# Stupid and Uninformed Drivers



## Boggo (9 August 2009)

Maybe its just me but I have been under the impression that drivers licences are just being handed out.
The number near misses and incidents based on ignorance, arrogance and stupidity seems to be escalating recently.

Last Friday night in SA in a twelve hour period the police caught 108 drivers who were over the alcohol limit 

This is what has prompted me to write this
On a short drive home from the Mother in-law's at Unley last night some eighteen year old P-plater decided that staying in the right hand lane with about six other cars that were behind a car that was turning right was not for her. She decided that she would do a rapid turn into the left lane, unfortunately for me that's where I happened to be.

Result, I now have an almost new Honda Accord in the garage that is about three inches narrower than what it usually is and a drivers side door that opens about six inches.
Apparently its just as much my fault as hers, quote "because I put my indicator on and I looked before I pulled out so you got in my way" unquote 

Anyway, my wife and two witnesses kept me calm, we got all the details and thought we may as well go and report it to the police before we go home.

Episode two...
Excellent friendly and helpful police officer records all the details at the police station on Sturt Road and off we head up Shepherds Hill road to go home.

Driving in the left lane, four or five cars around when the car driving alongside in the right lane puts on her indicator and starts to move left, I honk the horn for a couple of seconds and she pulls back into the right lane.
Then the male partner winds down his window and starts to yell muffled obscenities at me.

Are there just more uneducated morons on the roads nowadays or am I encountering more than my share. How are some of these people passing driving tests.


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## overit (9 August 2009)

Very timely post as I was just watching a video of the traffic in India. I dont think they have any road rules over there. Oddly enough it must work as no-one got cleaned up! - LOL!

http://www.wimp.com/indiatraffic/


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## jono1887 (9 August 2009)

overit said:


> Very timely post as I was just watching a video of the traffic in India. I dont think they have any road rules over there. Oddly enough it must work as no-one got cleaned up! - LOL!
> 
> http://www.wimp.com/indiatraffic/




they have their own system of road rules which only the locals understand


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## ajjack (10 August 2009)

Sorry to hear your driving problems guys, however to cheer you up 
here is a link to another crazy drive video.

I think its still there, havent watched it for years.
Good for a laugh.

Tra

www.YouTube - Driving Around New York City - 1928


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

ajjack said:


> Sorry to hear your driving problems guys, however to cheer you up
> here is a link to another crazy drive video.
> 
> I think its still there, havent watched it for years.
> ...




Adelaide is like that now, except that gen Y needs to be texting as well while they drive, they are important and precious little creatures so get out of the way 

Very funny stuff ajjack
This link works better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkqz3lpUBp0


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## wayneL (10 August 2009)

Boggo said:


> Maybe its just me but I have been under the impression that drivers licences are just being handed out.




The standard of driving in Oz has always been pretty crap and agro. UK drivers are *generally* a million times better and far more considerate and polite. That said, there are places much worse than Oz... France, Italy and just about anywhere in Asia are totally diabolical.

Not one of Oz's best points though.


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## Aargh! (10 August 2009)

I've spent time in the following countries/regions: SE Asia, India, UAE, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. That is the order (from best to worst) I rate them. I wouldn't dare drive in Saudi that's outright suicide. Instead I get a driver to chauffeur me (usually the compound which I live and work in to the airport to get the hell outta there).

It's generally a good experience when I return to Aus. I am certainly more relaxed and forgiving to other drivers. It makes it easier when they're not dressed in a white casper dress and trying to run you over.


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## Bafana (10 August 2009)

Do a lot of country road driving and am pretty fed up with most drivers as well. 

Tailgating with lights on high beam refusing to overtake cause they want you to be wiped out by the Kangaroo (insert other native animal or escaped farm animal here) seems to be a national @$#%ing past time. Tailgating in general, day or night, is alive and well. This people have to realise they cause accidents and its not funny. What also gets me is that no matter how you try they just won't overtake until its totally unsafe to do so, bar pulling over completely which I have to do sometimes when I am really knackered.

BTW I generally travel 100-110km on country roads and 110-120km  on the freeway so its not like I am slowing everyone down.

Was at a function the other day and one lady starting suggesting to me that because I do a lot of night driving I taligate someone between towns so I could arrive relaxed. Nearly shoved her coffee mug down her throat.

On top of the consistent pain in the butts we were coming back home from Wollongong yesterday and a couple of guys in a ute crossed the double yellow line heading straight for us instead of slowing down he speed up and swerved back onto his side of the road as my ABS was allowing my wife a closer inspection (without contact) of the glove compartment cover. Than the guy behind me who was still catching up tailgated me for 5 minutes.

