It's little wonder traffic in our streets is a nightmare every day with latest RMS figures showing we own 50,662 registered motor vehicles.
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And using Australian Bureau of Statistics population figures of 40,344, that's one vehicle for every 1.255 people in the city.
So it's easy to see why there's so many of Orange's aggressive drivers either tearing around like total maniacs, tailgating and changing lanes, indicating late or not at all at roundabouts, or going so slow they become mobile speed bumps. And parking can be another problem.
Making matters worse for drivers who simply own a car, RMS figures show they're well and truly on the way out. We're being flooded with SUV's and bull-barred tradies' utes.
Last year Orange motor dealers sold 3,228 new vehicles. Of these 1,093 were cars and 1,635 were SUVs and tradies' utes. That's 542 more.
In the first six months of this year Orange dealers sold 1,596 new vehicles. Of these 558 were cars and 799 SUVs and tradies' utes.
... it's easy to see why there's so many of Orange's aggressive drivers either tearing around like total maniacs, tailgating and changing lanes.
- Stop Press columnist Denis Gregory
It's the same story in the region. Dubbo dealers sold 1,476 new vehicles with 445 of them cars and 817 SUVs and tradies' utes.
Bathurst dealers sold 1,228 new vehicles and of these 439 were cars and 586 SUVs and tradies' utes.
The 50,662 vehicles registered in Orange up to June 30 this year included 16,693 cars and 18,773 SUVs and tradies' utes so now there's 2,080 more of these things than cars.
Mind your head
Dive-bombing magpies are launching attacks all over Orange.
They're aggressive males defending nests and chicks in their defence zones, for pedestrians usually an area within 110m and 150m for cyclists.
They'll keep up the bombardment until next month so you should arm yourself with a broad-brimmed hat or go walking with an umbrella.
If you're a cyclist, who the magpies seem to love, you can stick a bright flag on a pole.
However, an expert has come up with something new. Professor Gisela Kaplan says people need to be nice to their local magpie and if you look at it and show you're not a threat it will remember your face and leave you alone.
You've just got to know which magpie to stare down.
But while we take the attacks light heartedly, magpies can do serious damage to the ears, cheeks and eyes.
So it's best to stay away from their turf for a few weeks.
Mobile use fines
Drivers cop a hefty $337 fine and lose five demerit points if they're caught using a mobile phone while driving if the phone is not in a cradle fixed to the car or operated without touching any part of it, such as via Bluetooth or voice activation.
The fine goes up to $448 if a driver is caught in a school zone.
The RMS says using a mobile makes it up to four times more likely you'll have a crash but under NSW Road Rule 305 police are allowed to use mobile phones when driving. However, the RMS says, they have to comply with the road rules where possible.
And the RMS will fail drivers who take their hands off the wheel in driving tests but if you watch RBT or Highway Patrol on TV you'll see highway patrol drivers in fast pursuits holding the steering wheel with one hand and using their two-way police radio with the other.
Tch Tch.
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