A reasonable person’s guide to modern driving

Danny B says:

08:41am | 22/02/11

I’ll second that one.  As someone who’s been rear-ended three times - while driving to the law - tailgating is something that always cheeses me off.  I also feel that temptation to slam on the brakes.

And to those who sit on my tail to try to force me to speed up - it’s called a speed limit.  Deal with it.

Steve of Cornubia says:

09:38am | 22/02/11

You should try riding a motorbike for the full experience. I’ve had big trucks sit inches off the back of my bike - when I’ve had a pillion on board. Of course I just pull over and let the mad buggers past, but that usually only grants a temporary reprieve before the next impatient driver latches on.

Oh, and it’s not because I’m slow, it’s because I keep to the speed limits, which infuriates some people.

Tony of Poorakistan says:

10:33am | 22/02/11

Unfortunately, tailgating is almost a necessity in SA these days. So many rude, arrogant and selfish drivers duck into those 3 second gaps, causing you to break (and slowing down anyone close behind),  that it is easier to stay closer so they can’t do it.  Studies in California and elsewhere have shown that if people stick to their own lanes, traffic as a whole moves faster.
 
It used to be a Victorian drivers’ habit - they couldn’t stand seeing a gap ahead of them in an adjacent lane without jumping into it - but it seems to have spread over here.

And before the comments about SA drivers start, I got my license in Qld

Tom says:

11:07am | 22/02/11

I was driving from Ipswich to Brisbane yesterday in absolutely torrential rain and some moron in a Hilux saw fit to sit right on my bumper…It was bumper to bumper traffic and my speed was limited by the car in front - there was no way I could have been going any faster than I was. Just unbelievably stupid behaviour really.

acotrel says:

03:53pm | 22/02/11

I’ve read most of the comments on this page, and I’d like to say just one thing.  Our driving has vastly improved since the days we drove FJ Holdens.  I can remember when the road toll in Victoria was 1038 killed.  I think it’s now in the three hundreds.  We’ve been continually bombarded with the speed kills bullshit.  These days there is usually a stop sign at every side street, and we never see the situation where drunk drivers fly intersections!  We should be happy drivers, but the aggression comes from somewhere else.  These days we have the cult of the individual, and people worry about others being one up on them!

Steve says:

04:24pm | 22/02/11

Or perhaps you could stop being the arbitor of what represents 50kph and get out of the F***ing way!!

Tane says:

12:57am | 23/02/11

@ Steve of Cornubia - I hear ya. I ride a bike too, and every day I get otherwise normal looking folks sitting an inch off my rear fender even if I’m doing 20 over the limit. It’s like there’s something about seeing me there on two wheels that makes them think “HA! He wouldn’t even dent my bull bar!” Even worse, if I do change lanes (sometimes from left to right!) to let them pass, two minutes later I’m stuck behind them at 10 under the limit while they juggle their maccas and mobile phones.

Leslie says:

03:21pm | 29/04/12

I had someone wave me out when the coast was supposedly clear….straight into the path of an oncoming car! Worst accident I’ve ever had. I would never trust ANYONE waving to me that it safe to proceed…there are no consequences for them if they get it wrong!

Trevor says:

07:37am | 22/02/11

Also remember that along with the right to use the road comes the obligation to abide by the rules the same as motorists. I’m not saying every cyclist does it, but I have seen a lot running red lights, failing to signal and not watching out for/being aware of other traffic. So many times I have had cyclists cut across the lane in front of me to make a right hand turn without signally and then getting all pissed off because they nearly got hit when they didn’t even bother to look or signal before darting across the traffic and expecting everybody to get out of their way because of their right to use the road as well! Also, I am all in favour of cyclists paying registration and thrid party insurance the same as every other road user. You want the rights then you have to accept the responsibilities that go along with them!

Platinum says:

07:56am | 22/02/11

Please also remember that cyclists have the right to change from being a road user to being a pedestrian at any time they choose - most frequently when they are travelling in the left-hand lane and approaching a pedestrian crossing, which they then suddenly use to cut across in front of you… without dismounting first.

They also have the right to feel the wind in their hair and not wear a helmet (after all, we car drivers drive with the windows down), and travel at night without lights (you don’t see pedestrians carrying lamps, do you?) and alternating their course between road and footpath.

JD says:

08:01am | 22/02/11

as soon as cyclists start obeying the road rules themselves, I drive in Sydney and every cyclist I see does not obey the road rules, we are stopped at a red light, they wait until there is sufficient gaps between cars turning and go right through the red light.

the amber light is not a signal for you to speed up and try to make it through before it turns red, more often than not people are still going through intersections when the light is red.

intersections, do not queue across them, more often than not you block it up so that traffic turning can’t get into the lane as someone else has blocked it and then when the light turns again they are blocking the other way and everyone loses

Swampy says:

08:16am | 22/02/11

No, they don’t have the right to feel the wind in their hair! Car drivers must wear seat belts, motorcycle & moped riders must wear helmets & cyclists must wear helmets.

hermes says:

08:57am | 22/02/11

actually, sometimes you have to use the footpath or run a red light, as some intersections are weight controlled, and only turn green if a car drives on to the sensor.

Mahhrat says:

11:32am | 22/02/11

@Centurion: When cyclists pay MAIB, Registration and require inspections on their road bikes, then they get the same consideration when driving on a road.

Jason says:

12:59pm | 22/02/11

Mahhrat,

I am not a cyclist, but the logic to me is as cars and trucks are the ones destroying the roads they’re the ones who need to pay for them.

Fnord says:

01:07pm | 22/02/11

Cyclists should be banned from peak hour roads.  So many times I get held up by the Lycra Patrol taking up a whole lane and doing 30km/h.

The fact is, mate, you have no identifying marks, and you DON"T pay for your use of the road.  Yes you have less impact, but the roads have to be built and maintained no matter what, and we pay for that privelege.  YOU. DON’T.

You hold up traffic, act like you own the road worse than a 4WD driver, do stupid things in front of tonnes of steel, and then cry about how everyone should make allowances for YOU.  I spent half my life riding bikes, and kept the hell OFF the roads, or right in the gutters.  I drive a car now, and hate nothing more than cyclists.

The problem is, if I hit you because you’ve weaved in front of me, you count as a pedestrian and I’m at fault.  So not only are you not identifiable if you do something stupid, break the law, or break something on my car (I’ve had a cyclist take out my side mirror, and had to pay), but you’re scot-free if you screw up and get smacked too!

stephen says:

01:56pm | 22/02/11

Too right Mr. Centurion, and I’ve often had to pull up beside the drivers-side window and play the Gladiator and teach the peasants a few manners, and it’s gonna keep happening until car-drivers slow down and really want to get from A to B, cause the way they’re goin, some ain’t gonna make it.

James1 says:

02:06pm | 22/02/11

Oh god not this stupid discussion again.  Let me make the points so everyone can shut up about it and forget their silly little war.

Cyclists sometimes break laws, and so do drivers.

Cyclists can cause inconvenience, and so can drivers.

Cyclists can be inconsiderate, just like drivers.

