For Sophies's sake test the older drivers

[SSBarney]

OMFG, what a heart break to hear about poor little Sophie getting cleaned up on a pedestrian crossing by a 80 plus year old driver. Poor little thing has already had more trauma than a couple of life times caused by another old B*rstad who plowed into her child care centre.
God be with her again!

It might not be politcally freindly, but it is about time over 80's were tested for eye sight and driving skills on a yearly basis. They keep focusing on the P platers, but its bl**dy clear over 80's are a danger too.

Barney

[strife]

I agree, maybe it should be every 10 years and then yearly at a certain age

I didnt get a good look at the crossing was it 4 lanes ?

[SSBarney]

I agree, but I didnt get a good look at the crossing was it 4 lanes ?

Dont know that detail sorry.

[JT]

such a sad turn of events for the poor little girl as if she hasn't endured enough already

[lukey73]

What else can happen to this poor girl? The crossing was on the news and like most of them it is poorly lit. Totally agree with the older driver testing though but having pedestrian crossings with much better lighting would help too.:mad:

The whole thing is just shocking and i feel for the old guy too, he probably has a grand daughter or great grand daughter the same age, just a pity its so hrad to get these older drivers to give up dusk/night driving.

[Glenn@Autowerks]

This is one very sad story, to happen twice...geez

The news says she is on the mend, bloody hope so. She will never want to see a car again.

All the best to Sophie, she needs it !!

From all Nine of us here, Chin up Sophie, as soon as you can !!!

And to her parents too.........

[NickS]

I agree, maybe it should be every 10 years and then yearly at a certain age

I didnt get a good look at the crossing was it 4 lanes ?
It looked like 4 lanes to me ... rediculous place for a crossing really.

I am sure it would cause an uproar, but personally I think 80 is too late, 70 - 79, test every three years, 80+, test every year. If you are capable then you have nothing to worry about. For this little girl to go through what she has and what she still faces is just unfair, compared to that a licence test is nothing !!!

[redss]

OMFG, what a heart break to hear about poor little Sophie getting cleaned up on a pedestrian crossing by a 80 plus year old driver. Poor little thing has already had more trauma than a couple of life times caused by another old B*rstad who plowed into her child care centre.
God be with her again!

It might not be politcally freindly, but it is about time over 80's were tested for eye sight and driving skills on a yearly basis. They keep focusing on the P platers, but its bl**dy clear over 80's are a danger too.

Barney

After what happened here at the Bathurst Show (another 80ish year old driver involved in an accident - one man killed, nine others injured), I whole heartedly agree.

In all fairness to the driver involved in Sophies accident though, the story I saw on the news tonight said the sun was in his eyes (4pm). I think we can all understand and appreciate how difficult it is to drive in that sort of situation - no matter what age you are. Still terrible though.

[zizou]

for a little girl to suffer so much pain and suffering in her young age is beyond belief,and she is still hanging on ,wich is more remarkable.
if she survives, it will be miracle that will be unprecedented.. so sad
edit: how the parents feels right ,my god ,i would be a mess..

[Road Warrior]

In all fairness to the driver involved in Sophies accident though, the story I saw on the news tonight said the sun was in his eyes (4pm).

But apparently Sophie got thrown quite a distance by the impact - he must have been moving along pretty smartly. Not a wise thing to do if the sun is in your eyes and there is a crosswalk there ay?

EDIT: I'm an advocate of 5 yearly driving tests for all road users. The level of recklessness and incompetence we see on the roads every day at the moment is shocking and the only way we are going to be able to weed out the dumbasses off the roads is through auditing their driving.

*dons flame suit*
:flame:

[strife]

I stuggle to understand how you can have a pedestrian crossing (without traffic lights) on Frenchs Forrest Road (if the news reports are correct).

Even the father report have close incidents in the past. Hopefully this is addressed as soon as possible. Unfortuately Soffie had to bring it to the attention of the appropriate authority

[heavychevy]

That poor liitle mite :(

can the locals post a pic of the problem intersection?

