FORD to release 'nanna state' limited cars 2010

[EL_BRENTO]

this is my opinion.
i think why not? in most area's 110kph is the highest speed you are alowed to do WITHOUT breaking the law, risking your life (especially young adults with bugger all driving experiance) and the potential of having ur licence put in the shredder if your caught.... If I bought my son or daughter their first car, i think id have every damn right to have a magic button that made the car not even ABLE to go over 110kph.

if they were to buy the car themselves? well thats different i think. one would hope the months of saving hard earned cash to get that car, would make them think alot harder before risking their life and or driving licence.

[68XTFairmont]

Originally Posted by kocho

Some of you are just thinking of yourselves as opposed to the majority of society. I'm sure some of you are safe drivers but you've got to remember, some aren't. How many people are on drugs or boozing it up behind the wheel? I'd rather not be involved in a street race where I or another innocent person ends up dead because they are 'thrilled' to be racing at 170km/h or whatever.

The majority of society aren't the idiots speeding and texting while they are driving, The majority of society aren't the ones driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, We also aren't the ones doing burnouts or drifting in packed carparks etc etc. We are just the ones that get screwed over by all these "great safety implications" that are invented to save a rather tiny part of decent human society.


Also if you are so safety concious why would you be involved in said street race at 170km/h????

[StAndArdAU]

aaaaaah good old night shift gives me plenty of time to catch up on some light reading. 8 pages of juicy debate right here!!

68XTFairmont: i believe Kocho's point was he could get caught up in the race not actually be one of the racers.

At risk of simply not letting this thread die, I'd like to take this lull in proceedings to voice my opinion. Whther anyone cares or not. Where i think alot of people here have gone off track is the fact the article says that its up to the parents to use the actual preventative features.

i have a few points:

its not compulsory.

Some people on here are displaying a very paranoid attitude in that "if they make it available, the government will make it a law." is total crap, stop acting as if 'the man' is out to get you and is taking away your freedoms FFS.

Now i also do a lot of country driving, considering the next town is 2 hours away. and find myself behind roadtrains all the time. If anyone here has to get above 130Kph to pass one of these you're living in fantasy land. Overtaking on a bend is dangerous. overtaking on a stretch of road that isnt flat is dangerous. if its dangerous, you shouldnt be doing it.
Also it is very rare that i do not have a truckie turn on his indicator to signal to me that it is ok to pass. Maybe truckie's are nicer in north west WA??!?

I personally would definitely consider something like this for my child when she's old enough to drive. but i'd want to wait and see what sort ofa driver she is first. A childs life is precious and doing everything in your power to make sure they remain safe is a parents duty. this is just another option to help one do this. even if studies end up showing it doesnt have an impact of death tolls, the peace of mind of knowing that my daughter cant drive above a certain speed is well worth it.

I have a 316rwkw car. and i wont say i havent taken it above the speed limit. but i have done so in what i believe were safe environments far from traffic and on good roads. Being only 22 myself, i think this key is a great idea.

[manxman]

At last we see some sane and well seasoned comments. Yes, it's been good reading. If the trucks are too many too fast and too close, then why not be mature enough to take a break and pull over for 20 min to get some room and a chill pill down? Gazzeted roads are usually NOT racetracks, and we have to accommodate as far as possible all driver skill levels. The thought that you are good enough to drive safely at 130kph does not mean you can, nor does it mean anyone else can, or the guy ahead can cope with you doing so. That's reason why speed limits and advisory signs are so conservative.
I agree, Oz drivers are not ready as a group for open speed limits, and for the VERY few who MIGHT be able to handle such, well. they will just have to wait until they have their own private roads with no other traffic. Meanwhile, we do SHARE the roads, and should drive as if we were all family around us. I hear that Autobahn police cars-(bright painted Porsches?) travel in pairs abt 1km apart. so you don't know which one has passed you and thus it keeps you alert.

