An Accident waiting to happen

[Roverlord off road spares]

Beware you Cape York Travelers, look lack of concentration and speeding in lack of visibility. That dust is being thrown up for a reason !

https://www.facebook.com/ray.taylor.1426/videos/1698774710198029/

[cripesamighty]

Ouch! The result is below taken from the link in the video. Poor bugger....

Ray Taylor - BDR at Normanton/Kurumba junction. | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1698774633531370&set=pcb.128401631184810&type=3&theater&ifg=1)

[V8Ian]

Darwin's theory, it's not hard to workout that you shouldn't out drive your vision.

[Tins]

Ouch! The result is below taken from the link in the video. Poor bugger....

Ray Taylor - BDR at Normanton/Kurumba junction. | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1698774633531370&set=pcb.128401631184810&type=3&theater&ifg=1)

Lucky to live, IMV. Easily done though.

[ATH]

3 of us from LROCWA were driving in convoy towards Boorooloola NT (sp?) from memory when we came up behind a B Double stopped on the side of the dirt road. He let the first 2 through then deliberately pulled right out in front of us!
I pulled right back and allowed him to get well ahead saying to the Cook that I thought the driver was a nutter. On 3 occasions further along the road this bastard pulled over and sat right amongst his own dust cloud waiting for us.
But I sat and waited until it cleared before moving on and there he was leaning out the window laughing. As we got to the Stuart Hwy ( I think) junction he pulled over and hung out the window giving us the finger .... what the hell had we done to upset this ***** I'll never know. Actually we weren't even driving a Landie at the time so it wasn't that that caused it......
Never ever drive into a dust cloud as some lunatic like him may just be waiting for you.
AlanH.

[Bearman]

"drive to conditions" is what it is called. See heaps of this in my outback travels. Recent trip to Birdsville this year saw quite a few drivers mainly Toyotas wanting to overtake everything on the dirt sections. It was very dusty and most drivers did the right thing and spaced out allowing the dust to clear in between vehicles but every now and then I could see one overtaking behind and then sitting right up your arse in the dust and stones and then overtaking blindly. Idiots is all I can refer to them as.

[DeanoH]

Darwin's theory, it's not hard to workout that you shouldn't out drive your vision.

X2

There's one reason and one reason only for this 'accident' and it wasn't caused by the truck driver.

Deano

[Tins]

X2

There's one reason and one reason only for this 'accident' and it wasn't caused by the truck driver.

Deano

Indeed. Funny how often the truckie is to blame. Drive to conditions, accept your own role in the scheme of things, get on and enjoy...

[Tins]

3 of us from LROCWA were driving in convoy towards Boorooloola NT (sp?) from memory when we came up behind a B Double stopped on the side of the dirt road. He let the first 2 through then deliberately pulled right out in front of us!
I pulled right back and allowed him to get well ahead saying to the Cook that I thought the driver was a nutter. On 3 occasions further along the road this bastard pulled over and sat right amongst his own dust cloud waiting for us.
But I sat and waited until it cleared before moving on and there he was leaning out the window laughing. As we got to the Stuart Hwy ( I think) junction he pulled over and hung out the window giving us the finger .... what the hell had we done to upset this ***** I'll never know. Actually we weren't even driving a Landie at the time so it wasn't that that caused it......
Never ever drive into a dust cloud as some lunatic like him may just be waiting for you.
AlanH..

Fascinating. Did you engage with him? Did you think about what you were doing yourself? If you believe that this particular driver was behaving inappropriately did you take the numbers? Did you report it? Did you film it, as everyone does these days? Do you know the difference between a B Double and a Road Train?

I ask, because you are making serious allegations, allegations that the truck drivers amongst AULRO, and there are many, would take seriously.

If the events you describe truly happened, report them. If they didn't, shut up. It isn't helpfull if things that happened aren't reported, you know. The real drivers want blokes like the one that you described off the road as well, if they exist. All we get from your post is innuendo.

