Originally Posted by
Brian Hjelm
We old road train operators regard tourists as the most dangerous animal in the outback. Our justice system does not permit people to be shot for ignorance or stupidity though.
When a road train is approaching get right off the sealed portion of the road (assuming you are on a major sealed road) onto the shoulder, and slow down until the dust has settled enough for safety, as the RT won't, too bloody dangerous to be dropping up to 21+ axles down into the dirt on one side. Many of our outback roads that are sealed are only sealed to the width of one vehicle. Cost is the reason, long distances and low population means sealed roads are an unacceptably high cost to outback shire councils. Etiquette among road users is that cars/light vehicles drop half off the bitumen when approaching another car, and get totally off the bitumen onto the shoulder when approaching a truck.
Avoid driving after dusk in kangaroo infested areas. Likewise much of our outback grazing country is unfenced. Hitting a half tonne steer with your passenger vehicle is not recommended.