Cyclists should be contributing something towards the upkeep of roads, as they do via their taxes and the registration etc they pay on the car they don’t use every time they need to go somewhere.

There.  Now we can forget the whole silly argument, and focus on the subject at hand.

Oliver says:

03:29pm | 22/02/11

@Fnord - too right, mate.  It’s ridiculous that they’re even on the same road.  Waiting for a light to change, and giving my wife a lift to work, I once had an idiot cyclist come flying down in between the parked cars and the line of cars waiting at the light.  When my wife went to open her door to get out, this guy freaked out, screaming abuse at her for not seeing him.  Remember: he was totally breaking the driving rules and she had close to zero chance of spotting him in time as he was flying down the narrow gap at speed.But no, she was automatically on the defensive because he was on a bicycle and could therefore do no wrong.  What’s more, if he’d hit her door he probably would have sued us.  Is that fair?  Does it make sense to have these annoying little cockroaches darting in and out of traffic abusing everyone and causing trouble?

Steve says:

04:29pm | 22/02/11

Well didn’t this bring out the rednecks.
Cyclists don’t slow down traffic.  Incompetent motorists do.  Rather than trying to share the lane as you pass the cyclist, why don’t you direct your anger at the motorist hogging the right lane.
And what is with oncoming motorists hugging the centre line when they see a cyclist with a car trying to pass.  Get over to the left and let the oncoming car move out and pass the cyclist safely.

Stuart says:

05:09pm | 22/02/11

@Fnord Just saying something time and time again doesn’t make it true. Roads are paid for out of general taxation, not by your rego. In NSW in 2009 the state gov spent close to $5B on roads - rego raised approx. $600m, most of which goes to administer the system. Then add to that council roads, all the local roads that are paid for by ratepayers, not by rego. So should you be allowed to drive on my local roads when you didn’t contribute a cent to them? Got it now?

@Oliver: It is legal for cyclists to ride the left hand side of stationary vehicles to the front of the traffic queue. Just check the NSW road rules.

And just think, if cyclists did pay rego then we would become legitimate road users in your eyes eh? Meaning we could take the whole lane ALL the time. Be careful what you wish for.

Chris says:

07:04pm | 22/02/11

Following on from Stuart, I own a car, a motorcycle and a pushbike. Even on the fully paid up, registered and insured motorcycle, apparently I’m still not allowed to have a lane to myself according to many motorists, so what chance would a pushbike have even if they were registered?

Smart4ss says:

03:02pm | 25/02/11

Hermes:

I think you’ll find at almost every set of lights a set of white diamonds leading up to the intersection. That’s a bike sensor, my friend.

Jade says:

06:47am | 22/02/11

Only when they are going slow!

Macca says:

07:05am | 22/02/11

My pet hate on the F3; Keep left unless overtaking. Nothing more annoying than some driving 90km in the middle lane when the left hand lane is completely empty.

JD says:

08:04am | 22/02/11

the most annoying thing is driving the pacific highway, you have a car in front of you and no one in front of them and they keep slamming on the brakes and slowing down to 40 to go around a tiny curve in the road, it’s not the old highway next to the F3 with the tight curves, do you really need to slow down for that?

the F3, being in the middle lane doing 110 (well 120) and some moron comes screaming up behind you, sits on your tail for a while flashing their headlights when there is no one in the fast lane, then they pull out agressively and go right in front of you and slam on their brakes, why?

iMitchy says:

01:31pm | 22/02/11

I expect inconsiderate driving on freeways and highways and downright stupid driving everywhere but….
The thing that really fires me up, I mean REALLY fires me up is when there is a two lane approach to a red light with no right turn arrows, 10+ cars stopped in the left lane, one car at the lights in the right lane, more traffic approaching from behind, traffic waiting at the lights on the other side of intersection travelling in the opposite direction - I pull up behind the car in the right lane intending to go straight, the light turns green and THEN they put on their right indicator.
These are probably the same people who drive down the highway with their indicator on. Blinkers can be tricky things to get the hang of but you will get there eventually champ!

James1 says:

02:09pm | 22/02/11

The thing I hate the most is nearly being run over at pedestrian crossings by some stupid mother in a 4WD chatting away on the phone and not concentrating on trying not to kill people.  And for some reason, they are nearly always mothers with kids in the car, and they hold the phone below window level, like that means we can’t see.  Just wait until you get to your destinations, or pull over and talk.

MFL says:

03:33pm | 23/02/11

In most of Europe driving in the fast lane (right in the UK, left on the mainland) will get you a severe charge and in some jurisdiction jail time. Well deserved

Dias says:

01:11pm | 22/02/11

Totaly, happens a lot on the lower North shore, especially prestige cars..

“Oh look, a nice big spot for me me me”, when in fact they have parked right in the middle of a two-car space.

Jim says:

07:43am | 22/02/11

I travel the New England Hwy every morning Jade, that is the most annoying thing the drivers do! The Great to Branxton section (all 2km, 30 mins of it) would flow much faster if people didn’t do this.

Jim says:

10:33am | 22/02/11

*Greta

Seano says:

03:18pm | 22/02/11

Absolutely!

And people who don’t allow people in one for one when traffic is merging and people who see you let one person in so decide force their way across forcing you to slam on your breaks and hope you’re not being tail gated.

Steve says:

06:50pm | 22/02/11

Jade, you are absolutely WRONG.  Drivers should drive to the merge point and merge - like a zipper, one for one.
The drivers that piss me off are the ones who half change lanes a kilometer short of the merge point and make sure they slow all the traffic down and block both lanes because they are inept at merging and have some crackpot idea of queue jumping.

You are NOT THE POLICE, GET OUT OF THE WAY and stop annoying the rest of us.

Reg says:

08:54pm | 22/02/11

@ Steve that’s sounding a bit like road rage in print.

Do forgive me but a zipper merge does not stay at the end, it moves progressively back otherwise you’ve got a high speed left lane in conflict with a moderate speed centre lane. Such velocity differences, apart from being unsafe, are likely to make the slower lane drivers very unhappy and perhaps invite them (unwisely) to lock you out.

At best it is aggressive driving requiring the slower drivers to be patient and defensive.

Steve says:

01:03pm | 23/02/11

Reg, If people are keeping left unless overtaking, then how do you end up with “a high speed left lane in conflict with a moderate speed centre lane”?

The only way would be for drivers who can’t merge changing lanes early.  If they progressed to the merge/zipper point, there would be no conflict, no speed differential and no worries.

MFL says:

03:30pm | 23/02/11

The correct place to merge is at the merge point. This ensures that all the road space is used. Those who merge part way down the traffic lanes are wasting space (as well as being a waste of space). It should be a constant zip place as the traffic lanes are moving so the zip point should not move. Those who try to freeze out another merging driver are uncouth and should not be permitted to out except in handcuffs while under escort!

