Moron Motorists #3

[jasonc]

this driver always passes close but indooroopilly police station care about booking cyclists instead of drivers. it's borderline. still deciding if i send this one in just to give them something to do

[InTheWoods]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

[jindydiver]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

Those videos on that channel make me wonder how many people driving today would actually pass a driving test if they had to take it tomorrow? The stupidity of some of their decisions show us why it is important to try and ride as defensively as possible once you get into any sort of traffic.

[bychosis]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

Those videos on that channel make me wonder how many people driving today would actually pass a driving test if they had to take it tomorrow? The stupidity of some of their decisions show us why it is important to try and ride as defensively as possible once you get into any sort of traffic.

I reckon (gut feel, no stats) at least half of all crashes are by people who aren't really competent enough to drive, as opposed to drivers who are competent but made a mistake or been distracted.

[BJL]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

Those videos on that channel make me wonder how many people driving today would actually pass a driving test if they had to take it tomorrow? The stupidity of some of their decisions show us why it is important to try and ride as defensively as possible once you get into any sort of traffic.

They would pass a because everyone behaves themselves during a driving test. The only way to truly test drivers is by secretly observing and recording them when they think no one is watching. But it's all a moot point since this country is in love with the smoke box that most people would probably continue to drive without a license anyway. Look at the pissy penalties handed out for killing cyclists? I bet if the Bourke St guy had driven his car down Beach Rd instead and killed 6 cyclists, the papers would be full of people saying cyclists don't belong on Beach Rd and what a bunch of law breaking vile pests we are. The Herald Sun (Yes, I know) is at it again today so I'm in a foul mood

[find_bruce]

Had a laugh on the way home - pulled up behind an asthmatic lpg taxi - driver of the Audi A6 with personalised plates OO500 was upset at the thought that a fat old bloke was going to slow him down, & revved his motor trying to intimidate me. The only only thing that upset him more was the realisation that he was even slower than me.

I was going to say the plate turned a 5 rissole car into a 9 rissole, but when I googled the plate it turns out it was Salim Mehajer's driver, so make that an even 10

[redsonic]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

Not to deny the driver any culpability here, but they may have thought the cyclist was going to turn right (given the cyclist was in the right turning lane), and that they (the driver) would be able to swing in behind the cyclist.
The cyclist was going straight in a turning lane, after all, and would have had to take at least some of the responsibility for the collision.

A similar situation exists if we are in the left hand road shoulder crossing a solid line to pass a left side road. Theoretically, we need to give way to traffic as we cross the solid line. Can anyone tell me if this would include a car turning right across our path into the side road? If this were legally the case, I don't think any cyclist would want to keep left.

[Ross]

^Took the drive a long time to stop (IMO) after hitting the cyclist

Most of the other crashes in that video could of been prevented by driving slower and to the conditions and taking more (any...) notice of surrounding traffic ie other vehicles stopped at a pedestrian crossing usually means there is a pedestrian crossing on it

[Ross]

ACT drivers fined more than $10 million in parking tickets last year

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... w0ma9.html

More than $10 million worth of parking fines were issued to Canberra drivers during the past year, new figures show.

The data from Access Canberra showed during the 12 months to April 2017, more than 80,000 parking tickets were issued in the top 20 suburbs for fines alone.

While the government said more than $10 million in fines were issued during the time, a spokeswoman for Access Canberra said it "does not correlate to how many fines were paid".

It was revealed in August 2016 that one-third of the $9 million of fines issued to drivers in the 2015-16 financial year were yet to be paid.

Of the 18,000 fines that weren't paid for, only 1682 of them were taken to court for appeal.

[InTheWoods]

Warning: cyclist gets hit:
https://youtu.be/xToi8YVZM8o?t=3m57s

Not to deny the driver any culpability here, but they may have thought the cyclist was going to turn right (given the cyclist was in the right turning lane), and that they (the driver) would be able to swing in behind the cyclist.
The cyclist was going straight in a turning lane, after all, and would have had to take at least some of the responsibility for the collision.

A similar situation exists if we are in the left hand road shoulder crossing a solid line to pass a left side road. Theoretically, we need to give way to traffic as we cross the solid line. Can anyone tell me if this would include a car turning right across our path into the side road? If this were legally the case, I don't think any cyclist would want to keep left.

Yes I wondered the same thing but wasn't sure in the end. It could also be that the driver didn't look in that lane and only looked in the straight through lane.

And a good question re the shoulder. I think technically speaking we need to give way to everybody when riding on the shoulder, which is why I try to avoid it in a lot of situations....