As a motorcyclist, I see everyday that drivers are effectively asleep at the wheel, constipating on everything BUT the job at hand-driving a vehicle. My car passengers are told to be quiet, so I can concentrate on my driving, the radio is off, and I listen and feel my vehicle. I make conscious effort to remain alert and consider possibilities of things that might go wrong with the machines in front.

If it's not safe, then I don't do it. I do not know the limits of my vehicle nor myself, all I do know is that I stay within them. I am aware of the techniques to correct skids etc, and can employ them if needed. I am unable to drive/ride fast or quickly for any sustained period, as I would make an error resulting in harm.

I have never had the resources to experiment and carry out the necessary repairs from testing the limits of myself nor my vehicles, nor do I have any desires to do so. I accept that my driving is probably low skilled, so I drive attentively instead, just under the speed limit. Because of the criminally low error margins now allowed, the removal of the "speed of the traffic" rules and speedo inacurracies, I drive an indicated 5kph below the posted limit, and have thus avoided speeding tickets for 38yrs-I've had 2 so far. I have had 4 other more serious tickets, and 2 low speed car bingles, and ~7 bike ones, but I've been blessed with only 2 injuries so far, neither serious.

I didn't say I was perfect, I said I was deliberately careful. That is not what I see in many others. I do occasionally creep a few km over the posted limit, but not for long, neither by much. I drive all my vehicles with the lights on 24/7. My machines are all old, but in fair condition.

Performance is modest, and I do not exceed 90kph anywhere, because its too expensive to drive any faster. The wind drag is too great. It's also approaching the sustainable mechanical & thermal limits of my machinery and my comfortable mental capacity. I do occasional runs of a few hundred KM into the country, but not often. Sometimes I tow a trailer. I am mindful of the bumps knocking me & my cargoes around, and hate harsh speed humps, and the idiots who made them necessary.

I do NOT like vehicles to be too safe, as ppl forget to be afraid of being hurt, and their driving quality suffers-see Volvo drivers disease. BTW I briefly had one, and avoided it.

[Keepleft]

Originally Posted by flappist

This is all about CONTROL. Some people just love to control others for whatever reason.

Has something to do with our education system, and our remoteness in the world, despite large numbers of domestic travellers to OS destinations, as a whole, we really have NFI what happens OS, particularly in more enlightened regions of the world in regards this subject.

Example; QLD Trans employed a Euro expert to help determine 'why the M1 had so many crashes and congestion'. An answer was to have people - 'keep left', he mean't 'out of the middle lane into the left-lane'. Etc. Fell on deaf ears - they (QLD employees) do NOT understand. And so road use throughput is affected, and it must be said deliberately by some, becuase Australian's LOVE to drive poorly, becuase they can, and it is assisted so.

Like I say, a mindset thing.

You cannot legislate against stupidity.......

But you can employ it, or elect it too.

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

And what if this driver doesn't have the experience to drive above 130 kms, comes into a corner too quick and rolls the car and everyone dies?? Its times like these people need to breath in, breath out and not panic, when people panic they do silly things and accidents happen.

You people need to think a little harder before you come up with this garbish... Some kids dont have the experience or the car to do 130 + km...

What if we derestrict (//) the particular length of road daddy, 'what speed will that driver do then'??? Think about it, its really not difficult.

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

European countries also have
A) much better roads then our bitumen goat tracks..

Insofar two-lane rurals, yes.

Our freeway class 'typical cross-sections' are the same as Euro; emergency lane @ 2.5-3.0m, traffic lanes @ 3.5m each, median shoulder @ 0.5m. Our departure and exit lanes are typically the same insofar distance, as we have in Germany.

better cars

Whilst we have Euro cars here; they mandate in that market certain safety features 'in case' you *ever* need them; rear fog, triangle, safety vests - AND folk learn how and when they are to be used. The EU process works then with the UN process under the 'Global Technical Regulations'. Of course, Australia opts-out of some of these otherwise mandated safety measures, perhaps because of the 'power' of our local boyz to advocate specification dumbing-down. ADR 13 Part 8.5.1 for example.

