Originally Posted by
CoodaShooda
Teeteringhead
Accidents caused by fatigue do occur but aren’t that common up our way.
Alcohol, stupidity and poor road surfaces are greater contributors.
When we transitioned from open speed limits to 130km/h, fatigue did become a much greater problem for me. The old system had you driving to the conditions, which meant paying attention. The newer arrangements saw you setting cruise control and fighting boredom (until you hit that section that should have been re-signed as 60 km/h. ). Darwin to Alice Springs also went from being a comfortable 12 hour day to 15 hours if lucky.
Thinking on it, perhaps the accident toll is kept down by the amount of time you have to spend stuck behind caravans doing 50 km/h under the speed limit.
Chatting to the fire crews in the Alice, they confirmed that the accident rate decreased when the highway was de-restricted since a) vehicles weren't bunched up behind the slow movers and b) drivers were driving to the conditions and picking their comfortable speed.
Needless to say some mindless nongs got in at the next election and whacked back on the 130 limit; and the accident rate went back up
Getting back to the aviation content, I'm not sure the Stuart is wide enough nor the best for stiff wing operations but I stand to be corrected?
