Does anyone ever obey the speed limit

I think that better driver training should be a requirement, but as you say, money gets in the way.
Just teaching people common curtousy would be a good start, general road manners seem to be a thing of the past in the city. Many people can't hold a speed, or insist on only doing say 65 in an 80 zone in the righthand lane, and then wonder why they get abused.

I'm reminded of a story I watched on one of the news programs about cops using bikes to cruise through traffic and get people. Bikes are cheap, get a heap and go for it. IMO, we need lots more traffic cops out there. They'd be flat out tackling ******* who drive whilst being on the phone, be it just talking or texting.
The other thing I notice, peek hour traffic,,, where's a cop when you really need one,,,, not on the road that's for sure.

One thing I do prefer in Qld to NSW is that up here the big roadside electronic signs are often used to encourage road courtesy in drivers such as (from memory, wording may not be exactly right):


Show courtesy to other drivers
Give other drivers plenty of room
etc.


In comparison, in NSW (as I saw again last week) the signs are used to threaten drivers with warnings about how they're hiding behind every bush and they're gonna get you, sucker.


Personally, I think the threats just alienate drivers, but hopefully the encouragement to show courtesy sinks in a bit (maybe...).

The most worrying sign I've seen around Sydney is the one on the M5 which said:

Avoid Accidents. Watch Traffic Ahead Of You!

Seriously, anyone who isn't watching the traffic ahead of them shouldn't be driving in the first place

A few years back I was driving my series 2a with my family on board. We were travelling from Sydney to Cairns and back for a holiday. Some where in the wilds of Qld I passed a highway patrol vehicle parked on a short track off the side of the road. There was no one around. A few metres past the vehicle we came across the patrolman. He was sitting on a box behind a clump of tall grass with the radar gun poked through the foliage. It looked so comical

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sam_d

The most worrying sign I've seen around Sydney is the one on the M5 which said:

Avoid Accidents. Watch Traffic Ahead Of You!

Seriously, anyone who isn't watching the traffic ahead of them shouldn't be driving in the first place

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Does that mean I shouldn't drive,,, apparently I do a LOT of sightseeing whilst driving ;):D

Many years ago a cop used to sit in his driveway on Sawtell Road near Coffs Harbour and point the radar gun at passing traffic. There were so many complaints he was eventually moved.

Back in the 90s, while visiting the (ex)in-laws in Squidley one Easter, I rode my bike up to Bathurst each day to watch the motorbike racing. Coming back through one of the twisty bits, I saw something move up ahead and slowed down. Got around the corner, and there was a motorcycle cop standing on his bike's saddle (bike on centre stand). He was aiming a radar gun over the ridge at the oncoming traffic. Anyone coming in fast would be concentrating on the corner ahead and probably wouldn't notice the helmeted head... be too late by then anyway. All the copper had to do was drop down onto his saddle, start the bike and he was ready to head off after the miscreant. Quite cunning.
I've often wondered if it worked.

Got what I consider a dressing down from my bosses recently. Seems they went through the data sent by the telemetry (sp) transponders in the work vehicles. We are courier drivers for an auto parts company. seems i was the only one not to have broken speed limits. Reward for this was a hint that perhaps I should drive faster. Take a hit for the team ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trog

Got what I consider a dressing down from my bosses recently. Seems they went through the data sent by the telemetry (sp) transponders in the work vehicles. We are courier drivers for an auto parts company. seems i was the only one not to have broken speed limits. Reward for this was a hint that perhaps I should drive faster. Take a hit for the team ?

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Tell 'em where to shove it - how politely depends on how much you like your job.

I'd go into more depth but you'd consider me an old style socialist :mad:

Do your job well. Do it morally. If they want more, they aren't worth working for (and yes, I've made that decision)

I have the opposite problem, roughly every second day.

I have a property 10 k's from where I'm living and drive 'home' down the Bellarine Hwy each night. Mostly 100 km/h, one stretch goes down to 80.

Some nights I'll pull out onto the highway and rapidly catch up to a bunch of cars stuck behind someone happily sitting on somewhere between 60 and 75 in a 100 zone.

Kinda amusing, kind of not. I get to see all the worst aspects of driver frustration from others, i.e. bad overtaking moves, etc.

AFAIK legally one is supposed to travel at at least 80% of the speed limit or it's an offence.

DL