My other pet hate is people who travel at 80km along double line sections of road and speed up to 105-110km  in sections that allow overtaking. These are also the morons who accelerate as you are overtaking them. Again another prime generator of accidents on the roads who usually take out the youngest of our drivers cause they don't have the patience for these idiots  and their cars that are just as good as everyone else's car.


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## Tink (10 August 2009)

Good thread Boggo

We all have a story to tell in here lol



wayneL said:


> there are places much worse than Oz... France, Italy and just about anywhere in Asia are totally diabolical.




Yep I agree Wayne, 

I remember thinking I was in a car race whilst a passenger over there, not to mention, who cares about traffic lights


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## Julia (10 August 2009)

Boggo, sorry to hear about your car.

I agree that driver education seems pretty bad.  My pet hate is the inability to use roundabouts.  What is hard about this?   Seems very straightforward to me, but no, I reckon 80% of the population sit at the entrance clearly uncertain as to when they can move into it.


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## mini696 (10 August 2009)

There was an accident this morning where a crazy person pushed a Yellow-Red light and Tee-Boned another car... Not pretty.

As I look out my back window there is a schoolkids car parked across my back driveway.  They obviously have no consideration and also don't know what the yellow line marked on the road edge means.


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## awg (10 August 2009)

Boggo said:


> This is what has prompted me to write this
> On a short drive home from the Mother in-law's at Unley last night some eighteen year old P-plater decided that staying in the right hand lane with about six other cars that were behind a car that was turning right was not for her. She decided that she would do a rapid turn into the left lane, unfortunately for me that's where I happened to be.




Whilst teaching my son to drive, I constantly emphasised to not place his vehicle in the blindspot of cars travelling alongside. 

This has saved me from several instances of what happened to you

many newer vehicles have poor rear and side vision

and drivers dont turn their necks to check the blindspot, or indicate early to signify their intention.

I endeavour to maintain maximum spacing between vehicles as a safety factor, I like one in front as it protects from headons, radar and reduce wind resistance fuel drag, but never too close, as that breaks safety spacing rule.

I also told him, if someone is tailgaiting or wants to get past, get them in front, if they are erratic, get in front of them.

tailgaters can be discouraged by speeding and slowing, whilst touching brake light and throttle simultaneously.

I used to love the old V8 Scout, any fool that harrassed me knew they would could only come second, as it had 1/4" steel plate bumpers, and was very battered from off-roading, had a huge torque motor, and could master every ******** on the road, and as it was so high, they could also see that a crazy bastard was behind the wheel.

ps I have had no collisions in 30yrs, touch wood


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## Punisher (10 August 2009)

The Playstation taught most of these people how to drive.
They think they are immortal and not prone to injury in an accident like the rest of us.
And they think they can fix their car by pushing the reset button.


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## Happy (10 August 2009)

Not to mention that left hand rear view mirrors are hardly ever flat these days, which makes a lot of happy drivers cut in front of me oblivious to fact that they are only few inches in front of my car.


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## misterS (10 August 2009)

Boggo, It used to be once understood that indicators were for other drivers - and you probably didn't realise that indicators now have several different functions:    

1. "hey look, I have already entered the slip road to make my turn and I just wanted to show that I really did it on purpose and I haven't changed my mind - how about that?" 

2. "the reason I have already come to a halt at this intersection is to turn and my right to do have done so is like, obviously, the indicator which I have now switched on, so what's your problem?"

3. "I now have right of way, move"


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## prawn_86 (10 August 2009)

Punisher said:


> And they think they can fix their car by pushing the reset button.




You cant?!  Thats how i always fix mine...


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## drsmith (10 August 2009)

Happy said:


> Not to mention that left hand rear view mirrors are hardly ever flat these days, which makes a lot of happy drivers cut in front of me oblivious to fact that they are only few inches in front of my car.



Is that to increase the field of view from that mirror ?


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## Happy (10 August 2009)

Yes, but many drivers do not realise, that it also alters the perception of distance.


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## gav (10 August 2009)

Having to drive along the Nepean HWY & St Kilda Rd everyday to work played a major role in why I took out life insurance... 

A couple of months ago I got cleaned up by a tram that ran a read light.  Took 3 weeks for my car to be fixed, I was told it was almost a ride-off.  Yet there is a sign stating trams are only allowed do 30km through that intersection. Did a hell of a lot of damage considering he was only supposed to be doing 30KM! The tram driver didn't hang around until Police arrived either.  I later found out that tram drivers have part of their pay docked if they run late...

That's the only accident I've been involved in so far but would have 2-3 near misses every week, it's getting beyond a joke.


