Archive for the ‘Letters’ Category

———————–Truckie Details———————

Registration Number:            433QOX

Company Insignia:               ?

———————–Incident Details——————–

Time:                           0530

Date:                           29th/aug/2008

Place of Incident:    NSW A few KM before the bangalow turnoff

Details of Incident:  I was travelling north on the highway. It was still dark the sun was just starting to rise. There was a light fog. I was travelling at 100km and was overtaken by the truck in the dark, with a fog around, over double lines. There was a gentle curve on the road so you could not clearly see ahead for oncoming trafic.

The overtalkng was successful but in an incredible dangerous location. There have been several accidents on this stretch of road resulting in peoples deaths.

My father and his mates were all truckies for many years and they were all safe and responsible drivers. Whilst my father was driving he saw many horrific and dangerous thing such as parents letting their children (who were not wearing seatbelts) jump up and down in the back of the cars.  He always did the right thing and reported them to the police and they were either cautioned or fined. Now I am not defending the behavior of some of the drivers who think they are invincible - that is why they call them “cowboys” and they are not at all respected or defended by the truckies who do right.

Now I respect that you are just trying to keep the roads safe for everyone but i am just saying that there are a lot of law abiding truck drivers and there are a lot of irresponsible car drivers or drivers in general and they are not all truckies.

If you want to dob in someone why just truckies, why not anyone else like normal people driving to work or to picking up their children or just for fun.  thank you for giving me he opportunity to project my point of view

Ashleigh

Email to Ms Lyndal Denny
lyndal@coasttocoast100.com.au

Dear Ms Denny
Thank you for your Email of 25 August regarding the COASTTOCOAST100 road safety campaign.  I appreciate you letting me know your views.

For your information, an inquiry into the causes and effects of traffic crashes in Tasmania is being conducted by a Legislative Council select committee.  The committee will examine various concerns including, the effectiveness of existing on road and off-road vehicle safety measures.  The State Opposition took a comprehensive road safety strategy to the last election.  Recommendations included:
•       providing driver training to all Tasmanian year nine and 10 students;
•       establishing a new streamlined Road Safety Authority;
•       diverting speed camera revenue into road safety;
•       boosting resources for road safety campaigns;
•       signing Tasmania up to the Australian Governments P-plate Driver Education
        program;
•       compulsory driver education for drivers who lose their license;
•       providing incentives to learner drivers who undertake professional driver training;
•       introducing new accredited advanced driving courses;
•       introducing a Safe Drivers Incentive Scheme; and
•       providing greater incentives for drivers to attend driving courses.

These road safety reforms have been simply ignored by the State Government.  I have provided a copy of your correspondence onto my colleague, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Jeremy Rockliff, for his consideration.  Again, thank you for raising this issue with my office.
Yours sincerely,
Will Hodgman MP
Leader of the Opposition
Member for Franklin
willhodgman.com.au
cc      Jeremy Rockliff, MP (Shadow Minister for Infrastructure)

Lyndell, just heard you speaking with Simone on our local ABC. Well done! What a great idea. We live in Tanilba Bay, part of Port Stephens and travel to Sydney on a regular basis. Doesn’t matter if it’s around here or on the Freeway, there’s dangerous, bad drivers everywhere and they need to be stopped. Look forward to keeping track of your new venture.

Karen

Hi ……  congratulations on taking this initiative, it’s a great idea given that our state’s (QLD) authorities are not committed to managing poor driving behavior on our roads - apart from raising revenue. Perhaps the community must help itself.

I have had a similar idea for some time targeting all motorists but not the ‘courage’ to go out and do it. So, more bouquets to you. Have you any plans to expand to include other road users?

On the subject of trucks: maybe other categories are worthy of mention; Utilities and other work/commercial vehicles. To my mind perhaps the second most dangerous category, often driven by young aggressive males. These vehicles are doubly dangerous in that they are driven like cars but are often overloaded, with unrestrained loads and as they are commercial vehicles lack vital safety aids that are mandatory for cars.

I am a young 63 year old have driven since I was 18 in many countries of the world but now regard Queensland as one of the most dangerous places to drive I have seen….and yes I have been to Rome. Even though I am at or over the proclaimed speed limit I often feel like the slowest vehicle on the road - and I drive a turbocharged coupe!

