26 October 2007

Wet weather driving madness!

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Yesterday, as we all know, it was raining quite heavily. When it rains heavily in Canberra, you can usually bet that everyone is going to drive to work rather than use an umbrella at a bus stop. What this also means is that the people who don’t usually drive, choose to drive in the worst conditions possible.

You would assume that these same people know that driving in these conditions require a different driving style than it would on a perfect sunny day. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Yesterday I witnessed a nasty accident directly in front of me on Northbourne Ave at around 8:10am where 2 cars and a truck were involved. Basically, the truck stopped at a set of lights while the car behind it (Toyota Aurion) also managed to stop safely. The car behind the Aurion was travelling far to close and pushed the Toyota straight into the back of the flatbed truck.

The truck driver and the Toyota driver quickly got out and assisted the seemingly injured driver.

However this is not the end of it! During the day I saw many other crashed vehicles on the side of the road. Most notably on the Barton Highway roundabout and another near Woden roundabout. Has it been so long that drivers have forgotten how to drive in the rain? Did you see an accident yesterday?

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The first accident I ever saw while driving was down to a backhoe/dozer travelling the wrong way on the Parkway at dusk. 88, maybe 89.

What is it about Canberrans? They just whinge whinge whinge. You know the reason it took you some of you longer to get home in the rain???? It’s because people reduce their speed as it takes longer for your vehicle to stop! DER! So be reducing your speed you reduce the chance of driving up the back of someone.

Next time your driving in the rain and pass an accident, see what type of accident it is. I’ll bet 99 out of 100 are rear end accidents, meaning Canberra drivers are aggressive tailgaters that don’t give themselves enough time to stop in time.

Which basically keeps the Insurance companies and towies rolling in the cash, whilst making everyones insurance premiums higher.

Would that be the Bates fella that lives out in Royalla or Webber from Queanbeyan? Last time I looked they were both NSW…

I wonder how many people are here reading about their own accidents that happened to them over the last couple of rainy days? LOL!

Snahons_scv6_berlina11:20 am 29 Oct 07

Cranky, Webber was a NSW lad.

I saw a car off the road, through a fence and in the paddock on coppins crossing road, and a car slid through the roundabout and into a light pole out the front of duntroon. madness.

Lord Mælinar8:50 am 29 Oct 07

Ahh the Canberra philosophy – cut in instead of drop back into the 200odd meter gap behind the vehicle currently in the lane.

So many times have I experienced that, to still be in the rearview mirror 30km later – net effect of 0 transport gain when you look at it.

More people drive when it rains. Don’t want to get wet at bus stops or on bikes. So the traffic clogs up.

hingo_VRCalaisV63:00 pm 28 Oct 07

I agree Mess. I drove home from Woden to Ngunnawal on Friday in the rain and the normal 30 minute drive took roughly an hour! About 15-20 minutes of that time was getting from the Commonwealth Ave bridge to the first set of lights on Northbourne. I didn’t see any reason for this as there were no accidents, just slow and fucking incompetent drivers.

Couldnt believe it yesterday, the slowness of the traffic on the highway all the way into the city, I dont think I got over 40km/h untill I was past Fyshwick. What is usally a 25min journey in peak hour traffic took me over an hour. Something must snap in most Canberrans heads and they drive at half their normal speed

Hmm. So you would revoke the licences of the Bates boys and Mark Webber. I consider two other local drivers, totally unknown outside the motorsport fraternity, could also have well been F1 champs if given the opportunity.

You may say that the competence shown is not ‘road’ driving, but these guys also teach others, and are often called on to do the driving in the various TV ads.

Your troll has worked. More constructive comment would always be welcomed.

What a completely lame-ar$ed troll!

I rest my case…

Ingeegoodbee2:42 pm 27 Oct 07

What a completely lame-ar$ed troll!

There’s only one answer to all of this. Anybody who has grown up and has learned to drive in Canberra should immediately have their licence revoked. Time and time again they show that they are just not competent.

