I would have thought that hitting 90MPH a little remote, unless the driver had a vindaloo the night before.
prichardson:
If you have a copy, turn to page 23.Carole Malone has written a yet more rubbish about truckers in the UK. I can’t scan the column, but it goes something like…
"I was driving on the M27 thinking about the tragedy of the 6 deaths on the M6 this week, when I saw a lorry driver with a mobile phone to his ear and a sandwich in the other hand and his elbow on the steering wheel.
Oh, did I mention he was doing 90mph in a 10-ton articulated lorry"I have written to her at: carole.malone@notw.co.uk informing her of her obvious mistakes and to ask her to please stop villifying lorry drivers and to recrify the errors in next weeks publication.
Fair enough if the story was true about a numpty driving with mobile + sandwich, but if she’s adding a good 40+ mph to the story then I dare say it’s probably a load of rubbish.
If anyone has a scanner/camera they might want to put a pic of the column on this message.
Maybe I’m just in a bad mood and you should ignore me… Whatever suits.
Paul.
I have also written to this moronic female directing her to our Charity Web site. After reading what truckers are really like rather than the ■■■■■■■■■ she had maybe she could say sorry and send us a donation. I wont be holding my breath!!!
Being a notw hack i doubt she’s familiar c&u regs or mgw’s so the 10ton comment is irrelevant and shows the depth of understanding of our industry by the mass media. It’s just another cheap shot at an industry that is already despised in many quarters. Did it happen ? Not unless it was a 141 or something of that era. Modern trucks, as far as i know, aren’t geared for that speed (even without a limiter on). Could have been overrunning downhill. I think though, that she’s a lying ladies genital area with an ulterior motive and some column inches to fill 
.
Ski:
Mike-C:
Whoa, hold on a minute… Before anyone starts generalising on the cause of the death of the Stathams (as lots have done already).lets look at some facts…One Portugese driver has been charged,but three lorrys where involved? And in the case of traffic coming to a halt when have you known three lanes to come to a halt at the same time? Usually lane three gets ‘static’ first, how do you know the Stathams didn;t pull out of lane three into his path? You don’t have a kloo, neither does Malone.
Lets not forget,its only a year or two ago that using a mobile fone whilst driving wasn;t technically illegal, using a bluetooth headet is legal. The only difference between the two acts is that one has his hand to his ear. Just as one might rest his hand on his gear lever, which is not illegal, and as far as i’ve come across not percieved as ‘dangerous’.
Some people are just not happy unless they can blame some one cut and dried. Accidents don’t happen, there’s always someone responsible…really thats a solicitors and insurers mantra. Its also fast becoming one on here too. Someone just made a mistake, and as yet, we don;t know who. Well apart from Malone…And you…Whoops, looks like I hit a nerve!
Calm down a bit and read my post - I said people LIKE the Strathams - because like YOU said, we don’t know what the true cause is of that particular incident.
I maintain that despite being factually incorrect (when has any journalist let the facts get in the way of a good story) the point of this article was very valid!
And I don’t, and never will accept your reasoning that “Someone just made a mistake” in relation to this case… well that’s all right then - a mistake that led to the death of 6 people, but it’s ok they didn’t mean it.
You havn’t hit a nerve with me cos aint got one, in any sense !! But your assumption that there is always someone to blame has to be based on the fact that we are all perfect and we all operate to 100% of our functions all of the time… However reality dictates different. If we know for a FACT that we all do not operate at 100% ,100% of the time and people will make ‘errors of judgement’, ‘momentary relapse’ etc. well then yes, sometimes you can say ‘its just an accident’. The fact that 6 people have died/been killed /whatever you want to say , although emotive makes no difference. Here is a fact though, there was three lorries involved in that collision, why is one driver in court? Answer that? Maybe the other two lapses are acceptable, but obviously we need some one to hang?
Also, i don;t think it’s unfair of me to point out, you are an ex driver and no longer drive a lorry? And also you think the standards have fallen dramatically? Just to give it some balance?
I was driving on the M27 thinking about the tragedy "
great so she wasnt thinking about what she was doing!! but letting her mind wander while she was driving along… very safe!!
no doubt the 10tonner also caused the 16 car pile up on sunday ont he m6 aswell…
Goaty:
Could have been overrunning downhill. I think though, that she’s a lying ladies genital area with an ulterior motive and some column inches to fill
Downhill… M27… ummmm… NAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! 
Anyway, most of the M27 is a 50MPH speed limit with average camera’s due to the insane roadworks.
The only way this women could possibly know that this bloke was doing 90mph is to follow him at the same speed.
So with an admision of her own guilt in a national news paper. Why the [zb] hasn’t plod given her 3 points and a £60 fine?
