Comments on: Easter road toll finishes at 14

By: Millatime

Millatime — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:23:47 +0000

Andrew

I am not advocating speeding. I am highlighting that there are many other factors contributing to our unacceptably high road toll. The governments irresponsible fixation on speeding borders on criminal negligence while conveniently sweeping all other considerations from view, and not to mention keeps the Treasury cash registers very very busy.

My point is this, travelling at the speed limit does not guarantee your safety in any way, shape or form on Australian roads. All of us that get into a car accept the risks, but many will of us will die needlessly, needlessly, due to government inaction, or painfully slow action in addressing these other important areas of road safety.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 04:15:27 +0000

Millatime, while I agree with you that our roads deserve better and would benefit from proper maintenance… and while we all waiting for this to happen, would not it be wise to SLOW DOWN in order to mitigate “poor road design”, “poorly maintained roads” and the rest of your list?

By: Millatime

Millatime — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:52:19 +0000

HWP officer

Mine was not an anti-police “rant” and overall I agree with your point’s 8 & 9. It must be incredibly traumatic dealing with road trauma, but I suppose that is somehow balanced by the lives saved.

However, there is no doubt in the publics perception that at times you are being employed as revenue raisers. It’s a serious issue, the fact that a large percentage of the public are losing respect for the police, and people are dying as you so rightly poiny out, due to government policy and inaction.

As Sprae says, you guy’s have to do as instructed, so you can thank the politicians for making your life harder.

And BTW, there certainly is quota’s on the number of breath tests to be performed in this state, and I didn’t mention anything about you guy’s being on commission.

By: sprae

sprae — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:45:54 +0000

There is no argument police officers are try to do their best to reduce fatalities. It’s state governments and certain higher statesmen looking to win more political points that is not helping the issue. Policies and laws are given to officer to follow and it’s their job to do so.

What I don’t find is fair is not every of revenue raised from fines, licensing and registration cost of motoring is given to fund better roads and driver training. Instead substantial amounts are funding “other” state projects.

By: HWP officer

HWP officer — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:05:31 +0000

“Millatime”….. not one statement you made in your ramble is true. I have been a HWP officer for 20 years and can tell you the following.
1. There is NO quota for HWP and never has been. This is a public illusion. Police do not get any more money or benefits from getting more offenders than anyone else. All they get most of the time is further abuse from the offenders they deal with. But that is the JOB.
2. HWP Police catch HEAPS of drink drivers and sit of pubs/clubs in the dark waiting for pissed/drug affected drivers to jump in their cars. I know myself, that is generally what we do most of working HWP in the city. I can tell you that there is a large number of people that continue to drive impaired by drugs and/or alcohol. When we set up SRBT it is generally in areas were you can not turn off and we can easily get offenders as they drive into the site.
3. HWP spend a lot of time intercepting dangerous/disqualified/unlicenced drivers/street racers, drivers refusing to stop (pursuits), defective/illegally modified vehicles.
4. HWP are tasked to investigate collisions.
5. Every HWP officer is not waiting at the bottom of the hill to get you travelling 10 km/h over the speed limit.
6. HWP get a lot of expensive equipment, a powerful,fast vehicle and are generally always 1st to serious crimes as they have the tools to do it.
7. It is a job with heaps of action.
8. Police are the good guys.
9. In my time, I have seen a lot of people dead and/or dying in front of me, ripped open from injuries which is cemented in my mind. To me being a Police officer has a purpose.

Until you see what the job is really like, you are only talking about something you know nothing about.

By: Hummerbug

Hummerbug — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:00:25 +0000

I Blame God! Are you with me Devil666 ? On another note people kill people cars dont drive themselves… Doesnt matter what the cops do or the government nature always wins …

By: Frontman

Frontman — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:53:56 +0000

Sprae, thanks for putting in that link it goes to show that it is more a political beat up than an unusual occurence these Holiday road tolls.
I agree that 14 is too many, but with the emphasis seemingly placed on revenue over all else, the authorities will forever be up against it. Ditch the Cameras, ditch the mobile cahs register in a plain wrapper, triple the number of hi vis patrol cars (heck use Corollas Focuses or Kia’s it doesn’t matter) get the police out in the wide open in traffic and watch how much people behave themselves. Indicators will no longer be ornaments, mobiles will ring till the battery goes flat and people will get off the bumpers of the car in front because that car will be in the left lane. Damn it’s hard to understand the easiest fix isn’t it??

By: Millatime

Millatime — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:48:07 +0000

Sprae: “2007 Weekly average of 31 fatalities across all Australian road users – 1,616 fatalities Annual 2007 report”

These figures are staggering.

There were 5 senior police interviewed over Easter, every single one of them mentioned “speed” as a factor.

