In praise of Truckies

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

I also do a lot of driving, and I see more bad car drivers than truck drivers.
.

That makes sense there are more cars on the road that trucks

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by supernova1965

That makes sense there are more cars on the road that trucks

I'll try to word it better. I travel almost daily on the Western Ring Road in Melbourne also which is a major trucking arterial. Also if I was to balance the ratio of trucks vs car drivers in one week, the bad car drivers would outweigh the bad truck drivers.

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

I still say that bad truck drivers are more dangerous NOTE I SAID BAD TRUCK DRIVERS and I said in my original post in the very first line that I knew that the majority of TRUCKIES are good I am not attacking TRUCKIES in general but the bad ones do tend to attract attention in our experience that I described we were completely obeying the law and this guy was driving unsafely following so closely that when an unexpected event occurred he couldn't stop in time. I know that they cant stop as quick gears and whatnot but that just means they have to drive to the conditions and understand that unexpected events occur. I have been driving for a long time and the only accidents that I have been involved in were caused by others and this is backed up by police investigation. Sure my wife was an inexperienced driver but she was much better than this particular Truck driver and I and Pam and maybe the Truck driver would all be dead now except for Pam's driving. Sure the Truck Driver probably have survived the crash but what about his having killed us how would that sit on him in future.

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Sort of like Steve's story, but with a different ending.

My son was driving himself to work. At this spot the road widens to two lanes. This widening doesn't go very far so a truck even thinking about changing lanes is extremely unlikely. He went to pass a semi on the left. The driver was not signaling a turn, so given all the conditions that seems quite reasonable.

The truck then tried to turn left into some shops, running him off the road, with the car demolishing a phone box and stopping short of a power pole, and with tyre shaped impressions on both driver's side doors.

The boys in blue were called and booked the trucker for being under the influence of illegal stimulants. The car was written off by the trucking company's insurers.

Son now has a license for semis.

Andrew

[Peter Ward]

There is no doubt that there are a few bad apples in any bunch, but given there are significantly more cars drivers than truck drivers, you'd have to say the number of poor car drivers have the upper hand.

That said, the two just don't mix very well, for the same reason bowling balls don't mix with chook eggs. The pathetic NSW roads infrastructure does even less to help.

For Sydney, (and perhaps Melbourne) the Paris solution might be a good one: no heavy vehicles allowed on the inner city roads during peak hour.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

For Sydney, (and perhaps Melbourne) the Paris solution might be a good one: no heavy vehicles allowed on the inner city roads during peak hour.

They did that with the M7/M2 junction in the same concept as the "peripherique" in Paris and multiple rings. That keeps a lot of big rigs out of Camden Valley ways and Cowpasture road. One of the main problem in Sydney is the infrastructure to go in and out of the City. M5's not too bad with Eastern distributor but the M4/Parramatta road is just not functional at all.

[Baddad (Marty)]

Hi All,

I ask this question every time I am on the road. 'Why can't everyone be a good driver like me???'

Cheers Marty

[rat156]

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

I also do a lot of driving, and I see more bad car drivers than truck drivers.

There are many more cars on the road, driven by a wide variety of people, from very experienced to absolute beginners. That you see more bad driving by people in cars is not surprising. Truck drivers are supposed to be professionals, apart from the one or two percent that are learning to handle a big rig, the rest should be able to drive properly, remember that they should have the experience of driving a car for a few years before getting a truck licence.

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

I always consider trucks and how much room they require to turn or brake in traffic.

Well done, so do I. Many don't, but then I see many trucks that just don't seem to care either, they tailgate, they speed, they hog the right hand lane, they don't use indicators, they drive overloaded, the drive under the influence of stimulants, the list goes on...

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

Regarding car drivers, yes some of the young male P platers are the hoons on the roads but I have lost count of young female drivers who take on their mobile phone whilst driving and speeding.

Basically then it's young inexperienced drivers that's the problem. We know that they make up an unreasonably high proportion of the road carnage already, yet the authorities seem unwilling to attack the root cause, inexperience. Make the driving test HARD, make everyone take one every five years, don't fine people, hit them hard with points, take their licence away, that's the only way to make them listen.

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

My problem is I follow all the speed limits, indicate correctly, use the left lane unless overtaking etc. I must be in the minority these days.

Well, you may think that you follow the speed limits, but the number of uncalibrated speedos around these days makes me think that you actually drive 5-10kmh under the speed limit, which is very annoying if you've calibrated your speedo and would like to go a bit faster. You are in the minority if you use indicators though and even if you're doing under the speed limit if you're not in the right hand lane it doesn't bother me.

Cheers
Stuart

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Originally Posted by rat156

Well done, so do I. Many don't, but then I see many trucks that just don't seem to care either, they tailgate, they speed, they hog the right hand lane, they don't use indicators, they drive overloaded, the drive under the influence of stimulants, the list goes on...

It is a common problem, unfortunately was too late for my cousin who is now a level 6 Quadraplegic. Turns the driver was on stimulates so he could get his job done faster. Stim's didn't work and fell asleep.

Proportionately there seems to be a high number trucks doing the wrong thing but the road condition do create a lot of frustration and leading to increasing demand to get from point A to Point B in the shortest possible time.

I remember rcently watching a police program pulled over a truck driver lost his licence because of too many convistion for driving. I still wonder how common it is.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by rat156

...Basically then it's young inexperienced drivers that's the problem. We know that they make up an unreasonably high proportion of the road carnage already, yet the authorities seem unwilling to attack the root cause, inexperience. Make the driving test HARD, make everyone take one every five years, don't fine people, hit them hard with points, take their licence away, that's the only way to make them listen.

Totally agree. Here in Victoria (I assume it is similar in most States), most of the driving test is a multiple choice exam and it is too easy to pass your licence test, and not enough emphasis on driving experience.

