Todays driving ordeal

[zacdullard]

I have had my learners for a few months now and today I drove down the coast for an orthodontic appointment. It was a rather interesting trip!

The first event occured at the petrol station. I had pulled in to fill up and whilst mum was in paying I feel THUD, some crazy woman driver has pulled up into the back of me. How you drive into a stationary car is beyond me. Crazy b**** get out like nothing happened.

The second event occured further down the highway, I was following a car that was off on a holiday, trailer packed with heaps of camping gear and 3 kids in the back. I don't know what happened, I can only assume that the driver fell asleep as they were veering for the other side of the road. Off the other side of the road was a 3 metre drop off and he was lucky no other cars were coming the other way or it would have been a great start to their trip.

Have you had any crazy driving experiences?

[Pieface]

Welcome to the Road Zac!

I reckon I see people doing stupid s**t just about every time I'm in the car.

Closest/craziest I have experienced is having a P plater coming straight at me down the wrong side of a main road. I jammed the skids and he shot straight across my bows, to the wrong side of the road, missing by about 2-3m and disappeared into a carpark about 3m below the road level. How he missed the telephone posts on his way through is beyond me! I assume he thought the road was an extra lane wider than it was.

[markTHEblake]

was driving along the road on the way home which has a few roundabouts, and heading up the hill this moron in a 4wd was sitting right on my date. the speed limit was 60, and i am doing like 65 so what is his problem, so i thought, i'll fix you up

the next roundabout is downhill, so i entered it without using any brakes and still doing 60 but dropped one gear,, and he is still right up me clacker, right where I wanted him, Half way round I dropped down another gear and and floored it so it kinda sling shots out the other side without losing any control and before i knew it the moron had almost passed me on the inside, up the gutter, on the naturestrip, dodging trees, and looking as white as a sheet.

He did about 50m on the naturestrip before he got back to the road, and he stayed 100m behind from then on.

sucked in wanker!

[Daves]

Driving back to Brisbane from the GC on the M1 just north of the Theme Parks. I am in the right lane on the speed limit about to pass a 10 tonne truck in the next lane left. I notice the truck touch the brakes and I instinctively brake. A second later a Honda Civic comes spinning across in front of us, from one of the left lanes I assume, and ends up parked backward in the centre strip as we go past. We could see the white of the driver's eyes, the death grip she had on the steering wheel, and the stupid stunned looked on her face as we went past.

She was uninjured and the car basically had minimal damage. I assume she attempted a lane change or something and someone has clipped her car and sent it into a spin across 4 lanes of full speed traffic. I don't think she really will ever know how close she came to dying. If I had not braked I am sure we would have T boned her car as it came across our lane!

[sms316]

Brisbane drivers are the worst in Australia. Most seem to drive 10km under the limit on the arterial roads and veg out in the right lane.

[Dazza]

Overtaking a 3 trailer road train up in the NT. Was halfway along when he started veering across into my lane. Was on a built up section of road, so no area to runoff.
Slotted the petrol Prado back a few cogs & held it flat. Dropped the drivers side wheels off the road, and nailed a few guide posts in the process. Started to slip sideways but I managed to pull it back on. Just as I reached the prime mover he must have woken up & he pulled it back.
I pulled up at the next town to grab a pie. Mataranka to be exact.
He came roaring into the parking bay opposite to where I was, shut it down & went to sleep.

Backpackers are the ones you need to watch around here, shockers most of them.

[zigwah]

Zac, when driving on the road, think that everyone is out to get you, it will keep you in good stead.

[Daves]

Welcome to the Road Zac!

I reckon I see people doing stupid s**t just about every time I'm in the car.

Closest/craziest I have experienced is having a P plater coming straight at me down the wrong side of a main road. I jammed the skids and he shot straight across my bows, to the wrong side of the road, missing by about 2-3m and disappeared into a carpark about 3m below the road level. How he missed the telephone posts on his way through is beyond me! I assume he thought the road was an extra lane wider than it was.

I reckon I do too.!

Today's prize goes to the clown in van just in front who tried to change lanes half way through a roundabout (from right into left) so he could pull over on the other side of the roundabout. There was just the matter of 3 cars already in the left lane beside him! Why will people not accept they have made a mistake, missed a turn, find themselves in the wrong lane etc and just continue on till they can turnaround, turn back etc safely without
hindering or killing half the other road users around them!

Qlder drivers simply do not have a clue about roundabouts! It is just plain scary how bad they are!

