Australia's worst driving state/territory

[fpv_gtho]

this guy wrote into the paper on the weekend, saying he had recently gone for a holiday into south australia and thought the drivers there were quite possibly the worst in the country. he said he was shocked with the number of people running red lights and for obvious reasons people were slow off the line when the green light went lol. crisis, living in SA could possibly have the most to say about this, but does anyone else have any such stories?

[SHAKER]

Yah well it was just the other day i saw a driver reverse into another car at an intersection because he had locked it up and went thru the intersection when the light was red, and as soon as it turned green he sped off without as much as getting out the car to exchange numbers and insurance details, Looked like a typical Northy bloke driving though(my fav place Elizabeth)lol

[fpv_gtho]

man you love taking digs at elizabeth dont you, your gunna have your hands full when a holden fan from broadmeadows comes on the forums.

[SHAKER]

hehe well everyone calls peoples from that area northys, as it is north of the state and mainly a poor housing trust area. But im only mucking around, so please dont get to offended lol

[fpv_gtho]

haha around where i live everyones caled westies for the same reason

[crisis]

I have spent most of my working life on the road (Im old) as a sale rep. I have driven in Melbourne, Darwin, Brisbane, Surfers, and been driven around Sydney. The problem with Adelaide drivers is that they allow no travel time because it is still so easy to get from one part of Adelaide to the next. They are also ignorant of the fact that their are any other drivers on the road. They will do anything to stop anyone else getting into "their" lane in front of them even if it is only to get past a parked car. Women between 18-30 are particularly agressive and ignorant. Tailgating is a favourite. Dare to get into the right hand lane , legally or not, and most people will run up your arse whether you are doing the speed limit or not. I dont think some know that it is legal to sit in the right hand lane anywhere that is posted under 80kmh or not sign posted otherwise. It is actually crucial sometimes as a result of people not wanting to let you in front of them when you need to turn right. I am rarely pushed to road rage as I spend so much time among these idiots I would have died long ago. I take it out on the cat. I have experienced so much stupidity it blurs into a mist in my alchohol ruined memory however one stunning exhibition of someone who was well finished with his licence was when I was in Darwin of all places. As I approached a round about a car entered on my left. In SA at least you must give way to all traffic that is already on the round about. This guy was HALF way around and I was not even on it. He saw me, stopped and REVERSED off to let me through. The most extreme case of give way to your right I have ever experienced. I called out to him as I passed to give his licence to someone who could use it. He probably thought I was quite rude.

[fpv_gtho]

lol thats a funny story there, but being Darwin im not really as surprised as i could be. maybe watching all the leniancy of the road rules expressed by the NT cops after watching bush mechanics has done it but still, i wouldnt expect that from an L plater here

[crisis]

lol thats a funny story there, but being Darwin im not really as surprised as i could be. maybe watching all the leniancy of the road rules expressed by the NT cops after watching bush mechanics has done it but still, i wouldnt expect that from an L plater here
Bush Mechanics should be part of the trade school curriculum for auto mechanics.

[fpv_gtho]

well heres a couple of pointers for anyone planning to go out bush:

Flat tire: stuff it solid with grass and bark

Broken wiper blades: wrap the wipers in strips of cloth

No brake fluid: use water mixed with soap power, washing up liquid, shampoo or a more natural approach, crushed up acacia/wattle tree seeds (since the locals in the NT call the acacia the soap tree)

Hole in radiator: pour peppercorns or an egg in the radiator, they'll clog up the radiator

Cracked radiator: find an old battery, and remove the lead from it. heat the lead up in a hub cap over a fire then pour the molten lead over the crack

Broken suspension: strap a log to the suspension to keep it from collapsing (might only work on leaf springs)

Fuel leak: mould a lump of wet soap over the hole - the soap reacts with fuel to make a bond

Punctured inner tube: isolate the hole and tie a shoelace torniquet below it

Broken fuel pump: drain the water from the windscreen-washer reservior, fill it up with petrol and connect the outgoing pipe to the fuel line, use the squirter switch on the steering column to inject petrol into the system. refill as necessary.

Burnt-out clutch: work two pieces of wood into crescent shapes to fit inside the clutch

Flat battery: place the battery in warm coals to revive it

Air filter broken: use foam from a seat or mattress

Blown fuse: use cigarette packet foil, an empty cartridge case or any other metal object

for more tips of course you could go to www.bushmechanics.com.au for more outback fix-it-yourself tips

[crisis]

for more tips of course you could go to www.bushmechanics.com.au for more outback fix-it-yourself tips
Couldnt give you any reps but if that site is real ( couldnt get onto it) well done. I will keep trying. Laughed my flabby arse off.

[fpv_gtho]

try just www.bushmechanics.com, that might work

[Blue Supra]

As a P plater in the ACT i am aware of quite a few illegal and quite dangerous things that occur on the road after the sun sets. burnouts and the more rev headed things that ruin yor car, but anyways the most ridiculous thing iv seen was when some m8s went to stromlo forrest after dark to rally an old 180b with a few extras on it. ie a bullbar and sum extra headlights. anyway this was b4 the fires when there were still trees in the forrest. as was very predictable they hit many trees and other obstacles and as dattos are the toughest cars ever made this thing kept on goin and finally after 2 hours of thrashing the absolute shit out of this thing they decide enuffs enuff and decide to drive it home, fix it up and take it out again the following evening, now after surviving all the rallying (that in itself was a bloody miracle) they decide to left a 15 yr old chick on her Ls drive them home. she hit a lightpole put herself and the bloke in the passenger seat through the windscreen (apparently 180bs seatbelts wernt self locking, you have to tightem them yourself) the stupidity was letting the girl drive home rather then go rallying in the forrest. needless to say they havent been back out since. :p