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

Or ever need to speed over 130 in any case.
Coz you are Safer & would have better Judgment.
Speed Kills is as simple as that.

Tell me, which speed is it exactly, that kills??

If younger Drivers were better than Older Drivers or Safer why do they as a % have Many more Crashes?

This relationship changes in regards older drivers, but there are fewer of them than young drivers. That said, in NSW only 0.01% of licensed P platers at any time will die in a crash. They are of course, over represented in total crash statistics having regard their license numbers per capita against ALL other groups-ages.

Originally Posted by prydey

I've driven the highways (adel - bris) that many times its not funny and as far as overtaking goes, rarely do i see the need to go above 130km/h, so that arguement as to why limiting is a bad idea is no good if you ask me. Out on the open road, a capped top speed is fine but not the answer. many highway fatalities are the result of fatigue, lack of attention, inexperience etc.

NT replaced (//) with (130) and that little excersize to date has proven detrimental. A speed-limit simply gives people *something to drive at*. Speed derestriction on high-standard highways gives people the FULL responsibility for driving at a safe speed and manner. Somthing NO speed-limit can achieve.

An ATSB report a year or two ago under the guise of national productivity, suggested rural speeds of 130km/h. NT tried this per above, and so it will not happen here in NSW. Derestriction is safer.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Brent

As a (longish) footnote to my experience when driving in Germany, the courtesy and mature attitude shown by other drivers to each other is a big part of why their autobahn system works. In a nutshell.......you move over for faster vehicles. End of argument. If you're doing 120kph then the guy in front who's doing 100-kph moves over. In turn, when a car comes up behind you at 160kph, you move over. Then the guy who just passed you will move over for the guy doing 200kph in the fast lane. Everyone usually finds their place. Very little baulking, blocking or resultant aggro.

No sitting in a rolling roadblock of cars sitting 3 inches off the bumper of the ones in front. Thankfully few nimrods blocking the fast lane as some sort of personal point-making exercise because they don't like being overtaken. It isn't rocket science but it works, most of the time...........and its due to the right ATTITUDE, and its amazing what the right attitude can do for making the roads safer, and a much more pleasant place to be.

I've often asked myself if an autobahn would work in Aus? Unfortunately, I'm the first to admit it would be a disaster. Its not the quality of roads.....most of our decent interestate highways are an easy match for the surfaces of the autobahns. Its just the attitude. We'd have people in Datsun 120Y's flying off the road on bald tyres when trying to max it out in pouring rain. We'd have tryhards and bogans in their mid 90s whatever-car-you-like trying to race each other. And then there'd be the never-ending stream of nimrods who'd sit in the fast lane at 95kph because they think its their god given right to sit there if they want to. Incompetence, frustration, aggression, stubborness would all come together an create one hell of a mess.

Why? I've got no idea. Maybe there's some unique genetic problem we have here in this country where the gene pool is being diluted via some freak of nature or whatever, but from what I've seen, the average Australian driver would make a total mess of the whole thing.

For the record, no, I'm not saying I'm a fantastic driver. In fact, a few times when driving in Europe I inadvertently baulked another car, and had to give a "sorry" wave to the driver behind me, making me feel like a chastised child. And I'd be buggered if I could spend anything more than a few minutes at a time in the fast lane, as my brain simply wasn't in tune to having to concentrate so hard when driving. After all, back in Aus, you sit it on 100kph, set the cruise, and then stuff around the cabin looking for what CD you're going to load into the stacker whilst trying to find that errant jellybean that rolled under the drivers seat..........and eventually you'll hit a tree and everyone at the accident scene will scratch their heads and just assume you were obviously going too fast.

Brent.

Brent...........alas.........I think you've hit the nail on the head. It really does come down to mutual respect on the road , car culture and attitude.

