Thread: Qld Govt Making Hay.....

Originally Posted by solmanic

True - but you can't say it wouldn't be an improvement. And my point (made in the other thread) is that once you were caught speeding in a car that was meant to be fitted with a limiter, then you lose it - simple! Zero tolerance. And anybody with three speeding offences against them would be required to fit a limiter to an older car at their expense.

Now I know this doesn't do anything about people doing 100 in a 60 zone, but there are that many accidents at ridiculous speeds in excess of 120km/h that I still think it would be worthwhile. As I have said in my letter to the Courier Mail (over their stupid article), governments need to be seen to be preventing speeding, not just cashing-in on it.

Can tell your a city boy....

I will tell you the worst thing that happens in the country areas is fatigue, caused by endless hours travelling at stupidly LOW speeds on decent roads...

130-140km/h would be a perfect limit for a decent stretch of highway...
Reducing stress and fatigue...

The WA government just loves any excuse for getting more speed cameras. The road toll here is the worst for 11 years and their response based on some academics studies from somewhere in the East (RMIT I think), is to seriously consider speed cameras which will log vehicles speed between 2 points.
But this they say won't be of use in the country where most of the deaths are, "because traffic volumes are too low to make it economic to put them there".
If that's not admitting that their main aim is revenue raising I don't know what is!
The road toll in the country also has a fair percentage of people killed from being thrown from vehicles because they weren't wearing seat belts.
The Police always pipe up folowing yet another death that they "believe speed was involved" and of course it was, as stopped vehicles don't run into trees on the side of the road, or rollover when cornering!

I've had 4 tickets over 35 years for what could be called "incidental speeding", (1 when overtaking, 1 just after avoiding being rammed by some yob, 2 by cameras for about 5 kays over) all in WA, does this make me a serial offender or is it a reflection on the stupid concentration of their efforts on one aspect of road safety only?
There is a virtually invisible presence of police vehicles on the roads both city and country and a friend of mine who spent time with the traffic mob told me it wasn't considered worthwhile giving a ticket to all the non indicating swervers from lane to lane on the freeways, those who cross 2 or 3 lanes to exit just prior to the actual turn off, those who tailgate, or those that block traffic where they should be driving on the left.
He'd only given a ticket to a Stop sign jumper who had nearly crashed into him but wouldn't bother normally as long as it was not done "dangerously"!!!

I'm sure that inappropriate speed without regard for traffic, road or weather conditions may well kill, but STUPIDITY kills far more and we all see it every day, but our blind to "everything except speed" coppers don't seem to.

An increased visible police presence and even approach to ALL infringements of road rules may well over time have an effect on driver behaviour with a noticeable effect on the yearly road toll.
Happy ticket free New Year to y'all.
Alan.

Originally Posted by solmanic

The other thing about speed limiters is it's a no-cost option for government (other than popularity - but I'm sure they could spin it). Car manufacturers can do it at no cost to motorists - it's just elctrickery. And retro-fitting to older cars is at the expense of the stupid people who get caught speeding in the first place.

Sorry again... you're missing the point. Mandating the fitting of limiters is not a no-cost option to them... it would cost them big $$$.

If you set the limiter to 120 or 130 then in the 110 limits the best fine they can hope for is only 100-300. It would cost them heaps.

Also, the traffic policy is still determined and enforced by state governments, so you'd have to get them all to agree to it. It just wouldn't work having cars registered in QLD having a limiter and those purchased in NSW not having them.

And it's an answer to a problem that doesn't exist. If someone wants to do silly speed now ... if they get caught they loose their licence, get huge fines, and might even land up in gaol depending on the circumstances. They are a statistically minute section of the road toll. There just isn't any point. When was the last time you saw someone doing more than 130? I can't remember seeing it in a long time...

The reason everybody talks about it is the spectacular ones are the ones that get into the media. Even if there is only one a month they will probably get in the paper.

Did you know what the safest time of year to drive in Australia? It's actually the holiday periods (easter/chrissie/ny). Fewer people die/get injured than at any time during the year. But, there isn't much happening so the media gives it the full treatment.

Would be nice to even REACH the speed limit!

Driving from Tin Can Bay area to Brisbane today, towing a Caravan in a head wind with rain, 90kph was a wish list

At any rate when fuel is $2.50 a litre in a couple of years time I think we're going to see a whole shift in our driving culture.

Did I mention I drove from a friends at Bethania (half way to the coast) to Stafford (brisbane north) and the new shopping trolley used 6.8l/100k I think that's 41.5 MPG

Most accidents and fatalities actually involve people doing the speed limit, not speeding. Most are attributable to fatigue, inattention or being alcohol or drug induced.
Speed is actually a minor cause as is doing burnouts etc. There would not be too many fatalities involving a car doing burnouts, not condoning this in public places though.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

It is ridiculous to think that the flat straight roads of western Qld. .

Which one would that be? I must have blinked & missed that bit!!

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Also, the traffic policy is still determined and enforced by state governments, so you'd have to get them all to agree to it. It just wouldn't work having cars registered in QLD having a limiter and those purchased in NSW not having them.

Simple solution, make it an ADR.