So you got your license from Kellogs Fruit Loops...

Something I don't like doing, along with the rest of the world is having to get up early, but each morning, I bite the bullet and head into work at 6:30AM. After a short time you begin to get used to it.

Like anybody else on the way to work, the last thing they want is to arrive 5 or 10 minutes late (or even later!).

Sadly, thanks to Kellogs, there are more and more people on the road, who think that travelling 20km's below the speed limit is perfectly acceptable. In fact, there are people who travel slower then that even.

While the effects may not be immediately noticeable, it becomes apparent when you enter a 60 zone that you've effectly lost 1/3rd of your speed, and effectively take 1/3rd longer to get to your destination. Add Traffic lights to the equation, and you've got a major problem.
Traffic lights (should be) syncronised with the others on a road. This can be either be benificial or negative for the driver. Tiger Bennan road (my road I travel on) has about a 10 second gap between the Amy Johnson lights and the lights at Berrimah Rd intersection. This means, that given a moderate acceleration, there should be enough room for at least 4 cars to make it through the lights on the other side. If you're stuck behind someone at 80kph, that 10 second is nulled. Congratulations, you can add a minute or two onto the time it takes.

I may be a little bit pedantic, however, I like to sleep, and I like to cut my times finely, so that I do what I need to do when I need to do it. It's organisation. When idiots are constantly travelling in a 100kph zone at 70kph, I get frustrated, as do many other people.

Is it possible for police to start enforcing compliance with speed limits?

I know they allow for 10% over the limit, but how about a 10% or 15% under limit law? Naturally, things change with Tiger Brennan during day times, the road initially put into effect to release heavy vehicles from the Stuart Highway, and ease the flow. (why it was never a two lane road I don't know). I dont' have a complaint about truck drivers at all. They have a job to do like everybody else, and that road is there for them.

End Rant. ~_~

bwahahaha that's funny; someone in Darwin whinging about traffic.
Speed limits are there as a maximum safe speed at which to travel; not a speed at which you must travel.
Still, some drivers do need a rocket from time to time.

There is a minimum speed - you can still be pulled over and fined for travelling too slow unless you have a legitimate reason (a f**ked car for example). I know when you go for you P's test that if you do more than 20km/h below the speed limit you fail.

I sympathise with you Kaget.
I really really really despise slow cnts in the morning traffic.

Yeah you can be fined for doing a stupid slow speed in traffic, think its driving with undue care as you are a traffic hazard...

Speed limits actually have two purposes.

1. To limit people to what is seen as a safe driving pace for that road.
2. To maintain the traffic flow.

This is WHY if you're travelling at rediculously slow speeds, you can get fined as well... I've got no problem with people travelling at 75 in an 80, or 90 even in a 100 zone (though I'll cringe).

This morning was a perfect example on my to work. 80 Zone, clear road ahead for miles, no traffic lights, Im only 10 cars back from the front of the traffic...and we are all doing 45 - 50km/h. Simply because thats how fast the car up front was driving. And they wonder why people get road rage...USE UR ****ING ACCELERATOR PEDAL YOU ****ING MORON...GAH!!!

no thats cause you are impatient.

No, impatience is when you are bitching cause they are doing 70 in an 80 zone...not when you have to do 50 in an 80 zone for half a fricking hour.

Edit: Works out about 15 minutes late for work cause some asshat couldnt do the speed limit.

welcome to the real world ..

who says they wernt old, and were taking it easy ?? or they had car troubles ??

road rage like you cause accidents because you cant drive slowly for a small portion.= of your drive.

I dont mind if they go slow, as long as they dont take up all the lanes. When three cars all going 60k/h in an 80 k/h zone are pottering along right next to each other... I get REALLY mad... :P

I wish more people would follow the "stay in left lane unless overtaking" rule as well..

Quote from Unseen:
welcome to the real world ..

who says they wernt old, and were taking it easy ?? or they had car troubles ??

road rage like you cause accidents because you cant drive slowly for a small portion.= of your drive.

No, see I dont do anything stupid, I just get pissed off. And taking it easy? yeah right, they werent old, it was a brand new car, and somehow I doubt all three lanes had people who were going slow due to bad cars - also if their cars were ****ed they should have their hazard lights on as well. Some people are just ****ing retarded and thats all there is to it. Its one thing to drive slow for a portion of my drive, its another thing when Im driving slow the WHOLE drive and the person up front can actually be booked for going that slow.

