Tailgates of hell: Aggressive practice endemic and dangerous

Bravo, Malcolm Knox, for shining a light on what has become an endemic problem in cities and regional communities Australia-wide (“Tailgaters are bullies yet safe drivers pay”, July 6). A generation of drivers are growing up thinking that intimidation is the only way.

In the regional coastal town where I live, I experience tailgating daily. The only effective strategy that deters these bullies is to drift from one side of my lane to the other, occasionally crossing the double lines in the middle, to give the impression I am driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Obviously, this is not the safest solution and does make me a target for the police, but why should it come to this?

I am not sure if it is laziness or incompetence, in truth it is probably both, but NSW Police must start focusing on this pressing issue and penalise tailgaters for the reckless manner in which they are endangering the community. Word travels surprisingly fast on the grapevine; once a handful of people have been prosecuted and appropriately fined, change will surely follow. Jonathan Hill, Old Erowal Bay

The worst experience I’ve had is on the M1 to Newcastle, where there are three lanes. I usually sit in the middle lane at the speed limit of 110km/h but had several experiences of tailgaters trying to force me into the slow lane. I’ve found the most effective strategy is to slow down a bit, don’t look in the mirror and hope for the best. Eventually, they get the message, but rarely is there a patrol car to be seen. Glenn Larner, Freshwater

Add to that the highway tailgaters who drive 60-tonne B-double semi-trailers up your proverbial at 120kmh while sporting “100 speed limited” signs. Don’t get me started on the deadly 3pm “tradie ute rush”. Nick Andrews, Bellevue Hill

Knox’s article on tailgating is spot on. I am regularly tailgated on the Bruce Highway, reportedly Queensland’s most dangerous. I had both rear and dash cameras factory-fitted on my new car primarily to help me fight any speeding ticket with the evidence: a tailgater pushing me past the speed limit often where there is no way to get out of his reckless path. And yes, it’s mainly men. I’ve driven the superfast autostrade of Italy for years and I’ve yet to witness the dangerous aggression I see in Australia. It’s well over time to fine the perpetrators. Jennifer Kruger, Newstead (Qld)

Tailgating is done with impunity, says Knox. No argument there. But so is middle lane hogging – poorly trained motorists ignoring “keep left unless overtaking” signs. In Britain, it’s the second most hated driver behaviour and carries a hefty fine. Not in NSW. It’s past time to impose lane discipline – and incidentally improve our road-carrying capacity without need for new tolls. Brian Haisman, Winmalee

I was stunned to notice the visceral effect that reading Knox’s article had on me. My heart was racing almost as much as it does when I am being tailgated. To preserve my composure and safety when tailgating occurs, I briefly put on my hazard lights to highlight the hazard of a driver under extreme stress, stick strictly to the speed limit, and avoid looking in the mirror until I am able to safely change lanes. I find it hard to believe that speed cameras exist, but that we don’t have the technology to enforce tailgating laws.

A better solution would be to understand the cause. Learner drivers should not only be taught road rule 126 (as per the article, a car must remain two seconds behind the car in front of it in good conditions, three in rain or fog and four if it’s a heavy vehicle) but also be tested on their ability to interpret and act on the rule, with a simulator. Perhaps some find it hard to count to two seconds after the car in front of them passes a lamppost. Maybe an easier approximate method for some would be this rule of thumb: Divide the number on your speedo (eg 100kph) by two, and keep that distance in metres (eg 50m) behind the car in front. Frances Warren, Kambah (ACT)

There is much evidence that “the very breakdown of civil society” is accelerating. Recently in Sydney, I had to catch a bus replacement due to train track maintenance between Cronulla and Miranda. In that 12-minute trip, out of about 15 people getting on the bus, three were teenagers with invalid cards, a woman ignored the bus driver’s pleas to pay, and when told no drinks were allowed, a man threw a large plastic takeaway container onto the footpath, with no regard for the consequences. If people cannot obey basic rules, it is obvious our “civil” society is degenerating. It is no wonder that tailgating and aggressive driving is more widespread. Karen Joynes, Bermagui

