Reality Check - AA

**caspernz** · 29th March 2015, 14:40

Originally Posted by Flip

IMHO it comes down to skill and practice. There are few trained advanced driving training providers and almost no places available to practice advanced driving skills. They are slowly "improving" the roads so they are easier to drive on which also means that the average driver skill level continues to drop.

Cars are better, faster and safer. The roads are slowly getting better. Drivers are relying on good roads, abs and traction control. But when they run into a tourist on the wrong side of the road they don't know what to do.

I can't agree more with the above. Not enough training, driving too fast, too close to vehicle in front, or simply too fast for the current conditions...and hoping one can blame the crash on something other than ones' own lack of ability.

Add in the prevailing attitude of many in this country about not always keeping left, not impeding traffic unnecessarily and generally taking on a "me-first-fuck-you" style of thinking behind the wheel. My guess is our accident stats could be easily halved.

Had to laugh about the view on truckers mentioned by another poster. Now I'm a trucker myself, also a rider obviously, and I find the attitude with which a good portion of truckers approach their job...aahhmmm, questionable at best.
It never fails to amuse me when I'm in a speed limited truck, then to find another trucker overtaking me because he can run 1 or 2 km/h faster...never mind the fact he'll be holding all of us up again when he's in front climbing the next rise. Yeah I button off, for how dumb is it for one super trucker to hold up a line of cars that have patiently sat behind us both, waiting for the passing lane only to then have two trucks side by side for no other reason than the overtaker working on the MFFY principle?
Let's be honest as well, simple fact is that in the majority of single vehicle truck crashes, driver error or whatever you may want to call it, is the prevailing factor. Joe Public will be able to work that out too, so is it any wonder we don't get a lot of respect in return? But ok, what would I know after trucking on 3 continents...

**Moi** · 29th March 2015, 14:49

Originally Posted by caspernz

I can't agree more with the above. Not enough training, driving too fast, too close to vehicle in front, or simply too fast for the current conditions...and hoping one can blame the crash on something other than ones' own lack of ability.

Add in the prevailing attitude of many in this country about not always keeping left, not impeding traffic unnecessarily and generally taking on a "me-first-fuck-you" style of thinking behind the wheel. My guess is our accident stats could be easily halved...

I believe many have a belief in their "own entitlement" and have no concept of "fair share / social responsibility [John Stuart Mill]"... hence the arrogant manner in which they drive and often conduct themselves when speaking to others...

Do wonder if driving would improve if ALL company vehicles [including the CEO's car and GM's car] had the name of the company on both front doors in letters about 15cm tall...

**caspernz** · 29th March 2015, 15:09

Originally Posted by Moi

I believe many have a belief in their "own entitlement" and have no concept of "fair share / social responsibility [John Stuart Mill]"... hence the arrogant manner in which they drive and often conduct themselves when speaking to others...

Do wonder if driving would improve if ALL company vehicles [including the CEO's car and GM's car] had the name of the company on both front doors in letters about 15cm tall...

The company car angle is funny, for many years ago when the transport firm I was working for started talking about speed limiting the trucks, I asked whether the company cars were gonna be done the same way? After all, on a kilometres travelled per incident, the company cars had something like 15 times the number of dings... And if looks could kill, I'd have been dead many times over

**Tazz** · 29th March 2015, 18:43

Originally Posted by R650R

Yeah I guess that must look real bad next to Car Drivers -unrestrained children, drink driving, drugged driving, unlicensed driving, illegal street racing... and more, could prob apply to motorcyclists as a road use group too... and then there's pedestrians...
Truck crashes are spectacular so a portion of them make good front page news when nothing else is available to sell papers to self righteous morons who can then self congratulate themselves on what great riders they are before they peel out on any Sunday and lose the front end on a patch of gravel at roadworks aye.....

Man that's really hard to read with all that sunlight spewing out of your asshole.
I know exactly what a staffs truckie partner means when he talks about fuckwits in the trucking industry thanks to you, cheers!

You're so quick to defend retardation it makes you look like you've got plenty of it to hide.

