Another issue of getting older and driving.

www.thecourier.com.au/story/5151262/too-old-for-10-year-drivers-licence/

RustyD wrote:

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In Vic licences & drinking both started at 18. In SA licences started at 16 and drinking at 21. So all the 16 - 20 years old SA youths would drive across to Vic & get a skin-full or a boot-full of grog. Several states had 21 for drinking but dropped it back to 20 when National Service was introduced.

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Gday...

The stats are broad, I agree, but it doesn't, on the surface, seem conclusive given the info you have provided above regarding SA and VIC and NSW. 

There seems little difference in the number of road deaths, apart from NT.

                  Road deaths per 100,000 population

Cheers - John

Thanks Landy I thought it might be hence the first line , it is a subject that get me going a bit being a farm boy I have and all my mates my age and my kids have too been driving since we could sit on dads knee and steer than as soon as we could work the clutch and see over the dash , we had years of practice before we hit the main roads and yes that too was a different learning curve also .
I do firmly believe we were well above our town mates when we finally hit 18 , however it would also be fair to say there were lots less traffic to deal with back then than now not to mention how modern cars drive compared to the old rattle boxes we learnt in .

It is often quoted that country drivers die on country road which I certainly dont disagree but I would love to see the numbers on how many are city drivers that also die on country roads , as Victorias first death this year was said to be caused by swerving to miss a roo well that is simply a known no no for a country driver , some thing that is not a very common road obstruction in the city I know .

But fatigue read Bordom is something that city drivers are not at all aware of when on a long or very long drive in the country, we grow up with these distances ( an hour to Swanhill just to get the groceries and parts for farm equipment ) as normal and cope simply by habit I guess, and deal with it, and are no doubt better at recognising it and dealing with it than non long distance drivers are.

No I dont know what the real answer is but I do believe that starting learner drivers at a younger age is one big part of the wanted lowering of the road deaths, our three kids all had the required 200 hours driving up in there first year of L plate driving not to mention many hours on driving on and around the farm , the two boys also racing motorx so lots of miles with me towing a trailer , which is also an astonishing ruling here in Vic where a learner may not tow a trailer under instruction while on L plates, but the instance he turns 18 and gets his Ps he can hook on to Mum n dads 30 ft caravan and go off into the sunset , bloody ridiculous and I told Vic roads that too made me feel better but thats all , lol.

Woody

Education, education, and education is the answer to most problems.  BUT it takes time. Like growing trees. The best time to plants trees is 30 years ago, the second best time is today.

Aussie Paul. 

 

Gday...

Unfortunately, this is a bit out of date ... but I would think the theory is still relevant if not correct.

DECA, driver training organisation in Victoria, run Advanced/Defensive driving courses for drivers of every type of rig on the road.

Back in the early 1990s when I was there doing a caravan handling course (my 2nd over four years ) I was talking to the bloke and his boss.

They agreed that all drivers needed far more tuition and experience than they were exposed to between L, P plates and full licence.

They had done some sums and calculated they could structure and implement courses for EVERY licenced driver in Victoria and the Government would be able to fund that if they implemented a $1 'surcharge' on each licence issue and renewal - AND if that $1 was ALL spend only on that driver training.

They had represented it to their local minister, and had even been to Spring Street to be given a hearing.

End result ... government of the day was not interested. DECA could not get an impression if it was the fear of adding a 'tax' to licences, fear of ensuring the retention of the $1 per licence for driver training ... or just not prepared to handle the political flak of mandating additional driver training on the voting public.

Cheers - John