3 May 2010

Road Rules Refresher

| Grail
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There was a four car pileup on the Tuggeranong Parkway this morning, just inside the roadworks. The traffic was jammed up right down to Sulwood Drive, in my case extending my trip to work by 45 minute.

It might be worth bringing up the topic of safe driving up at BBQs and dinner table discussion. Little pointers like the two second gap, and abiding by construction site speed limits.

Sure, someone else might jump in that gap between you and the car in front. Just remind yourself that doing 120km/h on the Parkway during peak hour is impossible anyway, and even on a good day it will only save you 1 minute against a trip following the speed limit all the way. For people like me who live in North Cooma and travel to Civic and beyond for work, that’s one minute out of a half hour trip – which will be lost at the first set of traffic lights anyway.

Another issue to remember is that when you are driving a car, you should be thinking only about driving the car. Don’t go through the list of things to do when you get to work – you have the office for that, and thinking about the office while you’re in the car driving may mean you don’t get to the office today. Don’t dwell on whether you should have ordered the quiche for dinner with that hot date last night – she’ll call you back or she won’t: if she calls you back, it would help your chances for a second date if you were still alive.

Do you have any other ideas for helping people be safer on the roads during the commute to and from work?

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Voice of Reason7:33 pm 17 May 10

Do you have any other ideas for helping people be safer on the roads during the commute to and from work?

Catch the bus.

ditto to all I love this topic

wats a round-about?

Is that the thing without CCTV where cars and trucks cut lanes without notice?

Someone should tell the Gov to build round-abouts that can fit the size of the largest user instead of the smallest

Here’s a vdo “Drive Safely” that’s not for the faint of heart. It is a fairly graphic video but a true and accurate depiction of how accidents occur and the far-reaching consequences. It did actually slow me down on the roads and did make a difference. Hope it does the same for other drivers. Once again, not for the faint hearted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKm0s2xi3YU

ConanOfCooma said :

Two second gap? How many people do you want to kill with your vehicle, you moron? It’s called a minimum safe distance, and it’s variable, not measured in seconds.

You do realize that 2 seconds and 100km/h is going to be a lot larger than 2 seconds at 50 km/h?

It is what is taught well everywhere.

Obviously not in Cooma North or North Cooma or country bumkin I only go through it to get to the snow, town….

I notice that your rank is newbie, in life I’m guessing….

ConanOfCooma said :

To begin with, it’s called Cooma North. You can even check on Google maps, you might actually learn something.

Two second gap? How many people do you want to kill with your vehicle, you moron? It’s called a minimum safe distance, and it’s variable, not measured in seconds.

It is actually measured in seconds and is the ‘3 second rule’.Road safety initiative of Auburn Council and Parramatta City Council in association with Blacktown City Council and Holroyd City Council put out the following info in January 2008, which should clarify that for you. It is a good refresher too.
http://www.auburn.nsw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/Stopping%20Distance%20v08(1).pdf

Sgt.Bungers said :

If we all drove as though our cars had no roof, doors, windows, A/B/C/D pillars, seatbelts or airbags and was simply an engine mounted in a frame with wheels and a seat… we’d be significantly more pleasant to one another whilst driving, as well as behave in a significantly safer manner.

Can anyone imagine themselves driving significantly fast in a vehicle like the one pictured below:

http://media.motortopia.com/files/9642/vehicle/4754f07d6bddc/Dune_Buggy.jpg

🙂

I hadn’t imagined myself driving the buggy..but if I took it on road, I would certainly drive differently and way more cautoiusly.

ConanOfCooma said :

Two second gap? How many people do you want to kill with your vehicle, you moron? It’s called a minimum safe distance, and it’s variable, not measured in seconds.

You may need to rethink that statement ……

Madame Workalot9:27 am 05 May 10

ConanOfCooma said :

You think it’s bad battling the morons of suburban Canberra? Have you ever had a Deanes bus pull out 20 metres in front of you when you are doing 100Ks? Yeah, anyone that pulls out of Royalla or that Queanbeyan turnoff have severe driving disabilities, and I will laugh heartily the day the police actually decide to pay attention to those roads.

I’m nodding in furious agreement at this. I don’t have any problems with slowing down for people pulling out of there in the morning because it’s pretty busy on that road now, and otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get out. However, I do have a problem when people pull out of there when you are almost at the intersection, and I have to swerve or, if I’m lucky, I can slam the brakes on hard enough to avoid running into them. Have you people never driven in highway conditions before?

