Easter Road Toll

zetec · 28-03-2005, 02:00 PM

Hey all,

Being in Victoria, the recent Easter holiday weekend attracted Double Demerit points for the first time which I support and definitely act as a deterrent in my books, even though I've never lost a point. I know they'd act as more of a deterrent if I only had 3 points left for example!!!! Something pro-active and not re-active that I can't complain about.

I just wanted to state that after hearing that the Victoria Police were "Disappointed" with Victorian Motorists... bring on the barrage of compaints from the forums I say!!

I'm disappointed with the Victorian Government for constantly, continually blaming the motorists an NO-ONE else, doing things like double demerits and then expecting it to stop the road toll... Victoria had Australia's highest Easter Road Toll which personally is NO surprise. Victoria is the strictest state on "enforcement" on speed and is the least trustworthy in terms of the government's genuine approach and REAL concern for Road Safety.

Blame lies with both the users and the providers. When will anyone in power in this country wake up and smell the 20 year old rotten stinky cheese that has been sitting on the tips of their noses for decades and yet still deny they can smell anything?!! DESPITE the strictest rules, enforcement and public profile, they still suffer an shamefully high road toll, shadowing all other states in Australia and it's not the first time Victoria has beaten the opposition.

Here lies yet another amongst the endless and pointless rants about the Victorian Government's complete, utter and total inability to do anything about the road toll. Just wanted to get it off my chest.

:togo:

28-03-2005, 02:44 PM

Its nice that I can lose my license and job for a p plate falling off my window as im driving.

zetec · 28-03-2005, 02:49 PM

and that you're considered a criminal for doing so.... :(

ilsautomotive · 28-03-2005, 02:49 PM

It comes down to money. The government would rather a half-arsed solution that rakes in revenue rather than spending on the issue. Let the carnage go on, hey Bracks?

deesun · 28-03-2005, 03:27 PM

I think you would find that per km travelled Victoria would come off even worse and more often.Must be all those people watching their speedo rather than the road.

: I live in a very tourist orientated town and weekends like this we get an influx of police too. This morning one of the bread vendors that delivers to us was booked for not wearing his seat belt,6 points and about $470 I believe.Had it been a local cop he wouldn't have looked sideways at the vendor but these out of towners are here just to fill their books and go home, OK for them they don't have to live here,theres no reason he couldn't have given a caution,how bloody fast can a bread truck go in the middle of the main street?

Bearman · 28-03-2005, 03:41 PM

Double demerit points in Vic during Easter????

First I've heard of it!!

Tote · 28-03-2005, 04:02 PM

I dont know that it makes much difference having double demerits anyway, nsw has had them for years and all it seems to do is give the media another angle on their usual "p plater caught at 3 times the legal limit" story run on Monday night.
It would be interesting to compare the stats in NSW over the last six years with and without double demerits on a per holiday period basis as I think the timing of the days off and which days they fall on as well as the prevailing weather and economic climate has at least as much effect on the road toll as the policing efforts.
regards,
Tote

LuvinmyEB · 28-03-2005, 04:11 PM

Driver education and having to resit for your license testing every few years IMO would rid the roads of a few idiots. I was thrown in a car at 14 and was told to drive (on private property), as it drew closer to the time I was going for my license, my mate, an AUSCAR driver hired a car for me (don't worry it was a Commodore) and threw me into all sorts of situatations, rain, fog, icy roads, glaring sun. At the time I thought he was going a bit overboard but now I think everyone that is going for their license should have to go through the same thing.

I purposely stay off the roads at Easter and Christmas if I can help it, not due to being scared of losing points, I'm scared of losing my life or anyone that may be in the car with me. Just going down to the local supermarket and getting home in one piece around here at the moment is feat in itself!

You want to contact Bracks and complain about the situation?
Here's his contact details:

1 Treasury Place
GPO Box (or Bax as it says on his letter head...) 4912VV

:
Melbourne Victoria 3002

Telephone: (03) 9651 5000
Fax: (03) 9651 5054
Email: premier@dpc.vic.gov.au

bindi · 28-03-2005, 04:34 PM

You know, nobody ever mentions the state of the roads themselves. I know speeding is a factor, as is tiredness and loss of concentration, but I believe the roads to be the most major factor.

It is quite obscene really that when you're driving round a bend that the road curves THE WRONG WAY, and actually encourages your car to veer and slide. It's all about gravity. And what about when there's a pothole right in the middle of that corner that you don't see???

