They are no joy for journalists either.

You sort of become hardened after a while, but it’s never easy to write about a life being lost, especially if it was a young man speeding.

Nothing can restore a young life to family and friends.

When the passenger of a hoon driver dies it really rankles.

While the alleged driver has to contend with the judicial system, it’s interesting to ponder the culture that condones young people driving recklessly and the responsibility of passengers in such circumstances.

Hoon driving continues to be a major social problem.

Fearless young men continue to drive fast, often under the influence, with little thought for their own safety or other road users.

You have to wonder why the lesson is never learnt.

No amount of education, public awareness or punishment seems to have the desired outcome of preventing tragedies.

Responsibility must ultimately rest with the young people themselves.

While an intoxicated young man may have false bravado, the people around him need to step in and apply restraint.

Perhaps the government should legislate against passengers who knowingly travel with drunk drivers.

If a driver records a blood alcohol level of more than 0.1 the passengers should face the same penalties as a driver who records a blood alcohol level of .05.

That may deter some from putting themselves at risk.

I’m wearing the school uniform of St Michael’s Primary, so I think the photo was taken in 1972.

The uniform was shorts, grey shirt, red tie and blue jumper. We switched ties for skivvies a year or two later.

According to Wikipedia, the Toyota Corona was manufactured between 1957 and 2002. The word Corona is Latin for “crown”.

If I’m right about the Corona, this would be a T80 or T90.

The T80 series was introduced February 1970 as a complete redesign and was developed on a separate platform from the Toyota Corona Mark II, which became a larger, more comfortable and powerful car, where the Corona remained focused on fuel economy. Body styles were further reduced to a two door hardtop coupe, a four door sedan and station wagon.

Trim levels offered were the 1500DX, 1600DX and the 1600SL.

I blew this photo up and saw “SL”, so hopefully I’m right.

Even if I’m wrong, I want to mention the Ford Zephyr, because when I was young I rather liked them.

According to Wikipedia, the Zephyr was manufactured by Ford in the United Kingdom. Between 1950 and 1962, it was sold as a more powerful six cylinder saloon to complement the four cylinder Ford Consul. From 1962 the Zephyr itself was offered in both four and six cylinder versions.

If I’m right about the picture it’s probably a Zephyr 4. They were manufactured from 1962-66.

The Valiant is an AP6 model (or maybe AP5), according to my study of photos on the web. They were introduced in March 1965.

Wikipedia says the Chrysler Valiant was introduced to Australia in 1962, with production ceasing in 1981.

Initially a rebadged import of the Plymouth Valiant from the United States, where production ceased in 1976, the Valiant range was sold throughout Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

On May 30, 1963, Chrysler Australia produced the first fully Australian manufactured Valiant, the AP5.

In March 1965, the AP5 was supplanted by the AP6. The body shell was the same, but there was a new grille on the theme of the US 1964 Plymouth Barracuda, and there was new trim inside and out.

The automatic transmission was no longer controlled by push buttons, but instead by a conventional shift lever. The AP6 also included other new features such as self-adjusting brakes and acrylic enamel paint, at the time the most advanced auto finish available.

Wikipedia claims the Valiant AP6 also offered the first Australian-built V8 car.

I had no trouble identifying the other vehicle in this photo as an EK Holden.

Wikipedia says the EK of 1961 was Holden’s response to the Ford Falcon, with the availability of automatic transmission.

Another enhancement was replacing the old “vacuum” wipers with electrically operated units.

After looking at some photos online however, I think it may be an EJ Holden.

Unique Cars and Parts says: “Produced between 1961 and 1963, the EJ was the first of a bold new shape for the Holden. Gone were the fins of the previous EK model, and a new flat boot and lower roofline was created to keep pace with the more modern looking Ford Falcons.

“The EJ was designed from the Opel Kapitan, but incorporated some American influence, particularly in regard to consideration of aerodynamics. The trusty grey motor was carried over from the previous model, albeit with a few refinements.”

The EJ was introduced in 1962 and according to Wikipedia, the EH Holden was released in 1963, four years before I was born.

A total of 256,959 EH Holdens were produced and sold from 1963 to 1965, when the EH was replaced by the Holden HD series.

According to this website, many people consider the EH model to be Holden’s greatest achievement.

