Remarkably, you might even say miraculously, this blog is written from The Other Side. I’m not willing to call it Heaven, because no one has handed me the keys to a Lamborghini yet, nor proffered a bottomless beer glass, but I am definitely dead. I must be, because a few days ago I drove at 276km/h, on a public road. That’s Speed, in anyone’s terms, and Speed Kills, as any Australian who can read will tell you.
The good news is that dying didn’t hurt a bit and, as far as I can tell, it’s still possible to eat burgers, flatulate and all my other favourite things.
My fatal flirting with Speed happened in Germany, a country that must be filled with zombies, if the RTA, TAC etc are to be believed, because they were all speeding, all the time, on their autobahns, which are like our freeways, only slightly narrower, in general, and with roughly a zillion times more traffic.
The car I was in was Porsche’s new Panamera and my 276km/h was merely the highest number I saw on the speedo, it wasn’t some one-off dash because we sat on at least 180km/h for some time, and made regular forays above 200km/h, at which point other people were still overtaking us. I tell you, death is SO enlivening.
There were times when we had to slow down, of course. At one stage traffic crawled along at just 140km/h and, when it rained, on sections that were deemed potentially slippery, a limit of 80km/h was imposed. This seemed very slow, but very sensible as well.
Of course, driving at uber speeds is fabulous fun, besides the having to die part, but it’s also hugely practical. We covered vast distances in very small periods of time, plus we found that our concentration was fiercely focused by the experience. No chance of nodding off at the wheel and being killed by Boredom.
The Germans are also entirely unlike us in the way that they keep to the slow line absolutely and religiously. Overtaking is a matter of serious intent when cars are coming up behind you almost too fast to see. They’re also pretty good around corners – ie they don’t jab the brakes in the middle of bends, Aussie style. Don’t think for a moment that the autobahns are all long, straight and boring. They put corners in them, seemingly just to make them more interesting at 250km/h. Fantastiche, I tell you.
Sadly, I’ve come to accept that there’s no way things will change in this country. Speed Kills, and speed limits only ever go down, not up, even as cars get safer, more stable at speed and better at stopping. So, if I can just develop a taste for bitter cabbage and albino sausages, I might just have to move to Germany. Who’s with me?
Count me in!
I too will join thee in Sprecken Ze Deutsche! I was in Germany not two years ago and have been dead ever since, as I took a taxi on the autobahn (yes you read correctly Taxi’s are in fact capapable of going 180kph and not being drunk I think) Unfortunately however the Germans are also a sensible people and thus are unlikely to drive old utes with enormous floodlights and Bundy stickers on them at retarded speeds straight into on coming traffic or trees. Unfortunate business that.
i have driven just about every where on this planet[my hobby] and i must say we are by far the worst drivers in the world,maybe a bit better than india and china.we are all talk and no action.yea like mark webber,just running on luck.
What about the music on the radio?, good or bad?
Me too.
OMFG!!! not spandau tango again, your f***ing hobby is to piss people off on this website. Yeah fair enough, were all not Sebastian Vettle or crazy German’s, but theres no way you can put us even close to the same category as indian drivers. Seriously mate, do us a favour and get off this website. Everyone read the what he said on TG Pub comments and just about every other one he has made.
and give webber a chance, as aussies we should all be happy and support him, this year being the closest he has ever been to that top step.
soz everyone, it wasnt Q that wrote the last comment, typo. lol
Wow, you mean, they actually understand that jabbing the brakes mid-corner is BAD? I may have to start organising a visa.
And Webber isn’t running on luck. He is just having less bad luck. He can drive… not as fast as Vettel, but less likely to make a mistake.
I suppose that means I’ll be dead by the end of next year, since I do plan to pay at least a short visit to the land of the autobahn next year while travelling around Europe.
I understand WHY the “speed kills” slogan gets used (“speed makes the accident you had because you weren’t paying attention much more likely to kill or cause serious injury” being much less snappy), but it still annoys me. Speed is not the be all and end all of road safety, and it’s not like anything that’s being done about speeding is having any influence on drivers. I think most people think of a speeding ticket as a bit of bad luck, rather than punishment for doing something wrong. And if the traffic on the M4 is anything to go by, the threat of death-by-speed, or of scoring a fine, isn’t slowing anyone down.
I’m still in favour of better driver education, and more transport alternatives for people who aren’t particularly good drivers. These days, a car is often essential, but the fact remains that some people probably shouldn’t be in control of a huge block of metal with wheels on. Providing suitable alternatives for people who really don’t WANT to drive, but feel they have to, would reduce the number of indifferent drivers on the road.
Anyway, I’d rather share the roads with people doing 200kmph with skill than people like the idiot who nearly ran into me the other day because he decided at the last minute that he needed to get from the middle lane to the exit ramp we were about to pass. Or the ones who treat lane lines like a serving suggestion rather than a rule. Or the ones doing 90 cause they’re on the phone who suddenly do 110 when I try to overtake them cause they suddenly notice they’re being overtaken by a P-plater. Or the ones who pull out from behind me and accelerate when I already had my blinker on, and that was my gap, god damn it!
*coughs* Yeah, I might get a little irritated by these things…a bit…
Ah geez, Corby, that was a VERY distorted account of German road conditions. Where were you driving? In TAFKAP, The Area Formerly Known As the Ph*cking DDR? True, no traffic there. As for the rest of the Autobahn: there’s speed limits on an estimated 80% of them, they’re pot-holed – or down to one lane because of road works aimed at removing the pot-holes – and with the constant influx of let’s-just-all-call-’m-to urists over the last decade or so, the stick-to-the-right rule has fluxed out. I’m forced to go on them roads regularly because of in-laws requiring maintenance, and honestly, the conditions have deteriorated. I know, because I’ve lived and driven in Portugal, Italy and Spain respectively since 2002, and I can hardly tell the difference anymore between Southern European road tactics and the Autobahn mentality. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of overtaking a middle lane driver on the right; today, you have to because the middle lane is blocked by a Polish truck going 90 km/h and the left lane by an overtaking car going 92, the driver of which generally pulled out without blinking or adequately estimating the speed of the traffic behind him, thus causing the whole left lane to slam the brakes.
