Tony Abbott near miss by semi-trailer

[Calaber]

I checked the Search function in case this issue had been covered and it appears it hasn't.

The recent news film clip of the semi trailer going off-road to avoid Tony Abbott's stationary Statesman intrigued me.

The comment has been made that Abbott's driver stopped suddenly to make a turn off the highway and the following semi had to go bush to avoid a small bus that was passing inside Abbott's car.

I realise that the truck had to stop on the gravel, and his braking distance would therefore have increased substantially, but surely, if the driver had his wits about him, he would have been driving at a distance from the rear of the bus that he could have stopped safely without all the drama? He would have been travelling at least at the speed limit, whatever it was at that point, but as he passes the back of Abbott's car in the film, he is still moving pretty rapidly. I can't help thinking he was too bloody close for whatever his speed was and found himself in a "spot of bother". Abbott's driver suddenly stopping would not have been a defence for him had a crash resulted - the police would have booked the truckie for either negligent driving or failing to keep a safe distance from the vehicles in front (or worse, if death or injury had ensued.)

[greenfoam]

The van was hiding Abbott's car, so the truck wouldn't have seen him but then when the van went around him the truck driver would have gone &%#*&%* and had no where to go except the grass. Seem's like no one was at fault and some pretty good truck driving really, just one of those things you risk when stopping on a highway to turn right which is dangerous at the best of times (I think it's the most dangerous part of highway driving). You could argue that the truck should have been further back since but since it takes so much longer to stop a truck but then every truck on the road would have to be 100 meters behind cars and like that is going to happen :P you're lucky to get 10 meters sometimes.

I used to work at a place that you had to turn right into off a highway and trucks sliding down the road to miss people happened monthly if not weekly. I used to prefer hitting the gravel driveway at speed and sliding into work rather than stopping infront of the traffic. Or you can take the less dramatic option of pulling over off the road, waiting for the trucks to pass then turn right which is the safest way to do it

[TVR-190]

the trucking company said that abbots driver should have pulled off the road and waited for traffic to clear before trying to turn right

The video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7pa82PUc9w

[Calaber]

Abbott's driver might not have helped the situation by stopping suddenly, but we all know that as drivers, the onus is on us to ensure a safe stopping distance because of precisely that sort of situation occurring.

I stand by my thought that, if an accident had occurred, the truckie would have been the one at fault.

[Julie]

IMO truck drivers fault he should have allowed greater stopping distance however TA's driver isn't the sharpest tool in the shed for stopping where he did to turn, its not somewhere that an average person would just decide to pull up and turn right onto grass on the side of the road pretty risky I would have been looking in my rear view mirror and seeing what traffic was behind me before even thinking of pulling up there.

[STEALTHY™]

I thought it was illegal to stop on the highway (on the roadway, not the side). What a clown just sitting there. Just another piece of crap driving our truckies have to put up with.

[minux]

I thought it was illegal to stop on the highway (on the roadway, not the side). What a clown just sitting there. Just another piece of crap driving our truckies have to put up with.

What a load of crap, where they turned is broken lines, perfectly legal.

The bus was almost stopped, the truck comes hooting through, this is no ones fault but the truck drivers. I am the first to support truck drivers, but not when it is clearly their fault and lack of attention is so present.

I know exactly where this is and if you are paying attention this would NEVER happen. Knowing how Ryans drivers drive along that piece of road, it really doesnt surprise me.

[wraith]

Bet Kevin wasn't too happy the truck missed.

[Reaper]

What a load of rubbish. The guy was turning right into a road. Happens many millions of times daily. Matter of fact I did it approx 25 times this morning. Clearly the truck driver either didn't leave a large enough gap or was daydreaming or both. Congratuations to him for avoiding a major catastrophe when at the end of it though.

Reaper

[daron]

the truckie would have seen the car easy being up so high but he would have been rubber necking at the ppl on the side of the road and was clearly the trucks fault and he should be charged for being a dic on the road

[Troy711]

Near miss, who cares? It might actually be worth 4 pages in The Daily Telegraph if he actually had have been hit.

[Sabbath']

Truck driver was probabaly too busy gawping at the media on the side of the road, looks back and see's he's about to collide with something.

[wraith]

What's the bet Kevin was involved in this. Oi truckie here is a 50 see that Holden.

[Troy711]

the trucking company said that abbots driver should have pulled off the road and waited for traffic to clear before trying to turn right

The video


YouTube - Abbott avoids accident

LOL at a comment on that video!
"Oh my god. Rudd wouldnt ever do something so stupid like this."

What a tool..

[sleek_vp]

definently sounds like good truck driving at hand but realistically to stop a semi with brakes and engine brake applied without jack knifing at about 80-100 requires about 50m-100m minimum so congrats to the truck driver

[danja]

Prima facie looks as if the truck driver wasn't paying enough attention and had to make an emergency manoeuvre, though to his credit he seems to have done that fairly well. I've never driven a semi, but I can't imagine it being all that easy to drift one though the gravel at speed and keep it in one piece.

