On The Road

This is a really fresh and brave approach. Well done and good luck. Paul Yole, 14:55/20 March

Great advert ... All the best with it working .... slow driver and slower cyclist here :) Aushiker, 21:10/20 March

Fantastic initiative. I hope it sinks in to the community ... in all aspects, not just speed. We all stand to be much happier for it. liveslow, 21:45/20 March

Fantastic campaign! Really resonated with me. Best of luck, I think this is a winner! Jules, 08:06/21 March

I saw this yesterday afternoon and as I was driving home, it actually resonated with me and I slowed down. I'm a Melbournian, and to be honest, years of gruesome TAC shock tactics haven't worked on me, but this did. Congrats. John, 07:00/22 March

Just saw this on tv. I think its a great campaign Jade, 19:04/27 March

Good ad. But if you had less speed cameras and illogical speed zones or traffic lights for everyone to worry about, together with better placed road signs and some education about what defensive driving is... then you might get somewhere. Junk Waffle, 15:16/28 March

@ Junk Waffle. Thanks for your comments. You have mentioned a lot of issues, so briefly I will try to address all of them. Speed cameras are designed to catch drivers who are speeding – a dangerous and illegal behaviour on our roads. One third of the money raised from these fines goes back in to road safety initiatives and campaigns, like the ad you liked, Enjoy the Ride. This has been created to help educate the community about the dangers of speeding and to encourage the right behaviours on our roads. The fact remains however that lower speeds means fewer crashes, fewer deaths and fewer serious injuries on WA roads. Speed affects both the risk of being involved in a crash and more importantly, the subsequent outcomes should a crash occur. Speed zones are set by Mainroads and local government. The objective of speed zoning is to provide credible speed limits which meet driver expectations while achieving a balance between road safety, land use, amenity and transport efficiency. More information on speed zones can be found via the Mainroads website. Finally with reference to driver training, studies show that driver training is not necessarily the best way to improve road safety. For young males especially it can provide them with an over-confidence on our roads, increasing their risk of crashing at high speeds or dangerous conditions. All of the evidence shows that the best preparation for young drivers is 120 hours of supervised driving, which is supported by the Office of Road Safety. Certainly, there is no substitute for getting experience under supervision in real traffic, road weather and driving conditions. I hope this helps and thank you again. Enjoytheride supporter, 15:06/29 March

This is a great advertisement! I saw it on TV the other night and as I was watching, being lulled into its message about life in general, and then into the road safety aspect, it really brought the message home. I even thought about it the other day when I was getting frustrated in traffic. Thanks for such a great ad! WA Driver, 16:16/30 March

What a beautiful message and advertisement. Beats the gruesome scare tactic ones. I have just returned to Perth from Melbourne and get quite anxious watching the tailgating and road rage that happens in WA. I hope this advert helps to slow drivers down in both their life and driving. Thank you! Lisa J, 21:13/03 April

"studies show that driver training is not necessarily the best way to improve road safety. For young males especially it can provide them with an over-confidence on our roads, increasing their risk of crashing at high speeds or dangerous conditions." Would Enjoytheride supporter please name these studies and provide links so we can read them? If that were true, why bother having any driver training at all? It's like saying mining companies don't new staff to do training courses before starting work because that will encourage them to do dangerous acts in the workplace. SafetyThroughTraining., 12:29/06 April

@ SafetyThroughTraining Thanks for your comment. One of the most comprehensive studies done in this country which references relevant documents over the past 30 years and published by the RACV can be found here - http://www.ors.wa.gov.au/TopicsRoadSafety/Pages/DriverTrainingLicensing.aspx Scroll down the page to Publications - RACV: Effectiveness of Driver Training as a Road Safety Measure, 2007 This paper states that – “Overall, the research evidence suggests that most driver training contributes little to reductions in accident involvement or crash risk among drivers of all age and experience groups.” I appreciate your comments, however road safety is a complex issue which requires safe road use (of which driver training and education forms one part), safe roads and roadsides, safe travel speeds and safe vehicles. We need to begin to think of road safety as involving all of these integrated elements instead of thinking that driver training or police enforcement alone (for example) is the answer. I hope you can agree. Enjoytheride supporter, 13:10/06 April

So in other words, there is no CREDIBLE study. RAC in every state is a club, not an expert body. Why haven't you cited any European studies? SafetyThroughTraining, 13:50/06 April

