ACA Burnley Tunnel Accident

**solmanic** · 15th May 2007, 08:14 PM

Last night both TT & ACA were duelling again about the ACA Burnley Tunnel accident they filmed. It seems that both stations are so caught up in their own blamestorming that no-one has brought up the fact that the Mercedes FAILED TO INDICATE.

I had the misfortune of seeing the first part of both shows. When TT ran their teaser at the beginnning of their show I immediately flicked to ACA and, sure enough, they were running another piece on it too. ACA are still determined to blame the truck driver (since that was the thrust of their original story). Conversely TT are determined to blame ACA since they had the exclusive story from the truckie's perspective.

After seeing the footage over and over and over again, it is clear that the Mercedes which got hit was merging right from the left lane into the centre lane WITHOUT INDICATING. The truck was merging left at the same time and obviously didn't see the Merc until 'bang'. Why the truck driver hasn't mentioned this I don't know, but I suspect TT are keen to use his story (at whatever price) to try an vilify ACA for 'causing' the accident.

I am not a traffic accident investigator but the primary cause would seem to be the Mercedes driver's failure to indicate. Surely the police, who must be preparing a report on the accident, will come to the same conclusion. My concern is that scenario does nothing to support ACA's or TT's stories so if that is the outcome we probably won't ever hear any more of it. I wonder if Mediawatch should be informed or does everyone else know this already but aren't saying anything because they don't want to waste editorial space on trash journalism like TT & ACA?

**Outlaw** · 15th May 2007, 08:25 PM

I think probably both there faults from watching last night... as you said the Merc did not indicate but also might have been in the trucks blindspot.

How many times have you merged to a centre lane on a 3 lane highway and almost collected someone... if 2 people have the same thought about crossing over at the same time and only indicate as they're crossing as most people do.... i'm sure this has happened many times... we're just not usually lucky enough to have it caught on camera

**Blknight.aus** · 15th May 2007, 08:40 PM

When driving trucks and cranes in the center lane Ive seen 6 incidentes of cars that are overtaking me (left and right side at the same time) that have swapped paint on trying to get back into the center lane.

**walker** · 15th May 2007, 08:47 PM

LOL. When I watched the ACA report last night the first thing I thought was "He (mercedes) did not indicate". It was not until you saw the entire footage did you realise that the Merc actually changed lanes, in the short footage it does not show them changing lanes.

**Quiggers** · 15th May 2007, 09:52 PM

Seen the footage many times, the truck driver obviously could not see the Benz as he (truck driver) attempted to 'go left'. I think when you're sitting up there, things way down below and behind may not be obvious.

Driving an X1/9 (which is about a metre high) you become very aware of larger things like trucks and buses, they just cant see you. Okay so the Benz in question is larger, but.....

And as a journalist and a former producer and editor of current affairs tv, TT and ACA have completely lost the plot, apart from the usual crap, the new sensationalist rubbish on air is to rip off other crap from online amateur video - like youtube etc and beat up a story... with little basis, relevance, fairness or balance...

GQ

**solmanic** · 16th May 2007, 08:13 AM

Even if the Merc did indicate, then it is still just a straight-out ACCIDENT. Merging left and right at the same time (as others have pointed out) is bound to result in some collisions. The fact that the Merc. didn't indicate just means that his insurer should foot the bill. Having seen the footage of the truck post-crash, it's only the Mercedes that will require repair work anyway. The truck's bumper did not have a scratch on it!

**Discobunny** · 16th May 2007, 08:23 AM

I actually agree with the TT view

. What were ACA doing out there filming trucks for - to get a story. How do you get a story, aggravate some truck drivers by pulling in front of them and slowing down, one makes a mistake in frustration

and bingo, one story.
My view is, give truckies plenty of room, the things are hard ehough to drive without idiots making it harder for them

**Reads90** · 16th May 2007, 08:35 AM

In the Uk they have a mayor problem with this sort of accident. Manly it is the foreign Laft hand drive trucks that have the blind spot on the other side to our trucks which causes them to do it when moving out into lanes. (the oppostie to the accident on ACA)
So you are quite happly poding along in the middle lane when a you are just about to finish passing a truck when it pulls out on you and hits your back door and you have the same accident as on ACA
They are trying to stop it but it is getting worse as fuel price and cost of rego for lorrys goes up and up in the UK ,and cheaper rego and fuel from europe makes the transport compies there alot cheaper than the uk ones. So more and more of them are working in the UK.

**FenianEel** · 16th May 2007, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by solmanic

trash journalism like TT & ACA?

It's not that good

Those shows have a giant "wheel" they spin the week before, to decide which story they are doing the following week.
The spaces on the board read:

New diets
Hollywood Celeb
New Movie spruiking
Back pain miracle cure
Dodgy Tradesmen
Pauper to Millionaire
Lotto winner blows it all
Neighbours at war with each other
Miss Universe/Australia/Moomba/Wagga Show
Hachet job on the other show ACA/TT
Hachet job on the other owner Packer/Stokes
4WD death machines - featuring H Scrubber
Real Estate Agents are evil - feat. Neil Jenman
New push up bra / boob job / makeover
ADHD kids
School bullies
16 y old with 5 kids
Hoons in their cars
Politicians on the take
Dodgy investment schemes
Promo on one of their own networks shows
Some Juvies doing a farmstay /Kokoda / life change

Did I miss any?

And they just rotate them over and over.
Anna Coren lost any credibility by just taking on the job, and looking at glammed up Tracy Grimace is like watching a bulldog eat porridge.

Frontline and Mike Moore were far too close!!

In the words of Ford Fairlane those shows are like "m*****ating with a cheese grater - it's slightly amusing, but mostly painful."

**disco_thrasher** · 16th May 2007, 09:14 AM

So its like a chocolate wheel

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