Thread: Why Do We Have Crashes

Want to feel like a target of motoring stupidity....???

Ride a motorcycle....

Luckily were more agile


Oh, a more directly on topic....

Key cause of accidents - Complacency...

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

And I wonder how many road accidents are in fact suicides or as a result of emotional breakdowns in other forms. (In a small district such as where I live a number this year have been suicides...)

I've been to 2 in recent years. 1 went under a semi, the other just drove into a tree. No tyre marks, no seatbelts, short trips, etc. Suicide was the only explanation the accident investigators could come up with. Trouble is it's us emergency services people that have to cope with it.

When I was a Young kid, early 60s a murder made headlines & a conviction meant life in jail, nowadays it s generally a paragraph and anything from 3-4 years up

I do ride a bike, know what you mean. I was on the Bruce Hwy the other week riding at an indicated 104k (didg dash letters 1" high) with a non-Landy 4x4 trying to push me, another cage close behind him when out of nowhere a car flies past all of us on double lines (more attitude) followed by a dark Magna. LOL the Magna s got blue & red lights hidden on it. Double lines, 25-30 k over gotta be $500 & 6 points! Few days later trundling down same spot, same time of day, same speed (love cruise control) old mate with dented wallet & license bags me up again, what does it take?

Originally Posted by tombraider

Key cause of accidents - Complacency...

Absolutely!!!!! Be it cars, workshop or whatever! I had a student a few years ago that probably spent as much time in the workshop as I did (I'm an Industrial Arts teacher) and through complacency cut his finger off. I still shudder every time I use that machine. They say you can always pick an old Tech teacher by the 4 finger wave.


Nobody expects an accident.

Originally Posted by Ian

It seems to me that certain types of vehicle & people are repeat offenders. Young guys in grey import wizz bang cr*p, young girls in Exel type cars trying to prove they are just as good (read stupid) as any bloke, builder/tradies in Hi Lux/Cruiser type vehicles, any one in a dunger and rather elderly men & women, although I have more patience with the latter group as I feel it is not intentional with them. Conversely I rarely have trouble with Landies, Volvos, late model GT Falcons (& their ilk), outback drivers (the sober ones) or grey nomads & their caravans. Every rule has exceptions & I m not trying to type cast, just observations.

It is worth tracking down and reading the Monash report with the much quoted bit about four wheel drive vulnerability to rollover deaths. Not often quoted is the fact that large four wheel drives are under represented in all types of accidents, and that overall deaths and injuries are apparently not affected by safety features, but more by the type of person who buys that type of car - by far the most dangerous type of car is sports cars (despite all their safety features), presumably because of the type of driver that buys them.

Similarly, the colour of car has more effect on its rate of accident involvement than just about any other factor about the car. While to some extent this is probably due to better visibility, I wonder to what extent it reflects the type of driver that buys that colour vehicle?

John

Originally Posted by 29dinosaur

And I wonder how many road accidents are in fact suicides or as a result of emotional breakdowns in other forms. (In a small district such as where I live a number this year have been suicides...)

Yes. You will have heard of "Beyond Blue" the campaign about depression. It was founded by the former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, after his daughter asked him to use his contacts to get police reports on the deaths of two of her friends in a week in road accidents. He talked to the police involved, and was told that although they had no proof, they were sure both were suicide.

It is anyone's guess how many road deaths are well disguised suicides, but it is certainly more than the statistics suggest, as they remain a road statistic rather than a suicide statistic unless there is absolute proof such as a suicide note.

John

I have been working on various Motorways & Major Roads around Sydney going on for 10 years now.

I have seen alot of accidents caused by impatient & stupid people, roadworks hold them up for a couple of minutes & they turn into idiots.

I constantly have people abusing, swerving & throwing things at my crews, we are only fixing the roads that would complain about if not fixed.