Thread: Why Do We Have Crashes

[QUOTE=RonMcGr;655510]Good point!

I forgot about the vehicles.
My first car was a Morris Minor, flat out at 100kph and 0 to 60 in half a day

Bl**dy Nora howdya do it? I've owned a few Morries, not one of them could do 100k unaided by gravity!

Originally Posted by graceysdad

My first car was an old HR with a 161 and a Powerglide, wouldnt pull a greasy stick out a dead dogs bum

You young bucks; I recall revelling in the power of a 161, 3 on the tree HR

Originally Posted by Gooner

Somebody said "what's it going to take?"
I don't know the answer but Im leaning towards making it harder for kids to get on the road these days.

News radio this morning reports a 30 day veteran P Plater in Balgowlah doing 170km/hr in an 80 zone. How do you legislate or educate for that.

Stupid kids, over-powered cars, mobile phones, thumping stereos and 3 or 4 fellow muppets in the car - and why are we surprised when it ends badly.

We had a clown up here on the weekend busted for DD about 4X over, less than 6 weeks after he'd copped 3 months for the same offence

Originally Posted by vnx205

A lot of the posts here support my theory about why injuries and deaths have not decreased as much as might be expected given how much safer modern cars are.
Actually it's not really my theory. I read it years ago in a fairly authoritative publication on road safety.

It's all about perceived risk.
Everyone has a level of risk that they consider acceptable.
If someone was still driving a Morris Minor 1000 for example, they would allow more time for the car to accelerate and slow down and would travel at a sedate pace around corners.
Put them in a car with more power, better brakes and better handling and they drive in a way that they feel gives then the same margin for error and the same level of risk.

We know we have better brakes now, so we travel closer to the car in front.

Add to this the fact that young males and an increasing number of young females are actively seeking some excitement in their lives and they are increasingly using their car as a way of getting that adrenalin rush and crashes become more likely.

Another factor is that with more modern cars, things change much more rapidly than they did in my Austin A40. Things used to happen gradually, even tediously in my A40. A couple of seconds of acceleration produced a barely perceptible change in speed. In a modern car a second or so of acceleration means a big increase in speed and because it is quieter and smoother, the increase is probably less obvious than it was in the A40. So things can get out of hand quite quickly. It's not just about speed; it's also about the rate of change of speed.

A lot of that probably boils down to attitude.
Too many people have the attitude that they can drive as they do because:
1. They are young and have quick reflexes.
2. They are old and experienced.
3. Their car is equipped with all the latest ESP, ABS, TC and so on.
4. Their car is packed with safety features.
5. They have more rights on the road than other drivers.
6. Arriving safely at their destination is a lower priority than demonstrating their superiority over every other driver on the road on the way there.

While better training and tougher testing might help, it will never overcome the problem of having the wrong attitude.

Couldn't have said it better myself, go to the top of the class.

Originally Posted by PhillWilde

Traffic merging is definately up there with my pet hates, when it's done properly and with common sense, traffic flows nice and smoothly with everyone able to go about their business nice and calmly.
What i can't stand is idiots that will do anything in their power not to let you merge in front of them!!!! As if by letting one car into the queue in front of said idiot will make him late for work.
The end result of him speeding up to prevent you joining traffic in front of him is that people have to start breaking which in turn has the ripple effect of slowing everyone..........
i could go on ........and on.......and on.....



.....and on

Different towns different driving styles; if you know where you are going & are not timid Sydney is the best in Oz; worst- Melbourne, Toowomba & Cairns.

I know not practical but govenors on vehicles would make sense, I can't tell you how many times I get overtaken by red & green "P" plates in the bush on highways, females in little Corollas etc, it doesn't have to have a V8 etc

So many gadgets and distractions my Navman beeps and flashes red when I exceed 110kph very annoying [/QUOTE]

Limiters ARE practical ala heavy vehicles, but political suicide.

I didn't know the Navman beeped @ 110, who told you!! haha

I work with a P plater who tries to tell me that he can't help going fast (sees if his Commodore can reach the maximum on the speedo) and drives at stupid speeds every day. *When* he dies, i won't be going to his funeral.

FYI i am not old and bitter about young drivers. I am 28.[/QUOTE]

Any 3year old can put their foot flat to the floor, no skill requied. It takes a grown up to know how far to depress it sensibly.

I'm not bitter either!!!

Ian I hope you do go to his funeral if that ever eventuates heaven forbid. He's still a human being even if you do disagree with him and his practice.

Also, I can see the value in the truck governers, though what you don't hear about is the significant problems they cause when passing and often the outragous amounts of time taken trying to pass, something which often fails when the car driver wakes up and then accelerates a bit more. That is most certainly a danger that is involved with the governer. Then again, it does allow you to put your foot on the floor and not worry as much about speeding.