Don't do U-Turns on the freeway.

Keepleft · 31-05-2009, 03:17 PM

Put this event at a couple of forums for perusal, its one of my personal bug bear offences, and is an illegal action in AUS and internationally, tis one of the reasons why we don't raise speed-limits of these roads.

* NSW RTA are trialling two GATELOCK systems on its F3 Sydney end; one design of which I expect to be chosen that will then be installed at all "Police & Emergency Service Vehicles Only" median located U-Turn bays, - to prevent the public from routinely using them, to stop drivers like this one.

Link to HERALD, see pics: -
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...f/1527199.aspx

P-plater escapes as car cut in half
By Tyron Butson
30/05/2009 4:00:00 am

Quote:

A P-PLATER had a miracle escape yesterday when her car was torn apart by a truck on the F3 Freeway at Black Hill.

Firefighters said the 19-year-old woman turned out of the emergency U-turn lane and into the path of the oncoming truck about 10am.

The truck cut her sedan in pieces, sending the driver's section of the car flying one way and carrying the rear end along.

Despite the damage inflicted on her Honda Civic the woman walked away from the wreck with only a bump on the head and minor injuries to her shoulder and side.

She was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

Emergency services said they were amazed she survived.

"She's amazingly lucky, amazingly," deputy fire captain Evan Dowling said.

"We don't see many cars cut into two like that any more, it's a real lucky escape."

Newcastle Highway Patrol officers are investigating the crash and expect to speak to the woman over the weekend.

Tom Corey, who was driving the truck that collided with the car, said he initially thought things would be a lot worse.

"I saw her turn out and I just went 'Oh S- poop'," he said.

"She's very lucky."

He said the crash had caused about $60,000 worth of damage to his truck.

Macca23 · 31-05-2009, 03:48 PM

Agreed!!!

I hate this as well. I even had a excel hit me when I first got my license doing just this. Illegal U turn on a free way, I had no where to go and tried to move out of the waybut she went straight into the side of me

: Trashed my 1st car.

FPV+fteT3 · 31-05-2009, 04:02 PM

Why is it another P plater just got their license and got no brains atleast she pulled out in front of a truck with her illegal U turn could have been a family in an excell and been much worse. How could you miss a truck FFS.

: Just plain dumb. Should loose your license for years for pulling a stunt like that.

DoreSlamR · 31-05-2009, 04:07 PM

No sh## comes to mind but a lot of people don't think of the dangers, as we see in the articles you provided.

There seems to be a common occurrence of people doing stupid things on the freeway, like reversing back up to an exit that they missed or blind lane changing and the inability to merge.

I've nearly hit some old bloke stopped in the middle of a spiral onramp reading a map!

geckoGT · 31-05-2009, 04:08 PM

Crazy yes but a mere drop in the ocean to all the dumb things that happen out there.

U turns are something that drive me nuts. I had to brake hard the other night coming home, thank god I have 6 spot brembos. I was in a 80 zone, sitting at that speed and came around a bend to almost clean up some guy that was finishing his uturn, at night, in an 80 zone and across double unbroken lines. Good thing for both of us I was not changing a cd or something like that, it would have been the difference between crash avoidance and impact.

EF Futura 07 · 31-05-2009, 04:13 PM

oh my not again. this is why insurance goes up :togo:

vztrt · 31-05-2009, 04:20 PM

I'd assume as its an illegal act that the insurance wont cover her. So she will have a $60,000 repair bill...plus having to buy another car.

I hope the police charge her for this as its one idiotic thing to do on a freeway.

flappist · 31-05-2009, 06:02 PM

YES..... finally some sense. Up here they would just reduce the speed limit on the freeway. (don't laugh, they have done it a LOT)

kenz · 31-05-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

YES..... finally some sense. Up here they would just reduce the speed limit on the freeway. (don't laugh, they have done it a LOT)

And don't we just hate them. All it seems to be is a quick fix to far bigger problems like poor designs and just makes everyone more frustrated and prone to do stupid things

Daymoe · 31-05-2009, 06:39 PM

Being in the car with Dad a few times going around, near Melbourne Airport, people do u turns on that road really commonly, over double lines and a 100km/h limit! Whats wrong with going up to the roundabout 200m up the road and coming back that way?

