Drag racing death

[turb06]

I guess what I'm suggesting, is if the accessibility to a properly supervised (safe) venue for a street drag/or other motor sport such as motorkhana was available, it might reduce the desire to do so at inappropriate times and places on suburban streets.

The current street meets which exist are fantastic.  I'm just suggesting if they were easier to access, then it might be even better at reducing the idiotic practice of street racing where the innocent public are put at risk.

This is the answer, driver education is of benefit of course, but an outlet for those needing it is the only real answer I feel.

A mate & I have a concept for one in Brisbane which we've been jibbering about for years, now if those lotto numbers just come down we'll have it up n running in a jiffy & you'll all be invited.

My deepest sympthay to families involved.

Scotty

making these facilities available to the motoring public would do some good to stop street racing. Charging a fee wouldnt be possible IMO because people can do it for free on the street.

I remember a drag event (cant recall the name of it, or if it is still on) at the gold coast that the police used to put on. Police ran the event, they even had a police drag car you could race against. They also offered driver safety information and other advice. Something every town should look into.

[turbotom]

An organised motor sport event close to the cbd is not entirely an impossible task for satisfying the urge drivers have to drive their cars.

Many CAMS affiliated clubs do have motorkhana events in built up areas. I know there was an attempt by the SA CAMS office to try and secure the disused netball courts on Anzac Hwy (just off West Tce, Sth Tce intersection) but failed to get Adelaide City council approval.

Several large shopping centre car parks were utilised up until last year. An incident of uncontrolled burnouts by hoons after a legit event finished broke down the relationship with the owners, and saw the shopping centre car park venues made unavailable. Took a while to find an alternative, but Mitsubishi motors have come to the party in Adelaide, and their car park at the Lonsdale engine plant is the venue for some well organised motor sport events every month.

Have to be a member of a CAMS affiliated car club though, and require a minimum 2NS license ( $44 / annum )

If a venue closer to the CBD was available, I reckon it would have great appeal.

Organised and run properly, I believe it could go a long way to promote good driver education, satisfy the urge enthusiasts have to "race" their cars, and promote motor sport in a beneficial way. Heck, if you have it close to a restaurant / cafe district. you'd have plenty of support from the local proprietors too.

Look how succesful the street circuit race events are. It's not as if the public is totally averse to the concept.

mmmm, I wonder whether there would be enough people to support the idea?

[ktford]

making these facilities available to the motoring public would do some good to stop street racing. Charging a fee wouldnt be possible IMO because people can do it for free on the street.

It'd be possible to charge, once it was clearly obvious that the benefits far outweigh the risks IMO. We're talking 24/7 facility with all conceivable bells n whistles

Scotty

[ktford]

I remember a drag event (cant recall the name of it, or if it is still on) at the gold coast that the police used to put on. Police ran the event, they even had a police drag car you could race against. They also offered driver safety information and other advice. Something every town should look into.

Operation DRAG it was called, I think the Police involvement was its undoing. Plus the fact that the japs (no offence) wanted the land for a canal developement. To slow, not available often enough & sh*t track.

Scotty

[turb06]

I remember a drag event (cant recall the name of it, or if it is still on) at the gold coast that the police used to put on.  Police ran the event, they even had a police drag car you could race against.  They also offered driver safety information and other advice.  Something every town should look into.

Operation DRAG it was called, I think the Police involvement was its undoing. Plus the fact that the japs (no offence) wanted the land for a canal developement. To slow, not available often enough & sh*t track.

Scotty

that's the one. But wasnt it a police organised event from the start?

Even though that particular example wasnt successful, it is still a good concept.

[plonky]

What has the reference to "police cars driving fast with no lights and sirens on" got to do with this thread anyway!  Rule 305 of the Australian Road Rules exempts us from ALL road rules in the execution our duty.  You would have had NO IDEA what the driver of the Police car was doing if it was travelling faster than the prevailing limit so don't bother speculating.

I can see now why some of my colleagues in our chosen profession get really jack of this constant style of criticism.!

Nothing personal here Plonky Rule 305 does exempt you from all road rules in the EXECUTION of your duty I quote

305 Exemption for drivers of police vehicles

(1) A provision of the Australian Road Rules does not apply to the

driver of a police vehicle if:

(a) in the circumstances:

(I) the driver is taking reasonable care; and

(ii) it is reasonable that the provision should not apply;

and

(b) if the vehicle is a motor vehicle that is moving — the

vehicle is displaying a blue or red flashing light or

sounding an alarm.

Note Motor vehicle and police vehicle are defined in the dictionary.

(2) Subrule (1) (b) does not apply to the driver if, in the

circumstances, it is reasonable:

(a) not to display the light or sound the alarm; or

(b) for the vehicle not to be fitted or equipped with a blue or

red flashing light or an alarm.

The key word in this fir interpretation is REASONABLE

This does not mean when you are popping out to the bank or ducking out to grab lunch. All of these are things I have witnessed. A fair number of state police all around the country have faced disciplanary action and or lost there jobs after being caught by speed cameras travelling well in excess of the posted limit without a lawful reason for doing so. IE to be exempt from the road rules in the above quote you must be displaying lights and sirens unless it is REASONABLE not to or the vehicle is not fitted with these devices.

Please dont take this as unfair critisism as it is not intended to be . I deal with these same issues myself and I feel that as law enforcement officers we must have standards and integrity on the highest level. And we must not interpret legislation to suit our own ends.

Hopefully this can enlighten all the people posting on this thread without offending any.

