Question …..
What happened to trucks being 100km limited? I’ve had trucks fly past me as I’m doing 100km.
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November 3rd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
hmmm…why didn’t you leave your name? But to answer your question, when you sit your car speedo on 100km/h you haven’t realised that all speedos are calibrated with a percentage of error. The greater the speed the greater the error. Taking this into consideration we have 2 speeds. Indicated ground speed, and true ground speed. Much the same as aircraft have IAS (indicated AIR speed) and ground speed. You’re indicated speed is 100 km/h whereas in actual fact you’re vehicle in true ground speed may only be 96. Most heavy vehicle are limited to a true ground speed of not more than approx 104. This then leaves nearly a 10km/h difference between vehicles. And to just set the record straight 104 km/h will not raise the eyebrows of the local constabulary.
Chris (YATD 2007)
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Actually Chris there was an interesting item on one of my favourite shows just recently,I can’t remember if it was TodayTonight or John Mc’s favourite Current Affair about motor vehicle speedo’s and speed camera infringements. Who’s calibrating the cameras and Guns for the constabulary? MAKES YOU WONDER!
Why are these speedo’s out? New vehicles are not immune.I don’t know why they don’t bring in yearly vehicle roadworthy checks. Then again maybe it is an individuals responsibility to make sure that their vehicle is roadworthy. Next time my vehicle is in for a service I’ll arrange for a speedo check.
I don’t think that many motorists are aware of the speedo’s being out and by by what. We’ve had a few on this site about trucks passing them whilst they were sitting on 100 k’s or they thought.Keep hammering away at them,they’ll soon get the message. Only recently I put a post on here about when my son was coming back from Brisbane by bus. I told him about my experience with you fellas on here and there being nothing to be worried about. I’d rather one of you blokes passing me or someone else than an idiot in a hotted up V8.
Dave (old buggar-class 48)
November 4th, 2007 at 10:34 am
hahaha old buggar…you’re not old dave, you’re just needing a retread!! hehehe as for why the speedos are calibrated to be out, I would imagine it would be a logistical reason. That way everyone would be doing under the limit by a pre-determined margin. But like always doin’t hold me to that one.
Chris (YATD 2007)
November 4th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
hi guys something you are not taking into consideration is weight factor. speed can vary quite dramatically on a slight down hill grade with 62 ton on it would appear to the naked eye that the road ahead is flat but there are lots of slight grades on the way to sydney giving the impression that the truck is going faster and it is due to these grades to the motorist it would appear not to be limited as the speed would increase ( not that i ever ever ever speed ) but think about that. nitro (in between old bugger class of 62 )
November 4th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Yeh Chris, I’m like Scooters ol’ Mack, Just keep on going!
I’ll try the retread it might just work.
Nitro,I’d never in the world think that you ever did speed.
You’re nearly there, Nitro. cheeky buggars!
Dave(old buggar-class 48)1948 not 1848
November 5th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
From a motorists point of view, this is a damned good question. I think most of us are familiar with the basic laws of physics and understand the enhanced speed of a large vehicle travelling downhill - a manouvre that is often employed to gain sufficient momentum to propel said heavy vehicle up the next steep incline. No particular concerns at this point in time unless you happen to be unlucky enough to be in front of said heavy vehicle impeding its progress and the driver has a bad attitude. Again - in a situation like this - courtesy, co-operation and awareness from BOTH parties will minimise risk of injury.
More than likely what I believe this motorist is talking about the very common occurrence where a motorist will have their cruise control set to say 115kms (to allow for speedo calibration inconsistencies) in a 110km zone and have a heavy vehicle overtake them on a flat piece of road moving off into the distance at considerable speed.
Two factors must be considered here - the first one being that the speed limit to my knowledge (apart from areas in our vast interior) is 100kms per hour. The second and most obvious factor is that operators obviously tamper with the speed limiting device in the vehicle, running the gauntlet perhaps in their attempts to meet tight delivery schedules?
Certain truck drivers on this site (not Nitro, not Indy, not Chris and not Marty) have in the past justified speeding - saying that if it is good enough for the motorist then why shouldn’t they do it as well? The most obvious answer comes back to the very reason this site exists - road safety.
Statistics quite clearly illustrate the fact that out of 10 fatalities resulting from collisions between heavy vehicles and cars, 8 will be pulled from wrecked cars simply due to the sheer size and force of the heavy vehicle involved.
The question should really be “why don’t the police do something about these speeding juggernauts? The answer at this point in time (using current technology) is that as soon as a police vehicle is detected, every truck driver within a 200km radius knows of its location and any speeding drivers will automatically assume the “I’m going to drive like my grandmother” manouvre until the “danger” has passed ….
Over to you …..
November 6th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
I apologize Lyndal if I gave the impression that I condone speeding(above limit).
Why bother with speed limits if some are going to ignore them? Let’s just have open slather,make up your own.
It is that the wrong calibration of speedos are giving a false impression to car drivers about speeding trucks,not that all car or truck drivers are adherent to the speed limit.
Thank you,Dave.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Just briefly.
I haven’t the time to make a more complete response to Lyndal’s post, but I will address just one item.
Lyndal says: “Certain truck drivers on this site (not Nitro, not Indy, not Chris and not Marty) have in the past justified speeding - saying that if it is good enough for the motorist then why shouldn’t they do it as well?”
My response is this. Speed, as an absolute, is not the issue, whether it be a car, a truck, or someone on a pair of roller skates. INAPPRORIATE speed is the issue.
Let me explain.
