It rained in Brisbane last night... time for a little rant...

[RED_EL_XR8]

Originally Posted by neb

Mainly I think you should drive at the fastest speed you can (under the speed limit) while keeping a safe distance in front of you. Of course if the speed limit is 80 and traffic is only flowing at 60 then you will have to do 60.

It's all common sense really.

If everybody thought like that there'd be no reasons for the freeways to ever clog. other than from the exits back.
But sadly they don think like that and every day it a crawl. Your theory assumes people will remain in their lane etc. I find the only thing predictable about other driver is the impending stupidity, I know most wont handle the wet so my main aim is staying the hell away from them.

[NAK302]

Originally Posted by neb

It's all common sense really.

you're right. problem is when folks are at the bottom of the gene pool all the common sense is above them, unfortunetly the stooopid driving test lets the bottom dwellers through as well :

[iCat]

In the middle of the night last night in Melb I drove home from work. The rain was bucketing and the wind was appalling. On a 4 lane road I sat on 60-70 in an 80 zone because I am driving a ute with an LSD and it was the fastest I could safely go in the flooding conditions. I could not see the lane markings, I could not see the flooded areas.

To the dickheads who passed me at impossible speeds in those conditions: I honestly hope you are temporary Australians because I don't want to share the roads with you. You too could not possibly see the flooded areas, as evidenced by 3 cars I saw lose it, thank heavens not next to me but well in front. But I thank you for those 3 instances because I was able to go even slower as I approached to avoid the hazards which you each kindly pointed out in a most humourous manner.

Dickheads the lot of you - yes, your car handles great in the wet until it comes upon something the driver can't handle. That's when the innocent get hurt.

[NAK302]

Originally Posted by 211

In the middle of the night last night in Melb I drove home from work. The rain was bucketing and the wind was appalling. On a 4 lane road I sat on 60-70 in an 80 zone because I am driving a ute with an LSD and it was the fastest I could safely go in the flooding conditions. I could not see the lane markings, I could not see the flooded areas.

To the dickheads who passed me at impossible speeds in those conditions: I honestly hope you are temporary Australians because I don't want to share the roads with you. You too could not possibly see the flooded areas, as evidenced by 3 cars I saw lose it, thank heavens not next to me but well in front. But I thank you for those 3 instances because I was able to go even slower as I approached to avoid the hazards which you each kindly pointed out in a most humourous manner.

Dickheads the lot of you - yes, your car handles great in the wet until it comes upon something the driver can't handle. That's when the innocent get hurt.

yessirree. read post 32 and all the answers are revealed.

[parawolf]

While I do take 5km off my speed in the wet, with last nights rain there is very few tyres that could cope with the volume of water on Melbourne's roads at above 75km/h. I was filled with hope about Melbourne's driving population for the first time at about 10:15pm last night on the Eastern freeway when ALL the traffic going into the city was at about 70-80km/h. There was no slingshot overtaking, minimal water spray and well.. it was just a pleasure considering the conditions.

But getting back onto the suburban roads, i couldn't say the same. People sitting at the lights with their back ends going sideways as they attempted to take off (hint, if you are in a manual try taking off in 2nd gear if you have a powerful car works a treat).

[cheese]

Three years ago I would have agreed on the state of driving in Brisbane, but then I came back to NZ.
Christchurch drivers are possibly the worst in the country if not the Southern Hemisphere.

[Black XR6]

I'd prefer if everyone drove the speed limit but kept a safe distance in front of them. Thats how I drive in the rain.

Try that in sydney or on the F3 rain or shine. Leave a decent gap in front of you and its sure to be filled by someone who just rocketed up either side of you. Maybe the gap will be used as a transitional area to get from the lane to the left of you to the far right lane.

[outback_ute]

Oh I forgot one other reason to explain the phenomenon - the rules of physics don't apply to some people (apparently)

[Lawsy]

Originally Posted by neb

I don't know an exact difference but what just seems safe and gives you plenty of time to brake. It doesn't really matter if the road is wet and greasy and slides easy. The person in front will have the exact same problems so you all just take longer to stop. If someone pulls in front of you then you slow down a little to allow more room. It's not that difficult really to keep a decent speed and safe distance instead of traffic reduced to a crawl like it usually is. I'm mainly thinking of freeway situations here... sure if its peak hour traffic on a road with traffic lights etc then you might need to slow down a bit..

Mainly I think you should drive at the fastest speed you can (under the speed limit) while keeping a safe distance in front of you. Of course if the speed limit is 80 and traffic is only flowing at 60 then you will have to do 60.

It's all common sense really.

Its a 90 zone, say james rouse drive.

Your travelling along at the speed limit and the car 5 places up from you does something stupid and has an acco.

Its night, its raining and so you can't see past much more than 2 cars.

The 3rd car ahead of you brakes suddenly, the guy behind him doesn't brake so suddenly, and the guy infront of you only just looked up from flicking radio stations, he barely brakes at all... And slap....

So you have a pile up infront of you, but your reaction time is mainly based on the late reaction of the guy directly infront of you.

He plows into them, and you plow into him.

Now, if you had another 20 meters, you might have had enough sight to see this unfold a little earlier, therefore you may have seen the this happening before the car directly infront of you.

This means you could have taken some form of evasive action sooner to avoid or at least lesson the impact or possible injury...

People who drive like morons in the wet are just scary. I back right off from these guys, I've seen to many of them lose it, or nearly lose it to risk staying near them..

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by neb

I wish I lived in Brisbane. Everyone in Melbourne seems to drive 20kms under the speed limit when it rains which drives me crazy.

Can't be true, if that were the case they would be making no money on speed cameras.