The terrifying moment a truck driver tailgates a car in the middle lane
Footage on a busy Melbourne freeway has shown the moment when a driver of a 50-tonne truck tailgated a small car.
Brett was a passenger in a nearby car and started filming the incident after becoming alarmed by the truck driver’s dangerous behaviour.
The drivers were on Princes Freeway near Little River when the footage was recorded.
“It was so dangerous, I've never seen anything like it on the road,” Bret told Seven News.
In the video, the onlooker says, “Oh my god, this is unbelievable. That is scary.”
The Honda HRV is believed to be sitting on the speed limit of 100km/h when the truck gets daringly close before swerving into the right lane to overtake it.
In this section of the freeway, trucks exceeding the weight of 4.5 tonnes are banned from driving in the right lane.
According to Acting Senior Sergeant Jason Van Doren, the truck driver’s behaviour poses a great risk to other motorists.
“We've got a small vehicle, a truck weighing 45 to 50 tonnes right behind. Recipe for disaster if something goes wrong,” he said.
Social media users have had a mixed response to the footage with some rushing to the defence of the truck driver, saying the small car should have moved into the left lane.
“I don't condone what the truckie was doing but why can't that car move to the left obviously doing under the limit as truck is limited to 100,” one wrote.
Many agreed that both the car and truck driver were at fault.
“Both drivers are in the wrong. The truck driver should not be tailgating like that but at the same time the car driver should have moved over to the left lane to allow the truck to pass considering the truck is not allowed to use the right-hand lane. If the car had of been driving in the left lane the truck could have legally overtaken them,” another said.
Truck drivers caught in the right lane between Western Ring Road and Lara on Princes Freeway can be fined up to $350.
Who do you think is in the wrong? Let us know in the comments below.