What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?
02-07-2012, 01:08 PM
#1
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What do you think is the biggest threat to safe driving?
- Bad drivers
- Car stereos
- Cell phones
- Eating or personal grooming
- GPS/navigation systems
- Kids
- People with road rage
- Pets
- Other?
- Car stereos
- Cell phones
- Eating or personal grooming
- GPS/navigation systems
- Kids
- People with road rage
- Pets
- Other?
02-07-2012, 02:56 PM
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How about the total lack of comprehensive driver training starting from a young age - say 13?
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
'Real world' car control scenarios like Hard/ Emergency Braking, Skid Control, etc needs to be taught and mastered, not something a kid learns in the local backstreets with his mates. More than likely your average girl, for example, doesn't learn proper car control at all, yet is still expected to negotiate a blind corner in wet and slippery conditions on an unfamiliar road.
Realistically, people, education and training are the building blocks of safety in all real world situations and is more and more the number one focus in the workplace and other areas of day to day life.
Why is it that this focus on safety and training is yet to be an integral part of road safety?
Road usage education that is taught to students in the classroom and via advertising, though helpful, should take a back seat to practical professional training during the years prior to becoming eligible for a drivers licence. I don't know about the U.S.A. but Australia definately needs to adopt Practical Driver Training as a mandatory high school subject.
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
'Real world' car control scenarios like Hard/ Emergency Braking, Skid Control, etc needs to be taught and mastered, not something a kid learns in the local backstreets with his mates. More than likely your average girl, for example, doesn't learn proper car control at all, yet is still expected to negotiate a blind corner in wet and slippery conditions on an unfamiliar road.
Realistically, people, education and training are the building blocks of safety in all real world situations and is more and more the number one focus in the workplace and other areas of day to day life.
Why is it that this focus on safety and training is yet to be an integral part of road safety?
Road usage education that is taught to students in the classroom and via advertising, though helpful, should take a back seat to practical professional training during the years prior to becoming eligible for a drivers licence. I don't know about the U.S.A. but Australia definately needs to adopt Practical Driver Training as a mandatory high school subject.
02-07-2012, 03:14 PM
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Bad driving....It isn't really from a skill aspect though, but just people that are unaware or their surroundings and don't plan ahead. They put themselves into situations where even the most skilled driver couldn't get out of. Some are oblivious to this, some are just overconfident, either way, they are all bad drivers in my book, regardless of their skill level.
Also reconizing conditions and driving appropriate to them. I text and drive all the time.... when it is appropriate. I speed all the time, when it is safe to do so. But when it is pouring down rain in heavy traffic, no I won't even bluetooth someone. It isn't the act of holding a phone to your ear that makes it dangerous (that is just retarded), it is the act of spending less attention on your surroundings. Would I be more focused if I wasn't texting? Sure, but it is about risk mitigation. Is there only 1 car I am passing every 30 secs on a pretty secluded hwy? I think it is fine to glance down to push a button or two. Is it raining and in heavy traffic with mulitiple intersections? Then driving the speed limit and following too close isn't the safest thing to do even if fully focused. I consider this just common sense stuff, using my eyes and information given and logic to determine the condidtions and acting accordingly to reduce my risk.
My big pet peeves if you can't tell is blanket laws like BT and speed limit. BT doens't help at all or reduce the risk, most people drive with one hand off the steerin wheel doing nothing.... it isn't illegal, but all of a sudden holding your head to your ear is? Retarded. And speeding doesn't kill, speeding doesn't = more danger. It reduces reaction time and increases braking distance, but you shouldn't get pulled over just because some arbitrary number is posted that says you are now dangerous. But unfortunatly we do need these signs and blanket laws because people don't seem to use logic or common sense, they just go thoruhg life focusing on themselves and blaming others for their actions and requireing the govt to hold their hands and keep them safe.
/rant
But better skills wouldnt' hurt though.
Also reconizing conditions and driving appropriate to them. I text and drive all the time.... when it is appropriate. I speed all the time, when it is safe to do so. But when it is pouring down rain in heavy traffic, no I won't even bluetooth someone. It isn't the act of holding a phone to your ear that makes it dangerous (that is just retarded), it is the act of spending less attention on your surroundings. Would I be more focused if I wasn't texting? Sure, but it is about risk mitigation. Is there only 1 car I am passing every 30 secs on a pretty secluded hwy? I think it is fine to glance down to push a button or two. Is it raining and in heavy traffic with mulitiple intersections? Then driving the speed limit and following too close isn't the safest thing to do even if fully focused. I consider this just common sense stuff, using my eyes and information given and logic to determine the condidtions and acting accordingly to reduce my risk.
