why have there been so many accidents this year

[Litespeed]

I won't really comment in aircraft bar lack of current proficiency, lack of caution and failure to keep well ahead of the aircraft.

 

I agree to many overconfidence issues are probably the root cause.

 

As far as motorbikes are concerned, the old rider jumping on a modern high powered bike with zero recent experience is a recipe for disaster. Far more traffic and far more capable cars means the performance gap of bikes to cars has narrowed greatly.

No longer can a quick takeoff blast everyone at the lights and provide a safety gap. Even massive utes can give older supercar performance, it is a real issue. That safety margin disappears very quickly today, massively fast and heavy vehicles are common and often driven by drivers that don't look and don't care.

 

A lot of crashes on country roads are riders wiped out as a big ute takes up more than its lane in corners or alternatively too much speed then incorrect line through the corner by the biker.

 

Just like flying, riding has very low margins of error, but it has no ongoing training requirements. Courses need to be provided to update skills for the modern world and it's far faster machines. 

 

The attitude and aptitude of returning riders also tends to be a killer issue, they aren't the young athletes they think they are. 

 

Just like pilots, riders are either old or bold, sadly the newly cashed up oldies are old and bold, that can kill really fast. I have met lots of returned riders who think it's just like their carefree youth, their days are numbered.

 

I have ridden for the last 38 years but rarely since COVID and am very aware of my current limitations. 

 

I have noticed the polarisation of society over COVID had lead to some who don't care for rules or being responsible for their actions or effects on others. Lockdowns have made some very rebellious against authority and social responsibility.

.Maybe this attitude has crept into riding and flying.

[Bruce Tuncks]

2 things...  firstly , is an old life worth less than a young one? I reckon it sure is worth less, but since we have the same old brain, we don't think this. ( I always thought that active 70 y/olds should get jobs as hit-men, on account of how they can't be punished so much. Alas, I changed my mind when I got to be 70...

Secondly, if there have been a lot of people on a ute without seatbelts, and they all died on a rollover, in my experience they are ( were)  aborigines. I bet this statistic is not published though, who wants to be called a racist?

[onetrack]

Bruce, I don't know that Indigenes make up a disproportionate number of deaths where lack of seatbelts is involved - in my experience they tend to drive slower and more cautiously than a lot of white people. But because they always cram their vehicles full (and overfull), they tend to have a higher number of people injured in crashes. 

An attitude of pure carelessness and a lack of adherence to rigidity in procedures is simply the reason behind the majority of crashes. You only have to see the number of vehicle drivers who fail to adhere to the procedure of indicating before changing lanes or turning, to understand that they it has never been hammered into them, that using indicators when changing lanes and turning, is not an optional behaviour, it is a mandatory procedure that needs to be carried out automatically, as soon as a lane change or turn decision is made.

[skippydiesel]

On 30/10/2023 at 5:22 PM, BrendAn said:

i read something a while back about men over 50  taking up motorcycling after 20 or 30 years without a bike being at high risk of accidents . maybe they should make a refresher course compulsory at some stage. i have had my bike license for over 30 years and hardly ever ridden one in my life.

I cant understand how, on the one hand its considered appropriate for pilots to be subject to a BFR,  while car/motorcycle riders can hold & use a license  (irrespective of currency or review) for most of their adult life .

 

I whole heartedly support the BFR requirement and every time I drive, wish for a similar regime to be imposed on my fellows. 

 

Our slack state Gov.s might even view such periodic driver testing as a revenue raising opportunity (they clearly have no interest in practical driver skill improvement /accident reduction)

[KRviator]

On 30/10/2023 at 4:30 PM, bushcaddy105 said:

Not just aviation. South Australia's road deaths so far this year are way above 2022 numbers, particularly motor cyclists. Significantly, the majority of country road deaths are of country drivers.

Be careful with ascribing "Country roads" to "Country districts".

I dare say it's the same in SA and Mexico, but in NSW, a "Country Road" is 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 in NSW outside the LGA's of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Wollongong and Shellharbour, and those in metropolitan Sydney. F3 at Gosford? Yep, a "Country Road". M1 at Raymond Terrace? Still a "Country Road". New England Highway at Thornton? You guessed it - a "Country Road" as well. It ain't always what a reasonable person would consider "country"...

