Fatality Free Friday - this Friday 28 May

[Deeceer]

This Friday is Fatality Free Friday, a day to all try to actually think about what we're doing behind the wheel. You can find out about it at Fatality Free Friday 2010

[Rocket36]

Personally, if you're not thinking about what you're doing EVERY TIME you get behind the wheel then you shouldn't be driving.

[maca]

Personally, if you're not thinking about what you're doing EVERY TIME you get behind the wheel then you shouldn't be driving.

Totally agree. We should be aiming for fatality free every day instead of making this extra effort for one day only. I understand why they do it, but it should be encouraged as a permanent skill.

I've signed my workplace up for the pledge, and will be sticking up the flyers.

[Buller_Scott]

im gonna guess that it DOES happen, but just by a pinch- there'll be a good bang up with a coma or two somewhere.

having a sexy ad campaign for ''fatality free friday'', it'd be interesting to know who came up with it, and what was written on their brainstorm board. chances are, it'd be utter horse plop.

i still say mandatory license tests every 3 years.

it'd wipe half the soccor moms in their porsche cayenne turbos off toorak roads in an instant [what a shame].

[maca]

im gonna guess that it DOES happen, but just by a pinch- there'll be a good bang up with a coma or two somewhere.

having a sexy ad campaign for ''fatality free friday'', it'd be interesting to know who came up with it, and what was written on their brainstorm board. chances are, it'd be utter horse plop.

i still say mandatory license tests every 3 years.

it'd wipe half the soccor moms in their porsche cayenne turbos off toorak roads in an instant [what a shame].

I quite like that idea. I'd be happy to take a driving test every 3 years.

[Buller_Scott]

same here. even at my own expense.

then i'd feel a little bit safer on the roads, knowing that at least the moms driving those porsche turbo suv's know how to actually navigate a shopping mall parking lot, and that people know that they need to indicate before doing formula one overtaking style lane changes.

[maca]

same here. even at my own expense.

then i'd feel a little bit safer on the roads, knowing that at least the moms driving those porsche turbo suv's know how to actually navigate a shopping mall parking lot, and that people know that they need to indicate before doing formula one overtaking style lane changes.

You've pretty much eliminated NSW from holding a license.

[Maverick]

This Friday is Fatality Free Friday, a day to all try to actually think about what we're doing behind the wheel. You can find out about it at Fatality Free Friday 2010

I'd like to see Moron Monday where all the idiots that come up with these days for everything all wear a ribbon so people that are sick and tired of these crusades can slap some sense into them.

As for Fatality Free Friday what a complete load of rubbish, this day will do nothing but piss away a heap of money and help the idiots that are involved feel better about themselves for the day. My pledge for Friday is to let idiots on the road know my dissatisfaction with their crappy driving through both audible and visual methods.

"The Aim of Fatality Free Friday

Road safety is a complex issue but we believe that if drivers consciously think about road safety and safe driving for just one Friday in the year, that day's toll - statistically about 5.3* deaths - could be reduced to zero.

That's our aim. Not a single road death in Australia for just one day. Just one Fatality Free Friday.

We believe that if drivers are asked to actively concentrate on road safety and safe driving for just one day in the year, they’ll drive safer for the next few days too and, over time, change their outlook completely, consciously thinking about safety each and every day they get behind the wheel."

So why don't drivers do this everyday? Maybe because at the end of the day there are other things to concentrate on not just driving safely like watching the speedo, watching for stupid pedestrians, looking for the constant changing speed zones (look at all the new 40kph zones in Brisbane, even parts of a street can now be 40kph), watching out for potholes, changes to lanes and road condition, watching out for mobile and fixed speed cameras, trying not to fall asleep with the ridiculously low speed limits and the list goes on.

Plus humans are prone to error, they will make mistakes and most of the time you get away with it but there are times when s**t happens and you end up dead on the side of the road because of your driving or someone else's. Put drivers on the road with a kellogs license and what do you really expect to occur? Constantly tell drivers that if they stick below the magical speed limit they will be safe drivers? Booking drivers for doing a few kilometres an hour over the speed limit via a ticket in the mail a few weeks later doesn't change driving behaviour and just reinforces the driver under the limit and you're safe rubbish. Actually having police patrolling the roads looking for idiots would be a good start but the return on investment is not as good as having a cop sit in a van on the side of the road reaping it in.

"Road Safety is a global issue that ranks as one of the most pressing matters facing society today. The social, economic and emotional costs are immense and these figures are poised to increase unless something is done, NOW.
......
Currently, around 1.2 million people are killed each year in road crashes around the world. That equates to more than 3000 people a week. In Australia the road toll is around 1600 to 1700 road fatalities and for every death approximately 10 people are injured. These figures are shocking and highlight the need for urgent action. This situation is not acceptable and the road toll should not be accepted as inevitable."

Personally I find the death toll in Australia given all the factors acceptable and don't see what the issue is, the notion that we can have zero deaths on the road shows the fantasy land that some people live in especially when driver training is so lacking and the only real enforcement on the road is for speeding.

