Trucks to be banned from right lanes on Freeways from mid year.

[Brazen]

I hate the adding of more and more laws, commensence should be used as I am sure that there will be times where trucks need to be in the right lane. I never really saw this as an issue and I do a lot of diving.

In fact I would say that truck drivers are generally the best drivers on the road by far.

[g220ba]

Seems to me like another band-aid solution to the evergreen topic of road safety.

[Luke Plaizier]

Hills make a difference too.

There are some major hills on the F3 between Newcastle and Sydney. Especially near the Gosford turn off, Mooney Moneey bridge and Hawkesbury. All 3 lanes in width. I have been caught on those roads a few times now with 3 trucks abreast doing 20km/h in a 110km/h zone. This with a trail of cars coming screaming up at 110km having to slow down rapidly to avoid an accident.

Saying this, I do that run quite a lot, and the vast majority of truck drivers are excellent, and will only occupy the left most two lanes.

BUT, when there is a lot of traffic moving at 110mk/h with all 3 lanes full of cars and trucks, (Peak hour for example) at these hilly places the road turns into a contr-flow situation as the slow trucks all occupy the leftmost 2 lanes and everyone is forced to merge into a single lane to get past them.

To me it's dangerous and a function of the gradient of the hill - so what can really be done?

This is just classic big vs little discussion really isn't it. Trucks want to overtake idiot car/caravan drivers. Cars want to retain roadspeed or accelerate from lights at a rate that won't see their hair fall out from old age. Cars don't want Bikes slowing them down. Cars want SUV's to stop being so big so they can't see past them at intersections. Bikes want equal access to roads and don't want to be run down by cars. Pedestrians want shared-track bike riders to slow down. Shared-track bike riders want Pedestrians to keep either in their lane or move aside so they can pass.

This isn't going to end any time soon.



Lukeyson

[yueses]

Well said Luke ... !!

Lets see what happens when truck drivers react to this 'law' and do rolling blockades etc and all.. Personally I'd like to park my semi in the right lane, just before the domain tunnel at 7am on a weekday and watch everyone have to merge.

Truck drivers are going nuts today all around Melbourne on the UHF and believe me they won't just accept this law..

Besides, all this is going to do is create a hell of alot of road rage, accidents and deaths because Mr. Pallas is too afraid of trucks and forces them to sit behind slow, scared car drivers..

[kezzer]

It works fine in europe. I don't see the issue. This is a good law, why should trucks be allowed in the fast lane, when they struggle to keep upto the speed limit anyway, especially on hills.

[kezzer]

Originally Posted by yueses

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite it being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

no, will be exceptions

[yueses]

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

Let's say that I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite THE RIGHT LANE being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

[Magna]

Originally Posted by yueses

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

Let's say that I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite THE RIGHT LANE being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

im pretty shore it only applies to trucks that weigh more than 4.5 tonns

[Bmobile]

How bout we just have 2 speed limits on such roads. up to 90 in the left lane and 90 minimum to 100 maximum for the other lanes.

ie: 3 lanes of traffic and your happy sitting on 90 in the left then you approch someone doing 80 so you pull out and accelerate to 90-100 and pass them then just sit back and cruise at 90 in the left once past.

[g220ba]

Anyone else remember that other great bit legislation involving no lane changing the tunnels, i feel this piece of poorly thought out legislation will be heading for the same fate.

Our roads in this country or for that matter our driver training don't even come close to comparing to those of europe so not really a fair comparison.
The main change that i feel needs to happen and probably won't happen for many generations is driver mentality. Too many people don't see their license as the privelege it is, very little if any respect for any other motorist is also clearly evident.

If people used a little more of a thing called commonsense when it came to sharing the roads, be it with trucks or other cars the roads would be a happier place.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by cosmo20btt

Is it because there afraid their going to get pinged for going close to the speed limit?

Doubt it, they just sit there while other undertake them. All they have to do is move over one lane and then they wont cause chaos.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

Just this weekend I was driving with my mate from Geelong to Melbourne, and as we watched a truck crawl past a car in the far right lane I commented on how it should be illegal for them to go near that lane.

Could this be because the car was doing 95-98 (but showing 100 on his speedo) and the Truck couldn't go faster than 100.

I haven't been on the roads mentioned in the HS article for a few years, but I'm assuming that the freeways mentioned are 3 or more lanes wide.
If thats the case, I don't see a problem with keeping Trucks from the far right lane.

To me it's no big deal, But I can see all the 'round town clowns not liking it..... we get sillier laws for Trucks here in NSW.

[MAD]

Originally Posted by prydey

what is undertaking?? passing another car, on a multi lane road, on the left or right is called overtaking and is perfectly legal. the only time it isn't is when it isn't a multilane road.

Undertaking is the term used for passing on the left.
As far as I've always known, if the road has lines separating the lanes, you can pass on any side.

[mr smith]

Great news. Sick of clowns in the right lane on the speed limiter trying to push others out of the way or being mobile road blocks. I think the majority are sick of the bully boy tactics on our roads.

[Belial]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

I feel that it should apply to all roads with 2 lanes or more. It should apply to all vehicles which have 4 wheels on a rear axle.

So 12t yes, 8t no?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by yueses

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

Let's say that I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite THE RIGHT LANE being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

Yes, if you don't drive in the wrong lane you don't get fined.

Simple enough for you.........

[Jondalar]

This is a great idea, I did some driving in the USA in mid 90's and was very impressed how on the interstate no trucks were allowed in the far left (our right) lane at all, and on hills they were limited to only the far right on usually 3 lane each way highways. Result was no sitting stuck behind two semi's dueling it out up a hill. It's about time we had consistent National road rules though.

