Wet weather driving.

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Went to the Hunter Valley for the weekend; copped a lot of rain coming
back along the Pacific Highway.

I seriously wonder about driving education and standards when I see:
dark coloured cars in gloomy conditions without either parkers or
headlights on, near nigh impossible to see.
A Honda Civic driver changing lanes constantly without indicators being
used.
Small wheelbase cars going about 140 kmh in conditions that had
visibility of less than 5 metres.
A greasy Habib style bloke in his Mazda 323 doing 90 in a 60 in very
slippery conditions and gettingv real shirty when it was made obvious
his style of driving was wrong.
Some dozy tart in her car end to ending it against the rock walls right
where three lanes become two.

Anybody can drive a car in a straight line on a dry road with no wind;
throw them into a mix on the conditions experienced in a storm
situation and 95 from 100 would be driving incorrectly for the
conditions.

[Ext User(Trevor Wilson)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133134450.874124.279870@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Went to the Hunter Valley for the weekend; copped a lot of rain coming
> back along the Pacific Highway.
>
> I seriously wonder about driving education and standards when I see:
> dark coloured cars in gloomy conditions without either parkers or
> headlights on, near nigh impossible to see.
> A Honda Civic driver changing lanes constantly without indicators being
> used.
> Small wheelbase cars going about 140 kmh in conditions that had
> visibility of less than 5 metres.
> A greasy Habib style bloke in his Mazda 323 doing 90 in a 60 in very
> slippery conditions and gettingv real shirty when it was made obvious
> his style of driving was wrong.
> Some dozy tart in her car end to ending it against the rock walls right
> where three lanes become two.
>
> Anybody can drive a car in a straight line on a dry road with no wind;
> throw them into a mix on the conditions experienced in a storm
> situation and 95 from 100 would be driving incorrectly for the
> conditions.

**Panel beaters love those first few days of rain. A combination of roads
that still have oil on them and drivers who have forgotten what it is like
to drive in the wet. I saw the same thing yesterday. A couple of morons
tailgating a slow driver at around 3 Metres. Admittedly only at 60kph, but,
nevertheless, no stopping room.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Publisher: Aap NewsWire
Publication: aap Australian General News (Mon 28 Nov 2005 6:57:47 AM)
Edition: Both Cycles





Police have caught a P-plate driver doing 205 kph in Melbourne's
outer-east during a three day road blitz in the Yarra Ranges.

Police say the P-plate driver was travelling on the Maroondah Highway
... near Healesville .. in a high performance vehicle.

A police spokesman says other offenders include a man travelling at 126
kph in an 80 km zone .. one travelling at 120 kph in a 70 km zone ..
and an unlicensed driver travelling at 100 kph in a 60 zone in Wandin
North.



Overall .. police detected 64 traffic offences including eight drink
drivers out of 874 checks.

The operation ran from the November 24 to 26
************************************************** ************

And what will happen to them?

And check the P Plater! Where is the sense in this little turd being
allowed back on the road?

[Ext User(rmcgrice)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1133134450.874124.279870@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com:

> Went to the Hunter Valley for the weekend; copped a lot of rain coming
> back along the Pacific Highway.
>
> I seriously wonder about driving education and standards when I see:
> dark coloured cars in gloomy conditions without either parkers or
> headlights on, near nigh impossible to see.
> A Honda Civic driver changing lanes constantly without indicators being
> used.
> Small wheelbase cars going about 140 kmh in conditions that had
> visibility of less than 5 metres.
> A greasy Habib style bloke in his Mazda 323 doing 90 in a 60 in very
> slippery conditions and gettingv real shirty when it was made obvious
> his style of driving was wrong.
> Some dozy tart in her car end to ending it against the rock walls right
> where three lanes become two.
>
> Anybody can drive a car in a straight line on a dry road with no wind;
> throw them into a mix on the conditions experienced in a storm
> situation and 95 from 100 would be driving incorrectly for the
> conditions.

Saw something equally as annoying on Friday.
Coming back from a funeral for 18 year old girl (killed road accident,
along main highway north Brisbane. Ambulance comes past siren, lights, etc
, and all of us pull into the left lane to let it past. The Ambo gets past
as all and then some stupid prick in the left lane panics, jams on the
brakes sending cars behind in all directions on the wet road.

I took the next exit and travelled the back way to get away from the many
"apparently unexperienced drivers" on that road.

Even driving up there, idiots driving in a similar manner as you saw.

No small wonder there is so much carnage on the roads.

