Because in a split second, it's gone.
I got my drivers license at the age of sixteen. It felt great to have it and even better to have my own car which I'd saved up for, a grand total of $450 AUD, for about eighteen months prior. It was a total wreck and these days wouldn't pass a roadworthy inspection but it was mine and it gave me freedom. I loved it and I loved driving.
These days I spend a lot of time on the road driving and I have to say, it's much less enjoyable.
I still love driving but with the additional traffic, inattentive drivers due to mobile phone usage, influx of immigrants who don't understand (or respect) the road rules and everybody speeding, drink and drug driving, cutting into spaces that don't exist, inability to merge, unwillingness to give way, arrogance and impatience, failure to stop at stop signs and all the other nutbaggery that goes on...well....it's just so dangerous.
1,266 people
That's how many people died on Australian roads in vehicle accidents during 2023, 4.8 people for every 100,000 people that live here; add to that around 40,000 hospitalisations due vehicle accident.
Maybe it doesn't seem like a lot out of the 27 million people that live here but think about the other lives those deaths and injuries touched: Family and friends, colleagues, first responders, nurses, doctors, witnesses and so on...it soon becomes a huge number and much of it is avoidable, or would be if people took more care and responsibility.
Accidents happen, that's just how it is, but the roads are fast becoming a very dangerous place to be and much of it is simply unnecessary...I also don't see it every getting better, just worse.
I wonder what destination could be worth dying to get to? None I think. Also, which destinations are worth killing someone else to get to? Also none I'd say.
Every day I see people doing stupid things on the road as I guess most of the people that might read this post would also. I guess we have probably all done something stupid behind the wheel of a car or on a motorbike as well, I know I have.
We got away with it right? Cool, but so many have not and what happens on that occasion when we don't get away with it and we die, or kill someone else, an innocent bystander perhaps. It's pretty fucked up right? Maybe worse is being permanently maimed, quadriplegic or brain damaged maybe, horribly burned...I'd not want to live that way personally. It's all avoidable of course, but all I see is things getting worse, including the death and injury statistics, despite an increasing number of road safety initiatives, safer vehicles, reduced speed limits and more stringent road laws and penalties.
What are your thoughts?
Are you a dangerous driver or do you drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Do you drive culpably, irresponsibly and without care for others? What are the roads like in your country? Have you seen things decline over time like I have and has it taken some of the enjoyment out of driving like it has for me? Feel free to comment.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
I thought about the Pokemon Go player back in its early days when G+ still existed (it happened in one of those communities) who said that they drove while playing, and when dogpiled shrilly defended themselves about how it was perfectly fine and safe because they were only driving slowly and it didn't count as being distracted because it was only a quick tap for a second (every freaking portalstop as they were driving through a park with a few of them), and the people I have known who are oh so very amazing drivers who are perfectly capable of driving under the influence and it must be so because they have never had an accident, and the hoons that stopped my kids from having the ride-their-bikes-around-the-neighbourhood phase (but that is apparently purely my fault because I could have just let them do it anyway because that one time where the group of them lucked out and didn't get taken out by someone coming out of the
chicaneroundabout badly which was entirely good luck and not much good management is proof that it would have been fine rather than a warning that next time might be less lucky) and then I just got annoyed.I would apologise for the run-on sentence paragraph if I hadn't done it deliberately :)
And having said all that in my immediate area I don't think it's changed that much, the traffic seems to have gotten slightly heavier but I don't seem to be making any more passive-aggressive comments than I usually do while I'm gadding about.
People are fucken idiots mostly, entitled wankers, and so they do what they want and when they want without any care of how their actions may affect others, or even themselves. Typical human behaviour: Selfish, egotistical and insensitive. What happens on the roads is just an extension of those behaviours.
There's a lot that aren't. I think they just get outshined because our brains like to cling to unpleasant things more.
It's definitely declined for sure. I would probably guess most people think I am an aggressive driver. I prefer to think I am a confident driver. That being said there are still plenty of people who blow my doors off on the expressway every day. I know this is controversial, but I actually wish self driving cars were more widespread. At this point, I trust AI on the roads more than I do half the idiots that are out there.
I'm that way too, confident, but if I had to choose a single word to describe my driving these days I'd say vigilant. It's a requirement, the drive around what others will or may do, otherwise it's highly likely an accident will occur. It's that which takes the enjoyment out of it...although country driving is a joy.
For sure, you have to be aware of everything around you now and anticipate others actions even more-so than back in the day. It's honestly exhausting. I used to be able to do a 10 hour drive no problem, now about six to seven in one day is my maximum.
