Close encounters of the head on motorway kind

[TerryO]

I have seen on TV plenty of times on those woeful yank shows nong nongs driving down the wrong side of the motorway in the US killing innocent people totally oblivious as they go. I have often wondered what kind of idiot doesn't realise they are driving on the wrong side of a motorway when traffic is coming at them head on in all lanes?

Well today I found out, driving between Sydney and Goulburn as I neared the Suttons Forrest cross section in the distance I saw a white car turn from the south side of the cross road and turn directly right into the fast late travelling south. I must admit at first I could not believe what I saw as this car starting speeding towards me head on in the fast lane with his lights on from about two k's away. I stayed in the fast lane flashing my lights and waving at this goose as long as I could without actually hitting him head on to try and get him to pull over but to no avail as he went sailing past me at about 100 ks in the wrong direction. He eventually stopped about another two k's down the road and did a U turn and drove back in the right direction so my wife who was following some distance back actually saw.

So if anyone knows a bloke about 40ish driving a white Railways Toyota Prius (I think) and they were driving through Sutton Forest today at about 3.00 pm please smack him in the mouth from me. He could have killed lots of innocent people doing what he did. We all make mistakes but to drive down a motorway in the wrong direction with everyone flashing and waving at you for a number of k's is down right bloody dangerous and he should have realised his mistake much sooner.

Regards,
Terry

[UncleHo]

G'day TerryO :)

Looks like you found one of those people as mentioned in the "Jobs for Idiots" thread, sounds about right to qualify, Govt vehicle,white, and taking that long to realise his error, Yup! sounds about right :D



cheers

[KarlB]

I also sounds like the 69 year old lady who did the same thing a few years back at Marulan, killing herself and seriously injuring someone else. Maybe she was a public servant.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[d2dave]

Driving a Prius he was probably away with the fairies thinking about what else he can do to save our planet.:wasntme:

Dave.

[PhilipA]

Once had it happen to me a very long time ago( in about 1970 or so).
There used to be a steep hill Brisbane side of Dreamworld which was AFAIR the first 4 lane road in Queensland. It then diverged into 2 separate 2 lane roads towards Ormeau.
One day in a heavy storm I was going southbound in very heavy traffic, just about solid when a Studebaker Lark came down the fast lane at 100Kmh or so the wrong way , brakes locked driver white, having missed the left curve onto the double divided highway.
It was bloody miraculous.
Everyone saw him coming and the left lane guys opened up and the right lane guys ( including me) just slotted in, and he didn't hit anyone. I watched the whole thing in my RV mirror and just thought WOW, what was achieved with cooperation.
Regards Philip A

[wagoo]

Oh, silly me,I misread the title and before I read your post the ghoul in me thought it was about coming in contact with a severed head on the motorway.:o:confused:
wagoo.

[abaddonxi]

Had someone do a U-turn in front of me.

No worries, right?

On the off roads from the Harbour Bridge in between Ernest Street and Miller Street.

In peak hour. Straight across the traffic island into oncoming traffic.

[V8Ian]

Brain obviously derailed and he was on the wrong track. :angel:

[JDNSW]

Nearly fifty years ago I was on the Ipswich bypass (when it was very new) overtaking a semi on the (one way) bridge over the railway just before you joined Ipswich Rd heading into Brisbane. When a car appeared coming the other direction. Thankfully my 2a had power brakes and I was able to get in behind the semi, but I still don't know how the car behind me did not run into the back of me. That is the closest scrape I have had like this.

John

[BigJon]

About 7 years ago when I was driving tilt tray towtrucks out of Alice Springs I was headed down to the Rock. As I approached Erldunda a Falcon wagon pulled out of the roadhouse and headed towards me on the wrong side of the road. My high beams flashing got their attention and they had a big swerve back onto the correct side of the road.

My guess is they were backpackers and had done a driver change at the roadhouse. The new driver forgot what side of the road they had to drive on until I reminded tham.

[V8Ian]

Heading north from Innisfail post Yasi, QG regoed Patrol (Comunity Recovery), passed three cars and a B double, travelling at the speed limit, over double lines.

[pando]

Hi Guys,

Happens quite a bit on the Huon hwy @ the Sandfly turnoff, heard of it happening at least 3 times in the last 12 months or so, once we were coming the other way. No amount of flashing or waving got these clowns attention as they looked at us funny belting past at 100kph.

The weird one about this area is that it is a dual carriage way separated by concrete divider. I can't fathom how you could be in the left hand lane travelling with the divider to your left hand side, and have another 2 lanes left of that and not wonder why?

