Speeding clampdown

[insideout]

Hey all , just a reminder to drive safely this christmas!! From today ,a per klm over the speed limit has been enforced ( even if you are 1 kmh over ,you will be booked). Have a happy ,safe christmas !!

[finga]

Now I would like to know many many (looks like I stuttered a bit there but I'm really peeved about this garbage) speedo's on car's, trucks, buses, motorbikes and any bloody thing with a speedo can be accurate to within 1km/hr.
Do/can vehicle manufacturers guarantee the accuracy of the speedo's to within 1km/hr??
There's going to be a hell of a lot of cranky people swearing they were doing 97km/hr by the speedo but doing 101km/hr.
I'm lucky. My speedo reads 4km/hr slow according to the GPS.

Why don't they start booking people doing 40 in an 80km/hr zone instead.
Anybody driving along Mt. Cotton Rd would know what I'm talking about.
Or booking the morons that can change 4 lanes in 25m in peak hour or.....the list can go on and on :(

Gees getting to the stage where you get harsher penalties for going over the speed limit by 1km/hr then if you raped a 10 year old.
And then they try to tell us it's not for revenue.
Smart State...yeah right :-X

[Little grey men]

And then they try to tell us it's not for revenue.
Smart State...yeah right :-X

No Finga...it's not revenue raising mate...they only have our safety in mind ( picture me falling off my chair laughing til I have to change my shorts ) I heard one of the government creatures say it on the telly, so it must be true.
The government likes to wrap us in it's strong but gentle arms like a loving parent and protect us from harm ( Aww geez I just fell off my chair again. HA HA HA );D

[Poseidon]

I don't think anyone doing 5 klms/hr over the speed limit would have too much to worry about.

They need to do something to slow down the morons who seem to believe that the roads are racetracks and place all those others at risk. How else can we explain the road tolls year in year out and why should we think that 1600 road deaths per year is acceptable. Cars are safer than ever before however all the airbags in the world won't help when your car leaves the road at warp 3 and centers a gum tree. Speed is the killer.

A greater Police presence on the roads is all that's needed to get the message across as obviously all the Road Safety Campaigns are doing nothing.

Excessive speed is almost becoming the norm for some of our younger and inexperienced drivers and perhaps their hip pocket has more depth than what's between their ears.

[Peter4]

Bottom line guys is.......don't speed!

My old man always says:

"Better to arrive a few minutes late than be dead on time"!

Safe and happy Xmas one and all.

Pete

[RayDeR]

G'day!

I drive the MI from the northern Goldie to Brisbane or the Logan Motorway several times a week. Sometimes, it has been a dozen times. A greater police presence in unmarked cars would get many drivers exceeding the speed limit (110kph) by more than 20kph. Yes, 130kph at least. I would see 3 or 4 of these each trip.

The other thing is the people who drive 100kph or less in the third lane. They cause cars and trucks to brake and go left or right of them to keep to the allowable 110kph. The other day there was a young Asian gentleman who was doing about 75kph in this third lane. He was driving a hire car. He was worse than a speed bump because you know they are there.

The electronic signs should remind slow drivers to keep to the left. Particularly at this tiem of the year when people unaccustomed to driving the M1 will venture onto it to vist the rellies.

Ray De R

[Nic]

Is this just for the holiday season or is it forever, does anyone know? I'm not much of a speeder but I do creep up to 5km/h over occasionally. Maybe I should get a CB radio!

[mini696]

Having overinflated tyres can put your speedo out by a couple of kmph.

I find it amusing, that the 'powers-that-be' believe larger fines, threats of impounding cars, jail terms etc are the only way to make the roads safer. With all these in place, not only are the number of fatalities, and injuries still going up but the ratio of accidents to number of people on the roads is going up too.

What is needed is a much larger police presence, and better roads.

[Ian1]

I have a new Nissan and I can assure you the speedo is not accurate to within one kmh. I checked it againts a GPS and its at least 5kph out. I mentioned it to the dealer during a service and he informs me that speedos are only required to be within 5%. Not sure where he gets his information but I don't see how they can book you for 1 k over.
I find it a little hard to believe that they will book anyone for 101 in a 100 zone.

Cheers

Ian

[Fafnir]

My speedo reads 4km/hr slow according to the GPS

Mine by the GPS is out by roughly 10% the wrong way. For example, when the speedo is showing 100, the GPS is showing 110. Which given the size of wheels/tyres on my car is not surprising, but I only found this out recently when I brought a new GPS.

[Jeremy]

here we go again......

Firstly, you will find that they can only enfore to the accuracy of the speed guns. eg if they are +/- 3 km per hour in accuracy of their readings, then they can only bust you if you are doing more than 3 kmph over the limit. I don't know what the accuracy of the new fixed cammeras is tho?

Second, speed limits are set by Government morons. There is no set formula for determining a safe speed limit on any road. The limits on most highways has been 100 kmph for many years and there have been vast improvements in car safety and handling in that time.

Sorry, for me it is ALL about revenue. As long as I don't get caught, I am happy to determine what I think is a safe speed for myself.

Jeremy

[Hot_Snappa]

Hey all , just a reminder to drive safely this christmas!! From today ,a per klm over the speed limit has been enforced ( even if you are 1 kmh over ,you will be booked). Have a happy ,safe christmas !!

Where did you get this information from mate?

[Dirtysanchez]

Analogue speedometers can be anything from 5 to 10% either side of the speed they demonstrate on the dial, it depends on the gear ratios, size of tyre and as mentioned, if your tyres are over or under inflated. Then there's the modifications, ie my new sales rep jus put 19" wheels on his car, no way is his speedo accurate now. I drove behind him and could not keep up, but when I chipped him, he said according to his speedo he was sitting on 100

Digital speedo's should be more accurate, but truth be known are probably built very cheaply in China, so I wouldn't put any faith in it.

Be sure, if you are pulled over for a speeding offence that is near to the limit, like 3 over for arguments sake that you ask to see it on the device, and to see the label of the last calibration of the unit.

Other than that, just be careful :D

[insideout]

Where did you get this information from mate?
There was a article on the news last night,dont ask me which, for it was only a passing glance.Could have been local/state news

[finga]

I don't think anyone doing 5 klms/hr over the speed limit would have too much to worry about.

They need to do something to slow down the morons who seem to believe that the roads are racetracks and place all those others at risk. How else can we explain the road tolls year in year out and why should we think that 1600 road deaths per year is acceptable. Cars are safer than ever before however all the airbags in the world won't help when your car leaves the road at warp 3 and centers a gum tree. Speed is the killer.

