Driver Discretionary Zones (DDZs)

[350plus]

We are all fully aware of the hypocrisy of a system that lets some snot nosed kid in a rusted out 1974 Cortina drive at the same speed as an experienced driver in a new LS1 – and then to add further insult by announcing to the world that “speed kills”.

So my idea for debate….

To introduce
Driver Discretionary Zones (DDZs)

Rules are:
1) Must have full points on license;
2) Suitable car i.e. no more than 7 years old and maintained;
3) Must have had full drivers license for at least 5 years; and
4) Completed an approved driving course.

Reward is this:
In suitably marked areas like inter-city freeways, speed limit is upped to 140 klms.

This could be policed via special reflective sticker on number plate that cops & camera’s can easily identify and monitor.

Why?
1) Incentive to younger drivers still learning – perhaps more so than the threat of fines
2) Help reduce fatigue on long trips

IMO the majority of serious accidents, when long distance driving, are caused by either impatience (stuck behind a slow driver and trying to overtake when it is not safe) or from falling asleep from boredom traveling at 110klms for hours on end.

Welcome any thoughts/comments

Cheers,
350+

[XLR8 V8]

It's certainly an interesting concept that you appear to have thought out in detail .... but there is one problem that it simply doesn't fix..... the lowest common denominator ... people who simply should not have a licence in the first place.
We've all come across them on the roads. The people who pull out from side streets into a small gap on a main road with cars approaching them at 80km/h and "accelerate" at snail pace, causing those approaching to hit the anchors or take evasive action to not hit them. The same people who merge onto a busy freeway and across 2 lanes while doing 50-60km/h, or begin changing lanes then check their mirrors after they've changed.
Now think about yourself driving along at 140 in one of these zones, and one of these twits does their classic "Change then check" moves ..... screeeeech .... BANG!
You can have the most well maintained brand new car around that happily cruises at 140 and your own driving skills could equal that of Fangio, but the lowest common denominator will always be around to spoil you day with a surprise attack.
Driver training programs need to be mandatory, and people who have been done by the Police for neg/moronic driving should have to undertake a US style "Drivers Ed" program before their licence is returned. Fines and photos don't work.

[EvillBill]

People are not taught to drive. Some of us learn how to drive, and a smaller percentage of those learn how to drive well.

The charade that is know as 'getting you license' is merely there to avoid an excess of 3rd party damage claims, not much else. To introduce DDZ's would require the proper training and re-training of drivers, while setting the attainment bar higher.
Given the current crop of drivers, I think retraining is out of the question, so you would have to wait for them all to kark it. Be quicker than you would think, but still would'nt happen quick enough. It would take 2 generations before DDZ's could even be considered in this country.

I think a better idea would be to have a toll road that requires a $50 000 deposit to drive on. You crash and you lose it. Should keep most of the nutters out.

[jsttry]

Sounds like a good idea. The only problem with the sticker is that is doesn't take into account different drivers. The car may have a sticker but what is to say the person behind the wheel is out in dad's car?

[nvs78]

on the topic of people pulling out in front of you..
a mate of mine years ago was driving his fully laden landcruiser ute at about 100k's.. a shitty lil pos car pulled out obviously thinking the landy would be able to slow down if he did.. there was a car coming the other way.. landcruise wasn't able to slow down in time.. he started blaring the airhorns from about 40 metres away.. lil car didnt move.. only through serious downgearing and braking was he able to evade an accident..
so thats always gunna be a hazard as well.. cars pulling out in front of you, not realising you're one of the capable drivers within this DDZ..
*shrugs*
i'd certainly like that though.. i've had opens for going on 5 years now.. :D

[jbernie]

I think the Aussies should start by introducing the German system, a license is a privalidge and not a right. Make it more intensive, more expensive to obtain and require a much higher standard of ability else your on the bus or the train or whatever.

