Thread: "Demerit" Points.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

The evidence I want to see is that which supports your statement that defective vehicles contribute significantly to crashes. Queensland has always stated that annual inspections detect fewer defects than random roadside inspections, and that mechanical issues are, statistically, an insignificant contribution to crashes.

My apologies, I thought you were referring to the annual inspections. There is evidence out there, although what I recall would be old data now. Without going back all through all my files etc, there was a 2000 study in Aus that I could lay my hands on that in summary stated:
"In-depth crash studies tend to indicate that the contribution of defects to crashes is under-reported by Police. The current NSW Crashed Vehicles Study appears to be finding similar results to in-depth studies carried out in the USA and Germany. Those studies, covering vehicles operating in jurisdictions with periodic vehicle inspections, found that vehicle factors, particularly defects, were definitely causal, possibly causal or contributory in at least 12% of all crashes. The USA study found much higher rates with older vehicles but the age of the study (1977) and the small sample sizes of older vehicles mean caution should be exercised in the application of these results to present-day Australia.

Cost-effectiveness studies concerning inspection programs have tended to be rather vague and speculative. Given the same data, organisations have sometimes come to diametrically opposed conclusions. This situation probably results from uncertainty about both the contribution of defects to crashes and the influence of inspection programs on these defects. Subject to this uncertainty (and continuing the speculation) , the contribution of periodic car inspections to crashes is likely to be a few percent. Given the overall cost of car crashes in Australia, a saving of, say, 2% can translate into well over $100 million per year. There is scope to operate effective inspection programs within this figure.

Further analysis of the NSW Crashed Vehicles Study data should help to answer several questions related to the contribution of defects to crashes and the influence of periodic vehicle inspections on these defects".

Perhaps my use of 'significantly' was overstating it. From memory there were other studies that I looked at from Sth Africa and UK, but it's too long ago now for me to remember details sorry.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Cheers Mick, you've partially restored my faith in my sanity.

Have you considered I might be a loopy looney too?

Originally Posted by Wraithe

Speeding, school zones....

Reason, child got hit in southern suburbs of Perth, around the 1990's.. estimated car speed, 5kph... Dead, instantly...
Police office friend, lost his best friend, when hit by car in school zone, CCTV camera showed that vehicle was doing approximately 7 kph(around 1998)...
A child in a country town, hit by 4x4, Police doing speed check clocked car at 11 kph, child dead instantly...
Child hit by car at 83 kph, in school zone and Police caught driver, child had gravel rash burns on legs, arms and side of face, bragged about doing a double flip(also friend of my niece), go figure hey!

Big difference btwn being struck by a vehicle and being run over by one. However in both cases, one is unlikely to be wearing clean underwear.


Edit: Spelling.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Have you considered I might be a loopy looney too?

I think you are both quite sane. Hee hee hah hah.

Thanks for your faith, Billy.

Bon Jovi - Keep The Faith - YouTube

I agree with you Pickles, my wife just copped a $190 fine for doing 51 in a 40 zone on the northern beaches of Sydney. She drives the road to work every day for the last 7 years and has never been fined, she knows the spot and always slows down in time. She is a careful driver, far more cautious that me, in fact I don't think she has had a fine in 10 years.

Once upon a time anyone waiting on the side of the road to ambush you and take your money would be locked up as a bandit!

This is me doing 46kph in a 40kph zone. This was on the Monash freeway at 3am on a Wednesday morning, with 40kph speed limit displayed on the gantries.

Show me why there was a 40kph limit?? No roadworks, no cones, no workers, no plant, nothing for miles. I'd given up going 40 as there seemed to be absolutely no reason for it.

The only other car on the road was a colleague a few hundred metres in front who copped a 47kph fine.

I got off by writing a contrite letter. In the People's Republic of Victoria the letter generally works for less than 10kph over and no traffic offences in the last five (might be three) years.

Cheers,