Changing lanes and merging

Ger08 · Senior Member

Truck Driver calls for new regs when towing

Eaglemax · Guru

Track Driver calls for new regs when towing

boab · Senior Member

Truck Driver calls for new regs when towing

boab · Senior Member

as a follow up i also think there are plenty of cowboys driving big rigs that should not be on the road

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I can agree with anyone who suggests that some education/tuition/training should be carried out by all who tow a large trailer/caravan - before they buy the big 4x4 and/or 2,000Kg or heavier van.

If not, then at least before they head off on their journeys - be it only the annual two month trip up north or for longer journeys.

However, EVERYBODY has education/tuition/training AND testing before they are granted ANY licence to drive/control a vehicle.

Unfortunately, even with all that education/tuition/training/testing there are accidents through a wide variety of reasons/excuses/problems.

Cheers - stay well, drive safely and enjoy the journey - John

Phillipn · Guru

Truck drivers are not the best drivers on the road. Yesterday the highway south of the sunshine coast was very busy. In a 110 Km zone a semi trailed was passing every one. I was sitting on 105 Ks in the left lane and he cut me off forcing his way into the left lane. I have dash cam proof of the incident.

So the trucking industry should be cleaning up their own act before they pick on other drivers.

Do you want me to display the number plate??????

The incidents involving truckies over the last year in Ulmarra NSW is proof that truckies need to be pulled into line.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

cry there are drivers of all types of vehicles that are sometimes irresponsible on the road - for many reasons.

Whether in a mini minor, Monaro, big 4x4, ute, van, light rigid truck, big b-double, tourist bus ... not all are faultless ALL the time.

There is no point in creating/perpetuating a thread that this or that driver/operator is better or worse than any other.

EVERYBODY has education/tuition/training AND testing before they are granted ANY licence to drive/control a vehicle.

Unfortunately, even with all that education/tuition/training/testing there are accidents.

The effects of alcohol, drugs, lack of common sense, lapse in concentration or plain fatigue will always be a part of the danger of being on a motorway.

Cheers - stay safe, be alert and journey safely - John

yobarr · Guru

Phillipn wrote:
Truck drivers are not the best drivers on the road. Yesterday the highway south of the sunshine coast was very busy. In a 110 Km zone a semi trailed was passing every one. I was sitting on 105 Ks in the left lane and he cut me off forcing his way into the left lane. I have dash cam proof of the incident.
So the trucking industry should be cleaning up their own act before they pick on other drivers.
Do you want me to display the number plate??????
The incidents involving truckies over the last year in Ulmarra NSW is proof that truckies need to be pulled into line.

Surely you jest? Whilst I dont have the exact figures at hand,car drivers are completely at fault in something like 85% of fatal accidents involving trucks and cars.About 12 years ago I gave up driving trucks,but you can be assured that todays drivers are better behaved than they were 20 years ago.Point to point cameras made me slow down,as I regularly had to wait at the roadside for time to catch up with my truck,in order to avoid a speeding ticket.With age comes an added maturity,and the average age of an interstate driver has climbed dramatically in recent years as a result of insurance companies refusing to cover trucks driven by younger drivers.Many older drivers dont really want to be driving trucks,and away from their families, sometimes for weeks on end,but they know nothing else.Dont get me started on car drivers,or drivers of cars towing vans who are quite happy to tootle along at 80km/hr,with vehicles lined up behind them for kilometres.However,as soon as an overtaking lane appears,these idiots suddenly speed up to 110km/hr,only to slow to 80km/hr as soon as the passing lanes end.THESE are the people who need to clean up their act. Regularly I travelled 6000km/week,and I can tell you for free that it is not truck drivers who are the the problem.Now we can no doubt expect howls of protest from those who do not really understand.Cheers

