Australia To Fight iPod Use By Pedestrians

Kilrah_il writes "In recent years the number of people killed on roads in New South Wales, Australia has dropped, but strangely enough, the number of pedestrians killed has risen. Some think it's because of the use of iPods and other music players making people not attentive to road dangers (the so-called 'iPod Zombie Trance'). Based on this (unproven) assumption, the Pedestrian Council has started a campaign in an effort to educate the people, but apparently it isn't enough. Now, some are pushing for the government to enact laws to help eradicate the problem. 'The government is quite happy to legislate that people can lose two demerit points for having music up too loud in their cars, but is apparently unconcerned that listening devices now appear to have become lethal pieces of entertainment,' [Harold Scruby of the Pedestrian Council of Australia] said. 'They should legislate appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare and that of others. ... Manufacturers should be made to [warn] consumers of the risks they run.'"

Comments

Duhh...

[meglon]

Warning: Being STUPID can cause injury or death.

The reason why

[Chuck Chunder]

Seems like all the news coming from there is about less freedom.

It's largely because all the news is bullshit.

Australia does not have an internet filter.
Nothing is happening in regards to this story

Somebody making a noise about something, even if that person is a politician in government, is not the same as them actually doing something.

Re:The reason why

[scdeimos]

The fact that Australia has politicians who are even willing to test the waters by floating such ideas says a lot by itself.

Far be it for me to defend politicians, but this little bit of "policy" as you'd like to call it has come from a not-for-profit group that pretty much amounts to a "Club for Pedestrians".

To wit:

The Pedestrian Council of Australia is a non-profit organisation whose objectives are: the continuing improvement of the safety, amenity, access, health and environment of all pedestrians throughout Australia.

Harold Scruby

[hairyfish]

For those outside Australia, The Pedestrian Council of Australia is a fringe element run by a media whore and general looney Harold Scruby. Their role seems to be one of self importance and can be found offering their opinion about 'road safety' to anyone who'll listen (mostly pseudo current affairs type shows that like to drum up controversy). The best tactic here is to ignore anything they say. Like with most crazies, arguing back simply provides them with more attention than they deserve.

There's no cure for stupidity

[Fry-kun]

[This Darwin award candidate] was struck and killed by a southbound Caltrain while crossing the tracks [...] Witnesses said at the time [he] rode his skateboard around a lowered crossing arm and was listening to headphones when he was hit.

Re:What the....

[cujo_1111]

It isn't common knowledge, but the Pedestrian Council of Australia is only one person, Harold Scruby. A year or two ago, he was responsible for 90% of complaints against TV ads, especially car ads. He is a fruit loop who likes to cause trouble

Re:What the....

[Orionn2000au]

A google search led me to their website, which suggests otherwise. http://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/page.asp?PageID=105

Re:What the....

[Dr Damage I]

If you acquire 12 demerit points within 3 years, you lose your license to drive.

Re:What the....

[timbo234]

thanks for that information. Its a whole lot easier a pill to swallow that one elected nutjob is making outlandish remarks rather than having to swallow the entire country is bonkers and more than one elected nutjob has come up with this idea.

Who said he was elected? He's just a well-connected lobbyist who has a disproportionate influence on government policy, he's not and never has been (AFAIK) elected to any public office.

The organisation he runs is probably the closest thing to being extremists on road-safety that you can get. They don't just campaign against the usual (and quite real) problems on the roads - drunk driving, speeding, unlicenced drivers etc. They're against everything:

-They're against tow bars because pedestrians walking behind a car with a tow bar can hit their shins on them (open your bloody eyes and don't walk so close to the car!)
-they're against the expansion of cycle paths and cycling in general because they believe it hostile to pedestrians
- they're against segways (they might be wanky but there's nothing really dangerous about them)
- they want to put completely unreasonable restrictions on young drivers such as not allowing them to take passengers at night (great way to increase the numbers of drunk drivers when everyone needs to drive themselves).