Driving the speed limit and tailgating

[etch123]

Hi guys,

 

We have been in adelaide a couple of days now and have been out and about, this morning we decided to drive down to Aldinga beach and drive on the beach. I've been careful to drive the speed limit, however I noticed today that I was being consistently tail gated! Is it ok to drive 5km-10km over the speed limit? Really frustrating, in the way back a lady was so close to me that I over shot a red light by a few feet as I thought she'd rear end me!

 

Am am I not driving fast enough?

[Blossom]

No matter how fast you go people will tail gate. It's crazy. Even worse, the over taking lane will be totally clear and they STILL tail gate. It's just the way they drive. And no, you will get a ticket if you go over, no matter who is where.

I had a woman so close on a 90kmph road, with me doing the speed limit that I could see her in my tow bar mirror!

 

The other thing is they will cut in front of you when changing lanes leaving inches between you. This is one of the reasons they have to keep dropping the speed limits, as the driving is so bad they know there will be accidents for sure, it's just making them less bad. Teaching people to drive properly would be better in my opinion though.

[Sue29]

Welcome to driving in Adelaide

[pegibson]

Hi guys,

 

We have been in adelaide a couple of days now and have been out and about, this morning we decided to drive down to Aldinga beach and drive on the beach. I've been careful to drive the speed limit, however I noticed today that I was being consistently tail gated! Is it ok to drive 5km-10km over the speed limit? Really frustrating, in the way back a lady was so close to me that I over shot a red light by a few feet as I thought she'd rear end me!

 

Am am I not driving fast enough?

 

You get used to it, I was the same when I came over last year, panicking every trip I made.

Now I don't let it bother me, I do keep a keen eye on the mirrors and blind spot though.

And I bought a jeep to be that little bit safer.

Don't speed though, the rozzers will come down hard on you, and they are hiding everywhere with speed camera's.

Edited April 11, 2015 by pegibson

[Diane]

If you have a passenger with you, get them to take a photo of the numberplate of the car doing it and report it to the police when you get home. Or if it's a commercial vehicle ring up the company and report them. I did this the other day when a huge truck tailgated me on the Northern Expressway at 90km/hr - so close that all I could see in my rear view mirror was his grill and I was terrified that the cars in front of me would brake and I'd end up like the meat in a sandwich. When he turned off I noted the company and memorised his numberplate then when I got to work phoned and dobbed him in to his employers. Probably won't have any effect on him but it made me feel better!!

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

This has also happened to me many times. I have a small 1000cc car and it's "normal" to have a large engine Ford or Holden trying to climb into your boot!

I took down the numberplate and reported it to the local police. It was a P plater. They were called in to the station, fined and lost their licence for 6 months. I feel nothing for the inconvenience caused. My OH was in the fire service and has attended thousands of accident...report them!

It is a strangely South Australian practice and was covered in a news item today...

 

 

Tailgaters warned to back off by police as thousands fined

 

• DAVID NANKERVIS
  
• THE ADVERTISER
  
• APRIL 11, 2015 10:12AM
  

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Figures show almost 3200 drivers were either fined $360 or cautioned for tailgating last year.

 

 

MOTORISTS are being told to back off, with police catching more than 3000 drivers tailgating last year.

And the RAA has praised police for cracking down on tailgaters, saying it represented justice for those motorists who deliberately and aggressively drive too close and put all road users safety at risk.Police said the closer a driver is to the car in front the more likely they could be involved in crash with the potential serious or fatal consequences.Officers targeted tailgating in the southern suburbs last month and latest police figures show almost 3200 drivers were either fined $360 or cautioned for tailgating last year.RAA road safety manager Charles Mountain said drivers tailgated for different reasons.

 

Truck tailgating on the Southern Expressway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Unfortunately you see people who do it deliberately — they may see a green light up ahead and want the car in front to go faster to catch the lights,’’ Mr Mountain said.“Others will think they can force someone to go faster.’’

