More than 1000 breath tested this June long weekend

Very Busy said :

….and this, my friends is exactly the attitude that the authorities are encouraging by their lack of enforcement. Zero points for you!!!

1. So there’s no police around, so I’ll break the law.
2. It’s quite all right to flaunt the road rules because they cant prove I did it.
3. I just need to have my travel plan or my next sms right in my line of sight, it doesn’t matter about that little kid who I killed because he rode his bike out infront of me.

Time and time again, Rod Anderson comes out saying how disappointed he is with the attitude of Canberra motorists. Yet nothing is being done to change anything.

People need to be encouraged to take driving more seriously. As long as it is quite ok for drivers to break the vast majority of the road rules we will continue to see the bad attitude that we currently see. The focus on only a couple of the road rules breeds contempt. If the road rules shouldn’t be enforced, then they shouldn’t be road rules in the first place.

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that there is a direct correlation between the lack of enforcement of the majority of the road rules and the numbers of drivers breaking the rules that do get enforced. So if all the road rules are enforced there will be a positive trend in the number of drivers who habitually speed, text, DUI and drive unlicensed or unregistered.

Hang on, didn’t you just contradict yourself?

“there is a direct correlation between the lack of enforcement of the majority of the road rules and the numbers of drivers breaking the rules”

and…

“if all the road rules are enforced there will be a positive trend in the number of drivers who habitually [break the rules]”

I’m going to guess from your argument that your first statement is the one you actually mean and go on that.

I maintain that my original points are valid. Not everyone in society is a moral perfectionist when it comes to driving or well, everything else in life. People are always going to find ways to wrought the system for their own selfish convenience, hence the bad behaviour you vehemently oppose.

By the way, it p#$ses me off too. I’m not defending their behaviour, I’m rationalising it (selfish convenience remember). Some of the issues you raised are difficult to detect or prove by police. You can ping people for a dash mounted GPS, then they’ll just hide it in their hand. It’s a lot easier to catch someone speeding than it is to catch someone texting. It’s hard to even imagine a method of detecting texting with current without numerous social (and probably legal also) privacy issues, and also the sheer cost of such advanced technology…

While the police force does currently seem to be a bit thin on the pan, I don’t think more police will solve the issues raised. You need to train and inspire the masses rather than cull them into fear. It’s better for society.

I think everyone who wants a licence should go through a mandatory driver training course including save driving theory and practical car control in adverse situations. I believe that will –above all else- increase the amount of awareness, responsibility and skill on our roads, for most people…

But until that happens, I recommend strapping a dash-cam on. It might save your bacon if you collide with any number of numpties on the road today.

Why bother obeying the rules when you
a) disagree with them and
b) know they won’t be enforced.

Every morning driving in to work the traffic slows down for the 2 speed cameras on the major road I use. Everyone slows down 10-15km/h then just speeds back up.

We need to look at some better models for traffic management, that focus on better traffic flow, better driver skill and attitude and driving more cooperatively.

Tenpoints said :

Very Busy said :

Could we also have the figures for how many drivers were issued TINs for failing to use indicators, crossing unbroken lines, using fog lights in clear weather and obstructing their vision with GPS and mobile phone holders?

How many drivers have actually failed to indicate or crossed unbroken lines in direct sight of a police officer and gotten away with it? Maybe you should go vigilante with your dashcam to flag the offenders.
As for foglights, the severity of the offence does not justify the time cost of trying to prove whether the weather was sufficiently “clear” in court.
With respect to GPS and mobile phone holders: Still a better option than google maps in the palm of your hand. Given the choice, I’d pick the lesser of two evils.

….and this, my friends is exactly the attitude that the authorities are encouraging by their lack of enforcement. Zero points for you!!!

1. So there’s no police around, so I’ll break the law.
2. It’s quite all right to flaunt the road rules because they cant prove I did it.
3. I just need to have my travel plan or my next sms right in my line of sight, it doesn’t matter about that little kid who I killed because he rode his bike out infront of me.

Time and time again, Rod Anderson comes out saying how disappointed he is with the attitude of Canberra motorists. Yet nothing is being done to change anything.

People need to be encouraged to take driving more seriously. As long as it is quite ok for drivers to break the vast majority of the road rules we will continue to see the bad attitude that we currently see. The focus on only a couple of the road rules breeds contempt. If the road rules shouldn’t be enforced, then they shouldn’t be road rules in the first place.

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that there is a direct correlation between the lack of enforcement of the majority of the road rules and the numbers of drivers breaking the rules that do get enforced. So if all the road rules are enforced there will be a positive trend in the number of drivers who habitually speed, text, DUI and drive unlicensed or unregistered.

Very Busy said :

Could we also have the figures for how many drivers were issued TINs for failing to use indicators, crossing unbroken lines, using fog lights in clear weather and obstructing their vision with GPS and mobile phone holders?

How many drivers have actually failed to indicate or crossed unbroken lines in direct sight of a police officer and gotten away with it? Maybe you should go vigilante with your dashcam to flag the offenders.
As for foglights, the severity of the offence does not justify the time cost of trying to prove whether the weather was sufficiently “clear” in court.
With respect to GPS and mobile phone holders: Still a better option than google maps in the palm of your hand. Given the choice, I’d pick the lesser of two evils.

bikhet said :

In US English a plurality is what in UK English would be called a majority – unless, of course, it was more than half, in which case it would be a majority is both forms of English.

Usually in British English that’s referred to as an absolute majority or overall majority.

bikhet said :

And I think davo101 means “greatest” rather than “greater.”

Have to admit I cheated and just copied that definition from the Oxford dictionary.

davo101 said :

Spectra said :

Also, apparently the police don’t know what the word “majority” means…

Depends, it’s a question of style. In US English majority means the sub-set that covers more than half the set, in British English it means the greater number.

I’m feeling bored today, so here goes.

In US English a plurality is what in UK English would be called a majority – unless, of course, it was more than half, in which case it would be a majority is both forms of English.

And I think davo101 means “greatest” rather than “greater.” If the comparative was appropriate there would be only two things being compared and so if one was greater than the other it would have more than half – ignoring informals, don’t knows, etc of course. For more than two you would use the superlative.

davo101 said :

Spectra said :

Also, apparently the police don’t know what the word “majority” means…

Depends, it’s a question of style. In US English majority means the sub-set that covers more than half the set, in British English it means the greater number.

Well I’ll be damned. I have learned a thing.

Spectra said :

Also, apparently the police don’t know what the word “majority” means…

Depends, it’s a question of style. In US English majority means the sub-set that covers more than half the set, in British English it means the greater number.

Could we also have the figures for how many drivers were issued TINs for failing to use indicators, crossing unbroken lines, using fog lights in clear weather and obstructing their vision with GPS and mobile phone holders?

Also, apparently the police don’t know what the word “majority” means…