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

Julia said:


> Boggo, sorry to hear about your car.
> 
> I agree that driver education seems pretty bad.  My pet hate is the inability to use roundabouts.  What is hard about this?   Seems very straightforward to me, but no, I reckon 80% of the population sit at the entrance clearly uncertain as to when they can move into it.




Thanks Julia.
Yep, basic concepts at roundabouts are too hard for some but the one that really amazes me is where you have two lanes turning right at an intersection, 9 times out of 10 the car on the outside does not stay in their lane, they seem to work on the shortest distance between two points is a straight line theory, all they got to do is stay between the lines, amazing.



awg said:


> Whilst teaching my son to drive, I constantly emphasised to not place his vehicle in the blindspot of cars travelling alongside.
> 
> This has saved me from several instances of what happened to you




I agree awg, in this incident I had she was actually stopped with about five other cars but she decided that her time was too important so she just 'jumped' into the left lane, can't be late for an 18th birthday party eh. !



Punisher said:


> They think they are immortal and not prone to injury in an accident like the rest of us.




Their attitude is amazing, they are bullet proof in their opinions.



misterS said:


> Boggo, It used to be once understood that indicators were for other drivers - and you probably didn't realise that indicators now have several different functions:
> 
> 1. "hey look, I have already entered the slip road to make my turn and I just wanted to show that I really did it on purpose and I haven't changed my mind - how about that?"
> 
> ...




On the subject of indicators, a very misunderstood area. I recently travelled down South Road and as I approached roadworks there was a sign saying left lane closed, merge right. I put my right indicator on to indicate that I was merging right when the car that was about a car length behind in the right lane sped up to cut me off and then started beeping at me.
What this clown does not realise is that in that situation my indicator does actually give me right of way even if my car is only one inch in front of his he legally has to let me in (I wouldn't force my way just to be silly).
Lack of education of the road rules again, see diagram below. (Road traffic act rule 149).


The other interesting area at the moment is that the police are having a field day collecting $149 from all the clowns that drive around with their fog lamps on in a built up area (illegal as of Jan 25th 2009).

Got a quote on my Honda this morning, around $4500, lovely


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## Timmy (10 August 2009)

Geez Boogo, look on the bright side mate, its not that bad over in SA:

NSW drivers the worst in the country: survey


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## nunthewiser (10 August 2009)

Yes i find many uniformed drivers very stupid , especially the uniformed ones that fine me everytime i find a nice straight on the highway in the old v8


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

Heck, two new posts while I was typing my last one


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## drsmith (10 August 2009)

Happy said:


> Yes, but many drivers do not realise, that it also alters the perception of distance.



I recall on one car a warning near the bottom of the mirror to that effect. The car itself was a 90's Daewoo.


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## Awesomandy (10 August 2009)

For me, driving is just an exercise in collision avoidance. Just assume that everyone around you has no regards for the road rules, and always be ready for a safe evasive move.


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

Timmy said:


> Geez Boogo, look on the bright side mate, its not that bad over in SA:




SA is a close second though Timmy, we will get first place eventually...

_"South Australian drivers were dubbed the second-worst drivers in the country in the state-by-state breakdown, followed by Queensland drivers."
_


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## veni_vedi_vici (10 August 2009)

The other day I was driving home from university and theres about 1-2km of this road heading out of the uni. I had 4 VERY close near misses within 1-2km of road (in QLD). One of the ladies was driving in the middle of the road and the others just kept trying to come accross and were drifting very dangerously. I'm just stating facts here not being racist but they were all asian drivers and by the 4th one I was quite irate.

Kind regards,

V


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

veni_vedi_vici said:


> not being racist but they were all asian drivers
> 
> V




V, what a coincidence, mine too


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## glenn_r (10 August 2009)

I didn't have these problems when I was driving my trusty old Army R model Mack gun tractor with an 8 tonne M198 gun hanging off the back .

I remember one of my drivers doing a left turn from the right lane in a Mack Gun Tractor with a gun on the back and this chinese lass driving into the left lane in her Daewoo, her car ended up with the gun wheel running over her bonnet completely writing off the car, luckily I saw the incident and the investigation cleared my driver....


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

I have a mate in the country who likes nothing better than coming to the 'big smoke' in a 20 year old 4 WD, never has any problems with city traffic apparently, biggest problem he has is that he has to push start it with the tractor or a ute if it hasn't been run for a while.

He has offered to lend it to me, I may take him up on it   :nuts: :southpark


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## Timmy (10 August 2009)

Boggo said:


> SA is a close second though Timmy, we will get first place eventually...




