Ask Ponch

[plonky]

  Familia2XR6T said:

Agony Aunt Ponch,

Bonnet adornments? Legal Height? Ever seen one you wished you hadn't?

And now a really odd question, Entering a roadway which curves right, two driveways meet at the middle of the outer edge. One driveway is from a private block of flats, drivers should enter perpendicular to roadway at that point, instead they cross the older concrete driveway of NSW government property and enter parallel to the roadway.

SHould a collision occur prior to entering the actual road surface. who is at fault?

Cameron

P.S Apart from your Wonderful Kawasaki CHiPS bike, what is the best HWP vehicle you've had access to!

Bonnet adornments:

If the car originally had them you can still have it on there e.g: '69 Dodge with spring mounted bonnet adornment, or '67 Valiant Regal with bonnet strip and bonnet badge (V8) on it..

I don;t remember what year it was but you can't have anything protruding which may cause injury to a pedestrian.

Bonnet scoops/Injector hats etc. I use a rule of thumb measurement that if it is taller than a tennis ball it is illegal (35mm) That comes under both protrusions and restricted vision.

If the collision occurs whilst the car is turning rom the road onto the road related area ( the car turning left is rear ended) then the car that ran up the rear is at fault.

If the acco occurs on the road related area (driveway whilst traversing across to the other driveway) I would be inclined to issue the TIN to that driver if he collides with a vehicle attempting to leave the driveway onto the road. Reason being is that you are not entitled to drive across the road related area to get from one driveway to another.

My AU XR8 220 was the best HWP car so far, but as I've already driven both the Turbo and the BA XR8, I would have to go with the BA XR8, purely for the brakes, handling, top end speed and stability and looks. I don;t like the electronic governors on the Auto which prevent selection of a gear dependant on engine speed.

[Velvet Glove]

  BlueXR6Turbo said:

I'm going to add my opinion to the Plonky vs. Turbo6man debate. I'm not a police officer, driving instructer, or any other person that would have an above average knowledge of the road rules, but here goes anyway. I'm with Plonky. I've come to this conclusion by looking up the definition of "give way" in the Australian Road Rules. "Give way" is defined as:

  Quote

give way, for a driver or pedestrian, means:

(a) if the driver or pedestrian is stopped - remain stationary until it is safe to proceed; or

(B) in any other case - slow down and, if necessary, stop to avoid a collision.

So I would argue that turning into the left lane when there is a car in the right lane is not going to cause a collision.

Outstanding ! that's exactly what 'give way' means accoroding to the law. It doesnt say you HAVE to STOP for vehicles, only if necessary. If u stop at every give way sign in a driving test u will lose points for 'lack of anticipation' (I did 20 odd years ago)

[plonky]

  YCL said:

This is cool, I was going to suggest such a thing previously. But thought perhaps you might not appreciate me 'volunteering' you to answer everybody’s weird ass questions. Also your frequent references to porn concern me. :lol:

I have 2 questions both of which are a bit long winded...... sorry.

1. If Mr X was driving along with your brain in neutral and pulled out from a Give way/ Stop sign intersection and someone collides with him. Then no argument MrX is at fault.

But how long should the oncoming traffic have to react. That is if you started to pull out thought the better of it and the oncoming traffic had 'sufficient' opportunity to stop or change lanes (where possible) but also had brain in neutral and did not, take evasive action would they also be a candidate for a Neg driving certificate?

2. I was in the LA last month and was being driven about by a friend in Laguna Beach in his 330Ci (b@stard). Anyway he performed a dubious lane change and in the process almost collided with a stationary patrol car. Needless to say the followed us for a chat.

They were however EXTREEMLY polite, "please and sir, we need to look out for each other on the road...etc". Whilst still leaving now doubt who was in a position of authority and who was in big trouble.

Now the last time I was pulled over for a stern talking to was about 10 years ago aged about 20. And of course may times before that when on my P's, but that’s what you get for being 17 and driving a V8 in a small country town.

I do not remember the NSW police being anywhere near as polite.

Is this still the case, and do you fell this is appropriate?

Q1: Obviously the driver that disobey's the Sign (Stop, Give Way) receives the TIN as he is in the wrong.

If that driver goes through the Give Way/Stop sign, thinks beter of it and stops half way out in the lane, then a driver travelling that section of road can make the attempt to avoid by changing lanes (if safe) or applying the brakes. If he collides however, with the gallot that disobeyed the Sign, then he is not at fault.

HWP Police have the most contact with all sections of the Community than any other section of the NSW Police. Therefore it is incumbent upon us to remain professional in our dealings with everybody we meet.

Every time we stop a car we are enouraged to be polite and professional. It is the driver who is being stopped that immediately escalates the contact, because adults do not like to be disciplined by other adults in public (issue of TIN for getting caught breaking the law) We understand this and try to remain as professional as possible.

However it does get to a stage where we do not get paid to be abused, humiliated or threatened and as such, like any contact with a member of the public, we can reply in the same manner as we have been spoken to. Once the TIN is issued we just return to the car.