The other day I was driving in the local area and it had been just ever-so-lightly raining... and someone's sump had a leak. I followed this oil slick for over a kilometre and tried to drive on either side of it at all possible times.

Potholes, too many speed limit signs (70 for a minute, then 60 for two minutes, then 80 for a minute - oops, now down to 40 for a school zone), badly constructed roads, road lines that have worn away completely, corners marked at speeds either too slow or too fast... you add to that ppl that drive right up your car's ****, ppl who can't indicate, ppl who drive volvos, ppl who can't use roundabouts, ppl who speed up when you go to overtake them then slow down to 10kph when you can't overtake them...

It's a mad mess waiting to happen.

And then on double demerits weekends, you are so busy looking at your bloody speedo all the time that you can't concentrate on the road properly.

28-03-2005, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvinmyEB

Driver education and having to resit for your license testing every few years IMO would rid the roads of a few idiots. I was thrown in a car at 14 and was told to drive (on private property), as it drew closer to the time I was going for my license, my mate, an AUSCAR driver hired a car for me (don't worry it was a Commodore) and threw me into all sorts of situatations, rain, fog, icy roads, glaring sun. At the time I thought he was going a bit overboard but now I think everyone that is going for their license should have to go through the same thing.

I purposely stay off the roads at Easter and Christmas if I can help it, not due to being scared of losing points, I'm scared of losing my life or anyone that may be in the car with me. Just going down to the local supermarket and getting home in one piece around here at the moment is feat in itself!

You want to contact Bracks and complain about the situation?
Here's his contact details:

1 Treasury Place
GPO Box (or Bax as it says on his letter head...) 4912VV

:
Melbourne Victoria 3002

Telephone: (03) 9651 5000
Fax: (03) 9651 5054
Email: premier@dpc.vic.gov.au

Its not like he will care what some emails say, hes happy to allow people to be killed for cash.

LuvinmyEB · 28-03-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizardmech

Its not like he will care what some emails say, hes happy to allow people to be killed for cash.

That's the spirit, ignore it, someone else will take care of it. If everyone had that attitude nothing would ever change, it takes someone to get the ball rolling. :alien2:

zetec · 28-03-2005, 05:04 PM

Bring On The Election!!!

Dave_au · 28-03-2005, 05:12 PM

I think Aussie Pete did some research a while ago on double demerit periods in NSW - before and after and the crash and fatality rates have not changed. All double demerit peiods seem to do is justifying Highway Patrol's cancelled leave and their way above normal presence on NSW roads.

FordFan86 · 28-03-2005, 06:24 PM

Bring back Jeff Kennet.

GTP 320 · 28-03-2005, 07:29 PM

Yes ,i'm also getting sick of all the outcry on Victorian toll.The Police always make such a big deal about it,i wish they spend more time chasing the real criminals and vandalism around the city.
Cheers John

Dodge · 28-03-2005, 07:32 PM

who won the road toll? NSW and VIC usually win as they have more d#@k heads on the roads. then QLD follows because everyone from NSW comes up for holidays and forgets the road rules..

GTP 320 · 28-03-2005, 07:35 PM

The last i heard was that Victoria had the numbers so far.
Cheers John

pauljh74 · 28-03-2005, 09:00 PM

One of the Vic fatalities shouldn't count as some dropkick who deserves to be removed from the gene pool dies after falling off the boot of a mate's car - he jumped on as his mate was taking off from the house they were at. I hear it happened about 50 metres from where the car left from. So he wasn't going fast at all - the guy fell off the car head first and that killed him.

I had some dropkick today at the St. Kilda Rd end of Kings Way. I was in the centre lane which could go straight or right, the other guy was to the right of me in the right hand turn only lane. The bloody knucklehead went straight and forced me to turn very late as I wanted to go right. I'm ashamed to say he was driving a BA Falcon. I high beamed him for his stupidity. But as I've done in the past when I've high beamed an idiot in frustration - the stalk has flicked back onto high beam, so I only picked that up the next time I used my indicator as it was daytime.

MO · 28-03-2005, 10:16 PM

Those of you that are old enough have the power...its called a vote...you can put these ppl out of power.
You can complain to your local MP to try to change things.
If he does'nt listen and act then next election he/she is out...they don't want to lose their three term bonus.

