Blackie

The link here provides a story on how the motoring industry is pushing for a better driving education system and government type people finally acknowledging that 'speed' isn't the be all and end all of safety.

Hopefully something good comes out of this deal for the betterment of all drivers. I for one would like to see annual compulsory roadworthy checks and the police enforce every other road rule as stringently as they do for speeding. such as tailgating, hogging the right lane, not using blinkers with sudden lane changes, etc.

One of the glaring problems I see on the road everyday are people who clearly have no idea or are simply too lazy to bother about where their car is in relation to the road and other cars. This is especially evident when there is a dual or multi-lane road which turns or crosses an intersection with no white lines until the other side. I've lost count the number of times where the car next to me or in front of me fails to stick inside their lane and drifts across the other lane, or when turning they decide to use up both lanes.

http://www.drive.com.au/news/article.asp?a...FXMP4VOQBD.html

Muz

I agree with most of the points you make.

NSW used to have (not sure if it still does) annual compulsory roadworthy checks.

Annual compulsory roadworthy checks would see a very large number of vehicles (particularly the environmentally dangerous smoke blowing type) removed from the road in Qld.

This could be a good thing but I'm not sure it should neccessarily apply to newer vehicles. Perhaps once a vehicle reaches a certain age or mileage it could become compulsory to have it checked each year?

Sunder

In NSW, when a car is 4 years old, you need to get a "pink" slip, verifying that the car is roadworthy.

However, the tests are pretty lax, allowing for poor braking, poor handling and structurally unsafe cars still on the road.

In other words, it has to be horrendously poor to fail.

Aussie_ITR-0239

I know this thread is mainly to do with 'safety'.... but don't forget - new cars that are poorly maintained, can polute just as much as older cars (granted though, the % would be far lower)!

For those in Victoria, remember you can 'dob in' a smokey vehicle now.... simply by calling the EPA on - (03) 9695 2755 - stating the rego of the car, time and location you observed it. Obviously if they get enough complaints about a smokey vehicle, they will pay a visit to them!!

Back to the main topic.... proper driving training (particularly some involving a 'skid pan') should be mandatory - PERIOD!!

tafka TMB

If "speed kills" then how come there are not 50-100 additional deaths each week from the hundreds of people competing in Australian motorclub sprints.

Sure there is adequate warning of oil spills, the corners are pretty consistant from lap to lap, there is on site medical help in the case of a crash, the track is smooth, the event is called off if it is raining too heavily, the people on the track with you are pretty helpful to letting you get past you (if they are aware of you), wildlife doesn't jump in front of you, etc.

But this also shows that if the cars are mechanically adequate (scrutineering) and the drivers have some idea of what they are doing (training/experience) then people can, and do, travel repeatedly over 110kph and still be in control.

No one should be travelling to the cornering or braking limits of a car on a racetrack. But in clear weather on well maintained roads it is impossible to view the "Speed kills" campaign with anything except contempt.

If regular RWC's come in I am screwed as I have another road-registered car that will eventually become a race car It'd been off the road (still registered) for yonks while the conversion is slowly happening. But I am sure that Vicroads would take a very dim view of an 18 point roll cage and brake-balance bars.