My biggest fear with the introduction of a parental control system is that you will get the responsible do gooder parents adopting and using it.....trying to do the right thing.........and the moron parents not giving a stuff. Good people trying to do the right thing and limiting their kids behaviours, whilst the morons and irresponsible couldn't give a stuff types not adopting and continuing with their bad habits.

The people trying to do the right thing will be limited..........and are probably the group that would be in the minority of "at fault" accidents anyways......whilst the irresponsible will go unrestricted and still go out and cause havoc..........ce la vie.


Sitting on the speed limit and obeying all the road rules makes you feel like a leper at the moment. As an experiment.........for one day...........sit on the speed limit, obey all the rules on freeways, suburban streets, construction zones and school zones etc.... and see just how many people will zoom past , toot their horn , cut you off etc............ITS FRGGIN AMAZING..........short trips...........not enough time........Too much in a rush.......running a bit late..........get out of my way..........move over , you're going too slow........

Hogging the road has become the fact that you aren't doing 80 in a 60 zone these days..........LOL

We all do it sometimes............Its a culture of personal pragmatism........."the road is mine "........."I know what I'm doing"..........."it wasn't my fault"............etc.

Reculturing and educting ourselves and our kids is the challenge. Mutual respect , attitude and reciprocal gratuities on our roads......

Bloody big challenge !!!!!!!!..................and a damned good post Brent.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by EgoXr6

he seems to have a brain lol

........... this I can absolutely and categorically deny and can be backed up by many that know me



| [/url] |

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Has something to do with our education system, and our remoteness in the world, despite large numbers of domestic travellers to OS destinations, as a whole, we really have NFI what happens OS, particularly in more enlightened regions of the world in regards this subject.

Example; QLD Trans employed a Euro expert to help determine 'why the M1 had so many crashes and congestion'. An answer was to have people - 'keep left', he mean't 'out of the middle lane into the left-lane'. Etc. Fell on deaf ears - they (QLD employees) do NOT understand. And so road use throughput is affected, and it must be said deliberately by some, becuase Australian's LOVE to drive poorly, becuase they can, and it is assisted so.

You keep on and on and on about Europe, this is not Europe and not everything "euopean" is that great.

We have very few similarties with Europe and distance is simply one of them.

If you believe Europe is so damn good, bugger off and live over there.

This is Australia, with unique Australian issues.

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Speed derestriction on high-standard highways gives people the FULL responsibility for driving at a safe speed and manner. Somthing NO speed-limit can achieve.

They have a speed limit and they CAN'T take full responsiblity for sticking within it now, your argument is flawed.

[Trevor 57]

Also Keepleft, Americans have full responsiblity to own guns and to operate guns appropriately, are they responsible with them - I think not.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Big Trev

They have a speed limit and they CAN'T take full responsiblity for sticking within it now, your argument is flawed.

i believe its a bit like when you tell a child NOT to do something, you can bet your life they will try and do it. put a speed limit in place and people feel the need to go beyond it.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by prydey

i believe its a bit like when you tell a child NOT to do something, you can bet your life they will try and do it. put a speed limit in place and people feel the need to go beyond it.

Exactly my point. Give people with the Australian "couldn't care less" attitude an unlimited speed limit and guess what . . . . . . . . . . . .

[89.SVO]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Define 'old'...to a 4 year old anyone over 9 is old

over 50

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by WILDEB

over 50

So on GasOlanes analogy you must be 14? :



| [/url] |

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by auslandau

So on GasOlanes analogy you must be 14? :

[89.SVO]

and now everyone is being a smart *** because i had my opinion. real fair

[prydey]

age is relative. when you are young, 40 is almost dead. when you are over 30, even 60 isn't that old.

my old man is 60 in jan and i've never considered him 'old'. he's still driving trucks, and often on w/ends he's bailing hay or mustering cattle (still on horseback) on his dad's beef cattle farm.