[Commydoor]

as per usual its the truck drivers fault...as if...TA's driver isnt a daily shopper he is a professional driver just like the truck drivers are...and as such in his normal course of business he should know that stopping distances for trucks is greater and know not to pull up in front of ANY truck in such a position (there is not a turning lane)...for him to pull over on the verge and let the traffic pass before turning in front of the filming media OMG it would be embarrasing...just as embarrasing as almost being road kill...his political ego must of deflated just a little bit lol...

[danja]

as per usual its the truck drivers fault...as if...TA's driver isnt a daily shopper he is a professional driver just like the truck drivers are...and as such in his normal course of business he should know that stopping distances for trucks is greater and know not to pull up in front of ANY truck in such a position (there is not a turning lane)

What makes you think he cut the truck off?

If he slammed his brakes on without warning that's obviously a bad move, but none of the videos I've seen seem to suggest that. The minibus obviously had time to react without nearly wiping itself out.

I have quite a lot of time for truck drivers, most of them seem to be very skilled - but they aren't all saints, nor are they totally infallible, they make mistakes too.

[Commydoor]

where does it say i thought he cut the truck off?...(know not to pull up in front of ANY truck in such a position)...you may need to re-read this...or i should re-word it to read 'not to pull up in front of ANY traffic in such a position'...safe conduct on the road isnt just about following drivers taking care of traffic in front of them but also drivers being aware of the traffic following and not stopping in a position on the road that endangers other drivers...

[danja]

where does it say i thought he cut the truck off?...(know not to pull up in front of ANY truck in such a position)...you may need to re-read this...or i should re-word it to read 'not to pull up in front of ANY traffic in such a position'...safe conduct on the road isnt just about following drivers taking care of traffic in front of them but also drivers being aware of the traffic following and not stopping in a position on the road that endangers other drivers...

Well if he didn't cut it off or brake suddenly I don't see the problem? I totally agree that safe driving involves being aware of traffic both in front and behind, but if you put your indicators on in good time, and don't just suddenly brake and indicate, I really don't see the problem.

You can't expect everyone to pull over on a busy highway and wait for all the trucks to go away before you turn right - trucks have just as much responsibility to maintain a safe stopping distance as any other vehicle, if not moreso.

[Lumps of cheese]

The truck driver wasn't driving far enough ahead of himself, pretty simple really.

[Commydoor]

i do agree with you danja...but for others to indicate that the truck driver wasnt paying attention sticks in my craw...if his view of the traffic ahead is restricted by a larger vehicle like a small bus which is travelling at the speed limit like he is and the bus suddenly veers left to go around a turning car (which we will never know if the bus put on an indicator to pass on the left) then he has no option but to take avoiding action...the RTA safe distance in NSW is a 3sec gap...so the truck may still have been travelling at the posted speed limit, recommended safe distance and he may have been paying attention (you cant pay attention to something you cant see)...but was faced with an unforseen situation which in my opinion he handled quickly and expertly...

[danja]

i do agree with you danja...but for others to indicate that the truck driver wasnt paying attention sticks in my craw...if his view of the traffic ahead is restricted by a larger vehicle like a small bus which is travelling at the speed limit like he is and the bus suddenly veers left to go around a turning car (which we will never know if the bus put on an indicator to pass on the left) then he has no option but to take avoiding action...the RTA safe distance in NSW is a 3sec gap...so the truck may still have been travelling at the posted speed limit, recommended safe distance and he may have been paying attention (you cant pay attention to something you cant see)...but was faced with an unforseen situation which in my opinion he handled quickly and expertly...

At the end of the day, no one can really say based just off that footage. The reason I'd tentatively point the finger at the truck driver is because conventional wisdom says that you should be able to deal with unexpected situations safely (ie without having to swerve off the road like that truck did).

Perhaps it genuinely was beyond his control, perhaps not. Can't really say without more information.

[Commydoor]

if everyone was a perfect driver the smash repair industry would have a coronary lol

[minux]

i do agree with you danja...but for others to indicate that the truck driver wasnt paying attention sticks in my craw...if his view of the traffic ahead is restricted by a larger vehicle like a small bus which is travelling at the speed limit like he is and the bus suddenly veers left to go around a turning car (which we will never know if the bus put on an indicator to pass on the left) then he has no option but to take avoiding action...the RTA safe distance in NSW is a 3sec gap...so the truck may still have been travelling at the posted speed limit, recommended safe distance and he may have been paying attention (you cant pay attention to something you cant see)...but was faced with an unforseen situation which in my opinion he handled quickly and expertly...

Clearly you have never driven a truck this size, if you had, you would know he would of had perfect vision.

The fact of the matter is, the only person at fault is the driver.