[Roverlord off road spares]

3 of us from LROCWA were driving in convoy towards Boorooloola NT (sp?) from memory when we came up behind a B Double stopped on the side of the dirt road. He let the first 2 through then deliberately pulled right out in front of us!
I pulled right back and allowed him to get well ahead saying to the Cook that I thought the driver was a nutter. On 3 occasions further along the road this bastard pulled over and sat right amongst his own dust cloud waiting for us.
But I sat and waited until it cleared before moving on and there he was leaning out the window laughing. As we got to the Stuart Hwy ( I think) junction he pulled over and hung out the window giving us the finger .... what the hell had we done to upset this ***** I'll never know. Actually we weren't even driving a Landie at the time so it wasn't that that caused it......
Never ever drive into a dust cloud as some lunatic like him may just be waiting for you.
AlanH.

Maybe it was the making of Wolf Creek 3!

[Tins]

Truly sorry, but I find these anecdotal horror stories to be just that: anecdotes. We've all heard or read them. There is never any evidence, it's all "take my word" bull****.

For heaven's sake, if you have a story to tell, take the numbers and TELL IT TO THE POLICE, and stop putting down people who are doing a job. It helps nothing but your ego, and who needs that?

Talk to the truckies. Learn what they do, or just learn.. Above all, don't judge all because of one. Grab a chance to at least sit in one when it's driving and learn. And don't judge us all from one experience, or one pathetic TV show. Most of us are professional, and most of us want to get home just as much as you. By all means, report the ones that don't.

[Tins]

Maybe it was the making of Wolf Creek 3!

Steady on, Mario. The first one was OK, the second not so much, but can you see Mick Taylor in a LR??

[Eevo]

TELL IT TO THE POLICE,

why? was it a doughnut truck?

[Eevo]

Steady on, Mario. The first one was OK, the second not so much, but can you see Mick Taylor in a LR??
to quote mick: "She was good for months... until she lost her head! "

[Tins]

why? was it a doughnut truck?

Krispy Kreme haven't made it out there yet, I hope. I'm sure that you will help them in their endeavours though, eevo.

[Tins]

to quote mick: "She was good for months... until she lost her head! "


Was that " head on a stick"?

[Eevo]

Was that " head on a stick"?
i think so. been a while/

[Roverlord off road spares]

Was that " head on a stick"?
Stops prisoners running away was the reason I think he said.

[Tins]

Was that " head on a stick"?

A particularly nasty practice. As Mario says, it stops them running away. I thought you had seen Wolf Creek. If not, I don't recommend it, unless you have a strong stomach. It told a story that needed to be told in a way, at the time. Remember Peter Falconio? It was well done in it's way, and John Jarrett ( you may be of an age to remember him from PlaySchool - No offence, I don't know your age) was mesmerising as Mick Taylor.

[Eevo]

i watch wolf creek while camping in wolf creek.
for those that dont know, the park allow farming, in particular, cows.

we had a cow wake us up at 5am. after having watched wolf creek we had the **** scared out of us. hahaha.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Another happy camper, truck driver innocent
https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/29054382/high-speed-outback-crash-caught-on-dashcam/

[PhilipA]

I looked carefully at the impact frames of the OP video, and the truck had actually moved ( partially) off the road so there was no excuse for the bloke to hit it other than going too fast.
I once had a similar thing cause a near miss in Saudi when we were driving in blinding dust in the empty quarter and the convoy leader suddenly stopped without warning in the middle of the road to read his LORAN.

I was going slow enough to miss him, but there is a responsibility on the person in front to have some common sense and move off the road if they want to suddenly stop in a dust cloud.

I have always remembered that lesson.

I have also found cattle crate drivers to be very nice blokes who will respond to a polite request to tell me when it is OK to pass on a dirt road.
Regards Philip A

[V8Ian]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?

[bee utey]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?

Arrogance! :bat:

[Gordie]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?Cost of electricity....

[rangieman]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?
Darwin`s theory[wink11]

[jonesfam]

We have a few of those "ran into the back of a truck" & "hit a tree in the dust" episodes every year out here.

It amazes me. If the truck is oncoming just pull off & stop until the dust cloud clears, if your following in dust it's either time for a walk or to use the radio.

Jonesfam

[trog]

It is self administered euthanasia. Some just can't wait til the bill gets through parliament. No problems with me unless the collateral damage involves the unwilling .

[Wraithe]

I must be bad, could not stop laughing at this first video... Bet he dont do that again...

The idiot that lost control is a perfect example of someone that dont know how to drive... Firstly over reacting to the pull when he hit the gravel, and its pretty darn obvious that he was going faster than his abilities...
Boy did he make a mess, I would not like to see how much damage to the grill and possibly the radiator...