Rawhide Kid No 210:55 am 27 Oct 07

“Did speed cameras or vans prevent any of these accidents?” These statics are also included for the installation of Speed Camers

PigDog – I meant that the truck stopped and the Aurion driver didn’t notice (slow reaction?) and run up the back of it, causing the 3rd car to hit the Aurion. Whatever the situation, someone was driving too fast for the conditions.

Thumbs up caf, I lolled.

Didn’t see or was involved in any accidents… Just out of interest, can anyone recommend a good defensive driver course?, Something I really should do soon.

canberra towie9:53 pm 26 Oct 07

I make good money out of dickhead canberra drivers
I’ve been a towie for years and nothing amazes me anymore some of the things i’ve seen just boggle the mind !!
If everyone in canberra became better drivers i’d go broke lol
SPEED UP BROTHER HELL AINT FULL YET !!!!

Felix the Cat9:07 pm 26 Oct 07

[i]Did speed cameras or vans prevent any of these accidents?[/i] Obviously there aren’t enough of them…speed cameras that is, not accidents!

I saw the aftermath of an accident yesterday morning on Majura Rd, a Nissan Pulsar had left the road and was stuck in a ditch. I believe thge driver was a female. Not sure how it happened, didn’t seem to be any other cars involved.

VYBerlinaV8...the_original_and_best8:43 pm 26 Oct 07

All these accidents illustrate the basic point that a few people here have tried to make from time to time: learning proper vehicle control is the only way to make our roads safer. Did speed cameras or vans prevent any of these accidents?

el ......VNBerlinaV85:42 pm 26 Oct 07

Saw two bingles on the way home this afternoon. Mid 90s Commodore had ploughed into the back of someone else on Adelaide Ave, and another incident I didn’t see much of on Hindmarsh Drive running between Waramanga and Weston.

I saw a P-plater slide to a 90 degree angle when she failed to stop at the roundabout around 8:20am in Calwell. I was in the roundabout at the time and slowed down when I saw her sliding.

When she stopped (as I did once I had left the roundabout) she revved up the engine and tore off again. Idiot.

BenMac – How can a truck stop faster than a car?

This havok is all caused by people driving subarus fast in the wet, and then other people not in subarus thinking their car can also drive fast (safely) in the wet.

My wife called me while she was driving to work to tell me about all the accidents she had seen…..
-__-

*sigh*…..

Yeah, i saw two on the side of Adelaide Ave last night – one near the roundabout and another about 100 metres up on the other side of the road.

hingo_VRCalaisV63:36 pm 26 Oct 07

Yeah I’m not entirely sure if the Toyota Aurion driver wasn’t at fault. They may have hit the truck first, then the car behind also ran up the back of it, but in accidents like that, ususally its the car at the back that hasn’t allowed enough room to brake and pushes the car in front. I hope the lady was ok. I was glad to see both drivers assist her.

The accident near Woden seemed large as well. I only saw one car that hit a pole heading North but traffic heading South was banked up heavily and I assume there was another car involved on the other side.

I saw the Northbourne aftermath yesterday. I was wondering if the truck stopped too quick for the Toyota Aurion. Thanks for clearing it up. Too bad for the Aurion driver. That bonnet was wedged in good.

But you are right, Canberra drivers suck in the rain.

Snahons_scv6_berlina3:24 pm 26 Oct 07

Actually I did see an accident. On Cotter road. Lady runs across the road to a car parked on side with hazard ligths on (nothing appeared wrong with the car) – granted she probably cut it a bit fine but didn’t appear to be dangerously stupid.

Anyway, The driver of car in front of me, panicked, slammed foot on brake and turned their steering wheel and left it at that. Needless to say the car slid across the other lane (at 90 degrees to road direction), down the small embankment doing and ended up 180 degrees from original direction.

Stupid driver…

Lord Mælinar3:10 pm 26 Oct 07

There are no roads in Canberra. They replaced them with a system of bumper-cars and $$$ traps years ago.

Madness?

This… is… CANBERAAAAAAA!!

OK, yes I did see the aftermath of an accident yesterday – last night on the corner of Batman St and Limestone Av.

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