[MINI.CLUBS]

Every time you tune into the media these days, there is a very strong emphasis on living life in the fast lane. These references are not pitched at the speed in which we move around the office or home, but more about the way we drive our motor vehicles.

Just think about the last time you were cruising along in your mechanised conveyance and over the radio came an RTA message – “How fast are you going now?” Naturally, the first thing you do is check the speedometer and yes, you are doing the legal speed limit. The first assumption is that you’re not speeding – well, not exceeding the speed limit that is. So here lays the problem – motorists will naturally believe they are safe because some specific government road safety campaign claims that Speed Kills. The driver doing exactly 60kmh in a sixty kilometre an hour zone thinks I am not speeding so I’m safe.

The sad fact is that we become insulated in our go fast automobiles with all the latest gadgets, technology and safety equipment. The reality is that we humans were never designed to be crash test dummies, and that speed alone is not the primary reason for road carnage.

Now before you jump up and down and think I am from another planet, just imagine this situation;
A motorist is doing everything right according to RTA requirements. Legal speed limit, car in good mechanical condition, the driver with a legal drivers licence etc. and, by the way, this driver was tested for approximately twenty minutes – demonstrating basic skills like reverse parking, a hill start etc. which is all that is required to pass the RTA practical licence test.

Back to our motorist minding their own business with the auto in ‘D’ for dream, music and air conditioning on, seat reclined and their left arm resting on the centre console. Now a distraction takes their eyes off the road for a split second and a vehicle pulls out in front of them. The next thing that happens is a massive impact, smashing glass, the sound of metal being torn apart and our driver being thrown forward at warp speed into the seat belt. Sadly this situation is happening all the time and should this driver survive the crash, they will say “But I was not speeding”.

Every time we drive our vehicles we are speeding, even at the legal limit. People just have a problem with admitting that mobility or momentum is referred to as speeding. The sad fact is that at 60kmh or above, human beings do not walk away injury free. Even with air bags fitted, which deploy at over 200kmh, this in no way resembles a friendly pillow fight in the bedroom.

The key to driving and surviving is to not crash in the first place! Anticipating and being alert makes for precise actions and smoother driving.

If you have a need for speed and want to find out how fast your new high tech gismo will go, then do it like me and get on the race track (like Oran Park) where speed is legal. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) can also steer motoring enthusiasts in the direction of car clubs that host drive events on a regular basis.

When you next have the urge to put your pedal to the metal think about how important your Drivers Licence is, and remember that RTA quote – “There is no such thing as safe speeding”. Maybe they should be saying – driving is potentially the most dangerous thing you do at any speed – even at the legal limit.


Ian Luff
Ian Luff Motivation Australia

The constant need to watch the speedo because of State Government's, desire to make all drivers contribute larger and larger amounts of cash to their coffers, distracts us all from the real task which should be, alert preemptive driving. Maybe if they delivered on their promises to fix our roads and pledged real money into Driver Training for young drivers, we wouldn't be so sceptical about their motives when they raise fines under the guise of 'Road Safety and Speed Kills'.

Regards to all

Brad​

 

[MickyD]

two comments:

During the MINI Driver training last week Geoff Brabham mentioned to a couple of us that he didn't think we were getting to the orange cones in the braking test at the right speed, and followed it up with "you victorians should be used to watching the speedo and not where you're going"..... how true.


also, I overheard a conversation the other day that basically went "My son crashed his car the other day, he fell asleep while he was driving, but he wasn't speeding".... make of that what you will.

 

[eltel]

Last year there was a sign on the Eastern Freeway (one of those big ones with black spots that change to yellow to make up words, etc.) that loudly proclaimed - STICK TO THE SPEED LIMIT.

During a massive rainstorm that sign still blinked and winked and thank God nobody stuck to the speed limit, but it does demonstrate the nonsensical messages and methods that our governing bodies use to try to stop people from killing themselves.

Education, awareness, experience and the desire to live and not become a statistic will encourage people to drive better instead of speed cameras. Get bad drivers off the road, give people a chance to improve their abilities and knowledge, especially the novice drivers.