Feel free to move to Germany nonetheless though, especially if Australia really is worse in the driving department; the mustard with those sausages is very tasty indeed.
i regularly do 140 to 180 and up tp 200km/h on the quieter country roads in Australia.
this is because my vehicle does those speeds safely and well within its parameters. it will go to 320km/h standard from the manufacturer.
this is not bragging. its true you must watch out for tractors and utes coming out at times.
and i am not alone i have been tail gated often!!!!
Twice by 20 year old girls, who passed me.
modern vehicles can cope with our worn out roads really well.
Thankyou Mister Q who isn’t Q.
You put that succinctly and perfectly accurate.
If only Spandau understood himself as well as we did…. Grrr.
Is the Autobahn really that bad? That would be a sign of degrading infrastructure in Germany and I had no idea they were having economic trouble. I’d assume that’d be the only reason Germany would let its prized autobahns go astray.
Still, I think the problem in Australia is driver training. The government puts patchy solutions in place, but do they really work? My driving instructor is an idiot, my parents dont know the road rules very well, everyone speeds 10km over just to save five seconds off the daily commute, im not allowed to drive a 1980’s Saab but if I ever get my hands on a Lotus Elise or Porsche Boxter or Golf R32, go for it!!! Its ridiculous, driver training is the key!
“I had no idea they were having economic trouble.” You’re just kidding there, aren’t you? Please say you are.
Wunderbar!! German beer, cars & wenches. Sounds good. Hang on, doesn’t Germany have Germans living there? That could be a problem.
Tom, “my driving instructor is an idiot”? “My parents don’t know the road rules very well”? Does that mean you know better? Sounds like your attitude is the problem, young people think they know better than those with experience & don’t listen to a thing they are told. Your right Tom, driver training is the key, may I suggest you get yourself some.
wyld1 you must live in the NT, yes? And excuse my cynicism, but what sort of car do you have that does 320km/h? And where did the snake go?
Annemarie, I exaggerate not, but it is important to remember that we were guided where to drive by Porsche, who no doubt went to a lot of trouble to make sure we were on the best, and least crowded, Autobahns. We drove south from Munich to the Schloss Hotel, if you’re looking for the good road.
Marrrrvellous I tell you.
Spandau Ballet – once again, you prove the old adage that one merely has to prove stupidity by opening one’s mouth. For the love of christ, piss off.
what have i done now?dont you gays like me.
most taxi drivers are indians IQ 0,is there a reason for that?are they better drivers,?.they wont employ white boys because they are usually wrapped around a gum tree.
Amen!! Tell those daft buggers at the RTA to increase the speed limit to “whetever you like, as long as you’re not in a residential / city area” instead of having 1300 different speed zones so that, no matter where you are, you constantly have to think “Sh*t, what’s the speed limit again? Are there cops here? Am I going to go to gaol and come out looking like a doughnut?” The higher the speeds, the less people have to look at their speedo’s (nasty thought) the better.
SWEEEEEET!!! Sounds like fun to me. I would go to Germany any day now.
GOMe,tom is so bloody good,it takes him 1hour to do a repair on a car,that takes a professional mechanic 3 hours,and he cant even make sence of a repair manual,.tom my stupid stupid friend ,for you own safety and others around you ,pad your room and dont leave it.
The biggest problem with low speed limitsis that instead of looking at the road, people (myself included) look at the speedo instead of the road. Most roads you can only go 50-60 anyway. So cmon govt, raise the speed limit.
I agree with many of the points you make in your blog. I have driven in Germany, Poland, Greece and Australia. Australian drivers are crap. There is no denying it. We are not taught to be good drivers. The standards and knowledge required to obtain a drivers license in Germany (and some other European countries) are far higher and it shows.
Why can’t we have the same standards here?
GT3RS.. I agree about the low speed limits. I constantly catch myself not concentrating and both eyes and mind wandering. When the speed limit is a little higher, I find that I have both hands on the wheel, I am checking my surroundings (not just tunnel vision in front) and concentrating.
One more thing… KEEP LEFT people. Being overtaken is going to happen no matter how hard you try to stop it. There’s nothing wrong with it. Sometimes you get overtaken, sometimes people will overtake you. We should be trying to make the traffic as smooth as possible, not trying to hinder everyone.
I’m so frustrated every time I think about this topic.
Europe is not really much better to drive around than here!!- its just that the people on the road have greater maturity!
(less dickhead factor maybe?!)
Spandau – your not taking your medication again are you??
guess what,butt lickers,I AM THE STIG.
In addition to b: that’s true, and personally, I blame the system that allows future road users to be trained by current road users, regardless of the latters’ ability to use the road properly. In Germany and Holland, you have to undergo rigorous training in the presence of a licensed instructor; people are generally forced to take between 10-20 classes (this is after you’ve passed a theory exam), and the actual exam is a nightmare that keeps EVERY examinee wide awake in the week leading up to it. The training is expensive but at least people are aware of what driving is about, what to look out for once they’re allowed on the road by themselves. (And there’s no P-plate period either; once you’ve passed the exam, you can go full speed ahead – whilst heeding the speed limits, of course.)
In some other European countries, however, getting your license is merely a matter of cutting out the coupon on your breakfast cereal carton. Needless to say, people drive accordingly.
I agree that our driver education is a bit poor. Look at finland, they have to do an advance driving course, they go out on the skid pans, drive agressivly in the wet & its not some potter around the city where you have one driving instructor contradicting the other.
How about the money the goverment takes from me for doing 110 in a 100km/h zone and spend it on proper education for the young drivers……
And in time up the speed limit
if spandau tango is the stig, i will probably kill myself.
but i doubt it, considering what he has said about top gear
p.s. our roads will never be as good as Europe, and if the speed limits don’t get lifted and the driving courses don’t get improved to get rid of all the crap drivers out there, we’re in alot of trouble.
But our roads – the main ones, like the Hume from Sydney to Melbourne, and Sydney to Canberra in particular – are BETTER than the ones in Germany – wider lanes, and more of them, better vision (less pine trees six feet from the edge), you name it. Better. Germans must go mad when they drive here.
Unknown, the good roads in Europe are the ones you have to pay for to use them (the péage in France, e.g.). Germany doesn’t have toll roads, as there are too many exits to make it feasible. Stephen’s right, the German roads aren’t exceptionally good (some of them are downright crappy, especially the ones that are basically a bunch of slabs glued together in a long line, which are horrendous when it rains), it’s just that the drivers are better educated. Or used to be, because now that all of Eastern Europe is on the Autobahn (every second car has a Polish/Slovak or Czech license plate), a lot of its former appeal has gone down the drain.