But it’s not worth losing sleep over – I drive that road expecting the unexpected now, and normally substantially reduce my speed around those intersections. Problem solved – for now….

Now for something completely different, an interesting observation this morning. Most mornings I take Mugga Lane from Hume to Hindmarsh, and it’s generally pretty busy – you’re lucky to get above 70kmh. However this morning, with a very wet road, the average speed was at least 90kmh. What is with that?

Woody Mann-Caruso8:38 pm 04 May 10

Right hand lane is for overtaking (it’s law) – and yes they do drive like they own the road.

The road rules – you fail at them. Better put your license back in the Kelloggs box.

sepi has already covered Rule 130(1). Pay close attention to Rule 130(2)(f) and (g):

The driver must not drive in the right lane unless: (stay with me here…unless:)

– the traffic in each other lane is congested; or
– the traffic in every lane is congested.

Now have a guess what the Monaro is in peak hour? That’s right – congested. So guess which lane we can drive in? Whichever we damn well feel like. Now you have to live with being wrong as well as being behind and 8 seconds late.

and yes they do drive like they own the road.

You mean they actually drive on it? The gall, the cheek, the arrogance. Don’t they know you need that lane for speeding? How else are you supposed to compensate for your many physical and intellectual shortcomings?

Clown Killer7:58 pm 04 May 10

let your true bogan ome out when you’re leaving the drive-thru at McDonalds (Manuka, Weston and Dickson if my memory serves me correctly): Ignore the sign that says No Right Turn and let the cars in the drive-thru queue bank up as you wait for an opportunity to turn right. Extra points for laying a little rubber as you take off. Extra bonus points if you cut someone off.

I love these threads on this sort of topic, its entertaining

Thoroughly Smashed4:55 pm 04 May 10

goose said :

Right hand lane is for overtaking (it’s law)

Only where the speed limit is greater than 80km/hr, or where there’s a “keep left unless overtaking” sign.

ConanOfCooma said :

Two second gap? How many people do you want to kill with your vehicle, you moron? It’s called a minimum safe distance, and it’s variable, not measured in seconds.

If you’re going to abuse someone on the internet while getting things wrong yourself at the same time, you are supposed to spell it “moran”. The two (or three, depending on where you’re from) second gap is a general guideline for safe following distance; it provides a buffer for the driver’s reaction time. You do realise that the consequence of a fixed time gap results in the distance of the gap increasing with speed, right? That’s the point.

And if you are a P-Plater in a fancy new car, stop as close behind bomby old cars as you can, especially on slopes at traffic lights. These old cars may roll back a bit on starting, and also take off slower than your newbie-mobile – dont’ give any thought to that at all!

ConanOfCooma4:06 pm 04 May 10

To begin with, it’s called Cooma North. You can even check on Google maps, you might actually learn something.

Two second gap? How many people do you want to kill with your vehicle, you moron? It’s called a minimum safe distance, and it’s variable, not measured in seconds.

You think it’s bad battling the morons of suburban Canberra? Have you ever had a Deanes bus pull out 20 metres in front of you when you are doing 100Ks? Yeah, anyone that pulls out of Royalla or that Queanbeyan turnoff have severe driving disabilities, and I will laugh heartily the day the police actually decide to pay attention to those roads.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Couldn’t possibly be because the Monaro is congested in the mornings and they’re maintaining a safe following distance, could it, goose?

I love comments about ‘owning the road’ from people who think the right hand lane and the speed limit are personal entitlements.

Right hand lane is for overtaking (it’s law) – and yes they do drive like they own the road.

Driving in Canberra
————————————-

– Using your indicator might give away your intentions to the enemy (i.e. other drivers) and should therefore only be used for calculated disinformation. If you must use your indicators, do not indicate until you are at least halfway through changing lanes/turning. [Bonus points for cutting someone off and indicating after the fact].

– Never drive in the lane that has the exit you intend you use (this is usually the slowest lane, and often involves a queue). Drive in the fastest lane and cut in at the last moment. [Bonus points for doing this on a regular basis and also referring disparagingly to refugees as ‘queue jumpers’].

– Drive as close as possible to the car in front of you. This not only prevents other drivers changing lanes, but also makes the car in front of you go faster. [Bonus points: In the event of an accident, insist that you are completely blameless and that fault lies with the driver of the car in front of you for “braking too quickly”].