 

[CanberraCooperS]

Speed DOESNT Kill

Its the sudden Stop!!!!

If you look at the research and stats comming from Europe they are all very clear in Fact that by increasing the speed limits you are infact creating less frustrated drivers. Frustration makes simple minded drivers do stupid things. Then again there is the young and inexperienced drivers attempting to take on the world as they are indestructable. Been there done that myself.. but at least i did it off the road in a rally car.

Freeways like the one from Syd to Canberra could easily have a 130-140klm speed limit. 90% of all the cars these days will use less fuel cruising at that speed!
I think we need to kick out the Archaeic group of 65 year old Road Policy Bureaucrates, as they are all living in the 70's with their understanding of cars/roads/ and how people react to slowing everything down!!!!

Case in Point. My Parents live just off Captains Flat Road near Queabeyan/Canberra. Up until 2 years ago this road was 100klms an hour speed limit like most country roads in NSW. After 20 Kangaroo hits in 2 years the NRMA put in a recomendation to the local council who then lowered the speed limit to 80 for the first 3klms and 90 to the rest.

NO ONE ABIDES by it!!!! only the retired public servents and hippies out there abide by the speed limit... not even the Local School busses do!

I agree with Luffy and i really hope we get a change of Government and drive a message to the Bureaucrates in goverment departments that make stupid calls to wake up and realise that the Future is FAST!!!!

 

[MickyD]

The new sections of the Hume in Victoria were designed for traffic doing 130-140, yet it's still 110 all the way (and very heavily policed of course, being victoria). Also, the princes Fwy coming back into melbourne, just before pakenham has just been dropped from 110 to 100 (about 3 weeks ago), coming back from Eden, there was a speed camera less than 500m into the 100 zone, and then a cop with radar another 500 meters past that.... this is on a divided road, 2 lanes each way, and in most places you can see 2 or 3 K's up the road......

It was easy to tell when I crossed from NSW to victoria too, instead of the traffic flowing beautifully at 5-10k over the limit, as soon as I got into Vic, everyone was sitting in the right hand lane doing 5 below the limit, and whenever someone was passing in an overtaking lane they would use the full length of it to pass, since they were scared of doing more than 2 or 3 K's over the limit. Makes for a VERY frustrating trip when only one car gets past the slow trucks in each overtaking lane....

 

[Todd!]

Coming back from Eden, there was a speed camera less than 500m into the 100 zone, and then a cop with radar another 500 meters past that.... this is on a divided road, 2 lanes each way, and in most places you can see 2 or 3 K's up the road......
.

Where was this!?!

We didnt notice it and we were fairly well motoring along!!

Todd

 

[swamos]

Where was this!?!

We didnt notice it and we were fairly well motoring along!!

Todd

Oh ooooohhh

Been more eage to see the posty than usual ??

 

[eeney]

With such smooth, quiet cars, auto gearboxes, cruise control and everyone driving at a constant mundane speed ........... ZZZZzzzzzzzz

I spent a year driving in France where everyone drives slightly erratically, hardly ever below the speed limit and on tricky windy roads. I'm not saying this was actually safer but certainly made for much more alert drivers. And more fun driving

Having said all this if Police lighten up on speeding then they'll face substantial a fall in income...., but therein lies a whole different and exhausted discussion.

 

[MickyD]

Where was this!?!

We didnt notice it and we were fairly well motoring along!!

Todd

if it was there when you went through you would definitely have seen it, it was on the long straight section just after you come down a big hill, brown Hyundai '4WD' parked on the side.

 

[Todd!]

I saw a Santa Fe on the opposite side of the road on a dual carriageway... with a copper about 500m back down the road busting some guy... I know what you are talking about now - bout 150km from Melb?

Todd

 

[AndrewH]

I think we need to kick out the Archaeic group of 65 year old Road Policy Bureaucrates, as they are all living in the 70's with their understanding of cars/roads/ and how people react to slowing everything down!!!!

