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Jfunk said...
Simple solution, each time you renew your licence, you have to re-sit your rules exam. You also have to re-do your driving test - unless you have completed an advanced driver training program in the intervening period.

A drivers licence should not be for life. Skills diminish.

Thoroughly agree. Not goint to happen without comprehensive reliable and affordable public transport, which our major political parties seem fatally allergic to.

its not the skills that need work usually..its the attitude.

Attitude, and the appropriate application thereof, is a skill.

I always use cruise control on country driving, which I do every week. 110 km/hr, spot on by the GPS, or 100 if the limit is 100.

I cruise up behind someone from miles back and so pull out to pass.
As I draw level, they speed up to exactly match my speed. Why ???

Or,.. I'm cruising down the highway at 110 on cruise control, and someone comes roaring up behind me from miles back, pulls out and passes me,.. then cuts in really close,.. and then slows down to 105. Why???

Or,.. I'm cruising down the highway at 110 on cruise control, and someone comes roaring up behind me from miles back, pulls out and passes me,.. then cuts in 2 car lengths in front, and then slows down to exactly 110 and sits there 2 car lengths in front. Why???

I agree, WA drivers are some of the most rude and inconsiderate drivers on the planet.

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Cal said...
Attitude, and the appropriate application thereof, is a skill.

I find that how people behave on the road is about as true a reflection of there inner being as you'll ever see.

Put a person in a "safe" capsule with plenty of "power" for use, at their discretion, and they will surely show their true colours.

A timid person will do 20kmh under the speed limit, not change lanes and brake when approaching a set of traffic lights, regardless of what colour they are. An aggressive/opportunist person will drive a car like it's stolen, with little regard for others on the road (eg: accelerating past another car in front at a merge, when the merge has already started )

Subsonic, I dont know about the true reflection of the person business, not my area.

What I do know is that I have witnessed the attitudes of drivers change markedly when given proper training. Having completed at least 6 advanced and speciallist driving courses, I am thoroughly of the belief that an advanced driving course should be compulsory before gaining a licence. The number one skill I believe is attitude towards driving, the conditions and other fixed and living things in and near the road corridor. The application of the correct attitude is a skill and possibly the single biggest safety factor.

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pweedas said..
I always use cruise control on country driving, which I do every week. 110 km/hr, spot on by the GPS, or 100 if the limit is 100.

I cruise up behind someone from miles back and so pull out to pass.
As I draw level, they speed up to exactly match my speed. Why ???

Or,.. I'm cruising down the highway at 110 on cruise control, and someone comes roaring up behind me from miles back, pulls out and passes me,.. then cuts in really close,.. and then slows down to 105. Why???

Or,.. I'm cruising down the highway at 110 on cruise control, and someone comes roaring up behind me from miles back, pulls out and passes me,.. then cuts in 2 car lengths in front, and then slows down to exactly 110 and sits there 2 car lengths in front. Why???

I agree, WA drivers are some of the most rude and inconsiderate drivers on the planet.

It's because most people are numpties and don't actually look at their speedo much.

In your first example they realise they were going slower than they thought and want to 'catch up'. In the second example, they go past, look at the speedo and then realise how fast they are going, and suddenly want to slow down. The same in the third.

I saw all this with a work colleague once and I was surprised that he didn't realise what he was doing.

With people speeding up at double/overtaking lanes, its because they feel safer as the road is wider, which is why they speed up, and then slow down when the road goes back to a single lane.

One thing that used to provide me just a little bit of enjoyment was driving along the F6 freeway in winter when it was foggy. Enjoyable because despite really really bad visibility, people would come up behind you and sit really close. I think a lot of them were thinking "hurry up, its a 110km/h limit". Not wanting to get in their way, I would obligingly wait for a decent gap in the left hand land and change.

I think in most cases the response in the car behind would have been "WTF" as they realised that sitting behind someone at 100km/h is fine, but its a different matter when you are the lead car and you can only see a wall of white. Not surprisingly they would then slow down to about 40km/h.

I actually try and drive to the speed limit, especially since having worked in a gov dept that manages speed cameras, I've learnt a whole appreciation for those things. Anyway, as much as I try, the tailgaters make me go faster. Often I've speed a little and slammed the brakes to get them to back off. It works.

I don't think mobile phones are to much of a problem. Its only since the rules banning phones in cars that everyone has chucked a stink. Look at the last 15-20 years of driving, the sms craze has been going for a while - crapbook has not helped.

I use to think crud drivers where chicks and it appeared that way until (approx) 2003-2005. Now its a mixed bag and I see young and middle aged men being the main grievance on the road.

