Corowa Hume freeway crash ?

[Mike K]

I just noticed a facebook post saying there has been a nasty accident involving a historic army vehicle at Glenrowan West .

"Police are seeking witnesses to a serious collision on the Hume Freeway in Glenrowan West last night involving an historical army truck and a B-double. The exact cause of the collision is yet to be determined and investigators are appealing to the driver of a third truck that may have been involved in or witnessed the collision to come forward. More → https://bddy.me/2T4CFMY"

This is very sad

https://www.police.vic.gov.au/witnes...glenrowan-west

[Mike K]

Vehicle appears to be a Alvis Stalwart

https://wangarattachronicle.com.au/2...cal-condition/

[rob love]

I hope the driver survives. The story mentions he was ejected through the roof during the rolling of the vehicle.

We had something similar about 3 or 4 years back, after the Austin Thresherman reunion. An older fellow was driving his 1920s model T back to Winnipeg on the TransCanada highway when he was struck from behind by a semi. Speed on the TransCanada is 110kmh...the model T was likely traveling at around half that speed. I note that the Stalwart has a similar max speed.

While there were no calls for the banning of model Ts from the roadways after our accident, it would seem more and more states in the USA are banning military vehicles from the highways. Their lower speeds and low visibility are some of the factors given.

[Keith Webb]

I drove past and saw it on Thursday. It was a shock when I realised what it was. The bottom of the vehicle was facing the road. Latest I have heard is he has gone from critical to stable but hopefully there will be more information in due course.

[Mike K]

Gee that's good news lets hope he makes a full recovery.

I think these type of accidents involving historic military vehicles on freeways have occured in Europe a few times . I try to avoid main roads as much as possible even when driving a modern car. . Driving my 1950 Land Rover into Warragul, I use the quiet back roads . Huge logging trucks are a constant hazard around here plus massive tippers from a local quarry and milk tankers visiting farms. A tipper rolled over in the Neerim South main street recently, I heard the crash , the truck narrowly missed a car backing out of a driveway , a large pile of dirt blocked the main street for hours.

Night driving , maybe reflective tape temporarily fitted to the rear is a good idea. A chap in the UK fitted a rotating flashing light on his CDSW Morris but not sure about the legalitites of doing that .

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

A chap in the UK fitted a rotating flashing light on his CDSW Morris but not sure about the legalitites of doing that .

As long as it's not blue, red or purple, it's legal. In fact, for entrants of the charity "bash" type rallies, fitting an amber rotating or pulsating beacon is mandatory safety equipment.

[Allan L]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

As long as it's not blue, red or purple, it's legal. In fact, for entrants of the charity "bash" type rallies, fitting an amber rotating or pulsating beacon is mandatory safety equipment.

Nope, certainly not in Victoria. Certain vehicles may (or may need to) have amber rotating lights, but even fewer are permitted to use them when mobile. Doubt that Vic regs are substantially different to National regs??

Have also heard of overseas (UK I think it was) where a slower moving vehicle was instructed to remove their light.

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/-/me...0DA816EE9C5F51

[Lang]

A very common thing in Vintage circles now is to put one or two of those flashing red bicycle lights on the back - day or night.

They are very bright, can be bought for less than $10 and a real eye-catcher.

The reflective tape red/ yellow or white like the mine vehicles have is brilliant and can almost be dazzling. A board with some strips is a wonderful warning sign. Even hanging a reflective safety vest on the back is an eye catcher.

Lang

[Harry Moon]

I install them in both my trucks and use them, looking at doing the same in the Lynx1.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Allan L

Nope, certainly not in Victoria. Certain vehicles may (or may need to) have amber rotating lights, but even fewer are permitted to use them when mobile. Doubt that Vic regs are substantially different to National regs??

Someone needs to tell the Victorian Variety Club, who mandate their fitment on entrant's vehicles, as do many other charity rallies. These are full road registered vehicles (not conditional reg) used on public roads.

[Lang]

I think, particularly in view of the recent crash, there would be a sympathetic ear to allowing slower military vehicles the use of flashing lights (mandatory on tractors on the highway, why not slow military vehicles?).

Fun-runs and bike events all carry vehicles with flashing lights.

The Victorian regulations allow for particular cases.

Lang

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Lang

I think, particularly in view of the recent crash, there would be a sympathetic ear to allowing slower military vehicles the use of flashing lights (mandatory on tractors on the highway, why not slow military vehicles?).

Fun-runs and bike events all carry vehicles with flashing lights.

The Victorian regulations allow for particular cases.

Lang

Yes the local shire vehicles here , the roadside maintenance trucks and the tractors that slash the road verge , all have the flashing orange pimple in a prominant position. The local farmers with road registrered tractors, some have the rotating orange light onboard ( Is it a compulsory legal requirement for road use tractors ? ) The SES vehicles have them as well.