I'm pretty sure (in NSW atleast) you can be fined for doing 15km/h under the speed limit. Which is good! Because it is just as unsafe as going over the speed limit. I'm sort of one of those people who go along with the flow though. I will sit behind trucks at traffic lights, or if someone is doing 1 or 2 km/h under the speed limit, i'll sit behind them as well (unless there's NOONE else around). Otherwise I go in the right lane, then they decide to speed up so it ends up being my fault.

I think as soon as I can, I'm getting off the roads.

Quote from Wrathlon:
There is a minimum speed - you can still be pulled over and fined for travelling too slow unless you have a legitimate reason (a f**ked car for example).
thats not a legimate reason for going slow, if your car is ****ed its unraod worthy and shouldnt be on the road

tiger brennon should be 2 lanes, there is enough room to make it 2 lanes and i hope someone makes it 2 lanes.

I don't care if people go under the speed limit, as long as they are in the most left hand lane. You shouldn't be in the most right hand lane unless you're over-taking. The middle lanes are for people going the limit.

The 'keep left unless overtaking' rule, doesnt exactly apply to metro areas.
Right hand lands are used for merging and terminating, not over-taking in metro areas.

Oh yeah, I mean freeways and whatnot. If you aren't going the speed limit in metro areas you need a bullet. I got the impression hitokiri was talking about higher speed limit roads.

I hate people tailgating me when I AM going the speed limit.

I agree with Ruin. I can tolerate slow people in Darwin, nothing is too far away and 1/3 of the time is only like at max 5mins late. Try and leave 5mins earlier.. surely it can't be that hard.

At least with slow drivers you can compensate for their stupidity by continuing on safely and unfortunately having to tolerate it. It's better than having one of those dickheads tale you while your doing the speed limit with them waiting for short breaks in the 2 way lanes to overtake and then when they pull out you having to slow down to let them through and their car just merely missing yours. Thats something that can cause a serve crash. Don't scoop down to that level of stupidity, just continue to tolerate it, it's safer for everyone especially over the holidays with crap loads of cars out.

Heh Heh finally a thread I can use. This is not aimed at anyone just a well judged opinion based on fact as an expert in the field of vehicle collsions and road truama.

Fact 1: People between the ages of 16 to 25. One person in 4 will be involved in a collision within 5 years of obtaining his licence. Simply put one of your friends in 15 will be killed in a vehcile collision. Look around you next time at a party and consider this.

Fact 2: The reason insurance is so high and almost unaffordable for persons under 25 is they are a risk.

Fact 3: The majority of drivers under 25 think they can actually drive when in fact they are accidents looking for a place to happen. You cant drive, you just know what an accelerator does and where the stereo is in your cars and hom much hp and decibels the thing puts out.

Fact 4 The NT fatals are now at 53 compared to 25 the same tme last year. therefore we kill one person a week over the past year. Why not only because of single vehicle rollovers but also because of immature young adolesents whose testosterone and phallic symnols, ie there Silvias, etc are way way too powerful for them and most people cant drive greasy sticks up their ..tts and the pure lack of respect to other road users result in MDK. (Murder, Death Kill)

personally if I had my way, the age of obtaining a licence in the NT would be 21 years and only after you successfully passing a defensive driving course by at least 90%.

Why is everyone in a hurry.

Late for work is no excuse to speed or even consider trying to sit on the proposed speed limit. Soemtimes due to high volume traffic this is impossible.

The answer is simple. Get your ass out of the bed earlier to allow ample time to arrive to work on time.

Yes there is an offence for someone travelling unreasonable slow however as I say to the person who is taking the risk to overtake or pass this person and therefore risk another innocents life, Is there an emergency or is you lateness as a result of your piss poor planning.

Would also help if at night you got home earlier than 2 in the morning from your multiple cruisin of the wharf and main street.

Oh and for gods sake get off the ice coffee..........

Quote from SpongeBobSquarePants:
This is not aimed at anyone just a well judged opinion based on fact as an expert in the field of vehicle collsions and road truama.

Fact 1: People between the ages of 16 to 25. One person in 4 will be involved in a collision within 5 years of obtaining his licence. Simply put one of your friends in 15 will be killed in a vehcile collision. Look around you next time at a party and consider this.

Does that mean men really are the worse drivers :P

i didnt read most of it. but i agree with spongey. and i dont know why. :)

I'd rather be late then have an accident, no matter how long it takes me to get there. :)

Quote from w00p:
Does that mean men really are the worse drivers :P
Well now why did you have to go and throw down a challenge like that? :p
Need I say Women + Reverse Parallel Parking = BWAHAHAHAHA
hehe

A big problem is not many people have any clue whatsoever whats happening around them on the roads, the 'tunnel vision' syndrome.