Instead they decide to slowly creep across the road and risk lives.

geckoGT · 31-05-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daymoe

Being in the car with Dad a few times going around, near Melbourne Airport, people do u turns on that road really commonly, over double lines and a 100km/h limit! Whats wrong with going up to the roundabout 200m up the road and coming back that way?

I would say easier than doing the u turn.

Pedro · 31-05-2009, 06:48 PM

I'v seen lots of stupid actions, but I can't say I've ever seen anyone do a u-turn on a freeway.

Pinch · 31-05-2009, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

I'd assume as its an illegal act that the insurance wont cover her. So she will have a $60,000 repair bill...plus having to buy another car.

I hope the police charge her for this as its one idiotic thing to do on a freeway.

Unless she was drunk, insurance will cover her negligence.

It seems people think that if the road immediately ahead of them is clear, then its fine to go. Forget about cars bearing down, forget that you are entering a 110km/h zone, as long as the road in front of your windscreen is clear then many people think it is safe to go.

For those of us on the through road it is simply then a test of reaction times and the deceleration abilities of our cars that keep us posting here. Happened to me no less than 3 hours ago - and I always drive with my full lights on - seems to reduce it a bit but not eliminate it.

This is a particualar bugbear of mine, especially when towing 2 tonne boats. They always seem to pull out in front of me when there is NOTHING behind me. Wait 5 seconds and everyone is safe, but heavin forbid the 5 seconds that those uber important people think they will lose from their narcissitic lives.

There was an article in the Fairfax Drive section on Friday with Fr Riley of Youth of the Streets. An incredibly patient (and awesome) man, but this was one of his biggest gripes on the road too - despite him saying nothing much else got to him when he drove.

If you can clearly see any oncoming vehicle in a high speed zone, then it is simply not safe to pull out. If you do miss something then for heavens sake FLOOR IT and try to get out of the way, don't just sit there at 30km/h in a 110 zone!

BlackLS · 31-05-2009, 07:16 PM

A few months back Hume Hwy Southbound 2km from the Brooks Road overpass, someone going about 60kmh in the left most lane suddenly swerves 4! lanes across in front of me to the centre cross over. I was on 110 and I saw them getting closer very quickly so I moved to the 2nd lane and started moving into the 3rd because I could feel that this person could be drunk or something. On the brakes, horn and high beams as I was about 1 second off them merging into me, I have little faith they got the hint.

Where has driver's common sense gone.

RegSpec · 31-05-2009, 09:23 PM

Why is it that the police can't "charge" someone for being an "idiot" ??

:
This one deserves not only the maximum the Police can throw at her....

:
But also an Honorable Mention for "effort" in the next Darwin Awards :yeees:

Daymoe · 31-05-2009, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinch

Unless she was drunk, insurance will cover her negligence.

It seems people think that if the road immediately ahead of them is clear, then its fine to go. Forget about cars bearing down, forget that you are entering a 110km/h zone, as long as the road in front of your windscreen is clear then many people think it is safe to go.

For those of us on the through road it is simply then a test of reaction times and the deceleration abilities of our cars that keep us posting here. Happened to me no less than 3 hours ago - and I always drive with my full lights on - seems to reduce it a bit but not eliminate it.

This is a particualar bugbear of mine, especially when towing 2 tonne boats. They always seem to pull out in front of me when there is NOTHING behind me. Wait 5 seconds and everyone is safe, but heavin forbid the 5 seconds that those uber important people think they will lose from their narcissitic lives.

There was an article in the Fairfax Drive section on Friday with Fr Riley of Youth of the Streets. An incredibly patient (and awesome) man, but this was one of his biggest gripes on the road too - despite him saying nothing much else got to him when he drove.

If you can clearly see any oncoming vehicle in a high speed zone, then it is simply not safe to pull out. If you do miss something then for heavens sake FLOOR IT and try to get out of the way, don't just sit there at 30km/h in a 110 zone!

I have that happen to me a lot, I'll be on a 100km/h road and in two places along my journey I'm bound to get a person pull out in front of me and continue putting along slowly like there is no problem. Yesterday on my way to work, this old lady in her AU Falcon pulled out in front of my boss and slowly accelerated to 60km/h in a 100km/h zone and sat on that putting along.