I recall when went for my truck licence, the actual practical driving test was quite hard (however I had been learner driving for over 12 months so I wasn't an issue, and subsequesntly passed 100%)

Originally Posted by rat156

...Well, you may think that you follow the speed limits, but the number of uncalibrated speedos around these days makes me think that you actually drive 5-10kmh under the speed limit, which is very annoying if you've calibrated your speedo and would like to go a bit faster. You are in the minority if you use indicators though and even if you're doing under the speed limit if you're not in the right hand lane it doesn't bother me...

Well, although I agree with you, 5-10 km under is not an issue with me. As long as you are not doing 40 in a 60 zone , or 80 in a 100 zone. There is no law stating I have to do exactly 60 in a 60 zone, 100 in a 100 zone etc. I understand that frustrates some drivers, but there is no hurry and as long as I keep left and be courteous to others, that should be sufficient.


All good points you all raise.

In the end I always say "There's no hurry. One or two seconds in a half an hour drive isn't really that much."

[Octane (Humayun)]

Similar story to Steve's.

Robert's Road, Greenacre. Car parked illegally in no parking zone. I indicate, check my blind spots, start to merge into the middle lane, and get hit by a speeding semi.

I went spinning, backwards, in *front* of him, across two lanes of traffic (going in my direction), over the median strip and onto three oncoming lanes of traffic.

How I managed not to get hit by anyone going in my direction, not hit a tree/pedestrian on the median strip and not hit any cars in the oncoming three lanes is a miracle.

The worst part? No-one stopped. Not a single car. The truck driver took off. I maintain that there is no-way he wouldn't have seen me careering off in front of him. There was no way for me to get his plate details as it all just happens so quickly. All I remember doing was putting my car in neutral and telling myself "I can get through this, everything will be OK!". A split second later, it's all over.

The only people that came out to help me were a bunch of Lebanese guys who heard my tyres screech across the road. They helped get my car off the road, made sure I was OK (my first accident) and waited until I was calmed down before leaving me.

Now, I only suffered cosmetic damage to my car (those of you up at the Pony Club have seen my banged up little Echo -- she keeps going!), but, what if I had hit someone on the median strip? Who would be culpable? No-one stopped. No-one got any details of the truck driver who hit me. He may have been on something at the time. I don't know.

2006 was a bad year for me. Theft. Cancer. Accident. Thank heavens that is all in the past now.

I've been ever cautious since then. I give them plenty of room. I respect them.

Regards,
Humayun

[pgc hunter]

Trucks drivers on the Monash Freeway tend to be absolute.

Saw a B-double this morning tailgating a car at 110km/h....

and every second vehicle on the Monash fwy is a semi trailer

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by rat156

Well, you may think that you follow the speed limits, but the number of uncalibrated speedos around these days makes me think that you actually drive 5-10kmh under the speed limit, which is very annoying if you've calibrated your speedo and would like to go a bit faster. You are in the minority if you use indicators though and even if you're doing under the speed limit if you're not in the right hand lane it doesn't bother me.

My speedo and all of my GPS units disagree as to speeds. The speedo reads about 3-4kph LESS than the GPS at 100kph. That is on straight sections long enough that the GPS is not tricked by curves.

The one law I would like to see enforced more is the keep left one. 80 and 90kph drivers in the right lane on 100+kph roads are a menace.

Andrew

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by mithrandir

The one law I would like to see enforced more is the keep left one. 80 and 90kph drivers in the right lane on 100+kph roads are a menace.

Andrew

I agree here, I'm sick of right lane hoggers. But then again, alot of drivers here are idiots. THe other day I was on teh freeway, had to move into the right lane to pass a broken down vehicle, and I indicated several seconds before making my move and the in the right lane behind me blasted its horn as I made my move.....stupid piece of wasnt gonna let me in even though there was an obstruction in my lane. I did stick my finger up at him as he layed on the horn.

[rat156]

Originally Posted by glenluceskies

Well, although I agree with you, 5-10 km under is not an issue with me. As long as you are not doing 40 in a 60 zone , or 80 in a 100 zone. There is no law stating I have to do exactly 60 in a 60 zone, 100 in a 100 zone etc. I understand that frustrates some drivers, but there is no hurry and as long as I keep left and be courteous to others, that should be sufficient.

No problems with you doing under the speed limit, as long as you let me through if I want to do the speed limit. If you're in the Right hand lane on a freeway and anyone comes up behind you, move left as soon a practicable. Most people will understand if you're overtaking someone (who probably shouldn't be in the next to right hand lane in the first place) and will give you enough time to make the overtake and pull left. Some don't and they're Aholes, I have no sympathy for them. I have even less respect for the people who see it as their prerogative to slow you down and don't move left, vigilantes I call 'em, they were terrible when the stupid State government put out that "knock off five" campaign.

Cheers
Stuart

[AlexN]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Ahem......
No more chocolate brownies for you my boy.

I promise to play nice from now on!

[AndrewJ]

Stupid things trucks do to me virtually every morning...

You will drive an Alfa

Now if you had a Volvo, they wouldnt risk it.

Andrew

[GrahamL]

Now a volvo driver wearing a hat while driving, theres, a menace that needs to be dealt with by trucks or anyone

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by rat156

..... I call 'em, they were terrible when the stupid State government put out that "knock off five" campaign.

Cheers
Stuart

Well... the with new exhaust my car could knock off 100km/hr in under five seconds...but it's not good for the clutch ...is that what they meant?

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Ive often wondered, if Im in the right hand lane, at the speed limit, for whatever reason, right or wrong, does the hoon tailgateing behind me have the right to get the shiets, that he cant procceed at way above the limit?.