Two more bikers taken out by wrong-side tourist

[Usarka]

Haven't read the other posts...sorry if this is a repeat BUT...

When o when are they going to make people prove their competence behind the wheel and awareness of our road rules before letting them loose?

I think there should be a compulsory test both practical and oral or written. That way there is 'some' level of comfort that they are at least aware of the rules and are actually competent enough to be driving HERE in the first place!

Completely unworkable. Imagine going to Aus, UK, etc and not being able to rent a car until you'd sat a driving test.

Hopefully the tester would need to be certified (which likely means it'll take ages to book). And if done properly it'd mean you might not pass, and therefore have to cancel the car reservation and lose your deposit, and wreck your holiday.

Tourists would just go somewhere else. The government won't let that happen.

[Bikernereid]

So would you be prepared to do the same when visiting another country which drives on the right, if so then fair enough?

Haven't read the other posts...sorry if this is a repeat BUT...

When o when are they going to make people prove their competence behind the wheel and awareness of our road rules before letting them loose?

I think there should be a compulsory test both practical and oral or written. That way there is 'some' level of comfort that they are at least aware of the rules and are actually competent enough to be driving HERE in the first place!

[Number One]

Completely unworkable. Imagine going to Aus, UK, etc and not being able to rent a car until you'd sat a driving test.

Hopefully the tester would need to be certified (which likely means it'll take ages to book). And if done properly it'd mean you might not pass, and therefore have to cancel the car reservation and lose your deposit, and wreck your holiday.

Tourists would just go somewhere else. The government won't let that happen.

C yer point Crikey though enuff is enuff! There MUST be something that can be done to help ensure people are aware of basic road rules and things...maybe a quick walk through a handout (with pictures) I don't know...surely something proactive could be done to reduce the incidences of tourists maiming and killing on our roads through their lack of awareness/competence.

[idb]

DONT get me started on the goverment......

Awww go on....

[Number One]

So would you be prepared to do the same when visiting another country which drives on the right, if so then fair enough?

Actually I would - HELL YES!

I am a nana though and to be honest if I was in a country that drove on the opposite side of the road I'm not sure I'd even be game to try it.

Leave the driving up to hubbie me finks...he way more onto it and co-ordinated than I and I would absolutely hate myself if I were to take someone out because my 'natural and now hard wired' road rule tendancies took over.

[FROSTY:Me]

Competency teast really doesn't mean squat. When you are bright eyed and bushy tailed in the city its pretty easy to stay on the correct side of the road.
But give them a few hours driving on roads they dont know. and theyre lost and tired. Thats when they go back to what they are used to

[Number One]

Competency teast really doesn't mean squat. When you are bright eyed and bushy tailed in the city its pretty easy to stay on the correct side of the road.
But give them a few hours driving on roads they dont know. and theyre lost and tired. Thats when they go back to what they are used to

True dat! Hence I wouldn't trust myself on opposite side of road. Anyway would rather be driven....

Onward Geevs and don't spare the horses

[oldrider]

These people, the bikers, are friends of mine.

Two broken legs and two broken arms and still in an induced coma for one and a broken elbow for the other, "spoiled the tourist's holiday" and the judge is sorry!

Not a word for the bikers!

Judges are the arse end of this country and the cause of most of our current social problems in my opinion.

Where do they get these slack pricks from.

At least my friends are not dead! John.

[Robbo]

Sometimes it is very easy to judge if you yourself have not had the experience of driving in a foreign country with different road rules. I am sure that the Spanish tourist is not feeling particularly brilliant at the moment; it is not the most pleasant of experiences being in an RTA. And I guess it must be an aweful feeling knowing that you have injured others in the process.

Maybe your government are the ones who need lambasting and kicking up the arse to do something about this problem!!!

Well Fuck how the Spanish Tourist is feeling right now, you should be more concerned at how the Two Motorcyclists are feeling right now. By the way, He was driving the vehicle, Not the Government, so how the hell do you figure that it's their fault.
Being a Tourist in any foreign country is NO excuse whatsoever, it is everyones responsability when travelling to understand, observe and obey the rules of the country they intend to drive in. Quite simple really. If they can't figure that one out, then don't bother comming here.
We already have enough "Dick Heads" on our roads to contend with without needing to add Imports to the mix as well.

[dhunt]

What if all rental Cars/CamperVans had big signs inside which said something like Edge of road This SIDE. It might save a few lives.

In my experience driving/riding overseas I didn't have any issues swapping from driving on the left to the right and back again. But I guess I've done it a couple times now.

My Cousin though had one oops when he turn right onto a street and instinctively went into the left lane. No major drama but not hard to do.

[Okey Dokey]

I'm absolutely gobsmacked by the judge's comments. It's hard to understand how the obviously serious injuries to the riders who were the innocent parties in this case could be so blatantly ignored. Especially given the remarks about ruined holidays!

I've found the easiest rule of thumb to use when driving elsewhere is the driver should be next to the centre line (assuming you don't have a left hand drive vehicle in a left lane country etc). I can recall nearly getting run over crossing the road once, as I looked the wrong way as a pedestrian. Luckily the oncoming car was far enough away that I had time to step back!

Dear fellow bikers, I hope your injuries mend as quickly and painlessly as possible.

[Number One]

I've found the easiest rule of thumb to use when driving elsewhere is the driver should be next to the centre line (assuming you don't have a left hand drive vehicle in a left lane country etc).

I think even I could remember that...though still wouldn't trust myself once I relax or get tired.

[Grub]

Is there a system in place with LTSA which makes international drivers sit a practial test before they drive?, or do they just come on over display an international licence and drive on our roads???...

I don't believe that there is. Just the same as there's no test for us when we go to Hawaii, US or Europe.

On all the Campervans and a lot of the rental cars they have big dashboard arrows reminding you what side to drive on. Driving up the West Coast is a real trap though because you can go for almost the whole 6 hrs and not see another person. It would be easy to fall back into old habits, but that's still no excuse

[Number One]

Wahoo - my first Red rep!

Thanks whoever you are now I know what they look like

my first post on this "utter twaddle"? Yeah ok...There's lots of that on KB isn't there...do you run out of red rep the same way you run out of green rep? Hope not for your sake as you'll run out pretty quick if you felt the need to red rep all of the "Utter Twaddle" on here.

[Ixion]

In general, someone from a wrong-side country wandering onto the wrong side of the road is not going to be too major a crisis. After all, on a single lane country road, the "correct side" of the road is relatively meaningless, most traffic is pretty much central.

The real problem arises with an emergency.

Experienced drivers, and riders, are usually safer, in part at least because they have trained themselves to react instinctively in a (relatively) safe way in an emergency. Part of that conditioning, for us, is the instinct to steer toward the left if confronted with oncoming traffic. We don't have to think about it, it's instinctive.

But, someone from a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road, their instincts will be to steer right.

If two left hand drivers/riders are approaching, and one wanders onto the wrong side of the road, each will instinctively respond to the "Oh Shit" moment by steering left. Out of each others path. "Pheww, that was close".

But of one of them is a wrong-wayer , he will steer RIGHT. Right back into the path of the left steering other party.

And no signs, arrows or whatever will overcome this.