[PeteyD]

Brisbane drivers are the worst in Australia. Most seem to drive 10km under the limit on the arterial roads and veg out in the right lane.

I used to argue this point. Toowoomba drivers are worse.

They veg out in the right lane -1 (3rd lane on the M1) for some weird reason too.

[markTHEblake]

Overtaking a 3 trailer road train up in the NT. Was halfway along when he started veering across into my lane.

my flatmate did something similar on the road out west of Isa as you probably know a lot of the roads out that way are a single lane and the road trains never get off the bitumen no matter what

So he passes the road train on the gravel, loses it, and car goes underneath the trailer for several seconds before spitting him out.

Totalled the car but walked away, albeit a lot of bruises and scratches.

[kev]

Bus trip from Cirebon to Jakarta (http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Cirebon,+Indonesia&geocode=CTqjac3CJKvPFXKHmf8dI454Bg&dirflg=&daddr=Jakarta&f=d&gl=au&sll=-6.715534,108.564003&sspn=0.255725,0.381432&ie=UTF8&z=9), I was last on the bus and had the Jesus seat. Some places the road was 1 lane wide with a shoulder that rolled down into the paddies - didn't stop tour sized buses from passing each other at speed. I think we passed 8 crashed and burned buses.

[henno]

Driving back from Springwood on the gateway motorway late at night and one of those heavy rain storms comes over. You know, the 5 minute jobs with raindrops the size of grapes. I could only see intermittantly even with the wipers on full tilt due to the amount of water coming down, so I back off from 100kph to around 50kph and cruise on. Sure enough a young blonde thing comes scooting past at 100kph or so in her barina. Not two turns later, there she is backed into the shrubs after failing to see the right hand turn. I pull over, ask her why she was going so fast, and what does she say? "I wasn't going fast, it's a 100 zone and I was doing 100!"

Sidenote: if you crash your car in a hailstorm doing 90kph in a 100kph zone, the police often still list this as "excessive speed" being a contributing factor. Remember this when the pollies drag out the stats for accidents caused by "speeding" for any given year.

[dc68]

Brisbane drivers are the worst in Australia. Most seem to drive 10km under the limit on the arterial roads and veg out in the right lane.


At least we have "arterial" roads up here.

[Tongueboy]

Brisbane drivers are the worst in Australia. Most seem to drive 10km under the limit on the arterial roads and veg out in the right lane.

so its not just me! I had 7 weeks up here earlier in the year and they are bad.

[Dazza]

my flatmate did something similar on the road out west of Isa as you probably know a lot of the roads out that way are a single lane and the road trains never get off the bitumen no matter what

So he passes the road train on the gravel, loses it, and car goes underneath the trailer for several seconds before spitting him out.

Totalled the car but walked away, albeit a lot of bruises and scratches.
Lucky, very lucky!
They finally fixed the Isa to Camooweal, now 2 lanes the whole way.
About time too.

[mike]

was driving along the road on the way home which has a few roundabouts, and heading up the hill this moron in a 4wd was sitting right on my date. the speed limit was 60, and i am doing like 65 so what is his problem, so i thought, i'll fix you up

the next roundabout is downhill, so i entered it without using any brakes and still doing 60 but dropped one gear,, and he is still right up me clacker, right where I wanted him, Half way round I dropped down another gear and and floored it so it kinda sling shots out the other side without losing any control and before i knew it the moron had almost passed me on the inside, up the gutter, on the naturestrip, dodging trees, and looking as white as a sheet.

He did about 50m on the naturestrip before he got back to the road, and he stayed 100m behind from then on.

sucked in wanker!

Mark that was a stupid thing to do. If he's up your clacker, maintain your speed and ignore him or pull over and let him go.
You could have caused an accident.
The tailgater was obviously a moron but, despite your efforts, will no doubt remain a moron.

[Rusty]

eventhough some are nuts and ferocious tailgaters, i think i still prefer the drivers in Aus to most parts of Asia.

i liked the promo ad for next weeks Aussie Highway Patrol - the voiceover
policeman "you're under arrest"
friend of detainee "no he's not!"
oh, i gotta watch that. funny.

[ozdevil]

I have had my learners for a few months now and today I drove down the coast for an orthodontic appointment. It was a rather interesting trip!

The first event occured at the petrol station. I had pulled in to fill up and whilst mum was in paying I feel THUD, some crazy woman driver has pulled up into the back of me. How you drive into a stationary car is beyond me. Crazy b**** get out like nothing happened.