[SSBarney]

In all fairness to the driver involved in Sophies accident though, the story I saw on the news tonight said the sun was in his eyes (4pm). .

No i cant understand, u drive to the conditions, as mentioned above, the distance Sophie was throwen means he was travelling along with some pace at a time he couldnt see because of the sun, if u cant see u either slow down until safe, or stop. Failure to do so renders the consiquences.
the guy has been charged with a couple of driving offences over it, so I dont think he is with out fault.

[SSZ Ute]

What else can happen to this poor girl? The crossing was on the news and like most of them it is poorly lit. Totally agree with the older driver testing though but having pedestrian crossings with much better lighting would help too.:mad:

The whole thing is just shocking and i feel for the old guy too, he probably has a grand daughter or great grand daughter the same age, just a pity its so hrad to get these older drivers to give up dusk/night driving.

Mate, it was in the mid afternoon. Lighting wasn't an issue as it was still daylight.

[SSBarney]

I'm an advocate of 5 yearly driving tests for all road users. The level of recklessness and incompetence we see on the roads every day at the moment is shocking and the only way we are going to be able to weed out the dumbasses off the roads is through auditing their driving.

*dons flame suit*
:flame:

No flame suit necessary, i agree. We get a licence at 18 and barring any stupidity, its our right until we die. Get Bl**dy real.
Many people have all sorts of conditions including strokes and heart attacks that render them un satisfactory drivers at ages well below 80. But it seems to be a God given right to drive around, and everyone else should feel sorry for u, regardless of the danger u present on the road.

In fact most people over 60 have never done a proper driving test. The rules were u rocked up to ur local cop shop and drove around the block. If u were in teh bush, the copper was likely to say, yeh i've seen u driving ur tractor around of course u can drive.

The 18 year olds today will be the most rigourously tested drivers ever in Australia. Our 80 year olds are likely to have had the least testing.

[cwhast]

poor little kid. it said she was thrown 18 meters so this guy must not have even hit the brakes. in the first footage i saw of the driver, he appeared to be intoxicated... just like the drunken old fart that plowed thru the child care center. it's really sad. hang in there Sophie.

i'm all for the gov making old people tests mandatory. they've critisized P-platers for ages, but what is more important, experience or quick reflexes? (it's hard to draw the line, really) ... a bit of both really, but the reflexes would be of more importance to actually avoid the accident. but my opinion is probably biased as i'm a P-plater. i stand by my words that both of these old farts were BLIND DRUNK! and the Bathurst Show lady was just old...

[YLD57L]

Pretty much agree with all that has been said. Some older people I know should not be on the road, and the worst thing is they think there is nothing wrong with their driving! I have even been called by one a 'young yahoo', this same guy has driving up the wrong side of Phillip Ave. (ACT peeps will know what I am on about) and his car is covered in a multitude of scratches and dings from people who 'hit him'. He couldn't even reverse out my driveway properly for farks sake! :cussing:

My girlfriend was hit by a 75+yo lady the other day, once again no brakes! She wasn't even seen and if she was the reaction time of the old stick was too slow. No skid marks.

My Grandpa on the otherhand is a great driver at 74yo, and would have no troubles with the test and therefore wouldn't be phased doing it. It needs to happen, really it does.

My heart goes out to Sophie and her family, she is such a beautiful little girl and has shown tromendous courage. Her attitude can be seen a mile away, she deserves far, far more. How harse to be dealt such a hand particularly so young. Literally brings a tear to my eye.

All the best to her and her family first and foremost.

[JA SV8]

Its horrible to have happened again to the poor girl! She has been through hell and back. Only wish her and her family the best.

I know the road she was hit on, and for the life of me i cannot remember the crossing, but i do not drive the road very often so it maybe new. I did read that a car pulled over to the left and stoped to let them cross so the old bloke may not have even know there was someone on the crossing.
Not that it matters as you should always slow down. Its in a bad bad spot there, and NOW they are going to put traffic lights..... a little late i think. Also it is a 3 lane road.