Re driver education. All drivers should check their speed on a gps unit, which surprisingly will be far more accurate than the speedo in their car. It is frustrating that so many people clearly don’t realise that 100 on their speedo means about 92 for real.
Unknown,let me help you,i would be glad to shoot you,.also oz has the best driving and road conditions in the world,but it has the worst drivers,.iv driven in europe on sold ice 100+kmph,if that was to happen here,every one would be wrapped around a gum tree.down at the snowy ,doing 10kmph with chains on is about the limit of talent.
hello annie,long time no blog,little rigid has been asking about you.and little r,good point ,iv done that,in every car iv driven.i guess youve heard ,im the stig…..
also annie,i must agree about the eastern euro drivers,they are all geniuses,just ask them,just like some of the bloggers here, and drivers.
Yeah sorry Stephen and everyone (except spandau tango), what i meant was that driving on our roads with those retarted people will never be as good as in Europe, not that our roads are physically bad. We’ve just got those people who can’t drive taking up space on the road, GET THEM OFF.
Spandau, suddenly decided to go soft in your last comment have you?
unknow,get some driving lessons,learn to overtake,learn to undertake,relax,the suburban streets are not race tracks.maybe you should go to the race track and learn how its realy done,there you will realise that you cant even drive at all,so my advise to you is hand in your license and use public transport.
Unknown, you need to learn to accomodate other people and their retardation. Some people have a very funny rrrretardation.
Conditions in Europe are appropriate for driving in Europe. COnditions in Australia are appropriate for driving in Australia.
I fail to understand your whine. You should be driving to conditions here, not over there.
Little Bits, your the one suggesting that we should all drive 8km/h faster than our speedo tells us to. So dont start saying that the driving conditions in Australia are as good as they can be and we should all drive the way the retards do, because the conditions can easily be made better by the government. if they could be bothered.
Don’t start me up, unknown. I’m not kidding. If you go 100kph, according to your speedo, you’re already a f***kn tosser coz the cops can’t do you till you’re 10 % over, or 3kph over for a fixed camera, in Victoria. So to do 92 kph, in a 100kph zone, is so retarded so as not to be funny anymore. I will overtake you and cut in on you. I’m required to do up to 1000 km in a day, and your 92 out of a dollar is totally lame, especially when your narky arse could do 105, or 115-116 before you could potentially get booked. That’s if there’s ‘more patrols than before’, or 2 coppers instead of the usual 1 per 300km.
Are you a retard? You sound like a Gen Y, by the way you blame others.
Unknown, your Chaffgedi in a caravan aren’t you? How’s the fuel economy, you poor fuc*in loser. 100 on your speedo is 92, get it into your thick head. I do 120,000km a year in three states of Oz, and I have a spotless licence. 109 kph on your speedo is 101kph for real. You are a narky moron, and you smell of dope.
Why hullo, Little Bits, you’re back after such a prolonged absence!
Glad to see you’re still in full swing!
Little Bits said…It is frustrating that so many people clearly don’t realise that 100 on their speedo means about 92 for real.
you are such a gronk, my speedo is bang on, but if you change anything in the drive line that can ajust you speedo, even a simple thing like adding mag wheels with incorect tire size can put your speedo out by as much as 10%
Mr Corby,
Since you are either dead, or in Germany (possibly both), can I have your job?
I don’t know how you cope with all those supercars and junkets overseas, but I am willing to give it a go…
i have a couple of questions. why is it that i can drive at 100km/h on a back country road with no centre lines, no cats eyes, no armco’s, no run offs, no break down lanes, no street lights, and nothing other than kangaroos or trees to stop you if you do lose control?
Yet i can travel a whole 10 km/h faster on a freeway with all these things except the trees? Is it because there is more traffic? Is that really more dangerous than a back country road late at night? Or is it because there are more people to FINE on the freeways?
Also why does the rta say that motor cycle riders need rider training yet people in cars don’t? The average driver i see is, allergic to the indicator, sexually attracted to the horn, and thinks that if they let you merge into their lane that the terrorists win.
And finally what REALLY makes me angry, is when I turn on the news and hear about a tragic car accident which was caused SOLELY by speed. SPEED? Not an untrained driver? Not someone who was too busy looking at their speedo and for cameras instead of the road ahead? not an idiot? Nope speed. The RTA is run by wombats stupid useless wombats.
Corby, even in NT he couldn’t do those speeds legally, alas the NT is limited to 130Kph now days : ( *weeps uncontrollably*
I agree, driver training and attitudes is a huge problem. Honestly, with the wankers that are on our roads, I wouldn’t want them doing over 110Kph anyway.
Everyone is off in la-la land these days. In the 9 years since I got my L’s I’ve never had a bingle of any kind until a couple of weeks ago when I was backing out of a parking space and the knob jockey that was parked directly behind be whacked his new Falco V8 into reverse and backed right into me, I was almost entirely out of the parking spot, I tooted the horn and everything, but just couldn’t avoid it. I was not f***ing happy Jan! I mean the tw@t mustn’t have even looked, err pay a bit of attention FFS! And therein lies the problem, oh you don’t need to pay attention, we’ll put reversing sensors on the car, nah don’t worry about that two year old child playing over there, we’ll bung a camera there.
The more they make safety modifications to vehicles, the more zombiefied drivers become. We’re far too reliant on the tech in this country, people don’t treat it like you’re actually driving, which is evidenced by the amount of drivers these days that don’t drive manuals “oh I’m too precious to pay attention to the vehicle and change gears, that’s far too much for my pretty little brain to handle, I just want to put my foot down.”
Then there’s the f*ing soccer mums in the Forresters, don’t get me started on them!