Michael says:

01:05pm | 24/02/11

What the hell are trucks straddling the lane for? So people can’t overtake them? It takes them 300km to reach 20kph (deliberate exaggeration), people should be quite entitled to cruise around the outside of them to get past their slowness.

chris says:

07:41am | 22/02/11

Because, Steve, apart from tollways we do not have user-pays roads. As a road-user who cycles, I pay rego on two cars, taxes and council rates. ALL of the community subsidises your selfish, sedentary, petrol-head lifestyle. I have no problem with a completely fair and even-handed user-pays system. Cyclists and others would pay a minimum charge while you, sport, would pay many times more than what you do now.
Saying ALL cyclists run red lights is the most bog-ignorant generalisation I have heard in a long time. I don’t do it. No one I knows does it. I stay compliant with the road rules, not because I am a goody-two-shoes, but because it is the best way I know of keeping out of hospital.
I could go on, but I can’t be arsed. Your kind will never change.

Swingdog says:

07:52am | 22/02/11

Wow, so many unoriginal fail points in one post. Well done.

Phil says:

07:53am | 22/02/11

lol obvious troll is obvious.

I have a bike, I also have two cars, both are always registered and insured. Obviously I cant drive both at the same time or cant drive either when I’m riding my bike so the two lots of rego do go towards upkeep of the road I just don’t always drive on it because of idiots like you.

All cyclists ignore traffic lights, yup sure they do. Idiot.

In some cases cycling is much faster than driving in peak hour and my average speed would be much higher than yours on the same bit of road so why dont they fine you?

As for your last statement, I think you have, yourself.
People like you with no thought for anyone else on the roads (cyclists included) not to mention your obvious hate for anyone not paying rego boasts of your selfishness and ignorance.

Try harder next time troll

Mirror says:

08:00am | 22/02/11

1) Cyclists don’t have an engine.  Cyclists don’t pollute the environment.  Cyclists don’t contribute to the depreciation of the road surface.

2) Cars ignore traffic lights (yes they ALL do this).  Your point is?

3) Drive in the most part to the side of the road.

‘A more selfish and ignorant breed of road user I am yet to find…’

There is one.  He’s behind your steering wheel.

Jane says:

09:06am | 22/02/11

We do contribute - it’s called taxes. And many of us also own cars, which we pay registration on and don’t drive during the week, so that means many cars less on the road.

And not all cyclists ignore traffic lights, or break other road rules. Yes some do, just as some car driver break the road rules - like running red lights or failing to indicate when turning or changing lanes.

The road is there for all to share - we all need to be respectful of other road users. We can’t control what other people do, but we can control what we do on the road and how we react.

Kyra says:

09:24am | 22/02/11

One thing that has always confused me is how some cyclists claim that because they pay rego on a car, they have the right to ride a bike on the road. Don’t jump on me here but I thought that a person is supposed to pay rego for each vehicle (bicycles are classed as vehicles). Which means just because a person pays rego on a 4WD doesn’t mean they have a right to drive a barina around without paying rego for it.
I cycle to work myself sometimes, drive at others. Yes bikes have less environmental impact than a car but some form of rego/id might go a long way to easing some of this tension as there seems to be a pervading belief by many that some cyclists break the rules as they know they can’t be held accountable

Tom says:

11:13am | 22/02/11

I paid $310 to register my 1300kg car last year in NSW. Rego is based upon the weight of the vehicle, therefore my 7.5kg road bike should cost about $1.80 to register. If you want my $1.80, Steve, you are more than welcome to it.

Brian says:

11:14am | 22/02/11

1) Because the wear and tear a bicycle causes to a road is so low compared to even a modest car (literally hundreds of times less due to lower speeds and weights) that if they were required to pay in proportion to the damage caused the cost of administration would be far, far higher than the total raised.

2) False.

3) They can and will be fined if they are on driving at a speed too low for the conditions, including that of their vehicle, which is the actual requirement. A motorist driving a vintage car capable of only fifty kilometers an hour cannot be charged for driving at that speed if he has remained in the left lane (at least in WA).

Vince says:

12:00pm | 22/02/11

In my experience, cyclists are typically unpredictable, underpowered and lawless.  They ride virtually unprotected with no safety equipment but for a thin eggshell on their head while the rest of us have airbags, seatbelts, crumple zones, ABS braking and safety training.  In fact, the very idea that a fragile, human powered vehicle weighing a few kilograms can safely share a 3 metre wide road space alongside cars and trucks going twice their speed, with no meaningful seperation between the two, is probably the most flawed and reckless safety assessment any Road and Traffic Authority could ever make.

BK says:

02:21pm | 22/02/11

Why are we picking on bikes, when there are caravans. In particular,  pensioners towing huge vans behind a small six cylinder 4wd. If they can afford such a big van, they can afford a V8 that has some chance of towing it.

Pete says:

02:34pm | 22/02/11

Why are we picking on anybody.  All Steve proves are that people are immature and should grow up an appreciate there are other people in the world who we should be a lot more courteous to, instead of being so self-centred.

ride2live says:

03:26pm | 22/02/11

“A more selfish and ignorant breed of road user I am yet to find…”
Well Steve, how about a single occupied car driver. Too lazy to catch public transport or ride a bike.
If you haven’t realised it yet, perhaps through ignorance or just selfishness, it’s the single occupied cars that are causing the traffic problems, not the bikes.

BrissyGurl says:

04:36pm | 22/02/11

Is cyclists contributed rego then the money could go towards more bike lanes and everyone would be happy. At least if the cyclists could learn to ride in the bike lane and not in the lane next to it. O.o

Steve says:

06:55pm | 22/02/11

Oh please Steve, give it up and get a bike.
If you are so envious of us not paying rego, going through red lights and keeping under the speed limit, then why not join us?
Oh, I understand….. you’d have to put up with car driving jerks like you,

Steve says:

07:00pm | 22/02/11

BrissyGurl, how pithy!
Maybe if you took a leaf out of Kochy’s book and were more courteous, you could swallow the bile and get along with other road users.

LC says:

12:07pm | 23/02/11

I don’t agree with the idiot troll calling himself Steve. In all my driving life, I never recall having a problem with a cyclist.

But I do think that they should be made to register their bikes, not because they use the road and should be equal to road users, but because that would make them identifiable.

Kate says:

09:27am | 22/02/11

Spot on with all your points, particularly the tram one. Yes, it is a bit of a pain being stuck behind a slow-moving tram, but passengers should be able to get off the tram without some dickhead revving their engine at them or slamming on the brakes a few centimetres from the tram door.

E says:

03:04pm | 22/02/11

“That cow who forward parked into a spot I was reversing into the other day.  What, you couldn’t see my reverse lights on?  (Since I was half way in, and it was outside my building, I refused to move, and I won since I could happily sit there all day”

Wasn’t this an episode of Seinfeld?

Kika says:

12:56pm | 22/02/11

Well, we were abused for travelling straight down our lane as per the law allows. Some fool swerved into our lane narrowly missing our front left headlights and then proceeded to abuse us.

Steve says:

07:04pm | 22/02/11

Yes Kika, I think you are an example of what Macca is saying
INDICATE!!!!!! and people won’t get upset,

Samuel says:

08:21am | 22/02/11

Falling asleep at lights is the worst. I can’t stand it in busy traffic when a car’s tardiness causes several cars to miss the green. It’s not always the front car either. Sometimes the first few cars go promptly and someone lags. Obviously, if you are driving a truck I understand that you can’t accelerate as fast as other cars, you’re off the hook. But if your car is quite clearly well functioning, there’s no excuse to not ensure you process through the lights in a prompt and orderly fashion.

