Survey rates Nullarbor Plain worst spot for crashes between vehicles and animals.....

kiwijims · Guru

Driver survives slamming into overturned truck on dark Nullarbor highway....

Possum3 · Guru

Terrible accident BUT! - Why was he travelling at that speed on that road known for animal strikes of a night - almost predicable to have an accident, even if it was hitting an overturned truck.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Hi Possum,
I agree - I know car headlights are good these days but driving lights (LED bars are getting cheaper) do help - if you're doing those sort of speeds.

What do the Police say for Country Roads? DRIVE TO CONDITIONS!

However accidents only happen to some people, don't they?

Santa · Guru

I note the driver is calling for trucks to have reflectors fitted under them, in case it happens again, in all my years of driving have not previously seen this, I suspect he was driving with his finger up his bum and his mind in neutral, looks like he was still moving pretty quickly at impact.

Tony Bev · Guru

He can save his money on buying a lotto ticket
He has just used up all his luck

The Nullarbor is not the place to have an accident, you can not get medical assistance, at the drop of a hat

I had to travel part of the Nullarbor, at night time once, (it must have been around early March 2015)
My speed was between 80, and then drop to 60, when I spotted a Roo

I counted over 100 Kangaroos, (some live, some dead), in the 100 kilometre section, just east of Balladonia
The final dead Kangaroo, was at the entrance to the Balladonia servo, so it must have been hit that same night

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Gee Tony, the road (in SA) was bitumen then! No adventure, no risks except stupid drivers & a few animals!

I'm certain my former Ceduna workmates (some passed on, some still around) could write a few tales about callouts at all hours of the day/night, Michelin tyres that gave 4,000 kms (Adelaide said they averaged 30,000+, why were we so heavy on tyres?), rescues of the our staff, caravaners & other road users, etc.

One night we saw a Hazard sign in the middle of the road (the "pot hole" was full of water). I decided to see how deep it was (when the parker/blinker on the front mudguard of the 1975 model Landcruiser) touched the water, I backed out!

When they had the first London to Sydney Rally, I heard that the (dirt) road was that good the cars could do astronomical speeds. I did speeds between 20kph & 120kph on that "road" - it depended on the condition of it at the time & the urgency of the job.

Ah "For the Good Old Days"!! The barbeques at our two camps (Nundroo & Wigunda) were great, though!

kiwijims · Guru

Yes, I also recall the first time we crossed the "Big sand patch" .... that would have been way back in late 74

at that stage they still had a few hundred K's to seal the road, what a rough section the unsealed section was, nothing but a sandy winding track with pot holes full of Bulldust,

Never say any Wildlife at all, mind you we were travelling that slow due to the conditions and making that much noise', all the Wildlife that was alive had heard us coming well before we came into sight.

I remember stopping the car on the top of a rise near Ivy Tanks and looking down into the dry dust bowl ahead of us and thinking,

They call this a National Highway !!!

Todays drivers just have it too good, and they still can't handle the road !!!

K.J.

yobarr · Guru

Santa wrote:
I note the driver is calling for trucks to have reflectors fitted under them, in case it happens again, in all my years of driving have not previously seen this.

Always someone elses fault,isnt it? I cant believe that he seriously called for trucks to have reflectors fitted underneath? I would be interested to see how reflectors could be attached to the top of a tarped truck,in case it rolled onto the other side,or the top of a truck carrying metal or wheat,or whatever.And I believe that there is a law that says that you must be able to stop in half the clear distance ahead?Cheers

-- Edited by yobarr on Sunday 21st of October 2018 04:30:06 PM

Santa · Guru

yobarr wrote:

Always someone elses fault,isnt it?

-- Edited by yobarr on Sunday 21st of October 2018 04:30:06 PM

Yep! always is.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Umm ? How did the truck get there in the first place ? How about criticising him ? Hes the one who stuffed up !! First . Is 110 kph the speed limit there ?