Payman’s concern for human rights is hardly left wing

How does supporting a peaceful solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict make Fatima Payman a left-wing Pauline Hanson (“Payman is the Hanson of the left”, July 7). Payman is simply echoing what countless UN resolutions have called for since 1948. Hardly radical, hardly left wing and with the thousands of deaths in Gaza she clearly feels the government should be doing a lot more than mouthing a mantra of a two-state solution, while doing nothing actively to promote that outcome. It is a sad reflection of the state of our political discourse when it is opined to be left, or any other wing, to voice concern about legality and justice. Alexander Lane, Thornleigh

Hanson seeks to divide communities through fear, loathing and hatred. Contrast that with Payman’s desperate desire to see an end to the suffering of the Palestinians, recognition of a Palestinian state, and through that, a new era of Jews and Arabs living together peacefully. Payman is saying we do not have to live with perpetual war. We can live a different way, a better way, it just takes political will, which is sorely lacking in the federal Labor Party on this issue. Al Yazbek, Woollahra

Why are support for Israel and support for a Palestinian state not possible to co-exist? Supporting Israel does not automatically include supporting all its policies, particularly in relation to Zionism. We support the United States but are still able to condemn gun violence and the worst aspects of a president like Donald Trump. Rather than form another political party based on religion, why don’t we encourage our existing parties to act sensibly and morally? John Richards, Turramurra

Despite the misgivings of both the prime minister and opposition leader, the NSW parliament operated successfully with a member of a faith-based party for more than 40 years. While a sometimes divisive figure, Fred Nile nonetheless served the people of NSW well, contributing to effective, balanced and wise decision-making by the parliament, and was respected by its members – even those who did not share his belief. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

Who “owns” a seat in parliament? Is it the party whose candidate won the seat in an election, or is it the person who was elected? If the former, then a member who defects from the party on whose platform he or she was elected, should resign immediately, vacating the seat. Otherwise, the vote of the people in the electorate has been nullified by the defection of the member and they are disenfranchised. Whatever the reason for a change of allegiance by a member of parliament, it is not right that the defecting member should continue to be paid to represent the electorate until the next election on a platform for which the electorate did not vote. Levane Abdoolcader, Padstow Heights

Payman has not really distinguished herself as different from other political operators. She has leveraged the connections and support of a moneyed major party to enter federal politics then announced they are too different, and her difference is so much better. Her protestations of exceptionalism prove the rule. Indeed, she is no different from all standing on grand political stages who wish to divide us into sectarian camps. Christopher Hill, Kensington

I’m enjoying the irony that the party of “true believers” inspired by “the light on the hill” whose caucus rules seem scarily cult like is now warning us of the alleged dangers of … faith-based political parties. Peter Fyfe, Enmore

Nature positive only way forward

Thank you, Ross Gittins, for once again drawing our attention to important concepts such as natural capital, nature positive and nature repair (“If you care about future generations, you should support ‘nature positive’ “, July 6). He summarises the main points in a recent speech by Ken Henry (who is now the chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation), and directs our attention to the “Global Nature Positive Summit” in Sydney in October, for which there is already an introductory website. We look forward to reading much more about that important conference, hoping that it will result in some positive action to reduce and reverse human damage to our natural environment. Jill Tuffley, Turramurra

As an economist, we would expect Gittins to highlight the economic reasons for nature positive policies. It’s a shame, though, that there is no mention of the moral reasons for looking after all the species that inhabit this planet with us. We should do it because it’s the right thing to do, not simply because we benefit economically. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

Keep faith in batteries

AEMO seems to be doing its usual “chicken little” routine, but many underestimate how effective grid batteries are, and how quickly they can be deployed (“Dirty secret of Australia’s green energy transition”, July 6). Historically, gas has been California’s single biggest source of electricity, with solar closing the gap in second place. But the US state has expanded its battery capacity tenfold in just five years, and plans to almost double it again this year. As a result, gas is being crunched in California. Batteries, having soaked up excess solar during the day, have often been the largest single source of electricity in the evening - the first time this has happened in any grid in the world. Gas will play a role in the energy transition, but don’t bet on the wrong horse. Gas will be marginalised quicker than many people realise. Brendan Jones, Annandale