blaze · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Truck drivers are not the best drivers on the road. Yesterday the highway south of the sunshine coast was very busy. In a 110 Km zone a semi trailed was passing every one. I was sitting on 105 Ks in the left lane and he cut me off forcing his way into the left lane. I have dash cam proof of the incident.
So the trucking industry should be cleaning up their own act before they pick on other drivers.
Do you want me to display the number plate??????
The incidents involving truckies over the last year in Ulmarra NSW is proof that truckies need to be pulled into line.
Surely you jest? Whilst I dont have the exact figures at hand,car drivers are completely at fault in something like 85% of fatal accidents involving trucks and cars.About 12 years ago I gave up driving trucks,but you can be assured that todays drivers are better behaved than they were 20 years ago.Point to point cameras made me slow down,as I regularly had to wait at the roadside for time to catch up with my truck,in order to avoid a speeding ticket.With age comes an added maturity,and the average age of an interstate driver has climbed dramatically in recent years as a result of insurance companies refusing to cover trucks driven by younger drivers.Many older drivers dont really want to be driving trucks,and away from their families, sometimes for weeks on end,but they know nothing else.Dont get me started on car drivers,or drivers of cars towing vans who are quite happy to tootle along at 80km/hr,with vehicles lined up behind them for kilometres.However,as soon as an overtaking lane appears,these idiots suddenly speed up to 110km/hr,only to slow to 80km/hr as soon as the passing lanes end.THESE are the people who need to clean up their act. Regularly I travelled 6000km/week,and I can tell you for free that it is not truck drivers who are the the problem.Now we can no doubt expect howls of protest from those who do not really understand.Cheers

you wouldn't be showing some bias would you, after all you were a truckie for all those years

I just think there is good and bad in all types of rider/driver and some times stuff happens

cheers

blaze

yobarr · Guru

blaze wrote:

Phillipn wrote:
Truck drivers are not the best drivers on the road. Yesterday the highway south of the sunshine coast was very busy. In a 110 Km zone a semi trailed was passing every one. I was sitting on 105 Ks in the left lane and he cut me off forcing his way into the left lane. I have dash cam proof of the incident.
So the trucking industry should be cleaning up their own act before they pick on other drivers.
Do you want me to display the number plate??????
The incidents involving truckies over the last year in Ulmarra NSW is proof that truckies need to be pulled into line.

you wouldn't be showing some bias would you, after all you were a truckie for all those years
I just think there is good and bad in all types of rider/driver and some times stuff happens
cheers
blaze

Agreed,but surely you can see that someone who drives an incident-free 300,000km/year in a 62+ ton truck is likely to be WAY more competent than someone who drives maybe 30,000km/year in a 6 ton toy? These are the very people that are an accident looking for a place to happen.And if that accident is anywhere within 100 metres of a truck,you can bet your bottom dollar that the truckie will get the blame .Just saying.Cheers.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Years ago I worked one floor up overlooking a high street. 50% of people cannot reverse park. Often we simple could not look, if was too frightening & painful to see! Probably 60% now!

Ger08 · Senior Member

I tend to side with the truckies, most are pretty professional and just want to get their job done safely and quickly. Any information or course that would make the roads safer particularly when towing should be encouraged.

Izabarack · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
Im interested to hear everyo thoughts on this

My thoughts - just another tosser doing some magic thinking around a driving course as a solution to stupid behaviour causing road trauma.

I often think these people are only motivated by a desire to get attention, because their suggestions fail the most simple of tests.

Iza

Knight · Senior Member

Of course there are drivers of vehicles towing trailers who are either incompetent or dangerously stupid.

On Booral Road heading towards Bulahdelah NSW a couple of weeks ago a tip truck with dog trailer appeared rounding a bend at high speed on that very narrow sealed road, the dog trailer skidded sideways and was blocking the road. The truck driver obviously accelerated and pulled the dog trailer back into line but in doing so the truck's passenger side wheels went int a drainage ditch spraying my 4WD with stones.

I was travelling at 80 KMH and braked hard pulling my vehicle as far left as possible.

