a conversation. Ever tried to walk behind some people who are all over the place talking on a phone ? They are completely distracted. I realise it's not exactly the same as a hands free phone, but the same principals apply. And before you say it, it is different to talking to someone else in the car. Talking to someone else in the car is also distracting, but not as distracting as talking on a phone/handsfree. The person on the phone doesn't know to hold off when you are overtaking a car, or facing another situation that requires your full attention. Also listening to a voice on a speaker usually takes a higher level of concentration than talking to someone beside you. Research has been done in various countries verifying this. As for policing it, if they suspect you are talking on your hands free, they can easily confirm it or dismiss it with your phone log or records
Lol i dont even mind. If someone calls me i just let it go to voice mail and ill respond when i get to my destination. If the phone rings over and over then ill pull over and pick up (still against the laws unless you turn the car off AND keys out of ignition) but any cop who gets me for pulling over to answer the phone is just a real tight ass.
Just noticed this "The Government now wants to extend that ban to the full three year probationary period." Probationary in VIC is 4 years? Am i missing something??
I did the defensive driving course, I did know about what they were teaching already, but it's excellent for new drivers. I'm very disappointed the 2nd course is available in my area.
