speeding

[xelasnave]

I have an idea..one that makes wonderful sence and yet has no hope of being acted upon... as it is not politically correct.

The term politically correct has seen some corruption to cover many things but it was first used to denote an action that although reasonable and perhaps worthy is not the smart thing to do if you wish to stay in office...

We have speed restriction signs and methods of enforcement that still sees many accidents attributed to excessive speed..

Now when race cars come into the pit lane they slow down because the driver can throw a switch that limits the car speed specifically to that laid down by the race rules...and I think this switch may be activated via wireless...and if it isnt such is technically possible and no big deal...

So why could we not impliment a system of transmitters that send a message to a car say in a school zone that overrides the drivers desire to go faster than the rules allow... well because it would not be politically correct...when cars enter a built up area the limiter is activated and drivers bound to the speed limit irrespective of how hard the push the pedal to the metal.

Think of the lost revenue from the speed cameras etc that in the new era would have no speeders to fine..think of the reduction of the "speed economy"..its not only the car freaks and speed buffs that would grizzle but also lawyer smash repairers etc...

So I suspect that such a reasonable approach will fail and even those who frown on speedsters would see this control as a loss of freedom... well freedom to speed is not on for mine but again there is no doubt in my mind the idea would be laughed at..too expensive for new gear etc...but how nice would the roads be if folk simply had to follow the rules and government could not hypocritically treat a problem as a mere revenue raising opportunity.

AND whilst we are fitting the speed limiters why not also tie the ignition system to a breath tester for as many banned substances..but mainly drink... would that not be wonderful..but I suspect the hotel lobby would not see the merit as like most all they will care about is not how many lives will be saved but how many dollars will be lost...

Why are we so slack with something that kills each day and yet can legislate to ban incandecent light globes ...one wonders why money is such a God.

alex

[Allan_L (Allan)]

You got my vote Alex !
If only .....

[bojan]

Alex, I would not bet all this you are talking about will not become reality one day.. Big brother is watching us, ane when techology is mature enough, "He" will start doing things to us..

On speeding: I am not trying here to advocate for change od rules.. or even worse, for disobedience.. But still it is worth mentioning that in Germany, on Autobahns, your can drive as fast as your car go.. 150km/h.. 200km/h... 300km/h. Or more. And believe me, lots of cars driven there can do this.
And yet, there is not much more accidents than here, where "speed kills".
True, there are some crucial differences:
1) Car must pass roadworthy test (and this is a REAL test) every year, otherwise you can not register it
2) Driving license is much harder to get (more hours learning, stricter exams).
I am not against the rules, but I like to call things their real names.
Speed does not kill. But bad and drunk drivers and faulty cars.. yes they do. Even if they are not speeding.

[Clarry (Clayton)]

I see your point xelasnave, but to be honest, it's would be very "Big Brotherish". I'm not defending reckless speeding or drink driving but if you violently regulate everything we do all the time, life wouldn't be worth living.

[bojan]

Originally Posted by Clarry

I see your point xelasnave, but to be honest, it's would be very "Big Brotherish". I'm not defending reckless speeding or drink driving but if you violently regulate everything we do all the time, life wouldn't be worth living.

Or, we should simply take public transport (when it becomes existent in Australian cities)

[xelasnave]

I saw this clip of a guy on a bike going down a crowded freeway? at near 300 klms and he did not die so one wonders just how many get away with similar...
The drink is a grave concern... I go to the pub and it amazes me how some can even walk to the car let alone drive it and the failure to really fix the drinking problem sees so many lives lost or bodies rendered useless.

I feel an ignition linked to a breath tester would be great...last Friday I was so cut I should not have been driving and waking the next morning had no idea what got into me..well the drink of course...and irrespective of the penelaties my brain had signed off..I would have been happy to have big brother flicking the off switch...

I think we already live in the big brother world... certainly we have as many cameras looking at us as George Orwell wrote of in his classic book...1984...wow we past that without those animals taking over..mmm, no that was Animal Farm.. another interesting insite as to the corruptive power of power...