A greater Police presence on the roads is all that's needed to get the message across as obviously all the Road Safety Campaigns are doing nothing.

Excessive speed is almost becoming the norm for some of our younger and inexperienced drivers and perhaps their hip pocket has more depth than what's between their ears.
it may seem hard by me but I see it as natural selection when the morons wipe themselves out in a single car accident whilst they're doing warp 3.
I only wished they hurt just themselves though.
The innocent victims are the only people I feel sorrow for.

When are we going to stop penalizing or forcing stricter conditions on the majority of people who try and do the right thing to try and save or try and control the few morons who don't a flying fig about the law or others.

Nothing is going to stop morons been morons.

The only sad part of most stories are the innocent victims that are usually hurt as a direct result of morons and their moronic behavior.

A larger police presence on the road (not sitting on the side of the road with a camera) and a lot harsher penalties which will be backed up by the courts will be the only way of reducing tolls.

Gees...what's the use of fixed cameras when everybody slows down 200m before them and take of like buggery just as they get past them???
If you don't believe that just sit near the cameras at either Tweed Heads or Byron Bay and watch.

But what hope have we got when a 20odd year old man (not a boy) can get away with a rape of a 10 year old with a slap on the wrist and told don't be a naughty boy??
Or when Santa cannot say Ho Ho Ho but 10 and 12 year olds can swear to the extent that a sailor would blush on any train you wish to ride on or in any shopping centre you wish to visit.
>:(

[PinHead]

and now the 2 fixed speed cameras are in operation.

[PinHead]

Now I would like to know many many (looks like I stuttered a bit there but I'm really peeved about this garbage) speedo's on car's, trucks, buses, motorbikes and any bloody thing with a speedo can be accurate to within 1km/hr.
Do/can vehicle manufacturers guarantee the accuracy of the speedo's to within 1km/hr??
There's going to be a hell of a lot of cranky people swearing they were doing 97km/hr by the speedo but doing 101km/hr.
I'm lucky. My speedo reads 4km/hr slow according to the GPS.

Why don't they start booking people doing 40 in an 80km/hr zone instead.
Anybody driving along Mt. Cotton Rd would know what I'm talking about.
Or booking the morons that can change 4 lanes in 25m in peak hour or.....the list can go on and on :(

Gees getting to the stage where you get harsher penalties for going over the speed limit by 1km/hr then if you raped a 10 year old.
And then they try to tell us it's not for revenue.
Smart State...yeah right :-X

I agree wholeheartedly...they are morons..if they cannot do those 4 lane changes in under 20 metres they really should not be out there with the rest of us.

[Bull Shark]

Saftey is the guise - revenue is the prize,

Be under no illusions this is just the start of it - one of the biggest global renue stream's of all time -...... Definalty slow down if you need a licence - even if you dont think you speed, I will bet you do every time you drive. The powers do know this.... Education to young drivers is the way - a real appreciation for speed - 40 KPH is High Impact.....

In Sydney they started this quite a few years ago, and have made many millions - having out raged many, as independant studies have proven this doesnt change anything, same accidents, increasing deaths all very sad really.... now they are putting 4000 speeding cameras in all the redlight cameras around Sydney - speed up to miss the red light because a B double is on your tail and you will be caught for speeding - all under the guise of keeping us drivers safer...... with no affordable explaination available.

I just wish it was a franchise I could set one up myself - Buy a camera, put in near a major intersection and watch the money roll in.......

I will go and rest now, just my own 2 bobs...........



Merry Christmas all - Have a safe one

8-)

[Oh Gee]

Dont get started on those Fixed Revenue Raises. They don't, will not, nor never, have had a significant effect on the road toll.Yes speeding does kill but not as much as touted by those in charge of the aformentioned FRRs. Fatague, Drink, Drugs,Machenical Failings, Human Failings, Natural Failings and more all have a bearing on the road toll. But i think the biggest problem is the amount of traffic out there. If one car passes one car you have one potential accident. If ten cars pass ten cars you have one hundred potenial accidents, 100x100=10,000...1000x1000= ONE MILLION.. and theres millions of cars out there and we are all human...so let us all be very very carefull and always watch out for each other....and those FRRs...

[ziggy.]

So do GOVT cars and that includes Anna Blighs new Chrysler that she had to have, if these cars have inaccurate speedo readings does the driver of the vehicle have to pay the fine and lose points off their licence or does the paper work just get lost because its a Govt car? I have always wondered if the same rules apply to the people making the rules.

[garret]

australian design rules (which cover speedo accuaracy) allow a +-10% variance from the manufacturer but police only allow a +-3 speed differential, how the hell can you hope to follow the rules when they are designed to be against you

[Luc]

The only way to ensure drivers behave is to have police cars & bikes cruising the highway.

Speed cameras are only revenue raisers thinly disguised as road safety initiatives.

At this time of year I'd like to see a blitz on boating especially safety gear, unlicensed drivers, lack of nav lights etc....

Luc

[charleville]

Sometimes when I ride my pushbike down a steep hill, after I open my eyes at the bottom of the hill and look at the max speed on the GPS, I see that I have exceeded 60 KPH.

Will I be booked for speeding on my push bike?;D

[kingtin]

Sometimes when I ride my pushbike down a steep hill, after I open my eyes at the bottom of the hill and look at the max speed on the GPS, I see that I have exceeded 60 KPH.

Will I be booked for speeding on my push bike?;D

Only if you have rego plates on it :-)

kev

[charleville]

Only if you have rego plates on it :-)


Ah yes - otherwise they would have to catch me, wouldn't they? ;D ;D ;D

[theoldlegend]

Now Charlie,

I really must have to take you to task here, based on your previous comments pertaining to speeds etc and GPS stuff, :-/

How can you ascertain that? :-/

You know, I had it all worked out what I was going to say and ask you, and bugger me, I've just had a seniors. A BLANK. :-X

Bugger me. I'm stuffed. Sorry about that.

John M

TOL

[maztez]

Welcome to the K. R. A. F. T. club ...
cheers Terry

[charleville]

Now Charlie,

I really must have to take you to task here, based on your previous comments pertaining to speeds etc and GPS stuff, :-/

How can you ascertain that? :-/


http://myskitch.com/charleville/page_1-20071215-190920.jpg


As you can see below, I have a bicycle mounting for the Garmin GPS 72 that I use in my boat. These GPS will tell you all sorts of data about your trip, including average speed, distance travelled and the top speed on the trip. So that means that when I open my eyes after riding down that steep hill, I can see what was the fastest speed that I was doing. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

http://myskitch.com/charleville/skitched-20071215-192325.jpg

;D ;D



.

