Driver Blamed for Hitting Cows on Road at Night

[aussiblue]

Seems a bit harsh on the driver; what were the cows doing on the road at night?

http://www.9news.com.au/national/201...surprise-crash

Dashcam video showing a man driving down a dark highway at night has been released as a warning as to why you should always expect the unexpected.

This driver is seen travelling along the New England Hwy between Toowoomba and Warwick on October 30 when an oncoming car in the opposite lane flashes his lights in warning.

However, the flashing lights only distract the driver, who is totally unprepared when a herd of cattle suddenly appears right in front of the car.

A split second later a sickening collision follows.

The Toowoomba Chronicle reports the driver was reprimanded by police for failing to give way to livestock.

[flooded one]

this is a such law in qld. I live in Toowoomba. It is a pretty stupid law but what can you do

[Brazen]

Never outdrive your lights (easier said than done)

That's why the latest LED lights from all the big car makers are so cool. High beam is on constantly with just the oncoming car in an electronically tracking dim spot so it won't dazzle the other driver. Having high beam on all the time will help prevent a lot crashes

[EDManual]

Good advice! And dont outdrive your stopping skills around a corner. If you cant stop for anything that you can see, you are going too fast.

[Macht]

The meat raffle at the local would of been a pearler that week.

[flooded one]

have come across cows at a night driving to work before years ago around a bend. luckly I was driving sensibly but if it was some of the more lead footed drivers I've worked with over the years. I imagine there would of been an accident. As much as i do think its a stupid law. I will admit. you do get the idiots that come along and open gates and cut fences down on properties so it isn't always a farmers fault his livestock gets out. where i work, we have cows and on occasion one or two have gotten out threw breaks in the fence. then the fun begins trying to get them back in to the paddock. I do worry sometimes there will be an accident as people do tend to fly along the road i work at

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Looking at the footage the driver was driving too fast for the conditions, the oncoming driver gave plenty of warning of the hazard ahead, but moron just kept on motoring like nothing was going on.

It's an old common law rule dating back to when cars were first introduced, that animals have a right of way over cars, this dates back to when most people would still get around on horseback.

The law is still current in QLD, but has been repelled in NSW.

[LTDHO]

This driver is an idiot, the oncoming car flashed at him too and he chose to keep speed up.

What people don't know it that cows can open gates, seriously I have seen them do it. So whilst the farmer may have closed it, the cows (or anyone else for that matter) could have opened it. It is not the best interest for the farmer to have is cows road kill!

[LG17]

Years ago driving from Cloncurry to Normanton around midnight I found myself in the middle of a herd of cattle on the road. Luck was with me as none were in a direct line with the car so I missed them all. Lights, even spot lights, weren't anywhere near as good as they are today. Fortunately, the Normanton pub was still operating when I got there so a couple of beers later all was well. Certainly a brown daks moment though.

[MAD]

Yeah he was a knob.
You can see he high beamed the other driver, obviously thinking the flashes were not warnings, but rather some dislike of his car/driving, then turns them off again!! WTF!


Many years ago we were travelling on a dirt road, when around one bend a cow ran out from behind a bush. Only doing 60 odd, but unable to stop and hit it.
Headlights, bonnet, and bumper buggered but didn't make it up the windshield.
Details were exchanged with the farmer and claimed was placed against his policy.
Visited the local police station to keep everything above board, and an officer was sent out to destroy the beast as a leg or two had been broken.

[Smoke Pursuit]

I get dicks flashing me all the time in my Mercedes, because of the HID headlights.

Give the driver a break. I grew up around cattle and at the end of the day they will walk out in front of you just like any other animal. Even if he did back off a little he would have still hit them.

[aussiblue]

I could understand if it were station country but I thought that area had more intensive farming (feedlots etc) and good farmers would make sure there were no escapees.

[STEALTHY]

I've done alot of country driving, and that video is clearly a warning there is a hazard of some sort on the road, not just someone highbeaming due to glare (either high beams/stupidly angled lights). The fact he high beamed back just proves karma exists.

Reminds me of that American woman driving in thick fog (so thick she couldn't see the bonnet) and she just continues at highway speed and plows into the back of a truck/car

[Ben73]

This guy is an idiot. He high beams the car coming towards him twice, then dips his lights after passing.

Surely most people know if someone frantically flashes lights at you it's due to a hazard, if they give you one long blast it because you haven't dimmed you highbeam approaching them.

Because of people like him, if I see a hazard on a road, I will flash my lights quickly once or twice to get their attention, then put my hazard lights on for a few flashes.
I have only had to do it twice in 8 years.

[99AUXR]

In New Zealand the farmer can face criminal charges.

