Are motorists becoming more and more stupid?

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Makes me appreciate Australia and our car culture, we travel two to three times the distance of the average European and our drivers are a lot better and have a better attitude. Nothing scarier than a European who takes public transport all year then jumps in a car and does 160 on ice on a motorway. Like pilots who improve with hours in air, so do car drivers who spend more time on the road.

There are so many awesome presumptions in that little piece that I don't know where to start.

Well no, for a start European drivers are a lot better and have a better attitude. This is a Russian car crash video. The Russians are crazy drivers. Sure, part of Russia is in Europe but the rest of European drivers don't drive like this!

Distance? Another presumption there. Europe is a big continent. I haven't done a map overlay recently but it would be about as big as Australia. When I arrived a few months ago I started by looking at second hand cars (I've subsequently long-term leased one, it was so cheap, about $150 a week) and I was surprised at the number of 5-6 year old cars with 2-300,000 ks on the clock. The Octavia I'm leasing is 6 years old and now over 200,000 kms (and still going strong at a regular 140 km/h!).

I'll tell you why. Because of the lack of speed restrictions on the motorways you can get much further in the time. In 2 hours in Australia I'm lucky to cover much over 150 km. In Europe I can cover 250 km in the same time. Because there are so many cities and attractions relatively close apart people go out driving to visit other places a distance away more often. As a Sydneysider for instance you'd only visit Brisbane once for the annual holiday. In Europe you'd go off to more such places. If you visit Rome from Berlin you are driving the same distance as Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane. People buzz off from central Europe to the beaches of Croatia all the time in summer or the alps in winter. The truckies are also doing 1000 km journeys just like in Australia but at 90 km/h and lots of controls and curfews and the industry prospers.

There's also tons of car use in the cities in spite of the excellent public transport but they're not as car-dependent as in Australia so actually have an alternative if something goes pear-shaped, whereas we don't. Sorry to go on so long but that little myth needs to be put to rest before it spreads!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by new2ford

There are so many awesome presumptions in that little piece that I don't know where to start.

Well no, for a start European drivers are a lot better and have a better attitude. This is a Russian car crash video. The Russians are crazy drivers. Sure, part of Russia is in Europe but the rest of European drivers don't drive like this!

Distance? Another presumption there. Europe is a big continent. I haven't done a map overlay recently but it would be about as big as Australia. when I arrived a few months ago I started by looking at second hand cars (I've subsequently long-term leased one, it was so cheap, about $150 a week) and I was surprised at the number of 5-6 year old cars with 200,000 ks on the clock. The Octavia I'm leasing is 6 years old and now over 200,000 kms (and still going strong at a regular 140 km/h!).

I'll tell you why. Because of the lack of speed restrictions on the motorways you can get much further in the time. In 2 hours in Australia I'm lucky to cover much over 150 km. In Europe I can cover 250 km in the same time. Because there are so many cities and attractions relatively close apart people go out driving to visit other places a distance away more often. As a Sydneysider for instance you'd only visit Brisbane once for the annual holiday. In Europe you'd go off to more such places. If you visit Rome from Berlin you are driving the same distance as Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane. People buzz off from central Europe to the beaches of Croatia all the time in summer or the alps in winter. The truckies are also doing 1000 km journeys just like in Australia but at 90 km/h and lots of controls and curfews and the industry prospers.

There's also tons of car use in the cities in spite of the excellent public transport but they're not as car-dependent as in Australia so actually have an alternative if something goes pear-shaped, whereas we don't. Sorry to go on so long but that little myth needs to be put to rest before it spreads!

No, it's rubbish. Car insurance is so expensive in places like England, that once young people have got their licence - they don't expose themselves to driving as they cant even afford to run a car. The amount of driving that young people get over there is a fraction of what an Aussie young driver would accumulate. You also have a licensing regime which is expensive but lacking, in Switzerland you can get your licence after 10 hours of lessons, in NSW you require 120 hours of logbook driving including 20 in the dark and up to 30 hours of formal lessons. it is a three year process to get your full licence in Europe, whereas it is four years here, we also have stricter alcohol limits whilst gaining the licence.

If you are from Australia, Japan or Canada and have passed our driving tests you get an exemption for having to take a practical test in Europe as our licensing standards are higher.

[new2ford]

Mmmm you're citing some specific countries but the German licensing procedures are much tougher for example. The other thing is that I've spent many years and many hours of those years driving in Europe - all over central and western Europe and UK and I'm afraid (with a significant high percentage exception of course) Australian drivers and their driving protocols don't hold a candle to Europeans.

So much for that supposedly better training, it obviously goes in one ear and out the other for most. After 4 years "in training", seemingly most drivers in Australia still can't keep left unless overtaking or know the laws of a roundabout!

Incidentally, on alcohol, the Czech Republic has a zero blood alcohol driving law - which is really tough in a country with such superb beer, but thank god the public transport is really excellent!

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by _Ben

I find this sort of funny, in the year that I've had my Ps, I haven't had to parallel park!

i haven't had to parallel park since i did my Ps, in 1989. Actually, i practiced till i could do it first time, everytime, then didn't have to do it on the test itself.