**swbarnett** · 29th March 2015, 22:42

Just when I was thinking the article was reasonably balanced they come with this gem "Take motorcycles – like smoking, perfectly legal and highly dangerous".

Fuck AA indeed.

**Swoop** · 30th March 2015, 09:55

Originally Posted by Akzle

SUVs are, by design, shit. they're not real fourbys, they're not real cars. they're not "sports" and they're fuckall "utility",
"vehicle" is questionable.

they're jacked up, jacked off obese station wagons. they're for the small-penis/overlarge-clit market. and everyone who owns one should kill themselves right now.

I like Peter Brock's comment regarding them. He said "people had given up their Bongo vans and moved into suv's". He is correct.
Remember the type of person (family) in a bongo van...

**swbarnett** · 30th March 2015, 17:21

Originally Posted by cassina

There are some dudes on here that say there is no such thing as shit happening too fast to do anything about it. They will keep on believing that though until it happens to them.

But it has happened to some on here that still managed to stay rubber side down.

If you think shit happens too fast then the vast majority of times it's you that are too slow because you haven't managed to train your subconscious to do the work.

**Berries** · 30th March 2015, 17:40

Originally Posted by cassina

There are some dudes on here that say there is no such thing as shit happening too fast to do anything about it. They will keep on believing that though until it happens to them.

I must be one of those 'dudes.' In 99% of crashes involving a bike the rider could have done something to avoid it. There are a few such as an overseas driver on the wrong side of the road on a blind corner or crest, which was the example, where there is really nothing practical that you can do to avoid it. This type of crash is so rare that if it concerns you you should really stay at home. But then you give the impression that a large number of crashes are unavoidable, it must be like Russian roulette when you hit the road.

**swbarnett** · 30th March 2015, 18:53

Originally Posted by Berries

driver on the wrong side of the road on a blind corner or crest, which was the example, where there is really nothing practical that you can do to avoid it.

Even then it can be done. My wife met a black BMW overtaking on a blind corner. A bit of instinctual off-roading on to the grass verge and she came out of it rubber side down.

**Akzle** · 30th March 2015, 19:45

Originally Posted by swbarnett

Even then it can be done. My wife met a black BMW overtaking on a blind corner. A bit of instinctual off-roading on to the grass verge and she came out of it rubber side down.

you're not suggesting... that your wife is more of a man than cass'??

**Ender EnZed** · 30th March 2015, 20:01

Originally Posted by Akzle

your wife is more of a man than cass'??

That's not even close to being an insult.

**FJRider** · 30th March 2015, 20:14

Originally Posted by cassina

There are some dudes on here that say there is no such thing as shit happening too fast to do anything about it. They will keep on believing that though until it happens to them.

Don't forget the ones that believe nothing bad can happen to them .... because ...

A: They are under the posted speed limit.

B: They have Right of Way.

C: They can't see any other vehicles on the road.

D: They are almost home.

**Akzle** · 30th March 2015, 20:15

Originally Posted by Ender EnZed

That's not even close to being an insult.

of course!

... I'd far rather have sex with his wife.

**Reckless** · 31st March 2015, 11:02

Originally Posted by Akzle

of course!

... I'd far rather have sex with his wife.

From previous posts on here he is a "SHE" so good luck with that

**Voltaire** · 31st March 2015, 13:57

Originally Posted by cassina

Your 99% statistic would possibly be correct but only in the case of a bike only crash eg cornering too fast or being under pressure to keep up with other riders or plainly just going to fast. When others screw up there would be no accurate way of working out a percentage. Its not just overseas drivers that can get on the wrong side of the road and have head ons. If you think its only them you are seriously mistaken. Depending on how big our vehicles are its Russian roulette for us all whether you want to believe it or not. There was a statistical saying years ago that riding a motorbike is more dangerous than being a WW1 soldier.

In the spirit of urban myth statistics:

In the UK around six million men were mobilised, and of those just over 700,000 were killed. That's around 11.5%.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25776836

I'd say the odd on Russian Roulette were 1 in 6...could be wrong.