Double-lane scare leaves police aghast

DASHCAM footage has captured the moment on a Tasmanian highway when two vehicles narrowly avoided a high-speed, head-on collision.

Police say the “horrific bit of driving” involved a red car travelling on the wrong side of the Huon Highway at Sandfly.

Going the right way, a white four-wheel drive moves to overtake in the double lanes, into the path of the oncoming car before quickly taking evasive action and averting possible tragedy.

Tasmania Police Inspector John Ward said it was an astonishing situation which demonstrated an extreme lack of attentiveness by one driver and sound alertness by the other.

“This is a classic example of a lack of attentiveness — the driver has ended up on the wrong side of the road,” Insp Ward said.

“This is the type of driving behaviour that causes fatal and serious crashes.

“At this time of year, drivers need to be alert.”

Inattentiveness, along with speeding, alcohol and drugs, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts make up the “fatal five” behaviours that lead to the most deaths on Tasmania’s roads.

Insp Ward praised the driver of the four-wheel drive for their quick thinking.

“The difference between life and death or serious injury in that footage is about three seconds,” he said.

Insp Ward was “more than happy” to receive dashcam footage from the public regarding bad behaviour on the road.

“I’d be very happy to speak to that driver and put them before the courts. That’s an horrific bit of driving,” he said.

Any information about the incident can be provided to police on 131 444.