18 June 2007

Canberraroadwatch.com

| Ntp
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Last week a new Canberra web site, canberraroadwatch.com, started with the aim to:

…to hold Canberra drivers accountable for their actions in an effort to better the quality of Canberra’s driving standards.

It’s off to a slow start with only a few vehicles added to date (I see more incidents than currently listed on my drive to work) but it’s an interesting outlet for other drivers who get pissed off at someone driving with their head up an orifice and don’t want to or can’t be bothered calling the cops to report someone talking on their phone, etc.

As usual Samuel Gordon Stewart was all over it before it even launched and his views and the start of an interesting discussion can be found here.

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Imagine Canberra policing doing that! Hah. Some hope. I guess country cops really had to maintain relations with their local communities, and so had to use their judgement as to when to act, and how.

Someone on aus.cars (newsgroup) was saying today that the ACT gov’t has started doing ads about tailgating. Like that’ll change anything.

Ingeegoodbee12:32 pm 22 Jun 07

Don’t get me wrong Ant, the cops went through the whole due dilligence thing while I filled out the forms. He asked me when I got my Learners permit, confirmed that he’d seen me driving around the district a few times (pointed out that as a Learner permit holder I was technically supposed to have someone else in the car with me), he asked me if I’d had a prng since getting my Learners and the one I loved most – he asked how I got to the test that day, I told him I’d driven and he said, ‘well then, you’re right to go’ and gave me my probationary license.

Yeah, I can’t see that the rural driving test was deficient! The cop could tell if you could drive or not in that trip. You either can, or can’t. It’s fair enough.

I wish they’d introduce an element of skidding into driving tests. Either on wet, or gravel. Just to ensure that new drivers have learned how to handle this situation.

Ingeegoodbee3:20 pm 21 Jun 07

You’re probably right. I sat my drivers test just the once, over twenty years ago in rural Victoria. Those were the rules back then.

I remember the driving test too. It was at the cop-shop and we drove down the road to the shops, I parallel parked out the front of a take-away, the cop who was my examiner, ducked inside to get a box of pre-ordered sandwiches and drinks, and we drove back to the station to fill out the paperwork for my license … those were the days.

I can’t copy and paste the Australian road rules as they’re a pdf.
However, part 11, Divison 2, rules 129 and 130.

Driver must keep to the left, unless on a multi-lane or 2 lane road. This rule also applies on multi/2 lanes roads where the speed limit is above 80 km/hr, or there is a Keep Left Unless Overtaking sign.

Ingeegoodbee1:40 pm 21 Jun 07

But Ant, you’re still obliged by law to drive as far to the left as practicable (note that’s not ‘practical’ but practicable, which means as far left as physically possible). Unless you are about to turn right in the next 100m you should be in the left hand lane – keeping out of the way of the busy people.

It was in the bit coming through campbell, when there was only one lane. And it’s 60 there. And in those days, the cops used to use that area to get a few easy speeding fines.

By the way, Mr Berlina, right lanes are NOT overtaking lanes where the speed limit is below 80 km/hr. Most Canberrans don’t know that.

So on Limestone, the left and the right lanes are transit and turning lanes, not overtaking lanes.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt3:18 pm 20 Jun 07

Ant – were you in the left or right lane?

I did report a taxi once (their numbers are veyr easy to remember). It was on Limestone, around the war memorial, where police sometimes actually do lurk (probably from Qbn, practising, as Canberra doesn’t have police any more). I was doing the limit 60 (and it’s 60 all the way to the RMC gun gates, btw) and he was dodging around behind me, flashing his lights and blasting his horn, crazy stuff. When he passed me, he was looking at me mouthing abuse. so I wrote to aerial, AND got a reply.

(and yes, I gave them the plate AND the time, location etc, as lots of drivers use the same cabs). Mind you, a lot of Canberra drivers drive like this. I wonder what’s wrong with them?

If only I could report TX – XXX… ie all freakin Taxi Drivers for well, being the worst drivers out there… too fast, too slow, in considerate, greedy… el bastardos!

Ah yes Kane Bond. I believe I may be partially responsible for his *ahem* leaving 2CC.

Thank You, Thank You, Hold your applause please I was only doing what anyone else would have done!

The funny thing is that as far as I’m aware Kane does not hold a licence nor know how to drive.

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt9:07 am 19 Jun 07

I just a look at the site, and it seems to me that many of the listed ‘issues’ would be resolved by having greater marked police presence on the roads.

Stuff the website. I just ram ’em.

The web form allows for uploading a photo – wonder how dangerous that is to attempt while driving?

Hmmm, wonder if I can upoad my number plate and say “Driver too sexy?” Is there a moderator that vetts the entries?

Ruby Wednesday6:10 am 19 Jun 07

Or call the number listed on the website while driving!

‘Wouldn’t it be dangerous to try to find pen and paper to write down the licence plate number whilst tailgating…’

Who does that, that would be stupid. They all send a text message to their partner. Much safer.

Wouldn’t it be dangerous to try to find pen and paper to write down the licence plate number whilst tailgating…

Hah, it’s a roadrage site on the internet! Two of the very few complaints are for: Driving slow (bad grammar). Driving slow? In the city?! Oh my farking god. But I’m sure the upright and moral complainants carefully tailgated them, to Teach Them A Lesson.

and then became part of the large ACT statistics of rear-end collisions.

Useless vigilante rubbish with no system of checks and balances, no validation and I suspect little credibility – let it die naturally – it will…..

futto, ditto my rego plates.

people who drive in the right hand lane below the speed limit deserve to be named and shamed. Same goes for people that walk slowly down footpaths in groups blocking the way for everyone else. Infuriating! (joking)…

(ok well only half joking)

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt7:54 pm 18 Jun 07

Load of crapola, most of the time the people who post to such sites are whinging prats who drive below the speed limit in the right hand lane anyway.

clearly this site is flawed because my wife’s car does not appear on that site and i know how she drives.

🙂

Completely pointless site, the people most likely to complain (cardigan wearers) are the ones who are the most computer illiterate.

But, on the other hand if this gets people off my back about my driving instead allowing them to feel justified by posting on that site, thats fine by me.

Btw: the other site is ratetheplate.com.au, they get less reports a day than the number of posters they put up.

This is, i beleive, the 3rd type of such a site.
RatemyPlate was another one.
I forget the name of the third.

Would the Police even prosecute such matters? It sounds like the evidentiary basis for doing so would be flimsy.

Could this also lead to allegations of defamation?

I find the best way to deal with idiot drivers is to, a) remember that we are all human and everyone makes mistakes from time to time; and b) swear my head off to myself when other motorists really pish me off.

I understand things at the moment, there is nothing stopping any individual from lodging a formal complaint with the Police / RTA.

The only catch is if you actually want the complaint to be investigated and pursued then you have to be prepared to identify yourself and potentially appear as a witness in court if it gets to that.

Whilst this website appears to be a good idea, the concept is fundamentally flawed as there is no apparent auditing or identification of who is lodging the report – so there is no accountability nor on that basis would anything stand up in court if it were actually pursued to its logical conclusion

its the product of ex 2CC announcer and angry Gungahlanite, Kane Bond.

I doubt whether this website will last to be honest. It’s an enterprising idea, but really, what’s the point? You can vent, whinge, yell roadrage at as many drivers as you want, but it won’t change anything. You’re always going to have idiots on the road, and most of them would not care less if their number plate is shown up on a website.

Not to mention all the company cars, Commonwealth cars and replacement cars (when you car is in for a service) that are out there.

Good luck to the developers…I think you may need it.

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