Highway to Hell

Steve has spent the last two days driving between Townsville and Ingham with loads of fertiliser for his employer to manufacture a liquid brew for the cane farmers in the region.  This afternoon he was turned around by his boss near a place called Rollingstone which is about 30 kilometres south of Ingham due to another serious traffic accident on the Bruce Highway.  We have been here for about 7 weeks now and there have been 4 major vehicle accidents between Ingham and Townsville with unfortunate fatalities.  It astonishes me how people can be killed so often on one stretch of road but the highway is closed regularly because of it.  On either side of the town are huge electronic signs showing whether the Bruce Highway is closed or open in both the north and south direction.  I presume these signs are more useful in the wet season when flooding and cyclones cause road closures but they are used with regularity during the dry season for traffic accidents.
We have driven to Townsville in our car and see first hand the risks and idiot behaviour which 99% of the time gets drivers to their destination but for that 1%, there is no going back.  It is a combination of factors which lead to this road being so dangerous and Steve experiences it first hand in the truck as well.
We live in Far North Queensland which is a mega tourist destination for grey nomads, backpackers and anyone else who wants to escape the cold of the south.  As a result, the amount of caravanners on the road is incredible.  A small proportion of these travellers have experience dealing with heavy vehicles and other road users of which there are many up here.  After all, the Bruce Highway is the main thoroughfare between Brisbane and Cairns for tourists and freight.  Unfortunately, a great many caravanners have no awareness outside the cockpit of their own vehicle.  Their speed is inconsistent which is a constant source of frustration for truck drivers and people doing business between Townsville and Ingham.  Steve has relayed stories of caravanners doing 80kph along the single lane sections and then speeding up to 100kph at an overtaking lane and so making it almost impossible for a heavy vehicle to overtake.
This region also has many trucks working from depots and farming properties.  Naturally many of these land owners either don't have the money or don't wish to spend the money on updated equipment.  As a consequence, many local trucks on the highway are not efficient or quick because they are 'old technology'.  Steve has had to drive some fairly old machinery which can do little more than 80kph.  In both circumstances, it is the speed issue which frustrates people and makes them do silly things.  It seems that when it comes to driving, a human beings' lack of patience tends to cause accidents. 
Lack of judgement seems to be another factor.  We, as a family, have seen countless incidences whereby someone doesn't overtake when there is plenty of room and it is safe to do so and instead tries to overtake when it is not safe.  People's uncertainty or lack of confidence in their decision leads to risk taking.  This same judgement is essential when overtaking vehicles on the single lane sections of the highway.  At least two of the four accidents in recent weeks have occurred because a driver misjudged the distance between themselves and oncoming traffic in an overtaking manouevre which has lead to people leaving the road to avoid colllision.
Unfortunately trucks have been involved in a couple of these road accidents and in these cases they were unfairly targeted.  I know of one case where the truck driver was the poor bugger doing the right thing and got caught up in the cars' misfortune.  Interstate drivers are heavily policed today with log book regulations and hourly limitations for driving.  Department of Transport rangers are constantly patrolling the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Ingham performing checks on heavy vehicles.  Steve says they (truck drivers) are a cranky bunch of buggers but then he understands why when they have to deal with tourists and poor road conditions.
The Bruce Highway, as we have experienced already, would have to be one of the worst maintained roads in Australia considering the level of traffic that it supports.  Lack of overtaking lanes, overtaking lanes in the wrong places, poor camber or road slopes, narrow sections and shoulders, rough, patchy or non existent bitumen (potholes) make this highway a fatigue hotspot.  It certainly isn't a road you can relax on and drive in comfort.  One is constantly chasing their vehicle so as not to end up in the oncoming lane.
I feel the same way that I did when we settled at Mapleton and I was nervous about driving down the winding road to Nambour.  That trip, however, was only ten minutes and experienced no accidents while we were there.  This stretch of road between Townsville and Ingham is far longer and busier and, as we have seen already, not an entirely safe road to travel on.  In saying that, it is probably safe considering the traffic which uses it compared to the accidents which occur.  As newcomers to the region, it just seems more dangerous.  I find myself watching oncoming traffic with trepidation.  I don't think it has anything to do with our accident simply because I don't remember anything which is probably a good thing, so I am not overly nervous about being a passenger in the car.  That sense of not being able to control others around you is, however, a reason for me to stay in Ingham for the time being unless we all drive to Townsville as a family.  Perhaps in time my confidence will improve especially when my shoulder allows me to drive more freely.  Until then, I am quite happy for Steve to do the driving when going to Townsville.