Time for an attitude change
The truck apologists on here always make me laugh. I travel +50,000km / year and occasionally drive HR trucks, and see intimidation on the road constantly.
While the average car driver can be a jerk, they invariably are conforming to their "speed limit" - usually rigidly enforced by the nanny state highway patrol. I realise that this can vary due to speedo error. I usually have my GPS going, and generally see Bdoubles at 103-105km/hr in pedal to the metal mode.
I drive mainly in rural NSW, where there is usually a bit of latitude with the rozzers < 10km, but in Vic that leeway is usually not there. I tell my family that the only way to share the road with trucks out here is to travel at 110km/hr. or 90km/hr, and let trucks pass. The speed differentials are too small to allow for safe sharing the roads if you are not to come under notice of the revenue collectors.
I also drive in Europe, and feel much safer there than Aus. Much more intuitive (and fast) driving, BUT the trucks there are limited to 80km/hr, and the system works great for Autostrade and provincial roads. Dont worry about the cops on a multi lane road - get in the road of an Audi or Beemer driver on the LH (ie fast lane), and you will soon know about it.
If I was running the show, the trucks would all be limited to 90km/hr, (I can hear the howls now!!) and all car drivers would have to do the kind of licence process that they do in Europe. I notice in SA that road trains are legal at 100km/h. I consider myself a reasonable driver, but find myself white knuckling it on the Stuart Hwy, especially in a Land Rover.
The sense of entitlement from both sides of this debate needs to be educated out.