What’s the chances that she was looking at the passenger of a left ■■■■■■?
I got a nice answer back from her…here is her reply…
Yes and having spoken to VOSA I now know that some drivers tamper with their speed limiters in much the same way they tamper with their Tacograpghs. As for the ten ton truck comment - I used the phrase figuratively. But does the tonnage really matter. I was talking about a dead family? But that doesnt seem to matter to a lot of the drivers who’ve written to me as much as their own reputations. And if you dont accept there are bad drivers out there YOU’VE got the problem.Also- I could see perfectly well as I was in a 4x4 and I wasn’t speeding. I was doing 75mph and the lorry driver overtook me. And please dont tell me they dont do that either or Ill start to think you;'re usinmg motorways in an alternative universe. BestCarole
jayeastanglia:
I got a nice answer back from her…here is her reply…Yes and having spoken to VOSA I now know that some drivers tamper with their speed limiters in much the same way they tamper with their Tacograpghs. As for the ten ton truck comment - I used the phrase figuratively. But does the tonnage really matter. I was talking about a dead family? But that doesnt seem to matter to a lot of the drivers who’ve written to me as much as their own reputations. And if you dont accept there are bad drivers out there YOU’VE got the problem.Also- I could see perfectly well as I was in a 4x4 and I wasn’t speeding. I was doing 75mph and the lorry driver overtook me. And please dont tell me they dont do that either or Ill start to think you;'re usinmg motorways in an alternative universe. BestCarole
Stupid plastic face.
Isn’t the Speed Limit £70 on a Motorway?
I don’t believe her.
I’d send that to the local traffic division… lol. She just admitted in black and white that she herself was breaking the national speed limit. And if she could see the driver as he overtook her then it was definately one of our foreign cousins, because I dont even think a 4x4 is as tall as a standard tractor unit.
they wont do anything at 75mph…
when i read the news of the world i was quite angry with carol malone and sent her an email here is what i sent
This is what I wrote to her:
Dear Mrs MaloneI have today read your article in your weekly column in the news of the world reference the tragedy of the family losing their lives after a collision with a LGV on the M6.
Firstly could you please clarify what is a 10 tonne articulated lorry? Was it un-laden? Did it have the weight he was carrying on the side? Did you take him to a weigh bridge and weigh him?
And secondly could you clarify that the lorry was actually travelling at 90MPH, to be honest I find this is impossible as most British registered trucks are restricted to 56MPH in line with government laws, and yet again even if it was unrestricted then I do not believe that an articulated lorry would be capable of 90MPH or even more so no driver would be crazy enough to drive at these speeds.
If you could explain these comments/accusations to me I would be more than happy to pass on your comments to the wider audience of truck drivers around the globe via the internet.
At the moment LGV drivers are having a bad press due to the appalling events that have taken place on the M6 involving the Statham family. Everybody I know has expressed deepest regret and deepest sympathies to other members of this family, and we do not need any more bad press by someone as ill informed as yourself.
Not all LGV drivers are dangerous and irresponsible, what about the car drivers that cut up a fully laden 44tonne artic just so they can cut 2 seconds off their journey time and cross 3 lanes of traffic to make the exit making the artic driver to brake sharply as he/she knows that the lorry will not stop in the distance left by the ignoramus that drives the car!
I also noticed in your column that you did not comment on the LGV drivers that probably moved over to let you onto the motorway or flashed you out or in while you were no doubt indicating. Of course, you wouldn’t mention these because it is an everyday occurrence during the millions of miles travelled daily by the British HGV’s carrying items for your pleasure. Everything you have in your home or office has travelled by truck at some stage in its process from production to where it is now. If it wasn’t for all the LGV drivers of Britain this country would be on its knees within a matter of hours, as proved by the petrol strikes in September 2000. If no LGV’s moved for 48 hours in the UK could you possibly imagine what state the country would be in, there would be no petrol in the forecourts and no food in the shops. Where would that leave the country then?
How about a little bit of support for the hard working LGV drivers that don’t break the law and try to keep Britain’s roads as safe as possible by driving considerately and sensibly.
I await your response
Lee G
i have just received a reply and what a snotty cow she is. do you think it annoyed her that a lowly scum of the earth peasant of a truck driver had the audacity, and the knowledge of how to, email her?
This is what the snotty ■■■■■ replied:
Mr G - I rarely respond to people who order me to( I await your response) However because there is a dead family at the centre of this story I have decided to respond. Firstly Ten Ton Truck was said figuratively. I thought you might have understood that. But obviosuly not. As for the speed I have spoken to VOSA about this as I am perfectly aware that all lorries are fitted with speed limiters. But as VOSA explained there are drivers who tamper with their speed limiters in the same way they tamper with their Tacographs. Its all breaking the law Mr G. VOSA did say the driver I saw was probably doing less than 90mph but he did overtake me and I was doing 70mph which is still way too fast. And please dopnt tell me truck drivers dont stray into the third lane because some of them do.
