Is there a shortage of steering wheels in Australia?

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

My daughter just saw this news story and sent it to me.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-2...-wheel/4837680



Read the story it is a hoot, hope the officers could keep a straight face while writing up the multiple violations, bet this one goes in his too dumb to believe list of traffic stops stories.

Cheers Phil

[hrpearce]

The poor fellows brain cell must get lonely at times.

[motto]

Not only missing the wheel but also the legendary nut behind it.

This was South Australia which adjoins the Northern Territory and between them they take in a large part of Central Australia.
If someone was to compile photographs of 'non standard (i.e. defective) vehicles' from this area, a very entertaining book could be assembled.
So long as it can drag itself around, it will be used and when it can go no further usually torched. I could tell a couple of stories myself but not without risking the 'R' tag.
Mad Max had its genesis somewhere.

David

[Lang]

A thought that intrudes on my mind about all this business about roadworthy and defective vehicles is how many accidents do "unsafe" vehicles ACTUALLY CAUSE?

Lots of "could have, would have and should have" and if the Queen had balls she would be King.

The vice grips on the steering is a pretty outrageous example but when did a torn seat cover or dud windscreen washer etc ever cause an accident. And as for a few bubbles of rust in a door!

Annual roadworthies are a money tree rort for service centres and feel-good impost on the community for politicians. I think Queensland has the best idea of having a roadworthy only on change of ownership coupled with roadside spot checks on obvious REAL defective items.

People know their tyres are bald, brakes don't work or steering wanders and continuing to drive is a deliberate offence.

Let's get back to essential equipment checks such as bald tyres, inoperative brakes, lights and extreme steering and suspension faults. Everything has a cost benefit balance (yes even saving a life has a price beyond which it is unreasonable for the community to pay for.)

The only way to be 100% safe is to have no cars. We have gone way beyond the cost benefit line between a no cost open gladiator road scene and community grinding to a halt with everyone walking. No horses allowed as they are more dangerous than cars.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories. All have different versions of what 'safe' is. Most require 3-rd party inspections when vehicles come from another province or change ownership. Age of the vehicle is the other factor.

My recent experience getting my M151A2 plated was an illustration is the silliness of Ontaro's rules. As a 1975 model year coming from out of province, it had to be inspected against a long checklist. Besides swapping out the weather checked NDCC tires, all holes in the floor had to be closed off. Never mind it qualifies as a convertible and the floor is a single thickness exposed from the top, the drains were considered the same as the rust holes.

This province's latest bright idea, i.e. cash grab, has been annual emissions testing. In order to renew the plates, the owner must spend $$$ for a paper that says the noxious fumes from the tail pipe are below a certain level. If it fails the owner has a few options, but almost very vehicle will pass. Diesels couldn't be tested on standard equipment. The latest wrinkle is to make licenced testers junk their current equipment and run a test on the on-board diagnostic port. The irony is that older vehicles, like my M151A2 which have the least emissions controls are excused from testing.

[Lynn Eades]

I too follow your lines of thought.
At home we now have areas where the authorities have introduced "Speed safety zones" They have dropped the main road speed limits, and my assumption is it will happen more and more. Even when the wheels of our cars are not allowed to rotate anymore, some people will still die on the roads (fall over and bump their heads or whatever)
In some areas we now have miles of no passing lines, and they are removing the passing lanes, and painting in a single lane.
Now days if there is an fatal accident it is now declared a "crime scene" and that section of road is closed. Maybe until the next day, sometimes requiring thousands of motorists to travel many extra kilometers, should they still have to make their trip. I am talking main arterial routes here,and long distances.
Some years back in the fuel crisis we had carless days forced on us to save fuel. What is the cost to the nation, when you send 50,000 vehicles an extra 100km because there is a car blocking one lane.
I think the authorities have forgotten what the highway is for.
I tried to find out by what authority no passing lines were painted on the roads. the methodology seems to vary a lot. Basically I think some unqualified minion paints the line where he thinks he can, and for evermore its a crime to encroach on it, even when you can see the way is clear.
Australian roads are just wonderful by comparison.