Exhausting indeed. I used to do a lot of business phone calls in the car (hands free) but now I limit them, which wastes my time, because I have to give more attention to the driving, basically trying to preempt what others may do.
I don't drive under the influence. I do my best to maintain situational awareness, leave a proper distance between me and the driver ahead, and so forth. I wouldn't say I'm a great driver, but I try to be competent, careful, and courteous.
I see a lot of problems locally where the state has failed to maintain roads, provide suitable turning lanes, or simply account for increasing traffic as the population grows. There are bad drivers, but I don't know if there are more as a percentage, or if it just tracks with there being more drivers in general.
I'm not sure on the percentages on why there's more incidents but am on the road enough to know there is. No idea what it's like there but here it's through the roof. Interestingly, the timeframe to get a vehicle booked into a crash repairer has tripled...says a lot.
Man, people have lost their fuckin minds. It was bad before the pandemic but we've taken it to a whole new level since. Hell, people can't keep from driving into building here. Been happening so much we've verbed it and just call it magbarring after a bar that is a notorious car magnet.
I used to deliver pizzas for a living, seen more than enough asshattery on the highway to do me a lifetime. Ain't too many things in this world important enough to get in that sort of hurry on a regular basis. It almost never ends how they'd hoped anyways. I consider myself a safe driver but my notions of safety have never matched up well with most people, but I'll bet my life I'm right :D
It's crazy indeed and I don't think it's just because there's more traffic. I blame people, speeding, cutting in, intolerance and impatience and a multitude of other things. I'm a good driver but stayingbout of trouble (accidents) is increasingly difficult. I also drive daily, sometimes long distances, and that raises the risk of problems.
It's mad man, but isn't going to get better.
Hell, when the lockdown hit in 2020 traffic decreased considerably but traffic deaths actually increased. Here it's more than just traffic and driving though, people are just downright volatile these days.
I don't know man, I think Darwin always has the last laugh and it may sort itself out, one way or another.
Old mate Charles Darwin, or Chucky D as I like to call him knows best.
Ok, never actually referred to him as Chucky D if I'm honest. 😶
It's awful here, even for a pretty small city. It's kind of like it got worse during covid. Getting back on the road and people driving worse than ever.
You really do have to drive defensively to help save your own life.
I was thinking before your last paragraph that the numbers were big, even if the percentages didn't sound so big, but the fact that so many of them were avoidable. It truly had been awful since so many cell phones showed up. Everybody thinks THEY are good at it and are not causing any problems, but they do, while others try to dodge them while they aren't paying attention.
There should be some extra penalty to some of it I'm thinking.
I really love that photo BTW.
Yep, awful sums it up here too, dangerous as well. Defensive driving is the only way to go, although having to do so, be so vigilant, takes out the enjoyment I guess, for me anyway.
So many of the issues, either deaths or injuries and even minor bingles, are easily avoided but there's so many assholes out there the issue just gets worse and worse.
Thanks for liking the image, I'm not sure if you recall but I did the lifecycle of a flower post and this was obviously the end of the cycle.
I am a very cautious regular driver, I don't like to race my partner, if he is a great driver he has been driving since he was a teenager he is more skilled at driving in my country, any meeting is an excuse to drink from a board game to a children's birthday, or a simple baptism is an excuse to drink is something normal here unfortunately I have relatives who died for not having control that's why there are many accidents, the laws in that part are very flexible.
I have no tolerance for those who choose to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol; it's irresponsible, anti-social and downright dangerous. I don't mind when people who drink drive have accidents and die though, they deserve it.; as long as they don't hurt anyone else of course. They chose their fate.
I have a Toyota Hilux truck it looks like me, it's a work truck, unstoppable, stubborn and strong and that's who I am. Here in my country the roads are a kind of guillotine, people drive very irresponsibly texting, alcohol, drugs do not respect the traffic signs in the same way there is a lot of corruption, abuse and bullying by the authorities, many people pay not to be fined or arrested once they cause the accident. Hopefully the authority fulfilling its function of monitoring the roads will do their job, just like us drivers and stop being a frightening threat on the roads.
I had a couple of Hilux pickups also, great trucks. Would you say you feel safe on the roads with all the nutbaggery that goes on?
Noooooooo....
The only danger of the roads of my country is the authority apply rattle in every official or improvised alcabala, I do not feel safe, I have already suffered this abuse from the authority, Galen.
