Thread: On the subject of speeding......

I've been waiting for someone to say that, knew someone would

Andy.

Outside the city its more often than not 'city slickers' that account for most accidents..

"Locals" tend to have a better understanding of long distance, high speed driving, and tend to better understand these roads and the driving style required.

Unfortunately, city folk, heading inter/intra state for holidays are those which tend to press the limits of fatigue, speed and patience.. These are the ones that often become the victims or villains in most high speed accidents / incidents.


Other factors are vehicles which have lots of sound deadening etc, placing the driver into a place where their concentration can and does wander, their focus on the task of driving is lost.

The vehicles have a 600km+ range which reduces stops / reviver breaks etc as the driver is so 'comfortable'. This leads to drivers pushing on...

These are just a few things...

I could go on and on, but this time I wont!

further to my earlier post regarding autobahns, in terms of 'trips per day' I'd assume that most of the driving in oz is Urban, and a fair proportion of that is on multi lane highways (2+ lanes each way) with a dirty great big barrier in between the oncoming traffic where speed limits could be questioned - some of these should/could be 110+ km/hr. However, if the amount of traffic doesn't warrant a multi lane highway, then it probably isn't that safe to drive at (lets say) an effective 260km/hr against oncoming traffic. A tree at 130km/hr will hurt a lot, but an oncoming car at 260km/hr? not much will be recognisable! maybe if the laws allowed for 130km/hr while open road, 100km/hr while passing oncoming traffic then it would be ok - but who would obey that properly? not too many Aussie drivers I'd say...

Originally Posted by Wilbur

Excellent question, Damo, the one I get over and over is the person on 80KPH who whips up to 105KPH on the overtaking lane. At first, I just thought they were being bastards, but looking at the 'perps' it is pretty plain that they are just un-confident drivers. They travel along at a speed they feel safe, maybe 80KPH, then see the overtaking lane.
"Oh goodie, a nice safe bit of road. I know what I will do, I will speed up!!".

Very frustrating, the road I use a lot nearly always has cameras in the overtaking lanes. Grrr......

My thoughts exactly. A bit frightened on one lane when the trees close in. It is so frustrating. A RR is not possessed with the most ballistic of acceleration.

I also find I have to take the 'tailgaters' up past their comfort limit to get them to drop off. Then they go back to the posted limit. If they don't want to drive at 115, why follow me?

This could probably go on forever, but.. You're approaching two cars traveling at the same speed in the left lane, you are in the right lane. Closing speed difference is about 20kph. Why does the following car pull out in front of you rather than let you go past then decide to overtake?

Originally Posted by damo

.. You're approaching two cars traveling at the same speed in the left lane, you are in the right lane. Closing speed difference is about 20kph. Why does the following car pull out in front of you rather than let you go past then decide to overtake?

Because the average Australian driver couldn't drive a soapy stick up a dogs backside, even if someone soaped the stick for them and then held the dog!

Many roads in Australia have speed limits set too low for good drivers with good cars. The real underlying issue is the quality (!) of driving skills here.
It is too easy to get a drivers licence, without having to learn any car control skills whatsoever. Reverse parking doesn't help when driving on a freeway!

Originally Posted by BigJon

Because the average Australian driver couldn't drive a soapy stick up a dogs backside, even if someone soaped the stick for them and then held the dog!

Many roads in Australia have speed limits set too low for good drivers with good cars. The real underlying issue is the quality (!) of driving skills here.
It is too easy to get a drivers licence, without having to learn any car control skills whatsoever. Reverse parking doesn't help when driving on a freeway!

In NSW, it is illegal for anyone getting a licence for the first time to have ever driven above 80kph. Just think for a moment about that. They are then not allowed to drive over 90 for a couple of years, then they can drive at the speed limit - which is in many places 110, or almost 40% faster than they have ever driven under supervision.

But! While driving skills could well be improved in many cases, as I have pointed out above, all the evidence points to the major problem being alcohol not driving skill. And road deaths are at an all time low. And to further put it in perspective, a claim from the Rural Doctors Association yesterday says that in NSW the rate of deaths due to problems with the medical system is about three times the rate of deaths on the road.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

In NSW, it is illegal for anyone getting a licence for the first time to have ever driven above 80kph. Just think for a moment about that. They are then not allowed to drive over 90 for a couple of years,

then they can drive at the speed limit - which is in many places 110, or almost 40% faster than they have ever driven under supervision.

But! While driving skills could well be improved in many cases, as I have pointed out above, all the evidence points to the major problem being alcohol not driving skill. And road deaths are at an all time low. And to further put it in perspective, a claim from the Rural Doctors Association yesterday says that in NSW the rate of deaths due to problems with the medical system is about three times the rate of deaths on the road.

i dont know whether you mean learners, but if you mean P's then this is wrong

you drive at 90 for the first year of your red P and then you drive at 100 for the next 24months of your green P and then you drive the limit

Originally Posted by dullbird

i dont know whether you mean learners, but if you mean P's then this is wrong

you drive at 90 for the first year of your red P and then you drive at 100 for the next 24months of your green P and then you drive the limit

Sorry, I got my figures wrong it seems - but learners are limited to 80 - I did not realise that green P's had a limit other than the speed limit. (Provisional drivers licences had not been thought of when I got mine, and the speed limits and different colour Ps had not been thought of when my kids got theirs.)

But regardless of the details, the fact still is that there is no opportunity for new drivers to have any experience under supervision over 80.

John