One of the times it caused a fatality, nasty head on, both cars doing at least 80kph when it happened.

[d2dave]

About 22 years ago SWMBO lost an uncle to a head on. He was a night shift worker who lived at Trentham(Vic) He would travel home in the early hours of the morning from Melb using the Calder freeway. One morning a vehicle travelling the wrong way on the freeway crashed head on and he was killed.

Dave.

[Disco44]

Once had it happen to me a very long time ago( in about 1970 or so).
There used to be a steep hill Brisbane side of Dreamworld which was AFAIR the first 4 lane road in Queensland. It then diverged into 2 separate 2 lane roads towards Ormeau.


The first 4 Lane highway in Queensland was Ipswich Road as far as Gailes where it then went over the Railway Line and merged into 2 lanes.The road was concrete and built by the Yank engineers in WW2.Old timers would remember the bumpty bump caused as the concrete slabs were only around 10 feet in length.The 4 lanes resumed again at Bundamba from there to Ipswich.Again built by the yanks
Incidentally the old Pacific highway to the coast was for many years single lane.On a busy day it could take up to 6 hours to come home.We used to take a pack of cards and play while waiting for the line up to restart. End of history lesson.
John.

[isuzutoo-eh]

I guess its a great reason to keep left as often as possible no matter how many lanes there are

[V8Ian]

The first 4 Lane highway in Queensland was Ipswich Road as far as Gailes where it then went over the Railway Line and merged into 2 lanes.The road was concrete and built by the Yank engineers in WW2.Old timers would remember the bumpty bump caused as the concrete slabs were only around 10 feet in length.The 4 lanes resumed again at Bundamba from there to Ipswich.Again built by the yanks
Incidentally the old Pacific highway to the coast was for many years single lane.On a busy day it could take up to 6 hours to come home.We used to take a pack of cards and play while waiting for the line up to restart. End of history lesson.
John.IIRC the concrete went to Redbank, where the Yanks had a hospital/camp.

[TerryO]

I must admit I did wonder later on what was going through the mind of the Railways employee in his little Prius when he was greeted with a lifted D2a Disco bearing down on him head on at 100 kph with lights flashing!

Lucky for him their wasn't a B-double behind me.

cheers,
Terry

[Ferret]

Many years ago driving to Canberra along the old road that used to run along the shore line of Lake George (?) I almost cleaned up some fool driving on the wrong side.

He had his head and shoulders hanging out of the car window, hair flying in the wind, crazed look on his face, one hand on the wheel and with his free hand was waving oncoming driver out of his way. He knew he was driving on the wrong side.

Scared the life out of me.

[bee utey]

Two places I know where the road is plastered with signs imploring the foreign tourists to drive on the left PLEASE!

Great Ocean Road Vic

Jacobs Creek winery SA

Must be others around.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Firstly given that this incident at Sutton Forrest was in a Railways ute the situation is unlikely.

However, if anyone on holiday or for business purposes has driven in a country that drives on the right after years of experience driving on the left it is relatively easy to make a turn instinctively into another road and end up on the wrong side with oncoming traffic. It is most likely to happen when a little distracted, particularly when geographically embarrased.

The problem with motorways is that you often cant turn around.

I know probably a dozen friends who have done it in the US and Europe and have even been in a car when it happened.

Yes the correct answer is that you stop immediately on the verge or somewhere safe then either turn around or back up from whence you came.

[p38arover]

I did it once in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 20+ years ago. I drove out of the Saudi Telecom compound in which I lived and turned left at the traffic lights instead of going across the intersection before turning left. They drive on the wrong side of the road over there. :angel:

[Disco44]

IIRC the concrete went to Redbank, where the Yanks had a hospital/camp.

Coming which way,Ian from Brisbane or from Ipswich? Redbank is where I live now and there is no signs of the largest military hospital left now .The concrete front steps were taken out recently to make way for an Industrial Estate.The pistol range still exists and part of the old Rifle range.The yank mortuary is now a furniture factory and the railway lines into it are no more.It stored core samples for the Mines Dept from just after the war.I had to go into it one day for the Qld Fire Service.Geez what an eerie place gave me goosebumps..couldn't get out quick enough.I cannot remember Brisbane Terrace which was old Brisbane Road ever being concrete.The Old Royal Mail hotel is still there being bought back to its original etc because it went under in the floods again.An amazing old building it has been under every flood since around 1860 but this time its floor succumbed and had to be replaced.It opens for business again tomorrow(15th Feb)
Cheers,
John.