Zetec

Takens from the latest Mellor's GoAuto News (17/11/04)

Thanks fully Someone has the balls to fightback at a high level. It had to come from an American too, to sound credible and not just like a whinging Aussie because clearly our government doesn't trust us!!

Go

Phone: (03) 9598 6477 Fax: (03) 9521 0264 E-mail: newsroom@mellor.net

SPEED

HUMP

Ford president fires up over proposal to speed limit vehicles

Steve Bracks Tom Gorman

FORD

reacted angrily to a Victorian Government proposal

to limit vehicle speedometer displays to

around 130km/h.

The plan was announced by Transport Minister

Peter Bachelor last week and will be taken to this

week’s Australian Transport Council meeting in

an attempt to change Australian Design Rules

relating to speedos.

"The issue of limits on power and on top

speeds of motor vehicles registered for on-road

use should be considered at a national level," Mr

Batchelor said in a press release.

"Unfortunately, some motorists use their speedometer

as a guide to see how fast a car can go.

"Limiting the speedometer display to about

130km/h will remove the incentive for motorists

to drive at excessive and dangerous speeds in order

to test the limits of their vehicle," asserted Mr

Bachelor, who added it would also result in better

de

a motorist because speedos would span a smaller

range, rather than up to 220km/h or higher.

But the suggestion has met with an outspoken

response from an uncharacteristically heated Mr

Gorman, whose company’s new F6 Typhoon

performance sedan was the subject of controversial

debate last week in some newspapers and in a

Melbourne talkback radio interview with Premier

Steve Bracks, who backed the idea.

"If I were an Australian citizen I would frankly

be offended that for some reason I’m the only

human on the planet that is not responsible

enough, and cannot be trusted, to drive a car in the

proper manner," said Mr Gorman, an American,

when questioned by GoAuto on the issue.

"Every other citizen in the world can do that,

except in Australia. And I don’t fully understand

why that is.

"These are the things I would like to talk to

Peter about: what is it that’s in the Australian

make-up that I’m not seeing that is an indication

that as a citizen you are so irresponsible that the

government needs to manage your behaviours in

such a way. I just don’t get it.

"We employ 5000 people, 99 per cent of them in

the state of Victoria, and I think I matter, my company

matters, and if I’m doing something you’re unhappy

with then pick up the phone and call me.

"That didn’t happen so now we’re going to get

into this 'piss and moan' to the press which is not

the way to do business. We need to sit down and

understand what his issue really is. If his issue is

road safety and fatalities on the road and severe

injuries, then we’re totally aligned.

"As the president of the FCAI (Federal

Chamber of Automotive Industries) as well as the

president of Ford, we’re doing a lot on that front,

which involves several activities.

"Number one is road design:

I mean, you don’t have to drive around a lot in

Australia to realise the roads here are not good.

So you need to

"Number two is about behaviour modi

and we need to participate in this, whether it be

driver training or awareness on speed, drink-

driving, whatever. We have a responsibility to

deliver safe vehicles and I think we do that with

both active and passive safety levels.

"And we have a responsibility to present our

vehicles to the marketplace in a responsible

manner, which we do.

"We have a voluntary code of behaviour for

our advertising which we follow and if we don’t

follow it the ads get pulled, so I don’t see what

we’re not doing as an industry."

Mr Gorman said the Australian car industry’s

inability to import and export common vehicles

around the world, if the proposal was approved,

would make it uncompetitive, and that car

companies could potentially face lawsuits by

people caught speeding excessively who claimed

their speedo indicated just 130km/h.

"I don’t think the way to deal with this is to take

the privilege away," he said.

"What has the typical Australian done to lose the

privilege of driving their vehicle?

"I have no issue with holding people to a speed

limit, but what you’re mandating is: I don’t trust

that you’ll do the right thing, therefore I won’t

give you the opportunity to do the wrong thing.