[chevypower]

truck laws that are made by people who don't drive them, now that makes sense.

[Wally]

On the M1 here, the shoulder lane is like poison to trucks and cars alike. This makes for a very pleasant drive for me south of logan hyperdome.... a lane almost all to myself.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by chevypower

truck laws that are made by people who don't drive them, now that makes sense.

We know. Our politicians go over there to get transport advice from yours

[trippytaka]

I can't say I've ever worried about trucks in the right lane on a freeway because they are up to speed. If we're going up a hill and they stay in the right, then it's annoying, but when at speed limit there's not too much problem.

The real problem, is when a semi sits in the right lane on a major arterial road in Sydney traffic. Far out that gives me the ****! With all the stoppages and lights trucks takes too long to accelerate to the right speed.

[MAV50L]

Originally Posted by yueses

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

Let's say that I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite THE RIGHT LANE being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

Common sence would have to prevail. If it is the only way to get across to the exit , they couldnt book you.
If they did it would get thrown out of court pretty damn quick.

[4Vman]

The legislation will only apply to long stretches of roads, common sense would prevail where exits are involved, they wont make it "illegal" for trucks to use appropriate off ramps.. You'll just need to merge as close as possible to the exit.

[CADSKY]

awesome! i'd give ten thumbs up if i had them!

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by yueses

I have also done some long distance work to Bendigo,

I dont want to burst your bubble but Melb-Bendigo is NOT long distance.

Originally Posted by yueses

HERE IS A PERFECT SCENARIO..

Let's say that I'm driving over the Bolte Bridge, towards the Westgate freeway, in a semi.. and I want to head towards Altona/ Geelong.. As the 3 lanes of the bridge all go in different directions i HAVE to use the far right lane in order to head to the westgate bridge... Will a cop car/ vicroads car sit there and fine every truck that uses the right lane, despite THE RIGHT LANE being the exit ramp off the Bolte towards the westgate....???

Don't be so thick. This is NOT the perfect scenario -no matter how big you you make the font- you said it yourself... "it's an exit ramp"!

[CAMS290]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Great news. Sick of clowns in the right lane on the speed limiter trying to push others out of the way or being mobile road blocks. I think the majority are sick of the bully boy tactics on our roads.

Bad news. Most trucks in the right lane will most likely be trying to pass moron car drivers that fluctuate their speed between 80 to 110 in a 100 zone.

Idiots that pull in front of you when you leave a safety gap, idiots that will cut in front of you only to slow you down and do a left hand turn 50 metres up the road while there are no cars behind you.............they couldn't wait 10 seconds :

Idiots that want to be first at the traffic lights, so they pull in front of you while you are trying to pull up :

I have been driving trucks nearly 22 years, both local and interstate and you wouldn't believe what I have seen car drivers do.............and some cowboy drug fuelled truck drivers who give the professional truck drivers a bad name.

This is just another knee jerk reaction by a desk jockey bureaucrat, and I will take it with a grain of salt...............if there is some knobs holding up the left and middle lane on a three lane road, I will use the right lane to pass them, no ifs or buts.

[whiteELXR6]

Excellent comment CAMS290. I am also a truck driver, of much less experience (3 years). In the 3 years I have been driving semi's some of the amazing things I have seen car drivers do is incredible.

I run up and down the monash more than I'd like to and the only time I use the right lane is to overtake car drivers that cannot do the posted speed limit, or slower trucks. The idea of trucks in the right lane is all good and well if everyone could do the bloody speed limit, but we have too many car drivers doing there make up, reading the matter, typing on the laptop to concentrate on what there doing.

If ya can't or don't want to do the posted speed in the right lane or aren't overtaking then get the bloody hell out of it regardless if you are in a truck or car. The right lane is for the speed limit, the rest of the lanes are for the elders, caravans, day dreamers and anyone else who can't or doesn't want to do the posted limit.

end rant.

[rodderz]

There's more idiot car drivers than truck drivers, particularly around town. Most people get annoyed with trucks because of the fact they are trucks- they do anything to get past them, then once they do stay put in slow down.

The right lane rule should be the same for everyone- if you're there not passing, get back in the left.

What about in certain instances when you get into the right lane to make it easier for merging traffic on the left? Hopefully common sense prevails and they don't just hand out fines for the sake of it. Wouldn't surprise me if they started fixed camera fines for trucks that are in the right lane?

[ebxr82nv]

Originally Posted by burnz

nothing will get deliverd on time now.
putting up with slow cars looking for exit's, learners, caravans, old fart's.

learners should be banned from any road with a speed limit of more than 80km/h full stop, and before anybody has a cry and says they need to learn, where exactly are the benifits of being passed by b doubles on the freeway?

[Kev_BLNXR8_Ute]

There are many many problems with it all..

Most car speedo's are out 3 to 5 kmph.
They think they are doing 100 and they are only doing 95.

Then you get the brain dead in the right lane wipping off another 5.. Now doing 90. $H!TS me to tears...
I havent driven a truck for some time, but most trucks 100 means 100.

Driver trainning is the bigger problem.
Dam half wits sitting in the left lane for the hell of it in Both cars and trucks and honestly car drivers are the worst by far.

I know my speedo is 5kay out in the work ute so I add 5 everywhere.
Usually 10 in the 100 zones as I know that is exactly 5 over.
Minus the 3 tollerence, is 2 over. I've never been fined for it and have passed many a camera and cop car.


My 2 cents...

Kev