Lead footed B's.

[Ben]

Weren't Chan & Jaws in a Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo, not a scoobie?

[Sean Dezart]

I think your right, and I haven't seen one since - what happened to them - rust ?

[kyteler]

There's plenty of GSR Cordia Turbo's left over here (in NZ), there's just something about them that doesn't seem right though. That and Mixofshitties (Mitsubishi's) seem to be made of the thinnest metal in the world and seem dreadfully unsafe.

[datsun260z]

Originally posted by Mr Volvo

Another problem with policing of speed is that most of the time it isn't the police doing the catching!

I must admit I'm a bit of an idealist and as I havent had a run in with any yet I still believe to be decent compassionate human beings.

But a camera atached to somone who is getting payed to catch people will probly not be so understanding.

I mean if I'm doing 105 on a wide straight stretch of road in the country at 5 o'clock in the afternoon about 5k's from my house and there isn't a car in sight, then I'm sure the police would just tell me to be careful. But recently this situation occured near my house but there was a camera on the side of the road hidden on the crest of a small rise in a camry, not even a police car.

Even if I had got a ticket it probably wouldn't have made me re-think my speed anywhere near as much as having a police car pull me over and give me a bit of a lecture about the dangers of speeding (whethere they are false or not).

That was some terrible grammar throughout that post, but im sure the general *vibe* is there:

A police car pulling someone over will enforce the message that the TAC propose (be that a good message or not) far more effectively than a letter 2 weeks later in the mail.

And that lack of effectiveness leads people to believe that the new laws can only be designed for revenue raising, not safety.

Lets start a new thread now. Nice stories about police. I have two.

1. Walk out of a night club at three in the morning. This is a well lit city on a quite night so when I jump in my car I forget the headlight. I notice this when I pass the first oncoming car, Mr Police Car. So while he is doing a Uturn I pull over, turn my engine off and get out my license. He does not give me a lecture but still gives me a RBT then lets me go with no fine and headlight on.

2. Working as a courier driving without my seatbelt. Pass a Motor cycle cop but try to lose him while he Uturns. $50 fine but no lecture. Two weeks later I am in an accident and write my car off. No injury as I am waring my seatbelt.

[Sean Dezart]

Here there is no difference if one is flashed by an automatic camera or stopped by the police - Zero tolerance and an automatic can process a lot more in 24 hrs and costs less !

Interestingly, the gov. promised that no automatic cameras would be used without signs up warning that there are cameras nearby. So, when the police started taking delivery of their mobile auto cameras, legally they can't use them 'cos they weren't issued with little (similar to warning triangles) signs that they must place so many metres before the camera !

datsun260z, I hear you BUT when I wrote off my 260, upside down in a water filled ditch, swimming to the road with my girlfriend all the police could do when I reported the accident was to ask me to call in later. When I did, they'd decided that a fine was appropriate !

When I asked did they think that after nearly having died and wrecked a clean 260z, they thought that was fiar, the reply was 'it's like that' !

We were wearing our seat belts which saved us even though our heads were in water !

[1 Bravo 6]

Couple of pages back I mentioned that a 17 year old had died in a crash.

Here's the newspaper article. Speaks for itself.

accident 1.bmp

[Sean Dezart]

Yeah that sobers you up !

Here all the night clubs are located in the countryside to avoid disturbing residents and every Saturday / Sunday morning there's the carnage on the roads, too tired / too excited / dis-orientated by loud music and lights and sometimes (but not always) drunk or stoned ! So sad that they're too young to get wise !

[1 Bravo 6]

Speed cameras ???

Anyone driving in New South Wales who gets caught by a camera has only himself to blame. There are signs all along the highway warning drivers that cameras are in operation. .:stupid: :stupid: :stupid:

And PLEASE don't tell me that taking your eyes off the road to check your speed is dangerous, as was suggested earlier in this thread. It's only dangerous if you don't know where the speedo is and have to find it.

Do you check your rear view mirrors, (other than to make sure it's safe to pull out to overtake), or your temperature gauge to see if you've blown a welsh plug or a hose, you should !!!.

