Caravan Merges Into Truck

Are We Lost · Guru

Caravan Merges Into Truck

dogbox · Guru

vince56 wrote:

My point is that the truck driver appears not to have even tried to avoid the accident, I can't accept that he did nothing wrong. That's all.

if you came on an accident scene where one driver was in the wrong example rear ender but it turns out the other driver is unlicensed/drunk (whatever) what happens?

Are We Lost · Guru

Both get charged. Even if the at fault driver was 100% in the wrong, the unlicensed/drunk driver would face much worse charges.

dogbox · Guru

Are We Lost wrote:

Both get charged. Even if the at fault driver was 100% in the wrong, the unlicensed/drunk driver would face much worse charges.

i believe you maybe wrong the unlicensed/drunk driver should not have been on the road, insurance company denies claim for damages to unlicensed/drunk driver vehicle

Are We Lost · Guru

OK, I answered your question on the law aspects of it. I can't imagine the officer on scene is going to say "I can see you are drunk, but you are not at fault so off you go".

As for insurance, that could be interesting. But the at fault (sober) driver has insurance, and I don't see why that would be voided. Being at fault he would have to pay the excess. How the not at fault (drunk) driver is affected ? Hmm. Maybe the insurer would use it as a way to deny payment.

Maybe an interesting subject to raise in a separate thread.

dogbox · Guru

sober/licensed driver at fault but gets away with it because other driver was unlicensed or DUI if charged at the scene insurance will become null and void

DMaxer · Guru

Just simply unbelievable that some people with no idea of what the relevant law is feel so confident to inform others what it is. Imagine if they had the same attitude to medical matters and came upon the scene of an accident before the ambulance arrived.

dogbox · Guru

DMaxer wrote:

Just simply unbelievable that some people with no idea of what the relevant law is feel so confident to inform others what it is. Imagine if they had the same attitude to medical matters and came upon the scene of an accident before the ambulance arrived.

feel free to explain

vince56 · Senior Member

With all this support for the truckie are you saying he drove exactly as he should have? That he operated the truck in a safe and professional manner? That he slowed to avoid a collision? That he had anticipated the situation and reacted accordingly? That he wasnt angry and decided to teach this guy a lesson? Come on people, they are BOTH lacking in skills and are BOTH a danger to us all!

yobarr · Guru

vince56 wrote:
With all this support for the truckie are you saying he drove exactly as he should have? That he operated the truck in a safe and professional manner? That he slowed to avoid a collision? That he had anticipated the situation and reacted accordingly? That he wasnt angry and decided to teach this guy a lesson? Come on people, they are BOTH lacking in skills and are BOTH a danger to us all!

How so? The truckie clearly was angry with the clown in the ute, and simply made no effort to avoid turning the ute around.

Nothing unskilful there.

Lesson possibly learned, but certainly no lack of skills by the truckie. What action of his do you believe to be unskilful?

There is a limit to how many dipstick drivers we can tolerate, and how many of their antics and mistakes that we can compensate for.

Today I was once again caught behind a Triton and van, with Pa Kettle dawdling along at 70kmh in a 100km zone, and then slowing to 40kmh in a 60kmh zone. Probably blissfully unaware that I was behind him, white-knuckled gripping of the steering wheel, and staring straight ahead. Mirrors? What's a mirror? Cheers

vince56 · Senior Member

Anticipation is a skill, he didn't anticipate what was coming? I think he did, just didn't want to yield. Utilizing engine brakes and foot brakes is a skill, he didn't use them before making contact.
Look, I understand the frustrations for the average truckie, I have worked for a trucking company and listened to the myriad of stories about dopey car drivers etc, the issue is that it is also a skill of the job not to let idiots cause you to do something you may regret or harm others due to rage.

shakey55 · Senior Member

dogbox wrote:
DMaxer wrote:

Just simply unbelievable that some people with no idea of what the relevant law is feel so confident to inform others what it is. Imagine if they had the same attitude to medical matters and came upon the scene of an accident before the ambulance arrived.

feel free to explain

The correct answer is,

- At fault driver is given a ticket for Negligent Driving

- The unlicensed driver is given a roadside breath test. If he fails he is detained for the purpose of a breath analysis test. If he fails this he is arrested, charged PCA and unlicensed driving. Bailed to appear in court at a later date. End of story - any insurance claims have nothing to do with police action

Ben Taxyl · Member

Looks to me that some drivers are in line for anger management training. I'm in the right, and don'[t have to give way to avoid a prang.

