ND battery under-spec'd?

[Mr Morlock]

I still dont see any point in banging on about "skills" - the average punter drives a car for purpose not as a challenge to their motor skills or car control. We are heading to autonomous cars albeit not everyone is going to go down that track and expectation already being recognised is that people are safer with better technology. Accidents including injuries are measured ( think about stats gathered by Hospitals and insurance co's and trust me- old cars crashed a lot more than newer cars because they were rubbish- poor everything. I drove and owned cars of the late 30s / 40's / 50's etc. losing control of a car and having brakes fading going down a hill was par for the course. Going out at night was a hazard- lights that barely functioned , wipers that didn't clear the screens, no demisters, cross ply tyres and in Vic thousands dying and us young blokes we were oblivious. Oh and drink driving- that was not very skilful. We just thought that was normal and making a car safe did not even raise a conversation.

Incidentally they say that young people are far less invested in owning and driving cars and living in a big city is far more important and taking Uber instead of taking risks driving and not having garages. Certainly people are heading away from the burbs if they can and if you live in city areas driving is not fun at all. The driving holiday is on the skids- better to go to Bali than do a road trip. But cars are still popular and public transport is still way off the best we can have.

[Wivvix]

Incidentally they say that young people are far less invested in owning and driving cars and living in a big city is far more important and taking Uber instead of taking risks driving and not having garages. Certainly people are heading away from the burbs if they can and if you live in city areas driving is not fun at all.

That must be terrible for you - to be obligated to repeat what they say. Those same people also say that 9/11 was an inside job and the moon landing was faked.

[Mr Morlock]

Wiivvix reckoned "That must be terrible for you - to be obligated to repeat what they say. Those same people also say that 9/11 was an inside job and the moon landing was faked"
Nort sure what that had to do with anything raised here i.e. a non sequitur. I reckon if people dont think the importance of cars is declining then just do a bit more reading and listening. I can readily remember when almost no one lived in Melbourne and today its surrounded by units / flats and people using Public transport.

[Wivvix]

Nort sure what that had to do with anything raised here i.e. a non sequitur. I reckon if people dont think the importance of cars is declining then just do a bit more reading and listening. I can readily remember when almost no one lived in Melbourne and today its surrounded by units / flats and people using Public transport.

Well for a non-sequitur it certainly had an interesting effect. Your position shifted from young people today aren't interested in driving cars to population centralization is applying general downward pressure on personal motor vehicle ownership.

The barriers to owning a motor-vehicle are greater today than ever before. The financial cost is significant and the licencing requirements (120 hour log book) would make most baby-boomer's blush just thinking about their first week on the roads. Then consider the relatively higher cost of housing and living today than in decades past and the causal relationship becomes clear.
The ownership of cars is declining on a per capita basis, i.e. across all age demographics, because of cost of living and because urban sprawl is no longer a viable option in the cities and neither are personal motor-vehicles for transportation. Governments have responded with higher density housing and public transport that's efficient (to varying degrees).

It's like saying that inner-city young people are responsible for a decrease in pet ownership. The strata companies don't allow pets in the building and it effects everyone in the building, not just young people...

[RBH58]

I don’t think most young people are interested in cars at all. The future of the car.....and maybe public transport in general, is autonomous electric Ubers. Cars for drivings sake, will become luxury toys.....if they are allowed on the roads at all.

[JBT]

I don’t think most young people are interested in cars at all...

Yep, and it's not just the younger generation.

The roads have become so congested with dumbed down speed limits and heavy policing (read covert speed detection) that the enjoyment of driving is dying - at least for me. I believe licence application rates have dropped dramatically too i.e. less people are even bothering with a licence. Many who do have cars just view them as a necessary appliance that they'd gladly do without.

The only time I get to use the cars these days is at a track - and fear for my life on the trip to and from.

[Red_Bullet]

The track is most enjoyable, however in the last year I did enjoy the run we did late last year into northern NSW. I also drove out to Longreach in winter, got away from the south east corner for a while. That was great, try any of that in a uber!

Driving can still be a satisfying experience, but not around population centres. Our cities are stuffed.

[ralt]

Hi.
What has this current discussion have to do with the original topic?

[JBT]

Nothing! We're all just having an off topic rant now that the original problem is sorted.

[Mr Morlock]

Exactly JBT we have been driving this thread without our electronic traction control on and ran off the road.

PS cars actually are much more affordable than when I was a youth. In terms of wages weeks salary its really significantly cheaper. The car population increases and 1 car families are multiple car families. I remember when the girls often just relied on the B/f for transport and the roads were quiet after 11pm. AND finance is readily available- people buy flash cars and often don't own them. Compare the figures in the last 15 years - lots more cars on the roads making driving a chore rather than a pleasure as JBT opined.

[StanTheMan]

Exactly JBT we have been driving this thread without our electronic traction control on and ran off the road.

Thats Gold.

[Rocky]

I can understand that people, particularly young people living in big population centres, are less interested in cars than in the past.
Population drift has disproportionately increased the population in cities as opposed to regional/country areas, to the extent that many smaller country towns that were fairly buoyant in my youth, are dying, kept alive only by Grey Nomads. Youth drifts off to the cities.
It is certainly not fun driving in cities these days (it wasn't much fun even in my youth).
I would think that there will always be a proportion of car-nuts like us but maybe it is a decreasing proportion.
While I don't have access to a track like the city guys, I do have access to 'B' roads within 10 mins of my home, so there is some compensation.
Not a single one of my Son's mates are car-nuts so maybe we ARE a dying breed.
...and another thing - in my youth you could work on the cars - they were less complicated, no electronic junk, so it was a hobby as well.

[JBT]

...I do have access to 'B' roads within 10 mins of my home, so there is some compensation.....

Unfortunately, all the roads that were fun around here (i.e. anything over a mountain or that has more than one curve in it) has been dumbed down from 80/100 km/hr to 60 km/hr or 50 km/hr with a single or double dividing line and covert revenue raising. Third gear with cruise control on - if your not being held up by SUVs, caravans, motor homes or bicycles - is no fun.

[RBH58]

...I do have access to 'B' roads within 10 mins of my home, so there is some compensation.....

Unfortunately, all the roads that were fun around here (i.e. anything over a mountain or that has more than one curve in it) has been dumbed down from 80/100 km/hr to 60 km/hr or 50 km/hr with a single or double dividing line and covert revenue raising. Third gear with cruise control on - if your not being held up by SUVs, caravans, motor homes or bicycles - is no fun.

Australia.

[Wivvix]

PS cars actually are much more affordable than when I was a youth. In terms of wages weeks salary its really significantly cheaper.

Significantly cheaper...
A 4 door sedan in 1975 cost $4150 and the average salary was $7600pa. A comparable 4 door sedan in 2017 cost $38,000 and the average salary was $81,000pa. That's a difference of 6-7% in adjusted terms, meanwhile housing costs outpaced income 3 to 1...

Are you really suggesting that cars were less affordable in 1975? You'd have rather paid $3859 for the car (7% less) and $57,000 (3x) for a place to live?