Apparently, selling more than 250,000 in the first 18 months of its release made it the fastest selling Australian car ever.

A far more substantial facelift of the EJ than those that had been attempted before, the “EH” featured a far more commanding look with a revised roofline and clever styling which, to most eyes, improved its looks from every angle. And the improvements were not limited to the exterior of the car. The biggest news with the new model was in the introduction of the new “Red” motor that used an oversquare design with a seven bearing crankshaft.

Being so young at the time, I don’t remember anything about these cars.

I do recall that some vehicles in the 1960s could be started without a key. The driver simply had to turn a silver-colored ignition knob.

It’s etched in my mind; I achieved this feat aged three or four and crashed into the garage.

I don’t remember that being our family car, so it was probably one that Dad brought home from work. He was a car salesman at that time.

I looked up Austin Freeway on the web and found it was a British car adapted for Australia.

Wikipedia says:

The Austin Freeway was developed by the Australian division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC), based on the British Austin A60 Cambridge. Introduced in 1962, it was offered in both four-door saloon and five-door station wagon body styles. Using the locally built 2.4 litre six-cylinder “Blue Streak” engine, it represented the first attempt by BMC to challenge the dominant Holden and Ford Falcon models in the lucrative six cylinder family car class with a locally developed vehicle. An upmarket variant, the Wolseley 24/80 sedan was also offered.

Nairn Hindaugh says: “Australians in those days were convinced that if a car was any good it had to have at least six cylinders, and these types of cars commanded about 70 percent of our market.”

The advertising jingle said in 1962:­ “Makeway for the Austin Freeway”.

That was news to me because I was in Queensland at the time and my vehicle was locked in a long-term car park in Melbourne!

The letter went on to say it’s a legal requirement to report accidents to police as soon as possible or within 24 hours at the latest unless there are exceptional circumstances.

“The driver of the vehicle is directed to attend any SA Police Station in person as a matter of urgency to report the collision,” the letter said.

I rang the enquiry number and explained my circumstances.

The officer was friendly. He said a parked car had been struck by another vehicle and someone had left a note giving my vehicle’s registration and a phone number.

He went on to say the phone number had proven to be dead.

To close the matter from my point of view however, I was required to attend a police station and give identification.

I went immediately to the Mount Gambier station and told them the story. I also gave the officer a copy of my airline travel booking.

Stating the obvious, I said it appeared someone had given false details. “Surprise surprise,” was her comment, as though this happens all the time.

I’m fairly innocent, I suppose, but I was shocked. I would never think to mislead anyone like this.

What probably happened is there were witnesses to someone colliding with a vehicle.

Rather than flee the scene, the driver must have acted contrite and scribbled a note for the absent owner, thereby mollifying observers.

Of course, he gave false details which a casual passer-by would not have thought to verify.

Lowlife.

The question followed a series of incidents in the space of a few weeks.

These included a 93-year-old man driving into a parked vehicle, an 88-year-old unlicensed driver crashing into a fence and an elderly motorist crossing the footpath and smashing into a clothing store.

Call me alarmist if you like, but I saw a pattern developing here.

Fact is, I’ve always been concerned whenever I see a motorist in a hat crouched over the steering wheel. I have a sneaky suspicion they really shouldn’t be on the road.

I know young men without fear cause most accidents, but as a proportion of the population I suspect the geriatric brigade are significant contributors.

I’ve long felt it should be an offence to drive at 20 percent under the speed limit on open roads.

People doing that without a good reason (eg towing a trailer) cause impatience and push reckless drivers to take risks. Not to mention there is no justification for it and no real safety benefit.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say we saw about 40 or so between Norseman and Port Augusta in two days.

I can’t recall seeing any on my previous crossing in January 2006.

The Eyre Highway has plenty of space on the Western Australian side, but in South Australia there is almost no shoulder at all.

Encountering a road train is scary enough, but making way for one of the massive transporters is no fun at all.

Most of them appeared to be carrying mining machinery. There was no consistency in how they present themselves to oncoming motorists.

Some had a sign on the front of the truck and a flag waving from the side. Others had an advance vehicle with flashing lights and in one case there was a police escort driving ahead on the wrong side of the road to force oncoming cars off the highway.

I have serious questions about this whole business.

1) Why are there so many oversize vehicles on a vital public highway? Surely the machines should be shipped to the nearest port.

