[OT} Those 4WDs...

[BrettS]

Following up on the lane splitting thread, I was reading the ARR
amendments Draft Regulatory impact statement when I came across this:

4.21 Safety ramps and arrester beds – New rule 101A
Generally, long descending grades will require arrester beds/safety
ramps to allow vehicles that may be out of control on a long downgrade a
point of access to an engineering treatment specifically designed to
take the vehicle out of harm’s way and bring it to a halt.
Australian Standard 1742.8 requires arrester beds/safety ramps to be
appropriately signed on their approach to advise out of control drivers
of their location. Some jurisdictions, at considerable cost, use
screenings on the bed to provide better stopping qualities. However,
*they are finding that drivers of four wheel drive vehicles in
particular*, are using these arrester beds/safety ramps to practice
their driving techniques, and spreading the screenings (and sometimes
other materials) to the degree that they are no longer effective
as a stopping agent. It is intended to prohibit drivers using these
arrester beds/safety ramps, unless in an emergency situation.

--
Brett"I bet they were Prado drivers"S

 

[warrwych]

Following up on the lane splitting thread, I was reading the ARR
amendments Draft Regulatory impact statement when I came across this:

4.21 Safety ramps and arrester beds – New rule 101A
Generally, long descending grades will require arrester beds/safety
ramps to allow vehicles that may be out of control on a long downgrade a
point of access to an engineering treatment specifically designed to
take the vehicle out of harm’s way and bring it to a halt.
Australian Standard 1742.8 requires arrester beds/safety ramps to be
appropriately signed on their approach to advise out of control drivers
of their location. Some jurisdictions, at considerable cost, use
screenings on the bed to provide better stopping qualities. However,
*they are finding that drivers of four wheel drive vehicles in
particular*, are using these arrester beds/safety ramps to practice
their driving techniques, and spreading the screenings (and sometimes
other materials) to the degree that they are no longer effective
as a stopping agent. It is intended to prohibit drivers using these
arrester beds/safety ramps, unless in an emergency situation.

--
Brett"I bet they were Prado drivers"S

Prado drivers wouldn't take their vehicles off smooth roads onto a surface that might throw up dirt or stones (ie chip the duco) etc.

 

[Stuart Lamble]

On 2006-01-24, BrettS <[email protected]> wrote:
> However,
> *they are finding that drivers of four wheel drive vehicles in
> particular*, are using these arrester beds/safety ramps to practice
> their driving techniques, and spreading the screenings (and sometimes
> other materials) to the degree that they are no longer effective
> as a stopping agent. It is intended to prohibit drivers using these
> arrester beds/safety ramps, unless in an emergency situation.

I've heard that there have been several cases of 4WD owners using the
arresters in the descent to Adelaide on the Princes Highway (coming from
Melbourne), and realising too late that they've done exactly what they
were supposed to do: trap the vehicle so it can't move.

Out comes the crane, and a hefty bill for the rescue ... (probably not
covered by the insurance, either. Heh heh heh...)

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

 

[Rod Out Back]

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:47:37 GMT, Stuart Lamble
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 2006-01-24, BrettS <[email protected]> wrote:
>> However,
>> *they are finding that drivers of four wheel drive vehicles in
>> particular*, are using these arrester beds/safety ramps to practice
>> their driving techniques, and spreading the screenings (and sometimes
>> other materials) to the degree that they are no longer effective
>> as a stopping agent. It is intended to prohibit drivers using these
>> arrester beds/safety ramps, unless in an emergency situation.
>
>I've heard that there have been several cases of 4WD owners using the
>arresters in the descent to Adelaide on the Princes Highway (coming from
>Melbourne), and realising too late that they've done exactly what they
>were supposed to do: trap the vehicle so it can't move.
>
>Out comes the crane, and a hefty bill for the rescue ... (probably not
>covered by the insurance, either. Heh heh heh...)

Some 6 or 7 years ago, there was an incident on the Toowoomba range,
when a truck who had lost brakes went to use the arrester bed to stop,
only to find dear old Dave & Gwen and their camper/trailer parked
there for a morning cup of tea. Dont recall if the truck parked on
Dave & Gwens camper, or if he continued down the mountain at speed....

You'd lik to think people who reduce the effectiveness of the stopping
bay are fined/prosecuted for their efforts as well as the cost of
recovery of their vehicle (if stuck).


Cheers,

Rod.....Out Back

 

[Graeme Dods]

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:57:05 GMT, Rod Out Back wrote:

> You'd lik to think people who reduce the effectiveness of the stopping
> bay are fined/prosecuted for their efforts as well as the cost of
> recovery of their vehicle (if stuck).

There are a few on the Great Eastern Highway down into Perth. I'm fairly
certain there are signs on at least one of them warning of fines. Mind you,
the final arrester is placed directly after a road entering from the side,
so there's a chance that any runaway truck has the choice of wiping out a
car sitting at/pulling out of the junction or taking his chances on an out
of control run down to Midland.

Apparently the arresters were put in after a truck's brakes failed at the
top of the hill. The driver had the luck/skill to make it all the way down
to the flat bit in Midland and through a couple of sets of lights but only
came to a halt after t-boning a family car at the final set.