NO WAY Boggo - not if I can help it


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## Boggo (10 August 2009)

Timmy said:


> NO WAY Boggo - not if I can help it




I reckon that if I borrow the 4WD I can get us over the line in a week


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## awg (10 August 2009)

glenn_r said:


> I didn't have these problems when I was driving my trusty old Army R model Mack gun tractor with an 8 tonne M198 gun hanging off the back .
> 
> I remember one of my drivers doing a left turn from the right lane in a Mack Gun Tractor with a gun on the back and this chinese lass driving into the left lane in her Daewoo, her car ended up with the gun wheel running over her bonnet completely writing off the car, luckily I saw the incident and the investigation cleared my driver....




funny you should mention that

here is a pic of a truck i own ( 1944 GMC CCKW-353)

people stay well clear of this on the road

it is a 6 wheel drive, and can literally drive over a car and crush it


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## Smurf1976 (10 August 2009)

Any Tasmanians on here? Those drag lanes on the Brooker have got to get a mention somewhere...

For the uninitiated, 3 lanes going into 2 at several intersections on the major road running north from Hobart CBD with the "extra" lane being on the far left and ending just past the intersection. Sounds reasonable in theory, to allow more traffic through the intersections, until the inevitable race car comes screaming past to the left practically every time I drive on that road. What's the big hurry? I thought those signs said 80, not 800.

As practically everyone I know has said at some stage, there's going to be a horror smash here someday. That they do it at Risdon Rd, the intersection through which literally every petrol tanker in southern Tas must travel (plus trucks carrying the entire output of the zinc smelter) is what worries me. It could end really, really badly someday...

Pay attention, slow down and follow the road rules. It's really not that hard.


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## drsmith (10 August 2009)

I copped a bloody speeding fine in the mail today.

:hide:


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## Happy (10 August 2009)

Smurf1976 said:


> ...
> Pay attention, slow down and follow the road rules. It's really not that hard.




I find it icreasingly difficult to follow frequent speed limit changes.
Surprise, today it was on TV and many more drivers have the same worry.

*Sydney to Brisbane 750 km and 117 speed changes *(roughly, as not sure if I remeber it right)

Australia has 8 different speed limits and imagine *UK can survive on 3 speed limits with 3 times the population on 1/32 size of land*. 

I cannot believe it is possible!


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## white_crane (10 August 2009)

Timmy said:


> Geez Boogo, look on the bright side mate, its not that bad over in SA:
> 
> NSW drivers the worst in the country: survey




Qld 3rd.  Come on fellow Qlder's pick your game up - we're losing to NSW and SA!



Smurf1976 said:


> For the uninitiated, 3 lanes going into 2 at several intersections on the major road running north from Hobart CBD with the "extra" lane being on the far left and ending just past the intersection. Sounds reasonable in theory, to allow more traffic through the intersections, until the inevitable race car comes screaming past to the left practically every time I drive on that road. What's the big hurry? I thought those signs said 80, not 800.




We have them in Qld too and yes, they are treated the same way by the same type of people.



Happy said:


> I find it icreasingly difficult to follow frequent speed limit changes.
> Surprise, today it was on TV and many more drivers have the same worry.
> 
> *Sydney to Brisbane 750 km and 117 speed changes *(roughly, as not sure if I remeber it right)
> ...




Been watching ACA?


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## nunthewiser (10 August 2009)

Smurf1976 said:


> Any Tasmanians on here? Those drag lanes on the Brooker have got to get a mention somewhere...
> 
> For the uninitiated, 3 lanes going into 2 at several intersections on the major road running north from Hobart CBD with the "extra" lane being on the far left and ending just past the intersection. Sounds reasonable in theory, to allow more traffic through the intersections, until the inevitable race car comes screaming past to the left practically every time I drive on that road. What's the big hurry? I thought those signs said 80, not 800.




yep and trying to turn left into bunnings from the brooker when u got a mini brocky up ya bum certainly makes for intresting emergency braking on there behalf


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## glenn_r (10 August 2009)

This is the Rig...


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## wayneL (10 August 2009)

glenn_r said:


> This is the Rig...




I want one.... WITH the gun.


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## Mr J (11 August 2009)

Oh how quickly oldies forget their younger selves. Younger drivers and inexperienced at driving and at life. Many of you were like that too, so perhaps you should give them a break. Getting cut up in traffic isn't really a reason to get angry, as it will happen often and there's nothing we can do about it. Yes, there are many bad drivers, but most are okay.


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## nunthewiser (11 August 2009)

Mr J said:


> Oh how quickly oldies forget their younger selves. Younger drivers and inexperienced at driving and at life. Many of you were like that too, so perhaps you should give them a break. Getting cut up in traffic isn't really a reason to get angry, as it will happen often and there's nothing we can do about it. Yes, there are many bad drivers, but most are okay.





hey i havent forgotten anything . in fact im still a bleedin hoon ......... and thats when those stupid and uniformed drivers show up and pull me down a peg or two with yet another speeding fine to add to the collection .........