EDManual · 28-03-2005, 11:17 PM

you can NEVER blame a road for a crash! Thats ridiculous, can no-one see a pothole or the dirt on the side? so you blame that for getting sideways into a tree. Try learning how to get sideways, then you wont blame the road. Drive to the condidtions, bad road, well we should know what to do.....

28-03-2005, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDManual

you can NEVER blame a road for a crash! Thats ridiculous, can no-one see a pothole or the dirt on the side? so you blame that for getting sideways into a tree. Try learning how to get sideways, then you wont blame the road. Drive to the condidtions, bad road, well we should know what to do.....

The government dont educate drivers at all because they say they don't need to have any driving skills if they drive at the speedlimit, if they want to do that they have to provide roads that poorly skilled drivers wont crash on.

zetec · 28-03-2005, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John McMaster

Those of you that are old enough have the power...its called a vote...you can put these ppl out of power.
You can complain to your local MP to try to change things.
If he does'nt listen and act then next election he/she is out...they don't want to lose their three term bonus.

Unfortunately in a perfect Democracy that is true. But we are human, politicians are barely human and they are open to abuse and greed, personal agendas and have an amazing ability to completely ignore their supporters once in power... funny that.

Unfortunately also there are millions of muppets out there who don't have the spare willpower to even consider the roads an issue because in their Toybishi Muppet Sportivos they can't hear, see or feel a thing anyway... majority rules unfortuntaely, rather than the reahter loud and obnoxious minority. One day, dare we dream, we will see and end to this folly. I dare say by then we'll have all been claimed by the roads anyway. That or a member of the Fordforums will become Prime Minister...

Vote 1 - russelw/laminge for PM

pauljh74 · 29-03-2005, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John McMaster

Those of you that are old enough have the power...its called a vote...you can put these ppl out of power.
You can complain to your local MP to try to change things.
If he does'nt listen and act then next election he/she is out...they don't want to lose their three term bonus.

We're counting the days to the next election.
Bracks went into the last election promising to build the Scoresby Freeway without tolls and has backed out on a major promise. At least when Kennett brought tolls to Citylink, he never promised at an election to build it toll free - and his popularity still took a hammering. Bracks is seen as less competent than Kennett - as much as some hated him - he made the decisions rather than waste millions in consultancies like Bracks - whose days are numbered. What irritates me is taxpayer's money is still being used - to the tune of around $200 million so far on setting up the tollway project that is supposed to be privately funded. The name has been changed twice so far - and the road hasn't even started construction.

Brute33 · 29-03-2005, 01:20 AM

When the government starts putting the money back into the road system that they get out of the taxpayers , then i'll start taking them seriously. Until then they have ZERO credibility and can stick their bullshit rules squarely up their ****.

:

MAFIA · 29-03-2005, 02:26 AM

You know what? The goverment now day are full of sh*t and they can't promise anything. They say these thing to win people vote and do stupid things like toll and double dermit point weekend to make money but at the end of the day they don't care what the people have to say because they think so much of themselves and they alway think they know what there doing. ( hahahah yeah right)

Australian goverment have gone completly insane!!!

Goverment = Nothing!

T_Terror · 29-03-2005, 02:21 PM

Even the double-demerits idea is bullshit.
Its not as if come Easter, people just go nuts and start pulling top speed runs and drifting on their way to their holiday destinations lol.

Theres just more people on the road so more accidents are naturally going to happen.

Im sickto death of "the road toll" being played by the Gov (similar to the "obsesity epidemic", lol). When is the next State election again?

29-03-2005, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deesun

I think you would find that per km travelled Victoria would come off even worse and more often.Must be all those people watching their speedo rather than the road.

: I live in a very tourist orientated town and weekends like this we get an influx of police too. This morning one of the bread vendors that delivers to us was booked for not wearing his seat belt,6 points and about $470 I believe.Had it been a local cop he wouldn't have looked sideways at the vendor but these out of towners are here just to fill their books and go home, OK for them they don't have to live here,theres no reason he couldn't have given a caution,how bloody fast can a bread truck go in the middle of the main street?

dude its only $165 for not wearing a seatbelt while driving, AND victoria didnt have double demerit points, it was only NSW, my old man is with the victorian traffic police.

zetec · 29-03-2005, 08:51 PM

I heard on the radio that Bracks had tried it for the first time, I apologise if I got my wires crossed.

Double demerits or not, Bracks is useless and has about as much effect on the road Toll as Howard has had in stopping Terrorism...

