Thread: Speed limits different for different drivers and other thoughts.

Originally Posted by vnx205

The evidence suggests that it would be better for the school to teach her why she should drive safely rather than trying to teach her how to drive safely.

I have absolutely no argument with that. It is why I specifically said "long before they are allowed anywhere near a car on the road"

Originally Posted by vnx205

Poor attitude kills more than poor skills.

I'm afraid I don't agree, though, that attitude can be divorced from skills. One doesn't lead to the other. Both are needed. I never suggested that "skills" should be taught in schools. In fact, I don't believe skills can be taught per se, they can only be learnt. Learning with skilled guidance is seriously lacking. Our society has replaced this with TV commercials that few watch, slogans on Billboards and hefty fines for minor transgressions. Dunno if anyone has noticed, but this methodology has led to Australia rapidly becoming the most dangerous developed country in the world to drive in. Victoria has some of the harshest penalties in the world, and yet our road toll is UP 15% on last year.

I have merely put out a few ideas that I think would help. I don't pretend to think I have all the answers.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

All the evidence points to the problems being attitude rather than skill. And a telling point is that something like 30% of drivers involved in fatal accidents are above the legal blood alcohol limit (compared to less than 1% of drivers in random blood tests). This sort of suggests that the major issues with driving are not related to skill, but rather to sobriety. And that is without even having much in the way of data on other drug use.

Those suggesting that new drivers only be allowed to drive locally for some period should perhaps consider the situation of much rural youth, where the only possibility of a job is to have a licence and a car and be able to drive to work, often a considerable distance along a highway. To take a local example - a large proportion of first jobs for young people in Dunedoo is in Dubbo, at places like Fletcher's. Ninety kilometres each way along the Golden Highway. OK, some of them can car pool - but then they run into the restrictions on carrying passengers and curfews if they are doing shift work. And there is, of course no public transport.

The usual, suggestions that are totally impractical outside the metropolitan area come from all sides.

Nothing is perfect, John. Suggestions cannot include all possible scenarios. However, my graded licence does NOT disadvantage rural areas. If you want to proceed past a single engine, VFR pilot's licence you merely keep on with the courses. You can progress from no flight experience to twin engined any weather flight status in a matter of weeks, if you apply yourself. Driving could be the same. It obviously would not cost anything like as much to do the same thing in a car as it does in an aircraft.

As I said elsewhere, I don't profess to have all the answers. But someone has to start asking the questions.

I got my drivers licence in 1971 and my first car was a Holden HK station wagon, The roads and highways back then were pretty basic compared to what we have today.
There was a necessity back then to learn how to drive competently otherwise you would come to grief on the gravel and single lane bitumen roads/highways But there was less traffic to contend with.
No I didn't have to do the log book thing I simply did the written test at the local Cop Shop then drove around town with one of the local Coppers in the passenger seat and that was it.
A car prang back then made the front page of the local rag they were that rare, These days they hardly get a mention.
There also wasn't the "Boy Racer" attitude that is so prevalent today simply because we didn't have any high performance cars.

The process to get a drivers licence hasn't changed THAT much in the last 46 years But the technology and performance of the vehicles being driven by novice drivers today has improved dramatically.


Food for thought

Originally Posted by johntins

That's only because of lazy Governments, and people who believe that driving is a right. I applaud the decision to get your granddaughter a good course. Hopefully they will also teach her that learning does not stop once the licence is achieved and the course is over.

Actually it's not my decision, it's something arranged through Maleny High, but I think it's a good idea.
I hope the course includes a close inspection of a blood-spattered wreck and a detailed description of how and why people died or were maimed in it.
From what I've read, it's young males under 21 who are most likely to drive recklessly and cause fatal crashes. Too much testosterone depriving their brains of oxygen, I assume.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Actually it's not my decision, it's something arranged through Maleny High, but I think it's a good idea.
I hope the course includes a close inspection of a blood-spattered wreck and a detailed description of how and why people died or were maimed in it.

The Army tried that. I'm afraid it made little, if any, difference. Blokes went off on leave after 'show and tell', and never came back.

So found out the granddaughter's course is a two-day elective and costs $100. So Grandma beat me to offer to pay for it. Grandson said he hoped we were still around when he was old enough do it. I said I planned to be around for a LONG time.

Originally Posted by trout1105

I got my drivers licence in 1971 and my first car was a Holden HK station wagon, The roads and highways back then were pretty basic compared to what we have today.
There was a necessity back then to learn how to drive competently otherwise you would come to grief on the gravel and single lane bitumen roads/highways But there was less traffic to contend with.
No I didn't have to do the log book thing I simply did the written test at the local Cop Shop then drove around town with one of the local Coppers in the passenger seat and that was it.
A car prang back then made the front page of the local rag they were that rare, These days they hardly get a mention.
There also wasn't the "Boy Racer" attitude that is so prevalent today simply because we didn't have any high performance cars.

The process to get a drivers licence hasn't changed THAT much in the last 46 years But the technology and performance of the vehicles being driven by novice drivers today has improved dramatically.


Food for thought

You were actually five times more likely to have been killed on the road in 1971, than you are today.
I got my licence in the same year. I was an apprentice electrical fitter on the NSWGR. The Railways were very safe conscious. They regularly hauled us young drivers into the sight Auditorium and showed us graphic documentaries of actual road carnage, and blow by blow descriptions of how the accident occurred and how the victims met their doom.
The trauma of that was enough to slow us down for a week or two but boys will be boys and Boy Racers were abundant over here in the East.

When you're doing 140-150 in an 100 zone & there's a bloke up your clacker waiting for the 1st chance to overtake!
Now, that's poor attitude!
Steve