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## prawn_86 (11 August 2009)

Mr J said:


> Yes, there are many bad drivers, but most are okay.




Yeh, my uni lecturer one time did a test like this. He asked everyone who thought they were in the top 10% of drivers to put their hand up (more than 10% did), then worked his wayt down, and by the time he asked who thought they were in the top 50% of drivers, virtually everyone had their hand up.

Point is, most people think they are better at driving than they actually are.


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## awg (11 August 2009)

wayneL said:


> I want one.... WITH the gun.





many of the CCKWs were fitted with M2 50 cal machine guns, as in the attached pic.

Operated by the passenger, would cause tailgaiters to back off!

They were also fitted with a variety of truck based rockets, fired directly.

Unfortunately, you cannot use live arnaments on the vintage trucks


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## glenn_r (11 August 2009)

I would prefer to fire a rocket assisted 155mm HE round 30 odd clicks away using charge super to propel it...


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## Mr J (11 August 2009)

prawn_86 said:


> Point is, most people think they are better at driving than they actually are.




That's to be expected, but that doesn't address my point that most Sydney drivers I come across are okay, and this is coming from a motorcyclist. The bad drivers just stand out more, and we tend to remember the negatives far more strongly than the positives.


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## mini696 (11 August 2009)

Boggo said:


> On the subject of indicators, a very misunderstood area. I recently travelled down South Road and as I approached roadworks there was a sign saying left lane closed, merge right. I put my right indicator on to indicate that I was merging right when the car that was about a car length behind in the right lane sped up to cut me off and then started beeping at me.
> What this clown does not realise is that in that situation my indicator does actually give me right of way even if my car is only one inch in front of his he legally has to let me in (I wouldn't force my way just to be silly).
> Lack of education of the road rules again, see diagram below. (Road traffic act rule 149).




Actually this is incorrect. Your indicator does not give you any more right of way.

If the merging lanes have a line dividing them the merging car must always give way, so in your case (at roadworks) I would suggest there was a white dashed line dividing the lanes, therefore the through traffic had right of way over you.

If there is no line dividing the lanes, the car in front has right of way.


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## trinity (11 August 2009)

> The other interesting area at the moment is that the police are having a field day collecting $149 from all the clowns that drive around with their fog lamps on in a built up area (illegal as of Jan 25th 2009).




Hi,  clarification needed on having fog lamps lit in "built up" areas?  Why is that illegal?  The plastic covers on our car was recently stolen and, and I couldn't believe how those plastic things are actually expensive, at any rate, was thinking if I was gonna spend so much, might as well have fog lamps installed.

Thanks.  

Sorry to hear about your Honda Boggo.  I find that, people can fake and pass the license exams somehow, then revert to their horrible driving habits.
I took driving lessons when I first arrived, the first instructor I had, did not explain much to me, just focused on getting me to pass the exam. The next instructor, John, was a a sweet and lovely guy, he did not only show me the exam routes, but, we went through day to day practical things on the road and gave me a lot of tips and pointers.  (E.g., wave "thank you" when possible when someone lets you through ).


Cheers.


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## Smurf1976 (11 August 2009)

nunthewiser said:


> yep and trying to turn left into bunnings from the brooker when u got a mini brocky up ya bum certainly makes for intresting emergency braking on their behalf



Even better when I've got a sturdy steel tray and they've got a fibreglass bonnet and bar, it gets them standing on the brakes real hard.


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## Smurf1976 (11 August 2009)

Mr J said:


> That's to be expected, but that doesn't address my point that most Sydney drivers I come across are okay, and this is coming from a motorcyclist. The bad drivers just stand out more, and we tend to remember the negatives far more strongly than the positives.



That's probably to do with how busy it is in Sydney. I've often noticed that the worst drivers are usually found in free flowing traffic especially at high speeds, conditions that are less common in a large city.


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## Awesomandy (11 August 2009)

trinity said:


> I took driving lessons when I first arrived, the first instructor I had, did not explain much to me, just focused on getting me to pass the exam. The next instructor, John, was a a sweet and lovely guy, he did not only show me the exam routes, but, we went through day to day practical things on the road and gave me a lot of tips and pointers.  (E.g., wave "thank you" when possible when someone lets you through )




Getting a good instructor is the luck of the draw, really. My first (and only) instructor from a large driving school taught me to floor it and overtake a truck from the left lane. At that age, I didn't know better to get a new instructor.


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## drsmith (11 August 2009)

wayneL said:


> I want one.... WITH the gun.




