This girl used a median located signposted "Police & Emergency Service Vehicles Only" U-Turn bay to do the deed, and messed up big time as you can see. It is a common enough action on the NSW F3, particularly in locations near the Caltex twin servo's, and is one of the most serious motorway driving offences in my book.
It is illegal worldwide, on this category of road to do a U-Turn owing the "UN Road Traffic Convention" requirements for motorway class roads, along with reversing, stopping etc.
QUOTE
(Article 25 - 'motorways and similar roads', = (b) drivers shall be forbidden;
- ii:
* to make U-turns,
* to travel in reverse, and to drive on to the central dividing strip, including crossovers linking the two carriageways).
- ii:
* to make U-turns,
* to travel in reverse, and to drive on to the central dividing strip, including crossovers linking the two carriageways).
To prevent these sorts of idiot actions, RTA are trialling two new GATELOCK systems at the F3 Sydney end. Eventually one design will be chosen and then adopted on ALL median crossover points, to prevent public access.
In the past I've had police action 'long' caravans and a B-double doing this stupidity, even dumber - during peak holiday times. This behavior is one of the reasons why we won't raise speed limits on freeways, and other rural high-speed dual carriageways, such as those approaching ACT (Hume et al).
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/new...lf/1527199.aspx
QUOTE
A P-PLATER had a miracle escape yesterday when her car was torn apart by a truck on the F3 Freeway at Black Hill.
Firefighters said the 19-year-old woman turned out of the emergency U-turn lane and into the path of the oncoming truck about 10am.
The truck cut her sedan in pieces, sending the driver's section of the car flying one way and carrying the rear end along.
Despite the damage inflicted on her Honda Civic the woman walked away from the wreck with only a bump on the head and minor injuries to her shoulder and side.
She was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
Emergency services said they were amazed she survived.
"She's amazingly lucky, amazingly," deputy fire captain Evan Dowling said.
"We don't see many cars cut into two like that any more, it's a real lucky escape."
Newcastle Highway Patrol officers are investigating the crash and expect to speak to the woman over the weekend.
Tom Corey, who was driving the truck that collided with the car, said he initially thoughts things would be a lot worse.
"I saw her turn out and I just went 'Oh shit'," he said.
"She's very lucky."
He said the crash had caused about $60,000 worth of damage to his truck.
Firefighters said the 19-year-old woman turned out of the emergency U-turn lane and into the path of the oncoming truck about 10am.
The truck cut her sedan in pieces, sending the driver's section of the car flying one way and carrying the rear end along.
Despite the damage inflicted on her Honda Civic the woman walked away from the wreck with only a bump on the head and minor injuries to her shoulder and side.
She was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
Emergency services said they were amazed she survived.
"She's amazingly lucky, amazingly," deputy fire captain Evan Dowling said.
"We don't see many cars cut into two like that any more, it's a real lucky escape."
Newcastle Highway Patrol officers are investigating the crash and expect to speak to the woman over the weekend.
Tom Corey, who was driving the truck that collided with the car, said he initially thoughts things would be a lot worse.
"I saw her turn out and I just went 'Oh shit'," he said.
"She's very lucky."
He said the crash had caused about $60,000 worth of damage to his truck.