Safe driving all

In my original post I did state 'all road rules in the EXECUTION of our duty' so I was making it clear that even if we are travelling faster than the prevailing limit with no warning devices it is not up to everyone else out there to speculate what we are doing.

Rule 305 stipulates that if it is reasonable not to use warning devices then we don;t have to. One of the reasonable times would be when we are checking the speed of a motorist. If I'm doing a 'check speed' on a guy, I sure as hell am not going to put on the lights and sirens on to exceed the speed limit so I can sit in behind him and check his speed with a calibrated speedomter at a distance of '*' seconds for a *** metres.

I don;t drive around at speed just because I can.

I don;t interpret the legislation to suit myself.

I proactively drive around 'looking' for offences, not reactively waiting for them to come to me.

I've been doing this stuff for over 16yrs and to be effective you need to know exactly what and where you can do things within the law.

Like 99% of NSW Police we do what we have to within the law. It is not up to a statutory body such as the Police to provide an example to the majority of people, because the majority of people have already made the acceptable standard with which to follow. That community standard is the legislation which, amongst others, makes it an offence to use offensive language, steal other peoples property, assault people or defraud people.

The majority of people know what is acceptable and what is not. If we are suppopsed to be providing examples to people as to how to behave, then we are providing an example to the people that DON'T want to be part of the majority.

99% of people would not conciously steal in retail stores, assault strangers or rob others. Yet 99% of people would conciously break the law (exceed the speed limit) every day. This is due to the majority not agreeing with a representative democracies policy (the Govt.) but tacitly allowing it to happen be returning them to power because of other functions they perform.

Legislation such as Rule 305 exists because the community demand it. They want the ability for their statutory bodies such as the Police to apprehend those that operate outside the law and bring them before a Court.

The application of Rule 305 then means that the 'community standard' is 'reasonableness'. This is why I use the Rule when I am in the EXECUTION of my duty, not when I want to get an Iced Coffee.

Reasonabless does not mean 'setting an example.' Reasonableness means the test that a reasonable person would do in those ccircumstances. If it meant to have the ability to sit in behind a speeding motorist with no lights and sirens on to check his speed, then that is reasonable.

Integrity means knowing the power you have and exercising it in the circumstances that require it.

As I said before, it is not up to the general motorist to speculate why we drive around at speed, cross unbroken lines or travel through red lights without stopping. I do it because I am executing my duty.

[100%]

I do it because I am executing my duty.

And if they were all like you we wouldn't have these problems. It is when we see them go past clearly over the limit and then stopped at the coffee shop eating lunch 1 km down the road that we question their right to speed. A right which clearly they don't have in that situation. I personally know a cop who went past another officer doing 200km/h just to see his reaction when he got them on the radar!

It just makes us think, who police's the Police?

[voy74656]

Its good to have a little fun - I bought the car to have fun. If I wanted a car I would have bought an XT - not an XR6T.

Have fun - just dont put yourself or others in danger.

[Guest]

Very sad, such a waste of life.....

There is no easy or fast answer to the problems of speeding on our roads. The Gov lets cars be sold to us that can do 200kmph + then taxes us on the sale, then fines us for using them. Lets not start on the taxes on fuel too. Get your gruby hands out of my pockets Little John.

Lower limits don't stop speeding, taking a photo of you as your speeding dosn't stop you (just pisses you off more), education about driving is the key, real education like wet weather driver training in schools would be a start.

I think they may have rased enough money on us all by now, spend some on drivers education training days for all drivers young and old, not on the relpacement of speed signs to lower the speed in localised areas, wake up its not working.

[100%]

Well I too was a DH years ago, BUT, the conditions were also a lot different then!

And while I feel for the family off the dead boy, It is one less DH on the road now that could kill MY family with his stupidity! Which is good!

Plonky, while I'm sure your right and it may be legal to drive however you want as a cop. That doesn't make it right! If I get hit by a cop car speeding with no warning that they were coming up at me at that speed, I reckon a judge would side with me when it gets to court. I know we've had this discussion b4, and I still think cops need to set an example. How do you define 'executing your duty'?? Is that returning to the office to do paperwork, or chasing bank robbers?

IMHO the in town drag strip will never work because of 2 words "public" and ........................................you guessed it "liability". Great idea, but who's to blame when someone dies?

It was mentioned already, the best way around this is EDUCATION!!!!! Teach them HOW to drive, and teach them the consequences of failing to obey the law, their conscience, their parents and their girlfriends who are saying slow down!

Sure the conditions were a lot different then. The cars were less safe and the roads were much worse.

We now have better cars, better tyres, better roads and more saftey features every where.

Calling some kid names, that was unfortunate enough to die in an accident is just plain wrong. Most young male drivers feel they are invincible and that the laws don't apply to them. Its been the same since the car was invented and I cant see it chaning any time soon. It's human nature. Young males from every generation are all basically the same. Calling them names and being grateful they are dead wont fix anything.

We can try to educate them and offer them all the training in the world, this sort of thing is still going to happen. You can't learn experience or commonsense. These come with age. sh*t I'm nearly 40 and most people I know would still say I have little of either.

I agree it is a bad situation and we should all try and find solutions without any knee jerk reactions.

What is the answer?? I dont know, but its not to call kids names or be grateful when they die.

Geea.

Hey Craig. How are you?

Your right, I shouldn't be happy that someone is dead. But how would you feel about this guy if instead of hitting a power pole, he took out your family? That's the scenario I'm imagining!