Driving Experiences - Rules and Regualtions Updates
Queen's Birthday long weekend Double Demerit Post has revealed some valuable expertize from a couple of our members Shagy Dog and Plan B ... both former Driving Instructors that have ofered to keep us updated with Rules and Regulations of the Road.
This covers NSW and WA and it would be nice to hear from members from the other states too and your thoughts and opinions on the laws especially as to how they relate to the Seniors.
Great to hear personal driving experiences from members.....whether informative or advisory.
Is that SD heading down the road ???
If you are driving on our roads ... keep safe :)
I disagree Radish - people DO LEARN and our roads are safer than they have ever been. Unfortunately there will always be the knuckleheads - boys trying to impress their girlfriends etc, idiots in a hurry. We cant legislate accidents out of existance. We can educate people, but you cant cure stupidity - besides its a good revenue raiser for the government which I suspect is the primary motivation anyway.
Pete
4th Jun 2015
1:25pm
KFC is quite right our roads have never been safer mainly due to the rise in technology in vehicles .
Bike riders choosing to ride in high traffic areas is stupid,,
Do not agree with you at all Kfchugo. Read this! The Police Commissioner in WA is at his wits end as to what to do!
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/full-coverage/speedkills/a/26870333/road-toll-frustrates-police/
Radish, much of what that police commissioner was talking about was road "accidents", sure, possibly preventable and certainly stupidity but how can police or anyone prevent THAT? We are not talking about chronic speeding, ignoring road signs or rules etc - the type of things that police can have some input into. Simple, unfortunate accidents.....maybe caused by peoples inattention or distraction but that can happen to anyone.
Governments want to rake in money with fines, penalties etc but dont put that money back into infrastructure - safer roads, lighting, signage etc. What do they do?..... decrease speed limits, increase penalties, maybe put up a few safety signs but dont address the underlying causes. Governments want to MAKE money from motorists, not spend it on them.
Take a look at road deaths/injuries in other countries, especially per capita of population and you will see that Australia rates quite well.
See it all the time; people driving through red lights...not a care in the world. The sooner they get more cameras at all intersections where there are lights the better.
I don't care how high the put the fines; do the right thing and you dont get caught..simple. And as for people using their phones while driving....a large fine does not seem to deter them...so make it higher.
If people worry about government getting too much revenue from fines; dont give it to them, slow down, obey the road rules.
I agree with Radish on this one..... don't break the rules = no revenue for the Governemt... simple as BUT can we get that through to the idiots out there.... WA has good roads in contrast to the roads we've driven on in other states, we have good Highways and Freeways and a lot of money has gone into our road infrastructure BUT still the idiots think they are speedways to test out there cars and how much rubber they can lose off their tyres.... country travelling these days is a nightmare, idiots overtaking on double white lines going up hills and around corners.... there is no Fines that will deter fools like that... Police can't be everywhere.... Over here we have got cops on little unmarked motor bikes, they have cameras on their helmets that can take photo's of folk using mobile phones or doing anything that will distract the driver, you could be sitting at the lights with this little bike beside you and taking pics of you texting or talking on your phone... neat actually BUT still we see people using their phones while driving...
A wee bit of perspective.
Deaths per 100,000 of population on our roads.
Deaths per 100,000 in 1975 was 26
Deaths per 100,000 in 1985 was 18
Deaths per 100,000 in 1995 was 11
Deaths per 100,000 in 2005 was 7
Deaths per 100,000 in 2013 was 5.
It is going down without doubt. Our roads were a real dangerous place to be a few years back.
SD
SD
Would there be information on injured and disabled caused over a period of time by the disabled ???
Abby,
There does seem to be stats for most everything.
I can tell you after watching and assessing a few thousand people drive from the left hand seat, inexperienced and otherwise, in cars and trucks, there are very few really good drivers out there.
Most experienced drivers, if they underwent the modern test, would go close to failing or even fail. We all pick up bad habits and are nowhere near as good a driver as we think we are.
I have a driving test annually by an approved assessor, just for my own interest. Some of the comments from the assessor are quite surprising, nothing real bad but interesting all the same.
Take it easy.
SD
Going to slow can cause accidents too. Followed someone going at 30 kmh he took so long to get through traffic light changes he was the only one who did get through. When I finally was on a clear stretch and indicated to overtake he moved into the outside lane too while indicating left and did in fact turn left.
He could have caused several accidents by going so slow.
Yes there are some very silly drivers and also some very rude ones, it is nice when you are polite and let someone in etc if the acknowledge you, so many don't
Yes some drivers need a mental health test before getting a license
Hope all that went travelling got back safely.
Abby,
I had one bloke who misunderstood the procedure in getting a licence, thought he had to do a driving test to assess him for a learners permit.
Somehow he slipped through the system and ended up with me in a car to do a test without ever having driven a car. Not his fault in fact, the system let him down.
To say the first ten minutes or so in traffic was quite interesting would be an understatement. We finally came to halt in the middle of the road, I suggested we swap places and I drove us back to the offices as he told his story.
Some rather embarrassed staff in the office.
He actually did rather well for someone who had no idea what he was doing.
Another young lady did her small bus drivers licence with me. Did it well. We came out of the office together after the test, new license in hand, I congratulated her. She climbed into the bus, big smile and a wave, dropped the bus into reverse instead of first and promptly attacked a large power pole right behind the bus. The pole still has a lean to it last time I was in the area and looked.
It was a job that was possibly 95% interesting, funny at times and 5% sheer terror for the rest.
Take it easy.
SD
Shaggy, I also used to be a Driving Instructor, as you said some interesting moments
PB,
It certainly can have its moments PB.
I used to assess Driving Instructors as well as training Govt Assessors.
I sort of fell into the job, I had been doing some Marine Safety work for Transport and was asked in a casual conversation if I would pull on the driving side of things as well.
After some in depth training and discovering what a lousy driver I was, I thought I was good !! They let me loose upon the public in general. I not only looked after my town but used to wander up the road a bit on a regular basis. Doing tests at litle roadside stops along the way was fun. Some places were totally devoid of hills so one had to improvise. The local farm community would provide a truck (including tea and scones) and I would do a few tests in and about the wheat silos and loading ramps.
It was something I never envisaged doing in my semi retirement. Glad I did. I met some interesting people along the way, good people too.
Take it easy.
SD
Well you were ahead of me but yes interesting, I still keep up with the road rules --I wish everyone did, I still enjoy driving a manual
PB,
We only have manuals right now. Though I do think after doing quite a few aged tests many are possibly better off with an auto.
I found aged tests can be extremely interesting. Done away with them now in WA I think.
Our town is well set up for bikes and gophers and the oldies drop into a gopher easily as it is so easy to get around town on one. We inherited one and we use it as it is a pleasant way to amble down to the local IGA or the beach. When the weather is good that is. Bloody things are everywhere.
Take it easy.
SD
PB,
I think I would prefer assessing to instructing.
Driving Instructors deserve a medal, numerous medals.
How long did you do it for ?
SD
About 4 years then I was managing the driving school.
The young men / Boys were the worst as they "knew it all" when they got the licence, I used to take then to the wreckers in my own time to show them the horrific smashes and quite often blood all over the smashed vehicles, sometimes still had the remanets of scalps etc, just to try and make them realize that this can happen to them, I hope it made them think? I would rather teach a nervous person than one that had too much confidence.
Sadly, Abby there will invariably be more deaths...people just do not learn.