And surprise surprise, Victoria took line honours last night by an extra mile, with a last minute death just to prove the point. Here's my somewhat limited but brief analysis, where possible, of our deaths just for victoria. Of all 8 deaths, all were Male, ALL but 1 of the 8 happened between the hours of 6pm and 2am; 5 of the 8 were a result of cars running off a straight road. If we exclude the tram killed pedestrian, the Darwin-award winning car surfer and the dude crossing the Westgae Freeway, EVERY SINGLE motor vehicle accident where an occupant of the vehicle was killed involved going off a straight road with the majority late at night.... if that doesn't totally disprove the need for speed cameras and radars in bright daylight on open highways or around corners (!!!!!!) then I don't know what does... info freely available from the government website itself at http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/jsp/statis...portingtool.do.

1 - A pedestrian was killed about 1am (AEDT) today when he was hit by a car on the Westgate Freeway at Port Melbourne, while another man died after he was thrown from a car that rolled in Melbourne's north-west last night

2 - A 41-year-old man died when he was thrown from a car as it rolled several times near Melton

OH LOOK - A Commodore... must be P-plates nearby and I'm sure he was speeding. Oh no, he's 41!!!! Crikey, what can we blame it on now? He must have been drunk. Obviously not wearing a seatbelt...

3 -A Melbourne man died in hospital after being dragged 200m under a tram in the city's north, taking the Victorian Easter road toll to three.

Police said the 48-year-old man was standing at a stop in Northcote when he was struck by the the tram shortly before 9pm (AEDT).

With the driver unaware anything was wrong, the tram kept going about 200m to the next stop. Police said commuters alerted the driver that someone was trapped underneath.

Firefighters used hydraulic equipment to lift the tram and freed the man, but he died later in hospital.

4 -
5 -
6 -
7 - The infamous Carsurfer... natural selection at its best. This may be the wrong section for it, might be another number. Shame he counts as a pedestrian and not just roadkill under the wildlife section...
8 - Man hit tree, Southeast Melbourne.

Anyone who can help with the gaps, it's much appreciated.

Vision
The TAC's vision is to provide Victorians with the most equitable personal injury compensation scheme in the world and set international standards in its delivery.
Can someone explain why this should even be a need? Certainly something to be proud of...

Mission
The TAC's mission is to reduce road trauma and its impact on the lives of accident victims in a caring, efficient and financially responsible manner.
Fair enough, great Mission... efficient? FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE????????? Yeah and my Focus will post a 10 second quarter on unleaded fuel...

Shared Values
The TAC's five shared values are:

Integrity Ho hum
Unity of purpose Certainly united on scaremongering, blaming and cashing in on innocent motorists
Dignity and respect
Innovation Copying other countries ain't exactly innovative... show me an idea Victoria is actually pioneering to reduce the road toll rather than trying to look good by adopting everyone else's ideas. From my uni days we called that plagiarisim.
Accountability and responsibility Um yeah well if you try as much as the TAC does then surely you're doing everything possible and hence you're not REALLY responsible right? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight...

Finally some somewhat twisted humour...

bindi · 31-03-2005, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDManual

you can NEVER blame a road for a crash! Thats ridiculous, can no-one see a pothole or the dirt on the side? so you blame that for getting sideways into a tree. Try learning how to get sideways, then you wont blame the road. Drive to the condidtions, bad road, well we should know what to do.....

I can blame whatever the hell I like, I am entitled to my opinion. I didn't say anything about complete blame, I was just saying that they blame all kinds of factors in the event of a crash but nobody mentions the fact that the roads are built badly.

Think of the Autobahn... built and sloped properly so when you drive it's a pleasure, not a friggin prayer to the Gods that you will survive the pothole you didn't see cos there is rain pouring, it's late at night, the thunderstorm has taken down a tree which killed powerlines so there's no streetlights... it makes your car swerve and yes, most ppl will manage but sometimes the skills aren't there... you hit a tree. So do you think that perhaps if the pothole wasn't there in the first place that the accident would have occured?

Get my idea? Goddamn, ya ****ed me off.

:

kiwikid · 31-03-2005, 01:36 PM

no matter how good your driving skills are, a big pothole is a big pothole, a bad road is a bad road etc...
just coz you can drive doesnt mean you cant crash...
of course if the gov would spend some money to build better roads the death toll would go down, it wont go down to 0 but wil drop a hell of a lot and sorry to say but you are stupid if you think otherwise..