Do you flash your lights?

[AliBaby]

Dianne I would be able to stop in time because I am looking at the cars 3 ahead and seeing what they are doing, looking for brake lights there and what is going on up ahead and change my driving speed to suit. I am not sayng speed all the time and go crazy. A few kms over or under what ever suits the conditions. Gettng pulled over and a ticket for drivers doing a few over is crazy when it is the hoons that need to be the ones getting fined.

[diannescruffy]

Yeah but 10km's over is more than a few k's.

Regards,
Dianne

[Bern]

if an oncoming car looks like its speeding then yes i flash them even if there is no radar

[AliBaby]

I will change my orginal post if the 10km statement bothers you. I was referring to on highways not your suburban streets. I would never drive 10km over the limit on a suburban street or around high traffic build up. Actually most of the time in Sydney the traffic is that bad that it is impossible to even drive AT the speed limit!
But 10km on a highway is nothing so as I have said earlier, if driving a few or 10km above or under the speed limit is what is comfortable for you and the conditions on the road, then i dont see what is wrong. The flow of traffic is important though.

I can guarentee that there are numerous roadways where 100% of drivers are traveling above the speed limit. Everyone has driven on a road like this. Does this mean that everyone driving on this road is some kind of a thrill-seeking speed demon? No it just means that the speed limit hasn't been set incorrectly. On a road with a correctly set speed limit, these same drivers would be traveling at or even slightly under the posted limit.

Having radar traps on roads like this also does nothing to improve driver safetyand is more likely to cause accidents due to traffic disruption, uneven traffic flow, and distraction.

This is a good read taken from the National Motorist Association explaining what I mean. Do Speed Limits Matter?

[Phteven]

Interesting article.
I love the autobahns and love seeing performance cars actually being able to perform on the road. I also love the way that everyone actually sticks to the rules.

Despite the cultural and language differences, there is a common understanding of a few basic rules: pass on the left, yield the left lane to faster traffic, and pay attention to your driving. It really works well.

The problem is that too many Australian drivers have a hard time with them. There seem to be a lot of drivers in Australia who think that it's ok to stay in the right lane if you are doing the speed limit. If they can follow the speed limit so rigidly why is it so hard to follow the keep left unless overtaking rule just as rigidly? And if you need to exit to the right that's doesn't mean it's ok to drive in the right lane for miles before your exit. If simple lane changes confound you then maybe you need to consider avoiding highway driving.

I think the road safety campaigns' focus on speeds is actually kind of misleading in that so many people think about speed when they drive instead of driving to the conditions. I suspect that it's the same people who drive in the right lane bang on the speed limit that also drive bang on the speed limit in driving rain with limited visibility when they really should be slowing down a little.

[AliBaby]

Interesting article.
I love the autobahns and love seeing performance cars actually being able to perform on the road. I also love the way that everyone actually sticks to the rules.


The problem is that too many Australian drivers have a hard time with them. There seem to be a lot of drivers in Australia who think that it's ok to stay in the right lane if you are doing the speed limit. If they can follow the speed limit so rigidly why is it so hard to follow the keep left unless overtaking rule just as rigidly? And if you need to exit to the right that's doesn't mean it's ok to drive in the right lane for miles before your exit. If simple lane changes confound you then maybe you need to consider avoiding highway driving.

I think the road safety campaigns' focus on speeds is actually kind of misleading in that so many people think about speed when they drive instead of driving to the conditions. I suspect that it's the same people who drive in the right lane bang on the speed limit that also drive bang on the speed limit in driving rain with limited visibility when they really should be slowing down a little.

Completely agree. It is all about keeping the traffic flowing steadily and driving to the conditions around you. So many people driving on Australian roads dont get that.

[Floweryfields]

Dianne I would be able to stop in time because I am looking at the cars 3 ahead and seeing what they are doing, looking for brake lights there and what is going on up ahead and change my driving speed to suit. I am not sayng speed all the time and go crazy. A few kms over or under what ever suits the conditions. Gettng pulled over and a ticket for drivers doing a few over is crazy when it is the hoons that need to be the ones getting fined.

I'd go so far as to say if there is that much traffic, even on the open highway, a few kms over the speed limit can be pretty dangerous.