Over here in the US (i'm an aussie) the Drivers Ed is useless... refer to 8 or 9 teenagers killed in my county during the space of a few weeks last year, all doing immature acts, not focusing on driving, or in one case doing 90MPH in a 40MPH zone on a damp rural road and losing it... 3 teens dead, one older driver going the other way dead and one immature teen driver to live for the rest of his life knowing he alone was responsible for the deaths of 4 people before he was 17.

James

[Speedy Gonzales]

The road safety program in this state is a sad attempt at saving lives, despite the numerous "safety" cameras alongside the most overzealous police force in the country handing out tickets for 3kph over, the fact that most late model cars have many safety systems and that the road infrastructure today is of a better standard than in the past it has done absolutely NOTHING to lower the road toll.

What they dont understand is that people can die at anytime whilst driving, in 1 way or another, that cannot be stopped or prevented, its the risk everyone accepts when they step behind the wheel.

Just recently a policeman and a driver lost their lives over a speeding ticket, was it worth it to enforce a strict policy? All I can say to those who enforce the Bracks policy is keep on pulling people over and keep on fining them for 3kph over.

[HRT Stroker]

every time something like this comes up I say the same thing.......TRAINING.

Lets face it, after doing their "P'S time a youngster can go and buy just about anything......and the power of some of our smaller cars is PLENTY enough for someone with no car control to waste themselves. :(

Give the struggling car clubs / defensive training schools a chunk of governemtn funding - make ALL drivers complete a course on bitumen and one for dirt and restrict new license holders to two litres (N/A) for two years.

1. gives them the basic tools for car control.
2. exposes them to car clubs / motor racing which may encourage them to join up and take racing to the TRACKS.
3. Keeps them out of larger HP cars for the " indestructible" period
4. WILL drop the road toll.

VOTE FOR HRT STROKER!!!!! :lol: :lol: ;)

My Dad made both my brother and I do this at 14 years old, in a beat up 13B rotary RX-4 that a customer had sold to him at our import business. Was the BEST thin I ever did. Was great fun, learnt skills that saved my life more than once.......and the girls at school thought it was cool too! :cool: :love2:

[350plus]

No argument from me about how stupid some "drivers" are... however I think we need to start somewhere. I was thinking initially on dual carriageways only.

We all agree TRAINING is needed, but we have to get the already licensed drivers to WANT to undergo it - in addition to making it compulsory before issuing any new licenses.

So how much of the revenue collected each year from traffic infringement (and petrol tax) is actually channeled back into driver education and road improvement - anyone actually know? Wasn't that the intention?

[XLR8 V8]

We all agree TRAINING is needed, but we have to get the already licensed drivers to WANT to undergo it - in addition to making it compulsory before issuing any new licenses.


One way to get people to WANT to undergo additional driver training would be cheaper insurance premiums/rego costs/tollway fees for those that have completed the training. For those that spend a lot of time behind the wheel (and therefore those at more risk by being on the roads more often) even minor savings in these areas could offset the cost of the course in a single year.
Additionally, an option of a 2cpl fuel discount for those who complete further driver training beyond the initial course would be an attractive option to further your skills. This discount could be done in the form of a claim when completing your tax rather than an on-the-spot discount at the servo, as the administrative work required liasing with each fuel company would be a hindrance to the scheme.

[Gozza]

Training is essentially the only way to ensure that the road toll will be lowered and, hence, allow DDZs to become a reality. If the government finally realised it would be for the good of everyone to introduce compulsory driver training then we'd get somewhere. Until that happens, we'll still have moronic drivers all over the roads for years to come. Just how long they are there is up to the government.

[350plus]

Sounds like a good idea. The only problem with the sticker is that is doesn't take into account different drivers. The car may have a sticker but what is to say the person behind the wheel is out in dad's car?

Not real different to junior borrowing dad's car now really - the best safety measure is still dad saying "borrow the kingswood ?! ... over my dead body" :lol:


One way to get people to WANT to undergo additional driver training would be cheaper insurance premiums/rego costs/tollway fees for those that have completed the training.

Absolutely. Postive reinforcement always works best in trying to change behaviour - not penalities and fines.