How's your driving skills?

[Waldo]

G'day,

I'll confidently say no. 4:

I can drive dirt roads as well as I can normal roads. Weather doesn't worry me, it's just the other idiots you have to watch out for. A few years spent racing karts taught me a lot, but that doesn't mean I drive like I raced karts.

Sure I was an idiot, but those days are long gone, now I'm just an idiot in the shed.

[MajorPanic]

Being a License Testing Officer for AP I reckon 90% of people would rate 3 or lower.
I'm a BIG advocate for yearly medical & driving tests!!

All car drivers should be forced to ride a motorbike in peak-hour traffic at least 6 times.

All car drivers should be forced to drive a heavy vehicle in peak-hour traffic at least 6 times.

All drivers need to be tested on open road/freeway conditions. Testing on back street conditions which is usually the norm, is ridiculous!

As JM said advanced driving should be part of getting a license.

Then again I've seen more than most & I'm not impressed with driving skill levels in this country.

[Carry Pine]

I saw an old mate yesterday. He's 87. He can hardly walk, can't see without coca cola glasses and can't understand what all this electrical stuff is all about. He had his car licence renewed last Thursday!

That worries me.

[AlexS]

All car drivers should be forced to ride a motorbike in peak-hour traffic at least 6 times.

All car drivers should be forced to drive a heavy vehicle in peak-hour traffic at least 6 times.

All car drivers should be forced to ride a push bike in peak-hour traffic for at least six months.

[MajorPanic]

All car drivers should be forced to ride a push bike in peak-hour traffic for at least six months.

After ALL PB riders pay average rego of $550.00!!!

Don't get me started - we all pay for cycle tracks (rates ect) yet a small percentage of the population uses them.
You want to use the road - you should pay!

If you ride a bike & drive a car you should pay MORE! & follow the road rules!

[AlexS]

If you ride a bike & drive a car you should pay MORE! & follow the road rules!

No argument with riders having to follow the road rules...BUT

If you ride a bike and drive a car, you've paid full car rego, but you're causing minimal wear & tear on the roads when you're on the bike. If you're riding the bike you presumably aren't driving the car at the same time, so you should actually be paying less.

And cars should be subsidising cyclists, because of the traffic jams caused by cars, which delay bikes that would otherwise have a clear run. Have a look at all those traffic jams. Don't see too many bikes at the front of them, do you.

But my main point was that if people had to ride a push bike for six months before they could get a motor bike licence before they could get a car licence, they might learn to use their eyes and ears a bit better.

[MajorPanic]

No argument with riders having to follow the road rules...BUT

If you ride a bike and drive a car, you've paid full car rego, but you're causing minimal wear & tear on the roads when you're on the bike. If you're riding the bike you presumably aren't driving the car at the same time, so you should actually be paying less.

This argument is irrelevant. The cost is in putting in & maintaining the said road. Even motor-scooters have to pay a decent rego.
You should be paying more because every vehicle should be registered. USER PAYS

And cars should be subsidising cyclists, because of the traffic jams caused by cars, which delay bikes that would otherwise have a clear run. Have a look at all those traffic jams...........

Why?
Because the bicyclists are using roads paid for by motorists?

But my main point was that if people had to ride a push bike for six months before they could get a motor bike licence before they could get a car licence, they might learn to use their eyes and ears a bit better.

Agreeded, but would get a better appreciation from a m/cycle in my opinion.

[Cliff Rogers]

Major is on his high horse.... hang on, they don't pay rego either.

[JDarvall]

things with motors don't mix with things without motors.

I think Bikes are a pain in the ????(like everyone else) when I'm in a hurry and there's no room to overtake.....so there's this big que of cars stuck behind a bunch of blokes dressed like astronaughts......

Don't mind it so much when there good looking ladies in them costumes...(but boy, only if there good looking).

But, the truth is eh......there probably doing the RIGHT thing.....not filling the air with polutents AND getting fit at the same time. Save going to Gyms....(and gyms....what a joke....don't get me started...oh, I've already started)

[Clinton1]

I said that I'm highly skilled.
I say that hoping that I'll try to maintain the rep, and never get into or cause an accident. Just talking big, in the hope it keeps me alert and switched on.

I have done a 21 day driving course, covering advanced, defensive and advanced off-road driving..... all the good intent and training doesn't help when your mind wanders a little bit, and I reckon we all do that.

[Bluegum]

I reckon that i rate about a 4. been driving for 18 years and am now driving trucks at the HR level. Prior to gaing my MR licence admit that I wasn't the safest driver around. I soon learned just how much room a truck needs to operate safely. I didn't realise just how many road users were almost bordering on the dangerous side of things. I spent a little while driving trucks in Sydney and counrty NSW and soon learned that truckies were not always at fault. I have since stepped up to HR and I have gained a healthier respect for our roads. I agree there are black spots in many places but its the attitude of the person behind the wheel that plays the major factor in road safety. Time and time again the Ipswich motorway is on the news with another accident blocking traffic. if people would only slow down and give other drivers some space and time then perhaps things such as the road tole may come down.

[silentC]

Jaysus, don't get me started on truck drivers!!

I reckon I've had more near-death experiences with 'professional' drivers than anyone else.

Just the other day, I had a bloke come out in front of me from a T intersection, I was going straight ahead. He saw me, knew where I was going, even laughed at me, but didn't give a ?????. I had to hit the anchors in the middle of the intersection and his rear wheels (B Double) came within a half a metre of my bonnet. He thought it was hilarious. Had the same thing happen several times. It's where the Princes Highway does a dog leg at the south end of Pambula.

And as for the Hume Hwy...

[Stringy]

Ride a motorcycle most of the time and am still alive, so not doing too bad considering daily evasive action taken to avoid being run over.

last week;

Wednesday - old codgers changed lane from right lane to left, I am in left lane level with their front wheel looking at them from about a foot away, had no room to go forward due to 4x4 stopping to park, made a quick parking maneuver into a driveway.

Friday - P plater pulled out from parking, braked hard stopped as it drove off.

Today - XR6 going too quick into intersection, saw me & pulled up across the road.

Stuff I only travel 5k to work!

[paul collins]

being a bus driver in brisbane for the last 27 years i have seen it all.impatience is the cause of most accidents.hey every one (almost thinks that they are the best driver on the road) i have had cars jamed under my bus(driver on mobile), i had a lady this week just oblivously drove out from a side road, t,boned her she was most indignent,am i blind!!!! she actually thought that if she pulled out i had to stop ,incredible,had 5 passengers in hospital.anyone can be a good safe driver,remember highway code,drive suitable for conditions.i need to find an avatar of me shouting at stupid selfish drivers.

[Bluegum]

After coming back from a job at tarampa way a couple of weeks ago, we were on the Warrego coming back towards Ipswich. I wasn't driving at the time but we had a car in front of us continously slowing down to 80 and then pulling away and slowing down again. My offsider attempted to overtake the car and put a bit of distance between us and him. This wasn't to be as the car driver would accelerate and not allow us to pass him. So it begins all over again with him playing his stupid and dangerous game. We were loaded up with a trailer, bobcat in the back of the tipper and 13 tonne excavator on the trailer. I don't think he had any idea that if something had gone wrong then we just could have gone over the top of him before we could have pulled up.