Actually, I could rant all day about the various Bronsons on the road…
I’ll just leave it by saying that my little Barina dinted the f*k out of that Falco and was barely scratched itself hehehe >: )
AND ANOTHER EFFING THING! what was the rta thinking with the p plate re3strictions? so i cant drive a vw golf GTI with airbags, abs, traction control, esp, active head restraints, and a five star safety rating. But i can drive a rust bucket VL commodore with none of those safety features? im not saying there should be no restrictions what so ever but perhaps instead of banning forced induction cars or “high performance” cars wouldn’t a ban on cars with a power to weight ration be more effective? Oh and before you say that you can have a restricted car if it is the only one in the family…. you can’t! the rta have stated themselves that a high performance car being the only car in a household is not a good enough reason. On the rta website it says that if the household car is a restricted model, you will have to give a good reason as to why you have to drive this car and why public transport is not a good enough option. If your only reason is that it is the only car in the famliy the rta will not accept your application. I’m not making this up i phoned the rta and checked and got some perplexing answers. here is what happened, Q1. my parents have a golf gti and it is the only car in the family am i able to drive that car if i apply for an exception? Answer: ” no having that as the only car is not an acceptable enough reason to apply for an excemption”. Q2. why not? what else am i supposed to drive? answer: ” your reason is not acceptable enough because you live in an area that has sufficient public transport so you do not need to drive this restricted car” now i live in newport, and to get to sydney where i have uni takes 1.5 hours and thats not even in peak hour oh and the bus only comes every 30 minutes!. Q3. What else can i drive then?!?!?! answer: you will have to take public transport or purchase another car. Q4. what was the point in getting my p plates if i cannot drive? no answer. as i said on my last comment the rta i run buy useless wombats. Or atleast sadistic morons.
The P plate laws make little sense to me, and less when I see people with said plates driving Rexes and Evos. What is with that?
Of course, I’m so old that when I got my licence there was no such thing as P plates – at least in the ACT – so the whole concept mystifies me, particularly the bit where we make them into moving chicanes by forcing them to drive at 80km/h on the freeway. Madness.
I absolutely agree, it’s about time someone woke up!
A few actual facts from TRLs 323, 325, 595, and other:
*Speeding only directly causes 4% of accidents.
*Speed cameras have actually INCREASED the accident rate by up to 55% in some cases!
*Speed cameras will never stop speeding, because the reasons for speeding are so varied.
*The way speed limits are set was changed to suit when speed cameras were introduced, the “85th Percentile” rule was used prior.
*The second fastest 10% of drivers has the least accidents.
*Before the Northern Territory introduced speed limits, their accident rate was in steady decline. After speed limits were introduced, they experienced a “sharp rise” is accidents.
Perhaps the slogan should be, “Speed pays the bills.”
I’m not blaming the police, they’re just doing a job and being spoon-fed garbage by their respective state governments.
It’s also important to note that I’m not promoting illegal activities, I’m promoting a responsible and accountable government.
I still blame the police. If you’ve ever seen the spot where they sit on Anzac Bridge in Sydney, a four-lane stretch of road that’s a 60km/h zone, you’d know that they choose enforce fines without any thought for road safety or doing good. They’re lazy, and they’re filling quotas.
Annemarie, you just watch it. You’re a cheeky little smart-arse.
Im there with you mate! i was in your same situation 2 years ago on a euro trip, we covered 6000km in 19 days including 3 laps of the Nurburg ring in a TDI VW Golf hire car. best driving experience ever. I think the Germans are some of the best road drivers in the world, they have respect for other road users and intern demand respect.
corby ,canberra,are you from the Paul Gover school of fwits.
M88 – That’s shit! It’s been a long time since I was on my Ps and the rules have changed here in Vic since then, but if memory serves, the restrictions were based on power to weight ratio. I remember being able to drive the old V8 HZ on my Ls but not on my Ps, so I drove the HJ instead.
I’m thinking it would be better to have a system a bit like the US where they have driver ed in their schools, but with proper teachers and intensive driver training in all conditions with all kinds of cars.
Another thing that shits me is when people can’t get up to speed on a freeway ramp, there’s tons of room to get up to 110Kph yet they insist on merging at 80Kph! WTF?
Though I do think that excuse that accidents are caused by people watching their speedos because they’re afraid of getting fined is a bit of a cop out. If you’re even half paying attention to your vehicle, you know what speed you’re doing without looking at the speedo, your body and senses should be tuned to how many revs you’re doing and your speed. I almost never look at my tacho and I rarely bother to look at my speedo because my ears, feet, hands and arse can tell me exactly what I’m doing, even when I have the radio blaring and can’t hear the car, I feel it; I know exactly the difference in feel between 110Kph and 120Kph, taking road surface into account, no need to look at the speedo (same goes for 50/55/60/65Kph). So I honestly think if you’re spending time looking at the speedo instead of paying attention to the road, then you’re a shit driver and shouldn’t be behind the wheel in the first place.
More of my 2 cents : )
katie dk. In Victoria there is a power to weight ratio system that works but if you had read carefully you would have seen that i mentioned the rta and Sydney. i live in NSW and the RTA doesn’t use a power to weight ratio system to tell us what cars are restricted. They base it off what cars have forced induction or more than 6 cylinders, and that’s it! The victorian system from what i have heard works pretty well but not our system.
Also i agree with you that a good driver should be able to feel how fast their car is travelling. I am usually between 2 and at the worst 5 km/h of the posted speed limit without having to look at my speedo. But many drivers on the road seem to surge alot and jab their brakes after they realise they have sped up. They don’t seem to be able keep a constant pace. This only leaves me with one conclusion… they must not be able to feel how fast they are going and as a result rely on their speedo to get them through this of course means that they are not watching the road or for other hazards.
My vehicle is a 2006 kawasaki zx1400. My other is a standard Holden ute with a chev v8.
I live in WA not the NT.
I am not into speed but like torque in a vehicle, so that it does not die down going uphill or puling a trailer or van.
We do not need to sit on 110km/h on most of our roads.
Most of us are responsible enough to choose our speed and drive to the capacity of our vehicles.
My bike is doing about 4500 rpm @ 130/140 km/h and will rev to 11,000. It will also go down to 2000 rpm in 6th gear and accelerate away to what I consider fast in seconds. You never have to thrash it to keep up with P platers, girls late for work or tradesmen heading for home.
Speed limits indicate disempowerment of society by Despots in the non elected government who decide on the speed limits and the location of them. We are already a society with questionable integrity or independent thought.
Increased bureaucracy and less emphasis on personal integrity is part of our over mentored effete society today.
Go fast where you KNOW it is safe to do so is a political statement and an act of civil disobedience.
I practise it often and without endangering myself or others and still go 20 to 30 km/h faster than the posted speed.
110KM/H on an empty wide sealed road is too slow, especially if you have to travel 160 km’s one way to the nearest big town.