In the old days, before speed limiters and long before the Kempsey tragedies, I have driven trucks faster than ANYTHING on the road, today. That capacity was rarely used, but was, on occasion, where conditions prevailed that were such that there was little or no risk, over and above “normal”. Dry conditions, no traffic, remoter locations et al. I can report that, on many sections of the Hume Highway, I believe that in good conditions (dry, moderate to light traffic) and on the well maintained divided road sections, modern B-doubles could be driven with complete safety at speeds well above what we are limited to today. 110Km/h, for example, in dry conditions on those sections specified would NOT be, by any stretch of the imagination, unsafe.
On the other hand, many sections of other roads, in the wet, are damned UNSAFE at 80Km/h or even less. The trick is knowing which is safe and which isn’t.
Again, many ordinary motorists travel at the POSTED speed limit (or there abouts)where it is just beyond their capacity, the capacity of their vehicle and/or the prevailing conditions, but are blithely unaware of the fact. A case in point is during close to peak hour traffic on ANY suburban motorway, through road and the like, whereby they are 12 inches (whatever the hell that is in Cms) off the chuffer of the car in front, weaving in and out of lanes and so forth. You know the drill. Tell me that, whilst they are under the posted limit, and I will suggest an attitude adjustment is required.
Speed limits are easy things to “hang a billboard” on. Whether they have any resemblance to safety or not seems to be totally irrelevent!
I have driven genuinely speed limited trucks now for many years. At times they can actualy be downright dangerous, but it is what is required, so I just get on with business. If you want to know HOW and WHY they are dangerous, just ask and I will provide a further post in explaination.
In a sense they (speed limiters) are great, because, assuming conditions allow, I just bang it up onto the limiter, turn on the cruise, and forget about big brother, voters (sorry, motorists) and others getting all bitter and twisted about whether or not I am driving a millipoofteenth above what their speedo may decree! They are happy, I am bored, everything is good!
A wet road, a school crossing, kids mucking about and 40 Kms/h is WAYYYYYYYY too fast. 40 KM/h is INAPPROPRIATE speed in this instance.
Now, way off topic.
Some people wonder why I post quite a bit on this site. Often, I actually post more stuff on here than on “our own” site, http://www.ozprodrivers.com.au. The reason is simple. THOSE blokes already KNOW anything I may have to say. I am preaching to the converted.
A quick perusal of this site, alone, aside from discussions with the public at large (believe it or not, I actually do talk to real people - well ….. maybe not real ….. perhaps just ordinary motorists ***chuckle***) leaves one with the impression that so many have strong opinions with little or no knowledge base. If I can just get a tiny little bit of information through the fog that shrouds the closed minds of SOME of these people, perhaps a basis of understanding can be created.
In the total absence of proper and pro-active driver education being required by our law makers, someone has to try. I know that many have, in the past (I could name some names here, but decline) have tried to foster a greater understanding with the public and FAILED, because the means to promulgate the message has not been available. I don’t say that I can be any more successful than those who have gone before, or, indeed, others who try today, but I can try, in my own small way, to make a difference.
I am not sure that I have the knowledge and the skills to do what I am trying to do, but I can TRY. That is all.
Actually, to be honest, I doubt that I do have the necessary skills and tools, but there’s no harm in giving it my best shot.
Kindest Regards
Indy
November 10th, 2007 at 10:00 am
You’re da man,Indy!
I’m saved - I’ve seen the light.
Only the other day I acknowledged a heavy vehicle driver coming around the roundabout, I got the famous one fingered salute.
He must have thought I was being a smart alec,I just laughed and said “right on brother”.
Dave[old buggar-class 48]1948 not 1848
November 11th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Errrrrr Dave. WHICH finger??? This is important, because if it was the INDEX finger, then it was an acknowledgement of what you did. He was thanking you - truthfully.
You get a bit busy in roundabouts, so a full arm wave is out of the question!
Kindest
Indy
November 12th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
The middle one Indy. It’s OK, he was probably confused in that he wouldn’t get too many giving him acknowledgement “you’re right mate keep going”.
You buggars have got me that way even my wife commented that I’m being extra nice to truckies lately. Hey! I’m even being nice to her and she wants to know what I’ve been up to.
I got to be pleasant because it might be you,Nitro,Chris or Scooter!
I’m getting a sticker that says”DAVES CAR - BE POLITE”
Dave
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:22 am
hmmmm…When exactly have I condoned speeding? I don’t belive it’s an issue that should be high on the agenda put simply because the police are most pro-active in it’s enforcement. There have been many occasion where I have rang the local police and they have intercepted a vehicle as a result. I have said in the past also that the speeding issue can be dealt with simply by asking yourself if you’re prepared to wear the fine just to save approx 6 minutes an hour? To make any REAL saving at 6 minutes an hour you would have to drive for at least 5 hours - and even then you’d only save 30 mins. Most people are at their destination in less 5 hours.
December 2nd, 2007 at 9:23 am
hmmm….my mistake I just read that one wrong!! *shakes head and goes back to bed*
December 8th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I think that it’s also worth noting that trucks are not fitted with a speed limiting device. What trucks ARE fitted with is an acceleration restriction parameter in the ECM (Electronic Control Module) or ECU (Electronic Control Unit). This only prevents the vehicle from ACCELERATING past a programmable value. This in effect is usually about 104km/h. Past that point the ECM/ECU will not allow the vehicle to accelerate past that point. Which is why trucks are able to overrun going down hill. It is truelly a misconprehended device.