Personally I think its due to the extra traffic and workplace requirements (stress, still working in the car on the move). No one has any time and a car trip is now an inconvenience to most. I still love driving, prefer night, although I still get plenty of wombats after midnight on an near empty road tailgate.

By some of the responses on here you can already tell who would drive like a wanker!

Everybody proud here of their V6 and V8, horse powers and kilowatts of torque, but
when it comes to start at green light, postie bike get if first across.

Lights turns red again, and two or three cars managed to cross intersection.

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Macroscien said..
Everybody proud here of their V6 and V8, horse powers and kilowatts of torque, but
when it comes to start at green light, postie bike get if first across.

Lights turns red again, and two or three cars managed to cross intersection.

Yeah, what's with proud engine folks? I can buy all the horsepower I want. How does it make me macho?
Your granny can too. Does she do macho?

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purefun said...

Spocktek said...
By some of the responses on here you can already tell who would drive like a wanker!

Sure can, its the ones whom label themselves advanced drivers......
your post screams, my shiz doesn't stink......ever!!!
sweet, its good to know that there is some great drivers out there who only accidently break the law, as opposed to all those other bad selfish drivers........

If youre talking about me, I never said I was an advanced driver, just that Id done courses and witnessed the change it brings about in people. But hey, two posts from you and both in this topic, good one, cant even balls up and have an adult conversation without hiding your normal username.

There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

There ain't nobody that can drive like me; ain't nobody that can drive like me...

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Macroscien said..
Everybody proud here of their V6 and V8, horse powers and kilowatts of torque, but
when it comes to start at green light, postie bike get if first across.

Lights turns red again, and two or three cars managed to cross intersection.

Are only two or three cars getting through because they are held up by a postie bike that thinks it's fast?

I am surprised sometimes on the way to work when bikes pull infront of me at the lights. I don't mind as they are generally heaps faster than cars, and I sort of leave a space for them. I am never going to see them again, so why not let them get infront.

Then, you get some genius that pulls in front on a motorbike, and then proceeds to not watch the lights and takes off slower than the cars. What's that all about? If I'm going to push to the front, I want to make sure I get out of the way as quick as.

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pweedas said..

I agree, WA drivers are some of the most rude and inconsiderate drivers on the planet.

Gold Coast drivers take the biscuit in my experience ................ mega-aggression.

When are they going to crack down on mothers that are more interested in the kids/infants in the back seat?
I've been behind quite a few just recently where they're reaching over the back or constantly looking back and not watching where theyre going and wandering all over the place.

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purefun said..

Kamikuza said...
There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

so basically if you label yourself an advanced driver your free to label your breaches of law as a necessary extension of one being advanced, but others who do it, well their just selfish and incompetent
if all cars printed out exact data of what that car did......most would lose their license very quickly.....even the ummmm advanced ones...

laughable, wheres that thread on integrity

Yes.

*you're

I have no problem with other people breaking the arbitrary, pointless laws of the road if it keeps traffic moving and puts nobody in danger.

It's pendant law-abiders who think they're the best drivers cos they stick to the couple of laws they know, who are laughable.

Oh, and you. You're laughable too.

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Kamikuza said..

purefun said..

Kamikuza said...
There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

so basically if you label yourself an advanced driver your free to label your breaches of law as a necessary extension of one being advanced, but others who do it, well their just selfish and incompetent
if all cars printed out exact data of what that car did......most would lose their license very quickly.....even the ummmm advanced ones...

laughable, wheres that thread on integrity

Yes.

*you're

I have no problem with other people breaking the arbitrary, pointless laws of the road if it keeps traffic moving and puts nobody in danger.

It's pendant law-abiders who think they're the best drivers cos they stick to the couple of laws they know, who are laughable.

Oh, and you. You're laughable too.

And you're saying that because you're a professional car driver of some kind?

This thread is silly.

You all reckon you are such good drivers, but I bet I am the only one who has made over 13000 posts here, from my phone, whilst driving.

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Mark _australia said..

This thread is silly.

You all reckon you are such good drivers, but I bet I am the only one who has made over 13000 posts here, from my phone, whilst driving.

Super green!

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Loftywinds said..

Kamikuza said..

purefun said..

Kamikuza said...
There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

so basically if you label yourself an advanced driver your free to label your breaches of law as a necessary extension of one being advanced, but others who do it, well their just selfish and incompetent
if all cars printed out exact data of what that car did......most would lose their license very quickly.....even the ummmm advanced ones...

laughable, wheres that thread on integrity

Yes.

*you're

I have no problem with other people breaking the arbitrary, pointless laws of the road if it keeps traffic moving and puts nobody in danger.

It's pendant law-abiders who think they're the best drivers cos they stick to the couple of laws they know, who are laughable.

Oh, and you. You're laughable too.

