Discussion
Thought I'd post up here a few things I notice about driving over here. I've been here a few years now so things may have changed back in blighty too, but what amazes me:
Total disregard for red lights. This may be a Sydney thing and I seem to recall London being similar, but seriously...
No-one uses their handbrake when stopped (I don't mean parked, I mean at lights/on a hill/ever). I know there are a lot more automatics here, but I'm tiring of being dazzled by brake lights at every junction then willing the person to have sufficient clutch control not to smash my front end in
Roundabouts - have you ever seen anyone indicate left where they are coming off a roundabout, eg if they are turning right - it's just treated as a crossroads, so it's guesswork where the feck they're going.
Rant over. there's probably plenty more I could add, these were just on my mind (again) this morning.
Total disregard for red lights. This may be a Sydney thing and I seem to recall London being similar, but seriously...
No-one uses their handbrake when stopped (I don't mean parked, I mean at lights/on a hill/ever). I know there are a lot more automatics here, but I'm tiring of being dazzled by brake lights at every junction then willing the person to have sufficient clutch control not to smash my front end in
Roundabouts - have you ever seen anyone indicate left where they are coming off a roundabout, eg if they are turning right - it's just treated as a crossroads, so it's guesswork where the feck they're going.
Rant over. there's probably plenty more I could add, these were just on my mind (again) this morning.
deviant said:
Lane discipline, fore thought and general paying attention to whats going on seems to be completely lacking from most drivers in Aus!
Whilst I would definately agree with those, I imagine if I went to the UK tomorrow I would come across those same gripes. Ditto aggressive driving/pushing in etc - I would mention them too but can't be sure my memory of UK driving hasn't faded over time...Oooh, one that we don't see much of in the UK - 'mobile roadblocks' on dual-carriageways as 2 vehicles doing the exact same low speed alongside each other...
Those rolling road blocks make me want to s
t! They just demonstrate how little attention people are paying to whats going on around them.
I blame the traffic around Perth completely at the feet of the rolling road blocks and the people that cant merge...no-one pays attention at a merge lane and by the time they realise whats going on they either wont give way or hit the brakes which of course means the people a kay back have to stop.
I dunno...when I was in the UK at the back end of 2007 I thought driving standards were way better than here but maybe it was just a placebo of thinking nothing can be as bad as here!
The big problem here is driver education and the attitude towards it. People think driving is an orrrrstralians right and that a license should be gained quickly and cheaply....which they are.
I got my license after 6 driving lessons! Yep thats 6 hours with an instructor, 20 minutes trudling around the burbs for a test. '25' hours log booked and then a computer test and that was it!
t! They just demonstrate how little attention people are paying to whats going on around them.I blame the traffic around Perth completely at the feet of the rolling road blocks and the people that cant merge...no-one pays attention at a merge lane and by the time they realise whats going on they either wont give way or hit the brakes which of course means the people a kay back have to stop.
I dunno...when I was in the UK at the back end of 2007 I thought driving standards were way better than here but maybe it was just a placebo of thinking nothing can be as bad as here!
The big problem here is driver education and the attitude towards it. People think driving is an orrrrstralians right and that a license should be gained quickly and cheaply....which they are.
I got my license after 6 driving lessons! Yep thats 6 hours with an instructor, 20 minutes trudling around the burbs for a test. '25' hours log booked and then a computer test and that was it!
when in Rome sunshine....
The beauty is its all so predictable, so you know Achmed Bin-Dealin in his muzza'd out Commonwe is going to switch lanes even before he does. Same goes for all our illustrious Oriental citizens, they keep me employed so I like their abysmal driving standards.
you get used to it in time is what im waffling about...
The beauty is its all so predictable, so you know Achmed Bin-Dealin in his muzza'd out Commonw
e is going to switch lanes even before he does. Same goes for all our illustrious Oriental citizens, they keep me employed so I like their abysmal driving standards.you get used to it in time is what im waffling about...
Google [bot] said:
No-one uses their handbrake when stopped (I don't mean parked, I mean at lights/on a hill/ever). I know there are a lot more automatics here, but I'm tiring of being dazzled by brake lights at every junction then willing the person to have sufficient clutch control not to smash my front end in
This one always makes me concerned. Seriously if you are being dazzled by a brake light to the extent it is uncomfortable or even just irritating then you should see an optician. What do you do when a car comes the other way with their headlights on, close your eyes?Edited by ViperDave on Thursday 2nd April 07:19
SkinnyBoy said:
when in Rome sunshine....
The beauty is its all so predictable, so you know Achmed Bin-Dealin in his muzza'd out Commonwe is going to switch lanes even before he does. Same goes for all our illustrious Oriental citizens, they keep me employed so I like their abysmal driving standards.
you get used to it in time is what im waffling about...
