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A truck driver has provided the above footage, taken from his vehicle, of a close call between an overtaking car and a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.
The truck was heading south from Whanganui, and was about halfway to Bulls when the incident happened around lunchtime Tuesday.
The truck driver, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he saw the silver car coming up beside the truck, and also saw the northbound vehicle coming towards them.
He automatically took his foot off the gas, applied the engine brake, and prepared to apply the foot brake if needed, the truck driver said.
He had been driving trucks for 3 to 4 years, and had been on longer distance routes since the start of 2023.
The footage was “just an example of things I see every day,” he said.
“It just gets worse and worse. I reckon more, and more people start doing stupid things.”
Supplied
A truck driver could hardly believe his eyes with this close call overtaking him.
Navman data shows the truck was doing 81kph while being overtaken.
The driver said he had a full load on, and had to start slowing down probably 400-500m from the bend.
“Basically with a truck, when you see a bend coming you have to start getting your speed down way back.”
The Road Code says that before a driver starts a passing manoeuvre, they must make sure they will be able to see at least 100m of clear road for the whole time they’re passing. “If not, don’t pass.”
SUPPLIED
A vehicle’s dash cam captures an oncoming vehicle’s dangerous overtaking manoeuvre on State Highway 3 near New Plymouth. (Published July 2023)
AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said the driver of the overtaking car had made a “bad decision”. “That’s not the place to do an overtaking manoeuvre.”
The rule was that an overtaking driver needed to have 100m of clear road ahead throughout the manoeuvre, including when it was finished, Thomsen said.
“It’s about having commonsense. You are going past a truck, which is a big vehicle. It’s going to take quite some time to get past.
“It’s coming up to a bend with a long straight stretch after it. The better option is to get past the bend, and wait for a straight stretch of road where you are going to have more time, to have more visibility, and make sure you have a lot of clear road ahead,” Thomsen said.
“The poor people coming the other way must have been horrified as they watched it happening, and being in the position where you can put on the brakes and start slowing down, but there’s not much you can do.”
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