Also, merging onto freeways is irritating. But I find it’s the cars doing the merging that are often the problem. In Wollongong, when entering the 100km/h freeway, many drivers fail to get their speed much beyond 70km/h by the time they get to the merge. While people on the freeway need to be courteous, when you’re merging you’ve got to meet them halfway and get up to speed.

Oxnard says:

10:39am | 22/02/11

How about the guy who goes in the left hand turning lane but decides to go straight instead merging into your lane in the middle of an intersection, forcing me to almost take out a car in the next lane to avoid being sideswiped…then as a reaction to me giving him a blast with the horn, throws BBQ sauce at my car….

My motto: Drive like everyone else on the road is an idiot

Economist says:

08:33am | 22/02/11

Reg thatt’ the whole point. If the car is in front of you and they indicate to merge into your lane you should give way. Sure they can’t just indicate and turn at the same time, or drop speed as they merge, but I’m sorry you should make way.

I hope your not one of those people that accelerate once someone indicates to merge.

Brock says:

09:59am | 22/02/11

Economist,

Sorry, but you’re actually incorrect:

Queensland: Transport Operations (Road Use Management—Road
Rules) Regulation 2009 Section 148:

(1) A driver who is moving from 1 marked lane (whether or not
the lane is ending) to another marked lane must give way to
any vehicle travelling in the same direction as the driver in the
marked lane to which the driver is moving.

NSW Road Rules 2008 - section 148

Victoria: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/SafetyAndRules/RoadRules/GiveWay.htm

The other states are along the same lines

The magic indicator says:

10:14am | 22/02/11

Rubbish….you indicate and then change only when it is safe to do so. There is no obligation to make way for someone changing lanes.

ibast says:

10:31am | 22/02/11

Brock, I believe Economists point is not a legal one but one based on good will and good traffic flow.  Yes legally the vehicle within the lane has right away, but that doesn’t mean they should block someone from changing lane.

Although, equally, putting an indicator on and then immediately forcing a lane change isn’t on either (which I believe was Reg’s point).

Also what also is not commonly know is that most states now have merging laws.  If a vehicle is merging, they indicate and their b pillar(I believe) if forward of the front of your vehicle, then you are legally obliged to let them in.  People that block mergers are both legally and morally wrong.

Reg says:

11:05am | 22/02/11

@ Economist. ”  I hope your not one of those people that accelerate once someone indicates to merge.”

Not at all but there are some who think that if they indicate a lane change they can close their eyes and move. It happens on the Pacific Highway in Sydney all the time. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve looked out the passenger side window to see the ashen face of a driver who’d been so intent on the traffic behind, that he had not noticed me beside him.

I never stay in a BLIND spot either, which is another story. I don’t even drive a BLACK car but it seems too many drivers have poor peripheral vision. I believe in being AWARE of what is happening around me and I know for a fact, from both sides of her car, that my partner does not.

I can’t mention it though and she never seems to compare the sides of both cars, one unblemished and hers like railway sleepers.

Brock says:

11:15am | 22/02/11

ibast,

I agree that traffic flow dictates that sometimes courtesy is the better option, I was just pointing out to Economist what the law actually says because there’s a large portion of people who think they actually *do* have right of way when changing lanes.

As for “merging laws”, that only applies to what are known as “zipper merges”. These only take place on roads that merge with no lane markings - so if the two lanes become one and the white line runs out, then yes, indeed, the car further ahead in the lane has right of way. However these are uncommon, most lanes merge across a line and so the car in the lane that finishes does not have right of way.

ibast says:

11:57am | 22/02/11

Brock,

I went and checked after you posted and it appears the two laws have been merged (Pun intended) into one.  The merging law to which I was referring was introduced into NSW in the early 90s, looks no longer to be in place.  The current merging law (ARR 149) notes nothing about market or unmarked lanes.  Just vehicles moving in the same direct.  To me that looks like it could (and should) apply to either unmarked mergers or marked motorway style merges.

On a related note my international driving experience tells me that unmarked merges actually work better.  Once you get rid of the broken line people take responsibility for their actions.  Whilst ever the broken line is there people will continue to believe they have the right to prevent people from merging, and others will believe they have to give way to the point of stopping whilst merging.

Reg says:

12:00pm | 22/02/11

I should have mentioned.

The optometrist has a peripheral vision test that involves random flashes of varying duration and intensity that extend across the whole field of vision. You push a button if you notice anything. As an old guy, both the optometrist and I were startled by my 100% result. My younger partner only got 30%. Perhaps this is a crucial test that needs to be incorporated in license testing.

Wayne Kerr says:

02:37pm | 22/02/11

I’m with Reg on this one.  People now seem to think that just because they put they’re indicator on, they have a god given right to come into your lane regardless of whether it’s safe to do so.  I had one young woman go off at me because she tried to come into my lane when I was almost on top of her and she hadn’t even bothered to indicate.

Brock says:

02:51pm | 22/02/11

ibast,

That’s interesting to hear. I thought zipper merges still existed. Always good to learn something. And yeah, having seen how traffic actually flows in countries like Germany, Finland and Belgium I’m inclined to agree with you although I think the standard of driver training over there also helps them substantially.

Economist says:

03:25pm | 22/02/11

Reg yes I should have made my point clearer. I wasn’t just thinking about merging on major freeways, where of course the mergerer still as to time it, but it’s dangerous when the mergerer has to backoff out of the merge as the cars behind assume they’ll get into the lane, but can’t because the other person has speed up.

but I was also referring to when you’re at a standstill and merging from two lanes into one lane, and I’m not referring to roadworks where people push in right up at the cones rather than joining the back of the queue. People should use the one for one rule, instead they creep up and ride the bumper of the car in front to prevent the merge. They won’t get to their destination any quicker!

nankypoo says:

07:50am | 23/02/11

How many times have I been driving in the left lane when some idiot who realises they want to turn left at the next intersection barges in front of me. I look in the rear vision mirror and find NOBODY behind me! He couldn’t wait?

ibast says:

09:42am | 22/02/11

People are used to driving with a slight aggression in Sydney.  To get around you do have to push in occasionally (because people wont let you in) or pull out on someone slightly (because you’ll be stuck forever).  The problem is people get into this mindset then pull the same stunts on motorcyclist without much further thought.  What they haven’t considered is it’s not a bent panel being put on the line for a motorcyclist.  It is their life on the line.  Someones impatience has just created a life and death situation for a motorcyclist just trying to get home to his wife and kids.  Here’s a tip; if you are merging or changing lanes and you hear a motorcycle horn, the rider is most likely not doing it because you are being rude.  They are doing it because they are in fear for their life.

Daniel says:

11:45am | 22/02/11

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who does that. Williams Rd between Dandenong Rd and High St (in Melbourne) seems to be a mecca for que jumpers.

I can accept that the occasional person may be running late or in a hurry for some reason but watching 20 cars pass me on the inside lane while I have to wait for four changes of lights before I can get through the intersection drives me insane.

