post #39 and #4o everything is perfect is it, on and around our road and traffic system?
scuba,
Dec 30, 9:52pm
All of your second paragraph is covered by better and ongoing driver training and personal responsibility. Actually our roads aren't shit- our terrain isn't hard , we don't lack infrastructure and the age of the fleet doesn't cause the crashes. Majority is caused by lack of competence , bad habits , booze or drugs and repeat offenders and lack of ongoing training to ensure drivers license holders keep up with the current laws and their knowledge of rules and regulations. Should be a mandatory online yearly test requiremnt to maintain validty of drivers license- similar to the level one or two written maybe.Doesn't have to be extensive just keep drivers current with regs just a number of standard units .
tweake,
Dec 30, 9:57pm
exactly.
tho i would add: "and not interested in expending the energy to drive.". lazy driving is a huge underlaying factor.
mimik3,
Dec 30, 10:57pm
They don't get a licence, full stop point blank. No ifs, buts or maybe. Restrictions will not work, look at the system now.
likit,
Dec 30, 11:18pm
Everyone should get assessed annually just like I do in my job driving a truck & trailer. The assessment takes about 3 1/2 hours.
tweake,
Dec 30, 11:24pm
annually testing would be a bit much, a bit to close to anally testing.
but no reason they can't do testing when renewing licence every 10 years.
apollo11,
Dec 30, 11:30pm
I'd say that risk avoidance would be a biggie. Plus concentration. Riding motorcycles teaches you these things (if you survive). Most people are on 'autopilot' when they drive.
socram,
Dec 30, 11:35pm
Doesn't everyone have a level of training now? Doesn't everyone have to be assessed for a driving licence?
So many driving with no licences or fake overseas licences or even valid overseas licences where the testing is a farce, right now.
Better the police target poor drivers (not necessarily breaking the law) and demand they get better training,.
How many have seen the live police clips where they have followed a driver for ages, with flashing lights on, sirens or horns, and still the muppets don't move over to let them pass or pull over and stop? These people may have legal licences but seem oblivious top what is required or never look in their mirrors. These are the people who need retraining and should have their licences suspended until they have passed a competency and awareness test.
Having a valid licence does not mean they are competent and aware drivers.
marte,
Dec 31, 12:15am
But if it's daytime, drivers should be able to see other cars without using headlights, like using headlights during the day is not going to make any difference at all. Except in the certain circumstances where it's legal too, like in a tunnel, reduced light etc. Other than that, it's illegal.
tigertim20,
Dec 31, 1:03am
the porblem is far greater than just 'training' and youd need to be pretty ignorant to not see that. Train people as much as you want - how a person drives 6 months, hell, even 6 minutes after passing a driving test is different than how they drive during the test - thats reality for every person (even those who think it isnt true of them) - being in a 'test scenario' creates different factors from daily driving - and daily driving has other distractions not present in testing - kids, back-seat driving wives, radio stations, air-con and other buttons to fiddle with etc etc.
And thats just one small part.
Our roads are shit, repairs are substandard, our terrain is more difficult than many other countries in the world, we lack the same quality of life saving infrastructure, we have an extremely limited focus in our road safety campaigns that has been proven to be statistically ineffective, we have an aged fleet on the road in New Zealand meaning many of our cars don't crash well - resulting in higher fatality / serious injury rates.
But yeah lets just pretend that a little bit of driver training will fix everything eh Boomer?
socram,
Dec 31, 1:20am
Let's also not forget that many in NZ seem to have very little regard for the law anyway.
Totally agree with #4.
Driving at 50kph to pass your driving test doesn't mean you won't speed at 55kph, 60 or more, 5 minutes later, because everyone else is doing the same.
2sheddies,
Dec 31, 2:03am
Don't know whether the OP is a boomer or not, but I do get amused when they bang on about how bad the drivers are nowadays and how more training is needed, and their comments are almost always directed at younger motorists. They need to look a bit closer to home for the root of the problem as ironically, out of the three generations that currently make up the majority of motorists, boomers are the ones who received the least (and in some cases none at all) formal driver training and never sat a practical test anywhere near the level currently required. Therefore many of them are now, and have always been shit drivers.
socram,
Dec 31, 3:24am
Sorry to disappoint you 2sheddies, but all UK born boomers would have had to have passed a driving test and the test back when I took it (1964) was pretty tough. Those elderly ones who didn't have to pass a test are very much in the minority.
The theory part back then was down to the examiner who could ask as many questions on the Road Code (Highway Code) as he thought fit. One of mine was the stopping distance at 50mph.
The current theory test is a fair bit tougher, but professional driving instruction is not necessarily any better than good amateur coaching.
The UK driving test was introduced in 1935 but a quick Google search didn't come up with the date of the NZ driving test introduction. Someone will know.
The driving test as taken by an overseas student friend last Christmas consisted of 3 laps of a race track at no more than 50kph. He returned to NZ brandishing his licence last January but according to his hosts, he is not only a terrible driver, as they initially tried to teach him, but gave up, but thankfully, he is too scared to drive in NZ! I wonder how many others have traded an overseas licence and only done the theory test here?
2sheddies,
Dec 31, 4:11am
I am aware that the UK licence tests are much more stringent then and now, but it's not really relevant in this case. I'm referring to the NZ standards of the day. Our licence "tests" of yesteryear more often than not consisted of a quick tootle up to the corner and back, after which their lifetime licence was issued. I've been reliably informed by many of my peers that this sort of practice was the norm in those days. Hence why so many NZ born boomers seem to be poorly skilled steerers. Not all, but a darn good proportion. And what's really unfortunate is that they have by and large been responsible for passing on their bad habits and lack of skills to the next generation. The more stringent licencing tests would pick up many of those faults, but it's still not ideal.
carkitter,
Dec 31, 5:15am
You lost me at this part.
The number one skill required for driving is fast decision making. Some people are just not up to it. Politically correct training courses won't do anything. Fast decision making can be learned - I learned it.
bill-robinson,
Dec 31, 5:52am
why is it illegal to have headlights on during the day?
mechnificent,
Dec 31, 6:03am
Yes to the biking being the good teaching. defensive, and traction being one thing car drivers don't seem to get really.
mechnificent,
Dec 31, 6:04am
This is the "secret".
tweake,
Dec 31, 6:49am
also driving on gravel roads, more importantly sliding around on them.
plus driving different vehicles helps. that forces you to think because each one is different.
mechnificent,
Dec 31, 6:52am
Yes Tweake. absolutely. Everyone should have to take a scrambler out into a muddy paddock and find out about traction and inertia and all that.
mechnificent,
Dec 31, 6:53am
Or even a quad bike.
mechnificent,
Dec 31, 6:58am
Trained reflexes are an amazing asset too.
marte,
Dec 31, 7:15am
Driving at night. When to use headlights You must turn on your vehicle’s headlights: from 30 minutes after sunset on one day, until 30 minutes before sunrise on the next day at any other time when you can’t clearly see a person or vehicle 100 metres away. Never drive with just the park lights on. Note: park lights are now referred to as position lights.
Headlamp means a lamp designed to illuminate the road ahead of a vehicle, and that is a: a) dipped-beam headlamp (single lamp), or b) main-beam (high-beam) headlamp (single lamp), and includes a driving lamp, or c) combination of a dipped-beam headlamp and a main-beam headlamp (dual-lamp unit).
apollo11,
Dec 31, 7:32am
Most motorcycles have their headlight(s) on full-time.
marte,
Dec 31, 7:57am
They will be either Forward-facing position lamps, or Daytime running lamps, not headlamps.
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