Clive Matthews-Wilson (of dog and lemon guide fame) reckons that median barriers will save lives on our roads.
Yes of course they will, idiot. Simply because there will be no opportunity for overtaking, for travelling any faster than the slowest vehicle ahead...
His comment about children in 100 years not believing the present opposing traffic conditions on our roads? Those children will probably not believe that ordinary joe-in-the-street people were permitted to control lumps of metal travelling at 100kph anywhere.
I left a comment over at Karl Du Frene's place that I treat every other driver as having the intelligence of a 6 year old. Tis true! Sober or not, there are individuals out there with no more intelligence than that. They can be seen driving anything from bicycle to SUV, but are far more apparent at the latter end than the former.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
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2 comments:
Goodness me, prob...I detect a quantum of vitriol in your comment!
I have to agree with the Herald letter-writers that its not speed that kills. No indeed - it's the sudden stop that does the damage.
I'm always amused - then saddened - by the various ways that impatient drivers (who consider themselves 'frustrated') rationalise their craving for speed and their reasons for the causes of crashes (no, they aren't accidents) - slippery roads, slow drivers, 'bad roads' (whatever they are), drivers who don't have adequate skills, billboards on the roadsides, speed limits...the list goes on. Oh...and the authors of such wisdom are also superb drivers who never make mistakes because they're just so good.
That insufferable oaf, Jeremy Clarkson with that feeble and peurile programme dedicated to racin minldlessly from some point A to some point B, must be responsible for many of the likewise feeble and peurile attitudes prevalent among a lot of drivers (certainly the ones writing to Granny Herald) that any or all of the above factors are responsible for crashes. The only entity responsible for crashes is the person in charge of the vehicle.
Median barriers, speed cameras, bolts of lightning from the heavens - none of these target driver arrogance and overconfidence.
There are a couple of rules of thumb to bear in mind to drive on New Zealand roads:
1 No SUVs can go round a right hand bend without crossing the centre line. Ergo, take left hand bends well to the left.
2 Drivers of German cars are neat: they will therefore attempt to drive faster because they're so good. Rule: when you see a German car anywhere in view stop and enjoy a cup of tea until they're safely out of sight. The corollary is that that they have such neat cars that you can in fact pull out in front of them in traffic as their drivers daren't see them scratched.
3 German cars and SUVs have poor brakes and faulty indicators. Remember that because their drivers are so good that they would use them if they worked properly.
4 Road signs tell us that 35% of accidents occur on bends. Therefore 65% occur on straight roads. Bendy roads are safer. There are similar statistics for inattention and cell phone use - therefore inattentive drivers are safer.
5 Roads are dangerous. Therefore one must spend as little time on them as possible. This means that you must travel on them at higher rather than lower speeds. By allowing people to travel at 150, 200, or 250 or more kph people would spend less time on the road and therefore there would be fewer accidents.
6 All drivers are insane. Even you and I.
Says it all...
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