I did abuse the driver by radio but received no reply.

One of the worst driving offences in my experience is vehicles crossing centre lines on roads, especially on blind corners.

Woody n Sue · Guru

Phillipn so truck drivers are not the best drivers in the world , probably true but their skill level on average is way ahead of the average car driver, as for you sitting on 105 and the truck going around you I call bs, there wouldnt be 5 % of car Speedos that read any less than 5 k faster than the car is actually going, there wouldnt be 5% of trucks on the road by now not speed limited to 100kph , very unlikely the truck was doing more than 100 kph, very likely you were doing Less than 100 kph.

By the way if a truck has his blinker on for 3 or more blinks he is legally allowed to change lanes, it is up to you to get out of his way, you may have herd of that thing called common sense and it should be telling you that a 68 tonne b double is going to come out way better than you in a car if you chose to tango with it .

it is firmly my belief that those people who are against a seperate licence test / catagory for a car to tow a trailer are the very ones who fear that they would fail such a test and not be able to tow their van around OZ .

i am a farmer who on a few occasions have carTed my grain to port and I have seen my fair share of idiots in cars trying to pass me on the inside while going through a roundabout , in spite of the signs on the back saying do not over take a turning vehicle I have had cars on a T road pull up right at the line and wave me around in spite of me waving for then to get going only to realise sh*t I had better back up or the trailer is going to run over my bonnet .

i have had them pull in front of me under brakes at traffic lights and give me the finger because I pulled up so close to the back of their car .

I could go on

woody

rockylizard · Guru

Woody n Sue wrote:
Phillipn so truck drivers are not the best drivers in the world , probably true but their skill level on average is way ahead of the average car driver, as for you sitting on 105 and the truck going around you I call bs, there wouldnt be 5 % of car Speedos that read any less than 5 k faster than the car is actually going, there wouldnt be 5% of trucks on the road by now not speed limited to 100kph , very unlikely the truck was doing more than 100 kph, very likely you were doing Less than 100 kph.
By the way if a truck has his blinker on for 3 or more blinks he is legally allowed to change lanes, it is up to you to get out of his way, you may have herd of that thing called common sense and it should be telling you that a 68 tonne b double is going to come out way better than you in a car if you chose to tango with it .
it is firmly my belief that those people who are against a separate licence test / category for a car to tow a trailer are the very ones who fear that they would fail such a test and not be able to tow their van around OZ .
i am a farmer who on a few occasions have carted my grain to port and I have seen my fair share of idiots in cars trying to pass me on the inside while going through a roundabout , in spite of the signs on the back saying do not over take a turning vehicle I have had cars on a T road pull up right at the line and wave me around in spite of me waving for then to get going only to realise sh*t I had better back up or the trailer is going to run over my bonnet .
i have had them pull in front of me under brakes at traffic lights and give me the finger because I pulled up so close to the back of their car.
I could go on
woody

Gday...

Once again, I agree there should be some education/tuition/training and quite probably testing for those who tow trailers/caravans over 1,500Kg for instance.

However, by your own admittance above, the training and testing to gain the initial licence all drivers must have has not yet made the roads any safer - people STILL make stupid decisions on the motorways.

So, if the aim of licencing caravanners is to reduce/remove incidents of foolish/dangerous actions by people towing caravans then further education/tuition/training and testing for a 'licence endorsement' has little chance of success and is somewhat limited.

I agree there will always be a benefit to education/tuition/training/testing but it will not achieve the aim many get so passionate/emotional/angry about - removing people from the roads who suffer the effects of alcohol, drugs, lack of common sense, lapse in concentration or plain fatigue. There will always be folk who will be a part of the danger of being on a motorway.

.........and that applies to ALL drivers of EVERY vehicle that uses the motorway - no matter which category of driver one feels is the 'most competent'.

