Is There More Bad Driver's Than Ever

[Burgies]

Personally I noticed a huge decline in the safety and awareness in drivers here compared to when i lived in qld. The main worry is the number of tailgaters. I dont understand how people think that driving within a meter and a half of another car going anywhere from 60 - 100 km/h is going to get them where they need to be faster. Also people that stop at lights halfway across the line. Not sure whether or not im right but i would have thought that would be counted as running a red light. I see it a lot and where two lanes are turning right and someone in the lane you are moving around is sticking out can easily cause some scrapes or confusion as people try to fit in. I hate how strong the stereotype of import drivers speeding is, i swear the cars i see speeding are commodores. Im surprised there arent many speed traps about, in brisbane nearly every second drive i used to see one and i dont think ive seen one in victoria after living here for nearly a year now. Im not saying anything bad against our police, they do a great job as we can see above, i dont know if qld has more funding or anything, just was a surprise to me. Rant over.

[dezz]

Personally I noticed a huge decline in the safety and awareness in drivers here compared to when i lived in qld. The main worry is the number of tailgaters. I dont understand how people think that driving within a meter and a half of another car going anywhere from 60 - 100 km/h is going to get them where they need to be faster. Also people that stop at lights halfway across the line. Not sure whether or not im right but i would have thought that would be counted as running a red light. I see it a lot and where two lanes are turning right and someone in the lane you are moving around is sticking out can easily cause some scrapes or confusion as people try to fit in. I hate how strong the stereotype of import drivers speeding is, i swear the cars i see speeding are commodores. Im surprised there arent many speed traps about, in brisbane nearly every second drive i used to see one and i dont think ive seen one in victoria after living here for nearly a year now. Im not saying anything bad against our police, they do a great job as we can see above, i dont know if qld has more funding or anything, just was a surprise to me. Rant over.

You don't see the cameras because they're hidden overhead...whereas in QLD you have signs leading up to each camera to actually deter people from speeding, not just take $200 out of their pocket a month after they sped past the camera...but apparently cameras save lives...

As for tailgating, people would find they wouldn't be tailgated if they didn't sit in the right lane. The law states that a driver must keep left unless overtaking, unless the road is congested. Its no one's business but the police if someone chooses to speed. Stay in the left lane unless overtaking, and they won't tailgate you, as they'll drive straight past in the empty right lane.

[Burgies]

Thats the thing mate, ive seen it happen in the middle of left lane with empty lanes on the right. just some plain old stupid people out there i guess.

[RB26TTVL]

I was taught all of that as part of my car test, in the UK. Defensive driving and keeping left etc which should be enforced far more in car training/testing.

People not keeping left is a massive problem. It leads to dangerous undertaking and tailgating. Drivers are an easily frustrated bunch, and being held up by a moron doing less than the speed limit in the right hand lane is poor form.

Keep Left is a rule here, there are signs spread around the place, esp just after you get on the freeway, but it's just not enforced.

I also did my medium rigid licence recently, and had the same thing, keep left, keep left. As you go out through Deer Park thoug, every red light will have a line of trucks across all three lanes. Do they expect to be that much quicker than each other? Or indeed to be able to be quick enough to not obstruct traffic.

It's purely selfish driving, which I beleive to be the greatest problem out there, there's no courtesy anymore, everyone is looking out for number one, screw everyone else.

end second rant.

[Russman]

Yeah I was having a chat with a friend on mine who has worked all over Aus and over seas too, he says that Victorian roads are some of, if not THE worst he's driven/ridden on. Pretty poor huh!

NSW roads are heaps worse in my opinion.

Drivers not keeping left is definitely a huge problem here in vic. I grew up in germany where the autobahn has clear rules. If you aren't going really fast and you are in the fast lane then expect a BMW or Merc to come up your arse at 220-250k/h. They go through a very extensive driver testing to get your licence. Should do that here. Might actually help as opposed to fines. Or maybe use the fines to put people through driver education.

[arep3]

I say that when a smash is within a police stations area and a car is responding to it, that a backup car should go pick up the repeat offender idiot from up the road and take him/her on a tour of the scene. graphic realism of what could happen. TAC shock ads on the TV and radio worked to an extent. why not 1 step further?

[chris_r31]

I Have just finished another week of night shift and just can't believe how many stupid, dangerous drivers I came across and just thought I would share with you.

My week in review. Here is what I have come across not even looking for it. I was very busy with other things and these people drove like this in front or past marked police car.