Graeme

 

[Theo Bekkers]

Graeme Dods wrote:

> There are a few on the Great Eastern Highway down into Perth. I'm
> fairly certain there are signs on at least one of them warning of
> fines.

There's more than one?

> Apparently the arresters were put in after a truck's brakes failed at
> the top of the hill. The driver had the luck/skill to make it all the
> way down to the flat bit in Midland and through a couple of sets of
> lights but only came to a halt after t-boning a family car at the
> final set.

It was a semi with a trailer carrying around 50 tonnes of wheat. The first
set of lights. The second set is two kms down on a flat road.

Theo

 

[Graeme Dods]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:14:51 +0800, Theo Bekkers wrote:

> Graeme Dods wrote:
>
>> There are a few on the Great Eastern Highway down into Perth. I'm
>> fairly certain there are signs on at least one of them warning of
>> fines.
>
> There's more than one?

You're right, I just had a look on Google Earth and there's just the one. I
don't know why I got it into my head that there were more. Perhaps I'm just
used to longer/steeper hills that have two or more if they require them.

Graeme

 

[SteveA]

Following up on the lane splitting thread, I was reading the ARR
amendments Draft Regulatory impact statement when I came across this:

4.21 Safety ramps and arrester beds – New rule 101A
Generally, long descending grades will require arrester beds/safety
ramps to allow vehicles that may be out of control on a long downgrade a
point of access to an engineering treatment specifically designed to
take the vehicle out of harm’s way and bring it to a halt.
Australian Standard 1742.8 requires arrester beds/safety ramps to be
appropriately signed on their approach to advise out of control drivers
of their location. Some jurisdictions, at considerable cost, use
screenings on the bed to provide better stopping qualities. However,
*they are finding that drivers of four wheel drive vehicles in
particular*, are using these arrester beds/safety ramps to practice
their driving techniques, and spreading the screenings (and sometimes
other materials) to the degree that they are no longer effective
as a stopping agent. It is intended to prohibit drivers using these
arrester beds/safety ramps, unless in an emergency situation.

--
Brett"I bet they were Prado drivers"S

Once the Prado is up to its axles in the arrester bed gravel, it is legally "a fixture" and part of the arrester bed.

It is therefore reasonable for any out of control Kenworth to use the Prado as part of their emergency stopping procedure.*

*we all know this is bullsh!t, but the image is just sooooo good

SteveA

 

[Theo Bekkers]

Graeme Dods wrote:
> Theo Bekkers wrote:

>> There's more than one?

> You're right, I just had a look on Google Earth and there's just the
> one. I don't know why I got it into my head that there were more.
> Perhaps I'm just used to longer/steeper hills that have two or more
> if they require them.

There are about five signs saying how far it is.

Theo

 

[Graeme Dods]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 11:45:40 +0800, Theo Bekkers wrote:

> There are about five signs saying how far it is.

That'll probably be it. I've never driven anything big enough that couldn't
be stopped by gears/handbrake (worked the one time I've had brakes fail on
me) so the number of actual arresters probably didn't register.

 

[TimC]

On 2006-01-25, Theo Bekkers (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> Graeme Dods wrote:
>> Theo Bekkers wrote:
>
>>> There's more than one?
>
>> You're right, I just had a look on Google Earth and there's just the
>> one. I don't know why I got it into my head that there were more.
>> Perhaps I'm just used to longer/steeper hills that have two or more
>> if they require them.
>
> There are about five signs saying how far it is.

Wouldn't it suck to be travelling down a big hill when your brakes
fail, you've noticed the sign saying "arrestor bed 500m", but you're
too busy negotiating the turns, and you keep thinking "where's that
damn arrestor bed?", and then "damn, there it goes. What to do now?"

That would suck.

--
TimC
Shame on you! Don't you love her? Girls don't want Kmart specials, they
want carbon - either as diamonds or as CF bikes! -- Tamyka in aus.bicycle

 

[Tamyka Bell]

TimC wrote:
<snip>
> TimC
> Shame on you! Don't you love her? Girls don't want Kmart specials, they
> want carbon - either as diamonds or as CF bikes! -- Tamyka in aus.bicycle

Woohoo! I made the quote file!

T

 

[Theo Bekkers]

Tamyka Bell wrote:
> TimC wrote:

>> Shame on you! Don't you love her? Girls don't want Kmart specials,
>> they want carbon - either as diamonds or as CF bikes! -- Tamyka in
>> aus.bicycle

> Woohoo! I made the quote file!

You deserved it. It was a good quote.

Theo

 

[aeek]

I'm driving a Ford Courier - my car broke down on the way to TDU and I needed a rental for TWO bikes. Its been educational. With traffic I prefer passing cyclists in the left lane cos the alternative if intimidating cars away from me towards the cyclists. At least I know that I'm working at giving space.
Even when I'm riding the median strip too many cars would rather close on the cyclist than on my barge.

 

[[email protected]]

I don't know about people practising their 4WD elite skillz in them,
but I can remember from numerous trips between Canberra and the NSW
coast that people would stop and have picnics in them. Even the big
*DO NOT PARK IN SAFETY RAMP* signs didn't seem to get the message
across.

Evolution in action I guess.