Also going at a certain speed reduces fatique as you are travelling for less time plus being kept alert and focussed.
wyld1,your point about the trades men heading home,in a hurry,it seems that a lot of people do not go to the toilet before leaving work to go home,causing insane driving behaviour,[this will be uncovered in the media soon],it is a major problem that has been over looked for a long time,.
The government in this country have stumbled upon such a cash cow and they use some of this additional “tax” on road users to market a lame ass speed kills campaign to support it. Now that they depend on the money this will only ever get worse unfortunately
why is it bad to jab the brakes in mid corner?
djb, because mid corner is when you should be hitting the accelerator, not banging your foot onto the brakes coz you overcooked the entry.
Boggy, comment 59, I haven’t been hit with a speeding fine or any other fine for over four years. If you’re so against this extra ‘tax’ it is totally within your control to deny the government. Stupid.
ooh thanks little bits, i kinda thought the reason would be something like that but then thought hey maybe theres a more technical side to it.
Speed doesn’t kill, sh** drivers do
The problem with high speeds in oz is the road quality. I live near some backroads and even in a 911 turbo it is too unstable over about 200 kmh
Interesting comments guys! I so strongly agree with MOST of the stuff you have to say. Another thing which really gives me the shits though is the 80kph speed limit enforced on Learners. Anyone giving lessons to a learner is supposed to be responsible, which, I would assume, would mean not allowing them to speed. Next thing you know, you have crazy P platers out on the road, just itching to test their metal, and with no real idea how to handle a car at speed. For god’s sake take the speed limit off the learners and let them learn to drive properly!
I drive a big vehicle in the city day in day out.
I see idiots in big cars. I see idiots in small cars. I see morons from Asia. From Africa. From Europe.
How much power is NOT the issue.
How much BRAIN is attached to the stop and go pedals, ahhh, now that is a different story.
It is not just driving. It is such a simple idea as crossing a road safely.
Most people just dont give a shit anymore about anything. They know how to pass a test so they can drive n f*** you jack Im ok. They know how to walk so I get to try missing their precious arses when they step out in front of me on George St because this song is just to DIE for, so they nearly do.
I visit Victoria regularly.
They are the worst drivers in the country.
SA used to be the best.
I think perhaps WA has the honours now.
I know i thank the gods whenever i cross the Murray back into NSW though – noone is ACTIVELY trying to kill me.
BTW
the gormless fuckwit who thought camry V Mercedes Bus = camry
suck shit hope the cops paid you a visit ya git.
Hit n run is still hit n run.
M88 – I realise you were talking about NSW RTA, but I was just illustrating a difference between NSW and Vic (though it’s probably the same here in Vic now anyway).
I don’t think it really should matter how “powerful” your vehicle is, after all, legally you can’t go over the speed limit, so in the eyes of the RTA, what is the difference between a lawnmower and an 8 cylinder? It’s how you drive it that makes all the difference, I have dragged many people off at traffic lights driving better cars than mine, the reason I win: I’m a better driver, I know how to change gears. Put the Stig in a Barina and a hairdresser in a HSV R8, the Stig is going to win while the hairdresser is looking for the clutch, and if she was driving a hatchback she’d just as easily crash it whilst doing her make-up and texting.
The thing is, IF you’re going to do high speeds, it’s better in a vehicle that is designed to do high speeds, I mean on certain roads I travel regularly I do 170Kph in the Barina, and at about 160Kph on a clapped out country road it starts to get a little jittery and at 170 you know you’re in a Barina; contrast 170 in a Calais on the same road, you barely feel it. You’re not going to stop kids from speeding if they’re that way inclined, and if they’re going to do it, they really should be in a vehicle that can handle the speed.
Watch the video of James May and Hakkinen in Finland, there are kids participating in rally races, if that was here in Australia there’d be some family group doing the Helen Lovejoy catch cry of “won’t somebody please think of the children”
It’s all about driver training and attitudes, any vehicle is only as safe or dangerous as the person behind the wheel.
Also:
wyld1 – I like your brand of civil disobedience and political disillusionment : D
KatieDK,im sure you are correct ,but only on a straight open road,on twisty or suburban streets ,a p plater in a v8 in most cases will be wrapped around a gum tree.
spandau tango – far be it for me to take anything uttered by a man of your reputation seriously; but, that is a reflection on driver ability, not the car they’re driving. You can wrap a small car around a tree just as easily (if not more so) as a big 8.
OK now for my turn. If the government, NRMA, RTA and all of these other motoring groups are serious about driver training then the following needs to happen.
All cars that are written off through insurance for such things as hail damage etc. should be donated to high schools across the land. Then driver training from the age of 12 or 14 should be implemented at ALL schools across Australia conducted by teachers at that school that have completed some form of driver training, similar to what the septics do in the States or as reported in Captain Slows’ story with Mika.
The Fins started their youth driver training program because of the condition of the roads over there…… snow, ice, lots and lots of trees, big big dips in the roads. In Australia I believe our road conditions are bad enough to warrant a similar program (that is if our kids are worth as much to us). A lot of our kids drive in the bush where they have such things as kangaroos destroying the front end, wombats tearing the underside out, or echidnas spiking every tyre they get near. Add to that the changing road conditions from nice smooth tar (in the city) to pot holed ridden, uneven roads that all of a sudden turn in to dirt tracks and most of the time with dirty great big trees along both sides.
OK so I got a bit sidetracked from your article Corbs but it would be totally negligent on our part to open up the speed limits if we are not going to do anything about increasing the standard of driving skill our kids are learning. 2 of my kids (14 & 17) have both had some experience behind the wheel. OK they can’t do a scandanavian flick next but they can brake the car quickly without locking up on dirt and tar with me yelling in their ear to add to their stress levels. Might not be perfect but it’s better than just letting them put around quiet roads with no traffic in order to get their licence.
And who here wouldn’t have enjoyed learning how to scandanavian flick a car as part of their exam. Thanks for reading guys.
God that hurt to write……… that the septics do something better than us. I may never be the same again. And here I was thinking that the only thing they did better than us was start wars.
that is some inpresive speed manthe fastest i’ve gone on a public road is 175km/h i had to slow down because there was a cat on the road you should be proud of yourself congrats
Zach what the hell are you on about? You’ve been hitting doobies again haven’t you Dad?
Driver training is a wank. What we need to do is make people realise that their perceived cock-size (yes young ladies, I’m talking to you), and the brute power of their machine shouldn’t dictate their behaviour on public roads.