My big pet peeves if you can't tell is blanket laws like BT and speed limit. BT doens't help at all or reduce the risk, most people drive with one hand off the steerin wheel doing nothing.... it isn't illegal, but all of a sudden holding your head to your ear is? Retarded. And speeding doesn't kill, speeding doesn't = more danger. It reduces reaction time and increases braking distance, but you shouldn't get pulled over just because some arbitrary number is posted that says you are now dangerous. But unfortunatly we do need these signs and blanket laws because people don't seem to use logic or common sense, they just go thoruhg life focusing on themselves and blaming others for their actions and requireing the govt to hold their hands and keep them safe.
/rant
But better skills wouldnt' hurt though.
02-07-2012, 03:48 PM
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How about the total lack of comprehensive driver training starting from a young age - say 13?
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
'Real world' car control scenarios like Hard/ Emergency Braking, Skid Control, etc needs to be taught and mastered, not something a kid learns in the local backstreets with his mates. More than likely your average girl, for example, doesn't learn proper car control at all, yet is still expected to negotiate a blind corner in wet and slippery conditions on an unfamiliar road.
Realistically, people, education and training are the building blocks of safety in all real world situations and is more and more the number one focus in the workplace and other areas of day to day life.
Why is it that this focus on safety and training is yet to be an integral part of road safety?
Road usage education that is taught to students in the classroom and via advertising, though helpful, should take a back seat to practical professional training during the years prior to becoming eligible for a drivers licence. I don't know about the U.S.A. but Australia definately needs to adopt Practical Driver Training as a mandatory high school subject.
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
'Real world' car control scenarios like Hard/ Emergency Braking, Skid Control, etc needs to be taught and mastered, not something a kid learns in the local backstreets with his mates. More than likely your average girl, for example, doesn't learn proper car control at all, yet is still expected to negotiate a blind corner in wet and slippery conditions on an unfamiliar road.
Realistically, people, education and training are the building blocks of safety in all real world situations and is more and more the number one focus in the workplace and other areas of day to day life.
Why is it that this focus on safety and training is yet to be an integral part of road safety?
Road usage education that is taught to students in the classroom and via advertising, though helpful, should take a back seat to practical professional training during the years prior to becoming eligible for a drivers licence. I don't know about the U.S.A. but Australia definately needs to adopt Practical Driver Training as a mandatory high school subject.
YES YES YES YES YES!
you're absolutely right in the US they teach safe and defensive driving-... good but could be better-... they should also teach what to do in emergency situations in terms of car control.
anyone ever watch the top gear segment on why finland has so many great racers? it's because they ALL start driving lessons in their early teens.
as far as any other distraction goes-... i've found more often then not people will blame traffic wrong-doings on drivers on their phone. the reality is that the driver usually sucked at driving in the first place they just happened to be on the phone when whatever occured.
02-07-2012, 03:51 PM
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How about the total lack of comprehensive driver training starting from a young age - say 13?
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
Look at European countries that have mandatory training which includes practical tuition of the fundamental skills required to control/ regain control of a vehicle that is out of control. Have a look at road toll statistics and compare.
Add in remedial testing/training/education every 5 years.
Bad drivers are bad drivers for 2 reasons. #1. We don't educate them and train them or TEST THEM enough, and because we don't enforce the laws we have. What you allow, you encourage. We passively encourage bad driving because we don't STOP people enough when they are bad drivers.
Let's put more cops/highway/freeway patrol on the streets/freeways to enforce the laws we have. When was the last time you actually saw someone USE a turn signal? How often do you see someone exits the freeway @ the last minute across multiple lanes? Guys who drive around with a headlight out or multiple tail-lights out (or brake lights burned out).
But...no one wants to pay for the what that would cost to ENFORCE good driving habits. If we jacked up all the fee's/tickets to cover the salaries of the enforcers, people would scream about $500+ tickets. The cost of maintaining a proper driver education and testing system is simply too large. If they charged each prospective driver the $2500-$5000 it would cost to cover it, the liberals would be up in arms that we're taking the cars away from the po' folk, and we're economically discriminating against them. Granted, that's how much it costs in Europe, and guess what, only middle class and higher own cars and drive there...and somehow their societies survive. But they usually have a much better public transportation system than 99% of the USA, so their po' folk, still have ways to get around. In the USA, we don't have such an infrastructure to support the 20+% of people who could no longer afford to drive. And the concept of walking or riding a bike somewhere is simply impossible. That's what you do for exercise, there's no way Americans are going to do that to get to work/go shopping, etc..
In the USA, we simply aren't serious enough about safety.
For example, we could nearly eliminate drunk driving by requiring all cars sold to have an ignition interlock breathalyzer. If done on a massive scale (i.e. every car) it would add less than $100 to the cost of the vehicle. How many lives each year would it save? How much in hospital bills/car repair bills? Hell, how about if we simply required one if you have ever been convicted of a DWI. If you're convicted, you've got to have one for the rest of your life. Period. Nope, we won't do it. Most states don't require it even for repeat offenders! Hell, for that matter, how do repeat offenders even get their licenses back?
In the USA, we simply aren't serious enough about safety.