"It’s like saying ‘I don’t believe you can be a

responsible adult when it comes to drinking and

driving, therefore I’ll take away your right to

consume’.

"There are a lot of issues that drive road fatalities:

speed is one, fatigue is another, alcohol is another.

"So given that Australians are clearly not responsible enough to drink and

drive sensibly we should ban alcohol ... and then and then and then.

"I don’t know of a country in the world that mandates speed limiting its

vehicles."

Mr Gorman, who described Typhoon as a "red rag to a bull", said the FCAI

was in active discussions about road safety, and that the next FCAI meeting

would deal with driver training.

"The FCAI AGM invited road training experts, many of whom said it made

young drivers more aggressive," he said.

"I’m not saying they’re right or wrong but there’s enough debate about

it that it requires some serious attention and that we as a group and as a

country ought to design a driver training program that works, that teaches

people how to drive responsibly.

"Things like how to drive evasively, to pull over when you’re tired, to give

the keys to someone else when you’ve had too much to drink. It’s nothing

to do with the vehicle – it has to do with the individual."

– TOM GORMAN

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FINER9

here here!!!

Casper

Why do they do this? Its almost like a dig at him because he's not Australian therefore what would he know.
Personally, when it comes to roads and drivers, this country can learn a hell of a lot from America, as I'm sure most people that have been to the USA now realise.

Bloody media, hate the scum.

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Aussie Pete

AP says it again:

"Vote 1 Tom Gorman for Vic Premier"

And Tom, if you're reading this, have a look at www.smith-system.com which is a program you friends at Toll have implemented with great success. This would be a great starting point for our driver licencing.

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BA'1.5' Pursuit 290
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'General' Dog - AP's German Shepherd and Best Mate - 02Dec1998-15Dec2003.
'Pepper' Dog - General's and My Little German Shepherd Sweetie - 1996?-02Apr2006.
'Sako' Dog - My Beautiful and Pretty German Shepherd - 2001?-23Aug2006.

Thunder Kiss

If anyone would know the effect of 130 km/h speedos it would be an American. They had 85 mph maximum speedos back in the 1980s. I don't think they do anymore. It obviously didn't work.

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LG

Good bloke.

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AUIII Falcon Forte - 4.0L I6, Silver Star!

For Sale: EF Airbox Lid - $30

rsgerry

it is great to see that he has taken the time to reply to this ludricous idea. he presents some very reasoned arguements that bracks & co will find very hard to dispute. but that hasnt stopped them before....

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You wash your car like it was your firstborn child, you tend to its needs like it was your own body, you protect it like it's your family, then you drive it like you stole it.

Weapons of rice destruction

2002 Ford Falcon AU3 XR6
1985 Ford Sierra XR4i
1980 Ford Escort RS2000

Casper

Well, I think we all know what sort of person Tom Gorman is and I'm rapt that he's standing up and taking a stand. Uncle Geoff's shoes were pretty big but it looks like we have someone in Tom who is up to the challenge and willing to make a stand against obviously stupid pollies who want to screw it all up to get a couple of brownie points.

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ford.boy

Well my oath Ford Aus looks to be in safe hands.

Bracks can jump off a bridge, especially if he thinks that people speeding is the worst problem we have. How about 'recreational drugs' that are killing more and more each year? What about alcahol abuse? what about unroadworthy cars? Unlicensed (inexperienced) driving? what abuot pathetic drivers that litter our roads? And first and foremost What about the shoonky bloody roads that we have to drive on?? We have the roads of a third world country and with all the revenue that these people pull in why can't more that jack schidtt be done about it??

Take a good look at yourself as a state leader, because on this front you are failing miserably.

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"When I joined the marines all they gave us was two sticks and a rock! And we had to share the rock between the whole platoon!"
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H2 pwnz j00 foo.

HSV_KILLA

Now im not having a Holden bash but why has the new LS2 V8 stayed out of the lime light?? It is almost as quick as the F6...

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You can not have a baby in one month by impregnating nine Women