In such circumstances Mr Mountain advises drivers “if at all possible to get out the way’’ so they don’t feel pressured by the tailgater to exceed the speed limit and “compromise their safety’’.Drivers who bunch up in congested traffic can also find themselves unintentionally tailgating but potentially involved in a pile up, especially on wet roads, Mr Mountain said.Traffic Support Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Bob Fauser warned tailgating decreases a driver’s ability “to see the road ahead and react in the event of the need to brake suddenly,’’“A driver needs to allow sufficient distance to allow for reacting to a situation and sufficient braking distance,’’ he said.Supt Fauser said drivers should use the “three-second rule’’ to measure a safe distance from the vehicle in front.“Choose a fixed point aligned with the car in front of you and ensure a 3 second gap between your vehicle and the one in front as you pass the fixed point,’’ he said.However, the decision of what is a “safe distance’’ between vehicles is up to the police officer, based on varying factors.“These include, weather conditions, general visibility, road conditions, speed and type of vehicle which all affect braking distances,’’ Supt Fauser said.“ A police officer is required to estimate from their observations whether the rear vehicle is travelling too close and if necessary justify the estimations in court.’’And Police crash data shows 31 per cent of all reported prangs causing more than $3000 damage or injury involved a read end collision.The crash data also shows:ALMOST 90 per cent of rear end crashes occurred in the metro areaTHEY are most common in peak hours — 35 per cent between 3-6pm and 11 per cent between 8-9amJUST over half occurred at intersections.

[Guest Guest14361]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/police-commissioner-gary-burns-labels-sa-drivers-among-worst-in-the-world/story-fni6uo1m-1227299568069

[Blossom]

Wow Tamara, to be honest I find it a little worrying that they would take that action just on someone's word. It seems totally open to abuse.

And then I also wonder why they wouldn't do anything at all to the driver who caused someone to rear end me. :-/

They had two lots of witnesses to tell them a car came from a right turn lane into a going forwards lane on a 60km road. They had been stationary before pulling out. The car the pulled right out in front of swerved into the next lane (lucky it was empty) and I just managed to stop short of hitting the idiot car who had stopped half way out by that point. The truck behind me obviously didn't leave a big enough gap and hit me. We had the licence plate but the police said that as they had not actually been hit they couldn't do anything as it was (two independent witnesses) our word against theirs that they had driven dangerously.

 

I I went on a date with a guy who was complaining he had just got a ticket for tail gating. He was adamant that he hadn't been, but I was secretly thinking I bet most SA drivers don't see themselves at tail gating lol.

[Lazy Cow]

I took down the numberplate and reported it to the local police. It was a P plater. They were called in to the station, fined and lost their licence for 6 months.

 

Whilst I don't doubt you, Tamara, I am a bit (like ) surprised that the police a) took that action based purely on your complaint and b) that they told you.

 

We received a letter from SAPOL sent after someone had reported that my car had been spotted speeding. The letter stated that no action could be taken, nor any record kept of the complaint, but reminded me speeding is against the law.

 

My car was parked up at the time, and the key down in Victor with my son (grr) so we put it down to one of his 'friends' being silly.

 

If I'm tailgated, and since I keep to the speed limit (even if I do get to it as quickly as poss lol) I do get tailgated, I simply increase the distance between me and the car in front of me, relax, and get out of their way when it's safe / convenient to do so!

 

i know that's not always possible (as in Diane's scary as account), and reporting them sounds like a good idea.

 

:cool:LC

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I had passengers in the car with me and went straight to the police station. They collaborated my statement. They sent a squad car to the address of the cars owner. The P plater was a prior offender and he didn't do himself any favours when questioned and confessed!

[etch123]

I bought a GPS navigation unit with an integrated crash cam for the car, obviously it only records what's in front, maybe worth it once I'm used to the roads to chuck it on the back window and record some of these terrible drivers! I will stick to the speed limit, in any case I've got a tow bar installed and if anyone rear ends me it will be their loss!

Edited April 11, 2015 by etch123

[snifter]

Tailgating is a pain here. I think the roads lend themselves more to it being big often straight stretches with lots of intersections controlled by traffic lights.

 

I get fed up with it but tend to just keep to the speed limit and I don't budge for them unless its ok to do so. I also will gently touch my brakes so my brake lights come on, doesn't slow me down any but it can often get someone to back off a bit.

 

Also here I find people quite often break late or indicate late to turn right in the 4 lane roads. And the right hand turning section is narrow and larger cars often don't fit width wise in them so poke out if they can't actually turn, causing the car behind to hit their brakes and then everyone else too.

 

In the past week on my way down to Port Adelaide there was a big tailgating rear ending crash on the other side of Tapleys Hill road. 3 or 4 cars, can only guess the lights changed and the car at the very front stopped rather than trying to beat the orange. And the cars behind would probably have been thinking he was going to go for it and try to beat the lights, not stop. The second car was squished both ends, the first and third back and front, the 4th had swerved a bit and just scraped I think. Given the speed limit along there too, can catch people out.