Steve says:

07:19pm | 22/02/11

obviously Phil and Daniel, you are not advocates of Kochy’s courteous driving and have set yourselves up as the lane police!

Get a grip and get a life. If someone is merging, let them in. Yes the roads are bad and sometimes people are in a hurry.

I was rushing my 5yo daughter to hospital with compound fracture of the arm (blood everywhere) and one of your types tried to cut me off at the merge point, then illegally overtook me over the double lines and then proceeded to slow down and jab the brakes.

Next tieme you get on your high horse, try to remember it is not all about you.

Daniel says:

10:53pm | 22/02/11

@Steve sorry I wasn’t talking about merging onto a highway, I was talking about a two lane road where the left hand lane is used for parking although it is generally empty of parked cars until 100 meters before the lights, where the jumpers trying to get back into the right lane cause a bottle neck, it’s not a permenent merge point anyone coming up the inside lane knows they are que jumping.
Also I usualy leave enough space for people to get through, although they have to slow right down to do it.

P.S. If you had ever in my car while I was driving you’d find that I’m actually a very courteous driver. But at some point you have to take a stand.

P.P.S. If I’m driving at the speed limit and someone tail gates me I’ll generaly slow down just to piss them off. Does that also make me discourteous of just passive-aggresive?

LC says:

12:18pm | 23/02/11

@Steve

Perhaps calling an ambulance would have been a better option…

Steve says:

01:10pm | 23/02/11

LC, The ambulance service (000) advised us to get moving towards the hospital as fast as possible and they sent a police car to meet and escort us.  It was (and still is) a traumatic time for us.

Steve says:

01:38pm | 23/02/11

So Daniel, the real problem is the parked car(s) and the general behaviour of drivers who won’t let people in.  Therefore only the more assertive (or agressive) drivers use the left lane.  If people would just allow merging at these points, then traffic could use both lanes, drivers wouldn’t have to stop to let cars in or be let in and life could move on.

This is the main issue for cyclists.  Timid drivers who won’t use the left lane are forcing aggressive drivers into the lane that the bikes use.  Hence all the rabid comments here.

Steve says:

07:21pm | 22/02/11

Another lane police.  Get a life! and get some manners.

Reg says:

08:32pm | 22/02/11

Listen you grumpy old bastard, if they’re like me they’re probably only confused. Still I must admit, I’d go through the tunnel before I’d mess with the traffic around there. I still reckon the Northern approach to the bridge and tunnel and the various other outlets would be a challenge for Indiana Jones. Anyway, you’re sounding like an aggressive old bugger pop, why don’t you just sit back and take in easy?

Funniest moment on the Northern approach to the bridge in my early days in Sydney, chockers and barely moving at 7am and a guy beside me wanted to flip from the left lane to in front of me so I let him. In the next 15 minutes he reappeared in the left lane beside me four more times wanting to do the same again. Fourth time I pretended not to notice his pleas and he blew his top until he saw my Q’ld plates then he absolutely exploded. That’s the day I decided before breakfast that NSW drivers were idiots and to treat them accordingly.

Syl says:

10:37am | 22/02/11

Wow Jugg

Nothing in the article you refer to is in opposition to anything in this one.  What exactly is your point?

LC says:

12:19pm | 23/02/11

@ Jugg.

It’s official. You are a complete and utter moron.

KH says:

08:27am | 22/02/11

Oh this is hilarious.  The rudest, and most aggressive drivers I have come across are nearly always male.  Some of the dumbest moves I have seen (including a U turn over a raised median strip in peak hour traffic directly in front of a police car - WTF?!) have also been from male drivers….......

Joan says:

08:59am | 22/02/11

There are some really nasty pieces out there more aggressive than some males….. interestingly they tend be young professional looking women…very nasty ugly mean look comes over their carefully painted faces…...and the language and finger… well.!!!!!!!!!!!!  And then there was the old biddy who tried to park her car between two cars and managed to turn her car on its side, jammed it between the cars and damaged both cars . Needles to say she lost her licence.

Wynston Cruso says:

11:47am | 22/02/11

The most ignorant drivers with no situational awareness I have found to be women driving ridiculously large Four wheel drives in suburbia. No need for it, they are not a people mover, and in a head on collision are in fact far less safe than a small to medium size car. And I thought women were supposed to have great peripheral vision…. half of them don’t realise they’re on the road it seems.

James1 says:

02:14pm | 22/02/11

I find the rudest drivers around are usually the ones that are driving.  I don’t think it matters if you are male or female.  Somehow, the act of controlling a vehicle to get from point A to point B turns many people into rude, impatient bastards who would kill or main so as to get to their destination fifteen or twenty seconds earlier.

Otherwise, I want to hear from Erick on this matter.

DG says:

09:34am | 22/02/11

Amen!

Simple hand gesture - either in the middle of the vehicle (around the height of the rear-view mirror), or out the window. When was this little skill forgotten?

Aitch B says:

10:08am | 22/02/11

@Samuel

Yeah…. I hear you. The one I hate is when people pull up in the right hand lane at a red light. You pull up behind them expecting to go straight ahead when the lights change. But oh no….. the twit in front of you puts their right turn indicator on either when they see you behind them or when the lights change.

Aaaarrrggghhhhhhhhhh!!!

Theoretically they can be booked for failing to indicate the prescribed distance from the intersection but they never are…....

Steve says:

07:34pm | 22/02/11

Who told you that BULL.
Not only is the UK road toll gretaer than ours, but on a per kilometer basis, they are 5 times our death rate!
I am truly sick of people misquoting statistics from UK or Germany.

Both are looking at Australia’s speed enforcement as a model to improve their road toll.

LC says:

12:26pm | 23/02/11

@Steve

Your source for that claim is where?

MFL says:

03:53pm | 23/02/11

Steve@07.34 22/2/2011. You are completely incorrect. The UK death toll is under 3000 for 60 million people compared with our approximately 1700 for 20 million. or 50 per million compared with our 85 per million. The UK death rate per distance travelled is also far less than ours. The German general rate for distance traveled is a little less than ours but the unrestricted Autobahn rate is far less than our freeway rate. Neither are looking to copy Australia’s speed enforcement regime. In fact the UK is cutting out speed cameras as the UK Central Government is slashing finance for these which, in the UK are operated by Local Government.

HeatherG says:

05:51pm | 28/02/11

I think what drove home (ha) how rude Australian drivers have become is when an Amercian friend I was driving around commented, in a stunned-sounding tone, after I’d been cut off for the umpteenth time, about how rude drivers are here.

He is from NYC, and lived in Ca for many years. I’m sure the comparative irony isn’t lost?

Same note, different tale: when my mum and her hubby retired back in the mid-90s, they choofed off to New Orleans and environs for a spell (this was, obviously, pre-Katrina) and they came back with the “I can’t believe how polite American drivers were!!” tale. I’m thinking it’s time we had a good hard look at ourselves.

hermano says:

12:16pm | 22/02/11

Hey Steve, roads aren’t paid for by rego and fuel tax.  Cyclists contribute just as much as anyone.  And read the road rules: cyclists have as much right to be there as any other vehicle.
As for cyclists ignoring road rules, i posit that motorists are worse, AND people die because of it.  Do you know the road toll?  Hundreds if not thousands of people killed every year by CARS.  Not bikes. 
Get off your “I drive a car and I’m important so get out of my way” mentality.  Your 500km a week anecdotes mean nothing.  You, sir, are traffic, and are holding up traffic: that guy on the bike isn’t.