Where I am, it is relatively safe and I am comfortable driving. I did move from the big city to a small one where the traffic is negligible by comparison. That being said, I have had to be on my toes and avoided a couple bad situations.
One was recently was a couple weeks ago where I waited for the light to turn green, then advanced a foot or 2 while checking for traffic. A semi rolled right through the red and I luckily didn't get hit from behind into him while stopping so suddenly.
I am not in a hurry and expecting people to do stupid stuff in a town with few aggressive drivers so it is not much of a problem. I bet it is dangerous as hell riding a bike these days with distracted drivers!
Small towns are nice, there's still idiots but way less and obviously less traffic also. I look forward to moving back to a small town in the future, but right now I cannot as I need access to things the city provides like the airport and all.
The semi thing...I've had the same here, a very near miss...it's as easy as that though right? And life is snuffed out in an instant.
The fatality statistics on the road of South Africa are also high. Also out of millions of people but we have the same, certain people who do not respect the road rules and people who drive under the influence.
I have been in a few crashes. Once out of my own inattention/confusion. The rest I can honestly say were caused by drivers who were out of control and made poor decisions.
Right now I am a very careful driver. I never drink and drive and man, I hardly drink (especially when working on the ships). My general attitude is "We all want to get there so chill".
Yeah, I know it's bonkers there and with the roads not being maintained as well as they should be due to misappropriation of funds...a double issue. I think idiots are everywhere though, drink drivers and those who just do the wrong thing, and they ruin it for the rest of us.
I don't drink drive either, never have, and if I have a drink it's only one or two and rarely when I'm out so it's not an issue. It's crazy here though, so many do it and when the cops have their drink driving blitz around the place there's always a long line of cars parked up as their drivers blew over the prescribed limit. Dick heads.
Indeed. Roads are better in the Western Cape because it's run by a different political party than the rest of the country... which I will be voting for to support next week to keep them where they are.
Yeah, so many issues and many have been caused by the same people huh?
Always the same people yeah...
I spend lots of time on the roads myself, and let me tell you, it's hair raising, especially in my neighborhood.
There's lots of African foreign nationals here and I don't understand how they drive. I'm not trying to single any groups out here, but it's as if a different set of rules apply. I guess it has to do with how they've been taught... not stopping at stop signs is a big one here. Sometimes at speeds that if someone coming from another intersection had to do the same, it will be a full on collision.
With that being said, there are the speedsters. Demographics generally play a role here too. Ugh, the things I've seen.
Based in South Africa btw
Hair raising...yep indeed.
We have a similar issue with immigrants here; they seem to work to different standards and seem incapable of following the basic rules of the road (and las in general). I'm not singling them out, there's loads of fucktards on the road, but one seems to spend a lot of time working to avoid those types, and the need for hypervigilance is required. Takes the fun out of driving.
It's all about disconcerting and interestingly all of the comments on this post pretty much say the same thing so I guess it's an global issue...one that won't improve. Us Aussies and you Saffers are not exempt from the nutbaggery.
Hello Galen, good afternoon. What you point out in this post is not unlike the reflection you made on firearms.
Harm can be done with any vehicle, even a bicycle or skateboard, and there seem to be people who don't understand that.
Best regards
Driving around in a couple tons of vehicle at 100kph+ speeds...well, it's a weapon right? I don't know why people feel it's ok to be a dick head, be unsafe or drive drunk, but they do and sometimes pay the price too.
As you rightly say, sometimes they pay the price and as you also pointed out in the post, there is always damage to other people when accidents happen.
I guess your work day will be over by now, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
Yeah mate work is over.
Came home and went for a walk with my girl. I ran in the morning (5am) but it's not to take a walk to de-stress and chat a little. Just finished dinner and have a documentary on Bolivia to watch tonight then an episode of Designated Survivor, before some reading and then sleep. One must get the most out of the day right?
I hope you have a good day as well.
Thanks, it's going well for now, in a few minutes I'll continue with the work... and I hope my day ends as well as yours.
👋
I must confess that I don't know how to drive and the truth is that, as I see people driving and the traffic, I prefer not to.
I know it would be practical and necessary but I think it would generate a lot of stress.
Here in Spain, if I compare with Argentina, people drive quite well but in recent times I think that has gone wrong, many foreigners, immigrants and people in general who do not respect.
In Argentina it's total chaos, a lot of people get their driving licence by passing the test in a way... how to say... because they know someone else. But they don't know how to drive responsibly.
It's as if people don't care about anything at all.
So many dick heads huh? People I mean.