[Kleyny]

I'm going to have to defend the good old police on this one. there are way to many deaths on the road in the past few years. if they are saying they are booking people for being 1 k over the speed limit its a ploy to get people talking and to slow down. Judging by this thread its clearly working.

Lets talk about police giving +-3 km before issuing a ticket.
How many of you guys have been done for 3km over the limit in QLD?

i think you will find that the QLD police have to give people a tolerance for speeding offences before they can issue a ticket it will be a percentage not a km/hr figure. From memory I've been told its 10% (by a traffic police officer) so you can do the sums.

Revenue?? some people are saying the fixed speed cameras are revenue raising.
I ask this question. How many people have slowed down on the highways/roads since they introduced the fixed/camera cars? I know I'm one who used to speed allot more before they had them, as you don't know were they are going to be.

IMO I don't know were you read that article but i think you will find its a ploy.

neil

[garret]

Lets talk about police giving +-3 km before issuing a ticket.
How many of you guys have been done for 3km over the limit in QLD?

i think you will find that the QLD police have to give people a tolerance for speeding offences before they can issue a ticket it will be a percentage not a km/hr figure. From memory I've been told its 10% (by a traffic police officer) so you can do the sums.

neil

sorry, didnt mean to imply QLD, the +-3kms is a VIC law (thats why we are called the nanny state) , dunno about the rest of Aus

[Kleyny]

sorry, didnt mean to imply QLD, the +-3kms is a VIC law (thats why we are called the nanny state) , dunno about the rest of Aus
Isnt it amazing how the laws change over the states.
personally if i got a ticket for 4km over i'd fight it doesnt matter were i was.
they got to have room for reading errors.

neil

[cqfreshie]

The argument about accuracy of speedos can backfire.

If you try to argue hat your speedo reads low by 5 ks at 100 k, and you were booked for doing 105, then it may be said that you knew what speed you would be doing. Also, how many of you set your cruise control on 105, there by making a mockery of the law? Plese don't rely on a GPS neither, as they re not 100% accurate.

Further, exceeding the speed limit in the built up areas is just so stupid. Simple maths and physics will show any thinking person that even one k over increases the ditance needed for your vehicle to stop. I was driving at 40 through a school zone only this morning, and was overtaken by a young moron doing at least 60.

As a parmedic, I see the tauma caused by road accidents, and am sick of the lame excuses for stupidity on the road.

Botom line ... don't speed, don't drink and drive .........you know the rest.

Merry Xmas (and a safe one) guys.

[mik01]

Isnt it amazing how the laws change over the states.
personally if i got a ticket for 4km over i'd fight it doesnt matter were i was.
they got to have room for reading errors.

neil

easier said than done mate. i was in melb for business with a hire car and when I got home to Brissy i got a fine for doing 84 in a 80 zone. :'( now being naive, i had no idea they were so strict on the speed limits and really had no comeback. oh sure I could have flown to melbourne and fought it in court, but the expense would make it not worth the effort.::)

anyone who tells me that 4k over the speed limit is dangerous and warrants a fine needs their head read. anyway - its been proven that the road toll has NOT decreased in Vic due to this ridiculous crackdown on speed.

[finga]

As a parmedic, I see the tauma caused by road accidents, and am sick of the lame excuses for stupidity on the road.

Botom line ... don't speed, don't drink and drive .........you know the rest.

Merry Xmas (and a safe one) guys.
Yes I could not imagine some of the things you have witnessed mate.
Not a job I could do for very long at all I'm afraid.
Thanks for been there if we might need you.
But I really hope we never meet during your work hours

You hit the nail on the head though....lame excuses for stupidity.
It's a pity there's no laws against it.

I'll add one more on your list...
Don't drink and drive, don't speed and don't be a bloody goose all

[finga]

easier said than done mate. i was in melb for business with a hire car and when I got home to Brissy i got a fine for doing 84 in a 80 zone. :'( now being naive, i had no idea they were so strict on the speed limits and really had no comeback. oh sure I could have flown to melbourne and fought it in court, but the expense would make it not worth the effort.::)

anyone who tells me that 4k over the speed limit is dangerous and warrants a fine needs their head read. anyway - its been proven that the road toll has NOT decreased in Vic due to this ridiculous crackdown on speed.
I suppose all the hire mobs will have to have a calibration sticker on the windscreen from now on eh.

I suppose the if speeding kills or not argument could be related to the gun argument. Bullets don't kill. The goose pulling the trigger causes the damage.
Same argument....different weapon....same goose....same outcome

[finga]

Just had a thought...
Everybody says to fatality figures are still going up.
Has anybody done the sums of accidents as a percent of population.
Of cause the total numbers would go up but maybe the number as a percentage of population has come down.

[PinHead]

finga..cars are a lot safer now than when I started driving..but also more powerful...and there are no lessons involved when getting a license about handling that power...years back (in my distant and past youth) when I was rally driving, I attended a lecture on motor racing. I cannot remember the blokes name now but it was incredibly enlightening..all about physics..driving is just a physics lesson..you do this and the laws of physics dictate that something will happen when you do that act...keeping that in mind continually, really is an eye opener...we did it on the skid pan and then on some forestry tracks...certainly improved my driving by using something as simple as basic laws of physics.

Have a safe Xmad on the roads all.

[mattooty]

I love having my 2km warning that a speed camera is coming up in NSW.
Its ridiculous how many ppl you can have overtake you at 120-130km an hour then within a few hundred metres they are down to 100, then back up to 120 again as soon as they've passed them.

[finga]

I love having my 2km warning that a speed camera is coming up in NSW.
Its ridiculous how many ppl you can have overtake you at 120-130km an hour then within a few hundred metres they are down to 100, then back up to 120 again as soon as they've passed them.
Yeah, they work well don't they. They definitely slow people down.

Even if it's for 200m :-X

[Sea-Dog]

......

Gees...what's the use of fixed cameras when everybody slows down 200m before them and take of like buggery just as they get past them???......
>:(

Simple answer..... Set up a cop car with radar a few hundred Metres past the fixed cameras...... Gotcha 8-)


Sometimes when I ride my pushbike down a steep hill, after I open my eyes at the bottom of the hill and look at the max speed on the GPS, I see that I have exceeded 60 KPH.

