Letter from
Marco Felix

I have recently read of the tragic accident which claimed the lives of 2 people and injured another and affected many more.

I would like to point out the inconsistency that exists in young people getting their car license and motorcycle license, and wonder why this cannot be addressed.

in several states of Australia , if a person wishes to get a motorcycle license, they must first attend an approved rider training course and when the person gains their license, they are restricted in the capacity of the motorcycle for a period of time. This means that they can't just go out and buy the biggest and fastest bike around. it is not a perfect solution to ensuring the safe operation of a motorbike, but certainly a step in the right direction.

Why can't a similar program be set up for peple wanting to get their car license? Just having a log book and accounting for hours driven in various conditions and keeping them on "P" plates for a longer time period is not enough, in my opinion.

Education and attitude adjustment are also very important factors which need to be considered.

This applies to both females and males alike.

I have 4 sons, 2 of whom I have taught how to drive and then sent them to driving school as well. They (as well as my wife and myself) have also attended a defensive driver training course. I also ride a motorbike.

My condolensces to Peter Thomson and his family.

Kind regards

Marco Felix

Cairns Qld

Letter from
Zbigniew Masternak

I read the comments and I'm afraid that majority of the contributors seem to miss the point. It isn't' the lack of driving skills that caused this immense tragedy, but a lack of responsibility for one's conduct and lack of respect for the laws and the public.

That cannot be fixed by sending people to driving courses aimed at polishing drivers' skills.
It makes no difference how many courses attended or how much experience a driver has, when he is drunk and speeding. He is dangerous to the public and himself.

We can hope for improvement in safety on the roads when we bring about a change in driving culture (the very graphic government campaign on TV is a step in the right direction), when we all show at personal level no tolerance of drink driving and most of all, when we bring laws that will severely and effectively punish offenders.

The lives destroyed in the tragedy are not only those of the people that die, but also those of their families and friends, who never entirely recover from such catastrophic loss.

To allow an idiot and a killer of this caliber to walk free and continue to drive, is an affront to every value that in this society we respect and hold dear.

Regards

Zbigniew (Ziggy) Masternak

Letter from
Kim Thompson

Hi Peter,

Firstly I would just like to pass on my sincere condolences for your loss. Also, I think you are a very brave man to campaign for changes to our road laws and wish you every success.

As I read through your website and came to the page for comments, I hope that maybe you can make people aware of the following fact:

If you are a fully licensed driver in Victoria there are no driver safety courses you can do where your vehicle is insured!

A couple of years ago I purchased a special deal of 2 safety courses from Murcott's driving school for my partner for Xmas, who was 37. I wanted to buy him an advanced driving safety course but he had to complete a basic course first. Just prior to my partner booking in for the course, I asked him to ring our insurance company (AAMI) to check and make sure he would be covered by our insurance while he did the course. To our utter surprise and because the course was held at a racetrack (Sandown), once he drove on the track, the car was no longer insured! I then checked with a couple of other companies and their policy is the same.

There are plenty of driving courses for P-Platers to undertake, but how does an adult who has had a license for years seek to better themselves as a driver when insurance companies won't insure your vehicle when doing this type of course?

The course is a safer driving course under command of a qualified instructor – not a hoon around a racetrack for hotted up vehicles – teaching people to be able to drive out of a dangerous situation.

We made the decision not to go to the course and Murcott's was exceptional because they refunded the cost of the course when we explained the reasons.

I believe Murcott's have disclaimers on their website now regarding this. Murcott's had an incident with a Porche losing control during a course and causing some damage just prior to us trying to book in for the course. This was reported in an article in the Herald Sun too.

I wish you the very best of luck in getting road laws changed. I have a million ideas and suggestions to make Victoria 's road safer but the story above is fact and I think it stinks!

Regards,

Kim Thompson