You're about to go onto a 100km/h road, pick up some speed if you're going to do the wrong thing, its the least you could do.

**Burnout** · 31-05-2009, 09:31 PM

This thread is starting to sound like the Darwin Awards!

The (planet) country appears to be inhabited by a remarkable number of people who have no aptitude for driving a conveyance on any type.

More astonishing thing appears to me is that we live in a society who allows these people the privilege of being licensed to drive. How did we ever...?

fordboy1981 · 31-05-2009, 09:34 PM

meh, don't bother putting a gate, just leave it and let Darwin's theory do the rest...

**ebxr8240** · 31-05-2009, 09:59 PM

A couple more speed camera's will educate people, driving skills.. Not..

RegSpec · 31-05-2009, 11:03 PM

Agreed 100%....and don't get me started on driver training.....

SB076 · 01-06-2009, 09:01 AM

I see it almost daily on the Monash between pound rd and princess Hwy, why people dont just get off at either of those roads and then get back on is beyond me - sometimes you look at the amount of traffic (moving at around 100k's) and wonder what hope do they have at completing a U turn without causing a disruption to traffic.

Marduk · 01-06-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnedout

More astonishing thing appears to me is that we live in a society who allows these people the privilege of being licensed to drive. How did we ever...?

[sarcasm]Oh but you've got it all wrong it's not a privilege to drive it's my right to drive! [/sarcasm]

flappist · 01-06-2009, 10:11 AM

And winner of the Coral Coast moron of the weekend:

Driving back from Bundaberg I caught up to an idiot in a Pajero who was at the rear of a line of cars.
The road from Bundy to Childers is extremely undulating and very dangerous as the little drop aways can hide oncoming cars, trucks and cane train crossings. It is a dangerous section of road with many fatalities.
The moron is in a hurry, he is tailgating closely and constantly hitting his brakes trying, I suspect to bully the cars in front to go faster.
I am sitting back maybe 100m watching and waiting.

He pulls out a couple of time only to have an oncoming vehicle force him back until in a moment of supreme stupidity he pulls out on double lines and overtakes 5 cars ACCROSS a rail crossing and over a rise.
I dropped back a bit further just in case.
Shortly after the road goes to 3 lanes and I overtake the 5 cars and bubble along until I catch up to (guess who) who is behind another line of cars.
He repeats the same insanity around a semi-blind corner over double lines.

Where is the Highway patrol when you need it

Fev · 01-06-2009, 12:41 PM

Dont worry, im sure she would have lost her license (since if you screw up on your p's once now you lose it for 3 months - or is that only speeding? im pretty sure its anything though)

edit: If it was Red P's.

Rodp · 01-06-2009, 12:49 PM

I'd love to see them extended it to highway exits. A number of times I've almost cleaned up someone who's passed their exit and attempting to reverse back on the breakdown lane and have either wiggled out into the left lane of traffic or expect people to stop at the exit while the reverse into and onto it.

AndrewR_AUII · 01-06-2009, 02:02 PM

Adelaide has the solution to this problem... one way freeways

G.T. · 01-06-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

And winner of the Coral Coast moron of the weekend:

Driving back from Bundaberg I caught up to an idiot in a Pajero who was at the rear of a line of cars.
The road from Bundy to Childers is extremely undulating and very dangerous as the little drop aways can hide oncoming cars, trucks and cane train crossings. It is a dangerous section of road with many fatalities.
The moron is in a hurry, he is tailgating closely and constantly hitting his brakes trying, I suspect to bully the cars in front to go faster.
I am sitting back maybe 100m watching and waiting.

He pulls out a couple of time only to have an oncoming vehicle force him back until in a moment of supreme stupidity he pulls out on double lines and overtakes 5 cars ACCROSS a rail crossing and over a rise.
I dropped back a bit further just in case.
Shortly after the road goes to 3 lanes and I overtake the 5 cars and bubble along until I catch up to (guess who) who is behind another line of cars.
He repeats the same insanity around a semi-blind corner over double lines.

Where is the Highway patrol when you need it

That makes sense considering what pajero is Spanish for.