Will I be booked for speeding on my push bike?;D

My Brother-in-law's younger sister DID get booked for speeding on her pushie. Down a long hill and probably gave the copper lip. Happened in Melbourne.


... i was in melb for business with a hire car and when I got home to Brissy i got a fine for doing 84 in a 80 zone. :'( now being naive, i had no idea they were so strict on the speed limits and really had no comeback. oh sure I could have flown to melbourne and fought it in court, but the expense would make it not worth the effort.::)




In Vic, I believe they book you for the amount that is in excess of error margin. I believe it is 10% + 3K. So to be booked for 84 in 80 zone, you may have been travelling at 91Kmh or more.


I love having my 2km warning that a speed camera is coming up in NSW.
Its ridiculous how many ppl you can have overtake you at 120-130km an hour then within a few hundred metres they are down to 100, then back up to 120 again as soon as they've passed them. See first answer about setting up radar just past fixed camera.

[finga]

Simple answer..... Set up a cop car with radar a few hundred Metres past the fixed cameras...... Gotcha 8-)



Yeah that would get them but how often has this happened??
True if there was another radar after the camera a lot of people would get a ticket. But they wouldn't know about it until after the fact and maybe a few weeks after that.
They might go on speeding until the next fixed camera a hundred km away.

Instead of sitting behind a shrub where he/she may be seen by a few people and slow down wouldn't it be better for that Police car to be cruising up and down the road where every bugger could see him/her and slow down and if Johnny Speedster saw enough of these highly visible Police cars they might get the hint or if the concentration of Police was high enough Johnny might not get a chance to speed.
To me this would be a way of reducing the road toll. May not get as much revenue but they are trying to reduce accidents aren't they or are they trying to raise revenue??

Sitting behind the camera with a radar is revenue. No two ways about it.

One of my peeves about radar guns and fixed cameras is that you probably don't know about it until you get something in the mail.
What chance do you have to see if there was something wrong with the setup of the camera or the way in which it was used??

Once on the way to Warwick I met up with a Station wagon (green Falcon) that turned out from the Boona/Beaudesert turnoff about 75m in front of me. This is a 100km zone. And then proceeded to do 90km/hr.
When I passed the wagon it had 3 Police people in it with the driver (yes the driver) pointing a radar gun at me.
True I was doing more then 100km/hr (more like 110) but this instance to me is deadset wrong.
Luckily the BMW has good brakes and they couldn't get a fix on me.
They can use a radar gun out the window but I can't use a phone. Gees they must be talented.::)
But....what a low act trying to get someone to speed then try and ping them. I had more chance of having an accident when I hit the brakes then by doing 110km/hr passing them where I tried too >:(

Another peeve is the fact that they have to have the speed camera in use sign out but gee wizz how many people see the sign when it's behind the speed camera car or laying flat against the ground??
I actually pulled over one day when I was between Gundi and Inglewood (out west a tad) to see if the person was OK as I could see someone in the back and thought they had broken down and the driver had gone walkabout to get help.
Wrong...copper in the back watching the traffic.


And no I don't get booked very often. Twice since 1982 is pretty good I reckon.

[croangler]

have a safe christmas

[rocksberg6]

Before i pass any comment at all i will be up front and say i am a member of an emergency service. Everyone can jump up and down about what the police are doing, and how the bean counters in paliment are passing certain things that are seen to be revenue raising programmes, But the bottom line is this. day after day, week after week, year after year my colleges and myself pull battered and broken bodies from cars and trucks and the like and see the damage that speed and alcohol can do and anything that slows anyone down just a little bit and gets drunks of our road is ok by me. I'm sure im not the only one that lays in bed at night waiting to hear my 18 year old kids come home safe and well. Sorry for the rave but this is something very close to my heart.
Wishing all Ausfisher's a safe and merry christmas and a happy new year from Troy and the girls, Ashleigh and Kira.

[mik01]

Simple answer..... Set up a cop car with radar a few hundred Metres past the fixed cameras...... Gotcha 8-)



My Brother-in-law's younger sister DID get booked for speeding on her pushie. Down a long hill and probably gave the copper lip. Happened in Melbourne.




In Vic, I believe they book you for the amount that is in excess of error margin. I believe it is 10% + 3K. So to be booked for 84 in 80 zone, you may have been travelling at 91Kmh or more.

See first answer about setting up radar just past fixed camera.

sorry mate - you're absolutely incorrect there. I believe it was the fixed speed camera on the Westgate Bridge and most definitely was doing 4k over the speed limit. I remember the futile argument I had with their dept of transport - 3k is the error margin and I was over by 1.

didn't have a leg to stand on...

Once again I say that it has been proven that fixed speed cameras have not reduced the road toll in NSW and VIC. If you think that somehow, magically, they will do it here in Qld then I wait to be convinced. The locations where they have been put (ie - story bridge) I would be surprised if there ever was a fatality there!
more visible police prescence is still the only method of deterrence to idiots and hoons.
similar to our moreton bay argument - where's the science that the fixed speed cameras work? there is none, so people will continue to die in areas of real need where money should be spent (ie - pacific highway north and south).
Speeding is bad, and should be punished - I agree. But the methods adopted are simply a convenient way of the Govt saying 'we can be bothered spending money to upgrade roads or employ more police officers so we will stick these cameras up and catch speeders'.
here's my question - has anyone in Qld seen a visible tv, radio and newspaper blitz so far urging people to slow down this holidays and take care on the roads?

[mik01]

read this article for some myth busting facts....
http://www.openroad.com.au/safety_roadtoll.asp

[Sea-Dog]

sorry mate - you're absolutely incorrect there. I believe it was the fixed speed camera on the Westgate Bridge and most definitely was doing 4k over the speed limit. I remember the futile argument I had with their dept of transport - 3k is the error margin and I was over by 1.

didn't have a leg to stand on...

Once again I say that it has been proven that fixed speed cameras have not reduced the road toll in NSW and VIC. If you think that somehow, magically, they will do it here in Qld then I wait to be convinced.

Yeah Mic, you're right about the fixed cameras - no % tolerance.

Here are some Victorian statistics from 1970 to 2004 they may surprise you.

As you will see - the trend is definitely downwards. How much of this is attributable to greater enforcement/ speed cameras etc. and how much is due to safer cars is open to interpretation.

I reckon if you get people used to driving slower in some places, because they don't want to be fined - the behavior will rub off in other areas. It's a case of conditioning.

A bit like Pavlov's dog.

