Victoria's Road-toll at a glance & Speed

[Bobman]

After reading the article below at yet another death, it only re-inforces my view of the fact that speed plays little significance in a fatality. The article mentions nothing about "speed" and actually doesn't even give a reason for it. This is most likely due to the accident being a result of fatigue or distraction (which high-ranking police (read: nixon), govco and the media don't really seem to care about, as much as speeding).

The fact is the real reasons are: Distraction, dangerous cars, inexperience, fatigue, drug impairment (extremely common but little policed), alcohol related, or as a result of bad temper (domestic situation, etc). It is very sad that the real reasons for deaths on our roads are not nearly as much looked into as "speeding". Obviously some will argue that speeding is a factor in fatal collisions. Yes, any speed can be dangerous, but the point of the matter is, the person who is in charge of the said vehicle is ultimately responsible if he or she causes an accident.

Road safety campaigns play little importance to these reasons and continue focusing on speed while more people die. The road toll keeps getting worse, yet many crashes are not related to speed itself. To have 14 more people dead this year, than at the same time last year shows that speed cameras are an ineffective tool on our roads. I am all for more police on our roads, but unfortunately they are being given orders from "above" to attend to other operations. Even heard on Neil Mitchell's 3AW program this morning that the Dob-in-a-hoon hotline is useless and has so far not yielded any satisfactory results.

Stop the carnage. Concentrate on real reasons of deaths. Of course do-gooders and gumbys will recommend installing even more speed cameras in retaliation to the growing road-toll every year in Victoria.

Your thoughts?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...049101842.html

A 22-year-old woman died and three people were injured in a head-on collision in central Victoria last night.

The fatality takes Victoria's road toll to 134, 14 more than at the same time last year.

[EgoFG]

My 2cents !

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...9&postcount=31

[gz1]

Originally Posted by Bobman

This is most likely due to the accident being a result of fatigue or distraction (which high-ranking police (read: nixon), govco and the media don't really seem to care about, as much as speeding).

Got it in one.
It is very hard if not impossible to police fatigue or distraction. This in turn makes it very hard if not impossible to raise any revenue from fatigue or distraction. Hence it will go ignored and brushed under the carpet.
The real sad part is that the lower the speed limits on the open road, the more fatigued and distracted that drivers become and the more of these accidents happen.

[Laminge]

Thread moved to the pub, the bar is non automtive

[4Vman]

Poor Driver ATTITUDE is the biggest killer on our roads...
The sub sets of Poor Driver Attitude are: reckless driving, excessive speed, alcohol, drugs, distractions and fatigue, disobeying road rules or a combination of some or all...
In most cases blaming "Inexperience" is just a cop out imo, not too many people die on the roads from "natural causes" or for no apparent reason..

[JC]

Originally Posted by gz1

Got it in one.
It is very hard if not impossible to police fatigue or distraction. This in turn makes it very hard if not impossible to raise any revenue from fatigue or distraction. Hence it will go ignored and brushed under the carpet.
The real sad part is that the lower the speed limits on the open road, the more fatigued and distracted that drivers become and the more of these accidents happen.

There is a way to help with fatigue and distraction though - increase speed limits on major multi lane roads so that traffic flows at better speed. If you increase the speed limit for cars to 130 (and maybe 120 for trucks??) on the hume, for example, people would get home somewhere around 15 to 20% faster than the current 110 speed limit. This means a trip from Melb to Canberra is cut from 7 hours to under 6. But of course, that would mean forgoing the very lucrative 10- 20 km/h over speeding revenue, so of course that's not going to save lives.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by JC

There is a way to help with fatigue and distraction though - increase speed limits on major multi lane roads so that traffic flows at better speed. If you increase the speed limit for cars to 130 (and maybe 120 for trucks??) on the hume, for example, people would get home somewhere around 15 to 20% faster than the current 110 speed limit. This means a trip from Melb to Canberra is cut from 7 hours to under 6. But of course, that would mean forgoing the very lucrative 10- 20 km/h over speeding revenue, so of course that's not going to save lives.

