Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to Bad Aussie Drivers u0026 Near Misses LOL" video.
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As noted, Aussies can be quite loose in language, especially commenting on idiots.
One aspect is that our dashcam videos are mainly of traffic events, bad driving, silly things, rather than crash recordings. The US and especially Russian videos seem more concentrated on crashes. While all videos can add education aspects, crashes do not teach good driving, while showing idiot drivers doing th ed wrong thing can teach better driving and above all the kinds of things a driver may have to cope with in daily driving. Possibly raising the absolute need for very defensive driving practice, keeping aware of all action on the road and constant attention, no lapse of attention, or you may suffer badly. Of course bad drivers also may learn worse driving from the idiots shown, but such drivers should not be allowed to keep their licence.
As far as adjusting to driving opposite to home land standard, it is actually only the first few hours that very special attention is required. A good driver adjusts quickly, especially on automatic cars, manual is harder, as shifting is very awkward using unfamiliar arm and hand to do shifts. Essential is keep attention, do not drive in tired state, and certainly not drunk. Within days it is relatively normal. Yes intersections and on ramp entrances to freeways can be issues, especially choosing the wrong entry to a freeway, ending up going opposite direction than intended, more so than going wrong direction on the ramp, that also can occur, fortunately there are bold signs stating wrong way.
Harder by far than driving the corresponding opposite side in the suited vehicle, is driving your normal left or right hand vehicle on roads with opposite traffic, so left hand car on left side traffic, ie UK, India, Australia, NZ, Japan. Or Right hand vehicle on right side traffic, as in most remaining world. I have as part of my fuel injection application work had all combinations , including driving in four days, each day in the same vehicle on opposite sides on sequential days, Australian Right driven, first in Germany, next day in UK, next day France, next day UK, and then back to Germany. That takes care as every day you wnd up adjusting to opposite the previous day , the easiest for me then was UK as it was the normal for me but changing in the same car does NOT help. Otherwise had many cases of same car model but mix of left and right hand versions driven on the same day. Switching driving sides every few hours, at least all on same road side. In one instance a car company engineer driving an Australian right hand car, late in the day having driven over 400km, on a narrow country road, suddenly was confronted by a tractor with hay trailer on his side of the road approaching just after a bend. In somewhat tired mental state was instantly totally confused. Was he on the wrong side? Or was the tractor on the wrong side? Well he jammed the brakes on in panic, stopped and thought it through. The tractor was wrong, about to turn across the road into a farm gate right where we stopped. We backed up a bit let the tractor tow its trailer into the farm track and then proceeded at slower speeds.
As easily visible in these Australian dashcam videos, it is essential to practice very defensive driving to keep safe, no good if the other driver is at fault a crash will cause much cost in time and inconvenience even if cash is not the issue. But as most insurance carries some cost, significant for young or newly licensed driver, contribution that is often not recoverable to guilty party. Best remains not becoming entangled in accidents (sic) in the first place. I hope to continue my luck, as other than being rear ended at intersections/stopped at pedestrian crossings and one test car being rear ended while travelling at 80 to 100kph, run off the road by a Toyota Landcruiser, driven by a over tired young school teacher with a dog in her lap and 5 Aborigines crammed in having driven over 600km on desert dirt tracks near Alice Springs, I have a 52 years of over 1 million km of driving no accidents. Not to say I have not had numerous incidents that could have even been fatal, but for skill and defensive driving to handle dangerous circumstances. Even had a 4WD up on 2 wheels around a 90 turn at an intersection, or doing 720 degree spin on muddy dirt road, recovering direction just before hitting a deep water pool on the track, that would certainly have flipped the vehicle. Not even to speak of hair raising 4WD adventures.
Remain alter and aware of all traffic around, do not drive over tired, micro naps can be fatal, and definitely zero alcohol or drugs and driving. Maintain your vehicle in safe condition.
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