Not poor road design, not poorly maintained roads, not dangerously inadequate roads, not lack of driver skill through inadequate driver training, not poor driver attitudes through lack of driver education, not lack of barriers to separate oncoming traffic on motorways, not immovable objects placed too near the roadways, not failing to remove trees in close proximity to the roadways, not confusing fluctuations in the speed limit over the same stretch of road, not inadequote lighting at night, not the proliferation of deliberately distracting roadside advertising billboards, not the idiotic placing of traffic advisory signs that block motorists view of the roads, no, none of that was a factor at all..

All of the above issues and many more can all be made to go away instantly by blaming road deaths on speeding.

All this carnage is the motorists fault for speeding, says the Government over and over again, and when interviewed on TV lots and lots of police all line up to say the same thing.

So clearly it is our fault then, and it most certainly is. But it’s not speeding we are guilty of. WHAT WE ARE GUILTY OF IS OUR DEAFENING SILENCE AND LIMP WRISTED INACTION ON THIS ISSUE, WHILE ALLOWING THE GOVERBMENT TO BLUDGEON US AROUND THE HEAD WITH EVER MORE DRACONIAN PENALTIES.

Australian motorists and motoring bodies must find their voice to pressure Government’s into effective action TO SAVE LIVES.

By: Acfsambo

Acfsambo — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:20:46 +0000

Howie, I don’t think he was saying all that died on the roads deseved to die, but if you do something stupid like speed at 200km/h or erratically change lanes without looking and expect a spot to be there or take a corner at way too fast a speed, why should we have sympathy for their stupidity. Definately natural selection at work, though I do feel sorry for those who are innocent bystanders.

By: Howie-VL

Howie-VL — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:04:28 +0000

devil666-

So your saying that these people who happened to do something silly on the road and died, deserve to be dead?

And by what your saying it seems your implying that all young people that die on the road were/are doing something silly when they crash. Please clarify your statement for me cause I disagree…. A lot.

By: sprae

sprae — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:43:51 +0000

@Supply & Demand – Agreed. I don’t understand why we can’t add the cost of getting a licence with defensive driving programs for learners or refresher course for existing drivers or when the renew licences every 10 years.

Costs for such programs is acceptable and can be factored in as the privilege to operate on the roads. Proactive education and prevention is better than most law penalties or fear ads mongering.

By: Supply & Demand

Supply & Demand — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:27:24 +0000

Sprae, I’ve worked in motorsport, most drivers are old and fat business people with no experience bar the minimum training required to gain a cams licence. I agree with you a little though, more training is required. I can theoritically never have a lesson and pass a licence test in Victoria

By: sprae

sprae — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:26:32 +0000

Internet is your friend. http://www.infrastructure.gov......index.aspx

2007 Weekly average of 31 fatalities across all Australian road users – 1,616 fatalities Annual 2007 report
http://www.infrastructure.gov......s_2007.pdf

By: Devil666

Devil666 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:17:20 +0000

But seriously, these days I can see more in common with the road toll and natural selection. As horrible as it may be to think about it in this way, the road toll is generally refining and strengthening the gene pool as the idiots wipe themselves out. Sure you get a few accidental deaths where the strong will get wiped out by tools, but it happens. Death happens. Meanwhile the parents of idiots try and raise the driving age because their particular idiot was of course an angel in their eyes. Any method that looks tough, is cheap to implement and comes as a knee jerk reaction to a particular incident seems to gather way too much political and public support these days.

To really cut down on the road toll, its time we started ACTING like a globalized nation and take successful, proven methods from other countries. Not just for road safety either, how about road construction?

By: Brett

Brett — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:08:07 +0000

Thank you Marcoz, but I’m not sure how much theology has a real impact on our road toll.
I’d be very interested to find out national road tolls, week on week, over the whole year. The government seems to publish these ‘Holiday’ road tolls much more than any other time. Is there really such a big discrepancy or are they just using these holiday periods to justify their draconian like enforcement of speed laws?

By: Devil666

Devil666 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:07:54 +0000

Dammit, we tied for Gold. I hate sharing.

By: Acfsambo

Acfsambo — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:53:51 +0000

I have sympathy for the families and passengers of those drivers who caused the accident they died in, and the drivers, passengers and families of those who were innocent by-standers, may they RIP.

By: Marcoz

Marcoz — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:27:24 +0000

14 too many. But it is inevitable, god will take who he wants to take and when, you will never ever ever, get zero road toll.

It’s just a fact of life. :(

By: sprae

sprae — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:15:54 +0000

@Supply & Demand – Racing drivers are well training from a very young age and have (at least some) talent in reaction time and judgement to be anywhere near being competitive in their respective racing format. Your average driver does not (including myself).

Even with all these training and leading safety regulations, there are still fatalities in motorsports…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_motorsports

By: Supply & Demand

Supply & Demand — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:07:38 +0000

Sprae, if we can prevent racing drivers from dying when they crash their cars at 300km/h I’m sure a day will come when all motorists will walk away from impacts that occur at less than a quarter of that speed. Love to see it in my lifetime, but with the way current road “safety” policy is trending I assume I probably won’t.