Road Safety Campaign Targets Grey Nomads

G'day Allan

I will have an educated guess that the Police will make things "safer" for the Grey Nomads by issuing fines !!


Happy Travelling

Gazz

Allan,

I thought the timing was a bit late, but might "save" some, on their way home, and if re-introduced early next year, would certainly be of some benefit.

Some of these "travellers" need all the help they can get!!! We live very near one of the servos in Winton, and yesterday, watched with some amazement, as a bloke bounced his 100 series, and caravan, over a cement barrier, so he could get his rig into the bowsers, in a straight line. The positioning of some of the bowsers is not so caravan friendly, but many do fill up, without the need to abuse their rigs.

Suppose there'll be another mob next year, with similar attitude to some, that were here this year?

Bob.

Gday,
They do need to do something......Id be in favour of everyone haveing to sit a practical driving test to tow anything bigger than a 6x4 trailer. (including reversing!)
Trouble is they would turn it into a revenue thing and try to make a heap of money out of it.

Great timing! I'm on my way out there in the next couple of weeks. Fortunately for me my hairs not grey yet so they won't bother me as I sail by with 3.5ton in tow, they will probably just wave with a smirk on their faces whilst thinking "we'll get him in a few years" when he's a grey nomad - Yeh right:-) Where's my wallet?
Cheers!
Nigel

Not a worry - as soon as someone tells those cops that it's against federal law to discriminate against people on the basis of age, all will be fine (hair color is a different matter but - that may be the weak spot in my cunning plan). If cornered though, a small 'consideration' in a plain brown wrapper has, historically, solved many issues with the 'law' in Queensland (according to reliable sources).

Hey Guys........ C'mon,

Perhaps I got it wrong but I understood this was to be an education campaign.

What's all this about "fines", "driving tests", "wallets" and "discrimination"?

A cop comes up with a positive plan and you cynics slam him!

The last photo sent shivers up my spine.I think we can all learn a thing or two. I'm in the middle not old and certainly not young and learn something every time were out towing. Just wish the authorities would just introduce a licence class for towing.

definatly needs to be done now.
working on the albury wodonga bypass, saw a elderly couple drive their car,van through the site when the road was closed.....to the public.
holy CRAP
and recently saw a older couple almost drive off with the caravan leveler stands still down........

Hi Allan,

I'm sitting here at Tomato Island on the Roper River having joined the hordes migrating north for the first time. No I'm not yet grey!

I love these campaigns because they rarely produce any accountable results other than revenue, No one will ever know how many lives have been saved by the righteous. It is a tough argument off course but I bet that if there were more rest stops with facilities, better servos, better roads and pullover lanes to let everyone past we'd save a lot of lives. I know I'm out on a limb on this stuff because looking in the mirror for that blue light will no doubt make it safer for all.

Thanks for the tip I'll go back via the coast road. The problem with us cynics (my wife tells me I'm one) is that sooner or later someone will prove us right.

Kind regards

I think this is a great idea. We all know, as we get older and turn 50 and over, the rate of ageing increases remarkably. Reflexes aren't as sharp as they once were, eyesight diminishes, and even bladder control isn't what it used to be. Any tools that old people can use or learn that keeps them on the road and not doing laps around fuel bowsers has got to be a good thing. The nation was built on the backs of a lot of these elderly Australian citizens, any campaign that helps the oldies in their senile years is something we should all support.

And about time. Good on the coppers.

I will miss the entertainment but not the prangs and near misses.

Phil

Here is a truckie's poem from the road which says it all.

Caravaners and travellers.

It's is called - "Not on sixpence"

You can’t stop a big rig on sixpence
If only the car drivers knew

With such a long load you gotta have room
It takes just a gear change or two

And -
If I come along to a crossing
For you to walk out when you choose
Just think for a bit - if I have to pull up
Imagine the revs that I loose!

Then -
When I drive along in my Kenworth
I see all the cars weave and duck
They think its all fun but it isn’t for me,
I just can’t do that in my truck

And -
When you drive along all the back roads
And see the dead animals there
Don’t think for a minute that we didn’t wish
That we could just give ‘em a scare

Cos -
We can’t stop a big rig on sixpence
We need a fair distance for that
As we see roos coming we just grit our teeth
And hope that we don’t hear a…….splat………..

So -
As we roll along all the highways
And look out our window at you
Just give us a wave – not the finger
We’re doin’ what we have to do

Cos –
We cart all the grain for your brekky
We cart all the milk for your tea
We cart all the fruit for your family
We even cart fish from the sea

So -
When you drive along in your auto
And you pull in front of a truck
Just think of what’s pushing behind him
Or BOTH of us might need some luck

Cos –
We can’t stop a big rig on sixpence
And when you don’t know what you’ve done
We have to decide how to miss you
And that’s when we tend to have fun…………

Of course there’s some cowboys among us
And sometimes we owe it to you
But just try to think of us kindly
It’s a hell of a job that we do

- Cheryl(Cill)Van Der Velden

After reading most of the answers here, I have a question .....
Should P-Platers be allowed to tow?

Here in the West on our inland and coastal Great Northern Hwy the speed that some of the trucks are travelling at is not legal and is resulting in very dangerous road conditions .We had another head on collision last week north of manilya Road house south os Nanutarra . The Road there is very narrow .

I wonder what police will actually target - speeding, hooning,........?
I know police were checking caravan weights, tow weights, tow ball loadings etc near Rockhampton some weeks ago.