Starmer has his work cut out

I wish Keir Starmer well in his stated objectives to bring British people together and “fix” issues in Health, Education, Immigration, Housing, Employment and the economy in general (“UK Tory-ectomy was completely painless … for me”, July 6). Unless the Labour Party has found a money tree in the back of No 10 Downing Street, however, I fear this is unlikely to happen without an overhaul of the taxation and parliamentary system. British society is notoriously locked into a historical class system that sees many born into a world of wealth and privilege and others locked into one of constant struggle and disadvantage. The unrepresentative and anachronistic House of Lords should be one of the first institutions to be reinvented and brought into the modern world to better serve the people. Robert Hickey, Green Point

Kamala is not the answer

Any move to endorse Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s replacement would be jumping from the frying pan into the fire (“Forcing Biden would have only one beneficiary”, July 6). George Fishman, Vaucluse

America. Between a rock and a hard place hardly covers it. Phil Rodwell, Redfern

Real estate agents to blame

The role of real estate agents must not be ignored in studying ever-increasing rental costs (“The Sydney suburbs where rents soared most”, July 6). Agents regularly recommend what in my experience are undue and unfair rises in rent, in order to maximise their returns. Property owner need and greed are operative factors, but irresponsible, commission-hungry agents are also contributing to the rent crisis. The real estate sector should be more closely regulated and scrutinised. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills

Meetings must have purpose

Your article struck a chord (“Get out of meeting hell and free up work time”, July 6). A large successful company I worked for had a pyramid placard on the meeting room table. It stated, “Effective meetings (a) Start on time; (b) Stick to the agenda; (c) Have a positive outcome”.

How many times do attendees sit around idly talking while waiting 10 minutes for a key person who always arrives late? Sticking to the agenda is obvious: who wants to listen to the waffle artists? A positive outcome is the purpose of holding a meeting: those who afterwards think it was a waste of time feel demoralised. Peter Stuart, Carlingford

Defining diabetes

There have been numerous letters relating to a sugar tax and referring to diabetes and obesity (Letters, July 6). Unfortunately, not one of the letters differentiates between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The letters effectively put both types of diabetes in the same basket. Type 2 diabetes is directly related to lifestyle, diet (including sugar intake) and consequential obesity. While not stated, all of Saturday’s letters refer only to Type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which has no relationship to, and is not caused by, lifestyle and diet. As someone who has had Type 1 diabetes almost all their life, I would like to see the differentiation between the two types of diabetes made clear. John Buttenshaw, Roseville Chase

Light rail madness

Good luck to your correspondent with his otherwise sensible suggestion for a light rail extension between Carlingford and Epping (Letters, July 6). The only possible routes are already choked two- and four-lane streets. Light rail terminating on the periphery of Carlingford was a foolhardy idea from the outset. The former Carlingford heavy rail line could have been connected to Epping, via a tunnel, thus creating a rail link between Parramatta with Hornsby, the Central Coast and Newcastle. At the same time Carlingford, which is going gangbusters with high-rise development, could have retained and improved its rail link to the City, which was scrapped in the name of light rail. My pleas to the Government, when the light rail announcement was made, were met with platitudes about light rail being the way of the future.
Brian Norman, Normanhurst

Obviously, your correspondent hasn’t climbed Mobbs Hill on his way to Epping or he would know that the only way the light rail could be extended from Carlingford to Epping would be by tunnelling or using a funicular railway. Josephine Piper, Miranda

Shack-dwellers’ bond

Reading about the beautiful community connections that have held strong over several generations of the Royal National Park shack-dwellers raises the question whether the traditional lifestyle which the families have created and sustained could be added – protectively – to the heritage listings (“Hope on the horizon for shack-dwellers”, July 6)? Anne Ring, Coogee

Husbands’ way

Kate Halfpenny makes many interesting points in her column on what makes a good husband (“What makes a good husband? Blokes, it’s not that complicated”, June 6). I think I speak for most men when I say, thanks for the advice but we’ve got it pretty good, so we are going stay like we are.
Mark Anderson, Coogee

There’s no need for a separate article on what makes a good wife. Both partners should just ask themselves every morning what they need to do to make their better-half feel loved. And if you don’t know, ask them. Graham Lum, North Rocks

Paddys’ future vision

I was thrilled to read that Paddy’s Markets will open a mega-food precinct (“Pushback at Paddy’s after court allows food hub”, July 6).
Hopefully, it will rival that wonderful market in Adelaide, where it’s almost tempting to get on a flight from Sydney just to do the food shopping. If Adelaide and Melbourne can do it, why can’t we? Dorothy Gliksman, Cedar Brush Creek

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