Lost Licence Poll

[jsmith]

grudgee, I'm with you mate, I just can't believe that more people have lost their licence than haven't.

I value my driving, have done some stupid things in the past but NEVER were I have put other people lives at risk (not trying to justify it though).

I will regularly sit 10-15% over the speed limit but obey nearly every other rule, my missus drives if I drink, she's a good girl, well trained (geez hope she donesn't read this )

I work in a family business so need my licence, not only to get to work but also deliver and pick up parts etc etc. Without it I would be lost.

[sixfan]

Never lost it,

Partook of my youthful idiocy in an XB 250 wagon,( pretty hard to be naughty in that, but I managed...) got booked and went to court lots of times, but things were different then, $60 fine, $60 court costs see ya later....

only been booked twice in the last 5 years, 10 kph over in a hurry to get somewhere before closing.

Lucky enough to have hidden Valley race days to get it out of my system.

[xa-mont]

I did most of my sillyness in my EF fairmont, so that was pretty tame, but then I got the XB which had a 250 in it, but that just didnt cut it so now it has a mild 351 (208RWKW) which is a little bit sillyness inducing, probably the sound that does it to me...

[Craig.]

I value my driving, have done some stupid things in the past but NEVER were I have put other people lives at risk (not trying to justify it though).

I can say the same thing regarding valuing my driving and never puting any other peoples lives at risk, yet I have lost mine for three months.

I got caught doing 115 in an 80 zone on the Old Pacific Hwy just south of Brooklyn on my 1000cc road bike. For those that dont know it, the Old Pacific Hwy used to be the main road north of Sydney before a the F3 was built. Its a great road for a bike at 100kph as there are lots of fairly tight corners ( 45kph ones according to the advisory speed posted before the corners) and riding is all about corners after all. It is in the middle of nowhere, not in a built up area at all. Just another country road now, with some beautiful scenery of the lower Hawksbury River. A great place to ride except for the revenue collection agency that concentrates heavily on this area. If only I knew that then!

In the 70s the speed limit was 100kph along there, but they have dropped it down to 80 and in some cases 60 now. Why? Good question as it is in the middle of nowhere and as I said, it was 100 when your dad/grandfather could drive it in an old car with cross plies and crap suspension before the freeway was built. Look at how far car/bike and tyre technology has come since then and then explain to me why a speed limit on a road that used to be a major hwy needs to be dropped!

I was just out for a quiet afternoon ride, not doing anything stupid, just enjoying the curves and corners riding well within both my and the bikes abilities. The only mistake I made was riding to conditions, looking up and concerntrating on the road surface rather than fixing all of my concerntration on the gauge cluster to see what my speed was. I find watching the road is a much better plan if you want to live by the way! All of a sudden around the next corner comes a mobile radar with a disliking for bikes. The rest you can figure out but as I was more than 30 over means means 3 months walking in NSW.

My driving record before and since has been great. Havent had a speeding ticket in a car for 10 years. I do get done on the bike occasionally but as I said, I would rather concentrate on the road and live than spend all my time staring at the speedo and potentially miss something that could kill me.

You don't have to be a hoon to loose it mate. With the laws as they stand, you just have to be doing something mildly silly at the time that an unsympathetic cop is coming the other way. Or like in your case, setting your cruising speed at slightly over the speed limit and get caught enough times, or just being plain unlucky when there is double demerit points like poor old Senna.

Not trying to justify all of this or glorify it. I'm just saying that the way that the laws are, it isnt too hard to loose you licence! Case in point.

Edited 01/09/08 10:55 PM by craiginmackay

[xa-mont]

well said Craiginmackay,

To follow on to your point, its dissapointing that someone doing mildly silly (according to the letter of the law) things, such as your speeding on a safe rural road, should render you licenceless, when speeding in a heavily built up area can go without loss of licence.

I believe that the laws relating to speeding and "dangerous" driving are targeted incorrectly and need to be adjusted to take into account the danger of such acts, not just an accross the board "this speed = this penalty" system as it stands (apart from school zones of course[1])

This is just my opinion of course, but I dont see the point of taking someone like yourself's license for an act which, arguably, is only a danger to yourself (and being a bike rider myself, from what you have explained it seems safe as houses, as long as you ride within your, your machines, and the roads/conditions limits then I see no problem with this on a rural road)

[1] I think that ALL school zones need the LED signs that only turn on when the 40km/h applies, because I dont have a clock on my bike so I have no idea if I need to slow down or not (so I generaly eere on the side of caution and slow down anyway)

[PLAYRZ]

Just as a matter of interest, was the road in a built up area or out in the middle of nowhere?

It was on the highway. Speed dropped from 100 to 80. Obviously I wasnt doing either of those speeds.

[jimmy1234]

I lost my license when I was 19...12 month suspension for driving like a fool. Then again in 03 for for 2 x 15 over on double demerit points......Not the same holiday period they were 6 months apart. I lost 3 points in 05 for being a smart ass...Cop was going to be OK (I think) but I thought I was cool...

Then I was the model driver until a combination of, FPV, late for mothers day lunch and A cop who insisted to tell me I was being recorded all came crashing together earlier this year. 3 more points in the bag for me.

[Iconic Bionic]

Well, people have been calling for it so thought I would start it.

Lets find out shall we!!!

As for me, have been fined twice, funnily enough both times were for 102 in an 80 zone.

So never lost licence and have only lost 3 points so far, will get them back in 14 months

With a loss of licence poll, one would expect only 2 options but youve gone and created 6. Wont this just deny any true results in your ongoing quest to justify your own loss of licence periods?

And what does DUI have to do with it all?

I.B.

Edited 05/09/08 08:10 AM by Iconic Bionic

[Dagabond]

Lost your calculator IB....

Edit: you dont want mine it never gives the correct answer....

[Iconic Bionic]

This should be an interesting poll. TTT

Is this just taking into account loss of licence through speeding offences, or does DUI count. I ask because up here I know of many more people who have been done for DUI than speed related loss of licence. The pole came about because of a speeding thread though, so do the DUI guys and girl get a vote?

If you have lost your licence as the result of DUI or speeding or excessive reversing then it should count as a loss of licence as the poll suggests.

I.B.