Your views: Winter 2023
Our readers share their thoughts on infotainment in cars, speeding concerns, protecting wildlife on our roads and more.
Eyes on the road
Ridiculous video screens in the middle of the dashboard of most modern vehicles are a concerning distraction for road users with plenty of buttons to push which lowers the driver’s eyes down and away from the road. Of course, vehicle manufacturers think they are a wonderful selling point regardless of the fact they are more dangerous than mobile phone usage to a driver.
Stephen Willett
Risky system
The Tasmanian Government’s third-party notification process allows a person to criticise another person’s driving without the target person having access to the necessary information that would enable them to contest the criticism and leaves the target person open to driver’s licence suspension. This is unfair and leaves the notification process open to abuse.
Michael Wadsley
Speed up
I have just read Garry Bailey’s latest article on speed limits. We all want to be safe on the roads but continual reduction of limits will not do it. We now have recently improved roads that are 80km/h, far less than the previous 100km/h speed limit. The constant barrage of “speed kills” messages misses the point that it’s not the speed limit but rather not driving to the conditions. Recent statistics suggest speed was responsible for just 16% of crashes yet we spend an inordinate amount of time in this pursuit.
Geoff Wells
Watch for animals
Your article on roadkill is a good start but so much more should be done to save wildlife. Devices such as ‘Sonic Animal Guard’ a whistle that warns off animals, should be mandatory fitting on all vehicles. The device may not prevent all collisions, but it can contribute to a roadkill reduction. Wildlife help and rescue phone numbers (eg Bonorong) should be printed on driving licences and road signs. Phone numbers and information on how to help an injured animal should be printed on vehicle registration renewals because education of all road users is another contributing solution. Making a slower speed limit at dawn and dusk mandatory, just as during school drop/pick up times, would also be a step in the right direction.
Jane // Penguin
No logic
Is there any sort of management with road repairs? Roads are ripped up for kilometres and then left as is for weeks. There will be an excavator left at one place and a grader somewhere else and us motorists must travel for so long at reduced speeds. Please can someone explain on TV now and again what is going on, so motorists don’t get so frustrated.
John // Devonport
Round and round
Why hasn’t someone put in place a roundabout at the eastern end of the Bowen Bridge to keep the flow of traffic moving quicker? It seems such an easy fix.
Jeff
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