Ron

[Ext User(Bob Saccamano)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133134450.874124.279870@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Went to the Hunter Valley for the weekend; copped a lot of rain coming
> back along the Pacific Highway.
>
For the first time a ages, I was actually scared to be behind the wheel. It
was Friday early afternoon on the F3. Almost zero visibility. The amount of
morons who were tailgaiting, ducking in and out of their lane to get further
ahead was astonishing. Some dork had spun on the downhill approach to Mooney
bridge nortbound and wiped out the armco. A few heart in mouth encounters in
such a short distance.

No wonder that road suffers almost daily accidents. Its the damn morons.

[Ext User(ant)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Anybody can drive a car in a straight line on a dry road with no wind;
> throw them into a mix on the conditions experienced in a storm
> situation and 95 from 100 would be driving incorrectly for the
> conditions.

And then they'll screech about Death Roads and agitate for millions to be
spent on straightening the road and putting a giant garden in the middle so
they can't crash into each other when they lose it.


--
ant
http://www.dcita.gov.au/tel/do_not_call
to make your comment on proposals to limit telemarketing

[Ext User(jackbadger)]

"thecommentator" <daveconmedia@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1133134450.874124.279870@g49g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com:

> Went to the Hunter Valley for the weekend; copped a lot of rain coming
> back along the Pacific Highway.
>
> I seriously wonder about driving education and standards when I see:
> dark coloured cars in gloomy conditions without either parkers or
> headlights on, near nigh impossible to see.
> A Honda Civic driver changing lanes constantly without indicators being
> used.
> Small wheelbase cars going about 140 kmh in conditions that had
> visibility of less than 5 metres.
> A greasy Habib style bloke in his Mazda 323 doing 90 in a 60 in very
> slippery conditions and gettingv real shirty when it was made obvious
> his style of driving was wrong.
> Some dozy tart in her car end to ending it against the rock walls right
> where three lanes become two.
>
> Anybody can drive a car in a straight line on a dry road with no wind;
> throw them into a mix on the conditions experienced in a storm
> situation and 95 from 100 would be driving incorrectly for the
> conditions.

There are a large group of panel beaters near my work; after a period of
heavy rain we watch as the holding yard fills up with bent cars. The vast
majority (well, a lot anyway) are AWD or road based 4WD's smashed on the
nose. Seems drivers of these types get over confident with the extra grip
for cornering & acceleration, but forget when it comes to braking, they're
in the same boat (excuse the pun) as just about every other car on the
road.

[Ext User(ShazWozza)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Publisher: Aap NewsWire

Social engineering PR snipped.
>
> The operation ran from the November 24 to 26
> ************************************************** ************
>
> And what will happen to them?
>
> And check the P Plater! Where is the sense in this little turd being
> allowed back on the road?

Yawn. This kind of press release is as regular as Christmas advertisements
at this time of year.

As for the P plater. Show me a young kid driver who hasn't succumbed to the
temptation speeding at some stage in their P platedness. In black and white
terms it was just bad luck that he got caught (or good luck depending on
perspective).

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

Yawn. This kind of press release is as regular as Christmas
advertisements
at this time of year.
**************************

Which demonstrates my point.
People are not being trained to drive to a sufficient standard that
would stop these sorts of releases, PR or not.
P Platers?
Plenty of arguments for and against on this subject.
200kmh in a straight line, fine; toss in a curve and see what happens

[Ext User(Spear and Magic Helmet)]

Bob Saccamano wrote:
> Almost zero visibility. The amount of morons who were
> tailgaiting, ducking in and out of their lane to get further
> ahead was astonishing.

Dont forget the special kind of idiots who sit behind you in fog then
get the idea in their head that they can go faster than this. So they
go to overtake only to find that it only seemed like they could go
faster because they could see tail lights in front. Now that they're
faced with the grey limbo on their own they panic brake.

[Ext User(Charlie)]

a lot of your examples seem less about education, than lifestyle / risk
assesment.

Charlie

[Ext User(Bobby)]

thecommentator wrote:
> Police have caught a P-plate driver doing 205 kph in Melbourne's
> outer-east during a three day road blitz in the Yarra Ranges.

Lol this brang a flashback as I've done that speed and higher on the same
road and same suburb in my old EA 5 speed, backed straight off after
reaching the "dangerous" speed, with no other sound other than a cow looking
on in the dead of night.

--
Regards
Bobby

[Ext User(Charlie)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Which demonstrates my point.
> People are not being trained to drive to a sufficient standard that
> would stop these sorts of releases, PR or not.

partly, but partly people also realise that driving is not a
particularly dangerous thing, and don't worry themselves over inane
media bollocks and 'concerned' citizens.

