WHY IS IT SO ??

[MD]

What is it about some drivers that seem to have a magnetic attraction for the right hand lane?  Once they get there, it appears that they are encapsulated in some form of heavenly bliss with one hand on Roger and the other on the steering wheel totally oblivius to the needs and wants of traffic behind them.

Doesn't seem to matter what State you're in or what make of car (or truck ) it is you are following, sooner or later you're looking at tail lights again trying to keep the lid on the fuse. Why do people do that?

[njh1964]

It's because God loves idiots... that's why he makes so many of them.

[pep105]

Yep there's a factory somewhere stamping them out, chuckity chuckity chuck goes the moron making machine

[alfagtv100 (Biggus)]

Every time I see a learner driver merge on to the freeway and drive immediately into the right or centre lane (where they stay forever at about 90kmph), I think to myself, "See that parent teaching their child driving skills?  That parent there is a fucking idiot".
Stupid is as stupid does.
Why do we allow unqualified instructors to teach kids to drive?

[Anthony Miller]

Mike, it's because the majority of road users couldn't drive a greasy pointed stick up a dead dog's arse let alone a motor vehicle

[scuzzyGTV]

I also think it has to do with our licensing system too. its far too easy to get a license without having to learn how to drive.
Cant help but think of that top gear episode in finland with the 16yo doing all sorts of fun stuff!

[MD]

I think is has a lot to do with our lard arse police who would rather gather speed camera fines cause it involves no work than cruise the roads like the  traffic branch should and either move them over or hand out invitations to the policemen's ball. Lack of enforcement results in people doing what they like. There are no awareness campaigns that I have seen that encourage motorists to keep the overtaking lane open for just that purpose.

Seriously, how many times have you seen seen on a 6 or 8 lane expressway where all 3 or 4 lanes in the same direction are all full travelling at the same speed? HELLO !!! The lights are on but the brains is out of gear.Traffic laws should be changed to allocate specific speeds for each lane in multilane roads.

Would that help?

[Barry Edmunds]

Pretty simple really; awareness campaigns and having a visible police presence out on the roads to actually police the use of the right hand lane and to do the job that they are employed to do costs money whereas the cameras bring money in and state governments and police command will always take the easy and cheaper option.

Cameras are simply a one dimensional solution to a multi dimensional problem.

Allowing parents to teach family members to drive is as near to lunacy as you can get and just results in bad driving habits getting passed on to the next generation and so the problems continue.

By the way, who was the testing officer for the first learner driver?

[branko.gt]

why is it so that everyone whinges and whines about traffic  ,
traffic is not good, it is not good anywhere in the world, if it's not one thing than it is another, 
get over it an move on ( that is if you are not stuck in traffic    )

[f1worldchamp]

I think is has a lot to do with our lard arse police who would rather gather speed camera fines cause it involves no work than cruise the roads like the  traffic branch should and either move them over or hand out invitations to the policemen's ball. Lack of enforcement results in people doing what they like.

Not that I'm ever one to defend the aforementioned lard arses, but I've been told the law (at least in NSW) requires the ploice to observe the offender in the right lane for a fixed period (either time or distance, I'm not sure). Problem is nothing gets idiots back into the left lane quicker than a cop car, so they never get caught.

[scuzzyGTV]

Seriously, how many times have you seen seen on a 6 or 8 lane expressway...

I'd say never in tassie 

but you are right with regard to policing by revenue. its shamefull!

whilst living in the uk it's not really any better there, due to the amount of traffic on the roads, but at least some times they moved left. found europe better still, but the roads were a bit quieter where i was.

i still maintain that proper driver education would solve a lot of problems, and if kids are shown by a proffessional, then there may be hope that they'd tell mum & dad some of their bad habbits, not pick them up.

but then you still need compotent instructors. when i got my instructions (only 9 years ago) my instructor told me how he cut people off that tried to undertake him! he also told me on my first lesson that my skills were exceptional, and granted i had years of karting experience, but i think that gave me a bit head. many of the guys i raced against wrote off their first cars (mine just rusted away )

[stradale]

1st lesson in defensive driving

D'ont let THEM crash into YOU

[dehne]

why not let parents teach you? im sure all of us guys and gals that drive race cars think we can all drive fine and dandy and any mug can get a cert that says they can teach people how to drive. what they should be doing is drives ed at school, compulsory defensive driving classes. the other thing is just dont pick on L & P plate drives honestly who here has always driven to the correct side of the law (and if someone says me get ur hand off it) age has no limit to being a dlckhead in a car (ie an 84 yo woman got caught speeding at 180 odd kph not long ago near swan hill) also the reason most would be complaining is because they are late or need to be somewhere and are being held up, so what im saying is if you dont like whats on the road, catch a TRAIN

[kartone]

Branko Turk,

traffic is not the same everywhere in the world. I have lived extensively in the US, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and now in Australia, there is quite a difference in driver skills, regulations and traffic conditions (both climatic and in density). We need enforcement of ALL traffic regulations, not just the ones that bring more easy money, and we need more prescence (patrolling) to deter infringements.

[MD]

This could be timely..

A police officer pulls over a speeding car.
The officer says, ' I clocked you at 120 km/h, sir.'

The driver says, 'Christ, officer I had it on cruise control at 100, perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating.'

Not looking up from her knitting the driver's wife says:
'Now don't be silly dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control.'

As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls,
'Can't you please keep your mouth shut for once?'

The wife smiles demurely and says, ! 'You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did.'

As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife
and says through clenched teeth, 'F..k it, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?'

The officer frowns and says, 'And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir.
That's an automatic $75 fine.'

The driver says, 'Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled
me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket.'

The wife says, 'Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on.
You never wear your seat belt when you're driving.'

And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks,
'WHY DON'T You shut the f..k up?

The officer looks over at the woman and asks, 'Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?'

'Only when he's pissed.'