We can only pray she gets better, and pulls through again, its great that the initial injurys stated were false and she is not as badly injured.

I also feel for the old man, while we all know he was at fault, it is going to haunt him for the rest of his life, and his face all over the news im sure people will give him a hard time too....

[redss]

No i cant understand, u drive to the conditions, as mentioned above, the distance Sophie was throwen means he was travelling along with some pace at a time he couldnt see because of the sun, if u cant see u either slow down until safe, or stop. Failure to do so renders the consiquences.
the guy has been charged with a couple of driving offences over it, so I dont think he is with out fault.

SSBarney,

I just wrote a reply to your post 3 times, trying to argue my point further. Then it dawned on me - this is not the time.

So my reply is simple: I hope Sophie makes a rapid recovery. She has shown unbelievable strength and courage in the past, and will unfortunately need to do so again. My thoughts and best wishes to her and her family.

Pete.

[bermudablue]

unbelievable and tragic.But she has a big strong heart for such a little girl
and will no doubt climb another mountain.
whoever give the OK to put a pedestrian crossing in such a spot seems to have no idea.

[maxter21]

.............I am sure it would cause an uproar, but personally I think 80 is too late, 70 - 79, test every three years, 80+, test every year. If you are capable then you have nothing to worry about. For this little girl to go through what she has and what she still faces is just unfair, compared to that a licence test is nothing !!!

What a tragedy this is. For some reason or another this accident has distressed me more than any of the other stories running at the momment. Surely she has been through enough as well as her parents.

I believe the time will come when we test everyone on say a 5 yr basis up until say 65 (for want of a figure) and from then on, at a more regular interval. A drivers license should be a privilege not a right. If you cannot drive sensibly or safely, no matter what the age, you should not be allowed onto todays crowded roads. As far as saying the roads or lighting is not good, I say bulls..t. You should be responsible for driving to the conditions and should drive accordingly. That is part of the privilege of having a license.

I fly airplanes as well as drive "the best car made, CV8Z" and I have to do a 1 hour check flight with an instructor every 2 years to have the privilege of flying just myself. To fly passengers commercially then it is every 6 months and much more intense. The decision making and skills to drive a car, in my opinion, is not that much less than flying. You can get your pilots license at 16 so you are legally able to fly before driving. Can't be that hard. There are some busy moments at take off and landing or in an emergency but in a car you can have traffic comming at you 1 meter away, at speed, all the time as well as variable road conditions and hazards not experienced in the air. If you are not up to the task due age, health etc then there is potential for carnage very quickly.

It was actually good for me to go through having my kids get their license as bad habits creep into all of us that the driving instructors pickup on with the learners and they (learners) soon let you know when you are a little slack or get a rule wrong. What percentage of drivers have a clue about the correct use of a round-a-bout for instance. Scarry really.

[strife]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/060506/2/yunv.html

Mr Delezio said while accidents do happen, something had to be done to make the pedestrian crossing where Sophie was hit safer.

"I've been across that pedestrian crossing myself, and have nearly been hit many many times," Mr Delezio said.

"It is a very dangerous crossing (and) something definitely needs to be done."

A statement issued by the RTA said plans to replace the Frenchs Forest Road crossing with traffic lights were currently in the design phase.

[Tre-Cool]

Anyone ever watched the Final Destination movies?


How's the Irony.

[alexcs]

few quick ones:

-having a ped crossing on frenches forest road is idiotic.
-there should be vastly improved driver training, testing, and retesting for EVERY driver. not if theyre old or young, or have red hair, its discriminatory and pointless to only have these measuyres for certain age groups, because i see the same things being done by people of every age group.
-these old men who drive drunk do so becuase their friends and relatives who no about it, and have told the police, get no response or no interest. my grandfather was one who did this, we had to remove his car, then his bloody scooter. the police cannot do anything even if told.

[Azza]

Come to my work and go for a drive with the bosses father:shock:
This guy shouldn't have a license he's in another world (the 1940's I think?)
His road knowledge is not with the times and believes his way is the right way.
His cars got more hits than the Beatles.