> P Platers?
> Plenty of arguments for and against on this subject.
> 200kmh in a straight line, fine; toss in a curve and see what happens

brakes?

Clearly, the authorities are not yet stupid enough to permanently stop
people driving who happen to get caught doing something wrong. 200kph
only seems particularly excessive to you (I presume, as it is for most
people) because of your background and sheltered lifestyle. Grow up in
all manner of other countries (or even the NT perhaps) and it wouldn't
seem particularly excessive, if at all.

Charlie

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

200kph only seems particularly excessive to you (I presume, as it is
for most
people) because of your background and sheltered lifestyle.
************************************************** ********

Here Charlie, have some rope; do tell me of my sheltered lifestyle
where I know nothing about motor vehicles, speed and drivers?

[Ext User(Charlie)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Here Charlie, have some rope; do tell me of my sheltered lifestyle
> where I know nothing about motor vehicles, speed and drivers?

:)
Already stated it's a broad assumption, based on Australia and your
posting. Take it personally if you really want.

Charlie

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

200kph only seems particularly excessive to you (I presume, as it is
for most people) because of your background and sheltered lifestyle.
Take it personally if you really want.
************************************************** ****
So comment number one wasn't personal?
How much rope would you like mate?

[Ext User(Charlie)]

thecommentator wrote:
>
> 200kph only seems particularly excessive to you (I presume, as it is
> for most people) because of your background and sheltered lifestyle.
> Take it personally if you really want.
> ************************************************** ****
> So comment number one wasn't personal?
> How much rope would you like mate?

p'raps it got taken the wrong way, sorry if my words weren't sugar
coated enough, but it was intended as a general statement about the
nature of australian citizens and their beliefs on road behaviour being
heavily influenced by their upbringing in a 100kph limited nation with a
media that loves to sow fear and worry.

Charlie

[Ext User(thecommentator)]

p'raps it got taken the wrong way, sorry if my words weren't sugar
coated enough, but it was intended as a general statement about the
nature of australian citizens and their beliefs on road behaviour being

heavily influenced by their upbringing in a 100kph limited nation with
a
media that loves to sow fear and worry.
***********************************************
Bear in mind that unfortuantely for people such as me and thee, speed
limits are there for the lowest common denominator driver; the very
ones that inspired my OP.
Limits that in some situations are too slow for the road and the area
and like yesterday, simply way too high for the driving conditions.
In my capacities in both the automotive and motorsport fields, even
very talented and experienced drivers are affected by the weather which
then affects what I do.
Good example was the Rally of Bathurst a few weeks back; the weather
and the road conditions ended up causing some stages to be cancelled
for safety reasons. If this is happening for blokes that fang a 300hp
plus AWD vehicle down narrow gravel tracks you can imagine Joe Sixpack
in his Falcadore on a oil slicked road doing 70 kph trying to cope
(using your generalisations about Aussies).
Plus the powers that be utilise the free speech and brainwashing
aspects of the media to keep reminding us of how bad we are on the road
knowing full well that if they'd spent money on educating and training
there'd be lots more drivers capable of making their own decision on
how to utilise their vehicles and not go past speedcameras and provide
revenue that is put to the use it's meant to be (being, of course,
training drivers and repairing/building better quality roads) and drive
at sensible limits on wet, slippery roads without baning into other
people and rock walls.

[Ext User(Charlie)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Bear in mind that unfortuantely for people such as me and thee, speed
> limits are there for the lowest common denominator driver; the very
> ones that inspired my OP.

that's a positive way to look at it. Some might consider that some
speed limits are helping *create* the lowest common denominator, very
little ability is required to drive a car in the majority of conditions
and not have a problem, so people never bother thinking any further on
it.

Charlie

[Ext User(ShazWozza)]

thecommentator wrote:

> Which demonstrates my point.

You don't demonstrate any point. It is entirely possible that the P Plater
was driving safely at 200kph.

> People are not being trained to drive to a sufficient standard that
> would stop these sorts of releases, PR or not.
> P Platers?

Training has little to do with it. It's basically a cull out there.
Sometimes the innocent cop it as well as the guilty. That's life.
You should have more faith in Lord Darwin.

> Plenty of arguments for and against on this subject.
> 200kmh in a straight line, fine; toss in a curve and see what happens

Ummm.... drivers usually slow down for corners. Those that don't may run off
the road depending on their speed and the corner. You can run off the road
at velocities less than 60kph. What is your point?