Drive safe, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. That should be the message. You don’t need to do a driving course to ahcieve that. Just pull your head out of your arse, consider others and their likely lack of driving skill, and leave your ego at home. That should be the message.
If you tell people they should do additional driver training, which you know the vast majority of people will not, then you imply that those who have done driver training are somehow superior to those who do not do additional training.
While it may be true that extra driver training would teach people extra skills, you are still driving on average roads, surrounded by young drivers, old drivers, people who are drunk, people on drugs, people who are texting their gimp while driving, people reading books, applying face paint, morons, crazy people who don’t care, etc.
To just pull your head in, and drive careful and alert, would save many many more lives than additional driver training.
Little Bits – I agree to a point in what you’re saying, but how exactly do you achieve this? You’re talking about effecting a mass change in culture and psychology, the people who are likely to pull their head in and drive for the deficiencies of other drivers are already doing so. What needs to happen is a change in psychology to stop people texting their gimps (was that gimps or pimps? Either way LMAO), driving drunk and people driving beyond their capabilities and the conditions (like tw@ts that insist on speeding in fog, I like speed, but that’s just plain idiotic and pisses me off).
It would seem to me that the easiest way to change driver attitudes would be when they’re young and learning, and our current system has shit drivers teaching their kids to be shit and as long as you do five lessons with an instructor you’re going to get your licence.
As far as spending money on teaching kids to drive in school, with the money they piss away on teaching kids pottery and other crap that’s as useless as t!ts on a bull, you could fund a proper driver training program producing safer drivers instead of a plethora of misshapen bowls that look like a lump of excrement and end up getting pawned off onto poor mothers the nation over to be “ever so proudly” displayed on the mantle piece between last year’s wooden bandicoot and the grade 3 origami crane that was made after the teacher read “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes” and now looks like it’s contracted bird flu and is ready for the chop at KFC.
Hmmm, I think I went off on a tangent somewhere there… : P
YAY i beat my old speed record i’ve been wanting to do that for a while but there’s so many whinges and nanny’s on the road who can’t lern to mind there own bussiness i got my car up to 190km/h i wanted to crack 200km/h but i needed time to slow down for a corner that i wanted
oh and just so you know i never have done exta driver training i just know how to drive fast saftley i do agree with little bits totally thou by the way i do drive normal most of the time and i would never put peoples lives at risk just to satisfy my own personal thrills
Ohhhhh! I wish australia had autobahns.It would make driving so more err, enjoyable.
Hey Wyld1, if ya’ like torque so much man; ya’ need ta’ getta diesel!!!! They’ve got all the torgue down low……..where ya’ need it most!!
Best of all, a diesel car/4wd will pull up a hill all day and still use less fuel than a petrol vehicle!!!!!
We tow a triple horse float with a Patrol 3.0ltr turbo oiler and I tell ya’ what…… a 3.0ltr petrol, (even with a turbo fitted); wouldn’t have a hope!!!!
P.S. I agree with the other guys Spandau, hit the bricks man!!!!!
P.P.S. Charles; you made some fair comments buddy, cheers!!
Speed Demon – your one of those wankers that we are talking about on here. You seem to think it is more important to break your speed record than to drive within your limits & make sure you don’t kill anyone. What are ya gunna do if a kid steps out in front of you fu@*stick? Your a fu@*ing idiot. Your clearly doing this crap on city streets. You hit one of my kids in the street & I would gut you where you stand. Your a moron, a tosser & you show all that is wrong with drivers & thier attitudes these days. Piss off out in the middle of the bush where the only thing to kill is a couple of roos & your own idiotic arse. Idiot.
Diet41 – I don’t think your diesel is quite what Wyld1 is after. He (assuming male) seems more interested in top speed & getting there quickly. Yes your diesel has lots of torque & is great for towing but I don,t think Wyld1 is towing a whole lot. There would also be a lack of hills because it sounds like Wyld1 is outback somewhere & there aren’t many hills.
Spandau – I watch the news, I see kids dead in another speed/alcohol related crash, I see thier jap turbo 4cyl mangled. Gotta be honest with you I don’t see many V8 prangs on the news except for when an AFL player writes off thier latest toy. I watch the idiots on the streets, I see idiots in V8’s for sure, but I see far more dangerous idiots in thier WRX or Evo, then there’s the rash of txt while I’m driving ‘coz I’m so important hairdressers. Driver traing is the key. Your right the general attitude on the roads is fu@* you I’m right jack & the world would be a better place if people changed thier attitudes abit, but let’s face it, you can’t make people change thier attitude, you can force them into driver training. That will go along way towrds fixing that attitude up when they are driving. It will at least give the rest of us a better chance as now that idiot has at least a little bit of skill to back up thier arrogance & self-importance.
You can die doing speeds of 60 kph so why dont just put our riggs in low range and putt along. Our roads are way to slow and so are the so are th drivers in perth. Speed can only kill you if you have an impacked so why dont people learn to watch the road, that funny black thing made of tar and keep the flow going.What is the point of having fast cars that handle like dreams when you have no wear to have fun on it. If the government was serious about stopping speeding they would give us a race trackes in all the cities and let people take anger out for FREE. They can use the money from the speed camer’s.
Surely speed is dangerous when you exceed your personal ability to process road conditions, vehicle behaviour and potential hazards.
As speed increases our brain eventually can only process less and less. As the 300+ km/h zone is entered most of us cease to sight see.
The rush down the tunnel of reduced vision, the seat of pants roller coaster as the suspension works beneath you, serene on the tank as I pass my personal milestone of 83 km/h through the local shopping mall and through the car park of the primary school.
Gotta diesel a 3 litre Navara dual cab.
Torque yes.
Petrol machines can have heaps of torque as well, usually I presume , if they have big engines and are unstressed.
The issue as I see it is we should be alowed to make our own judgement on what speed is appropriate and enjoy whatever performance our vehicle has. I F i had a Ferrari I would drive it at 231 km/h, especially if it was red, on Julimar Road and I was a test driver for a magazine or Top Gear.
When I got a liscense there was no speed limit on the open road.
My Dad used to drive at 140 mph cos his car could do so. We used to complain cos we could never sight see. Gorgeous countryside and historical buildings would pass in a smudged oil paint blur.
President Nixon said why build automobiles that can do over 80 mph and have a 55 mph speed limit?
