After so much rain, the poor state of some regional roads has been thrown into the spotlight … with grey nomads like David Rees needing no reminding of the safety implications.
The 69-year-old normally travels in a Mercedes Sprinter Camper, and is currently keeping himself busy restoring an American motorhome … a project he describes as ‘very much a work in progress’. However, he was in neither of those vehicles when he had an accident recently that could very well have killed him.
David, who has been a keen motorcyclist since he was 16, had just picked up a Triumph in Brisbane and was riding up over the Great Dividing Ranges when he said there were patches of ‘okay’ roads, but a lot that were ‘poor at best’.
Motorcyclists have to keep a very close eye on the condition of the road. PIC: Kelly/Pexels
“On one occasion I came so very close to being thrown off that I took the time to do a U-turn to see what I had hit,” he said. “The spot was obvious and had been patched at least 20 times before.”
It was a worrying sign of things to come. After spending the night at a motel in West Wyalong, David was carefully cruising along when, just past Weethalle, he once again struck another piece of broken road surface.
“This had the catastrophic effect of sending my three-day old bike into a frenzy I could not recover from before going off the drop from the bitumen onto the inclined verge,” he said. “I knew this was not going to end well and I went down hard … once I stopped sliding along and realised my state of affairs, and the pain was setting in, I was worried I might not be seen by any passing traffic.”
Fortunately though, 10 minutes later David heard a truck coming and was able to get the driver’s attention. He then had an hour’s wait for an ambulance and a two-hour ride to Wagga Hospital. Four weeks later, David is still recovering … and counting his blessings.
“I realise how lucky I am,” he said. “My legs took a hammering and the swelling is still going down now, but if I had finished up in the bush and unconscious I may not have been seen at all.”
David’s new Triumph, which was worth $26,000, is now a write-off, but that is not what is uppermost in his mind.
“I am aware others have died before me and I could have been another statistic,” he said. “Surely there are enough like-minded groups of travellers that have time to document / photo what they find along the way that can all be put together in one huge file.”
David says something has to change. “We pay enough through taxes and fuel levies,” he said. “The road crews only do what they are told to do … and it’s not enough!”
So agree with you. We travel in fiat Ducato motorhome and being a little bit higher sometimes have time to see the huge batches of rough bitumen that had been just patched and rematch and also huge ruts in the road
Sometimes can miss them sometimes because of meet traffic just drive in and out the other side. I really feel for folk like David on bikes or in car towing van. It sure would give you the wobbles
A thought-provoking tale.
The state of the Nation’s roads is parlous and there are insufficient funds/labour/time, for their repair/replacement.
David’s suggestion of; Travellers logging and photographing known road hazards they encounter would at least get the worst of the worst repaired and others highlighted with signage, barriers and closures. The fear of litigation would be ever present to any Authority that ignores the hazard, causing prompt attentions.
Trucks and other heavy vehicles are the main reasons for substandard road failures – it is time that elected officials recognised this fact and ensured that they were only permitted on suitably made roads.
The move towards heavier electric vehicles will only exasperate the problem.
Where the hell is all our rego money going,it supposed to go to upkeep our roads,not to be spent on bloody underground tunnels olympic games,and junkets for our polititions.
Let’s see the books
Just hope the roads are in better cond. when I take off to Tassie on my bike with my wife come spring 2025. So far the roads in my area – The New England have been looked after properly. . . Motorcycling today is something that you really have to be on the ball with.. Glad the dude is okay.