A Sydney driver was fined $200 in Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday when he appeared on charges of driving at 126km/h on the 110km/h signposted Hume Highway.
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He said he’d reached that speed because he was “caught beside two B-double trucks” and trying to overtake from a starting speed of 105km/h, which he resumed shortly after.
Moreover, he told the magistrate, he had been driving for 40 years without any accidents.
But the magistrate would brook no excuse, saying the consequence of speeding could be a serious accident, especially given the number of big trucks tearing up the tarred path.
“You could have hung back and not tried to overtake,” the magistrate said.
The story will resonate with any reader who has felt they had to battle the B-doubles on the highway. Add in the variables of weather and it can be a white-knuckle drive.
But not just for you, you know – for the truckies, too. One in five road fatalities involves a heavy vehicle, but given what passes for road awareness, it’s amazing it isn’t more.
Most side mirrors are convex, which can help you like a wide-angle lens for a broad view.
But they can also make it difficult to judge the distance to vehicles travelling behind you.
Even vehicles you have just overtaken. Even the biggest of big rigs.
Drivers, we have to look ahead by looking back. Use that centre mirror and wait until the vehicle we’ve passed is fully in view and falling away before we even think of moving left. Even then, look back. Look at the lane you’re moving into. Then indicate. Then move.
Yeah, there might be some cowboy, or cowgirl, riding your tail, trying to push you past the speed limit to excess. Without being a (rodeo) clown about it, resist, though they insist.
Or take the magistrate’s advice: hang back. Let others rush to meet their consequences.
The Roads and Maritime Service initiative, Towards Zero, drives home the message that the road toll is not just a number, it’s real people, and could include family and friends.
Their statistics make it clear that we still have a long way to go towards a zero toll. A key to achieving that goal is for every road user to consider their approach to road safety.