Cheers - stay well, travel safely and enjoy the journey - John

yobarr · Guru

Woody n Sue wrote:
.........truck drivers are not the best drivers in the world , probably true but their skill level on average is way ahead of the average car driver.....
.......I have seen my fair share of idiots in cars trying to pass me on the inside while going through a roundabout,in spite of the signs on the back saying do not over take a turning vehicle.

HI George.....some very good information in your post,but I fear that most will go straight over the top of the heads of many readers? The first sentence nicely sums things up,but the tale you tell of car drivers ignoring,or failing to understand,the Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle sign struck a chord with me. When turning left in a 25 metre B Double you need to take a wide arc,and often there is some clown who races up the inside,but I just keep on going anyway.Mostly they come to a screaming halt,but a couple of times the car has run under my wheels.Tough.Cheers

2weis · Senior Member

Woody n Sue wrote:

By the way if a truck has his blinker on for 3 or more blinks he is legally allowed to change lanes, it is up to you to get out of his way, you may have herd of that thing called common sense and it should be telling you that a 68 tonne b double is going to come out way better than you in a car if you chose to tango with it .
I could go on
woody

woody copy from qld transport dept site

Changing lanes and merging

Changing lanes

When you change lanes, you must give way to any vehicle in the lane you are moving into. This rule applies even if your lane is ending and you have to cross a lane line.

Dont take risks when changing lanes. Before you change lanes, you must indicate for long enough to give warning to other road users

no mention of 3 flashes or the fact they have right of way

they statements you make is wrong on so many levels

but you are correct about common sense and it works both ways

sorry for large type that is how it came from trans dept

-- Edited by 2weis on Friday 22nd of February 2019 10:00:44 AM

2-Smiths · Veteran Member

Some interesting comments here, as always.

When we were actively on the lookout for a motorhome, one of the things I was researching was where I could go, to do some "re-familiarisation" work when we got the bus, given I haven't regularly driven large (40') vehicles for years. Had actually discussed using the facilities at a local heavy vehicle driver training centre, to practice reversing (esp. with a trailer), and parking in tight spaces etc. That's coming from someone who has actually been there and done that (albeit some time ago).

Surely, it would not be too much to ask that someone who is buying the large towing vehicle and caravan, with limited (or no) experience in towing a large van, that they would proactively WANT to undertake some kind of training in the basics of vehicle control etc.?

There is probably a market there, for someone to set up a "towing basics"- type course for would-be Grey nomads...esp. those considering the "full-time" thing...

Phillipn · Guru

blaze wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Phillipn wrote:
Truck drivers are not the best drivers on the road. Yesterday the highway south of the sunshine coast was very busy. In a 110 Km zone a semi trailed was passing every one. I was sitting on 105 Ks in the left lane and he cut me off forcing his way into the left lane. I have dash cam proof of the incident.
So the trucking industry should be cleaning up their own act before they pick on other drivers.
Do you want me to display the number plate??????
The incidents involving truckies over the last year in Ulmarra NSW is proof that truckies need to be pulled into line.
Surely you jest? Whilst I dont have the exact figures at hand,car drivers are completely at fault in something like 85% of fatal accidents involving trucks and cars.About 12 years ago I gave up driving trucks,but you can be assured that todays drivers are better behaved than they were 20 years ago.Point to point cameras made me slow down,as I regularly had to wait at the roadside for time to catch up with my truck,in order to avoid a speeding ticket.With age comes an added maturity,and the average age of an interstate driver has climbed dramatically in recent years as a result of insurance companies refusing to cover trucks driven by younger drivers.Many older drivers dont really want to be driving trucks,and away from their families, sometimes for weeks on end,but they know nothing else.Dont get me started on car drivers,or drivers of cars towing vans who are quite happy to tootle along at 80km/hr,with vehicles lined up behind them for kilometres.However,as soon as an overtaking lane appears,these idiots suddenly speed up to 110km/hr,only to slow to 80km/hr as soon as the passing lanes end.THESE are the people who need to clean up their act. Regularly I travelled 6000km/week,and I can tell you for free that it is not truck drivers who are the the problem.Now we can no doubt expect howls of protest from those who do not really understand.Cheers
you wouldn't be showing some bias would you, after all you were a truckie for all those years
I just think there is good and bad in all types of rider/driver and some times stuff happens
cheers
blaze

No, I am not bias, their are good and bad drivers in this world .

