And another one...tradesmen in utes. Sorry if you are, or were...The majority are so aggressive on the roads! Yes, tailgating, then if you don't speed up or move over for them, they duck around you, then straight into your breaking distance in front of you.
Yes, I was in the right hand lane, only because there were two lanes merging in front of me, and everyone but the ute was just plodding along while the merge was happening.
Friday arvo on the M1 is the worst! I'm guessing they must be in a hurry to get to the pub!
OOOOPS!!! sorry Beth - thought you were going to say "tradesmen's cracks" there
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Howdyeeeeeee all U travelers,,,, may I say as a Man,,, wot cheeses Me off,, Ear Hair, its like a Forest in there, wax, noooooooo, born allergic to pain,, cream,,,Yuk,,,,,got this Braun trimmer, but it smokes, after awhile, and gets hot,,,should have put this in the Teck room,,,,, stay excited Ppl..........Billeeeeee
Actually I forgot the other thing that cheeses me off.. (LOL who started this topic?)... These days it seems that using a blinker to signal your intention to change lanes or make a turn at an intersection is no longer compulsory. It's not just young drivers either. On my hours drive each way to work and back, the count is that more people don't use a blinker than drivers that do. And yet again, even on the freeway when cutting in front of you at 110Kph.
I think I must be turning into a grumpy old man...
Not a grumpy old man. Just an aware driver. Good or you!
"Indicators" are meant to indicate the driver's intentions, NOT to indicate what they have done.
These days there are turning lanes just about everywhere, and it p's me off when they slip into a turning lane and THEN indicate they are going to turn. They are supposed to indicate they are changing lanes.
The other one is indicating to leave a roundabout. That's right. "Leave" the roundabout.
Now tailgating. It's extremely dangerous, and if those trucks were doing more than 100 kph anywhere, they should have their trucks confiscated. The limit is 100 kph. They may sneak up to 103, but that's the limit of the limiter. I leave a space and some gherkin slips into the breaking space and I have to do it all again.
Those "fog" lights are illegal in some states. They are supposed to have yellow fog globes in them, but it seems the halogen "blinders" are the trend. They are dazzling and should be adjusted to go out when the vehicle's headlights are dipped. Even when those bright headlights are dipped they go to high beam as the car bounces over bumps.
It's a war zone out there! Stay safe.
"Drive as carefully as you know how, and allow for the other bast..ds stupidity."
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
"Drive as carefully as you know how, and allow for the other bast..ds stupidity." Truer words were never spoken, Granny - some drivers have no idea how long it takes for a car towing a caravan, or a motorhome, and most especially a truck take sto stop!!
Another gripe is if you are in a slow lane, letting everyone get past, there is always one who slows down or hesitates when the sign says the lane is finishing in 500m, then you practically have to come to a stop, because all of a sudden, they are passing you - damn idiots!!!!
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
On TV last night they did a survey, not sure what channel. Top gripes. Number one was tailgaiting. Can't remember Number 2 at the moment, Number 3 was rubbish left behind.
Not sure of gategory of gripes. it may have been in general. Or on the road. I walked in to the room half way through the article.
I've come across many trucks doing more than the 100kph, sometimes 110. With 3 truckies in my extended family, I'm very aware of their limitations etc.
If anyone knows Springbrook and Tamborine Mountain in SEQ...Jules and Marj would...my brother brings spring water down in a great big water tanker, and is up and down 3 or 4 times a day! God what a job! You'd enjoy a chat with him Chris.
People who don't know how to merge. Some hesitate and dither and make it downright dangerous.
And the amount of old people who don't know how to deal with a roundabout.
OK - my 2c worth. I think that people are wise to slow down a bit when rain starts. Have you not heard about the black 'ice' caused by rain on the fuel film that covers the road and that becomes very slippery when wet. In NZ you are considered an idiot if you keep screaming along at top speed even on motorways when there has actually been a spell of dry weather. Slam on your breaks and start sledging! not nice. Rain can cause the windscreen to fog up, and if people dont put their lights on then hard to see them as well. Then of course when it rains there is all that spray from the truck tyres.....
To Difress - am I missing something - why do people not get a move on when using the passing lanes to overtake me? So often I have run out of room and have to move back over in front of them. I am used to Kiwis 'booting' it so they get passed and back on the left quickly so that others can also take advantage of the passing lane!
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'Once you are infected with the travel bug you have it for the rest of your life - there is NO cure'
OK - my 2c worth. I think that people are wise to slow down a bit when rain starts. Have you not heard about the black 'ice' caused by rain on the fuel film that covers the road and that becomes very slippery when wet. In NZ you are considered an idiot if you keep screaming along at top speed even on motorways when there has actually been a spell of dry weather. Slam on your breaks and start sledging! not nice. Rain can cause the windscreen to fog up, and if people dont put their lights on then hard to see them as well. Then of course when it rains there is all that spray from the truck tyres.....
To Difress - am I missing something - why do people not get a move on when using the passing lanes to overtake me? So often I have run out of room and have to move back over in front of them. I am used to Kiwis 'booting' it so they get passed and back on the left quickly so that others can also take advantage of the passing lane!