Like when a car is doing 50-60km in a 100km zone, has a trail of traffic stretching 1km behind them. Obviously they are not in a hurry, so why not pull over and let the flow of traffic travel efficiently. Like i said it's probably cos they don't even know(or care) theres other people on the road.

Yes we have to share the roads, and it works both ways. Should 1 person be able to restrict the efficiency of 50 people. Roads are not used to simply commute to and from work, they are a requirement for alot of trades and to keep this country running. The more efficiently humans can travel or move goods from a to b, the better of we will all be.

If the government wants no deaths from car's they will have to outlaw cars. Just like if you want no deaths from airplane crashes, outlaw airplanes. People die excersizing, should we ban that too? Yes you can minimise deaths from car's but as long as we hand out licenses willy nilly with minimal testing, people are gonna take their bad habits into adulthood.

Quote from JugV2:
Well now why did you have to go and throw down a challenge like that? :p
Need I say Women + Reverse Parallel Parking = BWAHAHAHAHA
hehe

Nah I was just playing with sponges words :P ...

Men probably are more skilled in driving because most have an interest in cars and know more about the engine and performance of a car than most women even want to know. While they are skilled drivers it doesn't make them the most 'sensible' drivers on the road. I would assume most fatal accidents happen when a male was behind a wheel doing something he shouldn't of been. However I do believe women are more likely to make a stupid mistake rather than a fatal one.

I can't parallel park, so I don't do it =D

The thing is spongy, it's not speeding thats my problem or being in a rush so I speed. Its wanting to go the speed limit cause Im in a hurry, but I cant cause someone in front is going painfully slow. I don't think people should speed either, but the ones that drive 20 - 30km/h UNDER the limit SHOULD speed up a fraction.

I understand where you coming from Wrath and I do agree but sometimes its doesnt work how it should.

Please have a safe Chrissy and New Year and be safe driving where ever you go

They did a test a few years ago in Adelaide I believe

A 30 min trip in peak hour between Peter Brock and his wife.

Brockie drove like a maniac, speeding, switching lanes, overtaking, running yellows all the stuff we do when we think we are in a hurry
His wife followed all the road rules etc.

He beat her in a 30 min trip to the same location in peak traffic by about 2 minutes.

Not worth it.

Quote from w00p:
Nah I was just playing with sponges words :P ...

Men probably are more skilled in driving because most have an interest in cars and know more about the engine and performance of a car than most women even want to know. While they are skilled drivers it doesn't make them the most 'sensible' drivers on the road. I would assume most fatal accidents happen when a male was behind a wheel doing something he shouldn't of been. However I do believe women are more likely to make a stupid mistake rather than a fatal one.

I can't parallel park, so I don't do it =D
No-one's perfect in a car, except Knight Rider, I was only stirring anyhow. :)

Quote from Milenko:
I sympathise with you Kaget.
I really really really despise slow cnts in the morning traffic.

That happens alot in Broken Hill, Milenko ? :)

I used to create schedules that would allow no time for inconveniences and other people. Then I'd stress about it when things didn't as intended. I soon realised other people and inconveniences are just part of life (funny, that). Instead of getting all anal about it and writing up a big forum post, I took some initiative.

I go to bed earlier and most of my nights are quiet ones. I might head out fo dinner and a few drinks before returning to my abode, instead of skipping dinner because I'm on the PC and then going out to get trashed on a night before work. I get up earlier and I relax; I cook breakfast, check my e-mail, watch the news. I actually have time to wake up. I drive to work or wherever I'm going at the speed limit, being curteous to others and recieving the same in return (most of the time). I do the same on the way home. I'm at work 15 minutes early and have time to breath. Having someone in front of my driving extremely slow or being caught up at lights just doesn't bother me.

For as long as I can remember I've been in a rush. I rush to complete projects because I leave them too late, I power-walk everywhere, I rush to and from wherever I'm going, and then I wondered where the years were going. Not suprisingly, it's a whole lot more comfortable and a whole lot easier when you pace yourself and take some time to enjoy the smaller things.

Some of you might consider this a tad idealistic, or perhaps impossible due to your lifestyle or job, but you can change those things too - it's just a choice.

At the end of the day, rushing yourself causes stress. You'll find that if you take some extra time, everything gets more managable. You'll probably even enjoy your job more, and find greater appreciation of your free time.

PS. sorry to get all philosophical and shit. :P

Quote from rec:
I used to create schedules that would allow no time for inconveniences and other people. Then I'd stress about it when things didn't as intended. I soon realised other people and inconveniences are just part of life (funny, that). Instead of getting all anal about it and writing up a big forum post, I took some initiative.