[Olbucko]

It might have helped just a bit if he had his high beams on and been paying attention, the cattle would have been visible from at least 200 metres, plenty of room to stop. If he could not stop for a mob of cattle what chance would he have had avoiding a wombat or a dead roo. Driving on a country back road at night requires 100% concentration. Out there you have to look after your self, don't expect others to.

Any farmer that was aware that his stock had got out on the road would be straight out looking for them whatever time it was.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by 99AUXR

In New Zealand the farmer can face criminal charges.

Only because there's greater duty of care expected for his wife.

[Vesper Martini]

The dashcam is pretty damming evidence.
Its nearly a straight road, he should have been able to see them and stop.
also note the dash cam will appear to be near sighted at night the driver should be able to see further

[new2ford]

I wonder why the police didn't have a go at the other driver for flashing his high beams within the prescribed distance of an approaching car - they're very ready to pursue that if it's done near a speed trap!

Anyway, seriously I wonder whether he is a country-resident driver, he doesn't seem to possess any of the natural caution you'd expect.

[CoupeKing]

Pretty harsh to throw all the blame at the driver.

How about slapping a fine on the owner of the cows, or who was responsible for them standing in the middle of the road. Left a gate open? didn't maintain a fence?

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Pretty harsh to throw all the blame at the driver.

How about slapping a fine on the owner of the cows, or who was responsible for them standing in the middle of the road. Left a gate open? didn't maintain a fence?

And what if it was a wombat without an owner? Who should take responsibility then?

People need to drive to look out for themselves. As it was he had the best possible warning and ignored it

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

And what if it was a wombat without an owner? Who should take responsibility then?

People need to drive to look out for themselves. As it was he had the best possible warning and ignored it

Yeah but it wasn't a Wombat..he hit COWS. People hit NATIVE wildlife all the time. I'm assuming the cows got there from human error. So fine the driver, then slap the same fine on the owner and times it by 5.

[Russ]

Down where I live in Sussex Inlet wildlife is always on or around the roads especially at night, I have flashed oncoming traffic and been flashed myself on numerous occasions to warn of a hazard on the road whether it be a Roo, Wombat, tree branches etc... if another driver is flashing their lights at you constantly (as was the oncoming vehicle in the video) common sense should tell you it's not because they think you have your highbeam up on them but to warn of a hazard ahead, some drivers are just plain stupid

I feel sorry for the poor cows

[theBlake]

I drove that same road last week, somewhere around Warwick or Boonah at night, a black cow was on the right side of the road, i never saw it till I was almost on him. On the same drive I also just missed a brown snake, a turtle, a kangaroo, a cane toad, but I got a bird.

The scary thing about cows, is when they get spooked they will run in any direction. Buffaloes in particular do that, They can be 5 metres off the road and they will run straight in front of you.

[flooded one]

Kangaroos are the ones I hate. They'll wait till the last minute then jump out on to the road can understand how people have hit them. If I see one I just slow down so I can see what its going to do

[Express]

Years ago when working for a NSW country Shire Council part of my role was that of Pound Keeper.

Stock would be allowed along roadways for agistment during times when feed was poor and it was common for them to wander onto the road.

Of cause the area where the stock was stationed had to be appropriately sign posted and the drivers of vehicles had to take caution.

If it's a case of the stock having escaped from a paddock or been allowed to roam free then the owner of the stock is responsible for any damage caused.

Personally if someone was flashing lights at me I’d automatically back off as a precaution.

Is it only me or does anyone else think the headlights on the car was throwing a short beam?




...........

[superfly]

Originally Posted by Ben73

This guy is an idiot. He high beams the car coming towards him twice, then dips his lights after passing.

I think that's a bit harsh. If someone is flashing their lights at me, I assume there's a radar up ahead. So if I'm doing the speed limit or under, I will keep doing the same. It's hard to say if the driver was doing the speed limit or not.

And the return flashing of lights, could have been an acknowledgement of the flashing.

But I do agree, he should've put his high beams on when there was no oncoming traffic.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by superfly

I think that's a bit harsh. If someone is flashing their lights at me, I assume there's a radar up ahead. So if I'm doing the speed limit or under, I will keep doing the same. It's hard to say if the driver was doing the speed limit or not.

And the return flashing of lights, could have been an acknowledgement of the flashing.

But I do agree, he should've put his high beams on when there was no oncoming traffic.

I've never had someone flash their highbeams frantically 20 times for a radar. This is clearly a warning of a hazard, not 'slow down'. Two or three times would be for a radar....

[Express]

Originally Posted by Ben73

This guy is an idiot. He high beams the car coming towards him twice, then dips his lights after passing.

If I'd read the thread properly I'd have seen I'm not the only one who thought he was on low beam.

[dead_man00124]

he was using low beam, flashed high and went back to low beam