And you're saying that because you're a professional car driver of some kind?

No, that's just my opinion and it happens to be the correct one.

For some reason, Perth drivers seem to hold the view that when it rains, you need to make sure you drive extra close to the car in front on the freeway. The less room there is between cars, the less water will make it to the road and the safer we'll all be.

The one that ****s me the most, are the ones who come to a stop at a green light because the 'prepare to stop' flashing amber lights started flashing just as they came up to the signal. You can easily get another two cars through before the actual traffic signals turn amber. I watched what would've been a certain fatality (if it wasn't for the quick reaction of the truckie), as a car came to a stop but the truckie was going to continue on. The right lane was clear so the truck swerved into the right lane missing the car, and continued through the lights before they turned from green.

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Kamikuza said...

purefun said..

Kamikuza said...
There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

so basically if you label yourself an advanced driver your free to label your breaches of law as a necessary extension of one being advanced, but others who do it, well their just selfish and incompetent
if all cars printed out exact data of what that car did......most would lose their license very quickly.....even the ummmm advanced ones...

laughable, wheres that thread on integrity

Yes.

*you're

I have no problem with other people breaking the arbitrary, pointless laws of the road if it keeps traffic moving and puts nobody in danger.

It's pendant law-abiders who think they're the best drivers cos they stick to the couple of laws they know, who are laughable.

Oh, and you. You're laughable too.

You sound like a dangerous numpty to me. I don't think I could disagree with you more. Stick to the rules and be considerate and you never know how smooth and unstressed driving can be.

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Toph said..
The one that ****s me the most, are the ones who come to a stop at a green light because the 'prepare to stop' flashing amber lights started flashing just as they came up to the signal. You can easily get another two cars through before the actual traffic signals turn amber. I watched what would've been a certain fatality (if it wasn't for the quick reaction of the truckie), as a car came to a stop but the truckie was going to continue on. The right lane was clear so the truck swerved into the right lane missing the car, and continued through the lights before they turned from green.

one of our truckies had a similar incident.

"netball-mum" in a tarago pulled in front of his semi and hit the brakes for a stale red light.

Truckie had anticipated the lights being about to go to green and had slowed down so he would not have to stop for the red.
He very nearly steam roller-ed the mum and her van with it's load of kids - luckily managing to drift the semi into the other lane - but sliding through the intersection barely under control as the lights turned green.

At the next set of lights he was stuck next to netballmum, so he [sort of] politely asked her, "what did she think she was doing cutting in front of a loaded semi."

her answer........

"you have more wheels, so you should be able to stop faster"

I'm pretty happy to not be driving trucks anymore


stephen

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thedrip said..
>>>>>

Stick to the rules and be considerate and you never know how smooth and unstressed driving can be.

Weeeeelll, maybe, (certainly the considerate bit, there's not enough of that,) if you're driving as well, but so many people seem to think the ONLY thing they have to do is stick to the rules!!!
There's much more to driving well and safely than just obeying all the rules.

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thedrip said..

Kamikuza said...

purefun said..

Kamikuza said...
There's breaking the rules, and there's being a useless driver.... The two are not necessarily the same thing.

so basically if you label yourself an advanced driver your free to label your breaches of law as a necessary extension of one being advanced, but others who do it, well their just selfish and incompetent
if all cars printed out exact data of what that car did......most would lose their license very quickly.....even the ummmm advanced ones...

laughable, wheres that thread on integrity

Yes.

*you're

I have no problem with other people breaking the arbitrary, pointless laws of the road if it keeps traffic moving and puts nobody in danger.

It's pendant law-abiders who think they're the best drivers cos they stick to the couple of laws they know, who are laughable.

Oh, and you. You're laughable too.

You sound like a dangerous numpty to me. I don't think I could disagree with you more. Stick to the rules and be considerate and you never know how smooth and unstressed driving can be.

Imagine how dumb* your average person is, then realize that half the population is dumber than that. If you rely on them to know the rules and act according, you're asking for trouble.


* or insert self-centered/lazy/half-asleep/on the cell phone

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decrepit said..

thedrip said..
>>>>>

Stick to the rules and be considerate and you never know how smooth and unstressed driving can be.

Weeeeelll, maybe, (certainly the considerate bit, there's not enough of that,) if you're driving as well, but so many people seem to think the ONLY thing they have to do is stick to the rules!!!
There's much more to driving well and safely than just obeying all the rules.

This.

"The speed limit is 50 so as long as I don't exceed 50, I can turn my brain off and ignore conditions. What was that thump?"

Studies have been done. Meta-studies have been complied. Top 10 reasons for accidents consist mostly of "failure to judge other vehicle..." doing something normal that wasn't breaking the laws or rules.