Likes Joining Dots says:

01:35pm | 22/02/11

@Steve, I think you may be onto something about hindering cars.

My personal gripe is Lollypop Men/Ladies who think they can just step out anytime they want with a colourful paddle and delay hundreds of cars.

Now, just don’t get me started on ambulances who expect me to move over or pensioners and those ridiculous pedestrian traffic light buttons they get to press purely for their own benefit.

No, I’m not a bike rider, but legally - cyclists, ambulances, pensioners and lollypop people are allowed to do these things, are they all a ‘scourge on the roads’ because they hinder you?

Vince says:

04:06pm | 22/02/11

LJD - your comparisons are lame.  Pedestrians don’t use the road - they cross it.  Sidewalks tend to be where you find them most.  Lollipop men ensure our safety in circumstances where something is obstructing the road.  Ambulances have sirens.  Cyclists, on the other hand, drive like idiots possessed with little regard to their own safety and drivers are expected to bear the responsibility if/when they finally cop it.

Likes Joining Dots says:

06:30pm | 22/02/11

@Vince - ‘your comparisons are lame’

They were intended that way, thanks for picking up on that.

Steve was making the point that he is being hindered by cyclists, I was wondering how far he would go with that line of thought since all these types hinder him.

PS It may be a state terminology thing. Lollypop men/women are the ones who stop traffic to allow school children to safely cross the road, but road workers are an equally valid comparison.

Danny B says:

11:11am | 22/02/11

And in Queensland.  The driveway to my apartment block is directly opposite a school, across a roundabout.  Come 3:00, forget about going anywhere until 3:30, as it’s always blocked by parents trying to get into the school to pick up their kids.  Wouldn’t mind seeing a police presence, booking those who are illegally blocking the roundabout.

Andy D says:

10:23am | 22/02/11

I love the old blanket slurs like “Anyone who drives a ‘insert car you hate here’ is a ‘insert insult here’”

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to remind myself that no matter how bad I am there is always someone who is more opinionated and arrogant than I am.

Swampy says:

12:53pm | 22/02/11

Definately not diesel utes though, those things have the acceleration of a slug. I have noticed that a lot of people that are on the roads for a living are the most impatient & dangerous drivers, in particular; Taxis, trucks & police! The majority probably don’t drive dangerously but when you have an impatient police officer sitting inches off your rear you certainly notice & remember it & it gives the rest a bad image.

And for that matter, why are teachers, parents & bus drivers the worst in School zones? Seems like they’ve gotten complacent because it is a daily ritual for them.

Seano says:

01:20pm | 22/02/11

And thank you for reminding me that not only are ute drivers usually maniacs but apparently they have no sense of humour and take themselves waaaay too seriously.

Andy D says:

02:29pm | 22/02/11

I’m no ute driver, nor am I particularly sympathetic to ute drivers (except those B&S utes with the huge bull-bars and all the antennas and stickers, they are awesomely ridiculous and strangely cool), I just like making fun of people who make stupid generalisations .

I don’t think I need to take myself too seriously or have no sense of humour to enjoy stirring up random people on the internet. It’s the Australian way after all.

Seano says:

03:14pm | 22/02/11

@Andy D

“I just like making fun of people who make stupid generalisations .”

That’s funny because I enjoy making fun of people who enjoy making fun of people who make stupid generalisations.

Dude don’t ever go into a comedy club, or turn on a TV or radio the assault to your delicate sensibilities might be too much.

@Swampy - Totally agree (and thanks for recognising the point I was making). The worst drivers on the road seem to be those who are on it most.

Economist says:

03:30pm | 22/02/11

But Andy generalisations have their place. I try and avoid the following: any woman in a car with pin stripe tattoo’s on the back window or something with the word ‘Bitch’ in it. Any v6 Holden or Ford driver with a P plate, any Audi driver because Top Gears right, they’re c**ks.

Bald Eagle says:

09:52am | 22/02/11

get out of your car, ride a bike and make use of those cycle lanes.
You might lose some of that excess weight you’re hauling around.
stupid trams, stupid cycle lanes, stupid old world.

Joan says:

11:16am | 22/02/11

Bald Eagle;  I don’t sit on my arse all day like some…. don’t need pedal power….but i`ve seen a lot of fat arsed male cyclists not content to filling up cycle lane but also ooze into motorist way.

Reg says:

11:18am | 22/02/11

” stupid trams, stupid cycle lanes, stupid old world.”  Fear not the Bald Eagle is almost extinct.

Syl says:

10:45am | 22/02/11

Seconded.  It amazes me just how careless and unthinking some drivers are on the road when it comes to motorcycles. 

When you are changing lanes, please look first, especially when approaching an intersection.  I ride my motorbike everyday and probably have to swerve to avoid some idiot who decided not to check next to him when he changes lanes once a week.

Also, please do not sit up a motorbikes ass.  DO you have any idea how f***g scary it is travelling 80Km/h with a tonne of steel sitting 4 feet behind you?  Tailgating is stupid at the best of times, but in a car a rear-ender is generally going to cost a lot of money and maybe a sore neck.  On a motorbike, being rear-ended will generally cause death.

Think a little. (oh and before someone starts shouting “well some/most motorbike riders are idiots on the road and speed/cut through traffic dangerously etc”. I agree, many motorcyclists are stupid, many put themselves in danger.  This does not lower your responsibility to drive safely).

Likes Joining Dots says:

02:06pm | 22/02/11

I can’t recall where I picked this tip up.

‘Always look for bikers when driving’.

If you do, chances are you can’t help but notice the maroon monaro tearing along, the white camry in your blind spot or the B-Train that will spoil your day.

KH says:

10:23am | 22/02/11

I hear you - I suspect a lot of these people live in Toorak as well.  And they nearly always drive a 4WD,  one of those wanky Porsche ones.  Mathoura Road is always fun - people want to turn right from Toorak Road, yet the oncoming traffic nearly always blocks it.  Then there is that double park thing - given that parking is allowed during the day and on weekends, it means you have to go into oncoming traffic to get around them - sometimes they don’t even move when they are blocking a tram, which obviously can’t go around them.  Unbelievable…......

nankypoo says:

08:01am | 23/02/11

Any roundabout (no matter how many lanes)  has a broken line and an upside down triangular road sign at the entrance. This means GIVE WAY in any country in the world. It does NOT mean the left hand lane is excluded from the requirement to GIVE WAY, and it does not mean you can swear at the driver who expects to have the right of way, and uses it.

David says:

02:13pm | 22/02/11

“Keep left unless overtaking” doesn’t apply everywhere. It applies where the speed limit is over 80 km/h or where signed, unless the road is congested.

But it is really annoying. On three/four lane roads people clump together in the two right lane.