2) Why isn’t there a consistent set of rules for the drivers/owners of oversize vehicles instead of the apparently ad-hoc arrangements that exist now?

3) What are the protocols for allowing traffic to pass these beasts? We were fortunately driving towards them; I’d hate to be stuck behind one driving into the sun as many poor motorists were.

4) Who is responsible for allowing this to happen and what consultation was there?

Update: In Western Australia it seems Main Roads is responsible (PDF link) and they reckon monster trucks are okay.

“Large vehicles are important contributors to Western Australia’s economic development. There are many types of oversize vehicles, all of which must display a sign indicating that the vehicle is greater than the standard width or length.”

The average motorist (like me) doesn’t know the difference between the many types of oversize vehicles, nor do we expect to encounter them every half hour on a major highway.

I probably speak for road train drivers on this too. They work vehicles that ordinary motorists do expect to see on interstate routes. They drive at the same speed, can be safely overtaken and they are mostly driven responsibly.

I can’t imagine how a road train would overtake an oversize vehicle, especially on the South Australian side of the Eyre Highway.

The authorities have a system of regulation, it seems. They now need to educate the general public about the system and limit the number of oversize vehicles on the road at any given time.

The roads weren’t designed for these large vehicles and motorists should not be expected to regularly encounter them.

We’re resting here a couple of days while waiting for our furniture to catch up. We’ll head to Mount Gambier on Thursday and unpack on Friday.

We bought a house in Moonta Bay last year and will inspect it on Wednesday.

The trip across the Nullarbor was my second. Here are some observations and impressions:

Temperature: It’s more pleasant in the cooler weather. Last time I made the journey was in January 2006. It was okay then near the coast but sizzling inland and the car was smothered in bugs. This time round was much more comfortable.

The downside of driving in late May is fewer daylight hours. Hitting a kangaroo is more probable on dusk or dawn and overnight.

Oversize vehicles: See my next post.

Accommodation: Travelling alone you can drive as far as you want, as I did in 2006, napping in the car, getting there faster and saving a few dollars.

If Juliet and I had been driving in one car we could have taken the wheel in turns. As it was, in two cars and with four kids, we had to stop overnight.

We stayed at Eucla on Saturday night after driving more than 900km. It cost $160 for a single room with bedding for five. James slept on the floor.

Eucla was established in colonial days as a telegraph and border post. Today it’s a quarantine station with some accommodation, petrol stations, police and a weather bureau recording base. We didn’t linger to look around.

I was thinking though, for the 50 or so people who live there, to get a haircut or see a dentist, etc you’d have to drive 510km to Ceduna!

Ceduna was where Juliet and I lived in 1992-93. Kathleen was conceived there, but we didn’t mention that fact when we showed her the house where we used to live. At 14 she would have found the subject embarrassing!

That was probably the only coastal home we’ll live in with sea views. It was a 40 metre walk to the West Coast Sentinel office, which has now relocated. The former office is a Betta Electrical store.

The Sentinel used to sell stationery, which was a source of friction with the local newsagent and biggest paper seller Sprys. It didn’t make money either. We used to get excited when we sold a typewriter. Does anyone use them any more?

Ceduna looked fresh and modern. The main street has had a facelift, and although quiet (dead), on a Sunday was very inviting. A hardware store and rural supplies place had closed down though, suggesting agriculture is not as vibrant as tourism, property development and aquaculture.

Farming: Nundroo (140km west of Ceduna) is the historical edge of the agricultural zone before farming gives way to nature. Farming has gradually become less viable though along much of the SA West Coast and northern parts of Eyre Peninsula.

We saw some struggling attempts at cropping around Nundroo, Penong, Ceduna and Wirrulla. None of the crops looked all that promising until we reached Kimba, 300km east of Ceduna.

Crops in the mid north of South Australia around Port Pirie and Port Broughton appeared to be thriving.

Road kill: We saw an extraordinary number of dead kangaroos on different stretches of the Nullarbor in Western Australia. There was literally a dead animal every 500 metres or less.

Invariably crows were feasting on them and sometimes eagles. Juliet counted 12 eagles, I saw about six. Easy meals for them.

I don’t know what attracts kangaroos to certain areas, perhaps rain or the lack of it. Other parts of the highway were not as infested with dead marsupials.