That would go against dogma and even if proven to be safer would never be accepted.

Some years ago one of my employees was working for a contractor in canberra on a study of motorcycle safety.
He started to investigate the pros and cons of having the headlight on at all times as he, himself, rode and found that the headlight was actually unsafe in situations where there was a brighter area behind the rider e.g. sunrise, sunset or white sand/desert/whatever.
The study was scrapped before delivery and a statement about how headlights were the ultimate safety item in all conditions was sent instead.
He was told that the headlights were "incumbent policy" and were therefore not to be examined.

This is not a third hand annecdote but was told to me by the guy sitting in the next office, the guy to whom it actually happened.

Lies, damned lies and statistics...........

[xtremerus]

The US of A dropped highway limits in reaction to the fuel crisis in the 80s [?]. When the limit was raised again years later, the road toll decreased. Enough said.

[Silver Ghia]

Cause is mainly one word....Inattention.

And TAC, Vicroads, police, media etc never seem to mention it and educate people. If people always drive within their own limits which compensates for their skill level, there would be far less fatalities.

Perhaps idiocy (and not hooning, as the police and media refer to sometimes) is another.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Poor Driver ATTITUDE is the biggest killer on our roads...
The sub sets of Poor Driver Attitude are: reckless driving, excessive speed, alcohol, drugs, distractions and fatigue, disobeying road rules or a combination of some or all...
In most cases blaming "Inexperience" is just a cop out imo, not too many people die on the roads from "natural causes" or for no apparent reason..

Good points and I agree. One case of "Inexperience" where I can remember is the 5 fatalities in the HSV, driven by a learner female driver who lost control after the sedan verged slightly from the edge of the road and collided with a light truck in western Victoria, 4 years ago.

Great replies guys. Great to see some broad minds, who haven't been absorbed by media and government spin.

Now, I recall driving down Nepean highway and being stuck behind a car which was attempting to turn right in to a slip lane, where it was clearly posted "no right turn / no entry". Needless to say, he kept holding up traffic and finally turned. Then I saw a marked TMU car follow him and pull him over. That was excellent police work and full thumbs up to the officer. This is exactly one of many real issues that should be targeted.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

My 2cents !

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...9&postcount=31

Fantastic post mate. Very neat and never an truer word spoken. You should run for parliament, although I don't think you're chances would be too high.

These are exactly the true causes of our road safety issues. Keeping to the left lane is an important one, even if you're driving a little slower etc, it is the right thing to do.

When ever I tow a trailer, I always show courtesy and will let cars through, where possible, if I'm on a two way road. If everyone showed a little more courtesy and respect to each other road user, there would be a 'safer' feeling on our roadways.

There is far too much road rage and rude attitudes that need attention. Not arbitrary speed enforcement laws.

[Scott]

One word (for the biggest killer) - complacency.

[GasoLane]

There was a news report a while ago in NSW where the Police statement said high speed was a definite factor in a head on crash.

Of course it was. The clown had to use 'high speed' to overtake the other car on the double lines!!

The word speed was mentioned a few times in the article. Overtaking on double lines ...once!

[GTP290]

unfortunantly the quicker you are going the more chance you have of killing or injuring pedestrians and other road users, but speeding is just one of the many factors which can cause accidents as we all know. Weather, road condition, car roadworthiness, taking unecessary risks, drug and alcohol use, inattention etc etc, we all know this and these all can contribute to fatal or serious accidents.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by gtp 2003

unfortunantly the quicker you are going the more chance you have of killing or injuring pedestrians and other road users, but speeding is just one of the many factors which can cause accidents as we all know. Weather, road condition, car roadworthiness, taking unecessary risks, drug and alcohol use, inattention etc etc, we all know this and these all can contribute to fatal or serious accidents.

No argument there at all. But I think the majority of road users are sick to death of only hearing about speed and not the other factors of any collision which is in the media.