The truck involved in the incident was speeding, the limit for trucks is 100 kph. We all know that most of them exceed the limit.

Knight · Senior Member

Reading posts above I was reminded about a truck driver's story from the 1990s, he was in Port Botany, Sydney making a left turn from the centre of three lanes in a B-Double, indicators working. A sedan drove up the left hand side just as the second trailer moved left and the trailer wheels flattened the front end of the sedan.

The truck driver quickly ran from the cabin with a polaroid camera and took pictures while two very angry young men in plain clothes showed him their Police ID and told him to stop taking pictures. The truck driver had already called 000 and told them so. They insisted that he was in the wrong and even suggested that he drive away.

When the Highway Patrol arrived and a senior officer from the Local Area Command arrived the Detectives were walked away for the scene while the truck driver was interviewed but rightly not charged.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

Phillipn wrote:

No, I am not bias, their are good and bad drivers in this world .
The truck involved in the incident was speeding, the limit for trucks is 100 kph. We all know that most of them exceed the limit.

I agree that there are good and bad, but "We all know that most of them exceed the limit." Sorry but we do not all know that.

We travel Adelaide to Canberra once a month and have found that the trucks very muck stick to the speed limit +/- one or two k's.

Ger08 · Senior Member

It should be noted that most of the trucks on the open highway have speed limiters set to 100kph

yobarr · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
It should be noted that most of the trucks on the open highway have speed limiters set to 100kph

At last,a bit of truth comes into the debate.One national freight forwarding company has their trucks speed limited to 90km/hr. Another large interstate carrier tracks the speed of every truck at all times,and expressly forbids driving in the early morning hours between about 1am and 5am....no excuses accepted.But dont let the facts spoil the rhetoric! Cheers

Baz421 · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Ger08 wrote:
It should be noted that most of the trucks on the open highway have speed limiters set to 100kph
At last,a bit of truth comes into the debate.One national freight forwarding company has their trucks speed limited to 90km/hr. Another large interstate carrier tracks the speed of every truck at all times,and expressly forbids driving in the early morning hours between about 1am and 5am....no excuses accepted.But dont let the facts spoil the rhetoric! Cheers

yep most do,,, however plenty exceed 100 ,,,, heard a long radio discussion after 2 B doubles passed me between Naranderah and Wagga,,,,, 2nd B double about 2m behind 1st when they passed me,,, 2nd pulled out to pass 1st and was told car coming other way,,, he swore and pulled back behind.

Over next 10 mins heaps of abuse from 2nd B double,,, 1st said I'm doing legal 100 BUT second wanted him to slow down and let him pass,,, eventually passed and disappeared into distance well over 100

just sayin

Whenarewethere · Guru

Single vehicle road train accident, rig on left & trailers on right.

blaze · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
Single vehicle road train accident, rig on left & trailers on right.

That must have been photoshoped, I jest of course

cheers

blaze

Woody n Sue · Guru

2weis Im in vic and that is what I were told when I got my MC licence about 6 or 7 years ago

Woody

Craig1 · Guru

Bloody hay, needed a walk

cjt55 · Senior Member

Agree that everyone should have to do a towing course and have their licence endorsed accordingly. Not only to learn how to tow and reverse properly but to also be taught how to understand weights. You have to do course and pass to ride a motor cycle.

How about this guy! Apparently the the policeman asked him "how the hell did you do that"?

-- Edited by cjt55 on Saturday 23rd of February 2019 10:01:03 AM

-- Edited by cjt55 on Saturday 23rd of February 2019 10:56:40 AM