Thread: Truck Driver Tailgating?,...in the "Nanny State"..Yeah right.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

The car driver was diving in accordance with the road rules.

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If you have any road rule to the contrary, please post it up and reference it.

Doesn't mean he's not a self centred jerk, though.

Originally Posted by trout1105

I was under the impression that the left hand lane is the lane furthest to the left, the middle lane is just that So it isn't the left hand lane at all. Regardless of if there are other lanes to the right of the vehicle the left hand lane is always the lane furthest to the left.

I was under the impression speed limits were rubbery and advisory.
I read the road rules.

How wrong was I.

Hard to argue with the rules when they're in writing. The road rule does not say the driver must drive in the most left lane. It just says the driver must not drive in the right lane, which he wasn't.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Hard to argue with the rules when they're in writing. The road rule does not say the driver must drive in the most left lane. It just says the driver must not drive in the right lane, which he wasn't.

This MAY be the case But if there was nothing preventing the car driver from moving into the "Other" left hand lane then at the very minimum if not illegal he was being a Right Royal Jerk.

Originally Posted by trout1105

This MAY be the case But if there was nothing preventing the car driver from moving into the "Other" left hand lane then at the very minimum if not illegal he was being a Right Royal Jerk.

Yep. Unfortunately you can't charge a person for being a jerk. If you could, the associated fines would wipe out our national debt.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Are you also driving half a million dollar vehicle that has to make a return on investment?

and yet the driver shows no patience and breaks the law,,

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Yep. Unfortunately you can't charge a person for being a jerk. If you could, the associated fines would wipe out our national debt.

I’d be broke!

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.

Stuart highway is always a fun experience...

Did that drive every week for a year...

There’s a particular company that like to draft each other - great fun trying to pass 3 road trains nose to tail . Luckily the D4 makes light work of it; all be it ‘bending’ a few speed limits..