Accident on the news

>> Over here perhaps its cyclists who need the training

gee dont let harold hear you saying that.. lmao

The 4by was probably trying to overtake someone at the speed limit so he didn't get fined...

Every year at about this time I send this letter to all the editors of the major newspapers on the east coast.
The Road Toll
We read every day of the tragic loss of life on our roads and yet we waste a perfect opportunity to realistically do something to prevent it. We send our kids to school to learn the 3 R’s Readin’, wRitin’ and aRithmetic, I firmly believe there should be a fourth R added to this list, Roadcraft.
As humans, virtually the only thing we do in our day-to-day life that is potentially life threatening is to drive a motorcar, motorcycle, pushbike or even be a pedestrian on our roads.
If our kids are not great scholars it surely affects their future career paths but it doesn’t have the potential to kill them. Giving our kids driver’s licenses with inadequate driver training most certainly does. While our kids are at school we have the perfect opportunity to begin training in both theory and practical lessons in general driving ability, attitude and road craft. Our kids could be accurately assessed on their ability and even rewarded by reduced insurance premiums for proof of ability, attitude and temperament. The flow on effect from greater school based training would be an enormous benefit to our community.
Almost everyone amongst us knows someone who has lost family or friends to the road toll. If a crocodile attacks and kills someone, it makes front page news Australia wide and yet only 10 people have been killed by crocs in the last 20 or so years Australia wide, yet we take it literally for granted that over 3000 people will die on our roads each year and it hardly raises an eyebrow. I will repeat that, over 3000 people dead, and we don’t even hear about the 10 times that many who are badly injured or often permanently disabled.
We have not only the ability, but also the responsibility to do something about it. Our children are our community’s most valuable assets. We owe it to them to make their lives as safe and rewarding as possible.
The most worrying part of my life will be when my kids are finally given that eagerly anticipated drivers license. I wonder about the sleepless nights I will have waiting for them to come home even though I know I will have taken the extra precaution of teaching them how to drive at night, how to drive in wet conditions, how to effectively brake a vehicle in emergency conditions and various road craft survival techniques.
These elements are not required to be taught to our kids before they are given a driving license. Most people are given a license with less than 4 hours formal driver training. I imagine putting your life in the hands of a surgeon with only 4 hours formal training, yet whilst driving we are entrusting every other driver with our lives.
I wonder how many sleepless nights you as parents will have worrying about your kids, sent out to fend for themselves virtually unarmed in modern societies most dangerous environment …..our roads.

Sincerely,
Rob Berrill
Certificate IV Trainer\Assessor
Cairns Offroad Training & Tours
http://www.cairnsoffroad.com.au
4wdtraining@cairns.net.au

Know your concern.
We are always wondering if we are going to get that phone call in the middle of the night. Luckily up to now they have one of them letting us know they are going to be late home, when they do occassionally ring.
I have two boys, now 20 and 24, who have been through the P plate system, and survived.
The oldest is more into cars and I managed to get him to have a go at motorkhanas and hill climbs. Yes, he has had a couple of spin offs, and yes he did damage his pride and joy. But he was OK, and he has learnt that there is not much margin between being in control and being out of control. He is a more careful road driver now. Better than his father was at the same age, but we are not going to tell him that are we :o).
Yes, we still have the late nights for both of them when they don't turn up on time. And mobile phones are great when they answer them.
2nd son has admitted to having a spin, but no damage, just pride. But a car is more just transport for him to get to the places he wants to go, not so much how fast he can get there.

My boy called about 2 weeks ago at 1 am.

It was a very dewy night and the road was quite damp. The combination of speed, damp road and crap tyres on the car we were given by a friend, a '79 Corona Wagon.
He was going too fast on a road he didn't know that well.
Missed negotiating a dogleg bend and ploughed into the concrete kerb on the wrong side of the road.
Popped both front tyres and bent 2 rims. It shook him up a bit and he seems to have slowed down a little.

I have him back on the road but he knows the next time the repairs will be his to pay for. I told him he better get a job or improve his driving skills.
I am seriously considering enrolling him in an advanced driving course.

Hi Wayne
For some reason- the Wollondilly Shire has the dubious honour of being the highest fatalities in the State..

The Picton road used to be a favourite night run when i was a youngster.
When you drive along there now there are soooo many trees with floral tributes on them. That should be a warning in itself but boys will be boys won't they?

Maybe P Platers should be restricted to driving 3 wheel Goggomobiles for the first 3 years of their driving life. With a governor fitted LOL. If they go too fast, the car falls over on the next corner LOL then they have to get out and put it back on its wheels...

Restricted to no passengers by virtue of the lack of passenger space, it would mean they all have to drive themselves to parties etc and therefore cannot drink because of the zero alcohol limit.