Victorian Road Toll Figures

Source: Transport Accident Commission

Year - Number of deaths
1970 - 1061
1971 - 923
1972 - 915
1973 - 935
1974 - 806
1975 - 910
1976 - 938
1977 - 954
1978 - 869
1979 - 847
1980 - 657
1981 - 766
1982 - 709
1983 - 664
1984 - 658
1985 - 669
1986 - 705
1987 - 701
1988 - 706
1989 - 776
1990 - 548
1991 - 503
1992 - 396
1993 - 436
1994 - 378
1995 - 418
1996 - 418
1997 - 377
1998 - 390
1999 - 384
2000 - 407
2001 - 444
2002 - 397
2003 - 330
2004 - 343
2005 - 346
2006 - 337
That's a total of 23,021 people in 37 years.
Just in Victoria.

[garret]

In Vic, I believe they book you for the amount that is in excess of error margin. I believe it is 10% + 3K. So to be booked for 84 in 80 zone, you may have been travelling at 91Kmh or more.

no, there is no +-10% just 3k over, that is the big issue down here in VIC there is no leeway, a friend of mine got booked for 61 in a 60 (64 minus 3k) so no 10% there

[Sea-Dog]

no, there is no +-10% just 3k over, that is the big issue down here in VIC there is no leeway, a friend of mine got booked for 61 in a 60 (64 minus 3k) so no 10% there

Yep, as I said in prev post - no % for error with fixed cameras.
You may get a percentage allowance for mobile interception though.

Not from first hand experience though. I used to live in Vic and after nearly 1M Km of professional driving, still got no speeding fines. Gotta be doing something right. :D

I do remember a case of a little Datsun 120Y being booked on the Western Ring Rd for doing 160 Kmh+ as recorded by the fixed speed camera.

The owner had to have independent tests done by an auto engineer. He certified that the car could not reach anywhere near that.

It went to court and ALL of the cameras on the Western Ring rd were removed and recalibrated and tested before switching back on. Lots of drivers had fines and licence cancellations reversed.

A couple of blokes lost jobs because of erroneous licence cancellations and tried to get compensation because of it. Unfortunately, they didn't get anywhere.


So, the moral of the story is...... Just because somebody says that something is true - doesn't necessarily mean that it is.

Merry Christmas to all and drive SAFELY. (within the law, and within your capabilities)

8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)8-)

[Poodroo]

I don't know why but regardless of how high the speed limit is there is always some idiot who will be exceeding that limit by a long shot. I travel at least 150-200klms every day so I cover a fair bit of ground and it still amazes me how stupid people are on the roads. Speed limit 80klms and they will be doing 100. Speed limit 110klms and they think that 120-140klms per hour is the go. But for all those out there who love to speed BEWARE! Your time will come because the cop cars are becoming less detectable. I was following a Mitsubishi 380 VRX from Helensvale on the Gold Coast. He had a nice set of wheels and looking quite nicely done up but he was well behaved sitting on the speed limit and I was happy to sit behind him. Next thing this moron in a WRX flashed by in the right lane doing speeds that I would have estimated around 160klms + and then to my surprise the 380 VRX speeds up rapidly and then turns on red and blue flashing lights visible through the back window. I had no idea I was tailing a cop car. They are getting real sneaky and yes he got the WRX. It doesn't get any sweeter. ;D
Have a great Christmas and new year everyone and stay safe on the roads.

Regards,

Poodroo

[PinHead]

I speed and anyone here that says they do not must be a Volvo driver.
The road toll is a tragic thing but until the Govt starts doing things like large numbers of police..improve the roads and insist on better driver education then it will only get higher.

[Sea-Dog]

I speed and anyone here that says they do not must be a Volvo driver.
The road toll is a tragic thing but until the Govt starts doing things like large numbers of police..improve the roads and insist on better driver education then it will only get higher.

Then why not do your part and not intentionally speed.
Do we only obey laws when we're afraid of being caught?

Don't forget, its not only you that uses the road.
You share the road with me, my wife and kids, and other folks wives, husbands and kids too. These are all lives - not just inconvenient delays to your journey.

If you speed - I hope you get fined - period. And the same goes for me as well. (and I don't drive a Volvo)>:(

Is it OK for some lowlife to burgle your house, just because there doesn't happen to be a copper standing guard?

Is it OK to get pissed to the eyeballs out in the boat and drive around endangering everyone, just because fisheries and boating patrol isn't around?

No it's not OK.


Speeding fines are just another part of driver education, so are speed limit signs.


(Whoops, sounds like someone pushed my button, doesn't it?)

[PinHead]

Then why not do your part and not intentionally speed.
Do we only obey laws when we're afraid of being caught?

Don't forget, its not only you that uses the road.
You share the road with me, my wife and kids, and other folks wives, husbands and kids too. These are all lives - not just inconvenient delays to your journey.

If you speed - I hope you get fined - period. And the same goes for me as well. (and I don't drive a Volvo)>:(

Is it OK for some lowlife to burgle your house, just because there doesn't happen to be a copper standing guard?

Is it OK to get pissed to the eyeballs out in the boat and drive around endangering everyone, just because fisheries and boating patrol isn't around?

No it's not OK.


Speeding fines are just another part of driver education, so are speed limit signs.


(Whoops, sounds like someone pushed my button, doesn't it?)

you must be the only person that does 50k in a suburban street..not 52k but 50 k and if the traffic flow is doing 67k along Mains Road you are under 60K??? never been going down a hill and reached 62k? I think we have all done that many times.

[Sea-Dog]

you must be the only person that does 50k in a suburban street..not 52k but 50 k and if the traffic flow is doing 67k along Mains Road you are under 60K??? never been going down a hill and reached 62k? I think we have all done that many times.

I intentionally obey the speed limits. Do I get passed by all and sundry in the 40 Kmh construction zone on Mains Rd? Yes.

How do I maintain a strict watch on my speed? I set the speed warning gizmo on the dash for each speed zone that I pass thru when practical.

I even habitually use cruise control when the road ahead is clear.

I often get overtaken by other vehicles, and almost as often meet up with them again at the next set of traffic lights.

Yeah, I drive like an old Nannie - but with a Million K's under my belt and Never a speeding fine, I think I'm doing OK.

Have I ever exceeded the speed limit? Of course.

Do I do so intentionally? Very seldom ( I know, I'm a hypocrite)

Do I go over the speed limit going downhill sometimes - yes. But thats what brakes are for.

I do try to set an example for my kids for when they start driving. Also for my wife - but that's another story.