1. Vehicle 60+ Km/h over speed limit and driver drink driving. (Impounded vehicle)

2. Vehicle 40 km/h over speed limit and no p plates.

3. Vehicle 40 km/h over speed limit (pooring down rain on wet roads) Could only get for 40 but I estimated 60km/ over.

4. Vehicle 30 km/h over speed limit, no right turn and driver drink driving.

5. Suspended driver 20 km/h over speed limit, no p plates and four bald tyres.

6. Disqualified driver also drink driving and careless driving.

7. Unlicensed driver in unregistered vehicle.

8. Vehicle 30 km/h over speed limit.

9. Vehicle 30 km/h over speed limit.

With this type of driving going on I can't see how "hoon" legislation is working. I guess I am just lucky that they didn't cause a fatal collision possibly because I stopped them before they did.

All have either been charged or penalty notices taking their licenses away at least making it a bit safer.

To make you happy I will add that NONE were in imports.

I did pull one of our members over who could have technically received a fine but was only warned as they were trying to do right thing. Yes I did pull them over because they were driving a skyline but it did have no rego plate.

if you dont mind me asking what area do you deal with and what rank are you...

[eMsta]

man, as a kid i wanted to be a cop - after watching bad boys, i wished i was a rich cop

but as we all found out last monday or so, it can be a dangerous profession.....

[M34N]

As for tailgating, people would find they wouldn't be tailgated if they didn't sit in the right lane. The law states that a driver must keep left unless overtaking, unless the road is congested. Its no one's business but the police if someone chooses to speed. Stay in the left lane unless overtaking, and they won't tailgate you, as they'll drive straight past in the empty right lane.

The 'keep left unless overtaking' rule only applies to roads with multiple lanes and speed limits of 80km/h, so in a 70km/h zone you can sit in the right lane. Refer this document for the following quote:

130. Keeping to the left on a multi-lane road

(1) This rule applies to a driver driving on a multi-lane road if—

(a) the speed-limit applying to the driver for the length of road where the

driver is driving is over 80 kilometres per hour; or

(b) a keep left unless overtaking sign applies to the length of road where

the driver is driving.

But I believe there is also a rule that states you should keep as far left as practical on any road. Maybe the police and/or government should make this law clearer and actually enforce it, because it really is a major problem on all roads.

As to Victoria having bad drivers in general, I do agree, I've noticed it's got a lot to do with increasing congestion every single day on the roads, ridiculously overdone speed limits on streets and a combination of police just focusing on speeding drivers and not other dangerous habits like tail gating, road rage, blocking of intersections, people running red lights, dangerous overtaking, no indicating, etc.

What gets my goat the most is speed limits being pulled down on roads like Dandenong Road, during 'school times' near Williams Road it becomes a 40km/h zone, how ridiculous. This is a 8-lane highway, what reason is there to bring the speed limit down from 70km/h during peak times? It only creates more gridlock and encourages more dangerous driving. Kids should know better than to run onto a major highway, and they should be taught that at a young age.

But I must say, the most aggressive drivers I've ever met have been around south-east Queensland, specifically the Gold Coast area, I remember doing 80 in a 70 zone down the Gold Coast Highway to overtake another car and go back into the left, I slow back down to 70 and I was being overtaken by other cars like I was standing still... literally had over 5 cars overtake me in 15-20 seconds. Then some nutter decides this wasn't fast enough for him and used the bus lane to overtake the others down the left! Some really scary moments on the M1 up to Brisbane as well up there, tail gating and crazy speeding drivers too. Glad I only drove for a couple days up there.

[baron25]

More rules isn't the answer here IMO, it's better driver training (make getting a license something you earn, rather than just sit through) and harsher punishments/better enforcement.

Pouring rain on the freeway yesterday, i pulled into the right lane to pass a truck on the westgate. Just then a twit comes screaming up behind me, lights ablaze and horn blaring (he was about 40-60m back when i changed lanes), and when he realised i was hemmed in by a B-double, tries to pass me in the emergency lane. He would have had a decent crack too, if there wasn't a bridge coming at a closing speed of over 100km/hr.

What people don't realise is the flow on effect from their actions. I'm 21, so i've only had three years experience behind the wheel, and i was left quite rattled by the encounter (at the time i realised that if he'd clipped me in his stupidity, i was going under a truck). The more nervous you are behind the wheel the more chance you have of going ballistic, so as the number of people an idiot driver freaks out increases, the likelihood of an accident occurring goes up exponentially.

My 2c

[khunjeng]

driven extensivly in all states...particular NSW...

Driven many times in places like KL and Bangkok for months on end in all conditions...

Been busted by the police everywhere...for all the usual things...however one thing remains the same -

...signs or no signs...people drive like spastics in peak hour especially.

catch the train if u dont like it and save the enviroment...and save on RSI for typing this stuff out every few months.

[GTR-32U]

NSW roads are heaps worse in my opinion.

Drivers not keeping left is definitely a huge problem here in vic. I grew up in germany where the autobahn has clear rules. If you aren't going really fast and you are in the fast lane then expect a BMW or Merc to come up your arse at 220-250k/h. They go through a very extensive driver testing to get your licence. Should do that here. Might actually help as opposed to fines. Or maybe use the fines to put people through driver education.

