there was a horrible one on friday night 4 dead ? hit a truck or something..
take it easy on the roads out there , its wet, slippery and people still drive like ******** ***** **** you dont want to know what i said there.at least in my mind with some drivers out there....

While everybody plays politics , it is going to stay the same .
People in this country get taught how to get a licence .
They don't get taught how to drive - I was safer in Vietnam
than on Australian roads . Yes I was taught what to do , t pass
my licence tests , yes tests , 5 of them & I passed each one 1st time .
After the 2nd , I did advanced & safer driving courses .
Richo

Defensive driving courses should be mandatory, especially for "P" platers. Maybe needed for everyone, but not sure how that would be run. Hearing of all road accidents and fatalities is getting worse not better with the so called better design of motor vehicles etc. The cars today are plastic, and they are tuned to go faster, a deadly combination.

I have a theory about the young ones who think they're invinsible on the roads.

I developed this theory after watching my 12 year old grandson playing a computer game...the games where they're in the drivers seat, and can crash time and time again and no consequences.

It's funny (so they think) when they crash into a wall or run someone over. There are a HUGE amount of these types of games and a vast majority of kids play them.

By the time they're 16 and get their learners, they've had years of 'experience'.

Luckily my grandson is restricted as to how much time he spends on them. And, I might be biased, but I think he's a very sensible boy.

Sounds like you meant that Milo!

Also I think caravanners aught to do a mandatory towing/driving course, you see some scary things on the roads. Our course is booked for next week-end with Tow-ed. Cant say I'm looking forward to it, it will probably show up all the things I aught to know after 45 years of driving!!

Coming from a semi-regional area with typical country roads and Freeways and driving into Sydney every so often, I seem to think a lot of the problems lay with inexperienced City drivers of all ages, on these roads

Freeway and Country roads require a skill of their own -- far removed from the lane jumping and weaving in & out one see's in the Metro areas --- along with what has been pointed out prior ----

"It's about the Journey NOT the Destination"

But who listens to us old far*s ????

Coyotte

Pejay wrote:

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You know Milo, about 12 months before my father passed away (not from an accident) he told me of an incident on the Bruce Highway around the Ettamogah Pub near Maroochydore Q, where he (80+ yrs) was driving a well serviced, 14 year old Subaru Liberty, and because some young blonde piece in a red car passed him, HE decided to see just how far she was going - he boldly told me that he got to 125Km/hr, AND don't tell your mother!!! Now here was a man who was my mothers carer - and didn't I rip a f**t up him, and told him a few things that I most probably should not have said to my father; I told him that if I found out he did it again, I would report him to the police!!! I had never in my 50+ years spoken to my father like that, and never did again, but by heck I was mad with him that day!

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Peejay, you reminded me of my mother's driving life. 

She only knew flat out and stop! Amazingly, she never had an accident, but we reckon she left a trail of destruction behind her!

We can laugh about it now, but she DID worry us. Her grandchildren were afraid to get in the car with her. 

She didn't get her license until she was in her fifties, although she's learnt on the family property when she was young. At one stage, when we were young Dad tried to teach her, but as he had no pationce, she gave up.

I think one of the problems today is lack of road noise, in older cars you new how fast you were going by the road noise even when the windows were shut. I drive a series one discovery tdi 300 diesel and 95% of the time I drive with the window partly down, its comforting to me to hear whats happenening. My other peeve is drivers doing 70 odd kmh on the highway (that in its self I dont have a problem with) then speed up on straight sections or over taking lanes. I think its not extra training or bloody tests we need but a bit of painances
cheers
blaze

Milo, my cousin had the same problem with her Dad.

She ended up insisting on going to his next doctors appointment with him and told the doctor exactly what she thought of his driving. Although Uncle objected, the doctor went with her opinion and that was that. 

I wonder why the doctor isn't listening to you...not a very good doctor, I'd say.

One thing I've noticed with the elderly is they think they're driving well because they're driving slow. (This was my father, definately not my mother.)

Although I do agree about a use by date on licenses, I'd hate to have to give up mine.

Geez Milo, I can see why you are upset. Your family need to support you, you've certainly tried everything you can on your own.
Hopefully his driving test, which I remember you said was coming up soon will end it. Mind you, he'll be very upset to lose his independance. Then you are gonna have to drive him everywhere, and no doubt he'll be telling you how to drive all the time!!! Good luck!

We all think we're 10 foot tall and bullet proof with a steering wheel in our hands.
Our foot's on the pedal, our hands on the wheel, the brain in neutral.
I think I'm a good, alert, defensive driver, but I learn something new every day, from the other drivers.
An elderly man at our singing group in his 80's can hardly walk unaided, uses a frame most of the time, slides into the driver's seat and off he goes in his little car.
Mentally he's still quite alert, but physically I'm surprised he can even work the pedals - brake or accelerator.
Then there are the young - mobile, 200 horsepower ipods, thumping so loud I check my own truck for the cause of the noise. They can't hear their own car, nor any other traffic around them, totally oblivious to what's going on.
This has to be a total distraction to actually operating the motor vehicle, and negotiating traffic.
My dad was a truck driver who drove flat out everywhere in his little car. When he aged he drove so slow he was a bloody nuisance, and more dangerous than he was when he was speeding.
Then there are Qld drivers. I'm convinced it's compulsory to overtake on double, solid white lines, especially where the visibility is restricted such as bends and hills.
It's also required to run red lights and stop on green. They don't stop when the lights are red, but they don't go when the lights are green.
The roads are built in such a way there's is absolutely no margin for error on the non-existed shoulders of the black top, so crashes are expected. The Bruce Highway kills people.
How do we get the message out there that the machine we call a motor vehicle is a killing machine in the wrong hands?
Kids hooning in a vehicle far too powerful for them to control. The speed limit is only for drivers who can read and care, as are the road rules.
Take care, drive as carefully as you know how, and allow for the other bastard's stupidity.

That must make 2 of us then John.......LOL

This is a big issue.
Write to the state Department of Transport, talk to the local Tspt office, your local members, and anyone you can think of about this.
It's clearly bothering you to a huge degree, and justifiably so.
Maybe your doctor could help you with this as well.
Your actions could help change a few laws in relation to this. It's bigger than just your dad.
It affects everyone who shares the road with the elderly drivers right around this country.
Contact me privately if you need some help.

Smokeydk wrote:

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That must make 2 of us then John.......LOL

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G'day Smokey, YEP! me and thee pal....LOL