The second event occured further down the highway, I was following a car that was off on a holiday, trailer packed with heaps of camping gear and 3 kids in the back. I don't know what happened, I can only assume that the driver fell asleep as they were veering for the other side of the road. Off the other side of the road was a 3 metre drop off and he was lucky no other cars were coming the other way or it would have been a great start to their trip.

Have you had any crazy driving experiences?

Welcome to the world of driving

Zac i will not write what my experiences of crazy drivers are i see several hundred idiodic cases a day asa Truck driver...

As you are on ya L's it is good that you are seeing other peoples poor driving skills

the thing in my opinion is that many experienced people think they can drive a vechile becuase they have been driving for many a years but often alot of these people can make big mistakes as well.

my thoughts are:

Many people can steer a vechile but many cant drive a vechile

Alot of things that have been introduced to motor vechiles are also in just my opinion contributors to poor skills in cars as they have developed laziness..

things like cruise control and gps navigation devices etc

Cruise control is a poor device that has been introduced in vechile as it takes away skill and introduces poor driving skills and laziness.

Gps navigators... also is a contributor as many people with poor navigational skills are consitantly looking at the gps to see when to turn and where they are going instead of concentration there vision on the road and the surrounds around them that may effect there driving

Also

poor driving has come due to manufacturers catering for the people and making life easier for people...

companies are making more automatic cars then manual cars

that brings me back to the point many people can steer a car but not many can drive a car...

Zac

my best advice for you is do not worry about the idiots on the road learn to drive a car instead of just getting n and steering a car.

don't be like the other 99% of idiots on the road

don't ride the back end of the car in front

dont just look at the car in front of you look ahead about 10 or 20 cars ahead of you

learn to read the road...

adjust your driving to the conditions on the day

ease of the accelator well before braking this will help you in stopping as well as save your brakes.. the less you apply on your brakes the better for you and when in a tricky situation you will know you have plenty of brake left for that situation...

treat every driver on the road as nuff nuffs as every driver will make mistakes even yourself will make big mistakes...

give plenty of warning before hand to allow other motorists your intentions

Also another bit of advice and this advice is to everyone.. if you see someone who has had a breakdown or an accident do not slow right down and rubberneck it cuases delays and will cuase more accidents as people can not keep traffic flowing at a good steady safe place..

I am not saying you must keep to 100km/h when going past accident or breakdowns that cuase interuptions to traffic.. but the flow can keep moving if people stick to a steady safe speed....

Learning to merge not many people know how to merge properly when entering traffic or when coming upto road works or accidents and breakdowns...

there is alot more i can ravel on about but i wont...

I am on the road upto 14 hours a day 5-7days a week and i see alot of instances and i am only trying to help you all here to become better drivers and understand driving rather then just getting in a car and sterring it to where you have to go...

[Ferrins]

I was driving along and sucked a beautiful nasal golly into my mouth and then because of the extra weight spat out the window with full force. Window was up. True story.

[ozdevil]

was driving along the road on the way home which has a few roundabouts, and heading up the hill this moron in a 4wd was sitting right on my date. the speed limit was 60, and i am doing like 65 so what is his problem, so i thought, i'll fix you up

the next roundabout is downhill, so i entered it without using any brakes and still doing 60 but dropped one gear,, and he is still right up me clacker, right where I wanted him, Half way round I dropped down another gear and and floored it so it kinda sling shots out the other side without losing any control and before i knew it the moron had almost passed me on the inside, up the gutter, on the naturestrip, dodging trees, and looking as white as a sheet.

He did about 50m on the naturestrip before he got back to the road, and he stayed 100m behind from then on.

sucked in wanker!

you have just broken the law your self you cuased a possible accident in which could have resulted in a death and if that of happened how would you feel that you cuased that situation...

yes i know that wasnt the case but some people like you need to be told in no certain terms..

even though he was also in the wrong by tailgating you but you also did the wrong thing and showed poor driving attributes

[AndyP]

Cruise control is a poor device that has been introduced in vechile as it takes away skill and introduces poor driving skills and laziness.Which "skill" has it taken away exactly?


companies are making more automatic cars then manual carsYou've lost me here too. How are automatic cars bad for driving? You could argue the other way.

[PeteyD]

Rubbish Oz. Most of the things you rail against make driving safer for most people. The same arguments were trotted out against Power Steering etc etc etc.

I am not saying you are wrong about the idiots though.

