Country road etiquette, or lack of it.

Such a shame thee are such self centred idiots on the roads.
I didn't mention this in any of my recent trip reports, on return from Simpson geo centre trip . . . but coming down the Ood Tk I estimate there were only a few drivers out of dozens we passed by that would slow below (I estimate) 80km/hr, about the fastest a sensible driver would be going.

We would see oncoming, and slow to 60, move far left, many others would move left but stay at speed already underway.

Combined with obvious high bitumen tyre pressures, the stones coming up were quite a risk.
In contrast, running 24psi we couldn't see any stones coming up in our rearviews from our tyres, even at 80 when cruising.

When I worked on a Cattle Station in the Kimberley & the owner saw that tourists were coming at him way too fast he would swing the wheel to the right & head straight for those morons.
Slowed em down quick smart when they saw a "bull catcher" coming straight at them!

Worked every time. Done it myself a few times.

Cheers
Stu

Even just when driving in my sedan. I've taken to slowing & taking up all the road for a bit & forcing these arrogant drivers to slow down.

If you just slow & move off, they still blast past you at full noise & shower you with rocks.

Hug the centreline a little & they become a bit unsure.

Hi Mikee5,
I have had the same thing on many ocaisions
did you see what state the car was licenced
just out of curiosity
Regards
Alan

A sign of the times I'm afraid. There's no consideration for others on the roads/tracks anymore. Take a trip up the Cape on the development roads and see what happens. I think it has a lot to do with drivers now days just don't know any better. 4wds are more 'car' like, more accessable and more reliable so more people are travelling these places without much experience, pressed for time and generally a selfish attitude.
Doesn't make any difference whether they're towing or not, always in a hurry - great way to spend a holiday!
On those single lane bitumen roads, I let an oncoming truck have the whole lot. If possible, I let the on coming car or car and trailer have all the bitumen. After all, if they are on the bitumen then they don't (generally) through stones. Doesn't seem much point in both getting on the dirt.
I often wonder though, when an oncoming has gotten off the bitumen before me (some move over way to early) and I stay on the bitumen, whether they think I'm being rude?

I know the bloke that did that, Mike!

Well, I don't know him personally, but in my past life I used travel that way regularly, and once, just south of Dajarra, passed a bloke doing a great rate of knots, and he showered us with rocks. Just an icehole, as his comments to you indicate.

Usually, if others pulled well off I would stay on the bitumen, and give them a big wave. If it was a 'van approaching, I'd indicate and pull right off the bitumen. But sometimes it's frustrating when they pull off too! Vans and trailers are notorious for damaging windscreens!

Only idiots don't give heavies all the road. It's easier to pick somewhere safe to pull over early,than hurriedly picking a small spot where one is barely off the road, and the truck......well trailers anyway, shower you with everything.

Agree with what Tony has said too, about people's attitudes. Most mightn't mean to be rude, but they are because they are perched up there in their 4wd, cocooned in cool comfort, and he, the driver, has swollen b*lls because he thinks he's God. "Out of my way, I'm comin' through"

Don't think it'll ever change......probably get worse?

Bob

I am at present, and have done so in the past, travelling (with a van) in north west Qld on quite a bit of single lane. I usually like to slow right down and stop and give the approachers the sealed, however they have been beating me to it and actually stopping for me. The speeding ones must either be interstaters or city travellers on short term holidays who have no idea of country road etiquette. May be it happens on the more touristy roads.

Years ago I came up to a stretch of flooded road (still water about a foot deep) and drove on along the centre line due to the quite severe camber of the road. When I was part way through a Mini Moke started in from the other end. I moved off the centre a bit and as I went by him my bow wave went through the front of the Moke and drowned the engine. He yelled out something about I wasn't being very smart and I said that he should have waited until I'd gone through, then I continued on. In the mirror I could see his female passenger getting out to push him. As this was just on the Darwin side of the Adelaide River bridge on the Arnhem Hwy I wouldn't have gotten out and walked that water, or been in a Moke doing it.

Unfortunately we have come across many that behave like this and indeed had a female on the Boulia to Mt Isa stretch that we assumed was very fatigued and forced us right off the road, as she passed us it looked like she was struggling to stay awake.

The only thing I can constructively suggest is to assume that all road users are going to do something stupid and be ready for it and when it happens try and collect their rego number and report them - Police can and do act on this information given the effort in reducing the road toll. Enough reports and they will prosecute so I am informed.

cheers

Welcome to 2015 - where tragically it is all about me, speaking metaphorically of course, the "me" isn't "me" (just in case you get the wrong impression - of me)...

I find the easiest way to handle to process is to take control myself by getting out of the way.

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

When this topic came up here a few years ago some clowns said they budgeted for a windscreen every trip so if it broke it didn't matter. (I budget for a tyre or two on a major trip, but if they survive the trip I don't do burnouts until they are destroyed at the end of the trip)

The ones who don't slow down are either idiots or driving a car they don't own.

Bob

Mike

Cant comment on the actual circumstances but the response from the other driver is soemthing i see more of now.
The general trend is more and more "meet any criticism with agression" in order to scare the other party out of continuing. The driver for example could have just said "sorry mate" and left it at that, but that may have given the impression that he was wrong.
It is very evident society in general these days, that people respond to criticism, often that is rightly deserved, with anger and agression.

Alan

Stay in the centre of the road until the other bloke slows ????????? Yeah, right.

So what if he is of the same mind?

Who blinks first?

Try driving out to Big Red from Birdsville for a sight see. Convoys of tricked up Patrols towing trailers seem to travel in as fast as the vehicle can go. Moving to the left and slowing down is taken as an invite to stay in the centre of the road and put the foot down further. I have busted a windscreen every time I have been out that way thanks to some numbskull only thinking of themselves.

Iza

I think this problem is worst in school holidays and is largely caused by drivers trying to do too much in a limited period of time. I have often quipped that the fastest thing on North Australian roads is a Victorian Prado towing a camper trailer during the school holidays.

On the second last day of the mid year school holidays last year we travelled from Camooweal to Lawn Hill. Gravel most of the way. We met about 30 vehicles coming the other way. A couple could have been locals but the rest were vehicles mostly with southern state number plates towing camper trailers and/or with pack racks stacked high with camping gear. Not one of them slowed perceptibly.

My practice is to slow to a speed where my dust trail is negligible, so that the approaching vehicle will have reasonable visibility when they pass. I will continue to do that no matter what other traffic does as I figure that the less our combined passing speed the less damage is likely to be done.

I did get some windscreen damage but that happened a couple of days previously on one of the widest and best areas of sealed road on the Barkley Highway.

Cheers, Kevin

In 4 outback trips I've done two windscreens, both to fast moving fourbies with big tyres.

Now with a UHF radio in the rig there's a bit of blue language about when some eedjit doesn't do the right thing.

But how often do you see notices or educational material encouraging slowing down and moving over?

Ok all of you naughty people with camper trailers , shame on you!
We tow a camper trailer and always pull over. Don't put us all in the same basket!! What else should we do? Should we just stay at home, or maybe just swag it to make all of you happy!!
Amanda