NOwhere in my piece did I say that ALL LGV drtivers were irresponsible. I said the one I saw on the M 27 definitely was. And why on earth would I mention lorry drivers who move over for drivers on the motorway. I was talking about the death of a family - four of them kids. Why would I talk about lorries moving over for me . However as you brought it up I should point out that car drivers continually move over for each other. It’s what decent drvers do. .However I shold also tell you that I have seen lorry drivers pull out with little warning and hog the road at a speed that holds everyone else up.
As the man from VOSA said there are great truck drivers and awful truck drivers. Its just a pity Mr G you’re kidding yourself that they’re all good.
I absolutely accept tthe vast majority of truck drivers are good and decnt and law abiding. But you surely must accept that some of them aren’t.
I wish you well. Have a good weekend.
Best
Carole
four a jurnalide er england aint mooch gud innit!
i guess she must be tired after a long hard week sat in a nice warm office!!!
This is what the snotty ■■■■■ replied:
However I shold also tell you that I have seen lorry drivers pull out with little warning and hog the road at a speed that holds everyone else up.
Whilst not belittling other issues in this thread, herein is the crux of the problem of the perception of HGV drivers by car drivers. (try saying that after a couple of jars ).
Whether it be Artic, Rigid, or puddle jumper, when we pull out (whether we indicate or not) into a gap to pass (usually another HGV) the gap is usually small, the speed differential between us and cars is greater than 10 mph, so someone is going to have to slow down or move over. Bloody annoying for a car driver to move the wheel or ease off the gas, and then other minor annoyances we create, snowball into a general attitude of “bloody lorries”.
The only way this perception can be changed is through education, the speed differential can be removed by removing HGV limits/limiters or limiting cars to 90kph besides cars are more fuel efficient at that speed, label it an environmentally friendly measure .
I invite the said Carole Malone to join me on my regular sojourn through the Thames Valley…
I’ll even share my 3 course snack box with her…!!
To show the jumped up journo what happens in the real world from our side of the windscreen…!!!
Does she hold an HGV licence ■■
Does she understand what it takes to drive a truck on todays roads with car drivers who dont understand a fully freighted truck wont stop on a sixpence !!
Come join me Carole if you have the Sphericals you so openly spout about !!
I too have recieved a reply from Carole Malone her bloody spelling is worse than mine!!
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: “Malone, Carole” Carole.Malone@news-of-the-world.co.uk
To: GLENN JOHNSON glennjohnson8@btinternet.com
Sent: Friday, 31 October, 2008 6:18:42 PM
Subject: RE: Truckers
Mr Johnson - I dont usually reply to people who are rude or abusive. As a columnist I will discuss anything with anyone as long as they are civilised. This e mail isnt. However for your information I already did talk to VOSA( it may surprise you to know I know precisely who they are) because I knew perfectly well the speed limit for lorry drivers is supposed to be 56mph which is why I copuldnt understand why the driver on the M27 was going so fast. The gentleman I spoke to told me categorically that although every lorry has to be fitted with a speed limiter many drivers actually tamper with them in the same way they tamper with the Tacograpgh machines. What is “total crap” to use your language is the idea that all trruckers are saints. Im sorry but some of them DO break the law. They DO drive well ovver the speed limit and they DO tamper with their Tacograpgh machines. Ask VOSA! And as the man from VOSA said - there are very responsibile truck drivers and there are totally irresponsible truck drivers and it’s ludicrous for you to try and kid yourself otherwise. And for your information I dont lie in my column.
IM sure you were a very responsible driver . And that’s great. But not everyone is like you Mr Johnson and it’s disingenuous of you to pretend otherwise. A family is dead. Four kids are dead and maybe that’s what you should be thinking about. Not sticking up for the lidiot I came across on the M27. Yes, I got the tonnage of his truck wrong - ten ton truck was said figuratively. But does that really matter?
Have a good weekend
Carole
From: GLENN JOHNSON [mailto:glennjohnson8@btinternet.com]
Sent: 27 October 2008 20:25
To: Malone, Carole
Subject: Truckers
Your damming article regards what you reported seeing on the M27 was so full of impossibilities that I am wondering why the hell I am writing the letter in the first place. I am not going to belittle myself trying to explain why the article was total crap, I suggest you speak to a knowledgeable person at vosa, that is an organisation you would not have heard of. They are the government agency that is responsible for all aspects of transport in the UK, after they have explained your dream like vision perhaps you would visit eastcoasttruckers.org and see what truckers are really like.