I remember a family friend heading home on the Meekatharra-Mt Augustus rd some time in the 1980's, he had a couple state pollies with him when a stock truck went past in the opposite direction... Half way down the trailers a XB panel collided with them, panel van was overtaking...
Sadly Brian got hurt but he was one of the 3 politicians in the car... Of course, like all good friends(and his family), we all had to give him a hard time about the 3 of them nearly vacating there seats...
He was probably the only one that could laugh about it, the other 2 where up there to check out the condition of the roads and the dangers involved...Karma..

Johntins, as you know, there are lots of steering wheel attendants and we have all seen them and there actions... They are the ones who give us a bad rep, but when a car driver has a bad time with those idiots, we should use the term, "Not all truck drivers are like that, only a few. Please dont brand us with the same brush", Same as the ones who brand land rover drivers(But I know, we are all the same, terrors off road for not getting stuck so easy)...

As for crash cams, I had one that stopped working... an hour before some stupid woman in a white Camry, with child in back seat, she was wearing a black slip on dress and had dark brown hair, I know because the vision of what happened wont go away... S bends, between Quairading and Cunderden, came over the ridge into the first bend, truck coming other way didnt hear my call on UHF, thus he quickly slowed half way through bend and pulled into dirt, car behind pulled out and some how squeezed between us, Bull bars where level when she went through, I was running left wheel on edge of drop off(I had 88 tonne pushing me and doing 90 through the bend)... On return trip I stopped and followed my wheel marks on foot, I was 6 inchs from going bush and hitting a few trees(big enough to demolish cab) and a big pile of pushed up rocks, big enough to destroy the truck... the other driver stopped too and we measured the road between marks, she had 7ft between the trucks, I didnt even hit her...
How, I got no idea, we should have hit but didnt...
Police informed but as we had no rego and cam not working, nothing they could do but put it on radio asking people to take care while we where emptying the Quairading CBH bin....
There where 12 roadtrains doing that run, all of us grossing between 83 tonne and 92.5 tonne...Most of the run we where able to sit on 100 kmh and as it was off the main highway, we had very few problems, but that day I was shaken, not stirred...


Its bad news when idiots dont think before acting, but funny when we see videos of them getting a harsh lesson... Poor trucky probably needs new tail lights...

[Bearman]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?

I think stupidity comes into it.

[Tins]

I've just been out, driving in the rain. Why is it that the drivers of the least conspicuous coloured cars refuse to use their lights, in circumstances of reduced vision?

Yep. I run with my lights on no matter what the conditions. People can say "look at that ****head, he's got his lights on and it's not dark" but at least that means they've seen me.

[Redfoxie]

I must be bad, could not stop laughing at this first video... Bet he dont do that again...

The idiot that lost control is a perfect example of someone that dont know how to drive... Firstly over reacting to the pull when he hit the gravel, and its pretty darn obvious that he was going faster than his abilities...
Boy did he make a mess, I would not like to see how much damage to the grill and possibly the radiator...

I remember a family friend heading home on the Meekatharra-Mt Augustus rd some time in the 1980's, he had a couple state pollies with him when a stock truck went past in the opposite direction... Half way down the trailers a XB panel collided with them, panel van was overtaking...
Sadly Brian got hurt but he was one of the 3 politicians in the car... Of course, like all good friends(and his family), we all had to give him a hard time about the 3 of them nearly vacating there seats...
He was probably the only one that could laugh about it, the other 2 where up there to check out the condition of the roads and the dangers involved...Karma..

Johntins, as you know, there are lots of steering wheel attendants and we have all seen them and there actions... They are the ones who give us a bad rep, but when a car driver has a bad time with those idiots, we should use the term, "Not all truck drivers are like that, only a few. Please dont brand us with the same brush", Same as the ones who brand land rover drivers(But I know, we are all the same, terrors off road for not getting stuck so easy)...