[spacesailor]

How come a ( my ) ' road ' which  is a ' dead-end ' , can be a ' road'? .

spacesailor

[facthunter]

Please explain why it can't be a road. It only has to be surveyed and designated as a road and it then is. Nev

[skippydiesel]

On 30/10/2023 at 11:54 AM, Blueadventures said:

I do full D.I. and use checklist / reminder aide memoir to assist in preventing complaincy.  

Not keen on mnemonics - May be a reflection of advancing maturity but with the exception of pre landing checks, I consult my written check list for pretty well all other situations - works for me. 

I don't skip items, in part because I put a finger/ hand on the relevant part/instrument. If interrupted I re-start at the beginning of the segment.

Edited November 1, 2023 by skippydiesel

[skippydiesel]

On 30/10/2023 at 6:16 PM, bushcaddy105 said:

Some roads were dropped from 110 to 100Kph. One local one was the Goyder highway from Crystal Brook to Gulnare. Caused a ruckus, until independent MP Geoff Brock made it an election platform to restore the status quo.

He won, and achieved his promise. Have to remember, though, SA's roads are all 100Kph UNLESS signed otherwise. The otherwise is usually only national routes.

Interesting - NSW roads are 50kph unless otherwise posted.

[onetrack]

Roads are "surveyed" and designated on maps as roads - but they're not normally proclaimed as "public roads", until they are "Gazetted" (notice published in Govt Gazettes).

 

So you can have "public roads", "private roads", and "surveyed, but ungazetted" roads. Once a road is declared a "public road" its legal standing changes enormously.

[Jabiru7252]

Folks who don't indicate when leaving a round-a-bout should have their faces set on fire, then put out with a shovel.

[turboplanner]

1 hour ago, Jabiru7252 said:

Folks who don't indicate when leaving a round-a-bout should have their faces set on fire, then put out with a shovel.

Better carry matches and a shovel then; I'd see it a couple of times a year in Melbourne.

[KRviator]

3 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

Interesting - NSW roads are 50kph unless otherwise posted.

Only in a "Built up area"  though- and that is defined as "where there are streetlights or buildings spaced closer than 100m for at least 500m". IF there's no streetlights / buildings and no lower speedboard then the generic limit of 100kph applies.

[red750]

What annoys me is roundabouts with chicane entries which cancel your turn indicators. I use the below roundabout at least twice daily, travelling up Karwitha St and turning right to exit via Nurlendi St to the north. I indicate approaching the roundabout, but the chicane cancels it before I enter the roundabout. I put the right indicator on again till I pass the western exit then put on the left indicator to exit to the nortth. On the way home, it is the opposite, left, left again. The buildings above the roundabout are primary school classrooms.

 

[skippydiesel]

48 minutes ago, KRviator said:

Only in a "Built up area"  though- and that is defined as "where there are streetlights or buildings spaced closer than 100m for at least 500m". IF there's no streetlights / buildings and no lower speedboard then the generic limit of 100kph applies.

My understand is that 50kph is the default  eg my road - no street lamps, houses on large acreages (far apart) - latest model cars speed warnings agree with me.

[KRviator]

25 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

My understand is that 50kph is the default  eg my road - no street lamps, houses on large acreages (far apart) - latest model cars speed warnings agree with me.

Is the speed warning in the car based on a database, or the last-passed sign? Either way, the car's wrong. There's two 'standard' limits, one being 50k's in a built up area, the other, 100k's for outside a builtup area. NSW Road Rule 25 is the reference. You can go faster now! 😉
 

Quote

25   Speed limit elsewhere
(1)  If a speed limit sign does not apply to a length of road and the length of road is not in a speed limited area, school zone or shared zone, the speed limit applying to a driver for the length of road is the default speed limit.
Note— Length of road is defined in the Dictionary, school zone is defined in rule 23, shared zone is defined in rule 24, and speed limited area is defined in rule 22.
(2)  The default speed limit applying to a driver for a length of road in a built-up area is 50 kilometres per hour.
Note— Built-up area is defined in the Dictionary.
(3)  The default speed limit applying to a driver for any other length of road is—
(a)  for a driver driving a vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes or a vehicle and trailer combination with a GCM over 4.5 tonnes—100 kilometres per hour, or
(b)  for any other driver—100 kilometres per hour or as otherwise provided under another law of this jurisdiction.