Glenn Johnson 61 years of age 37 years trucking and not one blame accident.
“Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail”
The Newspaper Marketing Agency: Opening Up Newspapers:
This e-mail and all attachments are confidential and may be privileged. If you have received this e-mail in error, notify the sender immediately. Do not use, disseminate, store or copy it in any way. Statements or opinions in this e-mail or any attachment are those of the author and are not necessarily agreed or authorised by News International (NI). NI Group may monitor emails sent or received for operational or business reasons as permitted by law. NI Group accepts no liability for viruses introduced by this e-mail or attachments. You should employ virus checking software. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701
an mine.:
i dont lie in my column
so will the CPS prosecute on this admission !!!
she openly admitted to doing 75mph !!
furthermore,
she lied !!!
the truck couldnt have reached 90mph…
i rest my case m’lud !!!
dozy cow !!!
I wonder why she didn’t send us all the same reply?
Vosa are quite correct in that there are some LGV drivers who do tamper with the speed limiters on their trucks, and yes it is against the law. However, I challenge you to approach ANY truck manufacturer and ask if any of their trucks will do 90 mph nowadays. With or without engine limiters.
The fact is, Carole, that trucks even if tampered with simply do not go that fast.
If you really wanted to make the point that the driver was driving dangerously (and I do not dispute that he was)then why exaggerate the facts so far as to be unbelievable to anyone who has any genuine knowledge of the industry.
As far as the dead family is concerned, I fail to see how myself and no doubt other truck drivers questioning your reporting veracity, has any bearing on the fatalities or my feelings about them.
Nor, am I aware at this stage, is that there is any(reported) suggestion that excessive speed played any part in this incident. From what I am led to believe via talk in the industry, the probable cause was more to do with lack of attention and tiredness.
As for being biased and blinkered, I admit to the former. Mainly because it gets very wearing always being portrayed as the “bad guys”. Even to the point that truckers are perceived to be at fault even when it is proven that a car driver has put himself in danger by cutting in front of them , thereby taking up the braking space that is needed.
Blinkered, not at all. I am the first to admit that there is a minority of drivers who should not be allowed on the roads but the vast majority of truckers are decent, hard working, honest men and women who abide by the laws governing them.
Finally, your admission that you used the weight “figuratively” and the vehicle speed claimed is now reduced by up to 10 mph seems to prove the point that I was making, namely that your report was not honest.
In addition, the fact that you claim the truck overtook you, cause me to wonder how , from sitting low down in a car , you could see across to the right hand side of the cab of a high up truck enough to see what the driver was doing. (unless, of course it was a left hand drive foreign truck)
The decision to report the facts or merely to write story is your decision and is dependant on your own values and integrity.
del949
Subject: RE: 90 mph truck driver
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:21:02 +0000
From: Carole.Malone@news-of-the-world.co.uk
To:
Ten ton was wrong- I used it figuratively. I thought people might get that. Obviouly not. It’s hard to know the precise tonnage of a truck when it overtakes you at 80-90mph. so I used the figure I did - figuratively. As for the speed - VOSA tell me there are drivers who tamper with their speed limiters in the same way they tamper with their Tacographs. Its called breaking the law. But you probably dont think truck drivers do that eh? Even though its on record that they do - regularly. Still; never let the truth get in the way of a biased, blinkered man who seems more interetsed in the tonnage of a truck than a dead family.
From: derrick [mailto:
Sent: 26 October 2008 20:36
To: Malone, Carole
Subject: 90 mph truck driver
never let the truth get in the way of a good story eh?
10 ton artic very doubtfull!
90 mph not for a very long time!
still you need to fill a column somehow I suppose.
There again a PROPER journalist would do a honest story.
having said that, you do write for the NOTW, almost a newspaper but not quite.
Not just the News of the World though, this week that most annoying self important piece of excrement Ian Collins has been sitting in for Gaunty.
He slagged off motorcyclists before admitting to braking hard in front of a van, almost causing an accident, then he went on to talk crap about motorway testing for car drivers. Well you will have a long trip to the testing station if you live in the Highlands or Wales, Who will pay for the pupils from Peterhead, Pembroke or Penzance?
Wheel Nut:
Not just the News of the World though, this week that most annoying self important piece of excrement Ian Collins has been sitting in for Gaunty.He slagged off motorcyclists before admitting to braking hard in front of a van, almost causing an accident, then he went on to talk crap about motorway testing for car drivers. Well you will have a long trip to the testing station if you live in the Highlands or Wales, Who will pay for the pupils from Peterhead, Pembroke or Penzance?
Or norfolk