I am happy to help or assist your campaign in any way that I can.  Thank you for doing something.

Regards David - Brisbane

What a great website!  If only there was a facility to report dangerous car drivers. Would it be possible to do so ?
Chris

Great site and campaign, however, it is not only truckies who tailgate and cause accidents. It seems to be a national disease. Taking photos of motorists who do it does not make any difference. The police will not accept these as evidence. In Germany they have set up speed cameras to catch people tailgating. I think the statistics for accidents and tailgating need to be publicized more  …..
Tom

G’Day Lyndal  …..  having not written for a while and have been tailgated several times in the meantime I thought it was about time to write again.  Reading “Stay out of my way” prompted me.  If this person actually wrote this and is not just hanging out a red flag to a bull (I:E stirring), he is incredibly stupid.

Tailgating is performed by the schoolyard bully that has never grown up, but in trucks has found a bigger weapon. Tailgating is also an act of gross stupidity as it takes away from the perpetrator his or her MARGIN OF ERROR - that safety buffer between you and the vehicle in front.

Worse still it takes away the margin of error from the driver being tailgated. Another reason that it is stupidity is that you don’t know the calibre of that persons driving ability, health, sobriety, medicated and mental state or what that person does for a living.

Consider too the hazards of trees or the branches there from falling in front of and also animals crossing the road at most inopportune moments. I have seen a driver go off road at 90k for a lizard. Given the fact that you are all experienced drivers how come that so many trucks go 4 wheel driving on their own?

Is the speed of 100k too fast for the single lane Pacific Byway?  Are you being pushed by the prime contractor?  If our wheatie’s aren’t in one supermarket who cares?

Should we, the public start lobbying the government to lower the speed limit to 80k because it is becoming apparent that big wheels can’t handle the 100k.

Seriously  Gentlemen the more bad publicity you bring on yourselves the more heat the RTA and our highway patrol will heap on you. Forget not that every time you tailgate you put another  member of the public offside. With too many offside the groundswell of public opinion against heavy vehicles will force The government to act.
 
I also watch with concern the behaviour of little wheels as they go into and come out of Coffs harbour at peak hours up to 10-12 in a line no further apart than you would parallel park on a public street. Then others will tailgate a truck at ½ a car length doing 100+

I just think What’s the Bl___y use?
 
Regards all Vince (Ex removalist)

Have wandered away from home …. been quite a while since last known whereabouts.

1. Answers to “NITRO” very playful, likes for you to chuck the stick and then tells you to fetch it yourself….. could be anywhere this side of the Nullabor.

2. Answers to “Scooter” not very playful…. will bite if annoyed…. last known surrounds around Brisbane…. been fixed up so no trouble there!

If anyone finds or knows whereabouts please contact Dave N c/- this site.
Reward… well all depends!

Dave N

Lyndal, I was wrapped in this story and thought that it would be great to show. This shows what a great bunch of truckies are out there.  We know that they’re not all crook,don’t we?
Dave N

Truck driver logs impeccable record
August 13, 2008
By Jim Campbell
IN MORE than 20 years Owen Orange has driven millions of kilometres in hundreds of trucks, but the dedicated truckie hasn’t lost a point off his licence.
And Mr Orange has been rewarded for his impeccable record. He was recently named Australia’s Safest Truck Driver in an award from Truckin Life Magazine.
A driver for Toowoomba company Hillman’s Transport, Mr Orange said he was incredibly honoured to receive the award for doing the job he has loved for 26 years.
“In 20 years, I haven’t lost a point off my licence and have never had a log book infringement,” he said.
“When you pump out as many klicks as we do in a week, it’s not a bad effort.”
Mr Orange said he has loved everything about the trucking industry since he was a small boy, developing an early love for the big rigs while going on long drives with his dad Lawrie and uncle Cecil.
He will now travel to Alice Springs later this month as part of his prize where he will be recognised at an awards night at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.
He also received a $5000 cash prize, but chose to split the prize money with the mate who nominated him for the award, and has also opted to donate $1000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
“When you’re out driving at the backblocks, if anything was to happen those guys are our only lifeline,” he said.