[razaar]

In 1984 a couple of kms on the T'ville side of Cloncurry we witnessed a holden sedan swerve and runoff a gentle bend on a causway coming towards us. The holden rolled twice and finished on its hood. We were wondering what the hell we would find, the wife is a nurse and we had a first aid kit. The first thing we saw was a 6 pack of XXXX stubbies appear outside one window in a black hand followed by its owner and another from the other side of the car also with a 6 pack. They didn't seem to be upset or anything, just thirsty.

[sms316]

Welcome to the world of driving

Zac i will not write what my experiences of crazy drivers are i see several hundred idiodic cases a day asa Truck driver...

As you are on ya L's it is good that you are seeing other peoples poor driving skills

the thing in my opinion is that many experienced people think they can drive a vechile becuase they have been driving for many a years but often alot of these people can make big mistakes as well.

my thoughts are:

Many people can steer a vechile but many cant drive a vechile

Alot of things that have been introduced to motor vechiles are also in just my opinion contributors to poor skills in cars as they have developed laziness..

things like cruise control and gps navigation devices etc

Cruise control is a poor device that has been introduced in vechile as it takes away skill and introduces poor driving skills and laziness.

Gps navigators... also is a contributor as many people with poor navigational skills are consitantly looking at the gps to see when to turn and where they are going instead of concentration there vision on the road and the surrounds around them that may effect there driving

Also

poor driving has come due to manufacturers catering for the people and making life easier for people...

companies are making more automatic cars then manual cars

that brings me back to the point many people can steer a car but not many can drive a car...

Zac

my best advice for you is do not worry about the idiots on the road learn to drive a car instead of just getting n and steering a car.

don't be like the other 99% of idiots on the road

don't ride the back end of the car in front

dont just look at the car in front of you look ahead about 10 or 20 cars ahead of you

learn to read the road...

adjust your driving to the conditions on the day

ease of the accelator well before braking this will help you in stopping as well as save your brakes.. the less you apply on your brakes the better for you and when in a tricky situation you will know you have plenty of brake left for that situation...

treat every driver on the road as nuff nuffs as every driver will make mistakes even yourself will make big mistakes...

give plenty of warning before hand to allow other motorists your intentions

Also another bit of advice and this advice is to everyone.. if you see someone who has had a breakdown or an accident do not slow right down and rubberneck it cuases delays and will cuase more accidents as people can not keep traffic flowing at a good steady safe place..

I am not saying you must keep to 100km/h when going past accident or breakdowns that cuase interuptions to traffic.. but the flow can keep moving if people stick to a steady safe speed....

Learning to merge not many people know how to merge properly when entering traffic or when coming upto road works or accidents and breakdowns...

there is alot more i can ravel on about but i wont...

I am on the road upto 14 hours a day 5-7days a week and i see alot of instances and i am only trying to help you all here to become better drivers and understand driving rather then just getting in a car and sterring it to where you have to go...
For an expert on vehicles, you'd think spelling the word correctly would be a good start.

[ozdevil]

For an expert on vehicles, you'd think spelling the word correctly would be a good start.


sms i am sorry i didnt think i was in a spelling bee...

[ddasey]

I am on the road upto 14 hours a day 5-7days a week


You running on BFM / TFMS :-k

[PeteyD]

He needs to be on more than BFM ...

[zacdullard]

I completed my 100 hours today, now to wait a bit over a month and I will be free at last.

[mike]

Zac, that book is a PITA to fill out. Did you get any lessons from driving schools? They like to see that.

[zacdullard]

I had a lesson last weekend and another one scheduled this weekend.

We just wrote everything down on a note book in the car and transfer it every month or so, a very tedious job.

[Fishman Dan]

I completed my 100 hours today, now to wait a bit over a month and I will be free at last.

You make it sound like you know how to drive.

[zacdullard]

You make it sound like you know how to drive.You make it sound like you know what sort of a driver I am.

[Fishman Dan]

You make it sound like you know what sort of a driver I am.

A learner ;)

And the "P" when you get it doesn't mean "Professional"!

[zacdullard]

And the "P" when you get it doesn't mean "Professional"!However it does mean that I can play golf whenever I wish.

[BrisWesty]

I think Tony Abbott may be looking for a new driver. Perhaps you could give him a call. ;-)

[zacdullard]

And the "P" when you get it means "Professional"!I turned pro today :)

[ParMaster]

Congrats Zac!

[sms316]

I turned pro today :)

So you worked out what the back seat is for?

[Dotty]

I turned pro today :)
That's good news, Zac.

Another one that can drive me home from Federal GC later this year.