As for poor Sophie Broken jaw, shoulder, fractured ribb's and a bleeding lung.
How much more could a young child take on top of pervious injuries?
Hang in there you tuff cookie!:girl:

[cwhast]

they could build overhead walkways for the real busy roads. they did this for King Georges Rd intersection at Beverly Hills so the kids could get to school without being skiddled. i understand this can't be done for every pedestrian crossing, but its a start.

[alexcs]

yep. that is done a lot of places, but they leave the bloody limit at 40kmh still. ridiculous.

[johno067]

Poor girl, having two young kids of my own I guess you get a bit more of an understanding of what they are going through, could not believe it when I first heard the news.

Yep, pedestrian bridge over the road is the safest bet. Silly old prick should not be on the road, and ALL drivers, not just old farts should be properly driver trained and tested, when are the authorities going to wake up to themselves. They can build as many great roads as they want, but people are still going to do stupid things in cars, either by stupidity, or lack of concentration.

Get well soon little one.

[ls2 crew]

When my wife and I saw it on the new we were in shock. I Have a daughter of about the same age and could not imagine the pain Sophie and here loved ones must be feeling.
I was driving my fathers landcruiser up the coast with my parents, wife and child one day and we were side swiped on the highway 110klm zone by and old guy in a falcon, it was raining and it put the cruizer sideways I managed to hold it straight. when we pulled over he was linelocking it I had to reach in and turn it off. WTF

Test them I say. at least yearly and if you know a elderly driver that may be a risk, check on them before they kill you, your wife, your child or themselves...

[OLS108]

Ive Lost Count how many times i see an Old man or Woman struggle to even Walk at a Normal Pace then Jump behind the wheel of a Car in the car Park... WTF... these people can hardly move fast enough to out Pace a Crawling Baby yet they have Fast enough reactions to get behind the wheel of a Car or 4WD... thats some Scary shit...

PS i ain't talking about Chilly

my 2 cents

Dave

[lukey73]

I know i will get burnt for saying this but here goes, We can not just blame the poor guy who hit sophie. I feell for her and her family, being the father of a 6 yr old girl and 5 yr old boy i would hate anything along the same lines to happen to either of them.

There are news reports out that the crossing question has had 20 yes 20 accidents there in the past 2 yrs, local residents report that they continually here screeching tyres as people dont see pedestrians on the crossing. I have never been down the road in question ( i live in QLD but go to SYD quite often ) but if the reports are true then we cant just go ahead and blame the old bloke who hit sophie. The girl who was pushing the pram was from overseas who may not have known the dangers of the particular crossing either.

I am all for testing of older drivers, i got my grandfather to give up his licence earlier this year as he was a danger to others on the road. Lets see what happens with the police investigation, i reckon this will be a big news item for along time as it will involve the RTA who as we all know dont have the best record for maintaining the road network of NSW.

So i wlll hide now waiting for the replys:hide:

Luke

[Y2kGoofball]

from what I heard he was travelling 60kph + in a 40 school zone

Personally I would have no problem with testing everyone on a regular basis, whether your 18, 25 or 80, but thats me.

Latest news is shes had a good 24 hours and is looking strong. Why is it these bad things always happen to those who dont deserve it?

[Desertraptor]

I've been saying it for years. Yearly testing for medical conditions and driving ability as well as roads rules.

How many people die each year due to the elderlys inability to handle what they drive?

Then they can be such a hassle on the road by not being confident enough to do the speed limit. That in itself should tell them it's time to stop driving.

My pop had brains to know he wasn't confident enough and gave his car to my sister.

