If your job was to reduce road deaths what would you do?

**3umph** · 31st August 2009, 20:17

Originally Posted by Tony

What rule changes would you recommend?

1. all drivers for any licence is to do compulsary 3-6 month or X amount of km on a bike/scooter before getting a car learners.
2. Graduated full licence for bike HP not engine size to stop a new full licence person jumping straight to a 150hp rocket from a gn250
3. Make proper riding gear compulsory, pants, jacket, gloves and boots etc.
4. Compulsory insurance or bike is seized.
5. Increase the max speed for bikes on the open road
6. lower fines as most dont give a shit about the $$$ but increase demerits so takes less to lose licence.
7. Increase fines and demerits for dangerous or no maintained or non complying bikes to WOF standard.
8. No change of registration to be done unless the person has a licence to operate that type of vehicle.

Originally Posted by Tony

What education, training and advertising would you recommend?

TBH the advertising does F^%k all to the ones that dont want to learn.
Maybe compulsory training or track days as part of the licence requirements...
MAybe 3-4 class lessons over the 1st 6 months of restricted licence a week or 2 apart to let theory sink in

Originally Posted by Tony

What roading changes would you recommend?

1. Roads to constructed to a set specification
2. Roading contractors to be liable for the condition of the road surface they lay and maintain.
3. 0800 hotline for crap roads and when reported they are liable if the defects are not remedied and fined.
4. New type of paint for road lines that has more grip in the wet

that's just a few things I could think of...

**Grahameeboy** · 1st September 2009, 06:52

Originally Posted by The Stranger

Fuck you like the sound of your own voice don't you?

Merging is what bikes do fooken well, they are short and nimble. Have you ever lane split or filtered? I guess not huh. Well if you do, you find you frequently have to merge back into the traffic. For the vast majority of us this is trivial, for those numpties that have a problem with this I suggest you should sell your fooken bike and become a cager.

...............................

**Grahameeboy** · 1st September 2009, 06:55

Originally Posted by Ixion

And so? Just like the cycle lanes, y'merge back in. If a honking huge bus can do it, a wee bike won't even be noticed.

Buses are different...I can just see a few bikes battling with cars to merge in safely....I see what you are saying but just think it's a white elephant and don't see why the Govt would even consider paying for this

**Genestho** · 1st September 2009, 09:06

On Sunday, I was a mates place, enjoying a coffee by the fire.

We look down on SH 29, and see A Fire Engine, police, and a tow truck, a car in a paddock, (it went straight through a corner across the centreline and into a paddock - luckily no oncoming traffic)

I wait till the traffic clears, put my kids in the car, drive down SH 29, and 5 mins down the road, there's the reminants of a (reported) 10 injured smash, where one car has crossed the centre line.

It was a rainy day. Sure.

I drive through the accident site, sign posted 30 or 50 km (can't recall now) as others are whipping through at much more speed than that.

Yesterday, I pick my child up from day care, and we drive past a singular vehicle smash into a power pole, the day was VERY blustery.

I go home, and we loose power for 2 hours. And I fume about these smashes, this as we sit in impending dark and cold, tea ruined.

Of course I hope everyone involved in these smashes are ok.

Then, this morning, I'm indicating to turn left, an oncoming truck is indicating to turn across me.
So I stop to giveway, still indicating.

The arse hat behind me is speeding, and honks his horn at me, gives ME the finger, as he speeds past between myself and the truck.
I look at the truck driver - who has stopped, handsigns: "are you going or what" his hand sign "no no you go"

I'm the only one out of three vehicles doing something VERY basic, that I read in my Road Code.

FFS.

You know, I thought of this thread and others similar, what should the GOVT do, what should MOT do....

And then I thought of a quote from European Road safety. (The following is not it, but in basic terms...)

A govt and any road safety initiatives, is useless when society does not take responsibility for it's own actions on the roads.

READ the Friggen road code, figure out what GIVEWAY means, DRIVE to the conditions.

Over.

**The Stranger:Me** · 1st September 2009, 09:15

Originally Posted by T.G.W

READ the Friggen road code, figure out what GIVEWAY means,

"Every 5yrs you have to renew your license and to do so you must successfully complete a scratch and win. At least it means people get a refresher on the laws (not that they will obey them) and can be used to ensure changes filter through. Plus, with a bit of luck, some will actually study for the test."

This is practical and uses existing resources, it could be easily implemented.

**Genestho** · 1st September 2009, 10:33

Originally Posted by The Stranger

"Every 5yrs you have to renew your license and to do so you must successfully complete a scratch and win. At least it means people get a refresher on the laws (not that they will obey them) and can be used to ensure changes filter through. Plus, with a bit of luck, some will actually study for the test."

This is practical and uses existing resources, it could be easily implemented.

I saw your earlier quote regarding this.

And you're right, it is using existing resources and could be easily implemented, MAYBE preventing (excusing the ignorant road users) all the cases above!