Santa · Guru

RE: Driver survives slamming into overturned truck on dark Nullabor highway....

Yuglamron · Guru

RE: Driver survives slamming into overturned truck on dark Nullarbor highway....

Tony Bev · Guru

Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
Gee Tony, the road (in SA) was bitumen then! No adventure, no risks except stupid drivers & a few animals!

I'm certain my former Ceduna workmates (some passed on, some still around) could write a few tales about callouts at all hours of the day/night, Michelin tyres that gave 4,000 kms (Adelaide said they averaged 30,000+, why were we so heavy on tyres?), rescues of the our staff, caravaners & other road users, etc.

One night we saw a Hazard sign in the middle of the road (the "pot hole" was full of water). I decided to see how deep it was (when the parker/blinker on the front mudguard of the 1975 model Landcruiser) touched the water, I backed out!

When they had the first London to Sydney Rally, I heard that the (dirt) road was that good the cars could do astronomical speeds. I did speeds between 20kph & 120kph on that "road" - it depended on the condition of it at the time & the urgency of the job.

Ah "For the Good Old Days"!! The barbeques at our two camps (Nundroo & Wigunda) were great, though!

I first went across in 1966 Warren, 700 miles of dirt, between Adelaide and Perth

Second time was 1970, with only 300 miles of dirt

There were probably less accidents in those days, as we had no option, except to drive to the conditions

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Sheesh . Trucks to 100 kph . 10 kph More . He wasnt looking or concentrating on the road . If he was going slower ? Well ?? Mayve both of them should have S T O P E D for a break and coffee ? Dumb inatentive driving. Not just speed ., Its the speed limit so I cant ( Caracasm ) possibly be speeding !! Lol

Ger08 · Senior Member

Possum3 wrote:
Terrible accident BUT! - Why was he travelling at that speed on that road known for animal strikes of a night - almost predicable to have an accident, even if it was hitting an overturned truck.

He was doing the speed limit.

Possum3 · Guru

Ger08, The speed limit is a maximum permissible not a minimum - That road is inherently unsafe at speed between dusk and dawn - FACT.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

110 is deemed safe . Its ok it seem, to park a truck and trailer on its side across the road with no visable tail lights or reflectors !! Who obviously didnt get that way due to speed etc . Pffft . Btw it wasnt a roo he hit !!

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

G'day everyone,
Just a few extra comments -

Tony, I apologise for criticising your comment - yes you did have some adventures doing the Highway 1 trip in the early days! I have an interesting book on the "road" & the characters who lived out there.

kiwijims,
Ivy Tanks - did you stay there? Everyone said how (un)comfortable the "motel rooms" were in the middle of summer! It was made from asbestos & galv iron, no air conditioning. When the new road went through bypassing this place, the owner George Sch..... was rather peeved & he blew the whole place apart with gelignite! What's the rules these days on asbestos disposal?
The "Highway" was always at its worst around Ivy Tanks as it was made over limestone that was rough & could never be improved by grading.

The lease holders (Cyril & Marg Gurney) of Koonalda Stn were also upset that they were bypassed too. Cyril was always looking for eager ears that he could share some of his tales with. Just dropping in for fair priced fuel often meant you were there for at least 1/2 an hour!
Fixing their phone was an experience with goats walking through the house.
Their homestead & cave "out the back" were/are interesting places - the homestead is built from railway sleepers, the cave - they grew their fruit trees in the opening & the SA Museum found rare fossils of "very early days" gone by in it.
---------------------------------

The accident is similar to one that occurred near Bluewater (north of Townsville) a year ago. A truck hit a horse & killed it. He rang the police who were organising to get it removed off the highway but a woman came through just on dawn, failed to see the horse & collided killing her son.
Where it gets interesting is - she was on drugs, her son was asleep on the back set but didn't have his seatbelt on. Now she is seeking compensation from the Qld Govt of thousands of dollars because the Clement Forest is not fenced & the animal was able to cross over the road.
Since that incident, a lot of horses have been culled & an 80kph limit has been imposed (upsetting a lot of "yahoos" who think all roads up here should have at least 100kph limits)!

