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Post by yobarr on Dec 1, 2023 12:59:13 GMT 10
Recently, in the early hours of the morning,there was an "accident"on Indian Ocean Drive in Western Australia.
A young 'P' plate driver, carrying 3 others in his Landcruiser, lost control and rolled the vehicle on a dead-straight piece of road.
The rollover resulted in him dying, and his passengers all being taken to hospital with various injuries.
At the scene were found several empty boxes that had, or did, contain cans of beer.
Now the "Do gooders" are crying for lower speed limits on this dead-straight piece of road, for "safety reasons".
Give me a break!
I'm not suggesting that this was the case, but if this driver was actually exceeding the speed limit, or had indeed been drinking, do these "Do gooders" really think that a lower speed limit would have prevented the "accident".
It would have made absolutely NO difference to the outcome.
Lowering the speed limit would only mean that the car was travelling even more in excess of the limit.
Perhaps, when they've suitably recovered, the passengers will be able to shed some light on this event, but lowering the speed limit is pointless.
If a driver can't control a car on a dead-straight piece of bitumen road, it's not the fault of the road or because the speed limit's too high.
It's SOLELY the fault of the driver.
Regularly I used to drive at 270khm (+) on straightish roads with 100kmh speed limits, but because I learned to drive before any "spirited" driving became known as hoonism, or whatever term you wish to use, and thus unacceptable, I learned car control, and how to become one with the car.
Driving sideways on gravel at 160khm+ is something I used to absolutely love. Now, even spin your car's wheels and you're labelled by all the "Do gooders" as a "hoon", and you're likely to become almost ostracised.
And they wonder why youngsters these days know nothing of car control. Very sad.
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Post by arewelost on Dec 1, 2023 17:39:38 GMT 10
Ah yes. I too used to be a rev-head and would probably have lost my licence many times over if doing the same today. It certainly made me a better driver, learning the limits of what car and driver can achieve. Of course, at the time young drivers typically fail to appreciate that being a good driver also means being prepared for the unexpected. I don't think I was any exception. As for your comment on knee-jerk reactions after accidents, I agree. When it is reported that excessive speed is a factor in x% of accidents, it is usually those that ignore the speed limit entirely. I believe that a very small percentage of accidents are caused by speed when it is only 10-15kph over the limit. Exceptions would be when there is a disparity between the speed of that driver and others nearby. I believe the push to reduce speed limits is primarily so more revenue can be raised.
However, having been a passenger in a car driven by a dreadful driver recently, I can understand limits are set for the lowest common denominator who may be driving an old bomb.
In the recent case, the car was a late model but the driver was: - wandering from one side of the lane to other, repeatedly setting off the lane departure warning
- passing trucks and pulling in too close in front
- passing vehicles then slowing down
- drifting the speed lower, then realising and accelerating up to the limit .... repeatedly
- travelling in the right hand lane about 15kph below the limit
- taking up both lanes waiting to turn at an intersection (no lanes marked), and complaining when others did the same
- travelling in the blind spot of other vehicles
Yet this "good" driver has not been fined or had an at fault accident in many years. But been hit 3 times from behind. I wonder why.
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Post by Mike Harding on Dec 4, 2023 13:34:32 GMT 10
Being an ex POM and having lived around the world a bit one of the few things I dislike about Australian culture is its propensity to engage in knee-jerk reactions.
Something bad happens... the immediate screamed response is "We need a law to ban it!" as if human nature can be controlled by laws and as if that is necessarily a good thing anyway.
A positive and a negative of Australia is that it's a *long* way from anywhere else so it's hard for us to make comparisons at a social level. eg. If the Swiss are are doing X and you live 10km from the border in France and you're doing Y but the Swiss X is working much better then it's hard to argue - such is not the case in Oz and usually the loudest newspaper/TV station/politician gets his way. It's all a bit juvenile really.