[vz300]

Before all you blokes get off on a tangent & start blaming the driver,stop & think about the person pushing the pram.You never walk onto a crossing without checking the on coming traffic.It's a lot easier for a pedestrian to stop at 4mph than it is for a car at even 30kph.I know 80 year old drivers I'd be a passenger with before some of the morons I see behind the wheel today.
The painted white lines that" pass" for a safe method of crossing a road does not give any pedestrian the right to simply step off the kerb & think a car is going to automatically stop.Look at the morons who cross against the lights & then give you a mouthful even though their in the wrong.
That little girl has been through hell but remember there is both sides to every story & in this case it might well be the fault of not only the poor design of the crossing but the person controlling the pram!!!!!!!:yup:

[SSBarney]

in this case it might well be the fault of not only the poor design of the crossing but the person controlling the pram!!!!!!!:yup:

What was the speed limit? What speed was the driver doing? Think its fairly obvious who was at fault.
Design of the crossing may be bad, but that doesnt excuse the driver (assuming charges are correct).
Was it bad design of the child care centre that invited another old cogger to drive through the wall?

[lukey73]

What was the speed limit? What speed was the driver doing? Think its fairly obvious who was at fault.
Design of the crossing may be bad, but that doesnt excuse the driver (assuming charges are correct).
Was it bad design of the child care centre that invited another old cogger to drive through the wall?

2 different accidents Barney not fair to compare one with the other. How do you know that the guy couldnt see anyone on the crossing as he blinded by another car? I have had this happen to me before but luckily the person on about to cross saw me and waited. Was the girl pushing the pram racing across the road quickly? Stop jumping to conclusions and wait for the police report to come out. Pedestrians have a responibility to watch for on coming traffic not just wander on to the road and assume that cars are going to stop for them on a 10 cent piece.

What VZ300 has said is correct we cant go jumping up and down when we really only know one side of the story,its a shame waht has happened to this poor little girl again, but i bet if it wasnt Sophie we wouldnt be hearing this about it!

[vz300]

What was the speed limit? What speed was the driver doing? Think its fairly obvious who was at fault.
Design of the crossing may be bad, but that doesnt excuse the driver (assuming charges are correct).
Was it bad design of the child care centre that invited another old cogger to drive through the wall?
This is the type of attitude we see in everyday life..someone not knowing all the facts & stupidly looking at one side of the argument.It never ceases to amaze me how many people are quick to jump without knowing the facts.Would'nt be a politician would you Barney?:flip2:

[Peter B - CV8]

Poor little mite. My heart goes out for her & her family.
As for blame....well I'll shut my mouth until the full facts are known.

[SSBarney]

This is the type of attitude we see in everyday life..someone not knowing all the facts & stupidly looking at one side of the argument.It never ceases to amaze me how many people are quick to jump without knowing the facts.Would'nt be a politician would you Barney?:flip2:


Umm if u can read u will note that the above post contains questions. If u can answer them then blame would be obvious.:cussing:
I guess the Police are totally wrong too for charging the guy:idea:

[lukey73]

Yeah and one pretty big STATEMENT,

What was the speed limit? What speed was the driver doing? Think its fairly obvious who was at fault.


Mate were you there? Did you see everything that happened ? Ah you a police officer or have knowledge with regards to this accident that we dont know about? If so please as i and others would love to know.

The police have a duty to in accidents like this to press charges, it is then up to them to prove that those charges are warranted. With the reported neglegence from the RTA over the repeated requests for something to be done about this crossing i think you will find it becomes a political football over the next week.

[SSBarney]

Yeah and one pretty big STATEMENT,

What was the speed limit? What speed was the driver doing? Think its fairly obvious who was at fault.
As said in the post that u have urself so excited over:limpy: ,"assuming charges are correct" If charges are correct then yes blame is obvious.



Mate were you there? Did you see everything that happened ?
No which is why I base MY OPINION on the charges laid by the police.



The police have a duty to in accidents like this to press charges, it is then up to them to prove that those charges are warranted. .
I have been invloved in a pedestrian accident, where the pedestrian was at fault, and Contrary to ur statement, the police made an assessment from the facts at the scene, and did not just lay charges because of some duty to lay charges on everyone.
I as the driver was NOT charged. Yes the old driver in this case may prove the charges wrong, but at this time the charges stand, and are an independant assessment of a police officer of who was at fault. My opinion is based on that coppers judgment.

