To a certain degree he is entirely correct. You can be taught how to fly a plane but 90% is up to you learning through experience.
pollymay,
Dec 14, 9:53pm
This thread is funny. To the ones harping on either side you are welcome to come to the race meets I do, I lend my old car out to newbies and even have the brass balls to sit in the other seat and teach them lines and reaffirm braking points and when to be nailing it. I get some shockers, I've had my car parked in a fair few banks and bushes by people.
I always found speed had little to do with it. It was poor judgement and experience. I overshoot a braking point then I look for an off road or set up to throw in, newbies just keep the car locked till it sails off course. Most of the accidents are low speed as well. I have a friend and we often sit in with each other and we both push like hell yet on gravel at 200kp/h (turbo 2wd cars no less) I trust him more than I trust some people at under half that.
People put too much faith in that something won't happen to them, It does, everyday. I've helped people out of wrecks often and that's another thing we aren't taught and that's how to handle an accident. Protip, don't run around screaming "IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!" while standing in the roadway, it's not helping.
berg,
Dec 15, 5:07am
I'm all for the better training and more availability to advanced training. Yes you do learn a lot from experience as said, but a good teacher will always be able to show you something new. As for what I do to improve my driving, I concentrate on making every corner better than the last, I attend driver training where possible (BMW, Prorider etc) and I have an advanced driving test every two years due to my job. A large piece of the problem is people treat driving as a way to get from A to B. They take no pride in improving their habits or driving because it is not important to them.
bcbuilding,
Dec 15, 5:55am
I can relate to that.I used to get a woody over cars, and still appreciate a good looking vehicle, but I no longer get a buzz from hooning, or even driving within the law - I much prefer to be a passenger or observer.
Although I've got plenty of experience and a few skills, my habits are sh1t really.I'll maintain following distances, pass at the first opportunity, pull over to let someone past, i watch my mirrors, scan the road as far ahead as I can, and think about where i'll go if the idiot coming towards me crosses the centre line, but the truth is i do all that by rote - its not instinctual, i have to force myself.
To me, driving is just a means to an end.I find it boring, and after a while the constant concentration gives me a headache.
So, how do you train to prevent that!
k75,
Dec 15, 6:07am
I am all for compulsory drivers training, using the German model as an example. It's bloody expensive to get your license in the first place and would give a lot more people an incentive to hang on to their license, so they don't have to redo the training.
johnf_456,
Dec 15, 7:53am
+1 With the sudden stop result increasing ten fold the faster you go.
jono2912,
Dec 15, 12:00pm
Hey Maldat, that's insane, was it in NZ! I assume no one survived.
carkitter,
Dec 15, 12:09pm
The majority of the cars on NZ roads ARE speed limited already. -JUCs have Japan's 180km/h speed limiter on them. -German vehicles have their 250km/h speed limiter. It's hard (but not impossible) to find an unrestricted car in NZ. Most of these will be driven by the elderly, company car drivers and older enthusiasts (35+ HSV/FPV owners). These people are not the problem. The elderly are a problem but not due to excessive speed.
So the issue comes down to judgement decisions, which are a result of driver education and licence restrictions (as in, who we let drive).
Some suggestions I have: -Elderly drivers should have to demonstrate driving competence to maintain their licences. This includes awareness of their surroundings not just an ability to doggedly stick to 40km/h in a 50km/h zone. -New Immigrants should not have full NZ licence provisions automatically for 12 months especially those from developing nations. Tourist visa = fine, but student visa or residency should have to demonstrate driving competency (see above - elderly). -Young drivers should be able to fasttrack their licences by doing advanced practical courses. -All drivers should have to resit a Theory and practical test every 10yrs to demonstrate they are aware of and capable of adhering to everchanging road rules such as the soon to arrive 'left turning-give way rule exception'. We already have to update our photo-id licence cards regularly anyway so why not extend this to driving competency!
gunhand,
Dec 15, 2:42pm
Limiting a car to 100kph would cause more RTAs than it would save lives. Could you imagine being in a que with someone doing 90 kph and you cant get by unless you have 2kms of clear road because you can only do 100. And thats just one reason.
rob_man,
Dec 15, 2:44pm
Those pics of Maldat's, I want one of those trees! Indestructible.
gunhand,
Dec 15, 3:41pm
We are dealing with humans. Put the speed limit up to 120kph to keep the "we need to have faster speeds" lot happy and they will then want to do 130. Put it down to suit the slowbies and they would probably go slower. Its really is a no win situation.
rob_man,
Dec 15, 3:47pm
In a lot of cases that would actually raise fuel consumption, also I find that my driving goes off a bit if I'm dawdling along and little concentration is required.
pollymay,
Dec 15, 7:27pm
What's wrong with 30 then! Hell let's not drive cars at all, 0km/h is safer.
And just what we need, more legislation. You could try but I'll be the one sailing past with no speedcut. I spent about 20k's going slow on a backroad today because of someone who was doing 90 and trying to play policeman with me everytime I tried to pass. It's ignorant to think speed is the no.1 issue in accidents, learn to drive.
k75,
Dec 16, 9:50am
What on earth are you talking about!
carkitter,
Dec 16, 5:43pm
Are you sure that's a Jappa! Looks kinda Euro to me - maybe Escort/Astra/VW!
I hope they left that there as a Road Safety message. I would if it was up to me.
ANY car built in the last 30 years will have far better suspention & tyres then ANYTHING I owned & drove when I was a teenager.
Drivers kill, the car is simply the weapon of choice
mrfxit,
Dec 16, 8:03pm
Regardless of being "by rote or instinctual", the fact that you KNOW what to do is far better then the lack of common sense that prevails in the utterly stupid b/r attitudes we have today
namespace,
Dec 16, 9:43pm
My car has full-time 4WD, I go around corners in a 50km/h zone at 50km/h.
mrfxit,
Dec 17, 6:41am
My car has full-time 4WD, I can go around corners in a 50km/h zone at 50km/h & end up sideways.
FFS . it's HOW you drive . NOTHING to do with what you drive.
johnf_456,
Dec 17, 6:43am
Yup its the plonk behind the wheels, most cars built in the last 30 years probably are pretty well fine. Compared to the old 60's cars, with no power brakes and real basic handling.
mrfxit,
Dec 17, 6:58am
1952 Humber 10 Sidevalve 1300cc engine "Armstrong" shockys all round 145/16" cross ply tyres Lap belt seatbelts 4 speed column change gearbox
Totally rebuilt that car from a bare shell/bare engine block when I was 15
Drove it all over the north island
Never ran off the road/ never gave any trouble/ never got any tickets for ANYTHING.
It's the DRIVER that screws up . the car just does what it's told to!
mrfxit,
Dec 17, 7:02am
Ohh . theres a good point . I DID THE REBUILD . Not a garage/workshop /knowedgeable mate being told what to do .
I did it, . maybe thats part of what taught me better respect for a vehicle compared to modern teenagers.
mrfxit,
Dec 17, 7:07am
LOL yea, Got 1 of those pieces of crap running around here at the moment. Tyres are rubbing enough to smell it & hear it rubbing as it goes past at a 20kph crawl bouncing all over the place. Must remember to get the plate next time I see it & get that crapper off the road.
mrfxit,
Dec 17, 7:41am
LMFAOROF
Still the same old Mal I knew from many years ago, did you forget to grow up or WHAT!
mcscottwgtn,
Dec 17, 12:36pm
I thought your photos could be a Ford Escort and it looked like it could be England. Dont think it is a jappa.
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