Disturbing Behaviour of Car Drivers

I Don't Know about anyone else but I'm getting really annoyed with the stupidity of car drivers when I'm coming home from events in my 60 plus year old historic vehicle that doesn't go much faster 80km/h, its really making me uncomfortable about going out, I know I should not let it
worry me but.

People have no patience and no idea of how to overtake safely. The same people treat all country roads as freeways and get upset when someone goes to turn up a cross road or driveway. At 80 kmh you are not the slowest thing on the road so let the other people in their driver's seats worry about driving rather than updating their Facebook status.

G'day

It's all about a respect thing and being aware of your impact on other road users.

First off I will say that I do a lot of driving. I grew up in Melbourne and only moved out here 18months ago. I used to drive an average of 130 Kay's a day going to work in Melbourne and now I drive a b double carting grain. I also tow a ski boat long distances to lakes and rivers.

In this day an age it's as much about the slow vehicle being respectful of how they are effecting everyone else's day as it is people being responsible and respectfull of that slow vehicle. It's not hard to move more to the left so people have a better view of oncoming traffic to make overtaking easier. It's also not hard to pull over to let the line of traffic go.
When I'm towing my boat (it's over 2ton on the trailer) I do these things cause it stops the angst, same with the b double. If I pull out onto a rd and I know there's cars coming I simple sit as far to the edge of the bitumen as possible so the cars can pass. I'd rather them be in front of me than sitting up my tail lights,

The big problem with people turning into driveways and rds is they think they need all the rd to turn in. There not trucks with long trailers for Christ sake. Even with a boa trailer on u can still turn into most places from the edge of the rd not the middle.

Lets talk about winding rd and people that can't do the speed limit due to their ability. That's fine, my father is one of these and has been for a long time. He taught me that pulling over was the best thing. No road rage to b had. The next thing is over taking lanes. Why is it that people who seam to only do 80 are suddenly able to do 100, stick to what u were doing so others that are more capable can be on their way.

I'm sick and tired of this slow down message. Everything is about slowing people down. When society as a whole wants everything quicker, look at the supermarkets, if its not on the shelf the first thing that is said is when will it be here???

The bottom line is in this country when it comes to driving 2 things are lacking, education and respect!!!

None of this will ever change while mum and dad are able to teach their kids to drive and the tests stay as simple as they are.

Cheers

DD I'm with you all the way on this one. I saw an impatient idiot very nearly take out a motorbike on the Barrier Highway when we went to Mudgee. He eventually ended up out in the gravel on the right hand side, and the bike went between him and the caravan the idiot was trying to pass.
On the way to Mildura an early ACCO doing its normal 75 to 80 km/hr held up trucks, caravans and cars for all of his trip and never thought to pull left and let the road clear. He even pulled out in front of us at Yamba when he could see we were moving.
BTW, Yamba Roadhouse in open again and they have good people there.

There is no easy solution to the problem. And depending on the road condition and the vehicle will dictate the solution.

I have driven many slower moving vehicles on the road and have tried many solutions to "do the right thing". But surprisingly I have found the safest solution for me and for other road users is to sit in the middle of the lane until I find a clear and safe place to pull over. As well as where possible take routes that includes dual lanes.

For example with the ACCO when I go up to Echuca I generally go via Bendigo due to dual lanes to Bendigo then clear and straight roads to Echuca. Easier for people to pass and see round me. A while back I came back via Kilmore and the cars couldn't see round me. It is a windy road with very few places I could pull right over and let people pass safely.

Another time I was traveling along with a steam truck we were hugging the left line so as to allow people to pass. Which they did but they were splitting the lane and they had a couple of near misses due to the people coming the other way not realising what they were doing! With the same truck we were again travelling on the left on the edge and thanks to the camber of the road was so steep the Left hand rear wheel started to undo its retaining nut! Was never designed to cope with that type of force or angle against it!

Another time I pulled off the road into what looked like a safe and stable location that could take the weight of the truck I was driving and suddenly at 60+ km/hr was having to dodge massive pot holes. Not to mention started to sink into the bull dust!

After all these events I do now tend to stay in the middle of the lane. And only pull off if I can tell that trucks have used the spot previously or it is defiantly hard standing. I take dual lane roads where possible. And if on a single lane and come to over taking lane I slow right down to let as many get past as possible. And try to ensure that what I'm doing is safe and consistent so those behind can predict what I'm doing.

This is how I do it to ensure I'm safe and to try and protect those behind!

Courtesy and respect for other road users.....
It, along with common sense is fast becoming obsolete...

Just an observation...


chocs

My boat is long, but narrow. I have to be conscious of swing on curves, but get good rearwards visibility. I tow at 80 km/h to conserve fuel, bearings and tyres. If I am causing a tail, I do pull over where conditions allow. There is no point trying to force a vehicle through where it is unsafe, with lack of forwards visibility: all the way off, or not at all.
I'll also slow down while a truck is overtaking, so that it can tuck back in sooner.
Luckily, most of my towing is in northern Victoria and Mallee SA: generally easy conditions for trucks to pass. Surprisingly, not always the visibility readily: a lot of undulation, and some curves. There are regular passing lanes on most of the routes which I use.
I have also had roads where I have had to slow to 70 or worse because of bad condition, and no place to pull over. The road to Goolwa is the worst, and one which attracts a lot of boats. Generally on it, the tail is cars; there are few trucks.
I always get edgy when two cars come behind, and are unwilling to pass despite having the power, the ability and the visibility, then a third gets stuck behind them because it can't take all three in one hit.
While it is legal for me to tow at night, I try not to do so.

Another area of foolishness is in snow driving. Experienced hands do slow down when conditions are bad. I was in a downhill bus when it was overtaken by a downhill car: in the face of an uphill one. The bus got left without having to go into a ditch; the uphill got left without having to go off a cliff; the fool had enough gap.
I also watched a fool overtake, then lose control tucking back in. He would have been over the cliff, but the bank of cleared snow held the car.
The last one was coming off Mt Hotham without chains. He was driving very gingerly, holding on the gears, but even so failed to have the car respond to a corner, and went into the bank. Four cars stopped, got the vehicle out, and told him to park for 30 min until we were all safely into Harrietville.

When I was at uni, I was often driving to/from Adelaide through the night with like-minded 19 yo adventurers for railway events. We learned truckie code, and accepted the single right flash as 'safe to pass'. That was the old Western/Dukes: no freeway sections, and very undulating with blind crests in SA.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Unfortunately very few drivers acknowledge their woeful driving ability, so they err on the side of caution, way, way on the side of caution.
Eg.
Was driving an LJ50 from Bundy to Maryborough, flat to the boards was about 90.
But the little bugger is so small (1200 wide) I was out with the guide posts and guess what, there's a mile of room outside that yellow line.
You could drive a semi out there but do you think those silly buggers would pass me, no way.
They'd screech the brakes, blow the horn, everything except drive passed and wave a thank you.

I very nearly had a bloke on a bike run up my backside on the return trip from Yass on the weekend.

Not sure how he didnt see me but I could see the whites of his eyes as the front of his bike dipped down below the tray of the truck and I was doing 75kph

It sent my heart pumping for a bit as I coudnt see him at all at one stage

Ross

As you have all said.
Courtesy.