I go to bed earlier and most of my nights are quiet ones. I might head out fo dinner and a few drinks before returning to my abode, instead of skipping dinner because I'm on the PC and then going out to get trashed on a night before work. I get up earlier and I relax; I cook breakfast, check my e-mail, watch the news. I actually have time to wake up. I drive to work or wherever I'm going at the speed limit, being curteous to others and recieving the same in return (most of the time). I do the same on the way home. I'm at work 15 minutes early and have time to breath. Having someone in front of my driving extremely slow or being caught up at lights just doesn't bother me.

For as long as I can remember I've been in a rush. I rush to complete projects because I leave them too late, I power-walk everywhere, I rush to and from wherever I'm going, and then I wondered where the years were going. Not suprisingly, it's a whole lot more comfortable and a whole lot easier when you pace yourself and take some time to enjoy the smaller things.

Some of you might consider this a tad idealistic, or perhaps impossible due to your lifestyle or job, but you can change those things too - it's just a choice.

At the end of the day, rushing yourself causes stress. You'll find that if you take some extra time, everything gets more managable. You'll probably even enjoy your job more, and find greater appreciation of your free time.

PS. sorry to get all philosophical and shit. :P

In short, take it easy.

There was a study I think I posted a little while ago..

was in the Age

Men are more likely to be involved in head on collisions, rollovers etc.
Women are more likely to hit stationary objects

See women cant hit shit unless it stands still - n00bs :p j/k

I'm not going to criticise anybody on their thoughts, however, there are two sides of the story, and looking at it through the eyes of people like Rec and SpongeBob, we can understand the point they're making.

Perhaps I should clarify.

My problem isn't with people going slower then the speed limit, anybody who's driven with me, knows I'm often 5km's under the limit and up to 10 when going faster. I'm a confident driver, however, I'm reluctant to ever push my cars near or beyond their capabilities. (unless at the race track, which I used to do every so often).

I try and respect all road users, and concentrate on what I'm doing with the car all the time.

All that said and done, I wouldn't be so stupid as to compare my driving ability to that of other people. If I had to, I'd say I could always do with a lot of improvement.

The official stand point out of the way, I like driving, I enjoy it... Every morning, I enjoy hopping in my car, turning on the engine, hearing it's sound, feeling the bitumen under the tyres etc. I understand that some people don't enjoy it, and that's fine.

My complaint isn't with them either.

My complaint is with the individuals, who feel that even doing 70 in a 100 zone is still too fast. Naturally I adjust to the traffic conditions, if I need to, I'll get up earlier and earlier, I won't like it, but I will...

What I do not appreciate is having gone to all the trouble of making sure I leave with time to spare (you'd think an extra 10 minutes on a normally 20 minute (at the worst times) drive would be enough) only to have Ms Daisy and her driver deciding to take the back road because they felt like it.

Driving on the roads requires every driver to respect the other drivers.

I didn't want to get into the stats of how 16-25 year olds are the mostly likely to have accidents etc... I'm also not bringing up road rage. I don't cram up the ass of the people who do this, I give them and myself plenty of space... I don't incite violence, etc.
It's a rant people. A rant re the individuals who feel that just because they are travelling at 2/3rds the speed limit, everybody else should.

If it's a two lane road, no problem. but a single lane flow road, such as Tiger Brennan, requires people to be more considerate to other drivers.

I agree completely.

Couldn't agree more, Hitokiri. I wrote a letter to the paper about 12 months back about this. What annoys me the most is that it's always 20k's under the limit. You sit behind some moron doing 80 in a 100 zone, then when it becomes 80, they slow down to 60!

THAT is what I find most annoying.

And as Steve said, it doesn't mean I want to follow that person home and beat them to death (although... ;-)), or that I'm going to suddenly drive like a maniac and try to blindly overtake them. It's simply a rant - and I do believe that this place is a forum?

Just to clarify, that doesn't mean that I don't welcome responses that go against what I'm trying to say - Sponge's response was good, in that it enables you to see another point of view. It's those people who say, "Get over it - it's a fact of life" that I find annoying.

I've even been behind someone doing 40 in a 60 zone, then when we hit the city, they crawled along at 20. Why is it always 20 under the limit?? Why not 10??

Sigh...I knew that crowbar would come in handy one day.

HKensuke and Sponge both have a point. It's well worth noting a few other things though.