>>>I'm trying to get driver trainer for campers going in the LROC here in Sydney, having joined to get training for my daughter, i figured i might see if they'll give training with campers a try.

I brought this up recently with the ass rep in our club to see if 4wd vic was offering/going to, but nothing came back.

Towing a trailer for some is like walking on the ground, for others its impossible.. You can have a full days entertainment at a boat ramp watching people try and fail.

LOL, yeah I know it's weird hey. I learnt to drive with a trailer on the back of the ute full of hay while driving down a muddy paddock with people standing on top of the hay bails so it's just second nature to me now, but I reckon I could go to the local hire shop with a carton and have a great days entertainment watching people back trailers up! :-)

I guess the problem is that a lot of people only tow a trailer every now and then, maybe even once a year for that one break they get to use their camper/van on. Then they hook up the 275,000 foot caravan onto their dunnydore with standard suspension and hoot off like they're going to the shops...

Maybe an awareness campaign with a government subsidy for training would be better than more rules and fines!

Of course that would cost them money, not make money like additional license fees,testing and fining people would, so it will probably never happen...

G'day Jeff,

Understand exactly what you are saying and like you I have been doing this trailer thing for a while, mainly box, boat and campertrailers with the occasional horsefloat early in life. Done it often enough to this without too much of a second thought normally. But I am about to embark onto a new world of caravanning and for many years the bride has been advocation a 14' van but as we now get closer to the "what van" decision she has changed her tune to something more in the range of 24'.

Gotta tell you, that whilst I am delighted with her change in attitude, I will be treating this as a whole new experience. Was driving home in the storm yesterday (SE Qld) and the rain and winds were almost unbelievable. I was thinking my god this would be a nightmare in a big van.

Kind regards

'The problem is that with the huge focus on revenue raising through fines for speeding, drivers spend way too much time checking the speedo instead of watching the road. '

HULLO.....

HULLO TRAVELLER2.....

Welcome to planet earth. Pleased to see that you can speak and understand the language. It should make communication a lot simpler.

A helpful tip when travelling our roads...

We have SPEED LIMITS (they vary according to conditions) that MUST be obeyed. If you should exceed the speed limit, YOU will be held accountable. Usuually a fine (expiation notice).

The governments of the world are generally not very tolerant of people who exceed the speed limits (and break the laws in other ways). You will also find that the wider community associates speeding vehicles with unsafe driving resulting in increased accidents.

THE PENALTIES can be severe.

People of the world encourage you to watch the road ahead and focus on other traffic. An occasional glimpse at the speedometer should be sufficient to monitor your speed. As your level of driving experience increases you will (should) develop an ability to judge your speed within a few km/ph of that which you are travelling.

Be patient, experience comes with age and usage.

Please enjoy your visit to our planet.

Good luck

drugs are bad...

What a patronising post DIO - how old are you?

www.safespeed.org.uk/

LOL yep, revenue raising is to blame. Heaven forbid that we should ever blame the drivers.

You lot (well most) missed the point of my post, what I was trying to say was that instead of the constant focus on speed and booking drivers to raise revenue the powers that be should be focussing on driver education especially BEFORE new drivers are allowed on the road by themselves.
My second point was that as the govt doesn't get involved in raising driving standards that it is up to us who are teaching our kids to ensure they get the best possible driver training before being let loose on the roads.
The basic driving test teaches them nothing about skid control or braking in poor traction conditions just for starters.

"the powers that be should be focussing on driver education"

Just another cop out. Are we totally incapable of looking after ourselves? Do we need "the powers that be" to wipe our butts as well? Just another example of the no care, no responsibility attitude rife in the community.

IMHO, the attitude of most P-platers/inexperienced drivers is a reflection of that of their parents. Harsh words, I know, but somewhere, someone has to take responsibility instead of just passing the buck.

Do we need "the powers that be" to wipe our butts as well?

Until they make 2 ply the minimum stanard, yeah, it would be nice...LOL

hahahahaha another sick puppy :))) I have no other option than to concede you that point Mike W LOL

"the powers that be should be focussing on driver education"

Just another cop out. Are we totally incapable of looking after ourselves? Do we need "the powers that be" to wipe our butts as well? Just another example of the no care, no responsibility attitude rife in the community.

IMHO, the attitude of most P-platers/inexperienced drivers is a reflection of that of their parents. Harsh words, I know, but somewhere, someone has to take responsibility instead of just passing the buck.
Regards

Al


Gramps,
That would have to be the best response to a 'speed' related thread ever on this forum !
Can we just paste and copy onto any future thread on this topic ? As it says it all.

Avagoodn
Pezza

Pezza,

Sorry mate, it's a pet peeve of mine. I really feel for the families involved in these tragedies but I don't think putting the responsibility on "the powers that be" is the solution.