Case in Point. My Parents live just off Captains Flat Road near Queabeyan/Canberra. Up until 2 years ago this road was 100klms an hour speed limit like most country roads in NSW. After 20 Kangaroo hits in 2 years the NRMA put in a recomendation to the local council who then lowered the speed limit to 80 for the first 3klms and 90 to the rest.

NO ONE ABIDES by it!!!! only the retired public servents and hippies out there abide by the speed limit... not even the Local School busses do!

Hay, now settle down, lets not get too rash and start saying things we will regret later - I'm a road policy bureaucrat and I'm neither 65 years old or living in the 70's

But your right. Not one road safety expert has said how they will stop the rush of blood to the head, and the resulting tunnel vision, that gets young people (myself included) into dangerous situations.

It really annoys me that government points the finger at everyone else and never seems to accept their part of the responsibility for road safety.

As you say, the Captains Flat road is a classic case in point - my folks also live out there. The road in question has low traffic volumes and is, for the most part, in open country. A 90 km speed limit on such a long rural stretch of road is just totally inappropriate. If there is a safety problem fix it.

One of the theories in road safety is that you have to be consistent with speed limits so that people naturally know what speed they should be doing without having to look thus making it much easier to abide by the law.

What amazes me is that the road off the Captains Flat road which my parents live on (Briars Sharrow road) is dirt yet they put up new speed limit signs of 100 km when they dropped the limit on the Captains Flat road Not that I want the council to drop them too but this kind of thinking is just illogical!

If you follow the council’s specious reasoning to its conclusion, rather than maintaining the roads, they can just keep reducing the speed limit.

Oh, and you never know, you might just get higher limits on the Hume Highway one day (but you didn't hear that from me)

 

[CanberraCooperS]

Never had any intention of any negativity towards yourself dude... It was directed at the Old senior senile ones only.. eg the directors and so on

 

[MickyD]

Oh, and you never know, you might just get higher limits on the Hume Highway one day (but you didn't hear that from me)

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
more information?????
(by PM if necessary?)

 

[AndrewH]

Never had any intention of any negativity towards yourself dude... It was directed at the Old senior senile ones only.. eg the directors and so on

You weren't too far off though, the Department is full of crusty old farts. We apparently have the second oldest average age out of all the Commonwealth Departments.

more information?????

One of the technology elements in AusLink is the trialling of variable speed limits. As in all things in life, there are potentially good and bad parts to VSL. Certainly, nothing is set in stone and that includes which road/roads VSL could potentially be trialled on but one option could be to have higher limits in good conditions and lower limits in bad conditions but the crunch is that it would likely be accompanied by strict technology based speed enforcement.

I'm fighting the good fight (or at least trying to anyway)

 

[cityclinic]

You weren't too far off though, the Department is full of crusty old farts. We apparently have the second oldest average age out of all the Commonwealth Departments.

One of the technology elements in AusLink is the trialling of variable speed limits. As in all things in life, there are potentially good and bad parts to VSL. Certainly, nothing is set in stone and that includes which road/roads VSL could potentially be trialled on but one option could be to have higher limits in good conditions and lower limits in bad conditions but the crunch is that it would likely be accompanied by strict technology based speed enforcement.

I'm fighting the good fight (or at least trying to anyway)

I had occasion to be in Sutherland court recently where I observed the injustices of the VSL system;

The were approximately 40 cases.
All had opted to plead guilty with an explanation in an earlier appearance that morning.
All were for excess speed on either the School Zone at Kogarah or the M5 tunnel.
Over 30 were for the M5 Tunnel.
All 30 had exceeded the (supposedly) posted speed of 40 k's.
Almost all were clocked at between 70 and 85 klms.
One lady hadn't had an infringement for over 40 years.
A taxi driver got booked going in both directions for exactly the same speed; 80 ks in a VSL zone posted at 40 ks on the same night.
On every occasion the incidents occured in the same time period and on two consequetive nights.
One driver, an aircraft engineer with Qantas, argued a technical point and was adjourned.
In almost every case drivers said they thought the speed was posted at 80 ks and it wasn't until they had actually entered the tunnel that the they noticed the speed limit had been reduced to 40.

