Thread: Does anyone ever obey the speed limit

A day in a truckie's life.

Today I delivered three liquid loads at twenty-five tonne a piece. I only travelled on A and B roads, no highways or motorways. On each journey I had a near miss.

Incident 1: I'm driving north at the speed limit of 80kph, no other northbound traffic in sight behind or in front of me. I approach a secluded road running off to my left as a southbound car wants to turn right into same, without signaling. In order to beat me across the intersection he had to severely cut the corner. It just so happened that there was an east bound car approaching at the same time, necessitating both cars to panic stop. Now this genius has blocked my lane, giving me 60 feet to stop! Fortunately, I had no oncoming traffic so with very heavy braking and swerving, I managed to just miss 'Mr I don't wait for anyone'.
Can you imagine what 25 tonne of liquid is doing after a manoeuvre like that?

Incident 2: Another impatient moron has to rapidly accelerate to beat me to a lane merge so he can turn into a service station 150 metres past the merge. More heavy braking and another 25 tonne sloshing around.

Incident 3: On a very undulating and winding section of a scrub lined 80 kph road I crested a hill between two ess bends to find a car performing a U-turn across double lines. To compound the stupidity the woman driving the car paniced when she saw me coming, and propped across the centre of the road. The car was full of young kids, more heavy braking and you know the rest.

That relays today but it's fairly typical of every truckie, every day. Most of of these clown have no idea what mayhem they cause or how the skill of this nation's truck drivers saves lives, injuries and wrecked cars every day.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Once the grey nomad in front gets to an overtaking lane, they'll speed up to the speed limit or above. Naturally, once the overtaking lane ends, they drop back down to below the speed limit.

I was watching a Kiwi TV programme last week (Road Madness with the late Ewen Gilmour) when this phenomenon was discussed. The comments were that when the overtaking lane appears, the slow driver speeds up unconsciously because he doesn't feel restricted and is less frightened of a head-on crash. Then they slow down at the end of the overtaking lane because they are frightened.

We have a very short double lane stretch along Moggill Rd here where the speed limit is 70. People routinely puddle up the two way section hill at 60kmh then speed up to 80kmh on the dual carriageway where it's flatter only to drop back down to 60 when it ends. I have just taken to pulling past them into the righthand lane ASAP then as they speed up I just make sure I'm a whisker in front so the idiots have to slow back down to merge behind me where the lane ends. I don't feel at all guilty doing this because I know they will only be doing 60kmh again when it's all over.

Another solution to this annoying practice is when an overtaking lane ends there is often an overtaking lane coming in the opposite direction. If there is a broken line on your side where it goes back to a single lane, you can just use the opposite overtaking lane to pass any numpties who slow back down. You can do this even if there is a car coming the other way in the oncoming left lane. You need to have a clear view of any oncoming traffic that may want to use the overtaking lane though as they have right of way, but it is perfectly permissible and I have done this at least a few times with cop cars coming the other way.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Curses! I only have an XJR1300.

Phew 1800

Solmanic, don't do that in SA!

SA requires both oncoming lanes be clear...

That and other reason's is why we should have National road rules. And the same vehicle standard as in RWC. In vic or whatever known in other states. I am not saying we adopt the vic system. But a logical set of rules. Just look at the stupidity of trying to register the current ex military landrovers in different states. People need to get over the bull**** of our state is better than yours. Fine for sport or whatever but not for a modern transport system that is very different to when each state had different needs?.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Solmanic, don't do that in SA!

SA requires both oncoming lanes be clear...

Queensland on the other hand doesn't seem to make any specific mention of this scenario. You just follow the "if it's safe to do so" rule when overtaking. (someone may correct me on this but I just re-scanned the Transport Operations Regulation, Oct 2014 and still can't find anything.)

I have noticed that more and more overtaking lanes in QLD & NSW are now having the solid + broken centre line repainted with double white lines, probably to limit this practice.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Solmanic, don't do that in SA!

SA requires both oncoming lanes be clear...

I thought that was a national road rule. You can't pass in Vic unless both lanes are clear either.

the problem is the national rules have many state exemptions to them.