[human909]

And a good question re the shoulder. I think technically speaking we need to give way to everybody when riding on the shoulder, which is why I try to avoid it in a lot of situations....

Pretty much this. And I see cyclists doing this all the time. While shoulders aren't too common around where I live they seem to be quite common in QLD on urban roads.

You are less visible while riding on the shoulder and you are putting yourself in a situation where you need to give way to traffic in front, behind and to your sides. Not the safest scenario.

[Scott_C]

I think technically speaking we need to give way to everybody when riding on the shoulder, which is why I try to avoid it in a lot of situations....

Under the standard Australian Road Rules if you enter the road from the shoulder you need to give way to anyone already on the road but anybody leaving or entering the road (e.g. entering or leaving a driveway) from a road-related area needs to give way to you (road rules 74 & 75, implementation may vary by state).

[Ross]

Man stuck in sand after driving Maserati on to the beach

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-l ... f8075efe02

FINDING a park near the popular beaches in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs has become ridiculously hard.

But this Maserati driver came up with a highly unusual solution.

He simply drove his luxury car on to the sand at Camp Cove in Watsons Bay — and unsurprisingly, got stuck.

Unfazed, the motorist jumped out of the sports car and relaxed in the sun until police arrived to question him.

Dressed in floral boardshorts, sunglasses and a cap with a Maserati logo on it, he calmly smoked cigarettes, listened to Bob Marley on the car’s audio system and practised his golf swing.

A spokesperson for NSW Police told news.com.au: “At 10.15am today, police attended Camp Cove beach at Watsons Bay after receiving information a car had been driven on to the beach.

“Police arrived and found a 51-year-old man had driven a Maserati on to the sand.

“The car was towed from the beach and the man was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.”

[duncanm]

Dressed in floral boardshorts, sunglasses and a cap with a Maserati logo on it, he calmly smoked cigarettes, listened to Bob Marley on the car’s audio system and practised his golf swing.

I'll give him 10 points for style.

[Mulger bill]

Was that cigarettes or "cigarettes"?

[trailgumby]

"Taken to St Vincent's hospital for assessment" was how it appeared in this evening's version.

Sounds like that means for drugs or mental illness.

[Ross]

The last sentence is the best...

Total ACT mobile speed camera fines doubles between 2014-15 and 2015-16

Stephen Jeffery
May 21, 2017

Canberra's mobile speed cameras issued just over $4 million worth of fines in 2015-16, more than double what the network generated in the financial year prior.

The rise coincided with the expansion of permitted sites in which the speed cameras could operate, including crash hotspots and school zones.

The ACT government also confirmed it had not yet evaluated the effect the cameras' introduction had on the capital's crash statistics, but said a review of the program would be conducted later this year.

Justice and Road Safety Minister Shane Rattenbury provided the information in answers to questions on notice from the opposition during the inquiry into the ACT government's 2015-2016 annual and financial reports.

The answers showed the mobile safety cameras issued $4,057,035 worth of infringements in 2015-2016, compared to just $1,808,877 in the 12 months prior.

Mr Rattenbury said the rise could be attributed to "the additional operators, increased operational capacity gained from replacing ageing camera equipment, improved camera technology" as well as the increase in permitted locations.
A website feature launched in September that allowed Canberrans to nominate a new mobile speed camera location had attracted 593 entries by the end of March, the response to the questions on notice said.
Mr Rattenbury said there were no trends identified in the community submissions, but noted the need for cameras to be used in hotspot areas, places that would help police enforcement, as well as randomly selected roads to support an "anywhere, anytime" deterrent.
"The split of operations across the three deployment principles is a third each," he said.
"Generating revenue via high rates of infringements is not the basis on which the cameras are deployed."

In an earlier response to questions on notice, Attorney General Gordon Ramsay said the government had no current plans to extend the ACT's network of red light cameras.
Red light camera infringements topped $2,152,731 in 2015-16, while $2,110,267 worth of fines had been issued in the current financial year.
When counting both speeding and red light offences, the camera at the Northbourne Avenue intersection with Antill and Mouat streets generated the highest rate of penalties in 2015-16.
The camera dealt out penalties for speeding and red light offences worth a combined $1,528,024 in that financial year.
At $76,503, the take from the Hindmarsh Drive-Yamba Drive intersection was the lowest of the ACT's 13 red light cameras.

Speeding penalties in the ACT range from $257 and one demerit point to $1831 and six demerit points.
Running a red light can carry a fine of up to $419 and result in the loss of three demerit points.
ACT Policing data showed running red lights and stop signs to be the two most common offences committed at crossings in 2016.