And we have to share the roads,oh dear.

Possum3 · Guru

It's a modern trend Ben - I am the most importanter (grammar modified for Millenials).

Absolutely love your Monika - a great play on words - although it would be a bit hard on a kid starting school.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Can't possibly be the truck driver fault as there are no bad truck drivers around.

Yet, another big truck accident on the Hume Highway near Gundagai NSW. One B Double ran into the back of another B Double. Yep, only good truck drivers around.

For the good truck drivers out there, keep safe. (G'day Bob)

yobarr · Guru

Dougwe wrote:
Can't possibly be the truck driver fault as there are no bad truck drivers around.

Yet, another big truck accident on the Hume Highway near Gundagai NSW. One B Double ran into the back of another B Double. Yep, only good truck drivers around.

For the good truck drivers out there, keep safe. (G'day Bob)

Thanks Doug, for your kind thoughts. However, I wonder do you have figures for yesterday's many nose to tail accidents that involved car drivers?

No, didn't think so. More fun to have a dig at truck drivers. Remember, without trucks Australia stops. Cheers.

diggerop · Senior Member

and simply made no effort to avoid turning the ute around.

Nothing unskilful there.

Lesson possibly learned, but certainly no lack of skills by the truckie. What action of his do you believe to be unskilful?

Where do you gain the skill for turning utes around with a truck on the highway?

One skill the truckie didnt have was the one of avoiding the situation in the first place and the last place.

peter67 · Guru

You don't see many people willing to argue with wasps, crocodiles, or white pointers do you? it's called self preservation vs dumb guy in small vehicle.

Hitting the road · Senior Member

Looks lonely out there Chris...bit like the Barkly...not too many errant caravaners out...

-- Edited by Hitting the road on Thursday 11th of May 2023 08:45:43 PM

Izabarack · Guru

The new, recently licensed, drivers in the family show me lots of Dashcam videos on YouTube. Consensus opinions always that even if in the right, the paperwork and insurance claims and the time to get repairs done, make it always worthwhile to avoid the crash, if you can. Only claim I have made in the last 53 years has been for hail damage. I don't count the free windscreen I get after trips outback on dirt roads. If the truck driver had been able to take the hit to his Ego, and let the brain dead ute driver complete his unsafe lane change, we would not have a video to argue about.

yobarr · Guru

Hitting the road wrote:
Looks lonely out there Chris...bit like the Barkly...not too many errant caravaners out...

Yes, one of life's simple pleasures is the solitude of the bush. Travelling 300km on dirt roads without seeing another vehicle, the big exhausts echoing through the trees, dodging 'roos and cows (sometimes anyway!), pigs and various other animals. Great life, but probably foreign to most? Cheers

yobarr · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
The new, recently licensed, drivers in the family show me lots of Dashcam videos on YouTube. Consensus opinions always that even if in the right, the paperwork and insurance claims and the time to get repairs done, make it always worthwhile to avoid the crash, if you can. Only claim I have made in the last 53 years has been for hail damage. I don't count the free windscreen I get after trips outback on dirt roads. If the truck driver had been able to take the hit to his Ego, and let the brain dead ute driver complete his unsafe lane change, we would not have a video to argue about.

And where would be the fun in that? If we slowed down to compensate for incompetent drivers every time we encountered one, we'd never get anywhere. Don't play games with the Big Boys. Simple. Cheers.

BasilB · Veteran Member

truck drivers? they're just train drivers poor cousins.