I do think it is hypocritical in a land where speed is limited by law to 110 max (I know there are places etc) that even my little 4 cylinder city car will reach the ton... no I have not tested its top speed but at 125 you can tell it will go all the way... so why not simply set cars up to do only say 150 k not as many "family" sedans are capable of....speeds well in excess of 200 thats for sure.

alex

[Benno18 (Ben)]

Originally Posted by bojan

Or, we should simply take public transport (when it becomes existent in Australian cities)

Ha. proper public transport in capital cities. . . . theres another one for the polly to hard basket.

I think we should have a power restriction on the car you drive when your on your P plates (first 2 years), Keep it to 4 cylinders, with no extras. Proper training course should be taken when learning, how to emergency brake, drive on gravel, how to get your self out of a dangerous situation. At the learners expence, which would slow people down from getting there license.

And I dont think the speed limiter is the go its got to be the power. 4 cylinder cars can still go 160-170kms/hr. But it takes a long stretch of road to get to that speed and more than likely down hill. By that time they would have needed to turn or slow down for other cars. and do that sort of speedon a consistent basis the car will eventually burn out and die .

[Rod66 (Rod)]

Every freedom and right we give up to be controlled by another seems to be eventually used against us, sometimes corruptly by the powers that be. Case in point - the 14 days detention no excuse laws - I wonder how that innocent indian gent feels these days..
Great idea, but its just so open to abuse that I fear the abuse of power more than the good it would do...

[bojan]

And imagine what an average hacker can do... stop your car in the middle of nowhere, then there is another group waiting for you to clean you and your car...
No thanks.
My car will NEVER have bluetooth or anything that even smells of internet connectivity ...

[Jabba (Keenan)]

I think thats a great idea although I dont see it happening unfortunately.
The government makes too much dam money from driving offenses to try and resolve the issue and reduce the road death toll...

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Jeez Alex, you must have got me stirred up because I could be at the Unibar rather than typing this. So just a few quick thoughts.

I sometime thing we have rules so people don't have to think. There is a big interchange near here with an 80km/h limit. This arvo at 5pm 80 would be quick around there, probably too quick. If it was raining 80 is far too quick. On Sunday morning however there would be a car ever 100-150m and 100km/h would be OK. So why a fixed limit? So drivers don't have to judge the situation for themselves? The hills behind here can get pea-soup fogs with visibility so poor you can't see the white lines on the road yet plenty of drivers just stick to the 80km/h limit. Madness. Not thinking for themselves.

I also think that people get licences too easily. Too many people think that if you can travel at 60 down a straight road you can drive. I started to learn at about 12-13 but was restricted to the parents yard. I put the cars away at night, got them out of the garage in the morning, swapped them around (we had 2 cars), backed the trailer or van up the driveway around the corner of the house and up the yard etc etc. By the time I was allowed on the road I could handle the clutch, close manouvre very well and felt quite at home behind the wheel. I also had a good driver who was quite a pedant for a teacher. He wouldn't let me get away with forming bad habits (I still remember once staying in a lower gear when I had time to change up a gear and then down again. I was told it showed I was not confident. So I never did that again!) However my wife had a poor driver as a teacher who passed on bad habits. The examiner didn't pick her up and she still has those bad habits 30 years later - despite a few domestics when her driving has got too ugly to bear.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Time for a red.

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

The powers at be will always fall back on, "To avoid some accidents, you can not govern the speed of a vehicle". For example, even in a 40 zone, if a semi with no brakes is hurtling down the hill behind you, you need to be able to go over 40 to get out of the way...

I don't think governing speeds is a solution. Something like NZ would go down well. Non-fixed speed cameras. What is the point of a fixed speed camera with a sign warning you?? Just the fact that there is a sign, warning you is pathetic. What's the point? Everyone just slows down.

Or alternatively 5-10 km/h over the limit $500 dollar fine or 10-30km/h over you get slammed with $10,000.

I say make the cameras like NZ, move them every 2 weeks and don't warn a speeding driver to slow down prior to it...

While we are on 40 zones, we really really need the flashing lights at every one. Many a time I have missed a 40 zone, no clock in my car and you can't touch your phone so....?

[Kal (Andrew)]

I can just imagine the deadbeat moron ***** that throw rocks from motorway overpasses might think of taking any transmitter and "relocate" it from a school zone to a freeway for laughs, causing massive accidents. Something so powerful can also be extremely dangerous with the people we have in our society.