– The speed limit throughout the ACT is actually the posted speed limit plus another 20 kph. This limit is to be considered a minimum speed limit, and any driver failing to maintain this speed is morally equivalent to a child rapist who drowns puppies while writing songs for Lady Gaga. [Bonus points for dangerously overtaking drivers who have the temerity to drive at the posted sign limit while making furious gesticulations and screaming injunctions to “keep left”]

– In rainy/wet conditions, drive faster. This will get you home quicker, which means that you’ll spend less time on the roads. Spending less time on the road means there is significantly less time for an accident to occur.

– Construction site speed limits are for chumps.

– Never let anyone pass you, ever.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:02 pm 04 May 10

By the way:

Total length of 100km/h zone (from prison to Hindmarsh overpass): about 3km (Google Maps)
Time to travel at 100 km/h: 108 seconds
Time to travel at 90 km/h: 120 seconds

Those 12 seconds must be really important. Factor in accelerating from / decelerating to 80km/h at either end and it’s probably more like 8 seconds. I bet every one of them burns with impotent rage.

Woody Mann-Caruso2:46 pm 04 May 10

Couldn’t possibly be because the Monaro is congested in the mornings and they’re maintaining a safe following distance, could it, goose?

I love comments about ‘owning the road’ from people who think the right hand lane and the speed limit are personal entitlements.

The Monaro highway is fun in the mornings. Selfish drivers sitting in the right lane doing 80/90km per hour in a 100km per hour zone because they own the road.
Women in 4wd’s speeding through school zones to drop of their kids (most on their mobile phones yapping).
Canbera’s drivers (not all) are by far the worst in the country.

la mente torbida said :

You sound like you have some issues motleychick

No I don’t have issues at all. I was asked to come up with ideas to help people out with their obvious lack of driving skills and that’s exactly what I did.

hellspice said :

motleychick said :

When you’re turning left onto Hindmarsh drive from Weston, you have your own lane – YOU DON’T NEED TO STOP!

didnt someone die there on friday night ? think they were turning right though.

Apparently the woman who passed away had a heart attack while driving.

la mente torbida10:39 am 04 May 10

@Ceej1973

I’ve got the chill pills too, and, if the 1973 relates to your date of birth, a few more miles on the clock. It all boils down to ‘go with the flow’….

If we all drove as though our cars had no roof, doors, windows, A/B/C/D pillars, seatbelts or airbags and was simply an engine mounted in a frame with wheels and a seat… we’d be significantly more pleasant to one another whilst driving, as well as behave in a significantly safer manner.

Can anyone imagine themselves driving significantly fast in a vehicle like the one pictured below:

http://media.motortopia.com/files/9642/vehicle/4754f07d6bddc/Dune_Buggy.jpg

🙂

What amzes me the most is the sheer lack of courtesy displayed by many. Being mindlessly pedantic about the rules is one thing, but thinking about others is nice as well. Just a thought.

Oh, and for those who enjoy holding others up and get that smug look, you fail the attitude test.

la mente torbida said :

You sound like you have some issues motleychick

, he has the same issues as me, although I also have an issue with human beings wanting to get to work fast……GET A LIFE PEOPLE! Non the less, the characteristics displayed by Canberra drivers, I have observed all over Europe and to the same extent. I take a chill pill each morning as I put my seatbelt on, and laugh and wave “IF” I so happen to pass the offending ignoramous down the road.

arescarti,
48 working weeks in a year.
*working days are 8hrs long.*

Considering every other driver on the road is a complete idiot has worked well for me so far, letting them know it doesn’t seem to be effective as complete idiots are like that from birth, but I will continue to do so.

The parkway roadworks limits were always going to cause trouble at some point, especially after they moved the reduced 80 zone to before the Lady Denman Drive slip lane (north bound). People tend to like to keep doing the 110kph, but I do have to say that the majority of people I have seen have slowed to some extent, maybe not all the way down until they get close to bridges.

OpenYourMind8:47 pm 03 May 10

Why is it that the cars that look least likely to be able to stop quickly seem to be the most likely to leave the smallest gap between them and the car in front? Do they not realise that their poorly maintained P-plated Hyundai aint gonna pull up real quick compared to a new car?

My favourite – the speed cameras on the Parkway are set to clock speeds over 100kmh, you don’t need to slow down to 90kph just in case when passing them, only to speed to 110 50m away from them!

luther_bendross said :

The quicker you get to wherever you’re going, the less time you spend on these dangerous roads. Also, help the environment by not wasting power using indicators.

You can also save power by not having your lights on when visibility is poor. I’ve seen quite a few people who have cottoned on to that.

