ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to a road rage incident between a Land Cruiser and an ACTION bus which occurred yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, August 17) on Hopetoun Circuit in Yarralumla.
About 3.10pm, the bus carrying school children was on Hopetoun Circuit when a beige Toyota Land Cruiser attempted to overtake it, colliding with the side of the bus. At the next stop the driver of the Land Cruiser drove into the rear of the bus before driving off.
No one was injured from the incident.
Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may be able to assist with the investigation by contacting Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
hlawatsch said :
any new 4wd drive tryes on the horizen perhaps should i get orange ones or green ones any ideas sort off
Classified said :
and theres alot poofs on push bikes too–sort off but i guess submarines sink ships do,nt they
Sarge51 said :
Nice one. I have to remember that for the next argument. 😉
Sarge51 said :
It is called Confirmation Bias. If you think that buses are the worst driven vehicles on the road, then every time you see a bus do something one millimetre outside regulation it confirms you belief. The same reason many people think all cyclists wear Lycra, or that Asians are taking all our jobs, or why Tony Abbott denies global warming every time there is a frost.
KB1971 said :
*option*
00davist said :
Market share, it gives the manufacturers another oprion to upsell on. There are so many pointless vehicles/options out there, rear seats in a sports car is another.
Sarge51 said :
Fair enough, I knew something wasn’t right, who writes these press releases ? its as bad as the other thread where the car “slammed” on the brakes.
Bussie said :
Mum o’clock is truly a terrible time to drive a freakin mining truck!!!
Jim Jones said :
Agreed, Heck, I commute daily anout 120k each way, and my home is down 4km of old dirt track, I have an 08 Civic, and an 08 Accord, nether has an issue with any of it.
I just did a road trip to Brisbane in the Civic (1.8) to pick up some vintage mowers, it travelled from Bris to home in one go (over 15h) with a trailer loaded with 13 mowers, and it had no wories what so ever.
There are some circumstances that require 4WD, and to those who need them, I have no issue with you. There are many people who have them, and dont need them.
And there is no need for bloody FWD Territory’s!
milkman said :
Perhaps you should read my post again. I think the same. The problem is that our assumptions are based only on what we see. Some of those “mums” might go bush every weekend. In the same vein there are probably people who own small cars who really only need them for a few kilometres every year. The rest of the time they would cope fine on pushies, public transport etc but they choose to drive a lot more than they need to because that is what they are used to.
dpm said :
Its all good mate, I wasn’t actually having a go at you in that last comment about the predictable 4WD haters at all……its just something that gets up my nose *generally*. 🙂
The other things that really annoy me – are the generalisations about costs. I heard a claim from the NRMA once a few years ago, which stated with great authority that a *typical* 4WD – say a 2000 model Prado – costs in the vicinity of $350-odd per WEEK in running costs !!
What a load of old cobblers that is ! The Prado used by Mrs Antichrist to pick up the kids, costs less than 1/3 of that – per fortnight !!! Generalisations – generally speaking – are a joke. Just like the next gem ….
milkman said :
Maybe, but most don’t.
How the hell do you work that out Einstein ? From a 10-second look around the car-park at school apparently………..maybe that just reflects your maximum attention span and nothing else.
See those towbars on the back ? Maybe they get used to pull the horse float on the weekend – or the boat or maybe even a caravan. Maybe they need that 4WD because of a million reasons that are not apparent to *you* in a carpark on a Monday morning. Does not make those reasons any less compelling simply because *you* in your hater mode cannot identify them…..
Perish the thought that they can’t park either ! Won’t somebody think of the CHILDREN ??
Innovation said :
Maybe, but most 4WD owners don’t. A 10 second look around the carpark at my kid’s school is evidence of that. Easily half the vehicles are full sized 4WDs, mainly being driven by mums, many of whom struggle to park.
Sarge51 said :
I guess you can get creative when defining your inertial reference frame.
#115 Sarge51 – When I posted on this thread all I had to go on was the reported release and my own experience of the bad behaviour of, hopefully, only a couple of bad bus drivers (most are very kind, courteous and considerate). If anyone is jumping to conclusions it’s you.
