If we built our cities and towns so you don’t need to drive to live a full life, we could be more selective about who gets drivers licences. As it is, for many Australians not being able to drive would make them unable to work.
How about we mandate safer cars? Two ton trucks with 6 foot bull bars and shite viability aren’t helping anyone.
Safer cars are causing their own problems.
Improved Driver assistance systems are making drivers more complacent.
Intrusion protections, crumple zones make vehicles larger and weigh more.
What needs to happen is improved infrastructure so that people who are not competent, not mature enough and not legally permitted to drive don’t need to drive. This will (unfortunately) decimate the Automotive Industry and crash the economy.
It won’t crash the economy, the automotive industry isn’t much of that at all in Australia because we have no manufacturers here anymore
By “Automotive Industry”, I am referring to all the Service Industry relating to keeping cars on the road. Sales, Parts, Repairs, Fuel, Roadwork, Insurers.
Next time you drive though an industrial estate, look at all the business who rely on people maintaining and crashing their cars. All those inefficient little businesses would be either rendered obsolete or would become a little bit more niche.
Next time you drive through a Shopping Centre, you will notice at least one Supercheap, Repco and/or Autobarn. There will also be at least one Tyrefitter and probably a service centre too.
If everyone started using (much more efficient) public transport, all these wasteful businesses would no longer be needed and less money would be changing hands in the Private sector.
It’d be a gradual shift, not a shock change. Those businesses would gradually close rather than ask at one and the economy would chug on
I knew someone who got their NT provisional licence and then ended up moving interstate not long after.
So you’re meant to change your licence over except there was one problem - he was under the minimum age for P plates for that state. Ended up not changing it for a few years.
I’m not sure what happens if a P plater under 17 tries to change their licence over in another state. He even boasted/joked he got it out of a cereal box compared to others.
But in the end he had the most experience. He did a bit of highway driving in NT - he’s the only one that’s driven at 150km/h+.
Australians are atrocious drivers and we know it. Everyone lives up to declare their city/state has the worst drivers.
I think most people are good enough, but then the egos come into play and it ruins it for everyone.
I also think that if you lose your licence you should start again from scratch with your L tests and moving on to a probationary licence.
Inflated Ego can change a competent driver into a hazard in no time.
The amount of people you see who drive aggressively after being overtaken is astounding. They are usually overtaken because they were distracted driving. They will wilfully get into collisions to prove that they are the better/faster/stronger driver.
The 1st rule of avoiding a collision is don’t try to occupy the same space as another vehicle. Pay attention. Be respectful of other drivers, even when they are not being respect of others.
Me who failed my first driving test 🥹
But on a more serious note I do agree that driving lessons and defensive driving courses should be made compulsory
You’re not alone 😢
It’s also very easy to keep your drivers license. I drive my elderly mum around, she doesn’t/can’t drive, but she sure as hell has her drivers lic.
My Poppy had his licence all the way up into his 90s. He had to have a driving test every year, and the instructors always told him that he was the most conscientious, observant, law-abiding, driver they ever tested.
After he started having stokes (although never when he was driving), he decided to relinquish his license.
Making it harder for teenagers isn’t the solution. The problem is as a society we think driving is a right. It’s not. It’s a privilege! We should be ensuring the laws are clear, common sense and most importantly; harsh. That would fix things. Dash cam owners aus highlights how many scumbags there are on the roads. Why are there NOT a government org watching it and fining people into oblivion?
You got out of your car and raised a cricket bat at a driver? Good luck driving a cube, cause that’s what your car is now.
You drove drunk? Good news! Your car will be sold, we will be taking the money from the sale as a fine and you’ll not be driving again for 10 years.
You did 100 through a school zone? Enjoy that fine that’s equal to 20% of your yearly income.
When the repercussions for acting like a fuckwit are bugger all you can’t be surprised when people just don’t give a shit any more.
100% agree. Lerner drivers should take their lessons from professional instructors, not from mom and pop who end up teaching bad habits and unsafe shortcuts. I see so many tailgaters on the road as well as drivers with no lane discipline at all. SMH.
My wife has a full driver’s licence. I taught her to drive and she is not on board with it. She doesn’t want to and that’s fine because i like driving, anyway… Somehow she passed the test a few years ago, and she has not driven since.
She’s got a full license now because she was on her Ps for how ever long. Never once has she driven on her own, and maybe for about three years now.
WA’s “Enjoy the ride” campaign was an own-goal. It’s a ton of metal at speed, not a roller coaster that you close your eyes on.
A few years ago you could get a full driver’s licence in Korea within a week or two. The driving there was definitely reflective of that. So…could be worse lol
Fkin nooooo
