What would you do? Mk 2.

[4Vman]

Ok, you’re travelling along a down hill section of a 2 lane road in the left lane doing roughly the posted limit of 60kph, in the right lane beside you is a 20T truck doing the limit too…

You’re descending a down a hill at the time, there’s heavy traffic coming the other way, the truck appears to be picking up speed.
You look ahead of the truck and in the right lane about 50m ahead is a car stopped with its RH indicator on stationary waiting to turn right..

Ok, you get closer and closer, you’re extremely worried about what’s unfolding in front of your eyes, what would you do?

[FocusLX06]

Speed up to give the truck room to move, short burst of speed won't kill me.

[galaxy xr8]

As a previous truck driver myself I know the circumstances and would slow down and let the bigger heavier vehicle have right of way, as it would be harder to avoid a accident if need be by the larger truck, people have to realise they don't own the road and show some respect, just imagine being the driver of the stationary vehicle ahead, sitting there looking in your rear veiw mirror seeing that barreling down on you with your wife and kid's sitting with you,
courtsey goes along way.

[sneaky]

"Slow down in case the truck needs to merge left quickly and/or avoid a crash."

i drive trucks around at work (not 20T) and as a result i would usually give way to the truck. my 1T car will lose a fight with a 20T truck every time.. and it's not worth being right to argue the point that he should have given way to me..

depending on the road/knowledge of area/chance of cops/who is in the car with me, i'd possibly speed up to give him room

[fmc351]

What colour truck?


















Seriously, where am I in relation to the truck? Half way, front, back? What am I driving? A Gogo mobile or an F6?

[Riksta]

Would definitely slow down.

It doesn't say how far alongside the truck's body you are, if you're about at its halfway point or behind its halfway point, speeding up may just take up valuable space and time that the truck might need. Dropping back would mean there's more space and time for the truck to get over should it need to.

Speeding up to get in front of it is also not the best idea, what if you get in front of it, truck gets behind you, and something unforeseen happens and you need to stop in a hurry? You've now got 20t of truck behind you who won't stop as quick as what you will! Whereas if you're behind him, your chances of pulling up without hitting him are a lot better should he then need to stop in a hurry.

[WMD351]

What, who's this 4Vman? Where's Flappist?
Brake pretty hard and give the truck plenty of room. 20T = winner in my book

[04redxr8]

Slow down. Without knowing who it is beside me, I would rather lose 30 seconds in my day, than risk losing my life getting tangled up in someone elses mess.

Besides, I have an XR8 and an SS. I can slow down and speed up far better than a truck.

[Riksta]

My decision above is based on an unwritten road rule I follow when driving: "Give way to that which is bigger than you"; or "That which is bigger has right of way".

There are a lot of variables in it though. Somebody close behind me? I may think twice about slowing down too much.

I would certainly hope that the car turning right has enough road sense to know what's happening around them and notice the situation, and if possible, cancel their turn and accelerate safely away (assuming they do notice the situation in time) - however this wouldn't play a part in my decision to slow down, which I would most certainly try to do anyway.

[Yellow_Festiva]

I always give way to trucks (or anything greatly larger than me)...

If anything went pear shaped, I know I won't be in front in the aftermath, no matter who is in the right, pardon the pun.

Trucks need much more room to stop, turn and manoeuvre in an emergency. Shame not many people comprehend this.

[fmc351]

Its 50m, at 60km/h, downhill. Closer and closer, its now what 30m? Stopping distance, downhill at 60km/h, yeah the dude/lass in the turning vehicle is stuffed no matter what I do. The truck is going to be wearing the car as a hood ornament.

Im guessing the truckie is in the back sleeping.

According to this calulator, you cover 50m at 60km/h in 3 seconds.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/csgtsd.html

[GTpilot]

Careful. Its a cop driving the truck, and a cop turning right, both working with the cop at the bottom of the hill with the radar gun. who inturn has a tray truck on standby around the corner. mash the go pedal and "you're nicked"

[Fled74]

Slow down and give him room. Why risk being rear-ended by 20T of moving metal?
Also, my Fiesta is invisible to truck drivers and the truck in question would just merge into my lane anyway (a fact which Yellow_Festiva and other small car drivers can attest to).

[sleek7]

Hard to say exactly but I think if I were in that situation, I think I would naturally shift up a gear and gun it over slowing down.

[WMD351]

It doesn't matter what you're driving, the truck drivers natural instinct if he can't pull up is going to be "hard left".
Just as my natural instinct would be to brake hard before looking in my mirror
As a footnote, I simply will not drive along side a truck if I've got an option.

[TheInterceptor]

If im right next to the cab id speed up, if any other id slow down.

A bit of (un)common sense really.

[jlef5]

Have a uhf so would hit the picks and tell him to pull in front if he is in front of me. If it's head to head speed up and get out of his way.

[Mechan1k]

I'd always back off and let them in .... much easier for me to slow up and give room ... and once there is enough room .. a quick double flash so as the truck driver doesn't really have to look hard to make sure he can get in. He can just come over as soon as I let him/her know.

[StrokedXT]

Is there a point to this thread?

[SSD-85]

As far as this case goes, 20t moving at 60kph has right of way IMO. Ill give him all the room he needs.

But when trucks just want to swiftly overtake someone slower than them in a 2 lane road and will do so regardless of the traffic in the right lane, resulting in the car in front of me nearly becoming the meat in a truck-concrete pillar sandwich (deep breath), slowing us all down from 100 to 60 in under 50m....well ill still brake for him, just cursing him in the process.

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by StrokedXT

Is there a point to this thread?

I'm curious to know if he's seeking what us AFF members would do, and whether he has the same post over on a Holden or Import forum to judge their responses as well. Could be quite interesting to see if different communities with different mindsets react and post differently!

[66FAIRLANE]

I voted speed up. But only in a quick car. If I was driving a slow car it would be slow down. Thats in theory. In reality its which ever one of those two is appropriate to avoid an accident.

[burnz]

your car can stop quicker than it can accelerate,
swallow your pride your tying to race a truck LOL..

glance the brake then flick the h/beam..

[CFOUR]

Originally Posted by burnz

your car can stop quicker than it can accelerate.

not if you'r in my car.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by CFOUR

not if you'r in my car.

your car doesent have brake's??

[XR6WGN]

I'd back off - get well behind him and give him a flash of my lights to let him know that I (and the lane in front of me) was clear.

[mik]

i would be looking ahead and would have either backed off and flashed him in or accelerated so the so the trucky had plenty of time to cut back in safely.

[3vXT]

The car is in the trucks lane? Then its his problem.

[EvilNemo]

I think anyone that says speed up is being silly it is only 50m it does not take long to cover that amount of ground. By the time you have noticed the incident thought about what to do accelerated to late the truck is into the side of your car. Having said that if the truck has not slowed to almost a complete stop by this stage there is not much he is going to be able to do apart from swerve. Best thing to do is brake and brake as hard as safely possible taking into account cars behind you.

[GetToTheGone]

If im right beside the cab of the truck, speed up.
If im any futher back, slow down.