The beauty is its all so predictable, so you know Achmed Bin-Dealin in his muzza'd out Commonw
e is going to switch lanes even before he does. Same goes for all our illustrious Oriental citizens, they keep me employed so I like their abysmal driving standards.you get used to it in time is what im waffling about...
Agree with that. Its always the same style of driving from the same cars and even with just a little bit of common sense you can see the situation unfolding before they do. Its kept me out of any bingles so far!!Unless your out on your own I find that trying to apply any sort of advanced techniques to your driving often just leads to stress..although I always try and be a good driver its often easier to just trundle with the crowd and just maintain a decent gap in front while giggling at the bloke in the lane next to you going purple with rage / heart attack trying to force his ute to go faster than the car in front.
toomuchbeer said:
Tailgating is my biggest bug bear. Even the bloody trucks do it. Scarey.
Best (or worst) example of this I've seen was a B Double fuel tanker with "At 60km/h this truck takes 100m to stop. Please allow sufficient room at junctions" (or something similar) written across the back, being driven about 3 feet from the back of another truck at 80km/h along the Westgate freeway!!As for being able to spot bad drivers, I find that the ones to give a wide berth are - ex Taxis, ropey Faulcadores, any mid-eighties Japanese obscurity, the sort of stuff found in car sales yards with bunting and a portacabin. The first port of call for new arrivals with little or no money.
Those and Hyundais with P plates and some sort of furry pink accessory. Actually, anything with P plates.
I'll see your Hyundai and raise you a Mitsubishi Lancer with a fake Evo bodykit, massive rims, farty exhaust and underbody neons. If the driver is rich it will have graphics on it to.
There is one round my area with rop light around the 4 inch exhaust exit that always tries to get me to race him
There is one round my area with rop light around the 4 inch exhaust exit that always tries to get me to race him
As an aussie born and bred I agree. I drove around the UK for months and months last year and was amazed at how high the overall standard of driving was. So, so, so much better than it is here. Lane discipline here is abysmal. And overtaking. Bloody hell. If I want to do 15kms faster than you, it is not a personal insult, so don’t spend the rest of you time tailgating and flashing your lights. I do a lot of driving, for both work and fun and have found the following are the cars to avoid. Anything with Canberra number plates. Any Toyota with extensive soft toy collection. And car with a southern cross/aussie pride sticker.
As for worst drivers, I see you fake HSVs and raise you any Japanese import turbo Nissan with snapon seat covers and P plates.
As for worst drivers, I see you fake HSVs and raise you any Japanese import turbo Nissan with snapon seat covers and P plates.
Interesting, Colonial. What would be your response to my comments about handbrake use and roundabout indications, just out of interest. Does the driving test differ here from the UK in these points?
By the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
By the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
Google [bot] said:
Interesting, Colonial. What would be your response to my comments about handbrake use and roundabout indications, just out of interest. Does the driving test differ here from the UK in these points?
By the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
Driving test here (in WA anyway) is a joke.By the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
Literally 20 minutes trundling round the burbs:
no roundabouts
no traffic lights
one or two stop signs and give ways.
No emergency stop
No hill starts
One exercise in turning around using either a 'hook' turn in an intersection or pulling on to someones drive then reversing off.
One parking exercise at the local supermarket
No parrallel parks or reversing around corners
It really is the most basic of basic tests, your just showing that you are able to move a car safely and nothing else. The rest of the learning comes under the 25 hour log book thingy which you do still on L plates and with a licensed driver in the car...problem is though that when you get to this stage your still horribly inexperienced so the bad habits / attitude of your supervising driver rub off on you.
Google [bot] said:
Interesting, Colonial. What would be your response to my comments about handbrake use and roundabout indications, just out of interest. Does the driving test differ here from the UK in these points?
By the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
The handbrake thing is actually something I picked up on reading through this forum. I swear I'm the only person around that does itBy the way, in over 6 years of driving in Sydney, I saw what I think is my first correct indicator usage last night - and it was by a learner driver...
My driving test was 20 minutes long. 3 point turn, reverse park, and a brief drive around the suburbs. pathetic. The first thing I did was go for a day on the skidpan so I could learn what to do - and I do a refresher every couple of years.
Indicator use is pathetic, and knowledge of roundabouts is pathetic
deviant said:
I'll see your Hyundai and raise you a Mitsubishi Lancer with a fake Evo bodykit, massive rims, farty exhaust and underbody neons. If the driver is rich it will have graphics on it to.
There is one round my area with rop light around the 4 inch exhaust exit that always tries to get me to race him
The "graphics" being a Transformers logo perhaps?There is one round my area with rop light around the 4 inch exhaust exit that always tries to get me to race him
Seems to be the trend around here.
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