Thread: Indian Ocean Drive WA

Is there a load limit on IOD? If not, any truck 19m or less in length can use it "as of right". There is no restriction for deliveries only as far as I am aware.

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

Is there a load limit on IOD? If not, any truck 19m or less in length can use it "as of right". There is no restriction for deliveries only as far as I am aware.

I believe it was a recommendation at first that trucks use the Brand Highway unless delivering along IOD ,maybe it was never implemented , as far as i am aware there is no load limit , there is a move to get the Ag Lime B doubles off IOD from Lancelin and out to the Brand with road works to facilitate . If i was a truckie i would avoid IOD like the plague .

I have only used the IOD on a few occasions But I do remember some signage that said local trucks only to use the road.
The majority of the road users on that road are either locals or tourists ( many of them towing rather large vans ) as far as I could tell from the times that I have used the road.
As the OP has said there IS a Hoon element that uses the road as I have seen these first hand, I suppose that this can be said for any highway but the dangers presented by these Hoons is multiplied by many times on the stretch of the IOD from Leeman to the Brand hwy turnoff because it is a narrow and winding stretch in this area.
It is a Great stretch of road to travel especially in summer and if you take it steady you will get to enjoy it But if you want to use it as a faster way to Perth or From Perth North you are wasting your time, It my be a shorter distance but the Brand hwy is still the quickest way to travel.

I can only give my experience of driving the IOD,I've been overtaken by cars around the blind corners north of Jurien,I've been stuck behind cars doing 80km/hr only to then speed up when people tried to overtake,in one instance I hit 130 to get around a car that sped up about 6 times beforehand blocking cars,we saw a RAV 4 try to squeeze between two trucks last xmas trying to overtake both of them.I've never had problems with trucks ever,the only problem has been cars,especially caravaners.There's too many incompetent drivers on the road IMO. Pat

Driving standards on the IOD is no better or worse than anywhere else in WA. With the latest fatality I see the "Worst Australian" has chosen to blame the road not the fact that a tourist has wandered over into the oncoming traffic. Fairly typical reporting by them actually.
We use it a lot and I find it's not a bad road but as others have said the behaviour of many leaves a lot to be desired but there's nothing new about that. About a month ago we travelled south after a short trip away towing our small van and the queue behind a bloke towing a largish van with a LC 200 was long and very agitated. Problem was he drove at above 90kph when it was clear to overtake but immediately dropped to mid 60s on stretches with double white lines. If that's not deliberate antagonistic driving I don't know what is. Plus there was a goon behind him with an aging camper van that kept wandering out for a look see then back in and out again.....bloody frustrating and he made the length necessary to get past much longer.
That's one of the problems on our country roads, incompetent drivers who just cannot overtake making it much harder for others to do so safely.
In the end I went past both of them but had to do 130 and that if checked by one of our revenue raisers would have resulted in immediate loss of license. And it's no good trying to talk sense into them or any of the so called road safety "experts".
Strangely the idiot in the camper suddenly chased me sitting right up close and then sped past with no problems at all!! A true West Australian driver.
AlanH.

Originally Posted by ATH

Driving standards on the IOD is no better or worse than anywhere else in WA. With the latest fatality I see the "Worst Australian" has chosen to blame the road not the fact that a tourist has wandered over into the oncoming traffic. Fairly typical reporting by them actually.
We use it a lot and I find it's not a bad road but as others have said the behaviour of many leaves a lot to be desired but there's nothing new about that. About a month ago we travelled south after a short trip away towing our small van and the queue behind a bloke towing a largish van with a LC 200 was long and very agitated. Problem was he drove at above 90kph when it was clear to overtake but immediately dropped to mid 60s on stretches with double white lines. If that's not deliberate antagonistic driving I don't know what is. Plus there was a goon behind him with an aging camper van that kept wandering out for a look see then back in and out again.....bloody frustrating and he made the length necessary to get past much longer.
That's one of the problems on our country roads, incompetent drivers who just cannot overtake making it much harder for others to do so safely.
In the end I went past both of them but had to do 130 and that if checked by one of our revenue raisers would have resulted in immediate loss of license. And it's no good trying to talk sense into them or any of the so called road safety "experts".
Strangely the idiot in the camper suddenly chased me sitting right up close and then sped past with no problems at all!! A true West Australian driver.
AlanH.

Never been on the IOD, but I endorse what you say about the standard of driving. Try the Newell Highway at holiday time.

Originally Posted by ATH

Driving standards on the IOD is no better or worse than anywhere else in WA. With the latest fatality I see the "Worst Australian" has chosen to blame the road not the fact that a tourist has wandered over into the oncoming traffic. Fairly typical reporting by them actually.
We use it a lot and I find it's not a bad road but as others have said the behaviour of many leaves a lot to be desired but there's nothing new about that. About a month ago we travelled south after a short trip away towing our small van and the queue behind a bloke towing a largish van with a LC 200 was long and very agitated. Problem was he drove at above 90kph when it was clear to overtake but immediately dropped to mid 60s on stretches with double white lines. If that's not deliberate antagonistic driving I don't know what is. Plus there was a goon behind him with an aging camper van that kept wandering out for a look see then back in and out again.....bloody frustrating and he made the length necessary to get past much longer.
That's one of the problems on our country roads, incompetent drivers who just cannot overtake making it much harder for others to do so safely.
In the end I went past both of them but had to do 130 and that if checked by one of our revenue raisers would have resulted in immediate loss of license. And it's no good trying to talk sense into them or any of the so called road safety "experts".
Strangely the idiot in the camper suddenly chased me sitting right up close and then sped past with no problems at all!! A true West Australian driver.
AlanH.

Wow 130Kmh with a caravan on the back , i could think of no reason on this earth that would provoke me into doing that . !! .

Only driven the IOD a few times but from my point of view the worst road by far in WA is the ALBANY highway at easter time, seems there are no rules at all
cheers
blaze