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Vehicles traveling significantly below the posted speed limit are as much of a menace as speeders. We need a law (and have it enforced) that requires slow traffic on single lane roads to pull over to allow faster traffic to pass. Say once you have 5 or more vehicles queued up for 1km. Starting by enforcing the "keep left unless overtaking" laws would be a good thing.

Originally Posted by Benno18

I think we should have a power restriction on the car you drive when your on your P plates (first 2 years), Keep it to 4 cylinders, with no extras.

What happens to P platers who don't own their own and whose parent's cars all have >= 5 cyls?

Wasn't there some suggestion of <= 6 cyl and no turbos?

You couldn't drive a 1.4l Smart because it's a turbo, but you could drive a 3.6l Porsche as long as it wasn't a turbo.

[Benno18 (Ben)]

Originally Posted by mithrandir

What happens to P platers who don't own their own and whose parent's cars all have >= 5 cyls?

Wasn't there some suggestion of <= 6 cyl and no turbos?

You couldn't drive a 1.4l Smart because it's a turbo, but you could drive a 3.6l Porsche as long as it wasn't a turbo.

Yeah i understand the whole borrowing of the parents car thing, but if you drive the parents car you still have to have the plates up. If you dont its 50 bucks a plate.
If the person driving didnt have the plates up, driving the folks car which is say a holden commodore (3.6 V6) and driving like an idiot, then higher penalty applies, and not 'Oh son I hope you have learned you lesson. Here is a $150 fine.' Make it substantial couple hundred with demerits or impound the car.

And the Porsche thing, if the cops see a porsche, with p plates up. they are going to pull it over on any given day again no plates=some sort of fine. And what parent would give there porsche to there 17/18/19 year old kid and say 'here have a good time. Make sure your home by 12, and no funny business' Its just not going to happen. At least where im from. If my parents gave me a car like that to drive around on a friday nite in the middle of Perth, I dont think they would have done it twice. . . . for a few reasons

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by mithrandir

What happens to P platers who don't own their own and whose parent's cars all have >= 5 cyls?

Wasn't there some suggestion of <= 6 cyl and no turbos?

You couldn't drive a 1.4l Smart because it's a turbo, but you could drive a 3.6l Porsche as long as it wasn't a turbo.

Ummm, is it just NSW, we already have these restrictions.?

No 8's, no vehicles with turbo for non working means eg. small unique economical vehicles, with turbos to actually get it moving are ok, ford 6 cyc turbos not a chance. There is a list of compliant turbo's for P platers.

You are right though, there are still a few cars of high preformance like my supercharged calais which seem to bend the rules...


Mmmmmm Porsche..... I am a Porsche man through and through, got it from my dad. Took a 924 for a drive the other day, I want a 911 or a 1960 356b.

[Benno18 (Ben)]

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

Ummm, is it just NSW, we already have these restrictions.?

No 8's, no vehicles with turbo for non working means eg. small unique economical vehicles, with turbos to actually get it moving are ok, ford 6 cyc turbos not a chance. There is a list of compliant turbo's for P platers.

You are right though, there are still a few cars of high preformance like my supercharged calais which seem to bend the rul.

Yeah WA is a bit behind in the laws with this one. I think they are trying to increase the learners hours behind the wheel, Thats everyone fakes anyway. I really enjoyed that non-stop trip from perth to broome and back!, and on the power issue. Same thing no v8s and no turbo.

Do you lend your porsche to your kids much?

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by Benno18

Yeah WA is a bit behind in the laws with this one. I think they are trying to increase the learners hours behind the wheel, Thats everyone fakes anyway. I really enjoyed that non-stop trip from perth to broome and back!, and on the power issue. Same thing no v8s and no turbo.

Do you lend your porsche to your kids much?

By "Got it from my dad" I mean got the love of porsche design from him. My Father never gave me anything, another good life lesson.

In NSW they scrutinize your hours. I knew a bloke that drove to work and home with his dad on working days. They drove 2 hours down the coast every mourning and 2 hours home.
When it came to the P's test, they knocked him back insisting the hours were not plausible. 4 Signed declarations from his employers, family,friends later he was allowed to go for the test.