Tow this to the Snowy's with the truck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRHA9W-zExQ


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## Boggo (11 August 2009)

mini696 said:


> If there is no line dividing the lanes, the car in front has right of way.




Yep, no lines, new road surface and underpass.




trinity said:


> Hi,  clarification needed on having fog lamps lit in "built up" areas?  Why is that illegal?  The plastic covers on our car was recently stolen and, and I couldn't believe how those plastic things are actually expensive, at any rate, was thinking if I was gonna spend so much, might as well have fog lamps installed.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> ...




Ta trinity.
This is the rule on fog lamps...

_217 Using fog lights
(1) The driver of a vehicle fitted with front fog lights or rear fog lights must not operate the fog light unless the driver is driving in fog or other hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility.

Offence provision.

(2) In this rule:
front fog light means a light (other than a headlight) fitted to the front of a vehicle to improve illumination of the road in fog, snowfall, heavy rain or dust clouds._


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## Boggo (11 August 2009)

This is the current penalty for using fog lights unnecessarily in SA...

_217(1) Using fog lights when not driving in fog or other hazardous weather conditions $146_


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## CanOz (11 August 2009)

Wow, where do i start with this thread??? This sounds like my adventires driving in Northern China everyday. Boggo, your accident sounds like my near miss ever 5 km.

I leave home early for work to avoid the traffic and a huge number of new drivers on the road. The idea of rear view mirror is this:

Why do i look in them? That's the PAST! 

Driver's entering onto main roads without looking 70% of time, knowing that the on coming traffic will yield or break hard.

Picture what you are going through, only in a city that is adding up to 400 new cars per day.

Last night i had to drive back into work at night, the most terrifying time to be on the road. Large multi-axle dump trucks rule the road. Driving with high beams, facing not just front but back as well, blinding everyone. They drive at insane speeds while loaded to the sideboards, tyres bulging, and at even crazier speeds when heading back for another load. They destroy the roads, their equipment, and anything that gets in their path.

The first time you see this behavior you wonder what the police are doing....the answer is pretty simple....SFA!

Cheers,


CanOz


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## Boggo (12 August 2009)

Amazing stuff can, how do you handle it, keep half a dozen old bombs in the back yard to get you around and hope you live long enough to tell the tale ?

I was going to suggest getting something like the truck in awg's pics but I seem to recall that they have an endless supply of something similiar up that way


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## CanOz (12 August 2009)

Boggo said:


> Amazing stuff can, how do you handle it, keep half a dozen old bombs in the back yard to get you around and hope you live long enough to tell the tale ?
> 
> I was going to suggest getting something like the truck in awg's pics but I seem to recall that they have an endless supply of something similiar up that way




I drive a 4 year old Honda CRV, and so far not a mark on it. 

After the first 6 months i had to take a week off work just to de-stress from the driving. Now, i just "go with the flow"....tooting the horn when someone gets in my way....they actually respond to that!

More large new SUVs on the road here, and during the day they get respect. Lots of Hummers, Landcruisers, Porche Cayenne's etc., mostly with drivers to negotiate the traffic for their employers.

I was home in Canada recently, and the peace on the road was mind numbing.

Cheers,


CanOz


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## wayneL (12 August 2009)

CanOz said:


> Now, i just "go with the flow"....tooting the horn when someone gets in my way....they actually respond to that!




I found that driving around SE Asia. Drive politely and you will be frustrated to death. Go as fast as possible with hand on the horn and everybody just casually moves out of the way. I used to LMAO at that.


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## CanOz (12 August 2009)

wayneL said:


> I found that driving around SE Asia. Drive politely and you will be frustrated to death. Go as fast as possible with hand on the horn and everybody just casually moves out of the way. I used to LMAO at that.




LOL! Exactly, drive politely and you are the one at the brunt of everyone else's car horn!

Cheers,


CanOz


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## glenn_r (12 August 2009)

CanOz said:


> Wow, where do i start with this thread??? This sounds like my adventires driving in Northern China everyday. Boggo, your accident sounds like my near miss ever 5 km.
> 
> I leave home early for work to avoid the traffic and a huge number of new drivers on the road. The idea of rear view mirror is this:
> 
> ...




We just spent a few days in Xiamen, China and I can confirm what CanOz has said, I wasn't game to drive so we used Taxi's and OMFG even on the main roads pedestrians just walk out in front of the traffic which somehow slows and misses them. 

The pedestrians using the pedestrian crossings have to dodge turning traffic even though you have a green walk sign, also one the better things I thought was that they have second clock on the traffic lights showing you how long until the lights change, a bit like the start of a Formula 1 race...

