General Road Knowledge

[Engi]

Hi All,

I've been driving now for about 2 years and have learnt alot along the way. I still think i have alot to learn.

In particular i wanted to know about certain things that may be general knowledge to more experienced drivers such as;

1) How can i use road numbers to the best of my advantage?

-is there a code in assigning road numbers ie, East-westbounds rds vs North-southbounds roads?

-Particular numberings such as M1, A430 ...what do they mean?

2) Do you know of ways to better use a street directory? Certain overlooked symbols?

3) Parking tips?

-for example i learnt never to park at the last bay where your car becomes the 'corner' and there is a high chance of someone swiping you. Any similar tips?

4)Is there cheap short term parking in melbourne (melbourne central area)? is there a website that lists parking spots? This is mainly for weekend parking, i'm aware QV is all day weekend for $10, are there better options?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts

[Leon.T]

1. + 2. Get a GPS system

3. kepp practicing

4. I dont think anywhere in the city is cheap, around the city is cheap. QV is prob best

[stolen_s15]

Experience, get plenty and things will just fall into place.

[TTT]

what an odd first post on a car specific forum.

[typevu]

If you know which way the city is you shouldnt get lost!

[TTT]

If you know which way the city is you shouldnt get lost!

unless you were going to an address outside the city

[Cooper]

I think sense of direction is something you are either born with or have non at all. Buy a GPS for your car and that should help you. If you can remember images of places you are going etc you will find it easier, thats how i know where to go etc i can picture it all im my mind if i have been there before and usually only need to go somewhere once to know how to get there any other time but again thats something that you either can or cant do.

[HackerX]

If you don't know where you are/are going, stick to main roads as long as possible (even if directions say it's quicker through the back streets). It's easy to miss turns when the streets don't quite match what's on the maps, but main roads tend to have more/bigger signs to make finding streets easy.

[VB-]

keep general bearings on where main things are, especially main roads, so if you need to go of the main road, you know how to get back to it

[longboy]

i think he is looking for greater insights into the variety of things we experience as drivers. Are there any truly experienced drivers on SAU?

[scathing]

On road designations, the letter designates the type of road.

M = Motorway

F = Freeway (or possibly Federal Highway, I can't remember)

Then you have A, B, C (and possibly D) roads. From A-D the road's quality decreases. An "A" road would be your typical country highway (think of the highway from Geelong to Adelaide), probably with a 100km/hr speed limit.

A "B" road is a more winding road. Still well surfaced and probably reasonably wide, but not quite highway level. Great Ocean Road is a B road.

A "D" road would be a narrow laneway, probably one lane wide in both directions. You'd struggle to get two cars to pass each other on such a road. It might not even be sealed.

There should be official designations on how each road is ranked on VicRoads, but they tell you how wide and how "safe" the road is.

The number, I believe, is an arbitrary value used to designate that specific road. Its not tied to anything else.

[W0rp3D]

If you buy a street directory get a melways, ubd are the most useless piece of junk ever made.

But #1 get a gps, makes life a lot easier, take it from a truck driver who has had to use a street directory untill recently, but if you persist with the melways you too will be able to talk on the phone (handsfree of course) drive with one hand and hold the melways with the other.... aledgidly..........

[dangerous_daveo]

If you buy a street directory get a melways, ubd are the most useless piece of junk ever made.

...

QUEENSLANDERS take note, the Brisway is FAR superiour to the ubd. People from melbourne know what they are talking about with that one.

Anyway, just go for random aimless drives. Go with some mates, you get to an intersection, first to say left/right/straight wins and thats where you drive. (have street directory handy for when the fuel light comes on tho). Just remember landmarks etc. Best way to learn the place is to get lost.

And I always park next to a pier or a wall. Means its only one side of the car some fool can open their door in to, not both.

[longboy]

Thanks for the tips!

With regards to getting a GPS system, from what i've seen with freinds using GPS, they're sometimes unreliable and fail to give directions at convenient times, also why spend $200+ when people have been driving fine in years past without the technology(Using GPS is abit soft imho if your not a courier/truckie).

[VB-]

yeh even if you get GPS, dont rely on it, make sure you carry a melway too. friends and i went on a random trip to sydney, and he was relying on his GPS, sure enough the thing just died and couldnt get it to work again. i dont know sydney as im a melbourne boy, but still knew where the arterial was to get us home. f*ck it was funny watchin my mates panic though, they just had no idea what to do lol

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

Or you could just sack up...

[W0rp3D]

With regards to getting a GPS system, from what i've seen with freinds using GPS, they're sometimes unreliable and fail to give directions at convenient times

But if your no good a reading a melways then you will get in less shyte with a gps than you will trying to figure out where you are going with a map.

Just make sure you get a decent unit with up tp date maps and set it up right, i have found with tomtom that if you choose to go the most direct route its usually slower than if you choose to go the fastest.

[BAMR33]

what an odd first post on a car specific forum.

My thoughts exactly, I was half expecting an advertisement for a GPS or main roads awareness.

[Guest trikdoutvl]

tip of the day

, i used to be a trolley boy for a few year..... dont eva park next to the trolley collection bays in carparks, the amount of times ive seen ppl push there trolley n aim for the bay and miss n hit the car next to the bay is not funny