Latest news with #MacquarieDrivingSchool
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Truckers fatally hit two baby kangaroos as footage sparks debate about high-speed wildlife encounters
Dashcam footage of a truck driver hitting two baby kangaroos in broad daylight has sparked a fierce debate over high-speed wildlife encounters. The clip first aired on Australian program Outback Truckers five years ago and showed trainee driver Kylie Hornick behind the wheel of a motortruck under the supervision of an instructor. A kangaroo and two joeys suddenly emerged directly in her path. 'Keep it straight, keep it straight,' the instructor repeatedly said as the adult kangaroo narrowly escaped the fast-moving truck. A loud thud was heard as the two joeys disappeared under the hood of the truck. 'Yuck!' Hornick said. 'I hate that sound but I'm not going to jeopardize oncoming traffic [and] our lives for one kangaroo.' The clip resurfaced this week and was reposted by Macquarie Driving School, a heavy vehicle training company in Australia which educates and raises awareness about the hazards of wildlife collisions Down Under. 'Imagine this: You're driving a heavy truck at high speed on a busy highway. Suddenly, two baby kangaroos jump onto the road,' the company captioned the footage. The school advised swerving or breaking suddenly would only endanger road users while staying on course was 'heartbreaking, but it may be the safest option'. One YouTube viewer wrote: 'Don't matter what animal mate, never swerve to avoid, and you won't be touching the break at that speed for one either.' Doing so may have been particularly perilous, given a pickup truck was driving at a fast speed in the opposite direction 'Situations like these are part of the job,' the school wrote. While many viewers - including a number of truck drivers - agreed the trainee had done the right thing, some accused her of driving recklessly. 'If you slow down, you won't jeopardize anyone,' one commented. Another described the incident as 'just awful,' claiming she should have slowed down. One man caused a particular stir when he wrote: 'Pro tip - if you take your big hoof off the accelerator the vehicle will actually slow down.' A woman replied: 'Ever driven a big rig? With a comment like that it's a firm no!' while another said: 'Slowing down a road train with about 20m warning... Good luck.' Kangaroos account for the vast majority of wildlife collisions in Australia. About 12,880 animal collision insurance claims were lodged with Australia's National Roads And Motorists' Association in 2023, 85 per cent of which involved kangaroos. Animal welfare group WIRES advises motorists to stop and check on the welfare of injured animals if it is safe to do so following a collision. 'If the animal is alive and injured call WIRES or your local wildlife rescue service,' campaign manager Kristie Newton said. 'If the animal has died due to road trauma – especially if it is a kangaroo - check if it is a female and if there's a joey(s) in her pouch or around her.'
Herald Sun
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Sad reality of Aussie truckies exposed
Disturbing video shared online by a heavy vehicle driving school has illustrated the great dangers involved for those piloting big rigs on Aussie roads. The raw footage, first put online by Ultimate Truckers and then shared by Macquarie Driving School, shows a female learner truckie forced to deal with a family of kangaroos that jump out in front of her truck on a rural road. The learner driver and her instructor are travelling along the wide, open road when a female adult kangaroo and two of her joeys hop out in front of her. The driver is urged to 'keep it straight' and not to attempt to avoid a collision with the revered native animals. MORE: iPhone car coming to Australia The instructor can be heard repeating the commands to the trainee truckie before a loud clunk is heard. The instructor praises his student who replies: 'Yuck I hate that sound'. 'But I'm not going to jeopardise oncoming traffic and our lives for one kangaroo.' The mother kangaroo avoided being run down by the rig, but her joeys were not so lucky. HEARTBREAKING REALITY Macquarie Driving School instructor Michael Matta told Yahoo News, that while the reality of animals being killed on Australian roads was 'heartbreaking' it was best practice for those behind the wheel to keep the vehicle steady. Professional drivers and those driving on rural roads for work purposes are usually advised not to brake or try to avoid the animals, as illustrated in the Ultimate Truckers footage, but that best practice is simply to keep on driving in order to avoid a more serious accident and even a fatal one. MORE: The Yank tank cutting Australia in two The trucking life isn't for everyone. In the footage shared, traffic can be seen coming in the other direction, a potential hazard if the truckie was to swerve. 'It's very bad to hit animals. Some of our drivers pull over and call wildlife services. But sometimes it's not practical or safe to stop,' he said 'If they hit the brakes as hard as they can that's not good because the vehicle can lose balance. If you swerve they could hit other cars around them. 