I am tempted to troll though. Whose opinion was it that there was “almost” a side on collision? Also, was it the bus driver’s opinion that they indicated for four to five seconds or were the kids on the bus counting too? Good thing they must have been at least third graders to have the common sense to count each time the indicator was turned on. And the ultimate question…. why did the driver of the other car have a brain snap? Is it the colour orange or lime green that triggers it? Should all of us drivers of these colour cars get our cars resprayed to avoid road rage incidents?
And for all of those arguing about the merits of small versus heavy, multi passenger vs four wheel drive etc. Some people have a genuine need for their vehicle. Others can afford a more costly vehicle, just in case they need it or for a handful of days per year. Hire cars are one option for those who want to consider a cheaper alternative (and if there is enough demand, hire car companies will be less restrictive on where cars can be driven). Continued political pressure for higher running costs (based on weight/distance, fuel consumption etc) versus cheaper annual running costs will encourage multiple vehicle ownership. Also, shared ownership of vehicles will become increasingly more likely – although the last time that I suggested that someone implied I was some sort of socialist.
It is also interesting to note that a few weeks ago, there was an accident involving a Action Bus and a Volvo sedan on Athllon Drive.
The media report was “Action Bus collides with car.”
The facts for that accident was that the bus was stationary at a set of red traffic lights and the driver of the Volvo had a seizure and drove straight into the rear end of the bus, causing substantial damage to the bus and the Volvo was certainly a candidate for the wreckers.
Now, can someone explain to this forum, how can a stationary vehicle collide with anything?
Feng said :
As it has been mentioned earlier, there was NO earlier collision or side swipe between the two vehicles. It appears the word “ALMOST” was omitted from the statement by either the police release or the journalist reporting it.
The bus was stationary when it was rear ended and the 4wd operator did a u-turn and drove off. Therefore, exactly how was the bus driver supposed to exchange details?
As it turns out, the 4wd operator has admitted full liability for the incident and the Action bus driver was totally innocent of any wrong doing and a victim of a brain snap as was quoted to the police by the 4wd operator.
It is also curious to note that there are so many people out there that are ready to blame Action Drivers for every road incident and presumably, the same people pounce on the anti 4wd band wagon whenever possible. So much for living in a country where you are assumed innocent until proven guilty with sufficient evidence. Lucky we don’t have the death penalty because it seems there are a lot of one eyed judges out there that would execute a driver because he/she dares work for Action buses.
Just for interest, the kerb weight of a Tarago is 1725kg, whereas a Landcruiser is 2555kg, or 830kg heavier.
Innovation said :
Exactly my thoughts. +1
dpm said :
There actually isnt much in the running costs if you buy carefully. Commodores & vans are now all typically over 1500kg which puts them into the same registration territory as a 4WD:
http://www.rego.act.gov.au/registrations/regofee.htm
Fuel consumption is a myth also if you buy a diesel version. Yep, a V8 petrol in a Landcruiser will suck the juice but the equivalent in a diesel will be between 10 &15lt/100. This is a worst case scenario with many of the current crop of common rail 4 cylinder diesels using between 8 & 12l/100.You can look here:
http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/GVGPublicUI/SearchResults.aspx
Disclaimer: I could not compare the Prado as it would not come up in the search.
Tyre and brake cost for a 4WD is more expensive but they generally last longer, I was getting 80-90,000km from my tyres on my last Patrol & the same from the brake pads. It also had 430,000km on the clock when it was written off (hail storm), most passenger cars would have had to have had an engine change by then.
Basic servicing is more expensive as a diesel will take more oil.
I find the suggestion to buy a Tarago, Iload, Volkswagen van as its better for commuting a bit silly really as they all weigh close to 2 tonnes (1725-1980kg) & have a dimension of 4.7m v the Pathfinder has a weight of 2.1 -2.28 and a length of 4.8m. They really dont handle much different either, this is where the Commodore excels & fuel consumption is similar.
Yup a 4WD is more expensive to run in some respects but its not the evil being that people make them out to be.
If you dont regularly do off road trips & I am not talking driving to Tumut on the back road, maybe once a year you want to go to Bendethera camping then by all means hire one but we use ours all the time (the new one was dirty on the first weekend we bought it).
I really only bit because of the stereotyping but I bite just as hard when someone has a go at pushies as well.
dpm said :
You actually make a very good point with this argument.
I hope you checked the small print though, often vehicle rentals specifically exclude unsealed roads. Even for four wheel drives.