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The best way to stop most road deaths
Chris Putt:
Being a young driver, just thought Id chuck in my three pennies worth...........
The generalisation that young drivers are bad is not wholly true. YES a large proportion of accidents do happen with young drivers at the wheel but like all things this is down to experience. I am of the opinion that a milage limit ought to be placed under supervision before taking a test, taking into account all different fields of driving, or that the pass-plus scheme should be reduced in price and made obligatory.
It annoys me comments like 'youngsters should be banned from tuning or owning higher performance vehicles' Are we not penalised enough with high insurance?!- maybe inspecting these vehicles more effectively and ensuring said modifications get declared would put up premiums enough that they would be discouraged anyway?
I currently drive an H regd BMW 3series (e30 318iS M42) which Im sure a lot of you would consider a high performance car. But I use it responsibly and I also keep up with the relevant consumables and maintenance to make sure it is a safe high performance car.- heres a list of my upgrades:
Ferodo High performance brake pads
Vented Disks
Quality Tyres
Hi output Bulbs in the front
And yes, I know I am unusual in actually bothering to upgrade the most important parts and not your usual saxo VTR barryboy with an exhaust so big you can fit your head in it, big wings, big wheels, a bag of nails under the bonnet and drakes as big as beer mats! and I do drive it quickly from time to time!
I have now had my full license 4 years, and in that time (touch wood) I have not had an accident.- before anyone says 'yes but you probably do no milage' I have averaged 17,000 a year over that time, driving a variety of vehicles, although the largest being a Luton Van. This is reflected also in my social group. We are all motor enthusiasts, and of the 5 of us, only one has had an accident and it wasnt his fault (van cut a blind corner and collided with him).
I think the key is with driving is driving as conditions allow. As we all know there are conditions where there is no way you would even dream of driving on the speed limit, but equally on modern road surfaces, in modern cars with modern brakes and safety technologies it MAY be safe to go faster (empty motorway, clear dry day yada yada yack yack yack) but we shouldnt, as common sense should prevail. Yes the faster we go the more likely our reactions are to let us down, BUT the genralisation that speed kills is not always correct. The issue is behavioural, if we all drive responsibly, appropriately for the conditions and be observant, looking for the clues in the, conditions other drivers/pedestrians behavious a lot of lives could be saved. So, it is driver behaviour and bad decisions that cause accidents. I would also echo the view already stated that there are a lot of complete wrecks on the road, with poorly maintained brakes/tyres, suspension componetry that also contribute, but again people need to be educated to spot these things rather than overlook them. End Of.
Rant Over
MudPlugger:
Totally agree with you Chris we are penalised enough through insurance, I'm 22 and on my 416 it was £1,600 TPO!
Admitted this was with performance enhancing modifications mainly a K & N which although it made a nice noise it didn't stay on long as it suffered terribly from heat soak, I also had a full stainless exhaust with a 6" by 3" oval back box, sounded lovely and went like stink for a Rover. I have been involved in 3 accidents in the last year alone.
The first was actually my dad driving the Land Rover up to Manchester to drop my grandparents off at the airport, a white van undertook us nearly hit the sign for the sliproad and cut straight back in smashing into the front nearside wing, he then proceeded to accelerate away into the night, never to be seen again after hearing of something similar we looked into it and found that something very similar happened 2 nights earlier, but this incident left a lorry driver dead. Exactly the same thing but 2 days earlier!
My second was my car and me driving someone tried to reverse out of the local Asda filling station while I was waiting in a line of traffic to exit the car park he reversed into my side at around 25mph...he hadn't bothered looking and actually confessed this!
The third was totally my fault, got on an unfamiliar bike didn't familiarise myself with it very well and hit a wall at about 40mph leaving me with numerous injuries two of which will never go away.
Disco Matt:
My suggestion on the truck limiter thing - if they really are needed (and I think they cause more problems than they solve) how about an over-ride button on the steering wheel that makes an audible buzzing noise? You'd just press this when an extra burst was needed to overtake then release when past, at which point the annoying buzzing would stop.
I say scrap the limiters. I see more lunatic driving from the smaller trucks that don't have to have a limiter than the bigger ones. Witness one almost-local frozen foods firm whose trucks were a regular sight glued to your back bumper at 60mph...
Bush Tucker Man:
--- Quote from: henryandlesley on July 10, 2008, 22:50:43 ---Who aggrees with me that if this goverment pays more attention to reducing the speed down to 70 mph in cars by fitting a speed limiter.
--- End quote ---
Because it'd be political suicide for the Government of the day, that's the main reason
wormster:
Hokay,
Hows about fitting EVERY vehicle with a GBFO stainless steel spike in the center of the steering wheel??
Reckon that'd make people a bit more responsable etc dont you??
(when I rule the world that'll be decree *2 after cheezeburgers for all)
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