Speed limits were invented by persons who need an externalised disciplinary process rather than having an iner process of commonsense and integrity.
I always slow down when driving through the footy oval especially when the players are on it as I think its only right we should show consideration for other road users, especially for the poor ones who have to walk or run chasing a ball or walking dogs on leads down footpaths where we the elite care to drive our symbols of power and wealth if we so chose. Drive around the pedestrians is the way to go.
If you have a quality vehicle they do not slow down going uphill, the torque will seem to flatten any hill and compress any distance.
A first class vehicle will roll effortlessly over any road, up any hill. The world is flat and everywhere is closeby to the few who are priveledged to drive or ride the finest engineered transport.
Jeremy knows this . I know this. The driver of a 3 wheel Reliant does not know this. The Elite shall inherit the highway of the King and the Petrol thereof for his Ferrari shall be abundant as even the Manna was for the Wandering Ones on their Camel.
is there no such thing as being lucky Speed Demon? A “bush type” area on an “open highway”. Well which one is it Demon? It’s either an open road or it’s got bush either side that you can’t see into. Sounds like the same sort of road I used to ride my pushie along when I was a kid. I do hope you know your area really well & all the kids that are in it, you just never know when they might pop up. People never would have thought there was anyone in the bush area I’m from, yet I could ride my bike 5km & be able to visit half a dozen mates who also lived in the middle of nowhere. My point is Demon, your living very dangerously. You might know your abilities,you might know your vehicle & you might even have a decent amount of skill but you don’t know if there’s a kid on a bike or a roo about to appear from nowhere. Sounds like you get around at speed with no problems like most people do. It’s fine until you do end up with that time you do have a problem. At 200 kmh, there’s a good chance that problem will become fatal for someone because your reactions just are not that fast. Sorry, no ones reactions are that fast. Your relying on luck & if a driver relies on luck thay will come unstuck eventually, no matter who they are, what car thay drive or where they drive it.
Congratulations Speed Demon. Commenting about how fast you can go and breaking your own speed record is exactly the kind of fuel that the state governments need to make our lives truly miserable as road users. It’s because of kiddies like you (I assume you’re only a kid…… I hope you’re only a kid) that believe that they’re all a cross between Schumacker and Superman that our road tolls are as high as they are. It’s unfortunate but there are kids who get on these forums and read the posts and believe that the people writing them actually know what they are talking about and then they read from a moron like you that it’s ok to speed as long as they know their cars limitations and their own, and they go out to the bush to do it. Great! Thanks! Send all of these weekend suicide bombers to the bush. There they have many choices on how they wish to die. They could come around a corner and plough into the back of a truck that has just pulled out from a quarry or mine (yes we have lots of those in the bush). Or they could end their lives with one of the many beautiful animals that we have in the bush…… and I don’t just mean a little kitty cat. Their next choice for instant death would be one of the many many huge trees that always seem to appear right on the apex or a corner. And if that wasn’t enough for them then they could always come round a corner driving like a moron (speed demon) and not notice the sign that shows a picture of a cow, which leads them around the next bend to where there are over 200 cattle spread across a 50 metre stretch of road…. talk about a bloody game of bowls.
I come back again to you being a kid. If you were and adult, or even a slightly mature child, then you would realise that for any young driver to take anything you have said as being “good driving advice) they would be signing their own death sentence or someone else’s because I think that is the most important thing about our kids and the lack of driver education. I have lost count of how many fatal accidents I have heard about where the driver, the one trying to break his own speed record out in the bush (which I assume means 10kms out of the city) is the only one to survive. The modern cars ability to shield and protect the driver has unfortunately led to these idiots being the only ones to walk away. Is this what you really want Speed Demon? Or perhaps maybe the government should just have someone like you conduct all of the driver training. You know, someone that really doesn’t care about any other road users. Screw the speed limit, my car will do 200kmh. Great. I’m sure the self-pleasure you get when you get home must be something akin to Michael Hutchence hanging himself from a door handle. Hmmmmmm but it caught him out in the end.
If you want to be known as Australia’s wankiest driver then you’ve got my vote but for the sake of people at a stage of getting their licence then all I ask is that you use just a tiny amount of common sense when posting a comment.
Also I’m not sure if you are aware but there are some race tracks that have no speed limit days and hill climbs. Maybe if you want to show a mature and responsible attitude then instead of risking everyone else’s life on the roads you’ll put you Daiwoo or whatever it is you really own on the track.
i’m guessing Zach that you must be a know it all old man who to afraid to do the speed limit and is to cautions people who aren’t aware of what they are doing are the ones that kill themselves your one of those people who think that if we keep changing our laws on the road and read to many statitics stats don’t factor in every vairable which can lead to certin outcomes take your head out your ass (like i said before if i belive for 1 second i was going to put any one in danger i would not do it
as for that track comment they don’t do that were i live which is unfortunate because that does appeal to me i drive a misibishi lancer
A Lancer??? I was wondering why your speed record was sooooo low. Geez mate, even my old VN winds past the 220kmh on the dial, (speed gun clocked 231kmh at abandoned airfield drag day) & that’s stock 6cyl. My record is 287kmh in LH Torana supercharged 350chev Ravenswood Raceway.
Like it or not Speed Demon & regardless of what your abilities are, 95% of people behind the wheel have absolutley no bloody idea at all how to control a car when something does go wrong, raising speed limits for you, just gives them licence to kill themselves & everyone around them.
I wonder if you have considered that into the risks you seem to be taking, that some idiot coming the opposite way at 140kmh might not know what they are doing & take you out? Or have you experienced a full blow out at 150kmh yet? Do you know if you can keep your car on the road if that happens? I don’t meean in a straight line either, try a tree lined corner at 120.
As for the over cautious drivers kill more people, what dark crevise on yourself did you pull that from? Sorry pal but one look at the news & you will see a speed related fatal. Not many of them are because of a slow driver getting themselves cleaned up. As a parent of four I can also tell you that I’d rather 1000 cautious drivers go up my street than you going along it even once.
If your truly in the bush, it won’t be very hard for you to get your speed thrills other ways. Buy a trail bike & try & kill yourself that way. No matter what you do, start using your brain & take it off the road.