My post is actually initally about condolences for Sophie and her family, and about testing of older drivers. Not whether u happen to like my opinion of who is at fault.

Barney

[lukey73]

Barney,

Im not excited at all, what am suggesting to you is that let the law take its course. You have made statements to the effect that the elderly gentleman concerned is guilty based on him being charged by the police. Thats a pretty big gamble IMO.

so far you have made the following Statements and seem to know or claim on what you do know that this bloke is guilty.

"he was travelling along with some pace at a time he couldnt see because of the sun, if u cant see u either slow down until safe, or stop"

Do you every time this happens to you do it?

"Design of the crossing may be bad, but that doesnt excuse the driver (assuming charges are correct)."

The bit in bold is the most sensible thing you have said so far regarding this ACCIDENT until proven otherwise.

"the police made an assessment from the facts at the scene, and did not just lay charges because of some duty to lay charges on everyone."

And when the facts are unclear or distorted they lay charges, you may have been lucky that the evidence in your case deemed you not at fault straight away, but where fault can not be determined on the spot by a high ranking offical charges are laid. Also remember that because of the last accident the police would lay charges as this accident would get national coverage, do you think the police would just let the guy go and face the type of back lash that people like you are dishing out.

Let the investigation take its course. I also agree with you 100% that elderly drivers need to be re-tested from the age of 70. Major problem with our licence system is that doctors wont sign the necessary paper work to get sick/imcompetent drivers off our road for fear of losing that patient and the revenue they bring.

[SSBarney]

"he was travelling along with some pace at a time he couldnt see because of the sun, if u cant see u either slow down until safe, or stop"

Was in response to a prior post, which stated "it wasnt his fault the sun was in his eyes" Myself, if i cant see where i'm going YES i dont keep going.



"Design of the crossing may be bad, but that doesnt excuse the driver (assuming charges are correct)."
Again read the whole sentence not 1/3 of it.



The bit in bold is the most sensible thing you have said so far regarding this ACCIDENT until proven otherwise.
Atleast one of us has said something sensible.



"the police made an assessment from the facts at the scene, and did not just lay charges because of some duty to lay charges on everyone."
Was in reply to ur statement that police HAD to lay charges. Which they didnt, unless in their opinion the facts warranted it.


Major problem with our licence system is that doctors wont sign the necessary paper work to get sick/imcompetent drivers off our road for fear of losing that patient and the revenue they bring.
Guess ur a doctor then.

[lukey73]

Was in response to a prior post, which stated "it wasnt his fault the sun was in his eyes" Myself, if i cant see where i'm going YES i dont keep going.


Again read the whole sentence not 1/3 of it.


Atleast one of us has said something sensible.


Was in reply to ur statement that police HAD to lay charges. Which they didnt, unless in their opinion the facts warranted it.


Guess ur a doctor then.


No lawyer actually

[SSBarney]

No lawyer actually
So ur not qualified to make ur statement.


But ur job does explain a lot.

[vz300]

Umm if u can read u will note that the above post contains questions. If u can answer them then blame would be obvious.:cussing:
I guess the Police are totally wrong too for charging the guy:idea:
If you want to blame somebody & obviously your on some kind of vendetta,blame the lollypop lady,the local government,the state government,the old bloke,the young bloke who 10 seconds before roared through the same crossing at 80kph.You don't know the facts & neither does anyone else Barney,so get off your high horse & let justice take it's course.The more you bleet the sillier you sound!!!

[SSBarney]

Barney,so get off your high horse & let justice take it's course.The more you bleet the sillier you sound!!!

Re read the posts, check with ur laywer friend, i'm entitled to my opinion.

[SSBarney]

,blame the lollypop lady,the local government,the state government,the old bloke,the young bloke

Umm i guess i can only quote urself here because if ur not sounding silly i dont what does
The more you bleet the sillier you sound

[lukey73]

So ur not qualified to make ur statement.


