PLEASE TAKE CARE – KEEP THE ROADS SAFE FOR OUR FAMILIES
The first rule of defensive driving is to give way – let the other driver risk having an accident or being caught by the police.
Always slow down if it is wet, windy, icy, oily or a loose road surface.
Be courteous to other motorists – avoid creating or having accidents.
Here are a few tips to make life easier on all concerned:
- If about to overtake a truck, make sure you have plenty of room and never, ever, brake heavily in front of a truck. Trying to stop a loaded truck in a very short distance is difficult and dangerous – loads can shift, tyres can blow-out and having a truck resting on your back seat is not very comfortable.
- When you are travelling behind a truck ,and it is raining cats and dogs, and you say,
“just look at all that water coming off those truck wheels, I can’t see a thing…”
Remember that the truck driver has EXACTLY the same problem!
HE CAN’T SEE YOU EITHER… so put your lights on, drop back, and let the truckie see you.
- The truck driver often cannot see you, even in perfect weather. The further back you are, the more visibility you will have to see up the road past the truck – and it will be more likely that you will be seen by the truckie. IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE TRUCKS MIRRORS, THE TRUCKIE CAN’T SEE YOU…!!!
- Merging Lanes. Let the truck in, especially on the Highway. At the end of the merging lane the truckie has to decide if he is going to go ‘bush’ at 100kph because this kamikaze car driver has come up along side the truck’s rear wheels; or change lanes with you there. It is safer and easier to drop back a little and let the truck keep a good highway speed so that other traffic is not held up and you can avoid an accident. Remember that the truckie might not even know you are there…
Remember, you create the situation.
Your vehicle has more than enough power to overtake later at a safe place. - “Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle” signs on the rear of trucks are there for your safety. This sign means the truck is too long to turn without taking up at least two lanes – and they have the legal right to do this because the driver needs to position the truck to clear the kerb with the rear truck wheels.
“Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle” means “wait behind the truck until the truck has completed its turn“. If you slip up the inside and position yourself under the truck mirror the truckie may not know you are there. You will be at fault in law, and probably have the truck rear wheels trying to crush your driver door. Cars always come off second best.
What is a B-Double truck?
A Semi Trailer “with another trailer attached”. You will need at least half a kilometre to overtake these trucks.
Trying to urgently stop a B-Double with a load of 60+ tonnes pushing the vehicle down a hill, or around a bend, is very very difficult. A panic stop is hard enough in a straight line but potentially deadly in other circumstances.
Email us with tips for this page
Stay Safe
