I have driven in every capital city in Australia - with the exception of Darwin, and in my opinion, South Australia, and it's capital, Adelaide, have the worst and most irresponsible drivers in Australia.
In addition to this, South Australians have the dubious honour of having the oldest and run down fleet of cars in Australia.
As most drivers, I pretty much follow the same major route to and from work every day. And the idiots I see are just incomprehensible. I can't see how these fools get their licenses in the first place. Maybe driving instructors are just plain slack as well .. who knows.
Some things make me laugh initially, but when that car suddenly pulls behind me, I get uncomfortable knowing there is an idiot behind the wheel. Take the following examples of stupid and irresponsible driving I've seen simply driving to and from work:
- A driver eating a crumpet, WITH an open coffee cup on the dash.
- The classic running late for work and drivers weaving in and out recklessly through traffic.
- Men shaving with cordless shavers.
- Women applying makeup whilst stopped at lights, AND whilst driving.
- And - what is fast becoming a classic - looking down into your lap whilst at stop lights. Also known as, sending or receiving text messages.
- Drivers reading magazines (or the paper) whilst at lights and whilst driving.
- Drivers in peak hour traffic totally unaware of their surroundings and just pulling into different lanes without using indicators. These sort are downright dangerous. Well, lets face it, they all are.
And, there is absolutely no common trait of an idiot driver. They can be young, old, male, female, Asian, African, Aussie. There is no one trait. You'd think older drivers - having more experience - would be more aware of road rules, and would be more 'old school', but no, they are just as bad as the young.
Since it's winter now and usually coming into dusk when I leave work, I get to my car, start it, and the first thing I do is put on seat belt then headlights. But there seems to be this whole other range of people that get to there cars, start engine and just drive off with absolutely no thought to the fact that it's starting to get dark and probably by the time they get home, it'll be pitch black. Then there's those drivers who think "Oh, it's just starting to come into dusk, I'll just put my parking lights on only - not my headlights - just parkers, and then when it gets darker, I'll go onto full headlights". Of course, we know what happens then, they forget they only have parkers on because the dash lights are on, and they end up driving in the dark with only parkers. These people are dickheads and as thick as bricks. Why would you get into your car and make a conscious decision to only put on your parkers when you know (or should know) that you'll probably need full headlights within 10 minutes or so anyway? Why not switch on your full headlights right from the start? Duh!
At the end of the day, we have to face the fact that we have a lot of stupid people on our roads that plainly shouldn't be driving. It's like they get into their cars and they put a set of blinkers on - you know, the ones they put on horses to stop them seeing what's happening around them. To make them look straight ahead and not side to side. Well, we have a heap of humans that do exactly the same every time they get into a car. It's like they suddenly lose all ability to think rationally.
Every time I hop into my car and set off, I see examples of bad driving. A prime example of people not being aware of their surroundings is when they turn from a 60kmh main road into a smaller 60kmh road, but because they are not looking AROUND them, they fail to see the 60kmh sign and they automatically slow to 50kmh. OK, if you're on the road by yourself at midnight, this is no big deal - it shows you're an idiot - but it's no big deal. But if it's peak hour traffic and drivers are tired and grumpy from work, the last thing they want to put up with is dickheads doing the wrong thing. OK, I hear you say, the speed limits are maximum limits, not minimum limits, so if people want to drive at 50kmh on a 60kmh road, let them. Well, that's fine if it's midnight because you're not affecting other drivers, but in peak hour traffic, in my opinion, you have a responsibility to do the right thing by those around you.
Then there are those drivers who when they pull up at a set of traffic lights, think it's time to fiddle around in the glove compartment, or the back seat, or looking for something in a wallet or purse, send text messages blah blah. NO IT'S NOT TIME FOR THAT - JUST DRIVE. When the lights go green, you'll be ready to take off efficiently and quickly so you don't hold up traffic behind you.
THINK when you get into your car!! "Do I need something from my back seat"? "Do I need something from my purse or wallet"? Get everything ready, then drive off. It takes no time at all, and saves you giving the shits to other drivers. Get up 10 minutes earlier so you don't have to put your make-up on in the car! Get up 10 minutes earlier so you don't have to eat toast and have open cups of coffee in your car. Ditto with shaving.
Just imagine if you will, how much easier traffic would flow if everyone did the right thing. We all know those traffic lights that have a big line-up, go green for 7 seconds, then amber, red again and it takes you 5 or more repetitions of the lights to get through. Then you get those dickheads that are mucking around in their cars, looking all airy fairy into mirrors and stuff, then realise the lights have gone green and the car in front of them is now 50 metres away, they start to drive forward, and usually just make it over before the lights change back to red again, leaving the people behind them so pissed off because if that driver had been paying attention and driving responsibly, another 3 or 4 cars may have made it across the intersection. This pisses me off so much because of another persons inattention, myself and other drivers have to suffer. If drivers paid proper attention and did their bit, the drive to and from work could be a lot more pleasant.
I really can see how some people become so frustrated at dealing with dickhead drivers, they blow their stack and vent it in road rage. It doesn't give it validity, but I can see why it happens. Add to that, badly designed roads still planned as if we are still in the 60's, and badly programmed traffic lights, peak hour driving is still a real hassle.
I think it must be the attitude festering in Adelaide that road planners just don't seem to be able to plan for the future. They (finally) modify a road, that should have been done 15 years ago, and now traffic can flow a little easier, but they don't seem to look at what it will be in the next 20 or so years. It fixes a problem for now, but will only re-occur again in 15 years. Just do it properly in the first place. Prime example: Southern Expressway.
If you're a driver and reading this. Start thinking how you can be more responsible on the road. Are you one of these people who is forever running late for work - usually because you spend to much time pressing the snooze button - then start acting responsibly. If we can get as many people as possible doing the right thing and driving efficiently and confidently, getting around in peak hour traffic may become a breeze - not to mention it'll probably affect the accident rate, in a good way.
And finally, to all those that think I spend too much time looking at what others do on the roads. well, you're right in a way, but all of the things I see can (possibly) affect me in some way or another. I don't want some dickhead driving behind me who's sending text messages or fossicking in their glove compartment. They might run into me. And yes, I want drivers to be more responsible and think of others on the road because that'll make my trip - and your trip - home, faster and a lot more comfortable. They trouble is too many people are stuck in their own little blinkered worlds, and have no idea what's going on around them as soon as they sit behind a wheel.
Get Real
ps: Don't even get me started on the wrecks of vehicles driving on our roads. People seem to have no idea that they have a blown headlight, blown parkers, no brake lights. To make a point, this very night (Thursday 6/6/2013), I visited a mate after work. On the 20 minute drive home in the dark, I saw 3 cars with only one headlight, one four wheel drive who thought it'd be fun to drive with full high beam on AND with Xenon headlights (AND behind me). And a speeding P plater doing about 75 in a 60kmh zone. And that's in a space of 20 minutes. What are our police doing? Why aren't they out at night catching these dills and warning them to get headlights fixed etc?