I think when I have kids, I would. The biggest lesson I learnt as a kid was, to not trash my dad's BMW or it would get taken away. I rode a fine line, as I would expect them to.

[GrahamL]

Speeding ,, How about a desginated zone your driveing in by side lines painted on the roadside,, I swear sometimes your driveing in an area you don't know well and be it somone ahead being an arse or a truck you don't always see whats on offer speed wise or changeing speed zones around road works ect.


I believe nearlly all new young drivers skills are way behond what most of us have and they should be given the nod in that most of them are a credit to the pretty Good testing hoops you have to jump through to get a card... but how do you stop our kids makeing those little errors that can sometimes take them away from us ?.. I swear I don't know.. can you legislate common sense into law by imposing fines ???

What about Geezers ?.. the older folks who don't know where enough reverse is enough ...or find 100 kmh road signs are seen as merely a
suggestion .. and the road verge is something you just don't understand why its there... giveway /stop signs are a little optional in regard to when you pull out from them ?
While I'm not quite there... yet

[pgc hunter]

Don't support it, what a feral idea. This country is already such a huge nanny state. Can't say or do anything without getting into trouble these days. Overriding driver's control of their owm freaking car is pure lunacy and beyond even the levels of North Korea, and quite dangerous aswell...imagine if your car suddenly started doing things out of your control.....I'd say that would cause more deaths and injuries as shocked and surprised drivers would lose thier concentration and/or attempt to make what could be dangerous decisions in a vain attempt to correct their vehicle. I can however imagine our Nanny PM/premiers introducing such crap to even further drain the freedom of us babies....

Speed limits are already being dropped everywhere to ridiculous levels and drivers are forced to obey ever stupider road rules and an incredible amount of revenue cameras, under the guise of reducing the road toll......why doesn't nanny Krudd et al ban driving altogether? Here in Vic for example (the state with the strictest, most nazi road rules) there is a bloody revenue camera at almost every bloody intersection I suppose that brings more of innocent people's hard earned to their coffers than upgrading the crappy 2 lane road network in this country to freeway standard, as in Europe and North America. 2009 and you cant even drive between ANY capital city on dual carraigeway......well only Syd and Canberra but that is not anywhere near as busy (nor lengthy) as the Mel-Syd-Bris route for example, much of which is a dogs breakfast of single and dual carriageways reverting between each other several dozen times. The real reason for many deaths on the roads is a rubbish road network, drugs, alcohol etc, not speeding as our communist PM and premiers insist on brainwashing us over.

Originally Posted by Benno18

Ha. proper public transport in capital cities. . . . theres another one for the polly to hard basket.

I think we should have a power restriction on the car you drive when your on your P plates (first 2 years), Keep it to 4 cylinders, with no extras.

And I dont think the speed limiter is the go its got to be the power. 4 cylinder cars can still go 160-170kms/hr. But it takes a long stretch of road to get to that speed and more than likely down hill. By that time they would have needed to turn or slow down for other cars. and do that sort of speedon a consistent basis the car will eventually burn out and die .

What a silly idea. What if the P-plater's parent's /gaurdian's only have 6 cylinder cars? Then the poor bugger will have to wait several extra years to learn to drive. Driving is a key life skill and is almost essential for things like jobs, buying groceries to keep yourself fed etc. Why the hell deny that to people, simply because they are "unfortunate" enough to have parents with a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore in the garage...dad's v6 station wagon isn't exactly a bloody top fuel dragster And you contradicted yourself when you said that "4 cylinder cars can still go 160-170km/h"......isn't "speed" THE reason why you want P-platers to be forced to drive 4 cylinder vehicles, yet you're suggesting that 4 cylinder machines can still rip up the asphalt...

I learnt to drive on 6 cylinder cars yet I'm still alive...and never had an accident It's not the bloody car, it's the driver. Give an idiot a 4 cyl car, and they'll die just as fast as in a v8. The driver has to respect the vehicle and drive to the conditions within his/her ability, not to the artificial standards of a bunch of pigs with their snouts in the trough.


Sorry for the long rant, I just find the constant and ever new restrictions on innocent motorists to be blatantly stupid and unfair. As usual, the 99% of the population is being punished for the actions of a few, all in the name of revenue.