The magistrate, a women, went to great lengths to impress upon all who were in her court room, that she had "never" been booked for speeding, couldn't understand why so many were before her for exceeding the posted limit in the same VSL zone.

In every case drivers explained they did not remember seeing the sign saying it was 40 ks and therefore entered the tunnel at what they thought was the speed limit. In every case the magistrate said "you need to be more attentive" when driving as you are endangering the lives of those working in the tunnel which is why the speed limit had been reduced for that period.

Not one driver saw a person working in the tunnel at the time of the incidents, none saw the customery witches hats that are normally dividing the lanes when persons are working in the tunnel. No one saw any maintenance vehicles and certainly none that had flashing lights.

All genuinely believed that the sign said 80 as they entered the tunnel and in all cases said they slowed when they saw the 40 sign . . unfortunately too late for the cameras.

All either lost their licenses or were adjourned.

The same VSL area on the M5 now has "flashing speed limit signs" prior entering the tunnel.

I may be a bit of a sceptic but how do so many people get it wrong? Personally I beleive the sign probably did read 80 and then changed to 40 in the tunnel.

I was adjourned. I changed my plea to not guilty and left the court in total disbelief at the way this magisrate handled each and every matter. None were habitual speeders yet the magistrate took strips off them for 'endangering the lives of people who were supposedly working in the tunnel'. To the 62 year old lady the magistrate quipped "you must be an inatentive driver as you have been fined for speeding on a previous occasion"

As I mentioned earlier this woman hadn't had a speeding fine for 40 years. She lost her license despite explaining she needed it to perform her Meals on Wheels duties.

I just hope I don't get the same magistrate when I return to have my case heard.

 

[Todd!]

It doesnt sound too good for you!!

What a wrought!!

Like the Vic governments Western Ring Road disaster!! There wasa datsun or similar that did 178km/h through a speed trap and they proved at Calder PArk that the cars top speed was like 117km/h.

Jst goes to prove that there is alot of room for error...

Todd

 

[AndrewH]

I had occasion to be in Sutherland court recently where I observed the injustices of the VSL system

All genuinely believed that the sign said 80 as they entered the tunnel and in all cases said they slowed when they saw the 40 sign . . unfortunately too late for the cameras.

That's just dumb, how do law enforcement bodies and the government expect to build up respect for these laws by overzealously targeting people like that and without any margin for error.

A better implementation would probably be point to point speed detection with a clear margin for when speed limits are reduced.

I'm interested to know how you get on so keep us posted.

 

[Smurfn]

The magistrate wasn't Pat O'Shane was she? Or are there other looney magistrates out there?

It really makes you believe in the court system

 

[cityclinic]

That's just dumb, how do law enforcement bodies and the government expect to build up respect for these laws by overzealously targeting people like that and without any margin for error.

A better implementation would probably be point to point speed detection with a clear margin for when speed limits are reduced.

I'm interested to know how you get on so keep us posted.

If the rationale for VSL zones was for making specific areas safe then there would be far better warning systems alerting motorists they are entering these areas. In some school zones, particularly on highways, there are up to three different speed limits posted within 100 meters. Not only do you have to look out for signs on some of the busiest roads in Sydney, you need an eye on the clock and the speedo.

At one particular school zone, on the busiest heavy vehicle intersection in NSW, there are 15 different signs within 75 metres of the start of the VSL. Many of these are covered by trees, behind telegraph poles and are set so close to each other that if you are watching what is happening ahead of you and having a cursory glance in the rear vision mirror, just so you are aware of what is happening around, you will miss important signs . . like the one that says 40 ks.

Why not have flashing amber lights warning you are entering a school zone or any VSL area, particualrly on highways and main roads? Tests have already shown that the use of this type of warning increases compliance by over 80%. Of course compliance means less revenue

 

[cityclinic]

The magistrate wasn't Pat O'Shane was she? Or are there other looney magistrates out there?

It really makes you believe in the court system

Traffic Law . . . you are guilty until proven innocent. The courts will not award costs to you should you prove your innocence. That is, unless of course, you can prove the infringement was issued maliciously.