My take on the problem really is that there are people out there who are just single minded out how things are done. Speed limits have been thought of well by the RTA with due consideration to road condition and efficiency. However, there are people literally just impeding the flow of traffic, or abusing the long stretch of road which causes inconvenience for other motorists. There are even those that think that driving is a notch or a bar higher than the game they play on the console or their PC. There's a lot of them in Sydney and believe me, there's not enough law enforcement officers literally to catch half of them and it this causes stress (even if I am using public transport, I literally want to yell outside the bus to tell someone off the road).

To everyone, driving is a conditional privilege that IS earned and awarded by law on the basis of responsibility and common courtesy. Please be sensible enough to know that you are not the only motorist who has this priviledge and do remember that it can be taken away from you if you abuse it or be negligent of the requirements.

EDIT:grammatical errors correctd... OMG my English teacher will kill me!!!

I get up at 6 every morning drive to water gardens from city pick up my sister take her to work and driving to work with all the idiots who think its fun to do under the speed limit gives me the utter shits

like most people i drive around for work and nothing i hate more then some clown thinking they will pull out in front of me an do 60 in an 80 zone

ffs people if you pull out in front of a car already doing 80 try speed up faster.

GRRR DARWIN DRIVERS ARE RETARDS

Quote:
GRRR DARWIN DRIVERS ARE RETARDS

Actually, on that note, I've noticed that most of these people holding me up are from Queensland, and one from WA. There's a few Darwin people here and there, but mostly Queenslanders.

Try living in Victoria...where all the drivers are Victorians >.>

Nah, QLD drivers are the worst, trust me I live here. I haven't driven in many other places, just Syd, Canberra and other random places around NSW and QLD drivers are by far the worst I've found imo.

I agree... I used to think Victorian drivers were bad, but that's a misconception, that the NSW and QLD people have been spreading I believe. ^_^

Hey, i happen to drive in QLD now! :P

Actually in some respects qld'ers are awful, for starters they have zero concept of 'merging'

But speedwise things are usually ok, unless there is simply too much traffic on the road, in which case it just takes ages to get anywhere.

I still laugh at myself when i get back to Darwin cause i drive around thinking, WOW, there's soo few cars!

Ever use the freeway that goes south from the city pheonix? Used to be called SE freeway but I think it might be just part of the M1 now.. It's freakin terrible. You get tailgated for going the speed limit.

i use that road every day mate, i live northside, but work the south, so im up and down that freeway pretty often.

Yeah, I'm northside too but my gf lives in Sunnybank so I'm back and forth on it pretty often. I hate it, so many retards on it. And most of the retards are in 4wds or commodores/falcons. F*cking bogans.

Freeway was great today. I was flying past everyone and thought "Shit, I must be speeding by a tad" looked at my speedo - just under 100. As I came up to the overhead thing on the bridge that tells you the speed I see the 15 cars in front flash up and then mine - speed reading went like this:

70
75
72
77
82
73
97<--Me

It's a goddamn 4 lane freeway, GTFO if you're all going to drive that slow side by side o_0

Ppl taking those fixed speed cameras on the melb freeways a little too seriously huh?

Seems that way :-/

Quote from Wrathlon:
Try living in Victoria...where all the drivers are Victorians >.>

true.

Quote from uber tard:
Nah, QLD drivers are the worst, trust me I live here. I haven't driven in many other places, just Syd, Canberra and other random places around NSW and QLD drivers are by far the worst I've found imo.

false.

they stopped putting them on the side of the road in darwin funny when you get them to 120 in 60 zone :D

I really wanna drive in Melbourne, hook turns look fun ^^

Hook turns are the most stupid, pointless and gayest driving manouvre ever invented...so crap, so wierd. What can I say about them, doing them just feels wrong, I feel like if a cop saw me do it I'd lose my licence for stupidity...they are so dumb.

Personally I think they're quite good, just bad when someone screws up.

It's better than having a tram dinging itself to hell behind you.

I've heard about Hook-Turns. While they make sense, they are also extremely silly. Its a driving Paradox.

Hawkeye, I think Peak-hour traffic is determined when theres more than three cars on the road at any one time. Im speaking about ALL the roads and ALL the cars in b/hill :P

I used to hate them, but after having lived in Melbourne for 3 months, and getting used to them, they make so much sense. You don't have one lane completely blocked by people turning right - although it still doesn't change my view on Victorians!!

Quote:
GRRR DARWIN DRIVERS ARE RETARDS
Quote from Korny:
they stopped putting them on the side of the road in darwin funny when you get them to 120 in 60 zone

I guess they are.

I wouldn't call that funny.