Steve says:

07:50pm | 22/02/11

David, you are the one who is wrong, keeping left if not overtaking IS the law.
But it is only subject to a fine in areas of over 80kph.

Bex says:

03:02pm | 22/02/11

That’s exactly what happened to me, except I was the car that got plowed into by someone who had been ‘waved through’. The guy mustn’t have even bothered to look in any other lane but his own.

iMitchy says:

10:50am | 22/02/11

It’s amazing isn’t it, when you try to leave a safe gap and other drivers think that it needs to be filled. Some even over take you from directly behind thinking that if they get in front of just one car, they will get to where they are going quicker.
There is no need for traffick to ever be bumper-to-bumper, if everyone leaves a good gap the traffick will flow better. I have actually started looking in the rearview mirror when I have to slam on the brakes these days (which is about 2 - 5 times a day on the Mitchell Fwy in Perth - and I consider myself a granny driver) instead of focusing on the goose who just pulled in front of me and had to slam on his because I know that the person behind me will not have left a big enough gap and it’s up to me to try to find the medium between a possible front and rear impact.

Mind the Gap says:

10:55am | 22/02/11

I have always wanted to thank you for leaving that gap for me to pull into.
Now if you could just pull over to the left, I wouldn’t need to fill the gap.

Andrew says:

11:54am | 22/02/11

6 second gap!?!  You do realise that when travelling at 100km/h that is well over 150m!  You could barely SEE a car 6 seconds ahead of you.  2 seconds is 50m, which is WAY more than adequate.  If you can’t react in 2 seconds to what the car in front does, you do not deserve to have a licence.  In fact, I’d say if you cannot react in half a second, you don’t deserve one.  By far the largest problem on our roads today is people who cannot drive properly, and who don’t have the skills necessary to control a car.  If you need to stop every time you approach a roundabout or a merge lane, hand in your licence.  If you need to slow down to 10km/h to take a corner, hand in your licence.  If your reaction time is so slow that you need to travel 10km/h under the speed limit, and can only drive at a crawl when it’s raining, your driving days are over.

Much stricter testing is what is needed, so that only people who can adequately control a vehicle are allowed on the roads.  Goodbye bad drivers, goodbye traffic!  It’s a great shame that the government’s preferred reaction is to simply lower speed limits for everybody.

ibast says:

12:25pm | 22/02/11

bluebell, I’m both amused and confused by you post.  The 3 second gap I can understand.  When I did my advanced driver training back in the early 90s it was 2 seconds, but if you want to believe the safetycrats 3 second rule, then that’s fine, just don’t preach to me about it.

On the other hand I don’t know where you get this 6 second rule from.  If you are going to use a time based rule to judge distance, then the distance corrects itself as speed rises.  Perhaps you are coming at it from an energy point of view (because energy rises at the square of velocity), but even then it’s poor logic, because you are measuring against vehicles traveling in the same direction and they too have to wash off energy.  If your reference was roadside objects etc, I might understand, but taking a 6 second gap to the vehicle in front as an absolute rule doesn’t seem to have any logic.  If anything, with good run off areas and visibility you should be able to reduce the gap on freeways, not increase it.

iMitchy says:

12:43pm | 22/02/11

@Mind the Gap,
I do not move from the left lane when I’m on the freeway. After being a truck driver for over 2 years I have found that unless you drive dangerously, it is very difficult to get back over to the exit lane when you need to get off the Fwy. So I just stay put now, it’s a little slower but it’s worth the wait.
@Andrew,
6 seconds is a little excessive. I reckon 3 is ample but at peak hour it’s pretty rare to get to full speed anyway. My biggest concern is the person infront will have faulty brake lights or they themselves will not react in time to the car in front of them which cuts my reaction time in half.

My wife always bags me about my granny driving yet I have a perfect record whereas she has had many accidents and lost her licence. She is a bloody maniac. (But she assures me she knows what she is doing and what her car is capable of). I have been in a few close calls with her driving yet she is frustrated by my easy going vehicular behaviour which remains incident free.
My dad taught me that everyone else on the road is an idiot who is going to suddenly cause you danger by slamming on the brakes or pulling out in front of you. He said not to expect them to keep travelling the way that it appears they are. And that unless you have made eye contact with another driver, they have no idea that you are there.

RGG says:

12:52pm | 22/02/11

Yeah, as a civil litigation lawyer I’m going to go ahead and say you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about and this is by no means correct in any Australian jurisdiction I can think of.

Jade says:

11:53am | 22/02/11

Specially off of traffic lights where they are only green for a short amount of time with a large amount of cars trying to get through.

Bald Eagle says:

12:08pm | 22/02/11

I agree
see it every day. People taking a kilometre to get up to 70kmph
annoys the shit out of me.

holdengirl says:

02:09pm | 22/02/11

me too! love to queue jump on the great western highway every day! multiple times! even drive in the T2 lanes at times, and bus lanes.

Couldnt care less about others, as long as I get to work on time and dont cause any accidents.

There have been a few posts here..about young professional ladies having road rage..couldnt agree more as Im a self confessed road rageaholic.

rudy says:

03:58pm | 22/02/11

look out for those T2 lane cameras, holdengirl. But if people wanna queue like sheep, some of us have to be sheepdogs and whip right past ‘em.

Samuel says:

11:32am | 22/02/11

I’ve recently moved to Wollongong and the amount of people who just wander across the road without any clue about the state of the traffic is astounding.

Reg says:

12:09pm | 22/02/11

I think you’ll find that no matter what, pedestrians always have right of way.

Be aware.

iansand says:

12:13pm | 22/02/11

Do not, under any circumstances, go to China, or Thailand, or Vietnam…..

Duff says:

04:21pm | 22/02/11

@Samuel, I think that if I lived in Wollongong I’d probably step out in front of the traffic as well.

Ryan says:

12:49pm | 22/02/11

People become aggravated not because of the extra 10 seconds or the time mostly, they become aggravated when other drivers cannot show common courtesy or don’t know the road rules and adhere to them.

Samuel says:

02:18pm | 22/02/11

Spot on, Ryan. The issue is the lack of consideration to other drivers, not the minimal delay. My pet hate, as I’ve said above, is drivers who don’t indicate. It’s not because I don’t know what they are doing-usually you can tell when someone is going to merge or turn-it’s because failing to indicate shows a contempt for other people on road.

Kate says:

02:19pm | 22/02/11

That premature turning one is the worst. I’ve been walking across the road at the crossing, on the green man, and had people making a turn drive basically up to my feet and give me angry faces. I’m not jaywalking, it’s my right of way and I’m walking fast enough thanks.

Chad C Mulligan says:

03:19pm | 22/02/11

This is interesting.  I’m having a barney on a website in Tasmania because I posted that I was going to start keying cars that stopped on the pedestrian crossing when it was my turn to cross.
I might have gotten a lesser reaction if I told them I was going cook and eat their children.  LOL.

Trude says:

05:17pm | 22/02/11

@Kate, I’ve had the same thing happen too often. Once I just stopped and stared at the guy for a few moments.

