When driving vast distances around Australia, fatigue is one of the biggest enemies facing grey nomads and other long-distance travellers.
While the experts are constantly reminding all motorists to take adequate breaks and to ‘rest, revive and survive’, doing so is not as always as easy as it should be. The perceived lack of adequate rest areas along some of our major roads and highways is a constant problem for many.
Even on busy – and notoriously dangerous – east coast routes such as the Bruce Highway, the shortage of ‘driver reviver’ locations has been raising eyebrows.
The driver reviver website describes the locations as “ideal places to take a break on a long journey” … but you have to be able to find them first!
The Daily Mercury newspaper in Mackay has just drawn attention to the fact that the area around the north Queensland town has one of the largest gaps between stops along the Bruce Highway.
It says the closest rest areas are about 150 kilometres to the north and 150 kilometres to the south. With more than three hours drive between the Mount Gordon rest area near Bowen and the Waverley Creek rest area to the south, the gap exceeds Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) recommended break every two hours.
The Department told the Daily Mercury that it was always looking at new ways to combat driver fatigue and the development and maintenance of rest areas and stopping places was a key aspect of infrastructure planning. However, it says there are currently no plans for new driver reviver locations in the region.
“The establishment of new driver reviver site requires a partnership between Local Government, TMR, Queensland Police Service and a number of volunteer groups,” a TMR spokesperson said. “To determine the viability of a potential driver reviver site, a number of factors need to be considered including location suitability, site safety, power and water supply, availability of a servery facility and amenities, as well as a critical volunteer base to maintain the required level of service.”
Road Accident Action Group chairman, Noel Lang, told the Daily Mercury that getting volunteers at driver reviver locations was always an issue, but there was some hope.
“We are working with TMR on a feasibility study for a general rest area at Gibson’s Creek,” Mr Lang said. “We see the need for something north of Mackay, particularly the south-bound lane.”
Mr Lang said that if the group was able to get funding to undertake the study, it could establish whether Gibson’s Creek was a suitable rest area location and for which type of vehicles.
· Do you get frustrated by a lack of rest areas? Where do you find this ‘shortage’ to be a particular problem? Comment below.
It would appear there is confusion in this report between rest areas and driver reviver facilities.
TMR should be asked about constructing rest areas that require little services. It should be relatively easier to construct pull off areas that cater for large vehicles if they really wanted to.
We should have nore rest stops. As we age we do not have the ability to concentrate for long periods. Toilet breaks are required more frequently and if a traveller starts driving faster to find the next tiolet. Dangerous. We all need to drive safely
Just returned to Adelaide from long journey to South Western Australia the commitment to Rest Areas and better still 24 hour stop over areas in WA is Excellent, not so, in South Australia, my home state
Yes the Bruce Hwy could do with more rest stops at least every two hours especially if you are towing a caravan or you are traveling with children you need to have a short break
Totally agree with Steve Ghost, we need many more rest stops – NOT driver reviver stops. Most travellers can make themselves a cuppa if they can just find somewhere to pull in safely to do so. Also, did you know that these reviver stops refuse to give coffee to truck drivers because “it’s a drug”!
Take a leaf out of NT rest areas supplied by their transport dept. It does not take much to put in a rest area for RVs/vans and separate rest areas for trucks approx every 50-75 klms apart. “Much” is in relation to lives saved by having the rest areas. Save lives at any cost should be the motto.
The problem south of Mackay is the Marlborough stretch. There used to be the “Log Cabin” servo, but I recall the owner telling me he was throwing the towel in after many years and there was nobody willing to take it up. Agree with other comments – it’s a rest area (with toilet) which is needed, not a driver reviver stop. The ones on the Hunter Expressway are awesome. By golly, gee whiz…can’t be too hard to do similar ones in QLD…don’t you worry about that!
The Bruce Highway would be fantastic if it wasn’t for all those cars, RV’s,
Trucks, and Buses……. lol.
Seriously though,there are many places to pull over for a quick rest or cuppa but there are no signs to say they exist and then you fly straight past them. I was very tired one day and saw a sign for a rest area 5 ks
ahead then 2 ks ahead and then when I got there the Transport boys had blocked it off to do inspections on trucks. I was told to move on. WTF
Not only distance should determine the siting of rest stops, but also the stress level of the drive. On the Newcastle to Sydney run down to the big smoke there’s 135km of 110km/hr road with only one major rest stop. After mixing it with the traffic, including semis and B doubles, at 110 for the distance, I can’t help feel it would be nice to have a break, like a toilet break and a drink of water, or just take five, before hitting the 60k/hr congested narrow lanes of either Pennant Hills Rd. or the Pacific Highway. A rest stop just short of the “Welcome to Sydney” sign would be a bonus.
From the northside of Brisbane to the centre of Beenleigh there is nowhere to safely stop for a rest; nor are there any public conveniences either. Next time you’re using this strip, check out the number of bottles on the side of the highway which contain liquid which is definitely NOT the labelled contents. Keep in mind that this is Ok for the guys – but what about us girls????