As for crash cams, I had one that stopped working... an hour before some stupid woman in a white Camry, with child in back seat, she was wearing a black slip on dress and had dark brown hair, I know because the vision of what happened wont go away... S bends, between Quairading and Cunderden, came over the ridge into the first bend, truck coming other way didnt hear my call on UHF, thus he quickly slowed half way through bend and pulled into dirt, car behind pulled out and some how squeezed between us, Bull bars where level when she went through, I was running left wheel on edge of drop off(I had 88 tonne pushing me and doing 90 through the bend)... On return trip I stopped and followed my wheel marks on foot, I was 6 inchs from going bush and hitting a few trees(big enough to demolish cab) and a big pile of pushed up rocks, big enough to destroy the truck... the other driver stopped too and we measured the road between marks, she had 7ft between the trucks, I didnt even hit her...
How, I got no idea, we should have hit but didnt...
Police informed but as we had no rego and cam not working, nothing they could do but put it on radio asking people to take care while we where emptying the Quairading CBH bin....
There where 12 roadtrains doing that run, all of us grossing between 83 tonne and 92.5 tonne...Most of the run we where able to sit on 100 kmh and as it was off the main highway, we had very few problems, but that day I was shaken, not stirred...


Its bad news when idiots dont think before acting, but funny when we see videos of them getting a harsh lesson... Poor trucky probably needs new tail lights...


Follow the link in the reply after the video... the radiator is in the passenger seat!

My Co-worker called in sick 2 weeks ago because she "had a bit of a crash" ... won't send pic for privacy reasons, but one 300mm diameter marri tree was on the roof racks and the other where the water pump lives! I'm glad she didn't call it an accident!! Apparently though "the corner came up too quick!!" Gravel and idiots don't mix.

[Wraithe]

Follow the link in the reply after the video... the radiator is in the passenger seat!

My Co-worker called in sick 2 weeks ago because she "had a bit of a crash" ... won't send pic for privacy reasons, but one 300mm diameter marri tree was on the roof racks and the other where the water pump lives! I'm glad she didn't call it an accident!! Apparently though "the corner came up too quick!!" Gravel and idiots don't mix.

She was lucky it wasnt a Salmon Gum... 18 inch salmon gum, went through bull bar then caved the cab in, driver was killed(the truck was loaded and grossed around 90 tonne)... The tree is still standing and growing fine... Those trees dont forgive at all...This happened not far from Trayning, some 15 years ago...

Marri's get big, the redgums I grew up around are babies compared to the Marri... I have a few Marri's around the paddock that come close to a Karri in size...

I think it was last year when a car hit a Karri branch, every one ok but the car stopped instantly... I was told the branch hit the deck just in front of the car...

[Wraithe]

Yep. I run with my lights on no matter what the conditions. People can say "look at that ****head, he's got his lights on and it's not dark" but at least that means they've seen me.

As long as they are on low beam... Its the ones on highbeam that are dangerous during the day...

[Tins]

As long as they are on low beam... Its the ones on highbeam that are dangerous during the day...

Yes indeed, and properly aimed.

[Ean Austral]

I have a good friend who runs 30 odd road trains out of Normanton , actually its prolly his water carrier in the original post as he does most off the road works up that way.

He tells me - (actually its that common he's stopped telling me ) - about 2 maybe 3 caravans crash into his road trains most dry ( tourist ) seasons up that way, and its usually people who have got the super payout , bought the 4x4 and flash caravan , never towed anything in their life and get let loose on the roads. His drivers tell me the people towing the caravans are too scared to move over in case they might scratch their new pride and joy and then panic when they see a road train coming the other way.

I can only wonder when I see things like those video's if the police actually take action against those drivers , cause sure as hell if it was the truck at fault there would be much screaming about it and something needing to be done.

Cheers Ean

[vnx205]

A couple of times I have encountered road trains in the NT, I found it easy to deal with them.

On unsealed roads I saw their dust clouds long before they got anywhere near me, so I could always pull well off the road and wait for their dust to clear.

The issue of overtaking them never arose because I was driving a Series III. They were all a lot faster than I was. :)

[Ean Austral]

I just spoke with my mate and he tells me that if its the crash he thinks that truck is carrying fuel. If its not then the same thing happened to a fuel carrier recently.


Cheers Ean

[Redfoxie]

I have done many hours Driving on those roads working for Telstra, and the number one rule: don't drive in the dust.
Firstly it blocks up all your filters and gets in the vents.
Secondly, well the video showed exactly what happens... what we also can't see is the reason the truck was pulling over. if the driver in question missed the truck, who's to say a local young family weren't oncoming on the way to their holiday... or a van packed with sexy back packers heading to the next pub looking for some fun! What a waste that would be!!

Keep your vents Clean people!