'From the beginning drivers should always be scanning around, having good observation and not getting distracted but sometimes it's out of their hands. They can be driving at high speed and it can look like nothing is there then suddenly something jumps out in front of the road.' 10 MILLION KILLED EVERY YEAR According to a University of Melbourne study from last year, more than 10 million animals are killed on Australian roads each year. Certainly, it can be unusual to drive in rural Australia for more than a few kilometres on major highways and not see roadkill. MORE: Why Australia's new ute faces an ugly truth Keep on trucking. Half the drivers surveyed for the report said they had hit animals including wallabies and deer in National Parks in NSW but most were not keen to drive more slowly or avoid driving at dawn or dusk when many animals are out searching for food Animal behaviouralists put kangaroos' bad road sense – just don't call it that – down to the fact they can't see vehicles properly but also their poor perception of how fast cars are travelling and hence the time they have to avoid them. According to insurance giant AAMI, animals collisions jumped 22 per cent year on year through to June 2024 – and that 54 per cent of drivers had been involved in an animal collision, with the majority happening on rural and regional roads. Kangaroos have terrible road sense – just don't call it that. The research from AAMI found more than 40 per cent of Aussie drivers don't pay attention to wildlife warning signs, and most drivers (60 per cent) would dangerously swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with an animal, putting themselves and other drivers at risk. Kangaroos were the most common animal hit, via the study. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT The research found one in 10 Aussies don't know what they would do if they crashed into an animal. Just as worryingly, there doesn't seem to be any immediate solution available to the hazards posed by wildlife on our roads and drivers' reaction to them. It takes a lot of practice to drive one of these.. The Melbourne Uni study said many drivers ignore warning signs and that wildlife whistles affixed to cars to alert animals can not be heard adequately above traffic noise. Fences and crossings can work but they are too costly to be widely implemented. It is hoped that increased advancements in anti-collision technology in vehicles could go some way to alleviating the situation. Originally published as Sad sound in truckie video show brutal reality of Aussie roads
News.com.au
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Sad sound in truckie video show brutal reality of Aussie roads
Disturbing video shared online by a heavy vehicle driving school has illustrated the great dangers involved for those piloting big rigs on Aussie roads. The raw footage, first put online by Ultimate Truckers and then shared by Macquarie Driving School, shows a female learner truckie forced to deal with a family of kangaroos that jump out in front of her truck on a rural road. The learner driver and her instructor are travelling along the wide, open road when a female adult kangaroo and two of her joeys hop out in front of her. The driver is urged to 'keep it straight' and not to attempt to avoid a collision with the revered native animals. The instructor can be heard repeating the commands to the trainee truckie before a loud clunk is heard. The instructor praises his student who replies: 'Yuck I hate that sound'. 'But I'm not going to jeopardise oncoming traffic and our lives for one kangaroo.' The mother kangaroo avoided being run down by the rig, but her joeys were not so lucky. HEARTBREAKING REALITY Macquarie Driving School instructor Michael Matta told Yahoo News, that while the reality of animals being killed on Australian roads was 'heartbreaking' it was best practice for those behind the wheel to keep the vehicle steady. Professional drivers and those driving on rural roads for work purposes are usually advised not to brake or try to avoid the animals, as illustrated in the Ultimate Truckers footage, but that best practice is simply to keep on driving in order to avoid a more serious accident and even a fatal one. In the footage shared, traffic can be seen coming in the other direction, a potential hazard if the truckie was to swerve. 'It's very bad to hit animals. Some of our drivers pull over and call wildlife services. But sometimes it's not practical or safe to stop,' he said 'If they hit the brakes as hard as they can that's not good because the vehicle can lose balance. If you swerve they could hit other cars around them. 