@ SafetyThroughTraining. The monograph I cited is based on a report called “The effectiveness of driver training as a road safety measure: A review of the literature”. This report cites studies from all over the world many of which come from Europe. Enjoytheride Supporter, 14:06/06 April

less than 24 hours after checking out this great site I had my own 'slow moment'. Travelling into Albany in peak morning traffic all cars ground to a halt as a disorientated young roo attempted to cross a bridge. A taxi driver (never normally known for their slow moments) managed to shoo the roo over the bridge and to the safety of some bushland. We all continued on our journey and I immediately thought of your slow down and enjoy the moment. Just as relevant for busy rural settings as the city. oystercat, 16:08/14 April

SafetyThroughTraining is on the right track as he/she has exposed EnjoytheRideSupporter. Our Australian Motor Accident Commissions have their collective heads buried deep in the sand when it comes to any form of practical driver training allowing a novice driver earlier access to a licence. They rely on "research" done by Ron Christie last century to prove their stance. They steadfastly refuse to accept that things might have changed, that authourities in other overseas juristictions may have tried alternatives using modern teaching methods. We have to make Defensive Driving Courses the culmination of a schools based long term Road Safety and Driver Education program spread over many years that slowly develops acceptable attitutudes that manifest in appropriate behaviours on the road. At present each State is doing its own thing - we need uniform state of the art laws across Australia. KimMichelmoreBarossaSA , 06:51/15 April

@ KimMichelmoreBarossaSA, Driver training is certainly beneficial, please refer to my first comment regarding 120 hours of supervised driver training. You do raise some valid and interesting points. Thanks for your comments. Enjoytheride Supporter, 09:40/15 April

That is really something. Too sentimental, little bit kitsch but makes me thinking. I wish to have this in Poland. Best wishes :) yelch, 05:01/16 April

Slow down? I wish drivers would STOP at side streets and take a good look. Would be nice to see some more indicator use too. fukker, 23:14/12 May

@Enjoytheride employee: Speed cameras make money from speed limits. Even if the other two thirds of revenue were also spent on 'road safety initiatives' it is still a revenue source clearly operated as such: if the aim was to slow people down they would be visible and not hidden in strategic locations (down hills, zone changes etcetera). And I said 'education' not 'driver training'. What's the point of a hundred thousand hours of experience if you're driving poorly. Keep left. Merge. Look ahead. Where are those 'initiatives'? Response fail. Junk Waffle, 15:41/07 June

@ Junk Waffle. Speed cameras make money from speeders not limits. If no-one speeds then there would be no money. Enough said. Butler, 14:17/08 June

I think this initiative is great. Any attempts to slow drivers down and make our roads safer for all is well worth it and should be applauded. I don’t understand people like Junk Waffle though. What’s wrong with you man? Why would you make an argument for speeders when we know it’s a fact that hundreds of people are killed and/or injured in crashes involving excessive speed every year? Would you make your silly statements to those who have lost loved ones as a result of speeding?? Think about it a little more before making such silly comments Junk!! Your attitude = EPIC FAIL Suz, 07:16/09 June

@Butler. Ah yes, semantics. People become 'speeders' as soon as they miss a 40km/h sign or drive through the Mandurah bypass where it keeps going from 100km/h to 80km/h and back. Chicken and egg arguments are silly - the issue is slowing people down versus making money. If you want to slow people down use education (like this campaign). If you want to make money use speed cameras. @Suz My arguments are not for or against 'speeding'. I am sorry if you have been affected. My argument is against revenue raising disguised as a way of addressing road safety. Education. Campaigns. Not tax. Junk Waffle, 16:04/01 August

@Mainroads... oh dear. I just read your website on Speed zone changes and variable limits (mostly reductions of 20km/h or so) "A 40km/h speed limit" during a "peak pedestrian period" of "7.30am to 1am"? That's 17.5hrs of peak! That's the majority of the 24hr period. Why do we live in a rule based society of waste rather than a normal street to drive down to get to the shop? Anyway, enjoy the ride looking out for all the signs while you do it. Junk Waffle, 16:32/01 August

Thanks for your comments. I’m glad we have you engaged on the issue. Thanks for sharing your views and continuing the debate. Enjoy the Ride Supporter, 14:40/02 August