Unpossible! It is only cyclists that go through red lights...according to motorists that have licences and drive registered vehicles

[TheWall]

Must remember to ride with my cameras when solo...I have got a bit lazy.

Had one of my scariest moments this morning...crossing a bridge in Twin Waters on the Sunshine Coast (the bridge has a slight curve to it) with a roundabout approaching I had fully claimed the lane as there is just no way a vehicle could safely pass...let alone a truck!

I could hear the increasing ferocity of a truck engine approaching...getting faster despite the road layout and the approaching single lane roundabout. It is obvious at this point that this "driver" is not taking no for an answer and the truck had a full head of steam. What could I do? Do I hold position, could I make the roundabout ahead of the truck or did I need to bail? But I was on a bridge...not much safety to be found. I felt very small and very alone. I spot the small run off area available as the bridge railing ends...I am travelling pretty quickly...can I pull the bike up in that space and not have the truck hit me? The truck high beams were on in the dawn light. Things felt pretty grim...or is the roundabout (still 50m away) still a better bet? How do you judge it?

I chose the bail option, and although I played this one out a million times in my head today, I still think I made the right call. As the truck passed, it was just so close...and not one bit of braking until he was almost on the roundabout. It was just so unbelievably close.

I quickly real regathered my thoughts and resumed the ride only to find the truck stopped about 1klm further down the road...the driver waiting for me to arrive. Picture the typical highly obese banjo playing truckie and you have him pegged. He teed off on me claiming that he did what he did because I was 'speeding' (yet he overtook me???) and some of the usual anti cycling stuff. I thought he would get physical but a little old lady buying milk from the local store told him to "Calm down love, you are going to have a heart attack" (lol!). He showed no fear when I attempted the "my bike has a camera" bluff and did not flinch when I said I was going to report him. He just did not care. He then claimed to have had 'issues' with me previously...did he have intent???

I will never ride solo without my cameras again...

QPS report made (amazingly my 1st for the year). Awaiting response.

895VZD: White heavy machinery transporter with a low flat bed fixed to cabin. The words "BLACK HAMMER" printed on his bonnet protector.

[biker jk]

^^
The "professional" truck driver probably is a member of that cyclist hating Facebook group. Perhaps a report to the media if the police do nothing (although no camera footage is a bummer)? I don't let the bogans know I have a camera as it makes no difference to their behaviour. Perhaps learn self-defense in case the bogans get violent outside their vehicle.

[trailgumby]

^^
The "professional" truck driver probably is a member of that cyclist hating Facebook group. Perhaps a report to the media if the police do nothing (although no camera footage is a bummer)? I don't let the bogans know I have a camera as it makes no difference to their behaviour. Perhaps learn self-defense in case the bogans get violent outside their vehicle.

I run cameras whenever I'm on my roadie.

After a recent road rage incident where the driver is likely to go to jail for driving straight at me from a standing start and carrying me on the bonnet for 40m at high acceleration, I am heading in the self-defense direction. Would have stopped the incident before it unfolded to that point.

The incident started after I tooted him on the horn (was in my car) to move up when the traffic in front of him moved off, followed by him deliberately sideswiping me after I changed lanes. Fortunately all caught on CCTV by the business in front of which it occurred. I will be investing in a dashcam.

[Patt0]

Heart starter

[jindydiver]

that appears to be as much the infrastructure as anything else. Seems they have just made the lanes thinner to fit in the bike lane

[redsonic]

It has been my experience that drivers don't consider the 1m rule applicable if you are in a bike lane. Somehow, that line of paint is supposed to magically protect you
Some of the bike lanes near me are a very narrow afterthought, especially with drainage grills dotted every 50m or so.
Fortunately, the State Government listened and it is now legal to ride in the "car" lane, even if a bicycle lane is present. Not sure that I would have been game to do that in the OP's situation, though!

[silentC]

It has been my experience that drivers don't consider the 1m rule applicable if you are in a bike lane. Somehow, that line of paint is supposed to magically protect you

Highway shoulders too. We were riding on the shoulder yesterday in an 80 zone and a log truck passed us, he was no more than a couple of feet off one of the guy's right handle bar. I heard him coming, so I was over as far as I could get, but the shoulder there is less than a metre wide.

[Ross]

http://amp.smh.com.au/victoria/more-tha ... w8t3g.html

110,000 Victorian motorists fined for mobile phone use in 3 years