'From the beginning drivers should always be scanning around, having good observation and not getting distracted but sometimes it's out of their hands. They can be driving at high speed and it can look like nothing is there then suddenly something jumps out in front of the road.' 10 MILLION KILLED EVERY YEAR According to a University of Melbourne study from last year, more than 10 million animals are killed on Australian roads each year. Certainly, it can be unusual to drive in rural Australia for more than a few kilometres on major highways and not see roadkill. Half the drivers surveyed for the report said they had hit animals including wallabies and deer in National Parks in NSW but most were not keen to drive more slowly or avoid driving at dawn or dusk when many animals are out searching for food Animal behaviouralists put kangaroos' bad road sense – just don't call it that – down to the fact they can't see vehicles properly but also their poor perception of how fast cars are travelling and hence the time they have to avoid them. According to insurance giant AAMI, animals collisions jumped 22 per cent year on year through to June 2024 – and that 54 per cent of drivers had been involved in an animal collision, with the majority happening on rural and regional roads. The research from AAMI found more than 40 per cent of Aussie drivers don't pay attention to wildlife warning signs, and most drivers (60 per cent) would dangerously swerve or slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with an animal, putting themselves and other drivers at risk. Kangaroos were the most common animal hit, via the study. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT The research found one in 10 Aussies don't know what they would do if they crashed into an animal. Just as worryingly, there doesn't seem to be any immediate solution available to the hazards posed by wildlife on our roads and drivers' reaction to them. The Melbourne Uni study said many drivers ignore warning signs and that wildlife whistles affixed to cars to alert animals can not be heard adequately above traffic noise. Fences and crossings can work but they are too costly to be widely implemented. It is hoped that increased advancements in anti-collision technology in vehicles could go some way to alleviating the situation. The above incident also highlights the mental demand places on Aussie truckies – two in three truckies feel unsafe on the road and a new mental health campaign featuring Shane Jacobson is targeting the crisis. 'We have some of the longest, long haul roads, the most isolated roads, literally, on planet Earth,' Jacobon said. 'These aren't great working conditions. They're good jobs, they're great jobs, but they're not great working conditions for mental health. So that's what we're here to combat, the kind of life of someone on the road.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Gruesome footage resurfaces showing the harsh reality of life for outback truckers
Confronting dashcam of a truck driver hitting two baby kangaroos in broad daylight has sparked a fierce debate over high speed wildlife encounters. The clip first aired on Channel Seven program Outback Truckers five years ago showed trainee driver Kylie Hornick behind the wheel of a road train under the supervision of an instructor. A kangaroo and two joeys suddenly emerged directly in her path. 'Keep it straight, keep it straight,' the instructor repeatedly said as the adult kangaroo narrowly escaped the fast-moving truck. A loud thud was heard as the two joeys disappeared under the hood of the truck. 'Yuck!' Ms Hornick said. 'I hate that sound but I'm not going to jeopardise oncoming traffic [and] our lives for one kangaroo.' The clip resurfaced this week and was reposted by Macquarie Driving School, a NSW-based heavy vehicle training company which educates and raise awareness about the hazards of wildlife collisions. 'Imagine this: You're driving a heavy truck at high speed on a busy highway. Suddenly, two baby kangaroos jump onto the road,' the company captioned the footage. The school advised swerving or breaking suddenly would only endanger road users while staying on course was 'heartbreaking, but it may be the safest option'. 'Don't matter what animal mate, never swerve to avoid, and you won't be touching the break at that speed for one either,' one YouTube viewer wrote. Doing so may have been particularly perilous given a ute was driving at a fast speed in the opposite direction in the neighbouring lane. 'Situations like these are part of the job,' the school wrote. While many viewers - including a number of truck drivers - agreed the trainee had done the right thing, some accused her of driving recklessly. 'If you slow down, you won't jeopardise anyone,' one commented. Another described the incident as 'just awful,' claiming she should have slowed down. One man caused a particular stir when he wrote: 'Pro tip - if you take your big hoof off the accelerator the vehicle will actually slow down.' A woman replied: 'Ever driven a big rig? With a comment like that it's a firm no!' while another said: 'Slowing down a road train with about 20m warning... Good luck.' Kangaroos account for the vast majority of wildlife collisions across the country. About 12,880 animal collision insurance claims were lodged with NRMA in 2023, 85 per cent of which involved kangaroos. Animal welfare group WIRES advises motorists to stop and check on the welfare of injured animals if it is safe to do so following a collision. 'If the animal is alive and injured call WIRES or your local wildlife rescue service,' campaign manager Kristie Newton said 'If the animal has died due to road trauma – especially if it is a kangaroo - check if it is a female and if there's a joey(s) in her pouch or around her.'