Enough said to say that when we're both in the car - I drive. It saves a lot of heated words.

Not an attack on you personally Pin Head. Its just one of my pet hates.

Stay safe.

[finga]

One of my pet hates (and a real danger on the road) are the people going slow.
If they can't drive to the speed allowed then get off and let the ones that can pass.

Everytime I go along Mt. Cotton road there's always some goose doing 40-60km/hr in the 80km/hr zone.
There is nowhere you can pass the goose.
People do desperates to get past. May not be right to do the desperate but the slow driver also has responsibilities to ensure fellow motorists are not inconvenienced by the way in which they drive.
Quite frankly they p=ss me off when they don't pull over.
One last Friday had that many cars behind them I couldn't see the end of the string of cars. Not good at 8 in the AM.

Speeding through road works is wrong but on how many occassions have you come across these road work signs and slow down to 40 and there's no work.
No wonder people don't take any notice.

Speeding in some instances is safer then staying at the speed limit IMO.
When passing I speed up. IMO the shorter period of time I stay in the wrong lane the better it is for me.
If I can pass I will. There's no way I'll follow someone for 200km if they're doing 95km/hr and I can't pass them because I'll do more then 100 when passing.

How many have had a truck pass them and the truck has had to cut back in because another vehicle is coming??
Those poor buggers are speed restricted and until you've done a few km in one would you appreciate the difficulties these guys face all day everyday.
The distances these guys sometimes need to pass someone doing 95km/hr safely due to the speed limiter is mind boggling to the point that you wonder if there is a stretch of road long enough in QLD.
If you consider exceeding the 100km/hr zone by say 5km/hr. That works out at 5% of the total speed.
As stated before the tolerances of the cars speedo is greater then this.
As mentioned before the manufacturers are going to have to have calibration stickers on the windscreens just so people know the tolerances. 1% tolerance on the cameras is a joke. No two ways about it.

[mik01]

I intentionally obey the speed limits. Do I get passed by all and sundry in the 40 Kmh construction zone on Mains Rd? Yes.

How do I maintain a strict watch on my speed? I set the speed warning gizmo on the dash for each speed zone that I pass thru when practical.

I even habitually use cruise control when the road ahead is clear.

I often get overtaken by other vehicles, and almost as often meet up with them again at the next set of traffic lights.

Yeah, I drive like an old Nannie - but with a Million K's under my belt and Never a speeding fine, I think I'm doing OK.

Have I ever exceeded the speed limit? Of course.

Do I do so intentionally? Very seldom ( I know, I'm a hypocrite)

Do I go over the speed limit going downhill sometimes - yes. But thats what brakes are for.

I do try to set an example for my kids for when they start driving. Also for my wife - but that's another story.

Enough said to say that when we're both in the car - I drive. It saves a lot of heated words.

Not an attack on you personally Pin Head. Its just one of my pet hates.

Stay safe.

mate - not having a shot at you, but the point some of us are trying to make is that no matter how much of a nanna you are, going over the speed limit even by a few k's is something every person has done.

In some states, (and probably soon to come in Qld) this earns you a big fine and demerit points lost which is ridiculous. you would spend more time watching the speedo than watching the road and other users.

so you admit you have exceeded the speed limit - you have just been lucky and not been caught for it.

[TonyOW31]

[quote=Sea-Dog;730857]

How do I maintain a strict watch on my speed? I set the speed warning gizmo on the dash for each speed zone that I pass thru when practical.

so in your opinion messing about with the speed warning controls whilst driving is safer than going 10 over the limit? or do you stop at every change of speed limit to alter it ::).

Jeez, it is amazing that when the government tells us that the green zones in the bay will help with the fishing all the dummies come out of the pram, because you have some knowledge of the situation, and can come up with a reasonable argument against it, yet when the same government tell you speeding is dangerous, it's duh, yeah, speeding is dangerous, just like a load of sheep.

There is no scientific evidence anywhere in the world that justifies speed cameras, hidden hand helds, fixed cameras etc on the grounds of safety.
Increased visible road patrols on the other hand have been shown to reduce the accident rate, and not because people don't speed, but because their concentration levels are increased, and they drive properly (signaling, using mirrors etc)

Speeding does not kill, accidents do. Just like guns do not kill, people do.
If any cop cares to add his tuppence worth, he would no doubt concur with me that the vast majority of accidents happen at speeds well below the speed limit, so what are they going to do? stop people driving slowly :P It is a fact that the slower people drive, the less they concentrate, hence more accidents.
I do not dispute the fact that the consequences of an accident are greater at higher velocities, but speeding is not the cause of the majority of fatalities/serious injuries. Concentrating the majority of their effort on clamping down on speeding is akin to treating the symptons rather than the cause, but then attacking the cause does not bring in revenue does it.

Linking road safety and our police force is a joke, having witnessed so many incidents that contradict the road safety code for nothing other than issuing a speeding ticket, it has to be.
A couple of years ago Queensland police had a safety initiative to encourage motorcyclists to wear appropriate safety clothing, what do most police motorcyclists wear? a short sleeved shirt, what a joke.
There are cops who regularly stand in the centre median strip on the dual carraigeway through Browns Plains, this is not a protected area, they lean on the concrete barrier, which only has a meter between it and the white line on the outside lane, and point their speed gun at people, this is an 80kmh zone, all that would be needed is for a truck tyre to de-laminate and we would have a "brave cop dies in the line of duty headline" . This guy is putting his own life at risk just to rack up a few more convictions. Road workers require a concrete barrier between them and the traffic plus a 40kmh limit to be safe, so the police and government keep telling us, yet these blokes are safe with no barrier, and only a meter of air between them and b doubles doing 80, amazing eh.
One day I was in traffic at the fig tree pocket junction on the Centenery highway, there was a cop car stopped in the bus stop, one cop was hiding in the bushes with his handheld clocking the cars on the highway, once he got one he ran to the car, got in, (without putting his seatbelt on) lights on, floored it, smoked the tyres up, and pulled out in front of someone who had to take evasive action to avoid an accident, off he went in pursuit of the 'criminal' weaving in and out of the traffic. A couple of ks down the road he had a landcruiser ute pulled over. I did the calculations and worked out the cop had to average 160kmh to catch the guy in the distance in which he did, and that is without taking in to account acceleration and deceleration times, what is more dangerous the cop or the guy in the ute? Whatever happened to setting an example?

