VIC roads trying something different

[vztrt]

Well at least its better then speed camera's.

http://theage.drive.com.au/roads-and...026-171ds.html

TAC plans Victorian education centre for L-platers
David Rood
October 26, 2010

The Transport Accident Commission will spend $50 million to build a student education centre in a bid to slash the number of young drivers dying on the state's roads.

The Road Safety Experience Centre will focus on L-plate drivers, with students able to use interactive technology, including a simulation of a car roll-over, as well as hearing from road accident victims.

It will also feature a role-play scenario of emergency services workers at a crash scene and driving simulators that reproduce the effects of driving while drunk or influenced by drugs.

TAC Minister Tim Holding said learner drivers were the state's safest drivers, but when they got their P-plates, ''overconfidence'' led them to become the most dangerous, resulting in ''terrible road trauma and death''.
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He said the centre would enable students to learn about the tragedy of road accidents without having to experience it.

Drivers aged 18 to 25 make up 18 per cent of road users but 27 per cent of road fatalities.

The centre will be complete by early 2013 and will be built on a yet-to-be-determined Melbourne site.

Students who go through the centre will receive a $50 voucher for a driving lesson, with Premier John Brumby promising regional students will receive assistance to use the centre.

He said the centre is about confronting young people about the reality of a horrific accident: ''What happens when a pedestrian hits a windscreen. What happens when you come off your motorbike at 80 kilometres an hour and you wind up in The Alfred Trauma Centre.''

Victoria's road toll is 257, up from 226 at the same time last year.

[dylancox]

Not good enough.. it needs to be absolutely compulsory. If they are so hell bent on revenue raising, then why don't they up the cost of licenses substantially, and introduce re-testing every x number of years to keep all drivers educated and competent. But definitely a good first step.

[Silver Ghia]

Still doesnt help the young P-plater who has just got their licence in the city after doing their test with the required hours on nice kerbed and sealed roads etc, then goes for a drive in the country with his/her mates.

Driving along happily and joking with eachother, for some reason, whether they have to swerve to avoid an oncoming vehicle, or they momentarily lose concentration, the left hand wheels drop off the sealed road onto the loose gravel. The driver overcorrects and collides with an oncoming car.

This is a typical scenario that has caused multiple fatalities, many times. I know...

Showing rollovers and showing crash scenes with simulators etc. only goes so far, but does not prepare the young driver for the sudden predicament such as described, which they may unexpectedly get into at any second while driving.

To me, just showing the obvious effects of an accident is only part of driver education. Identifying and coping safely with common potentially dangerous situations, and most importantly avoiding these, is even more important.

[WMD351]

Originally Posted by nitro xr

Still doesnt help the young P-plater who has just got their licence in the city after doing their test with the required hours on nice kerbed and sealed roads etc, then goes for a drive in the country with his/her mates.

Driving along happily and joking with eachother, for some reason, whether they have to swerve to avoid an oncoming vehicle, or they momentarily lose concentration, the left hand wheels drop off the sealed road onto the loose gravel. The driver overcorrects and collides with an oncoming car.

This is a typical scenario that has caused multiple fatalities, many times. I know...

Showing rollovers and showing crash scenes with simulators etc. only goes so far, but does not prepare the young driver for the sudden predicament such as described, which they may unexpectedly get into at any second while driving.

To me, just showing the obvious effects of an accident is only part of driver education. Identifying and coping safely with common potentially dangerous situations, and most importantly avoiding these, is even more important.

Bingo. Don't build a skid pan or teach 'em anything about car control, just give 'em a head start on dealing with the tragic consequences of having no skills/experience

[bafel]

should have elections every year

[Franco Cozzo]

Ah yeah, like their "education" they gave us in year 11 and 12, they went through the effort to get VicRoads and Victoria Police out and waste our entire day with how speed cameras save lives and how the new P plate laws are working. GTFO.

Then the uni students who took us into a classroom where we threw tennis balls to each other.

Unfortunately I was one of the 75 morons that showed up (out of 250 of us) while everyone else was at the cinemas or at home.

You know what? The government will never, ever intoduce proper "driver training" because skidpans contradict their "anti-hoon" movements and education costs money. At the end of the day, its not about saving lives, its about the $$$.