Travelling north between Parkes and Peak Hill today I was overtaken on a few separate occasions by an over-exuberant middle-aged male driving a fairly new 7 metre Mercedes motorhome travelling at quite high speeds ..
On the last occasion he was closely followed by a large semi-trailer who in turn was obviously also in a hurry ..
I then saw up the road, a large kangaroo hop out from the left hand side .. I then also saw a lot of plastic schrapnel thrown about from the impact and the two vehicles came to a stand-still on the side .. The semi was fine and untouched .. the motorhome not good ..
When I asked why he (the MH driver)was travelling so fast, he stated he couldn't slow down because the truck was up his "clacker" ..
I only felt sorrow for the the injured kangaroo that was put down by Police .. that driver was a pure idiot ..
This was at 11.00 am .. so some kangaroos do get about at any time .. travel with care folks !
Jon
-- Edited by biggles on Friday 19th of April 2013 05:39:07 PM
Makes one wonder, what his next excuse will be ,when he has another accident...This type of driver is knowen as NO Brainer...Goes to show you do not have to be on P plates to be one of these type.I cannot even feel sorrry for someone that has a flat chat or bust attitude .No respect for any body else on the road (Animial or Human ).Probably to boot did not know the road conditions either. Just must get to the next destination Like Yesterday.
-- Edited by herbie on Saturday 20th of April 2013 11:30:34 AM
Your story reminds me of a day out I had with my youngest brother a while ago. He was always over the speed limit and said he kept missing them. So I said...as big sis I feel I'm allowed...'you should be taking more care to look for them'. Him: 'I'm too busy looking for the coppers!' Me: 'Have you ever thought that if you looked for the speed signs you wouldn't have to look for the coppers?!'
This from the supposedly most intelligent one of the four of us!
People like that bloke don't deserve to own a beautiful motorhome. Give it to me! After it's fixed.
The best way to actually travel & 'see' our great country is to slow down & amble. Not only is the journey more pleasant but fuel consumption is less. And of course it makes it easier to share the road safely with our wildlife
"Because the truck was up my clacker" is a lame excuse. Pull over is right, Chris. Let the truckies go and take it easy. Hopefully, the Merc driver has learned his lesson, albeit the hard way.
.. and I agree with you all .. earlier in the day he braked suddenly when leaving the Parkes area, turned right to get some fuel (I'm presuming) .. he nearly tipped it over then and I'm sure he didn'tknow much about driving the vehicle ..
oh well .. yes .. was the kangaroo that lost out today .. !
My impression was that he was about my age (62) .. was not follickly challenged as am I and wore a flatop type crewcut ..
Before I departed a (after about 30 mins) he still hadn't phoned anyone about the incident .. I find that strange .. but he was still quite adamant that he had no alternative to his actions ..
Conveniently, a Police 4wd was travelling by and so stopped .. I also mentioned to them of what I'd seen earlier .. the guy never even helped me earlier to clear the debris that littered the road, so I was happy to depart when I did.
I will still always stop to help another in trouble, regardless of the attitude of some .. I'm lucky to have the life-style I enjoy and a circle of friends that make me that way ..
I will still always stop to help another in trouble, regardless of the attitude of some .. I'm lucky to have the life-style I enjoy and a circle of friends that make me that way ..
Yes, I agree Kandagal, it is the best way to travel - take your time and enjoy this wonderful playground, but not always easy. We were travelling along one time at speed around 85/90 and over the two way radio we got an abusive mouthful from behind for going so "slow" and taking up road space. Can you believe it? We pulled over as soon as possible only to receive another blast of verbal abuse. Really makes you wonder what makes these people tick. Maybe they get there kicks out of this kind of behavior, but it certainly made us feel quite uncomfortable for a while after that. Actually, pulled in for a cuppa soon after. My husband is 74 and I 66 so we don't need this type of thing to contend with.
Chicken, it seems as though some people think, because the speed sign shows 100KPH you HAVE to travel at that speed. You can travel at any speed as long as you "do not impede traffic flow". I admit that sometimes is impossible to pull over because of wrecked tyres with steel belts strewn along the verge, but I take my time as its my life in my hands and if someones a few minutes late beause of my tardiness I'm sorry.
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Cheers Peter and Sue
"If I agree with you we'll both be wrong"
No, I'm not busy, I did it right the first time.
Self-powered wheelie walker, soon a power chair (ex. Nomad)
It is a good point Jon (el al).... and I have been there too; with the crazy driver/mad speed according to vehicle or conditions etc...
Afterall, esp as it happens, its fairly easy to be 'put off'/confused/upset by other's driving habits. We do get LOTS of examples for sure.
I'm also sure its very hard to get 'them' to change....regardless of justice/fairness/commonsense.
So.....I just do what I can to minimise MY involvement in any such situation..... and that, quite often, means letting 'them' go, even if it means 5-10 minutes safely stationary somewhere.
I wonder, (commercial transport deadlines aside) who cares about this kind of incident AFTER the moment; and what is the point of harbouring such concern?
Personally, I'd rather be safe, let the madness pass and be able to further enjoy my travels.
-- Edited by EllenajoeL on Saturday 20th of April 2013 08:23:12 PM
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A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
In my ordinary driving I generally do the speed limit, not under, not over. But when towing, I do anywhere between 80 and 90. I try to take care not to hold anyone up behind me, and move over where possible for them to pass.
It's easy for us to take our time and smell the roses, but professional drivers have schedules to keep. I hear all the stories from the few professional drivers in my extended family. A little courtesy goes a long way. Get on the UHF and say, I know you're there mate, I'll pull over when I can.
But I would certainly be very upset too if someone abused me over the UHF.
Sadly for the general public, the motorhome driver of Jons story will probably be the cause of a major accident before long.
you would be suprised at the number of people who drive at 85-90 kph an as soon as you get a passing lane they want to drive flat out so you can,t get past them then slow down at the end of the lane very fustrating
you would be suprised at the number of people who drive at 85-90 kph an as soon as you get a passing lane they want to drive flat out so you can,t get past them then slow down at the end of the lane very fustrating
Yeh, what is it with that? I don't understand why they do that.
you would be suprised at the number of people who drive at 85-90 kph an as soon as you get a passing lane they want to drive flat out so you can,t get past them then slow down at the end of the lane very fustrating
Yeh, what is it with that? I don't understand why they do that.
Maybe they feel more confident with an extra lane next to them ???? Happens a lot...
I followed someone at 80 in a 110 zone, then struggled to pass him at 120. When the passing lane ended I dropped down to 70 to get him thinking, but he didn't seem to mind ????
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Cheers, Chris...
"The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you're finished" - Benjamin Franklin
we always traveled around the 90k mark, and always tried to pull over when we could some people just don't know how to drive at all let alone a big rig..