bugeyedbabe wrote:the problem i think with most of this is: etc. etc. et-al
Ahh kay, this is a long and thought out response but you need to go back and read my original post on the matter which may have enlightend you a bit further.
The devils advocate stance here is certainly relevant and entirely understandable, no system is totally foolproof.
But ANY system that is successful to ANY degree is streets ahead of no system yer?
The competency based training system is already in place, has been working well for years.
There is always the spectre of corruption, You cannot get around this fully.
The Stay Upright (motorcycle) training modules are all compentency based.
Basically, in order to pass a particular compentency, you have to demonstrate to the instructor you can do the exercise in the time alloted.
Its very simple and as the exercises are done in a class based environment, its is a little difficult for ther instructor to blantantly allow a student to pass the compenency in front of 4 or 5 other students when cl;early, he cannot.
Each student undertakes the task individually.
If the student cannot complete the task, which is really black and white where, you either can, or cannot do it, he fails and he/she is invited to leave the class and come back another day.
Some of the car control suggestions you make are very desireable and important in an advanced driving sense but are considered advanced driving techniques and not defensive techniques which needs to be the main thrust of PRE-license training. (Note: The emphasis on PRE-license training).
That is basically re-active rather than pro-active in defensive driver education where the focus is on actually how to RECOGNISE and AVOID the emergency instance in the very first place rather than HOW to actually steer out of a drama with the car in a delicately controlled, tyre smoking and hair-on-fire tailout sideways slide and so-on!
Things like stopping distances at various speeds, which almost all of my students fail to grasp, braking and avoiding, seating position, steering wheel technique, where to look on the road etc.
Its often laughable how incorrect seemingly (at first) compentent and experienced drivers underestimte things such as following distances and their own personal reaction times.
Even the very best of race-car drivers take around half a second or more to even BEGIN braking in an unexpected situation.
Now haw far do you travel at 60KPH in 0.5 of a second?
Remember the ad with the "two identical cars, one travelling 5KPH faster than the other"? The difference in impact with the semi-trailer being a dented front-end and pride and death?
The amount of drivers that actually believe that that is a load of bullshit is staggering and many truly believe that lowering of the speed limit on suburban streets by 5KPH is garbage and has NO effect other than to irritate them and to quickly fill police revenue coffers.....Oh....My....Gawd! Its the difference between a frightend child and a splattered dead one............
I recently took 2 police traffic branch sergeants as part of a broad cross section of candidates thru a basic defensive driver training course and they both failed most of the tasks.
These guys are advance driver trained already and must be considered competent and experienced drivers, yet were unable to brake and avoid in either direction at 40 KPH! Not able to do an emergency stop without locking all 4 wheels (without ABS) and some other fairly simple tasks.
I actually felt quite sorry for them as they displayed a dismal grasp of basic defensive driver awareness in front of some rather influential government managers.......
There are multitudes of other instances that i can write about that further highlight the basic items that drivers should know as rote, before they are EVER allowed to even attach an "L" plate, yet are completely unaware of things which sometimes goes close to frightening me!!!!!!!!!
This is the main direction as far as I am concerned, not how to maintain a long slide, how to double shuffle, how to emergency brake without locking wheels, clutchless gearchanges and so-on.
Those more advanced techniques can certainly come later for those that actually WANT to do them but armed with the mandatory basic driver awareness and defensive techniques, you may NEVER actually have to use them in ordinary day to day motoring!
Of course, it goes without saying that there is an element of drivers that will simply ignore/forget or whatever basic defensive driver training the moment they leave the training ground and will insist on 160KPH traffic light derbies with 7 in the car, drive when pissed, apply makeup, not strap in a baby and think they can hold them in event of a minor impact, read the paper or yaffle on a fucking wankerfone whist driving oblivious to all around them and so-on.
There is a term used for these people,
"You cant educate fuckwits"
and the rest of us have to deal with them as best we can but hopefully, some of our basic defensive knowledge will come into play automatically and maybe/possiblly avert a major drama.
IMHO, make gaining a driving licenses a priveledge and not a right!
"You wanta play? You gotta pay!" Put a bit of value on a drivers license and you "may" just save a life!
Even one life is worth it in the long term.
L8tr
E
[ Edited on 8/1/06 by tassupervee ]
Im not a complete idiot, quite a few parts are missing....