The only way to reduce accidents is to increase the visible police presence, coupled with increased driving skills, as the levels of driver training in this country are a joke.
How about instead of fining and doling out demerit points to speeders, why can't there be private training institutions formed so once you are caught speeding, you have to pass an accredited advanced driving course (at your own expense) within a certain time period,and each time you are convicted, the test becomes more difficult, and if you don't pass you don't get your licence back until you do. The fiscal penalty would still remain, with an added penalty of taking up your free time. I am sure there would be private concerns queuing up for one of those franchises.
It is purely a safety issue, and as with most modern regimes, safety issues are addressed by proper training, and that is what this problem needs.

On a lighter but semi serious note, do you think that the road toll would go up or down if all air bags where replaced by a 300mm long spike that shot out of the steering wheel and through your head? I personally think the road toll would reduce significantly8-)

Re the government propaganda on speeding. Roughly 2500 people per year are killed on our roads, let's be extremely generous and say 1000 of those deaths can be directly attributed to speeding.
Now compare that with the 17000 deaths that are directly attributed to smoking, that is seventeen times the amount or 1600% more, yet speeding is illegal and smoking is legal? enough is enough, what a joke.
Think about it, don't just go along with it because that's what they tell you, that's what you all complain about when it comes to something you know and understand.

[megalodon]

Speed is not the killer its a persons lack of experience to judge there ability to handle the conditions they are in at the time and mostly people think they are better than they really are. If speed was a killer you wouldnt have any race car drivers alive would you. Its one of the safest sports in the world. The people that drive at 40 in a 80 zone are driving to there ability and sit there thinking everyone doing 80 is doing 100. The Govt will always blame speed for 2 reasons. 1 is they will never accept responsibility for sub standard roads and we will never have good roads. In a perfect world we would have at least a 3 lane highway in both directions with a barrier and 50 meters each side as a run off with no trees or gutters and kitty litter to stop cars. Will never happen. 2 is they would loose out billions of dollars in fines and radars bring in a fortune. If they dint only have fines in mind you would have more round abouts and less traffic lights. Can not put red light cameras on a round about can you. Round about work perfect and keep traffic flow its just the 10% of the public that can not drive for nuts and have to be told to start and stop because they have absolutely no ability to make a decision for themselves. Just watch when traffic lights fail and they all sit in there cars like someone took there batteries out. Wonder where ya put the batteries in (_!_) Ive been here 7 years now and i have never seen so many people that absolutely can not drive for nuts. I know a Chinese guy that bought his licenses and a few other licenses for people back 30 years ago and he still has at least 3 goes to reverse into a straight car park. Anyway the Govt always comes down to numbers. Have they ever said how many extra cars come on the road every year or how many license holders? Since its the baby boomer era and with all the immigration now i wouldnt be surprised if you get 10% more cars on the road every year but the road toll stays about the same. So in numbers terms the road toll is possibly going down in percentage to the drivers but the Govt would never tell you those figures or they would have less reasons to find or implement new ways to fine people :) What percentage of people do the QLD Govt say shift to the south east every year? Thought it was 10% so if it was that means in 7 years i been here the road toll should have gone up 70% in numbers terms. They only feed you half the bulls#*t and if you can not think outside the square you believe them.

[Sea-Dog]

One of my pet hates (and a real danger on the road) are the people going slow.
If they can't drive to the speed allowed then get off and let the ones that can pass. I agree - to a degree, but the speed limits have supposedly been implemented on a road-by-road basis for what is the maximum speed for safe driving under perfect conditions ... Speeding through road works is wrong but on how many occassions have you come across these road work signs and slow down to 40 and there's no work. No wonder people don't take any notice. Absolutely agree - but I'm not going to hand over my $$$ into consolidated revenue, just because no-one has changed the speed limit sign to what it should be. Another thing of this ilk, is you quite often come to roadworks speed limit signs restricting you to X Km/h and then there is no "End roadworks" sign.

Legally, the constabulary can book you if you exceed the roadworks speed limit until either you pass an "end roadworks" sign, or another speed limit sign.

Speeding in some instances is safer then staying at the speed limit IMO.
When passing I speed up. IMO the shorter period of time I stay in the wrong lane the better it is for me.
If I can pass I will. There's no way I'll follow someone for 200km if they're doing 95km/hr and I can't pass them because I'll do more then 100 when passing. Do you realise that if you didn't pass, that journey would only take about 6 1/2 minutes longer? Is it worth the risk?




... you would spend more time watching the speedo than watching the road and other users. An occasional glance at the speedo and awareness of my vehicle's sounds at various speeds keeps me very close to the speed limits. As I have said before, I have driven around 1M K's, most of them professionally - with only 1 "at fault" collision. (Nose to tail in slipper lane at lights) I think my method is pretty safe. By the way I don't think I'm a great driver. Not even a good driver - just a reasonably safe, predictable and reliable one. I do drive within my limits.

......so you admit you have exceeded the speed limit - you have just been lucky and not been caught for it. Your right, of course.


[quote=Sea-Dog;730857]

How do I maintain a strict watch on my speed? I set the speed warning gizmo on the dash for each speed zone that I pass thru when practical.

so in your opinion messing about with the speed warning controls whilst driving is safer than going 10 over the limit? or do you stop at every change of speed limit to alter it ::)...... Just like changing gears with the left hand. Does that distract you?

...
There is no scientific evidence anywhere in the world that justifies speed cameras, hidden hand helds, fixed cameras etc on the grounds of safety.
Increased visible road patrols on the other hand have been shown to reduce the accident rate, and not because people don't speed, but because their concentration levels are increased, and they drive properly (signaling, using mirrors etc) Great point. Obeying road laws for the sake of safety.

Speeding does not kill, accidents do. Just like guns do not kill, people do.
If any cop cares to add his tuppence worth, he would no doubt concur with me that the vast majority of accidents happen at speeds well below the speed limit, so what are they going to do? stop people driving slowly :P It is a fact (Where do you get your evidence?) that the slower people drive, the less they concentrate, hence more accidents.
I do not dispute the fact that the consequences of an accident are greater at higher velocities, but speeding is not the cause of the majority of fatalities/serious injuries. (What is the cause? I know - that sudden crunch that slows you down very quickly indeed) Concentrating the majority of their effort on clamping down on speeding is akin to treating the symptons rather than the cause, but then attacking the cause does not bring in revenue does it. (So do I take it that the "cause" is the drivers that are doing the speeding? Good idea - get them off the road ::))


....
One day I was in traffic at the fig tree pocket junction on the Centenery highway, there was a cop car stopped in the bus stop, one cop was hiding in the bushes with his handheld clocking the cars on the highway, once he got one he ran to the car, got in, (without putting his seatbelt on) lights on, floored it, smoked the tyres up, and pulled out in front of someone who had to take evasive action to avoid an accident, off he went in pursuit of the 'criminal' weaving in and out of the traffic. A couple of ks down the road he had a landcruiser ute pulled over. I did the calculations and worked out the cop had to average 160kmh to catch the guy in the distance in which he did, and that is without taking in to account acceleration and deceleration times, what is more dangerous the cop or the guy in the ute? Whatever happened to setting an example? How fast was the guy in the ute going? If the cop was being dangerous - he should have his driving privileges taken from him. The cure is worse than the disease.