Lol I got a trail bike it can do 90km/h so calledly in the dirt i have done that it’s chinese so its not very fast my speedo on my car does go up to 220km/h but i doubt that it can do that probly get up to 200km/h i doubt much more
if there was a race track were they did track days i would definatly take my car there but there isn’t
also as for your comment about whats coming the other way you always pick a road were you can see miles up the road for just that reason
and lastly your a bit of a hypocrirt saying i’m a idiot for going stupidly fast when youv’e done the same thing in fact youv’e been faster congrats
Notice the location genius. Where’s the public road I was on? Ravenswood Raceway – you know, where the drags used to be held in W.A. That’s a purpose built drag strip. As for an abandoned airport runway, what exactly is your problem with that? An organised & legally sanctioned meet with paramedics, fire brigade & police in attendance? Or are you calling all the people who go on TG idiots? After all, the test track is at an airport on an unused runway. There’s no comparison between what you do & what I have done. Mine is legal & under proffesionally controlled conditions, yours is on a public road with only your only judgement to decide what’s safe & what’s not & no safety personel on site. Maybe you should trade the Lancer in on a better trailbike then go buy a V8 Commie or something with the change. Spend the rest on booze n loose women. Bet you get more satisfaction out of doing that than the Lancer can ever give you.
I might be getting old Speed but I’m not suffering from dementia (although my kids would argue the point). If there isn’t anywhere in your local area to go racing then why not do something about it. At the moment we travel about an hour away to compete in an ANDRA sanctioned drag racing meet at an old airstrip. We have also recieved support from our local council about holding these types of drag racing meets at our own airport. but we didn’t get these events by doing stupid speeds on public roads. We got off our butts and gave the P platers somewhere legal, safe and enjoyable to race.
ANDRA are currently trying to increase the popularity of the sport by starting more of these eigth mile bush strips to give people like you somewhere safe to compete. Also there are many small clubs across Oz that conduct CAMS sanctioned hill climb events and so on if straight line drag racing isn’t your thing.
Maybe you should at least consider these options before you you play Russian roulette with other peoples lives again.
I wonder if you have children. And if you do I wonder how you would react if one of them were killed on the road by someone who believed that their driving skills were better than anyone else’s. Would you be sympathetic towards them as you bury your child? Hmmmmmm I think we all know the answer to that. I guess it’s just a shame that until it happens you will probably continue to drive with no thought to anyone else.
Maybe we should all take a moment to reflect on ANDRA’s motto – STREET RACING ISN’T DRAG RACING.
No i don’t have kids although if i get time i will look in to what you have spoken about plus i have had my licence for about 7 years i got it as soon as i could when i was 17 i have had plenty of experience on the road
You think 7years is alot of experience? IMO that’s as good as a learner. Your what then, 25yrs old? That puts you right in with the Fast & Furious, doof doof music jap crap brigade who all think they are Vin Diesel & bulletproof. Guess what mate? Your not. Neither is anyone else on the road. You are suffering from the same problem most 15-30yr olds males do – OVER CONFIDENCE. You think your better than you really are. I had been driving various vehicles (motorbikes to semis on the farm), almost 10 years before I even got my L’s. 16yrs if you want to count before I drove a road registerable car. The joys of having parents with large country property. I could drive 80kms & still not have left the property. I’ve got licences to drive everything from motorbikes, forklifts, articulated vehicles, D9 CAT, frontend loader, crane tickets, it’s almost you name it I can drive it. I have done all levels of advanced driving courses, rally driving courses, road racing courses & am CAMS approved to race. I’m 34yrs old. I think I could do with more expierience. You never stop learning. I bet by the time your 40, your sitting back thinking how stupid & incompetent you were when you were twenty five. If you make it that far!! I hope you do Speed & I hope you do find out about something local & get it off public roads.
true you don’t ever stop lerning i am 24 your math is a little of sorry man and i know my own limits.
also i am sorry i don’t meet up to your get to drive everthing from the age of ten i’ve been riding motor bikes scice i was 10 but that doesn’t mean anything
It’s not something you need to apologise for Speed. Im not silly enough to think everyone can start learning to drive when they are just kids. I was very fortunate to have been brought up on a big farm with a dad that believed kids should be taught to drive from the time they are big enough to push the clutch in. The most important thing I was taught was car control. Doesn’t matter if you have a car or a go-kart, the same basic principles apply. Brake, accelerator, oversteer etc. That’s where I think most people come undone, they are fine while the car is going where they want it to but they are buggered the moment something happens.
When I was 28yrs old, I thought I was the ducks nuts too. I had fantastic car control was competing in rally events & some HQ racing. I hit a fox at 125kmh on dad’s farm. I lost it. The HZ ute I was driving rolled 4 times. I spent 2 hours give or take waiting to be cut free. 4 busted ribs, 2 broken legs, fractured skull, punctured lung, lost 3 fingers & smashed my knee. I spent 4months in hospital & I can no longer bend my left leg. I still have to have therapy on the knee. I had more experience than you do but it still happened & there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about avoiding or controling it. Sometimes the only thing you can do is try to not get in the situation in the first place.
May I suggest a V8 off-road buggy? You can build one yourself for about 5g depending what engine you go with & you have almost limitless acces to places you can speed all day & no one cares. Fantastic for practising car control too.
PS: My maths was spot on, or do you get a different answer with those numbers & not knowing your birthdate. Being on L’s isn’t having a licence.
GOM, was the fox allright.
hmph sort of when i got my licence they changed the rules so i could get my l’s at 16 9months but you probly wouldn’t have been aware of that so my bad
that sucks about your accident it’s good you weren’t killed i hope you were wearing your seat belt
buggy thing one thing at a time i want to do a few other things before i think about that mainly getting my own house would be nice.
Don’t know about the fox. I was kind of unconsious & well on the way to dead.
Yes, seat belt. One of the rare times I had it on on the property. I didn’t usually worry about it too often on private property. I don’t think it did me any favours though. It just kept me trapped inside while the car got mangles around & into me. Might have been better off if I was thrown clear. (could be dead to!)
House is always a good plan. If you can find an old honda oddesey type buggy & upgrade it to a 500cc motor. With a little modification to handle the extra power, it will give you one hell of a rush & should cost well under $2000 if your not bad with tools & strengthening chasis design.
well what ever would have happend all that it saids is that there was someone who thought you were worth keeping around don’t think about what could have happend if this happend or that was to be it will give you a headache it does put things into perpesctive
Yeah, I’ve learnt not to get too stressed about most things. So long as my kids are happy & healthy I’m a happy man.