Do you use the cigarette lighter, change radio stations, change the cassette or CD, glance over at your passenger during conversation ????? They all take a lot longer than a quick glance at the speedo.

Provided you know where it is of course.

:devious: :devious: :devious:

Rick.

[Murph]

Originally posted by 1 Bravo 6 And PLEASE don't tell me that taking your eyes off the road to check your speed is dangerous, as was suggested earlier in this thread. It's only dangerous if you don't know where the speedo is and have to find it.

Do you check your rear view mirrors, (other than to make sure it's safe to pull out to overtake), or your temperature gauge to see if you've blown a welsh plug or a hose, you should !!!.

Do you use the cigarette lighter, change radio stations, change the cassette or CD, glance over at your passenger during conversation ????? They all take a lot longer than a quick glance at the speedo.

Provided you know where it is of course.

:devious: :devious: :devious:

Rick.

Well....

It really depends on where you are and the situation you're in. In normal driving, where traffic isn't to heavy and there aren't too many distractions, then yes, you shouldn't have any trouble knowing/checking what your speed is.

The problem is when you get into a busy area, with lots of traffic, lots of pedestrians, or places you're unfamiliar with, then this can be a problem.

For example when we were last down in Brisbane... Keep in mind that up here in Townsville people are generally pretty relaxed on the roads, none of the crazy hustle and bustle of the big cities. So we go down to brissy and it's this huge and totally unfamiliar place. The roads are much more congested, people are more agressive and you have added complexities such as that you must be in the correct lane at the correct time or you'll end up on the other side of the city.

In this sort of situation you simply don't have the time to keep your eyes glued to the speedo and your speed perfect. You go with the flow of the traffic and that means that you'll often enough end up speeding, even if only for a moment. And if anyone wants to argue that I'd be safer justs taking my time and driving under the limit.......nooooooooo way. I really don't think I even need to explain that.

Anyway, my point is normally there shouldn't be a problem. In some situations there is. Also, with the 3km/h "tollerance" down south, I can see drivers spending A LOT more time looking at their speedo's. Hey, ever k over is a killer right? By the same token every second your eyes are off the road is a killer too.

[Sean Dezart]

Story of some woman being flashed at 117 kmh (corrected to 111)in a 110 zone, 90 euro fineand 2 pts, rising to 135 if not paid within 3 days. 3 days is about the time it takes to ask and get legal advice as to whether or not to contest !

Surely if one is in an area unknown or where there are multiple hazards like traffic, pedestrians, rain, lots of junctions, one shouls already have slowed down so if you look away from the front for whatever, the risks (although still present) are reduced which is what driving is - always a risk but we try to keep it dwon to a minimum.

What we all need is a system that calculates in the car the risk factor every 2 seconds, drive slower and the risk reduces, drive at the same speed through a busy area, it rises, in bad weather, it rises further etc.

That or the anti-peril glasses marketed so well in Hitch-Hikers !

[1 Bravo 6]

Well, now,

Here in Yeppoon, if there are dozen cars in a row, it's PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC, so I know what small town versus big city traffic is.

You see, on average, We travell to Brisbane around every two months. Usually towing an 18 foot caravan.

Now, in Brisbane, (Sydney's WORSE), if you leave a nice, safe buffer zone between you and the car in front, you'll ALWAYS find a city driver who'll duck into that space, lessening your "Safety margin".

Funny thing is, ---I can STILL check my speedo and maintain a LEGAL speed. :D

With over 40 years of driving experience, (you name it, I've probably done it), I've been involved in only two accidents, both times the other blokes fault entirely.

Bear in mind that I've been luckier than most other drivers. As we've been saying all along, I had proper TRAINING and have gained the EXPERIENCE.

Rick.

[1 Bravo 6]

:classic:

Reading back through the recent posts I notice that Sean mentions driving in bad weather.

Now, I know it's rather silly but something that really gets up my left nostril are the news reports on T.V. or newspapers when they make statements such as;

"Heavy rain and poor driving conditions today caused a number of accidents----------".

CRAP !!!

Such accidents are caused by fools who haven't the sense to slow down and take precautions due to the unsafe conditions.

:devious: :devious: :devious:

Rick.