Uffff too many, and arrogant people who want to drive even if they are not fit, I know of cases, for example people who cannot see out of one eye, or people who are deaf. .... impressive that they don't care about life.... too many idiots!
A lot of people seem to think Mt. Everest is, judging from the large amount of people that die trying to climb it.
When I was younger, I was interested in driving, especially after playing games like Gran Turismo. But as I started my driving lessons, and after getting it, the interest was gone almost immediately. There is too much heavy traffic, there are too many idiots on the road, and the hassle of having to mind all of that is too much. I try to avoid driving as much as possible now. I'd rather be a passenger.
I don't think people could drive there though right? Mount Everest I mean, although it's certainly make the Guinness Book of World Records is someone did. I'd like to see it done in a Hybrid Toyota Corolla.
Haha I doubt anyone's tried. In the future, with flying cars, it will certainly be just another trip.
Well you covered that brilliantly.
Your description was spot on of all the reasons I also do not enjoy driving or riding the scoot. I had two close calls even today. Russian Roulette with a steering wheel and a 3500# (or heavier) bullet.
Here is a few stats from up here.
Source..: Yearly snapshot
A total of 42,939 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021. These deaths occurred in 39,508 crashes involving 61,332 motor vehicles. This was a 10% increase over the previous year.
The hidden stat nobody talks about...
+78% almost every year of the big truck involved crashes with or without fatality are caused at fault of the smaller vehicle involved. 😳
Big numbers indeed. It's crazy really, these things are avoidable, most anyway, but people don't seem to care enough about it...or are so delusional that they think it won't happen to them. But it can, and does.
In 2023 in Serbia, on very bad roads, 489 people died. that year is taken as the ancestor in the smaller number of victims. hey, almost 500 people, out of something like 6 million... One life is a lot, not 500...
Every day I see angry drivers on the streets, who don't follow the rules, don't respect other traffic participants, type messages while driving, drive in the opposite direction, overtake the column, go through red lights... and I'm sick of them and their behavior. I'm not that kind of driver. if I do happen to drink while driving, it will be a maximum of one drink with lunch or dinner. I drink, I don't drive. I've never taken drugs, but when I see the drivers around me, I think I might (joke).
The only offense I commit while driving is speeding (but not exceeding 15-20 km/h), when the road conditions allow it. I don't do all other violations. That's probably why I'm so annoyed by the behavior of everyone else who makes them every day... I often think when I see a fool behaving behind the wheel: "Where is the police now, to stop him, to arrest him... I don't feel sorry for that fool, but for the one he will injure or kill..."
Do you see things getting better in the future or worse? I see it getting far worse personally. People just don't care and no matter what the laws or penalties are they will do what they do I guess.
I agree with you that things have gotten out of hand as regards obeying traffic rules and regulations. Drivers act so irresponsibly without due consideration for other road users. I love riding my bike within my town and I have been riding for the past fifteen years but what I see on the roads now leave me so scared. The cause of accidents in my country is attributed to young adults who are addicts, either to alcohol or to drugs.
There seems to be a common theme around the world of lack of safety on the roads. It's probably a culmination of changing driving habits, declining attention and skills and increased traffic. It is fast becoming a very big problem.
This is happening everywhere on the planet, immigrants arrive and they want to do whatever they want; They must adapt to the country.
One of the "good" things about living in a totalitarian regime is that everything slows down, the development of a country slows down and it shows in the road traffic.
You go out and there are hardly any cars on the road, there is little traffic and there is little queue at the traffic lights, all this because there is no gasoline, car parts are very expensive, and in short it is a privilege to drive, whoever can does it. .
greetings
Everyone seems to want to do their own thing regardless of the rules or law or it how it effects others. It's crazy really, and I wonder where it will lead in the future. (Nowhere good.) I wish traffic was declining here but it's increasing at a rate faster than the road infrastructure can keep up and that's problematic.
Absolutely the driving part G.... I believe you may already know this feeling; it doesn't matter how wrecked your first car is, it always brings a level of joy like never before because that's when you experience real freedom to move.....🥰🥰🥰 Me checking AUD to USD
I get a lot of enjoyment out of my private vehicles, and have spend a fuck load of money buying them...but that first car I bought, despite being cheap, was one of the most favoured.
Absolutely.... For me I'm definitely not going to see my first car ever 😂😂 the kids of the future will have to buy it for 5 million dollars
I can't drive and I don't have a car. So I either walk or use a bus. I am glad that I don't have a car. It seems that cars eat a lot of money.