[crisis]

As a P plater in the ACT i am aware of quite a few illegal and quite dangerous things that occur on the road after the sun sets. burnouts and the more rev headed things that ruin yor car, but anyways the most ridiculous thing iv seen was when some m8s went to stromlo forrest after dark to rally an old 180b with a few extras on it. ie a bullbar and sum extra headlights. anyway this was b4 the fires when there were still trees in the forrest. as was very predictable they hit many trees and other obstacles and as dattos are the toughest cars ever made this thing kept on goin and finally after 2 hours of thrashing the absolute shit out of this thing they decide enuffs enuff and decide to drive it home, fix it up and take it out again the following evening, now after surviving all the rallying (that in itself was a bloody miracle) they decide to left a 15 yr old chick on her Ls drive them home. she hit a lightpole put herself and the bloke in the passenger seat through the windscreen (apparently 180bs seatbelts wernt self locking, you have to tightem them yourself) the stupidity was letting the girl drive home rather then go rallying in the forrest. needless to say they havent been back out since. :p
Contrary to your beliefs a Datsun 180b would probably be among the most dangerous of cars. Crappy brakes, shitty Beetle style suspension. The reason the girl and her friend made it through the window was, as you stated, prehistoric seatbelts ( which would have been so old they would have probably broken anyway) , and the fact that a 180b wold not have anything approaching a crumple zone which may have helped absorb some of the impact. Coupled to the fact that it had been bashed around and cobbled back together by your mates wouldnt have helped. A "Datto" of any type is not the toughest car ever made. Eary Japanese cars were considered to be quite cheap and nasty and the 180b qualifies nicely there. I owned two of the shit boxes. Nissans on the other hand along with their Japanese couterparts have a much better reputation. They also have decent brakes, suspesion, seat belts, airbags etc. In essence you actually dont want the car itself to be tough. You want it to break up in a way that minimises harm to the occupants.

[fpv_gtho]

like crisis, i dont think i would agree with you on datsun's being bulletproof or the toughest cars on the planet. theyre really a car that attracts young idiots, dickheads if you wanna put it that way, just wanting to take them out for a spin and see what damage can be done to themselves, the car and the environment

[crisis]

I have no problem with someone taking a car out bush and flogging it. Im not sure about the location Blue Supra is talking a bout but in my youth, one of the more responsible things I did, although not for the reason of being responsible at the time, was to take my EK Holden down to Pelican Point for a bit of off road driving. This area is covered with black cinders and is off of the road near the Port River. There are no houses, trees, posts etc so you can only really hurt youself and that would be in a rollover, ( which while possible because of the cars appalling handling, is unlikely due to the cars equally appalling pace ). On this expanse of flat, low friction road base , I learnt how to put a car into a slide, hold it and recover. Being in such a low powered car meant that any harm would not have been to great but Im sure that any Police patrol would have taken the opportunity to fine me, defect me and club me for my excesses. The paradox being that I learnt more about the practical part of driving there than I did with any driving lessons ( sorry dad). I have recovered from several near misses merely because I did not panic when the car I was driving began to oversteer. So, depending on the location , this is one "illegal" motoring activity that I dont think is neccessarily harmful if done with common sense.

[Matra et Alpine]

On this expanse of flat, low friction road base , I learnt how to put a car into a slide, hold it and recover. Being in such a low powered car meant that any harm would not have been to great
Yep, and these places are harder to find in the UK as 'security' takes hold at copmanies with huge car parks :(
I was taught the handling of FWD by going into huge car park in brother's really mini. From the age of 14, any time there was snow in winter, Bobby would take me out and let me learn and practise. The snow slows everything down and exagerates all the driver responses.
I've taken my nephew and daughters to car parks to learn the same at night. Only once have I been approacehed by the police who didi reprimand me, but also said it was a good idea - go figure :)
Now as my second daughter is learning I'm taking her to the airfield tracks and getting her out when it's quiet :)

this is one "illegal" motoring activity that I dont think is neccessarily harmful if done with common sense.
I don;'t understand why the authorities don't realise that teachign handling would be a good thing and provide facilities - all it takes is a huge expanse of levelled tarmac or gravel.

[crisis]

The place I used to use is where the Submarine Corporation and its associated contractors. Ther is still plenty of vacant land but it is variously posted private, keep out etc. Many trail bike riders use it but technically they are breaking the law. I dont know if anyone ever gets pinged but as it is, it is a waste of a lot of land and a perfect driver training area.

[Falcon500]

Well there used to be a streachof public property that used to leadto a few farms and a dam was where me and my mates used to do burnouts...not quite the same but things occosainly went pairshapedand we lernt how to recollect it in this large paddock...but the cops never caught us in the act but they said we ever catch you here were takeing your cars (they caught uson the way back once) so now im back in the car park of googon (i know that spellings wrong) dam where i firstlernt to vehical control (still will never forget when i was doing fishies and it gotreally wide i was about to do a doughnut and realised we were too close to the rocks....never forget my mates face when we were sitting right in front of them and i said you wernt scared were you? :D i was actully shitting myself too looking back i over reacted if i just alowed down and layed the power down i could of done a doughy )

[fpv_gtho]

about a half hours drive from where i live, theres all this open land owned by the government or something yet never used, its out near the olympic whitewater stadium. to get there it could be considered semi-4wd driving yet someone being careful in a fwd or rwd car with good ground clearance would make it there, but once your there its just open land covered in dirt and is a real hotspot for trailbikers of course..