Quite amazingly, the TAC has finally decided that their 100% obsession with speed being the cause of all collisions is not the be-all and end-all of road safety. There’s a new campaign telling motorists to — shock horror — pay attention and put the phone down, stop fiddling with the radio, stop playing with the children and DRIVE THE BLOODY CAR WITHOUT KILLING PEOPLE.
A good start, but sadly reality intrudes. Another day, another ride to work, another dickhead in a 4WD on the phone on the road.
There I was sitting at the lights at Dandenong road and North road. There he was sitting next to me — big shiny BMW 4WD, (rego. Vic. ######), chatting away, SMSing away. I point and shout out “put the phone down,” he swears and gesticulates and swears some more. The lights go green and I ride off, then he roars past, swerving in towards me to give me a scare.
All the campaigns in the world are meaningless when the vast majority of Australians believe its their god-given right to do what they damn well please the instant they get in their little metal boxes.