[Blossom]

I actually don't think any of the turning lanes are too small, I just think people have terrible road positioning. I drive a Mercedes sprinter for work (when I'm at work). It's bloody big, but I've never found a turning lane which forces me to stick out into the road.

 

The most frightening thing I've had happen is a massive road train over taking me on the uptrack into the hills. I'm guessing he must have forgotten he had so many trailers on (and must have been empty as he was over taking my diesel van) and he started to move into my lane. Literally I could see his front end already in my lane and his trailer next to me. It was at a part with no hard shoulder and the only option I had was to slam my breaks on. Luckily the car behind me was aware and saw what was happening and managed to slam their breaks on too. I don't think I've ever come so close to dying.

I was so shaken I didn't even beep lol.

 

Actually, thinking about it, some nutter did nearly hit me on the Salisbury highway at 90kmpm trying to get his car in between my car and another when we were partly along side. I don't speed, ever. I did then to get out of this guys way. I'm sure he must have been on drugs, he went to drive straight into two cars, a couple of times.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Before moving here I lived in a place where total anarchy was the norm on the roads. Anything and everything would occur with aggressive drivers, unlicenced drivers, unroadworthy vehicles and complete lack of traffic enforcement. The result was (is) that they kill 15000 people on their roads every year.

Moving here I thought that the drivers were wonderful!

I have since driven in Perth, Hobart, Melbourne etc and it's also my opinion that many South Australian drivers are shocking relative to their interstate neighbours.

[chrisda]

The coppers have their clients and just need a report to act on. Hoons! Any suggestions about whats the best camera to get?

[snifter]

Yeah, you are right @Blossom, bad positioning, I think I was trying to be too kind Its usually 4WD poking their arses over the line into the lane of traffic. Annoys the crap out of me.

[kelbert]

Following on with the bad drivers theme, yesterday I was stationary at the lights on main north rd and a van slammed into the back of me at at least 60Kms! Car is a write off and I'm battered and bruised! Hoons indeed!!

[kelbert]

Following on with the bad drivers theme, yesterday I was stationary at the lights on main north rd and a van slammed into the back of me at at least 60Kms! Car is a write off and I'm battered and bruised! Hoons indeed!!

[NicF]

Following on with the bad drivers theme, yesterday I was stationary at the lights on main north rd and a van slammed into the back of me at at least 60Kms! Car is a write off and I'm battered and bruised! Hoons indeed!!

 

How awful! I was going to like your post but that didn't seem quite the right response. Hope you are not too badly injured.

[kelbert]

Nothing too major so far thankfully. Don't know why my post is on there twice! Whoops.

[Lazy Cow]

Nothing too major so far thankfully.

 

Glad to hear it.

 

Wishing you, and any passengers all the best.

 

LC

[Toni]

A friends son was reported for tailgating a few years ago now and he was on P plates. He admitted it to the police and was quite apologetic so the police let him off with a stern warning which made him realise he could lose his licence.

[zebedee]

It's one of the few things that genuinely irritates me about living in Adelaide, the quality of driving is poor. But you get used to it, just drive as defensively as you can and don't let people wind you up or push you into driving faster. The more people that chill out the better.

[keldaz]

I'm glad to hear it's not just me that dislikes driving in Adelaide. Tailgating here is a real problem, in fact driving in general is a real problem. Considering how harsh the cops are on traffic here, it stuns me how bad the driving is. Having said that, I've found the same thing pretty much all over. Recently a friend came to Adelaide for work, he's a keen cyclist with one of those super light weight racing bikes. I tried to warn him not to ride on Adelaide roads, 'just don't, I said, he didn't listen, well he must have managed a whole 6 weeks or so before he was rear ended and sent flying to crash down on the tarmac. Cuts, bruises and shock were the result, having seen the state of his cycle helmet, I would say dead without it. Now I probably shouldn't have done, but once I knew he was ok, I did say 'told you so' just couldn't help myself.

 

Ps. Just thought I'd mention my favourite driving tale of the last few weeks, some muppet crashed his car through somebody's garage and ended up in their swimming pool. Have an image of the owner saying 'yay I have a swimming pool', SCREECH!!!! SMASH!!!! SPLOSH!!!!

Edited May 13, 2015 by keldaz
Because I can

[GarethB]