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

80 kph wont make any difference ! Yes drive to conditions . Hitting a horse or cow at any speed is dangerous. They can come straight through windscreen ., But if farmers are responsible to have gates shut on farms? I guess the law goes with state land also . Being on drugs ?? So thats ok it seems ?? Sheesh !! Again blame everything else but the idiot driver !!

The Belmont Bear · Guru

I really have no idea of how or why the accident occurred based on a photo and a few sketchy details in the OP - it's really only possible to make assumptions.. What I suspect is that when they do a root cause anaylsis on why the accident occurred it probably won't come out as the main root cause was that there were no reflectors on the bottom of the upturned truck... biggrin

Cheers

BB

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Aha there is now !! Once insurance and lawyers get involved.. common sense goes out the window !!

Dickodownunder · Guru

Well if they are not going to make underside reflectors compulsory then maybe they will install street lights on all country roads.

Drive fast at night out there and suffer the consequences.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Dicko maybe some people out there believe that the faster they drive at night the less time that they are going to be exposed to the risk - which is probably true especially if they have a prang.... confuse

BB

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Dont need to be a Dick . Just to the speed limit . Built up areas have street lights anyway!! NT has 130 kph roads . But most travel at 100 - 120 due to distance, fuel consumption and wildlife . I dont mean the Mrs !! Lol

Radar · Guru

Santa wrote:
I note the driver is calling for trucks to have reflectors fitted under them, in case it happens again, in all my years of driving have not previously seen this, I suspect he was driving with his finger up his bum and his mind in neutral, looks like he was still moving pretty quickly at impact.

They will probably make that rule anything over 6 metres long will need reflective lights underneath, just imagine 250 thousand caravans needing reflective lights also due to there lenght.

I am going out to buy into refective light business. It going to boom.

Its got to be a total joke.

Ger08 · Senior Member

Possum3 wrote:
Ger08, The speed limit is a maximum permissible not a minimum - That road is inherently unsafe at speed between dusk and dawn - FACT.

If it is inherently unsafe as you say and you have facts please supply said fats or is it your opinion?

Dickodownunder · Guru

The Belmont Bear wrote:
Dicko maybe some people out there believe that the faster they drive at night the less time that they are going to be exposed to the risk - which is probably true especially if they have a prang....
BB

Totally true BB.

The need for speed has a lot less requirements after sunset....

unless, of course you are the pilot of a vehicle that copes with most collisions with wandering animals, but for the others, if they have the requirement to travel after sunset then....really...they should.just back off.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

This is a sedan not towing anything ( from what I can see )running into a heavy truck . If he couldnt see the truck ? Not that you see a truck on its side in the middle of the road every day ! He should get his eyesight checked ., Must say the things you come across out in the middle of nowhere ! Push bikes up north WA on narrow winding roads . A guy pushing a rubbish bin In the middle of the road about 200ks south of Broom !! Seems some on our roads are on a death wish ! Not just people in vehicles ! Eyes open and suspect anything ! Seems my days a rallying / rallycross is not exactly over! Lol

kiwijims · Guru

Here's an article concerning driving on the Nullarbor.....

Survey rates Nullarbor Plain worst spot for crashes between vehicles and animals.....

"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-26/nullarbor-plain-tops-was-list-for-crashes-between/6497854"/>

K.J.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Strange thing with animal hits ? Ive done that road a few times . Camped before 4pm most times . Then a few months back coming home from Newcastle through Hunter Valley a Roo jumped out 5m to the side hitting right in the middle of Roo bar . Smashed all my driving lights etc . There is NO way of preventing this type of accident . Ok for I was in big 8m 7ton motorhome . The TIME ?? 5PM . As I try to keep off the roads on sunset or evenings . Not so little critters can do damage . Didnt expect a Roo strike up there . But totally different to OP. Accident in pic .