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 Speeding Drivers Are You One of the Three Who Speed???

11/11/2014

1 Comment

 
One in three motorists admit to speeding most or every time they get behind the wheel, internal government research has found, and travelling just over the speed limit is becoming more socially accepted.

The evidence was presented to a parliamentary inquiry into speeding, which called for the number of speed zones in NSW to be reviewed and questioned whether double demerit points drive down the road toll.

There have been 277 road deaths in NSW this year, down from 285 the same time last year.

The government said the number of drivers that confessed to being lead-footed was increasing. According to research carried out last year by Transport for NSW's Centre for Road Safety, which has not been publicly released, almost one-third claimed to speed "mostly" or "every time" they drove.

Advertisement The NSW government told the inquiry that public acceptance of low-level speeding was rising, even though it is more dangerous to the community overall than major speeding offences.

University of NSW road safety expert Lori Mooren told the inquiry that drivers "have the expectation that going 10km/h over the speed limit is cool and they are not going to get booked for that", even though the extra speed can be a major factor in fatalities.

The City of Sydney says a pedestrian is twice as likely to die if hit by a car at 50km/h compared to being hit at 40km/h.

Since 2009, NSW drivers have incurred just one demerit point for speeding at 10km/h over the limit or less, down from three demerit points under the old system.

The government conceded that speeding-related casualties increased following the change, but claimed that speed cameras were addressing this trend.

However, the inquiry said the new leniency "may contribute to drivers not taking lower level speeding seriously".

The government claimed that the use of double demerit points during holiday periods had led to fewer fatalities, however Transport for NSW could not produce any recent data from the past three years to support the measure.

The inquiry suggested that more police on the roads, and other safety initiatives, may have contributed to the lower fatalities, and double demerit points could unfairly penalise drivers.

The inquiry was promoted by concern about the number and range of speed zones in NSW. The NRMA argued that multiple speed limit changes along a route confused motorists. The Motorcycle Council of NSW claimed that a 5 kilometre stretch between Annandale and King Street in central Sydney contained seven different speed zones.

The committee recommended that authorities consider reducing the number of speed zones to provide greater consistency.

It also called for improvements in the way police and other authorities determine the cause of a crash, amid concern that the contribution of speeding was being over-estimated, while factors such as fatigue and distraction were understated.

According to the NRMA, 40 per cent of accidents in NSW are attributed to speed, compared to 21 per cent in Queensland and 20 per cent in New Zealand.  



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/one-in-three-nsw-drivers-admit-to-having-lead-feet-20141111-11jmxe.html#ixzz3InH7pTln

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Should We have Higher Speed Limits Part 2

8/8/2014

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Should we have higher speed limits? http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/should-we-have-higher-speed-limits-20140807-100xfs.html via @drivecomau
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Defensive Driving Courses. Are they worth It?

7/4/2014

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Defensive driving courses may actually increase the risk of accidents because they promote over-confidence in young people, according to research released today.

A study from the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre examined the effectiveness of driver training techniques and found defensive driving does not improve road safety.

Defensive driving is often taught as part of advanced training, and focuses on vehicle handling, skid control and hazards perception.

The study found skid control training in particular led to increased crashes, because students focused on their manoeuvring skills rather than avoiding dangerous situations.

Advertisement This fostered over-confidence, the study found, and resulted in drivers being less likely to avoid situations, such as poor weather conditions, "which they erroneously believe themselves capable of handling".

"Driver training focused on vehicle handling skills can make drivers more efficient at vehicle handling; however this does not necessarily make them safer since they may become over-confident," the research found.

The study was commissioned by the RAC in WA, where people aged between 17 and 24 account for 20 per cent of road deaths despite representing just 12 per cent of the population.

Study author Dr Vanessa Beanland said professional driving lessons and resilience training – which focused on attitudes to risky behaviour such as alcohol and drug use – were found to improve road safety.

But she said much more research was needed to determine the effectiveness of other methods, including simulation training.

The research also found learner drivers were less likely to crash when supervised by a professional as opposed to a relative or friend.

"Crashes do occur during professional lessons, however, they are less serious, most are low-speed crashes in urban areas, such as rear-end collisions, whereas during lay supervision high speed crashes in rural areas are more common," the paper said.

Those who received professional training also had more favourable attitudes towards reckless driving, drink driving, speeding and violations and were less likely to overestimate their driving ability.

But the combination of professional lessons and instruction from family was deemed the best option, and gave young drivers the best chance at passing their first test.

Source: WAToday

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Motor Cyclists to filter through Traffic

2/26/2014

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 http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/motorcycles-to-filter-through-traffic-from-july-20140226-33i3t.html
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Phones Overtake Wearing of Seatbelts as Cause of Fatal Car Accidents 

2/13/2014

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Phone use overtakes not wearing seatbelts as cause of fatal car accidents http://www.smh.com.au/drive/motor-news/phone-use-overtakes-not-wearing-seatbelts-as-cause-of-fatal-car-accidents-20140213-32n27.html via @smh
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Teenagers are not wanting to Learn to Drive

1/31/2014

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Teenagers are Not Wanting to Learn to Drive
Young a challenge for carmakers, says Mazda boss http://www.smh.com.au/drive/young-a-challenge-for-carmakers-says-mazda-boss-20140131-31sbj.html via @smh

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New driver training research paper: Training drivers to have the insight to AVOID emergency situations, NOT the skills to overcome emergency situations

1/30/2014

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January 14, 2014 

Although  the  International  Road  Federation  (IRF)  has  not  conducted  its  own  investigation,  the 

IRF  has  reviewed  and  now  endorses  the  concept  detailed  in  the  attached  paper.  This  position  is 

based  upon  extensive  supporting  documentation  regarding  the  inadvisability  of  any  training 

programs  that  teach  drivers  how  to  respond  in emergency situations, including research by  Elvik, 

et  al  (2009),  Gregersen  (1996),  and  Mayhew  and  Simpson  (2002).  The  resolution  is  contained 

below: 

Training  programs  aimed  at  enhancing  the  skills  to  regain  control  in  emergency  situations 

should not  be  included  in  basic  driver  education nor  in  post-test  driver  training  programs. 

The  learned  skills  from  such  training  programs  erode  quickly,  and  the  noted  training 

programs  result  in  more  risk  taking  due  to  driver  overconfidence.  Basic  driver  education 

and  post-test  driver  training  should  be  aimed  at  improving  the  calibration  skills  of  both 

learner  drivers  and  novice  drivers.  Well-calibrated  drivers  can  detect  latent  hazards  in 

traffic  situations,  do  not  underestimate the  likelihood that these  hazards  will cause adverse 

effects (i.e. they are aware of the risks), and do not overestimate  their  own skills  (i.e. they are 

aware  of their own limitations). 

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Take down the speed signs and let drivers decide their Speed! What do you think about that statement? 

1/24/2014

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http://smh.drive.com.au/motorists-warned-over-nt-speed-limit-trial-20140124-31e43.html
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New hard Hitting Video from NZ A Must See for all Drivers

1/12/2014

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http://media.smh.com.au/cars/car-news/new-zealands-hardhitting-new-road-safety-ad-5064038.html
0 Comments

Take Care when Driving Near Cylists

1/12/2014

0 Comments

 
Call for national law on overtaking distance as cyclist deaths double http://www.smh.com.au/national/call-for-national-law-on-overtaking-distance-as-cyclist-deaths-double-20140112-30oqp.html
via @smh
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