But ur job does explain a lot.


Which statement is that Barney?

What does my job explain too, i am quite interested to hear your opinion about my choice of career.

[SSBarney]

Which statement is that Barney?

What does my job explain too, i am quite interested to hear your opinion about my choice of career.

Well PM me then, because u and the other one have bored me, and i am over helping u grandstand.

Back to topic, I'm very glad that Sophie is on the mend, and hope that a lot of changes come out of this tragic event.

[lukey73]

I have bored you yet you wish me to Pm you, very interesting. Why would i Pm you if you are bored? Doesnt make sence does it.:werd:

I too am pleased that Sophie is at this stage in a stable condition, i also hope the elderly gentlemen who was driving the car involved is stable aswell.

[SV8VY]

I wont comment too much as I hardly have time to see or hear news anymore let alone get on the forum.I heard the accident on the radio while working and Ill have to try and see where the crossing is as I don't recall one (and I drive this road 2 or three times a day as a courier!)
Yes the sun is very blinding at certain times and yes the government need to do more with crossings.Take bus stops for instance where the crossing is in front of the busses and you cant even see the pedestrians because of the bus ....or 6 especially in the city.Wouldn't it make more cents to have a pedestrian crossing behind a bus stop....der!:doh: :mad:
Anyway I felt sick just hearing about it and I wish the poor little thing a speedy recovery.
I cant imaging the pain this little girl has had to suffer in her short life.

[vz300]

I have bored you yet you wish me to Pm you, very interesting. Why would i Pm you if you are bored? Doesnt make sence does it.:werd:

I too am pleased that Sophie is at this stage in a stable condition, i also hope the elderly gentlemen who was driving the car involved is stable aswell.
Don't waste your time on this Barney joker...he is on some sort of "old driver"crusade & obviously has a problem with your career choice,suffice to say the state government has now decided to install lights at this & every 4 lane crossing.As always,too little,too late.
By the way Barney, I used to live in Sydney not far from THAT particular crossing & unless you can actually see someone on the crossing it is a night-mare.As I said before,THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THIS TRAGEDY & this is it.Correspondence now complete!

[hsvfreak]

such a sad turn of events for the poor little girl as if she hasn't endured enough already

I was totally shocked to hear what this poor girl had to go through the first time around.

And to hear what happened to her again is very upsetting. I hope everthing goes well for her.

[vz300]

A message for Luckey 73-this Barney jocker has now started sending me abusive foul-mouthed PM's.Is there anything we can do to get this element off this Forum.He thinks it's something to do with the fact his opinion is not being respected & he's right ....if he has to use F this & F that, his opinion is & will not be respected.It's the old saying....better to keep your mouth shut & let people think your a moron than to open it & remove all doubt.:nyuk: :nyuk: :nyuk:

[vz300]

I wont comment too much as I hardly have time to see or hear news anymore let alone get on the forum.I heard the accident on the radio while working and Ill have to try and see where the crossing is as I don't recall one (and I drive this road 2 or three times a day as a courier!)
Yes the sun is very blinding at certain times and yes the government need to do more with crossings.Take bus stops for instance where the crossing is in front of the busses and you cant even see the pedestrians because of the bus ....or 6 especially in the city.Wouldn't it make more cents to have a pedestrian crossing behind a bus stop....der!:doh: :mad:
Anyway I felt sick just hearing about it and I wish the poor little thing a speedy recovery.
I cant imaging the pain this little girl has had to suffer in her short life.
Now here is someone showing a bit of common sense when posting a thread.You see it dos'nt matter what happens in this world ,accidents do happen & it takes this kind of tragedy to jerk governments into action.This thing could of be prevented by the installation of lights years ago but governments sit on their hands & waste money in other areas.And obviously you have thought about your response before posting it...unlike others I could name!:dance: :dance:

[VYBerlinaV8]

For me this just highlights the fact that road safety has many different issues, and that a more concerted effort is needed to find solutions that address them. A number of issues have been raised in this discussion, including pedestrian safety, road design, driver testing, etc.