[Kazzo]

I agree too. I also see a problem with L platers and them having to do 80kms an hour. When I was learning to drive I remember my instructor telling me how dangerous he thought it was. I don't know what the answer is to help this, everyone needs to learn sometime, I know my first time I was a bit on edge but I also did not attempt it till I was a lot more confident. I have seen so many near accidents because of people changing lanes, getting up the arse of a L plater and then trying to squeeze into gaps that they can't really fit into. Sorry a bit off topic.

Sorry, this is refering to freeways

[Phteven]

I'd go so far as to say if there is that much traffic, even on the open highway, a few kms over the speed limit can be pretty dangerous.

Yet countries with much higher speed limits and greater population density than ours have lower fatality rates.

And yes, the 80km thing is crazy. Not just on freeways (because at least with 3 lanes they have the option of the far left which is where people who drive under the limit slow should be) but on country highways too. One L plater or P plater can cause a back-up of traffic for miles which in turn makes people attempt stupid overtaking maneuvers.

[Floweryfields]

Yet countries with much higher speed limits and greater population density than ours have lower fatality rates.

And yes, the 80km thing is crazy. Not just on freeways (because at least with 3 lanes they have the option of the far left which is where people who drive under the limit slow should be) but on country highways too. One L plater or P plater can cause a back-up of traffic for miles which in turn makes people attempt stupid overtaking maneuvers.

Perhaps other countries have better driving education?

[Phteven]

They do. Obviously it would be a better use of resources to spend our money on driver training not anti-speed campaigns that exist to justify revenue raising via speed cameras.

[Kazzo]

And yes, the 80km thing is crazy. Not just on freeways (because at least with 3 lanes they have the option of the far left which is where people who drive under the limit slow should be) but on country highways too. One L plater or P plater can cause a back-up of traffic for miles which in turn makes people attempt stupid overtaking maneuvers.

Yeah, I agree there too, I actually live in an area that to get out of you either go the freeway, a windy road, or a long road that always has huge accidents, normally involving trucks. All of these roads are 90-110km roads and yep people do get really frustrated by L platers.

[Floweryfields]

Yeah, I agree there too, I actually live in an area that to get out of you either go the freeway, a windy road, or a long road that always has huge accidents, normally involving trucks. All of these roads are 90-110km roads and yep people do get really frustrated by L platers.

And caravans.

[sepata]

I don't flash, but for a different reason. My BIL pointed out recently that you don't know who you're flashing, and could be helping someone who's wanted by police, or who's high or drunk get away. Based on that theory I never flash.

[Cranky Kitten]

I don't personally, unless it's for a hazard on a country road. Generally I figure if you're silly enough to speed, you deserve to cop the fine - even if it is only 5-10km over.

[beansbeans!]

You know what bugs me the most about l-platers, p-platers, caravans and trucks? Its the other people reactions to them. It scares me when someone drives at or above the speed limit and overtakes at last minute. But also when they overtake just because they see one of these on the road.

I recently swapped my big car (commodore) for a littler car (corolla). I swapped DH because he only drivs to work, whereas Im out an about. The small car is better on fuel, which saves us money, and whilst the big car is only taking dh to work, its also getting some work done on it before sprouts arrival.
Anyhow, I cannot believe the difference in treatment I get on the road. I have noticed that more and more people overtake me, ragardless of my speed (and yup I've experimented with it this) just because I am a small car. Actually my whole driving experience has cahnged since changing cars.
And I have to say it was the same when I was on my green P plates. Quite often I would be overtaken by cars because of my plates, not because of the speed I was doing. (Take plates off and rive the same way, and drivers treat you differently)

[Cranky Kitten]

Mmm, I have seen some absolutely ludicrous behaviour while escort driving heavy machinery on country roads - ok, we know we're slow. We've generally got 3 or even 4 tractors towing farming equipment in a convoy with an escort as we move from one section of the farm to another. It's a given when you drive through farming areas that you will come across these.

This does not mean that when the escort blocks you from overtaking on the outside because the entire convoy is about to turn off to the left (large pieces of machinery being towed need space to turn) that it's a good idea to go screaming up the inside on the gravel strip! A few minutes patience and we'd be out of your way entirely anyway...

[MummaBee]

Yes, i do and always have. I am thankful when people do it to me not because im a speed happy lunatic driver but because im not perfict all the time, also have gone to court for flashing and got away with it because it says in the L driver manual, if there is a hazard or someone is driving in an irratic fashion that you should flash your lights and pull over to the right to get out of the way However i understand some peoples reasoning for not doing it, i enjoy it and will do it forever!