[motto]

The driver of the Stalwart is no longer in intensive care. Although he is reported to have vertebrae damage, there is no damage to the spinal cord. He has a bruised heart, a fractured femur, broken ribs and an injury listed as 'glove removal injury' to the upper thigh and this is not a full list. I believe that he is expected to make a full recovery but this will take a long time.
I have not heard it confirmed but it is said that he was not found until three hours after the collision due to being flung into the trees/bushes on the side of the road.
This is not the first large ex military vehicle to be flipped on a highway. There was a photo in the Windscreen magazine a few years back of a DUKW amphibious truck upside down on top of the ARMCO railing alongside a motorway in the UK It was a very similar collision to this one.

David

[Ron King]

https://flic.kr/p/24yPLdD

[Lynn Eades]

There was also the Ferret, hit by the train....

[Little Jo]

Hi All

I am so glad to hear the driver in recovering from his injuries after his nasty accident coming home from Corowa. This is not the first time and I guess hopefully the last.

After a few very close shaves driving my 1942 MB Willies Jeep to club functions driving on freeways. When driving at the speed limit of 110 kilometres an hour and approaching a slow moving vehicle not realising until they are nearly upon you, can be very scary hearing the screech of breaks behind you.

It was after some incidents that I started using a commercial Orange Flashing warning light, when driving on major roads. Though I knew I was in breach of the law, I had my story ready in case stopped by police.

1. A safety device as a warning to other road users of a slow moving vehicle ahead.

2. Without a flashing light I was putting my self at risk and endangering other road users at risk of an accident.

3. Flashing Orange Lights are used as a safety warning by Farm Tractors, Current Military convoys, Vehicles accompanying wide loads on transports Plus a whole range of other vehicles, Ambulance, police, police, roadside assistance vehicles and council/shire vehicles. All use flashing lights to warn other road users to slow down.

4. But most of all for my own and other road users safety. I would rather pay a fine than be seriously injured or end up in a coffin.

I can honestly report I have never been approached by police or any other authority using flashing lights. When we travelling in a club convoy I was always placed as tail end Charley using flashing lights as a warning to other road users, particularly at night or in light fog,

I know from conversations with owners of older military vehicles, they relayed many stories of of concern of incidents. I would be happy to have too appear before a court judge and plead my road safety case, having taken what I believed to be a serious road safety aid, possibly preventing a death or serious injury.

Tony

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Tony
A point of correction, the Stalwart was heading for Corowa.

Regards
Richard

[lynx42]

I am so glad to here that Graham is on the improve. I agree with you, Tony Van Rohda, It is better to have a flashing light to warn other road users of a slow moving vehicle.

A couple of years ago we drove our 1916 Albion with a cruising speed of 12 miles an hour, from Bandianna to Corowa for the WWI theme. I had a flashing light on the rear tailgate up quite high and Jill followed along behind with the hazard lights on in our 4x4, she also had a flashing double light up on the roof and CAUTION SLOW VEHICLE signs on the rear of the trailer. I checked with the Wodonga police before heading off. All went well. In 2006 I drove her down the Hume Highway to Wangaratta in the break-down lane with Jill behind in the 4x4 with the flashing lights and my son in his Holden Maloo ute also with a flashing light on top and the signs across the back of the ute. The main problem on the highway was the truck drivers having a sticky-beak as they went past. Two semis actually kissed as they passed me because the drivers were both looking at the Albion not the road. Fortunately all was OK. Before we left Wodonga the police came out and they took a photo of the Maloo ute as they reckoned that they would never see one going so slow again.

Here you can see the light on top of the 4x4 when I pulled up for a quick stop.




The veteran car clubs are currently approaching the Government to get the OK for slow vehicles to have warning lights on when out on the roadways.

Good luck Graham A.

Rick.

[Tony Smith]

If you'd pumped those tyres up a bit, I reckon you could top 13Mph!

[rob love]

Here in Canada there are usually provisions in the Highway Traffic Acts that you can be ticketed for driving too slow on the highways. There is always the possibility that jurisdictions can simply say the vintage vehicles are a traffic nuisance and legislate them off the highways. Some States in the US have legislation specific to ex-military vehicles, although some of those are aimed at their non-compliance to safety and emissions.

[maple_leaf_eh]

As Rob noted, there are many highways with a minimum speed limit to allow for expedited passage of large numbers of vehicles. When I brought my M38A1 CDN3 home I had to travel on one of those roads. The solution was to stay in the slow-ish lane and monitor approaching traffic. I'd put on the 4-ways to get other drivers' attention that I was going more slowly than expected. The spare tire of the Jeep wore a new orange reflector vest as an eye catcher. Funny thing about shapes is the subconscious tries to place things it sees. A Jeep in tow just isn't one of the usual shapes.