Hitting the road · Senior Member

Lets be honest...the paperwork, let alone the angst, hurt, and potentially the the loss of a job for a professional truck driver to tangle with a member of the public on the road makes it extremely worthwhile for the driver to avoid at all costs.
The bloke steering the truck has so much more to lose should he / she be cavalier when it comes to any sort of incident on the road...it is just not worth it!

The comments that I read here are juvenile in some cases to say the least...any professional truck driver can / would in no way ever intentionally cause an accident, the costs are way too high in so many ways. As a heavy vehicle driver myself I know that...we all know that. it would sadly be so easy to end up in Court on counts of manslaughter should a person or persons not survive an incident we did not necessarily cause...no way do we want to ever see any person be injured.

From where I sit so many drivers just do not get it, not just those towing caravans or trailers, but motor vehicle drivers generally, including some truck drivers. We all pay taxes, we are all entitled to use the roads we pay for...but for goodness sake, let's all have consideration for other road users at all times, think about what our short sighted actions may convey to others, or even "do unto others as we would have them do to us"...think about it.

yobarr · Guru

BasilB wrote:
truck drivers? they're just train drivers poor cousins.

"Train drivers poor cousins" you say. Thanks for this obviously well considered thought.

Up until 3 years ago I was a competent salesman, earning waaay over $200k for only very few hours each week, with no overheads, but I decided to go back onto the trucks because in the 1970s and 1980s I enjoyed drivng trucks. Truck driving is not something that I have to do because I'm too dumb to do anything else, but it's a life style I've chosen.

Your insinuation that truck drivers are not the brightest stars in the sky needs to be countered by me iterating that "Without trucks Australia stops". No food, no fuel, no beer = no hope. Think about it. Cheers

watsea · Guru

yobarr wrote:
Izabarack wrote:
The new, recently licensed, drivers in the family show me lots of Dashcam videos on YouTube. Consensus opinions always that even if in the right, the paperwork and insurance claims and the time to get repairs done, make it always worthwhile to avoid the crash, if you can. Only claim I have made in the last 53 years has been for hail damage. I don't count the free windscreen I get after trips outback on dirt roads. If the truck driver had been able to take the hit to his Ego, and let the brain dead ute driver complete his unsafe lane change, we would not have a video to argue about.
And where would be the fun in that? If we slowed down to compensate for incompetent drivers every time we encountered one, we'd never get anywhere. Don't play games with the Big Boys. Simple. Cheers.

So what if you don't slow down for those incompetent drivers and there is an accident. Then there is loss of time involved in the cleanup, paper work to go through, truck repairs later, and, worse, possible injury or death of those "perhaps" incompetent occupants of the smaller vehicle. Very negative outcome for the possible victims, their relatives and many others concerned.

Does the truck driver have a conscience for this type of action?

-- Edited by watsea on Thursday 11th of May 2023 10:51:31 PM

deverall11 · Guru

How about if the caravan driver slowed down and let the truck go past. Doesn't that make more sense.

peter67 · Guru

Get real mate :) some caravanners and horse float towers can only slow down once the road narrows again....

Are We Lost · Guru

deverall11 wrote:
How about if the caravan driver slowed down and let the truck go past. Doesn't that make more sense.

Of course it does, but that is not the point in many of the recent posts.

Nobody has suggested the caravan driver was in the right. He clearly made a bad mistake. Whether he drifted across accidentally or intentionally does not change that. He did wrong.

Most of the recent posts have been about the sins (or otherwise) of the truck driver. His actions were intentional and to me that makes it road rage.

How anyone could accept that it is OK to keep going with pedal to the metal on the wrong side of the road is beyond me. As we have seen, bumping into the side of the van is not the right action, and the result of doing so may have been much worse.

I have asked before ..... if you were in that driver's seat, (pre accident) and the ute/van driver was not going to let you in, what next? You are already on the wrong side of the road facing oncoming traffic and maybe 30 seconds more before you can get in front.

-- Edited by Are We Lost on Friday 12th of May 2023 07:45:41 PM

BasilB · Veteran Member

yobarr wrote:
BasilB wrote:
truck drivers? they're just train drivers poor cousins.
"Train drivers poor cousins"

poor cousins that can't afford to slow down.