Yeh, I don't get that either spida! I just give them plenty of indication and slowly move on over. If they're too stupid to put their foot down, they can stay behind me!
I hate the guys who go screaming through on an inside late to get past you when the lane is due to merge just a bit further up. They then expect you to slow down to let them in. They should know that the merging lane has to give way to the through lane. Doesn't seem to make any difference they still do it. Sometimes I let them in, sometimes I don't, depends on the size of car I am driving and my mood at the time.
I don't go screaming up the inside, but I do keep going at the same speed in that inside lane until it comes to the true merging section and just 'blend' in, as it should be done.
I get a little annoyed at people actually stopping to enter the other lane too early.
Yes they would be throwing big rocks at the passing vehicle in the opposite direction. However, there's still the amazing skill of SLOWING DOWN, or "backing off" in trucking terms. "Back it off a bit mate". Don't feel different. I'm even working with pilots who get it very wrong. That's only because I'm perfect and don't ever make a mistake. N O T!!! Only joking. The problem is people don't learn from their mistakes. And that's why I'm perfect. Duh!
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Yes they would be throwing big rocks at the passing vehicle in the opposite direction. However, there's still the amazing skill of SLOWING DOWN, or "backing off" in trucking terms. "Back it off a bit mate". Don't feel different. I'm even working with pilots who get it very wrong. That's only because I'm perfect and don't ever make a mistake. N O T!!! Only joking. The problem is people don't learn from their mistakes. And that's why I'm perfect. Duh!
As far as doing 80K on the freeway, a couple of mornings ago on my way to work there was a light drizel falling and it was just on sunrise so not the best light either. Following me in the left lane was a B-Double, followed by a semi trailer, all doing around 110Kph. In the right hand lane was a steady stream of traffic doing their 120Kph as we have all seen. As I approached a car doing about 80 I started to slow down... the B-Double didn't.... the semi behind him also didn't.. I couldn't change into the right lane for traffic. When the B-Double finally realised what was happening he hit the brakes as did the semi behind him. The traffic in the right hand lane blocked all 3 of us from changing lanes. I came very close to being rear ended by both the b-double and the semi behind him. The car in front of me kept puttering along at his 80Kph.
I think the trucks who couldn't notice, from their elevated vantage point, that they may have to slow down due to a slower moving vehicle ahead is ,maybe a bit more of a worry than the actual car doing a little under the recommended speed limit. Also, the diistance kept between moving vehicles is very important to allow the time necessary to take evasive actions Too many drivers have forgotten the 'cushion of safety' rule & tend to tailgate. Truck drivers & car drivers both are guilty of this.
Also, said trucks should stick to the legal speed limit of 100K which may give them the time they seem to need to realise any problems that may be ahead. Trucks are limited to 100K for a reason which is even more relevent in conditions which are not optimum like dull morning light & light drizzle.
As I see it. if the truck drivers used their eyes & some common sense & were doing a legal speed plus all drivers kept a sensible 'cushion of safety around their vehicles there would not have been a problem.
Just my thoughts.
-- Edited by Hylda&Jon on Monday 16th of July 2012 12:09:40 PM
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Home is where we hang our hats - Home now in Yamba NSW
As far as doing 80K on the freeway, a couple of mornings ago on my way to work there was a light drizel falling and it was just on sunrise so not the best light either. Following me in the left lane was a B-Double, followed by a semi trailer, all doing around 110Kph. In the right hand lane was a steady stream of traffic doing their 120Kph as we have all seen. As I approached a car doing about 80 I started to slow down... the B-Double didn't.... the semi behind him also didn't.. I couldn't change into the right lane for traffic. When the B-Double finally realised what was happening he hit the brakes as did the semi behind him. The traffic in the right hand lane blocked all 3 of us from changing lanes. I came very close to being rear ended by both the b-double and the semi behind him. The car in front of me kept puttering along at his 80Kph.
I think the trucks who couldn't notice, from their elevated vantage point, that they may have to slow down due to a slower moving vehicle ahead is ,maybe a bit more of a worry than the actual car doing a little under the recommended speed limit. Also, the diistance kept between moving vehicles is very important to allow the time necessary to take evasive actions Too many drivers have forgotten the 'cushion of safety' rule & tend to tailgate. Truck drivers & car drivers both are guilty of this.
Also, said trucks should stick to the legal speed limit of 100K which may give them the time they seem to need to realise any problems that may be ahead. Trucks are limited to 100K for a reason which is even more relevent in conditions which are not optimum like dull morning light & light drizzle.
As I see it. if the truck drivers used their eyes & some common sense & were doing a legal speed plus all drivers kept a sensible 'cushion of safety around their vehicles there would not have been a problem.
Just my thoughts.
-- Edited by Hylda&Jon on Monday 16th of July 2012 12:09:40 PM
All very good sensible information J&H but in the case above, I wasn't tailgating, in fact I leave plenty of room between myself and the car in front because I hate wasting good brake linings. I wouldn't say the trucks were speeding that much, they may have even been within the 3KPH fudge factor. They were obviously not on the ball at the time though. The conditions weren't that bad that it required everyone to slow down to any great extent either. But travelling 30KPH slower than the main stream of traffic at such a busy time of day was definitely dangerous.