I just looked at the photo of Steve's son's car, and can't believe people who drive like that are allowed on the road. Please post it here, Steve.

Every day there are news items about cars running into houses, killing innocent pedestrians, etc. What the hell is going on???? I've been driving for rearly 60 years, and have never seen such bad examples of driving as I have seen lately.

Is it too easy to get a licence? Are driving skills not regarded as important any more? Do we just accept mediocrity, or that cars will just 'run off the road' by themselves?

All motor vehicles, and roads, are much better than ever before....therefore the problem has to be drivers!

My rant for to-day....

I agree, no chances one strike and watch your car being crushed.

Young punk inexperienced drivers full of bravado not yet paying tax and being fuckwits on the road with high powered vehicles.

Bring back compulsory enlistment, that'll sort most guys out, teach them about responsibility, discipline and respect.

Gadgets and complicated vehicles.

A bit hard to concentrate on driving while checking the iPhone, GPS, iPad, finding out which damn switch does what and why is that particular noise emitting from the dash?

Add that to the 25" widescreen all in everything in the middle of the dash and you have a recipe for disaster.

Plus, just for good measure the majority of driving schools teach one thing and one thing only. HOW TO PASS THE DRIVING TEST!

Nothing to do with driving skills, just pass the test and if you survive the next six months, everything should be OK.

There you have my rant as an ex driving instructor and owner of a driving school that refused to teach people to just pass a driving test.

Everyone should have to pass an advanced drivers course to get their full license.

There's little point in teaching people how to pass a test if they're not taught how to drive.

My boys will be going on driving courses before I let them drive on the road. I will also make them aware of what is around them, not what is in their lap. They will also be taught to get out of an idiot unresponsible drivers car and call me anytime and I will pick them up.

My Daughters both attended Ian Luffs Drive to survive course..for L drivers
2 days tuition 1 in the classroom 1 on the road cost $140 ...cant believe how cheap it was and its worth 20 hours in the book
I believe this type of course should be compulsory
my daughter passed her test 1st time, the certificate from Luffs course was duly noted by the examiner.

We have three cars in our stables. None of them have Accessory position on the ignition, as they have no accessories. Start, lights, wipers, horn. That's it. There is too much for some people to comprehend on modern cars.

There is a picture of it on here - http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=85894&page=25 

My biggest gripe is that everyone drives so self righteously. It's never their fault, always someone elses. No one looks out for anyone but themselves, and the sad part is that if you do try to accomodate others, you end up nearly crashing anyway because they dont know how to merge or can't maintain speed...

Infuriating.

Hi

Saturday night some guy jumped in his car, hit 3 cars in his street, then hit my sons Skyline then drove anther 200 metres with both his front wheels hanging off the car and hit another car and then crashed into someone's front yard, all in very quiet Lugarno.

Car wasn't worth much, its just all the bits on it including the rare SSR wheels he had on that are valuable.

Steve

Thanks Steve.

"Car wasn't worth much".What if David had been getting in or out of the car at the time?..... Doesnt bear thinking about.

Ha ha and the blue triangle to indicate the battery location, must be a riceing car, I assumme he was drunk or off his face on some drugs. Fwit
Oops, sorry, I thouught the red car was the one driven by the perpetrator of the crime.

Hi

Greg, my wife was dropped of by friends 10 minutes before this happened, this idiot could have hit her or her friends.

Donn, the car was primarily used for drifting, so its a ricer car that as made in Melbourne.

Were looking at replacements now, most likely a Nissan Cefiro, very rice.

Steve

Really sorry to hear about that Steve.
Some of those parts are bloody hard to find in this country (I've had a few whizz-bangs!), so I feel for your young bloke.

I've used this bloke for some decent parts, excellent quality of service, although your son may have his own contacts.
http://jessestreeter.com/ 
I've actually got old VW bits ex-Japan from him too in the past. Just saying.........

Hi

He bought all his wheels through jessestreeter.com via Yahoo Japan, great guy to deal with

Steve

sorry to hear steve,
hopefully it ends well

Quote:

Originally posted by Allbones My biggest gripe is that everyone drives so self righteously. It's never their fault, always someone elses. No one looks out for anyone but themselves, and the sad part is that if you do try to accomodate others, you end up nearly crashing anyway because they dont know how to merge or can't maintain speed... Infuriating.

You should see the drivers here in Bowral. Old farts in Volkswagens everywhere!

Quote:

Originally posted by AA003 You should see the drivers here in Bowral. Old farts in Volkswagens everywhere!

Hi

Well the good news is a family friend of the guy who ran into my sons car has paid him out, $2000 for the car and $2000 for the wheels and he gets to strip the wreck.

Steve

That's a help, Steve.......but the idiot will still be out there.

Perhaps his "family friend" will also shout him some proper driving lessons

Quote:

Originally posted by HappyDaze That's a help, Steve.......but the idiot will still be out there. Perhaps his "family friend" will also shout him some proper driving lessons

Simple things like. Actually stopping at a stop sign, and stopping before the White line (not half way over it) are not something a lot of drivers care about these days.

I pose something to all AVD forum members who care to look.

Check out the following link and videos and think about whether you think about the road rules. It is Vic oriented, however much of it is relevant to all of the country.

Vic Road rules videos

I dont think the Hook turn and Tram video's will help anyone not in inner Melbourne.

Still simple things that I was taught and still adhere to like making sure I allow 3 clicks of the indicator before moving, and a turn of my actual physical head and eyeballs to do a head check, before changing lanes.

Using my eyeballs to check before and double check while reversing. Yep never reversed into anyone.

2 seconds rule following behind other cars. Worked well, as I have been driving 23 years and never run into the back of anyone. Trust me, there has been a number of hard braking episodes, and my distance has saved me.

here is 3 tips I leaned myself that no one taught me.

1. when pulling out of a parallel park nearest to an intersection thats behind you. do a head check of the left rear of your car as you can't see drivers turning left out of that intersection while you pull out.

I have found cars appear out of no where even though a head check of the rear right and all mirrors were used. They came from the intersection.



2. depending on your car blind spots. When changing lanes from right to left in urban areas with street lights. Watch out for black cars sitting left and slightly behind you. Impossible to see in those lighting conditions even if you are doing a headcheck whilst moving across. I advise move slowly across and play by ear even if you are sure there is no one there. I have had this happen and lucky i moved slow across and heard them beep but still couldn't see where they were until they dropped back til the headlights appeared in the rear mirror. The street lights scattering on my cars glass is brighter than black cars in the street light. So they are not visible at all even though I am literally looking at the car. The head lights were mounted low on this old car so they were under my mirror view, low beam as well.

Something like that really makes you think.


3. face door mirrors out until passing cars appear to as one vehicle across any mirror at any given time. Basically as hald the car is in the rear view mirror, the other half should be in the door mirror, should be like this for either left or right door mirrors. There should be absolute minimum image overlap on 2 mirrors.

So when a car passes you you see it move from rear to side mirror, to peripheral vision without gaps. basically 360º surround vision without needing to do heach check, but doesn't mean you should not do them as you still can miss cars and bikes.

This setup eliminates blind spots from (car dependent, doesn't work on new cars with tiny windows and cathedrals pillars) lane distance onward but still has some blind spots within your own lane, so motorbike rider?

Anyway I have never not seen motor bike riders and cars during day time with this setup. its fantastic. unlike the conventional "door mirrors to the back quarters view " that gets taught to everyone. Someone on thesamba told me this and its fantastic! highly recommend it.