Yesterday, on ABC radio news, was a report of a single car accident in the NT, four teenagers of 14/15 were involved, one died the other seriously injured. Police said "Speed was a factor." I'm sure it was but I'd suggest 98% of the factor was kids with NFI of how to drive a car was a much bigger one!
It's always easy to twist things to our desired perspective rather than confront the broader situation.
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Post by yobarr on Dec 4, 2023 20:02:31 GMT 10
Being an ex POM and having lived around the world a bit one of the few things I dislike about Australian culture is its propensity to engage in knee-jerk reactions. Something bad happens... the immediate screamed response is "We need a law to ban it!" as if human nature can be controlled by laws and as if that is necessarily a good thing anyway. A positive and a negative of Australia is that it's a *long* way from anywhere else so it's hard for us to make comparisons at a social level. eg. If the Swiss are are doing X and you live 10km from the border in France and you're doing Y but the Swiss X is working much better then it's hard to argue - such is not the case in Oz and usually the loudest newspaper/TV station/politician gets his way. It's all a bit juvenile really. Yesterday, on ABC radio news, was a report of a single car accident in the NT, four teenagers of 14/15 were involved, one died the other seriously injured. Police said "Speed was a factor." I'm sure it was but I'd suggest 98% of the factor was kids with NFI of how to drive a car was a much bigger one! It's always easy to twist things to our desired perspective rather than confront the broader situation. |
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Post by yobarr on Dec 4, 2023 20:17:29 GMT 10
All good points, Mike, but I reckon the biggest problem is that huge numbers of people are devoid of any ability to analyse a situation, or to think logically.
The people in charge of the embarrassingly inefficient educational system in this country have a lot to answer for, with many school leavers unable to do maths, having few social skills, and being unable to effectively communicate, either verbally or in writing.
But MATE, don't they known heaps about the "Global warming" con-job and their "rights". All useless stuff.
Don't get me started on this!
Social media tells all the sheep to Baaa, and the volume of the group "Baaaa" is deafening
Knowledge of the associated "responsibilities" is conspicuous by its absence. NO Cheers here.
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Post by magnarc on Dec 5, 2023 7:02:28 GMT 10
I have always thought that religion was the biggest curse on mankind (or should that be on person kind?) and I still believe that but, social media would be a bloody close second.
The two events that you mention are happening all over the country, many do not get the publicity unless it involves multiple deaths. I think we have become a "soft" society. We are soft on the bad guys to the extent that people are constantly being released on bail only to offend again. Then there are the woke magistrates who continue to bleat about his, or her, terrible conditions at home which have caused them to offend blah, blah.
Lowering the speed limit will NOT stop those people who get pissed and drive. It will NOT stop the youngsters from "borrowing" dads car and taking his mates on a rampage on the roads. It will NOT stop the druggie who is stoned out of his\her mind. We have here in Vic right now a situation which, to my mind is more dire than speed limits. Our police are taking action on a pay rise that the government has been "negotiating" for six months and the cops have had enough. The reason the pollies are procrastinating is because of very bad management. They are that far in debt that they reckon they can't afford it.
The dipsticks in power will throw money at anything except matters that should be on,or near the top of the list. Then again why should they worry? when they get the bullet they just clear the desk and walk away with a big payout. It's not just the pollies either, remember the little Irishman who recently walked away with millions after coming close to completely stuffing up a national icon???.
We now have the feds inviting thousands of migrants into the country when there is practically nowhere for them to live. "Oh it's good for the economy" they bleat. Common sense aint so common anymore and isn't that the truth.
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Post by peter57 on Mar 20, 2024 15:25:06 GMT 10
magnarc, when I am able to start a thread I will post something about Gaza and see if you think it fits what you describe in your post, and why NO Muslim country with borders to Gaza will take so called refugees from Gaza, NOT ONE OF THEM.
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Post by peter57 on Mar 20, 2024 15:27:49 GMT 10
ps, Chris there may be people here who have not driven on the Indian Ocean Drive. It has to be the widest, smoothest, well marked and gently radius curved road I have ever seen.
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