I fully agree...NSW roads are the worst I have ever driven on...And like yourself I too have had the pleasure of driving on German Autobahns...Your dead right...People have more road courtesy, Beeping the horn over there is a polite gesture.Here its the bell before a boxing match......The police need to get some of these morons off the roads.Forget about impounding cars...Impound the Driver..I will never forget my last experience on the Autobahn..in my cousins Audi doing 190 kmh and having a merc blast past us like we werent even there

Edited May 18, 2008 by GTR-32U

[GTR_STEALTH]

They go through a very extensive driver testing to get your licence. Should do that here. Might actually help as opposed to fines.

Hit the nail on the head. This has been my position ever since the time i passed my license thinking "That test was too easy"

If the government wanted to get serious about bad/dangerous driving then they would greatly improve the course and testing procedures for obtaining a drivers license. And it wouldn't be hard either; simply look to other countries for model course structures...

Unfortunately, as it was pointed out in the first post by just one police officer in one week, bad/stupid drivers create revenue....

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

people become too complacent and take driving for granted. it is untill they get in an accident or loose their license that they understand its a priveledge to have a license. then there are those as above who just dont learn at all.

thanks buddy for your part in getting these people off the road.

+1

Its all about MY RIGHT this and I have the RIGHT to that.

As they say, have to be cruel to be kind.

[Basti]

You don't see the cameras because they're hidden overhead...whereas in QLD you have signs leading up to each camera to actually deter people from speeding, not just take $200 out of their pocket a month after they sped past the camera...but apparently cameras save lives...

As for tailgating, people would find they wouldn't be tailgated if they didn't sit in the right lane. The law states that a driver must keep left unless overtaking, unless the road is congested. Its no one's business but the police if someone chooses to speed. Stay in the left lane unless overtaking, and they won't tailgate you, as they'll drive straight past in the empty right lane.

werd. my driving has improved in the last few weeks. dont know why but i think b4 i do shit now. i used to tailgate ppl a lot. i mean all the time. mainly because the idiots were doing bout 10km/h too slow but sometimes when i wanna speed and they wont move. i get extremely frustrated by the idiots i see on the road. two days ago i saw a falcon ute fish tail four or five times on cheltenham rd, in peak hour, and about 15m in front of oncoming traffic, in the wet. he may have had "control" of his car but im damn sure that the mother in the camry behind him shat herself. bad news for the rest of us cos i was next to her

[DogKnight]

Friday night driving in the rain down Burwood Hwy. The traffic was doing about 60 in an 80 zone due to the heavy rain. I see an old commodore come speeding up behind me and was sitting on my a$$ probably about 1 meter awya in chose conditions. I could have easily applied my breaks and got a new rear end for my car. I couldnt go any faster due to all 3 lanes travelling slowly. When it sped up, he did also, sitting on my tail at 80k's in those conditions. At that stage I let my speed decline till I got to 60, then brough my speed back up to 80. He then rocketed past me probably close to 100 when the right lane opened up.

I consider myself a fairly capable driver, far from an expert, but im always trying to drive better and obey the road laws. If he was sitting on the tail of a mum with kids in the back in those conditions.... It's not enjoyable, and can make the driver being tailgated quite nervous.

People need to learn they arent invincible.

[omega36]

Good work, it's messed up to see such high figures of stupidity. I've driven a fair bit recently and I have seen so much stupid shit on the roads, namely in the rain... I don't care what car you are in, you should always take it extra easy in the rain.

As said, Fridays & rain bring out the tools!

[NickR33]

mate was following a commode down dandenong rd last Saturday... middle of the day... doing 70km/h in the right hand lane... when the commode suddenly mounts the curb and starts driving along the median (grass) narrowly missing trees and poles... it then swerves back onto the road, to only mount the kerb again a few metres later...

my mate freaks out and pulls alongside... only to see two completely smacked out young people (about 20) driver almost asleep at the wheel and passenger passing out... he starts beeping and yelling at them to pull over but they are almost unconscience and ignore him... he called the cops and reported the rego but what else can you do in that situation!?

stupidity and selfishness are a dangerous combo... and when will the government learn you don't need a 'performance" car to kill yourself or others... a V6 commode will go plenty fast enough to cause mass damage

[NickR33]

oh and then there was the accident right outside my place on Dandenong rd at about 4am on a Sunday morning... they stacked it into a power pole and then spent the next 2 hours yelling and screaming at each other about who was going to say they were driving etc as they were all pissed...

my cousin was killed by a drunk driver so I was about 2 secs away from getting my bat out and doing some vigilate shit but my GF ever the calm one made me stay in bed while she called the cops

If I had of got out of bed none of them would ever be driving again... or walking for that matter

[adznight]

oh and truckies that sit in the right lane doing 80 should be made to resit their licenses.

Amen.