Latest research shows better driver education causes prangs - True!
Full text of letter in Drive, The Age, last Thursday
Less skill, fewer risks
You requested comments on your article concerning the training of young drivers (Short Cuts 07/02).
The lastest international research shows that drivers who are given more skills will simply take more risks. After all, even young drivers can drive at or below the speed limit, wear a seatbelt and maintain a safe following distance - but, it's what they choose to do that determines their safety.
The research also shows that hazard perception tests are a reliable predictor of those drivers more likely to take additional risks on the road who, therefore, shouldn't be licensed.
Adrian Stone, managing director, Sure Plan Fleet Risk Management
Now that we know this, the obvious way to improve road safety is to allow everyone on the road with no training and get them off the road after, say, three years before they learn enough to be dangerous. For the sake of consistency, let's apply the principle universally, so that, say, airline pilots aren't burdened with unnecessary continuous training and assessment.
Let's combine this latest bit of science with the well known fact that prangs are caused mainly by exceeding arbitrarily established speed limits, as distinct from going too hard for the conditions, car, and driver. Put the speed limit up to 220km/h everywhere and that'll help heaps. Then only really fast cars will have prangs.
My "hazard perception" is starting to tell me that one of the biggest risks on road safety is road safety "experts" and road safety "research".
I think that will be my last new thread on road safety issues. I'm preaching to the converted here, and the idiots in control can't be influenced.
I am going to apply to my driving the method preferred by road safety experts in working out what is good for us. From now on I'll be getting around with my head stuck firmly up my arse. What I don't see can't hurt me.
i can just see it: a guy goes out, drives at 50kmh, wears a seatbelt, keeps a safe distance from the car in front, wipes out a mother with two kids because he was fiddling with his stereo!
__________________
<p align="center"> *** just because it sells it doesn't mean it's good *** </p> Tickford Owners Club of NSW
flip it around... everyone except that stupid woman failing miserable to merge onto Pascoe Vale road, can handle a car at what vicroads calls a safe speed. The 'education' a driver should be given is not how to control a skid, or how not to brake after entering a corner. People should be taught ROAD COURTESY. How to leave a safe distance, how to stay in the same lane all the way through an intersection, how to be man enough to stop at a yellow light if safe, how to judge they are far enough ahead of you before pulling back into your lane. People like me who drive shxxbox cars don't mind if you run into them when we suddenly slam on the brakes. We don't mind side swiping you in your flash expensive p.o.s. as you forget which lane you are in while turning through an intersection. We don't even mind accidentally surging ahead to frustrate you as you try to pull into the 3 metre gap between our car and the truck in front. See it's all about COURTESY, and if you don't display it, you don't get it back. This applies to all those morons who assume I'm going to get into the right hand lane (for oncoming traffic) before I turn right into the gates at work an so, keep on coming as I slow down to turn.. yes bitch girl at the chocolate warehouse..that means you. I'll have your front end one day soon, when I need some rust repaired in the boot, or feel the need for a free wheel alignment.
I think that will be my last new thread on road safety issues. I'm preaching to the converted here, and the idiots in control can't be influenced.
yes you are preaching to the converted... but if you give up on trying to influence the idiots in control they WILL win ..
We will all drive at 10kmh in speed limited 150cc Goggo Mobiles or the such ..
More and more people die while they toss themselves over 5kmh .. don't give in
I saw some similar research about five years ago while working as a risk manager. A study had been undertaken of organisations that had paid to send their staff on advanced driving courses. As I recall the statistical anlaysis showed that the accident rates for the staff that had attended such courses had increased compared to those untrained. The hypothesis, that I don't find illogical, was that a) the advanced driving trained staff became overconfident and b) some of the trained drivers were inclined to try out their wondeful new advanced skills they had learnt on the skidpan. It was suggested that the nature of such courses might need to reviewed; less fancy skidpan stuff and more risk awareness training.
Most of the long term road safety research has also shown that improved roads (divided roads etc) and safer cars (seatbelts, airbags etc) saves more lives than education and policing. See http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/tr...y.htm#economic
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