 

[Thruster88]

47 minutes ago, red750 said:

What annoys me is roundabouts with chicane entries which cancel your turn indicators. I use the below roundabout at least twice daily, travelling up Karwitha St and turning right to exit via Nurlendi St to the north. I indicate approaching the roundabout, but the chicane cancels it before I enter the roundabout. I put the right indicator on again till I pass the western exit then put on the left indicator to exit to the nortth. On the way home, it is the opposite, left, left again. The buildings above the roundabout are primary school classrooms.

 

If you took  the racing  line into the round a bout your indicator  would  not cancel.  

[red750]

I try when possible, but they still do. And, you have to watch out for the huge American 4x4 tradie trucks coming the opposite way and using more than their share of the road. 

[Thruster88]

On 30/10/2023 at 5:22 PM, BrendAn said:

i read something a while back about men over 50  taking up motorcycling after 20 or 30 years without a bike being at high risk of accidents . maybe they should make a refresher course compulsory at some stage. i have had my bike license for over 30 years and hardly ever ridden one in my life.

One thing I have noticed while watching YouTube motorcycle "accidents" is many riders forget how the steering works when faced with a stressful situation. To rapidly or even normally turn left the handle bars must be turned right initially to get the bike leaned over. We do this subconsciously I think. This revelation came to me as at a young age when we bought a honda ATC200 trike. Our neighbor came over for a ride on this new fangled machine and it was quite hilarious watching his initial steering inputs, bike steering don't work with a trike, they steer like a car. To go left steer left.

 

So our new to bikes rider gets out of his modern car with superb steering. All to often we see riders go off on the outside of corners with almost upright position. In aviation terms did they pull back on the stick when they should have pushed forward to un stall the wing with the ground rushing up.

 

Knowledge, understanding and discipline may keep us safe.

 

 

 

[skippydiesel]

2 hours ago, KRviator said:

Is the speed warning in the car based on a database, or the last-passed sign? Either way, the car's wrong. There's two 'standard' limits, one being 50k's in a built up area, the other, 100k's for outside a builtup area. NSW Road Rule 25 is the reference. You can go faster now! 😉
 

 

I live therefore I learn - thanks.

 

As for the car (not mine) got no idea where it gets its (50kph) info from however there is no speed sign on our road,  a dead end, off an 80kph main drag.

Edited November 1, 2023 by skippydiesel

[Jabiru7252]

14 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

I live therefore I learn - thanks.

 

As for the car (not mine) got no idea where it gets its (50kph) info from however there is no speed sign on our road,  a dead end, off an 80kph main drag.

Maybe AI? One of the most over-rated, misunderstood and dangerous technologies emerging today. Like the robo-debt disaster, many people will be 'guilty' of speeding, using phones while driving, not wearing seat belts because some AI software says so. I spent 20 years writing software for Defence and have seen some pretty amazing stuff, but I reckon it's still years before we can truly trust AI. Hands up those who would fly in a pilotless plane today....

Edited November 2, 2023 by Jabiru7252

[RossK]

17 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

If you took  the racing  line into the round a bout your indicator  would  not cancel.  

 

17 hours ago, red750 said:

I try when possible, but they still do. And, you have to watch out for the huge American 4x4 tradie trucks coming the opposite way and using more than their share of the road. 

Much easier to not use the indicators and just drive "free form" 🤪 😈

Edited November 2, 2023 by RossK

[facthunter]

IF you can manage good indication, it helps.  Nev

[BrendAn]

2 more accidents and another 5 people killed this weekend. It's definitely not my imagination.

[skippydiesel]

On 02/11/2023 at 12:51 PM, RossK said:

 

Much easier to not use the indicators and just drive "free form" 🤪 😈

Soooo Australian - must have something to do with being part of Asia