The only way to reduce accidents is to increase the visible police presence, coupled with increased driving skills, as the levels of driver training in this country are a joke.
How about instead of fining and doling out demerit points to speeders, why can't there be private training institutions formed so once you are caught speeding, you have to pass an accredited advanced driving course (at your own expense) within a certain time period,and each time you are convicted, the test becomes more difficult, and if you don't pass you don't get your licence back until you do. The fiscal penalty would still remain, with an added penalty of taking up your free time. I am sure there would be private concerns queuing up for one of those franchises.
It is purely a safety issue, and as with most modern regimes, safety issues are addressed by proper training, and that is what this problem needs.

I'd agree that this would be good for offenses of a certain degree. (More than 30 Km/h over the limit perhaps) Not practical for 15 K over the limit.

I also don't think it should be labelled "advanced driving course". It should be something like "Safe driving basics". If you put someone through a course that labeled them "Advanced Driver" they would likely take that attitude onto the road.

On a lighter but semi serious note, do you think that the road toll would go up or down if all air bags where replaced by a 300mm long spike that shot out of the steering wheel and through your head? I personally think the road toll would reduce significantly8-) (Link it to the speedo.);)

Re the government propaganda on speeding. Roughly 2500 people per year are killed on our roads, let's be extremely generous and say 1000 of those deaths can be directly attributed to speeding. (As per your underlined text below - How do you arrive at these numbers?)
Now compare that with the 17000 deaths that are directly attributed to smoking, that is seventeen times the amount or 1600% more, yet speeding is illegal and smoking is legal? enough is enough, what a joke. (200% agree - Ban the sale of tobacco. Perhaps allow home grown for the addicted, but no commercial production.)
Think about it, don't just go along with it because that's what they tell you, that's what you all complain about when it comes to something you know and understand.


Speed is not the killer its a persons lack of experience to judge there ability to handle the conditions they are in at the time and mostly people think they are better than they really are. ( I fully agree) If speed was a killer you wouldnt have any race car drivers alive would you. Its one of the safest sports in the world. (They also have everyone going around the same way, with no cross-roads, pedestrians, animals, etc. etc.)

... If they dint only have fines in mind you would have more round abouts and less traffic lights. Can not put red light cameras on a round about can you. Round about work perfect (Have you driven out to the Brisbane airport recently???) and keep traffic flow its just the 10% of the public that can not drive for nuts and have to be told to start and stop because they have absolutely no ability to make a decision for themselves. Just watch when traffic lights fail and they all sit in there cars like someone took there batteries out.

I love it when that happens - I generally make my way into and through the intersection without showing hesitation. For he who hesitates is lost (or stuck in traffic)
....

Just my take on things......

[4x4frog]

I have a new Nissan and I can assure you the speedo is not accurate to within one kmh. I checked it againts a GPS and its at least 5kph out. I mentioned it to the dealer during a service and he informs me that speedos are only required to be within 5%. Not sure where he gets his information but I don't see how they can book you for 1 k over.
I find it a little hard to believe that they will book anyone for 101 in a 100 zone.

Cheers

Ian
Ian, that's probably about right. I know that the inaccuracy years ago was up to 10%, and if you read any report in any motoring magazine from almost anywhere in the world, they will have a speedo error graph at the end of the article for that particular car. I am yet to see one that is accurate. They used to even be inexplainably different at regular speed intervals.
I don't know how it would stack up in court if you could rpovide relative information that you aquired that proved you weren't to blame or didn't know about the inherent error in your car.

[finga]

A simple question or two if i may??

If speed cameras are supposed to reduce the road toll by slowing people down in known trouble spots then why did they install the camera at Byron Bay (St. Helena) 400-500 m from the known trouble spot??
At this camera you see people still doing their 80-100 going around the bad corner and hit the chocks when they get to the camera and then take off like the clappers just after the camera (that's on the downhill run and visa-versa on the uphill run)
They positioned the camera on a hill where there's a long straight which is nowhere near the corner.
They also took away the two uphill lanes and changed them back to single lanes.
Why??? Safety???
They also go from a 100km/hr zone to a 60km/hr zone in the middle of absolutely nowhere back to a 100km/hr zone within a 1-1.5km stretch of road.
Why???

They still have bad prangs there.

With all the money coming in from that camera alone they could have funded the bypass to alleviate that corner I reckon.

Or the speed camera just north of Wardell which is just south of Ballina.
It's also positioned well away from the known bad intersection in Wardell.
Prangs still happen in Wardell also.

Another question....why are road work zones generally 40km/hr where all the workers are supposed to be fairly intelligent and are behind safety barriers of some description and have flashing lights and traffic controllers and witches hats and have they've all done safety courses and all have done site inductions and.......etc etc etc when you can do 40km/hr in a school zone where the kiddies who are assumed to have no common sense aren't behind any barriers at all, no flashing lights no nothing except the lollypop lady at the closest pedestrian crossing or you can do 50 or 60km/hr in any suburban street where kids or pedestrians or anything can and does jump out??

When I worked I used to travel around the 400-500km/day when I did the regular country run.
In my first year I did 180,000km in the old 1 tonner.
I've never had an accident which was my fault (except hitting the odd roo or seven).
In all my years driving around this country IMO the dangerous drivers are definitely the ones who speed more then 30km/hr but also the people who do not consider the other people on the roads.
People who do not pull over to let other motorists pass if they are doing 80km/hr -90km/hr in a 100/110km/zone are just as dangerous to the general public as the extreme speedster.

People should be considerate to the other road users whether your driving on the road or putting up the road signs and then forgetting about them or what-ever.
People are supposed to be patient when driving. True but gee-wizz some people and things really test your patience to no end.

I was taught a saying by grandad...he who hesitates is bingled into