Although the natural human reaction is to blame, I think we need to do what we can to learn from tragic events like these so they don't happen again.

My thoughts are with Sophie for a speedy recovery.

[gts071]

After hearing about this on the news it almost brought tears to my eyes.

I heart goes out to Sophie and her family, what this little princess has gone through so early in her life is tragic!

[lukey73]

A message for Luckey 73-this Barney jocker has now started sending me abusive foul-mouthed PM's.Is there anything we can do to get this element off this Forum.He thinks it's something to do with the fact his opinion is not being respected & he's right ....if he has to use F this & F that, his opinion is & will not be respected.It's the old saying....better to keep your mouth shut & let people think your a moron than to open it & remove all doubt.:nyuk: :nyuk: :nyuk:

I believe there is an option to add someone to an ignore list in the UserCP section. If you have any other problems let me know as i always like a challenge before breakfast. :yup:

It's that type of behaviour that has started other incidents in recent times where other's can not listen objective opinion on certian matters and take it upon themselves to right the wrongs without full knowledge of the cause or effect of their actions. Pity it comes to that and people cant agree to disagree at times but that they way our society is changing these days and its not for the better.

[johno067]

From this mornings news she is not out of the woods yet by a long shot. There is the risk of infection (has a temp atm) and the complication of the lung bleeding when they move her.

How about we give the flaming a rest for a while and just hope she pulls through ok.

[Tre-Cool]

Heres an another example of old age driver stupidity. Coming from the city at lunch time, and getting on to the grt eastern highway from a one lane into 4. There was an old lady probably in her 70's driving the WRONG WAY out of a street and turned onto and proceded to drive onto the highway.

My first though was to laugh at the old coot as we drove past, then i thought, how the hell do they keep their licences if they do stupid mistakes like this? They are endangering people's lives more then us so called hoons.

[vz300]

So Tre-Cool,let he that is without fault cast the first stone.A 70 year old driver happens to do something wrong so staight away your down on her like a ton of bricks.You've never done something remotely wrong in your driving career?This garbage has to stop...these older generation drivers have been driving,many without a problem for longer than some of you critics have been on this earth.Intolerance of other road users in this & every other country in this world is the stupidity we have to face everyday.
This sort of behaviour on our roads is the reason so many people die...it would'nt have occured to you she might have been lost,from interstate,or simply confused by the unnecessary road signs that cause visual pollution in our society.Don't forget one day you might attain the ripe old age of 70,if you don't crash & burn first,& then you might appreciate the fact that intolerance of other road users is exactly that,not to be tolerated!:flip3:

[JA SV8]

Just have to add, as much as its horrible and shouldnt have happend I did not hear or read anywhere that the old man was drunk, and it was NOT in a school zone. The Manly Daily wrote today that the school zone has NOW been extended to include the zebra crossing.

After that i wish Sophie the best and her family well. Poor girl has been through enough, much to much

[XsPwr2W8]

It looked like 4 lanes to me ... rediculous place for a crossing really.

I am sure it would cause an uproar, but personally I think 80 is too late, 70 - 79, test every three years, 80+, test every year. If you are capable then you have nothing to worry about. For this little girl to go through what she has and what she still faces is just unfair, compared to that a licence test is nothing !!!

We have a 67 yo woman at our work who drives in every day an ploughs in to the scrap metal bin coz she can't judge distance or just can's see. I'm just waiting for the day she is in a major acident, but she still say's it is her right to drive:flamin:

[SALIV8]

OMFG, what a heart break to hear about poor little Sophie getting cleaned up on a pedestrian crossing by a 80 plus year old driver. Poor little thing has already had more trauma than a couple of life times caused by another old B*rstad who plowed into her child care centre.
God be with her again!

It might not be politcally freindly, but it is about time over 80's were tested for eye sight and driving skills on a yearly basis. They keep focusing on the P platers, but its bl**dy clear over 80's are a danger too.

Barney


i agree 100%

accidents happen but they can be prevented