@chewy14 – by my maths:

-10 mins a day * 5 = 50 mins a week * 52 = 2600 mins a year * 45 = 117,000 mins a lifetime
-117,000 mins a lifetime / 60 = 1950 hours a lifetime / 24 = 81.25 days a lifetime.

@Ryan and ThatGuy – In my personal experience, if you assume that everyone else on the road is a moron, you are right approximately 1/3rd of the time.

Yeah, because its just so much fun to sit around a bbq with some beers and discuss safe driving………

Canberra traffic is the way it is, not much is going to change it, live with it.

So the OP was one of the investigating officers for the accident, ergo knowing the cause of it?

Lots of driving experts in this town, not many of them drive though gathering from my observations of driver behaviour

All I ask is that fellow motorists KEEP LEFT unless OVERTAKING instead of dawdling in the right lane at 20k’s below the limit and find the “fog light” switch and turn it to the “OFF” position.
Seeing drivers with their fog lights AND headlights on 24/7 shits me to tears. It is also an offence in the convict state and others…

Most of my thoughts have already been covered, but because i love repetition:

* When you’re merging, please make sure your speed matches that of the road you are merging into. This means you, people-who-putt-up-the-on-ramps-to-the-Tuggeranong-Parkway-at-fifty

* At form one lanes, if the person next to you is ahead (even if you’re halfway along side them), BACK OFF instead of trying to squeeze past them. It’s just not going to end well (This one seems to happen an awful lot as you come out of Vernon Circle in the City)

* Leave a decent gap between you and the car in front. My driving instructor always said you need to be able to see the wheels of the car in front. If somebody cuts in between you, just slow down a tad until the gap is back.

* When a bus has indicated intention to leave a stop – slow down and let it. It’s not going to slow you down THAT much, and besides: who do you think is going to come off worst between a bus and your car? Here’s a hint: you are.

* Obey the roadwork speed limits. I don’t give a crap if the moron behind me is sitting a fart’s length away from my bumper, I’m not going to risk a fine just because they want to go a bit faster.

And as somebody else mentioned, you really need to assume that everyone else on the road is a moron. And if that means waiting that extra second at the roundabout to make sure they’re actually planning to exit the way that they are indicating, then so be it.

I take issue with your 1min earlier claim.

I know i can save up to 5 mins each way by driving 120km/hr down the parkway 2m from the car in front of me, frantically changing lanes whenever the opportunity appears and cutting in and jamming on the brakes as hard as possible when those in front slow down.

I also find that abusing other drivers while doing this gets me to work faster and in a better mood.

That’s a whole 10 mins per day or 50 mins a week.

Over a whole 45 year working life that’s 225 working days.

So enjoy going slow suckers, i’ll be retiring early.

“the two second gap” I love to see people use the 20 second gap and do it in the right lane that have drivers pulling their hair out behind them

I see it every morning it just cracks me up

motleychick said :

When you’re turning left onto Hindmarsh drive from Weston, you have your own lane – YOU DON’T NEED TO STOP!

didnt someone die there on friday night ? think they were turning right though.

la mente torbida3:08 pm 03 May 10

You sound like you have some issues motleychick

i fail to see what is so hard about obeying (enforceable, people) construction site speed limits – and wonder why people think i might go faster if they sit up my arse: sadly for them the inverse is actually true.

sadly, grail, you need people to do something that is anathema to them to drive appropriately: think. good luck – but well done for trying! 🙂

Four simple things:
* Be alert and aware of your entire surroundings
(check your mirrors!)
* Be calm
* Assume everyone else is prone to spontaneous erratic idiocy
* Wake up 10 mins earlier if you find yourself rushing to work a lot

Best thing I ever learnt from my Dad, about driving, was to assume everyone else on the road is an idiot and prepare to react appropriately.

Haha and +1 to motleychick with an added – If you are merging into a slow moving lane, go right to the end of the merging lane and then merge, don’t simply attempt to merge as soon as the lines become broken.

When you’re merging, make sure you’re going the speed limit so people don’t have to break for an idiot going 60 merging into a 100 zone.

When forming one lane, let the car that is in front of you stay in front of you. Don’t try and overtake them just before it turns into a single lane. And there really is no need to come to a complete standstill to form one lane.

When you’re turning left onto Hindmarsh drive from Weston, you have your own lane – YOU DON’T NEED TO STOP!

Aargh Canberra drivers are THE WORST drivers ever.

The faster you go, the more time you spend behind someone else!

luther_bendross2:40 pm 03 May 10

The quicker you get to wherever you’re going, the less time you spend on these dangerous roads. Also, help the environment by not wasting power using indicators.

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