Traffic entering from the side roads just drive onto the main road making traffic on the main road to either brake hard or change lanes using the horn but strangely enough the traffic does flow quite well and we never saw a crash.


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## Happy (12 August 2009)

glenn_r said:


> ...
> Traffic entering from the side roads just drive onto the main road making traffic on the main road to either brake hard or change lanes using the horn but strangely enough the traffic does flow quite well and *we never saw a crash*.





I cannot find statistics right now, but from memory China's human road kill inches toward 100,000 a year.

I know with 1 billion plus you have plenty spares and percentage doesn't look too bad, but still quite a few burials if you ask me.


Edit:
Not exactly what I've seen before and not as bad and 'estimate' only (whatever it means)

http://www.factbook.net/EGRF_Regional_analyses_AsiaPacific.htm

China 1995 Road fatalities 71,495  Deaths per 100,000 pop 6
India 1995  Road fatalities 59,927  Deaths per 100,000 pop 6


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## glenn_r (12 August 2009)

A couple of pics showing Xiamen's off peak traffic...


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## CanOz (13 August 2009)

Thanks for the photos Glenn, very tidy looking city, err relatively i mean.

So what were your impressions of China? Have you got something on the travel forum?

Cheers,


CanOz


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## awg (30 August 2009)

3 examples in two days, I dont do much driving, and am very defensive these days, some people need a brain transplant.

1) Car pulls up in middle of the road, and begins reversing at high speed.
I only just have time to hit the horn, he stops a metre from my car, then screeches off?

2) nearly wiped out by a dark sedan driving at night with NO lights at all

3) on the way home, pass by a car parked in a terrible spot on a sweeping bend. It has the rear windscreen smashed. It is parked in exactly the same spot as 2 previous cars that were hit from behind and totalled. Outside someones place, a wealthy homeowner, judging by the size of their spread.
I cant believe they keep parking cars there


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## Zaij (30 August 2009)

I love the 'it's not me that's the bad driver, it's everybody else' attitude car drivers have.


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## nunthewiser (30 August 2009)

mmmm stupid and uniformed drivers

on friday night i was stuck behind a pissy driver , his speed was varying between 40 and 80km/hr

he was weaving between both lanes on NWCH wonthella which is a dual laned highway 

i had a passenger/witness 

i overtook said pissy driver as i felt it was safer to be away from them rather than close to them , i overtook at 73kmhr as that was the speed to get past them 

the speed limit on that part of the highway is 60kmr 

as i overtook, a stupid and UNIFORMED driver registered me at 73kmhr and fined me $150 bucks and 2 demerit points 

i pointed out my reason for my speed and my passenger/witness also confirmed my reasons 

this was ignored 

the drunk driver continued weaving on his way while i got booked 

at least the pissy driver got a luckybreak from forcing me to go around him 

the moral of the story is ... its better to drive shiitfaced at 2am on a friday night rather than try and provide a safe passage for yourself and your passenger whilst being completely sober

by the way i was driving a taxi at the time and have an obligation to provide safe passage to a paying passenger

can we get a big AMEN for them boys in uniform keeping our streets safe for them drunken fools out there


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## websman (31 August 2009)

All of you Aussies are uniformed drivers.  You're suppose to drive on the right hand side of the road...NOT THE LEFT!  Duh.....


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## Mr J (31 August 2009)

websman said:


> All of you Aussies are uniformed drivers.  You're suppose to drive on the right hand side of the road...NOT THE LEFT!  Duh.....




_"The market can remain irrational longer than we can remain solvent"._

I dare you to come here and drive on the correct side :.


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## Boggo (31 August 2009)

websman said:


> All of you Aussies are uniformed drivers.  You're suppose to drive on the right hand side of the road...NOT THE LEFT!  Duh.....




Siamese twins walk into a pub in Ontario and park themselves on a bar stool. One of them says to the barkeeper, 'Don't mind us, we're joined at the hip. I'm John, he's Jim. Two Molson Canadian beers, draft please'.

The barkeeper, feeling slightly awkward, tries to make polite conversation while pouring the beers. 'Been on holiday yet, lads?'

'Off to England next month,' says John.
'We go to England every year and rent a car and drive for miles, don't we, Jim?' Jim agrees.

'Ah, England !' says the barkeeper. 'Wonderful country... the history, the beer, the culture.'

'Nah, we don't like that British crap,' says John.
'Hamburgers & Molsons beer, that's us, eh Jim? And we can't stand the English - they're so arrogant.'

'So why keep going to England ?' asks the barkeeper.

'It's the only chance Jim gets to drive.'


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## websman (31 August 2009)

Mr J said:


> _"The market can remain irrational longer than we can remain solvent"._
> 
> I dare you to come here and drive on the correct side :.