Lol, Chad, I’ve often wanted to key the bonnets of cars which stop on the pedestrian crossing.

sneakers says:

06:51am | 23/02/11

“It’s dangerous and it’s rude.”

I’ve been called a lot of things, but never an “it”.

Flirt.

Zach says:

11:09am | 23/02/11

I have had tp stop in the middle of a pedestrian crossing many times in Perth unfortunately. I try to avoid doing so but I have to say its useually parents who cause it. They stop in the middle of the road with no warning to let their kids out and everyone has to slam their brakes on - They don’t give you enough warning to stop before you get to the crossing… Yes some drivers are idiots but remember sometimes things are not their fault.

Beast of Brisbane says:

11:18pm | 24/02/11

Thanks for taking the bike home.  People in cars drive.  I appreciate you freeing up the roadspace.

Lostie says:

01:42pm | 22/02/11

Consider Rule 27 of the Road Rules. You must stay on the road and not enter and any sealed part of the road outside an edge line on the road.

Far too often I see people driving along on that “road related area” heading to an intersection and turning from that area. It’s a nightmare for people who are following the road rules (i.e the person on the road then has to give way to the moron off the road to avoid a collision).

Jade says:

03:31pm | 22/02/11

Most people in the Valley though are drugged up to their eyeballs or highly intoxicated.  You don’t see reason when you are off chops hence why they fight at the drop of a hat.

Steve says:

08:03pm | 22/02/11

Get out of the right hand lane or move over and let them pass. Simple.
Just be courteous and stop annoying them.

Seano says:

09:25pm | 22/02/11

I stay out of the right hand lane unless i’m overtaking. But,

1. You don’t have to be in the right lane to be tail gated.

2. Even if someone is in the right hand lane you have no right to drive like a dangerous moron and put pressure on that person. Yes the road rule says they should not sit in the right hand lane but it also says that you have to maintain adequate distance between yourself and the car in front.

Steve says:

01:22pm | 23/02/11

The reason tailgating is such an Australian phenomenon is that in other countries they will run you off the road if you don’t get out of their way.

If you are being tailgated, look at yourself first before blaming the other driver.

I never get tailgated.  I move over and slow down to allow safer overtaking.  I don’t jab the brakes, block the lane or demand that everyone else drive at the same speed I am.

Seano says:

05:53pm | 23/02/11

I’m sorry there is no excuse for tail gating, it’s moronically dangerous. Even if the person in front isn’t in your opinion doing the right thing.

Generally I don’t get tail gated because like I said I use the right hand lane for overtaking. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Driving on the M4, driving on single lane roads etc. But you only have to look across at the right hand lane on any highway in Australia to see a line of cards tail gating each other at 120 (and up) Km/h.

You don’t get to break one road rule because you find someone else breaking another one inconvienent.

Steve says:

08:06pm | 22/02/11

So Bob, you think I can get right across a roundabout and hit you from the right when you were already on the roundabout?

Even if I was doing 80, you could still get across as long as you entered before I did.

Bob says:

10:19am | 23/02/11

I was trying to say that too many motorists treat roundabouts as if there is a give way to the right rule.  Motorists on a main road coming in to a roundabout often assume drivers on the minor street will give way to them and dont bother slowing down, even if the driver on the minor street was there well before the other vehicle and is even part way into the roundabout. This makes it hard for traffic on the minor street to get into the roundabout and causes backups. If people just slowed and merged considerately ( ie let thet person in on your left instead of barrelling through on a mistaken view you have right of way) roundabouts would work better. People on the side street should be less timid and move into the roundabout instead of giving way to the right. If you are in the roundabout motorists approaching the roundabout and not yet in it have to give way to you- got it!  RTA and Councils could help by designing roundabouts tighter so you have to slow down on approach.

Steve says:

01:30pm | 23/02/11

Bob, I think your real point is that people should not be timid about roundabouts.  They are designed to keep traffic moving.  If drivers stop before they look, they will be stuck and if they are looking for a space to fit a semi trailer they will be stuck longer.

What you are implying is that you think the other approaching traffic will not be able to slow down enough to avoid an accident.  That could be true in any situation - not just at a roundabout.

MFL says:

04:07pm | 23/02/11

The rule on roundabouts is faulty as it allows someone downstream to edge over the give way line so that they can claim to be first on (Tradies in beat up utes are the worst) which forces the person who is fully on the roundabout to take avoiding action by braking heavily and risk being hit from behind. The rule that I grew up with (in the UK) was “Give way upstream” ie treat the roundabout as a major road and you are entering from a minor road. This works very well and includes giving way to upstream entering traffic if it is fast or is a heavy vehicle.

Steve says:

08:13pm | 22/02/11

So you didn’t tell us why you were not in the left lane.

Why were you blocking traffic?  Why were you annoying him?

It isn’t all about you!!

Relaxed Atmosphere says:

10:26am | 23/02/11

You mean to tell us that when driving through a school zone, which are posted 40kph at certain times, at least in NSW, you dont have the wherewithall to put two and two together and come to the conculsion that children may cross the road with the assistance of a lollipop person. This has never happened “suddenly” to me as I travel through about six school zones on the way to work and know that the lollipop person may step out, so I am ready. Just because you dont have your brain switched on dont blame others for your stupidity.

DMR says:

11:23am | 23/02/11

I remember crash avoidance spaces from my driver training and they’re only relevant when you’re the last car in the queue.  It’s extremely frustrating when there is a line of stationary traffic that can’t get into a turning lane because some idiot in the ‘straight-ahead’ lane leaves a huge gap in front of them for no good reason.

And it may not affect you if you slow to a crawl and then creep up to the lights, but a hundred yards behind you is a blocked intersection because you’ve backed up all of the traffic.

Relaxed Atmosphere says:

12:00pm | 23/02/11

Incorrect. A crash avoidace space works no matter where you are in a queue of traffic whether you are first, middle or last. If you have room to move, the more the better, the less likely you are to be rear ended. If you are stationary and lets say for argument sake, you have three car lenghts between yourself and the vehicle infront you have room to move forward if something happens behind you. Very sound practice for motorcycle riders.
  May I refer to your ” no good reason” statement .Just because you dont know what the reason is doesnt make it a bad idea . I feel the safety of my daughter, wife and myself is a good reason to do anything I can to minimise the risk to which we are exposed when driving and if that means you dont get into your turning lane a few seconds earlier well, so be it. Perhaps you should plan your journey a little better and leave a little earlier to avoid situations beyond your control.

DMR says:

03:33pm | 23/02/11

I was told by a defensive driving instructor that it is safe to move up into the space once you have stationary traffic behind you.  This makes sense, since you probably won’t be able to see the danger behind them to know if you need to get out of the way and, in the event of a rear-end impact at the back of the line, those cars act like a giant crumple zone to protect your car.

It’s not about me being delayed by a minute or two; everyone suffers if the available traffic resources (primarily road space and green lights) aren’t used in the most efficient manner.  Traffic light sequences are based on an optimal flow of traffic for each direction through an intersection and co-ordinated with surrounding intersections.  If traffic can’t enter an intersection or use a turning lane on a green light because cars in front are taking up more space than planned, then the whole system goes to pot.