There have been many occasions where drivers have ranted, raved jumped up and down, screamed abuse etc etc where we try to stay as calm as possible, explain the options written in red on the TIN and walk away. There are times though when the drivr and his friends get out, threaten, abuse etc etc and the only way to resolve the conflict as to stand your ground and continue writing TINS.

After all, they will run out of money before we run out of Biro's!

[plonky]

  BlueXR6Turbo said:

The attached image is from the Australian Road Rules. I have added the red car that intends to turn right. My understanding is that a car doing a u-turn must give way to all other traffic. In this case that would mean that the green car would have to give way to the red car. If the green car was making a right turn and not a u-turn, then the red car would have to give way. The driver of the red car has no way of knowing that the green car is going to make a u-turn and not a right turn. So therefore the red car will give way thinking that the green car is making a right turn and the green car will give way because it's making a u-turn. What should legally happen in this situation?

I frequently find myself in the position of the red car!

The thing to remember with U turns is that you cannot do one across an unbroken seperation line, where a sign prohibits a U turn, at a set of traffic lights unless a sign permits and any time that you may cause a collision when doing the U turn.

Rule 37: A driver must not begin a U turn unless:

a the driver has a clear view of any approaching traffic

b the driver can safely make the U turn without unreasonably obstructing the free movement of traffic

Rule 38: A driver making a U turn must give way to all vehicles and pedestrians

In the picture have have posted I would determine that the driver making the U turn must give way to the car on the terminating street. That's because the car on the terminating street may want to go straight, right or left and shouldn't be impeded by the car doing the U turn.

[plonky]

  XFwannaBA said:

OK...Work your head around this one please.

Say you are comming down the DEEP BLUE road (being in a red car...that's shaped like a line), been through the stop sign and have given way to a car at the first set of GIVE WAY signs at the Blue and Bright Green Road there as well as the second set on the GREEN/BLACK intersection.

Now when you go to join the BLACK LANE, how do you indicate?Because when you are driving it appears as though you are merging and you should indicate to your right BUT if you did that would mean you SHOULD turn right into the RED lane?

If you indicate to the left, there is a DISTINCT possibility that Joe Lunchpail may not see you whilst travelling down the GREEN ROAD and hit you...even though HE has giveway signs too!

I suppose the obvious thing to do is wait till nobody is within 500 yards, pray to you selected holy one..and GO!

Yes this may be THE WORST intersetion...EVER.and of course its about 20metres away from the Car Hater (thanks plonky, I like that term) Offices.

From you picture it appears that the Blue Road merges into the Black Road, therefore you indicate right as you move from the Blue road into the Black Road.

If a car on the green road doesn't give way to you then he is at fault. If you were to turn onto the green road from the blue road then I would speculate you either have a right turn arrow, road marking or protected lane. Either way the car in the green lane still as to give way to you.

Clear as Mud??

[ktford]

Dear Uncle Ponch,

I'm aksking you a question that I hope will have the same answer in Qld as down south.

My "T" has standard Qld. Premier Beastie number plates. Can I fold/cut them leaving the characters plainly visible, thus reducing the height of it (front only) to maximize the air flow into the intercooler.

I believe you posted something relating this whereby NSW country cars were doing something similar to this to avoid overheating.

Scotty

[plonky]

  ktford said:

Dear Uncle Ponch,

I'm aksking you a question that I hope will have the same answer in Qld as down south.

My "T" has standard Qld. Premier Beastie number plates. Can I fold/cut them leaving the characters plainly visible, thus reducing the height of it (front only) to maximize the air flow into the intercooler.

I believe you posted something relating this whereby NSW country cars were doing something similar to this to avoid overheating.

Scotty

No I'm afraid not. The plates are actually the property of the Qld Dept of Transport and as such they must be in the same condition that were given to you. There are penalties for mutilated plates etc

What I was talking about was the small premium plates for the Turbo in hot areas of the State.

Sorry can't help further.

[ms700]

I have a question, and I think I know the answer, but ill ask anyway...

Is it illegal to use Avgas on the street?

What about other "racing" fuels, like VP, C16 or even BP 100 for example?

I think they are all no no's........ :(

[dankman]

Heres another one, my bro on his green p's got booked for not having them prominately displayed.

He had at the time a Nissan Blubird Wagon, and had no less than 2 green p inserts in the window. To me they were in a great and easy to see spot, but when he was fined the copper said that they were illegal, he should have the normal ones next to the rego plate.

The thing that pissed my brother off even more was that, after he paid the 60 odd dollar fine and lost 2 points, he went to the RTA website which had a picture of a P plater with, you guessed it, only inside window P plates, and none next tot he rego plates

What gives ponch?

**edit: ask ponch chris, not plonky**

Edited 06/11/03 06:05 AM by dankman

[ktford]

Uncle Ponch,

what happens, pay fine, pay fine & fix, pay fine & replace.

Scotty