Now THIS is a long distance driving...

[Jason]

Is that a Deliverance reference?

[pErvinalia]

Having driven three 21 hour stretches.. I have to agree with Seth. Driving tired is very dangerous.

Yep. Being in Australia and a bit of a traveller I've done lots of long distance drives. A mate and I drove about 1800kms in 16 hours non-stop. I just drove about 15,000kms last year in about 6 weeks on a trip around Australia. I can't drive as long as I could when I was a young fella. Depending on the road and car I can only go about 2-3 hours before needing to get out of the car and slap myself around a bit.

Oh, and by the way, Sojourner... Piss weak!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Quite a ways to go to avoid rush hour, no?

[pErvinalia]

Being an unemployed bum is good enough for avoiding rush hour.

Oh, I should have added, I drove taxis years ago. Somehow I managed to do 14 hour stints on some busy nights. But it's different driving around in the city compared to driving on long endless roads in the country.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Being an unemployed bum is good enough for avoiding rush hour.

Retired is another good way, and much more socially acceptable. (I know this is true because I said it. )

Oh, I should have added, I drove taxis years ago. Somehow I managed to do 14 hour stints on some busy nights. But it's different driving around in the city compared to driving on long endless roads in the country.

Oz, Canada, the US, all good places to learn the joys of highway hypnosis.

[pErvinalia]

On my round Oz trip last year, the first couple of nights driving through central and western QLD was like a slalom course trying to avoid the fucking kangaroos hopping all over the road. No chance to nod off there. In fact, it was like an open air slaughterhouse. Carci everywhere. I had a serious near miss at one point when out of the dark I see a dead roo carcas on the road. I calmly went to steer just around it, but at the last minute I saw three giant black bush pigs feeding on it. Pretty much taking up the whole lane. I missed them by probably only centimetres. If I had of hit them, my trip would have come to a quick and early conclusion.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

On my round Oz trip last year, the first couple of nights driving through central and western QLD was like a slalom course trying to avoid the fucking kangaroos hopping all over the road. No chance to nod off there. In fact, it was like an open air slaughterhouse. Carci everywhere. I had a serious near miss at one point when out of the dark I see a dead roo carcas on the road. I calmly went to steer just around it, but at the last minute I saw three giant black bush pigs feeding on it. Pretty much taking up the whole lane. I missed them by probably only centimetres. If I had of hit them, my trip would have come to a quick and early conclusion.

Friend of mine hit a 500 pound feral pig a ways south of here a few years back. He was on a motorcycle. I visited him every week for two months before he got to go home.

[pErvinalia]

ouch.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

ouch.

He was properly dressed, helmet, gloves, flak jacket, leathers. He cleared the piggie and flew "over one hundred feet" and landed on some nice soft rocks. He's back riding to day, but mentally impaired (just like he was before the accident. )

[Warren Dew]

Drove from the South of France to Oxfordshire (ferry in the middle) in one haul - a bit over 900 miles. Mrs Rum was poking me in the ribs every couple of minutes to keep me awake for the last couple of hours.

I once drove 1000 miles at a stretch, but it only took 14 hours so I wasn't tired at the end. In fact, I arrived feeling pretty refreshed. I miss that car.

Driving tired is at least as dangerous, if not more so, than driving drunk.

Maybe. Or maybe you realize how dangerous it is when you're driving tired, while when you're driving drunk, you're too drunk to realize how dangerous it is.

Besides, you haven't lived until you're awakened by the squeal of your skidding tires.