Heck I might create my own day called Tolerance Free Tuesday where idiots on the road get told in no uncertain terms how stupid they are. This could be expanded into Wan**r Free Wednesday, To**er Free Thursday, ****tard Free Friday and Moron Free Monday. Or maybe everyone could just show zero tolerance to useless drivers everyday and drive to the best of their abilities.

[Buller_Scott]

its always going to be a heated topic, but i concur 100%

''We believe that if drivers are asked to actively concentrate on road safety and safe driving for just one day in the year....''

what a crock. i thought that was the whole point of getting tested for your P's- to verify that you ARE responsible, that you DO know the road rules, and that you DO display the levels of concentration and road awareness that are requisites for the privilege of driving?

pffft. this week alone [and i dont drive much these days, other than weekends], some of what i've seen:

>formula one lane changes
>lack of indication because why bother, there's no one for 4 car lengths behind
>backing out of a driveway at breakneck speed, onto a 3 lane highway, into the FOURTH lane [a dedicated turn-right lane]
>doing the limit, people pulling out of servos and timing things just nicely so that you have to brake heavily to avoid a rear-ender
>people driving at 100kmh on the freeway for kilometers, with an indicator on
>people holding up straight through traffic, because they just realised they have to turn right, so they stop, put on their indicator in the straight through lane next to the turn right lane, and wait for the turn right signal to turn green
>people waiting to turn right at tram tracks, then throwing their arms up to signify helplessness when tram drivers beep them for being in the way
>two lanes at the lights. across the intersection, left hand lane is blocked by parked cars. drivers moving out from behind you, into the next lane, to try to use the length of the intersection, to overtake you on the inside, ALWAYS cutting you off with little or no indication

the list goes on.

whatever happened to sensible driving, where people exercised good driver awareness and road etiquette?

i got a ticket for doing 63kmh along brunswick street. sorry for not having my eye on the speedo- i was too busy watching trams, cyclists [who have right of way in melbourne- "its the law"], people crossing the road from one cafe to another, buses turning in and out of side streets that get serviced by a bus route, etc etc. i get a fine for 3kmh over whilst keeping my eyes peeled raw to all the hustle and bustle that's going on around me, i get fined. yet people get away with the above every day, but do they get fined?

of course not. you're not a dangerous driver if you're safely doing 80kmh in the right hand lane of a 4 lane freeway, apparently....

[Rocket36]

>people waiting to turn right at tram tracks, then throwing their arms up to signify helplessness when tram drivers beep them for being in the way

Actually this is somewhat confusing to me. It is my understanding that where you're turning right across tram lines you have to do a hook turn if there's a hook turn sign (eg: off Colins St onto Russell St). But I'm pretty sure that if there's no hook turn sign it's a normal right hand turn (eg: heading towards Flinders St on Elizabeth St and turning right onto Burke St). Or am I wrong and it's just that there aren't hook turn signs at places where there should be?

[Buller_Scott]

ah, the good ole hook turn.

the hook turn, as far as i know, is only at something like a dozen intersections in the city/ couple in south melbourne too.

if there's no hook turn sign, it's a normal right hand turn, but in cases where the trams' AND the cars' lights are concurrently green, you're to move into the intersection but avoid obstructing the tram lines.

of course, what many melburnians dont realise is that this can be remedied simply by......... utilizing their side mirror [too much for some to do, apparently].

[gerhard]

I vote for a forum free friday.

No posts allowed on any forum.

Then we wouldn't read about the sort of rubbish in this thread.

Scott- you protest about many behaviours, most of which would only affect someone who is an impatient driver. Admitting to speeding in a busy, congested part of Melbourne with trams, cyclists, and pedestrians suggests you are such a driver.

[Jayse]

Actually this is somewhat confusing to me. It is my understanding that where you're turning right across tram lines you have to do a hook turn if there's a hook turn sign (eg: off Colins St onto Russell St). But I'm pretty sure that if there's no hook turn sign it's a normal right hand turn (eg: heading towards Flinders St on Elizabeth St and turning right onto Burke St). Or am I wrong and it's just that there aren't hook turn signs at places where there should be?

Yeah Rocket, what Scott said...only if signed as such and to actually take your turn when the lights turn amber..hoping no twat tries to shoot through the intersection as you turn.
Turning : VicRoads

Cheers,
Jayse.

[gerhard]

Yeah Rocket, what Scott said...only if signed as such and to actually take your turn when the lights turn amber..hoping no twat tries to shoot through the intersection as you turn.
Turning : VicRoads

Cheers,
Jayse.

You might want to read your link - for a hook turn you do NOT take your turn when the light turns amber, you wait until the light in your new direction of travel is green. That means the light you passed halfway through is well and truly red.

[Rocket36]

You might want to read your link - for a hook turn you do NOT take your turn when the light turns amber, you wait until the light in your new direction of travel is green. That means the light you passed halfway through is well and truly red.

yeah i knew that part - a hook turn basically changes you to follow the lights of the road you're turning into.