daveb0789:
Driving up to Blackpool using M1 and the M6 I realised how incredibly busy the motorways are with large numbers of HGVs on lane 1. Coaches probably make extensive use of lane 2 to overtake the many HGVs in lane 1. Despite having a 62 mph top speed, the outside lane restriction means that speed is frequently reduced to HGV speed while two HGVs overtake another. And I can tell you for free that once a coach has pulled over into lane 1 on a busy motorway, other motorists will be reluctant to let it pull back out into lane 2 again even with indicators flashing.I have a few suggestions. I don’t think a truck overtaking ban on motorways is the way to go, but HGVs being overtaken must ensure they ease off enough that the overtaking vehicle can overtake with a 5 mph speed difference. This will avoid lane 2 being clogged up. In order to promote better use of lane 1, in this case as suggested that Nat.ex coaches use lane 1 more often, these vehicles should be given priority when attempting to move out into lane 2 to overtake. Modern coaches are quicker than most HGVs not just in the 100 km/h top speed but also in their ability to maintain close to that speed on the steepest motorway hills.
A couple of observations Dave.
-
Coaches, trucks, vans or even cars get blocked in when traffic is dense. Doesn’t make it right but can’t deny it. The question that poses for me is this. Is it poor driving on the part of the traffic in the inside lane for not anticipating effectively or on the part of the traffic in the outer lanes for not leaving sufficient gap?
-
Your suggestion of compelling a truck being overtaken to hold back by at least 5 mph would, IMHO, add to the problems not solve them. On inclines a truck that has started to overtake with an adequate momentum could loose that advantage because of the differences in the power of the vehicles and also the differences in loading. Neither of these things can be judged from a following vehicle before attempting the overtaking manuevor. That of course doesn’t even touch on the commercial impact of additional fuel used by the truck being overtaken to regain the momentum sacrificed to comply, or the increased risk of tail end shunts because of the speed reduction.
-
Sorry i don’t see why National Express coaches should have preference, certainly not for the reasons offered, since i don’t accept that one road users need is greater than another (without the obvious emergency service caveat). Following that logic further the priority order would have to be, from bottom of the list, Slow over sized vehicles, regular LGVs, large PSV, private derived goods and passenger vehicles, Private vehicles, motor cycles and top of the list emergency vehicles with lights and sirens operating.