I drove in Ireland, back in March of this year.  I did fine, until I pulled out from a grocery store, on the wrong side of the road...Habit I guess.   Regardless to say, I got honked at by a car coming towards me.  After that, I stayed on the left hand side.  

Actually, driving on the left side wasn't that bad.  It's all those roundabouts that got on my nerves.


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## Kryzz (7 September 2009)

well just got out of my first car crash, front bumpers totally f**d, when cued over traffic lights waiting to turn, watch out for people running orange lights is all i can say!!


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## Boggo (7 September 2009)

Kryzz said:


> well just got out of my first car crash, front bumpers totally f**d, when cued over traffic lights waiting to turn, watch out for people running orange lights is all i can say!!




Now for the interesting bit, the first thing the law does is to remove the lights from the equation. Effectively if someone runs a red light coming from the opposite direction as you and you attempt to turn in front of them you are actually in the wrong. I know it seems stupid but thats how it works, you are deemed to have seen the potential risk and could have avoided it !

On another issue, just driving down Shepherds Hill last week and was overtaken by a small car which would have been doing at least seventy in a sixty zone, the disturbing bit was that it was an L plater in his St John's school uniform with Mum (I assume) in the passenger seat and another kid in the back.
What sort of example is that and what will Mummy say when her precious little speedster wraps himself and a few of his mates around a tree once he is let loose.

Amazing


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## Kryzz (7 September 2009)

Boggo said:


> Now for the interesting bit, the first thing the law does is to remove the lights from the equation. Effectively if someone runs a red light coming from the opposite direction as you and you attempt to turn in front of them you are actually in the wrong. I know it seems stupid but thats how it works, you are deemed to have seen the potential risk and could have avoided it !




Yeah thats what the cop was hinting at when i was talking with him (that i should have waited until the intersection was _completely_ clear), so it looks like i'll be slapped with some driving charge/fine is my guess. It will go nicely with my $350 red light fine i got the other week too


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## drsmith (7 September 2009)

Kryzz said:


> It will go nicely with my $350 red light fine i got the other week too



I'll give you my chair to hide under.


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## Kryzz (7 September 2009)

haha, thank you sir.


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## Bafana (8 September 2009)

Swear to god people should learn how to use high and low beam. Might not matter that much in city streets but in the country it can cause accidents. Rant finished. Anyone who drives from Canberra to just past Gundaroo at around 6.30pm please dip your @%^#$@# LIGHTS some of us have another 80 kms to drive after you get homw safely cause you could see well all the way home. Maybe my rant wasn't finished after all.


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## Mr J (8 September 2009)

Kryzz said:


> Yeah thats what the cop was hinting at when i was talking with him (that i should have waited until the intersection was _completely_ clear), so it looks like i'll be slapped with some driving charge/fine is my guess. It will go nicely with my $350 red light fine i got the other week too




The fine will be about failing to make a safe right-hand turn. Guy who turned in front of me got slapped with it.



> Swear to god people should learn how to use high and low beam.




Doesn't seem to matter with xenon headlights, as they blind me in either setting. I have no idea how they were classed as appropriate. I can't use the rear-vision mirror if I get a 4wd behind me.


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## trainspotter (8 September 2009)

I just lurve the ones that pull out in front of you from a side street and proceed to s l o w l y drive up to 40km/h in a 70km/h zone !! Horn and finger both working fine thank you very much.


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## Smurf1976 (15 September 2009)

Now this one is truly ridiculous! 3 separate accidents, by the same driver in the same car, in about 1 minute. And the weather was fine and sunny when it happened...

http://www.examiner.com.au/news/loc...n-serious-after-minute-of-mayhem/1623341.aspx


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## Boggo (15 September 2009)

Smurf1976 said:


> Now this one is truly ridiculous! 3 separate accidents, by the same driver in the same car, in about 1 minute. And the weather was fine and sunny when it happened...
> 
> http://www.examiner.com.au/news/loc...n-serious-after-minute-of-mayhem/1623341.aspx




Lock the stupid idiot up, what would she have hit next, a school bus or a school crossing.

Licences should only be valid for a maximum of 5 years then everyone should have to sit a test of ability and knowledge.
If the fail rate is not at least 20% then up the standard to the level that would eliminate the idiots.


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## Timmy (16 September 2009)

LANGUAGE WARNING

Saw this article, crash on freeway, major gridlock, etc.  **** happens.

But this is what really gets me:

_All outbound lanes on the Monash Freeway were closed at High Street. *And while inbound lanes remained open, traffic was delayed because of people slowing to look at the accident.* _Dickheads.


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