I was driving sprinter van today. At the morning one RHD lorry changed lane from right to left, and I was on this left lane at the moment. I managed to escape into the bus stop and then on the pavement and grass, as it was really close (he was changing lane so quickly…).Chap stopped to check if I am all right (very kind of him) and he told me that he’s very sorry and that he hasn’t seen me as I was in his blind spot (?).
Some time later on the M8 german lorry was changing the lane from left to middle and almost hit me again. I was happy that speed lane was empty…
For me this two moments wasn’t too different from each other…
And I started to wonder: what the problem with LHD lorries? They can’t see you well, when they changing lane from left to right, but they can see you better then RHD lorries when they changing lane from right to left…
So why only LHD lorries are so dangerous? Is changing lane that way more common? I doubt…
So maybe it’s that no-one overtake you on the left here?
And on the way back I seen column of british military trucks and there were all LHD… Why?
(For information of our polish-haters society: Chap from english lorry was english, it’s very unlikely, that german driver was from East Europe, as they haven’t opened their work market for Eastern Europeans and army lorries weren’t polish as well, as we have no more lorries from 50s in polish army )
So maybe it’s that no-one overtake you on the left here?
Orys. I personally think that this is the case.
When a RHD truck overtakes, the driver pulls across to his right and has a very good view of the lane he is changing into. After he has overtaken the slower vehicle he knows that there is nothing else in the left hand lane and pulls back over.
A LHD truck however pulling out into the right hand lane has faster traffic coming from behind and entering the blind spot under his mirrors and hence why foreign trucks are more likely to be involved in side swipes.
However even with a RHD truck care must be taken when pulling back in after overtaking when a road merges from the left as there may be a car enter your blind spot from the slip road that the RHD driver has not seen.
Hello orys,
I think the reason why the British Army still have many LHD vehicles, is that most of these are left over from the large garrisons of UK troops who were stationed in Germany. I would have made sense to have these vehicles as LHD because of the length of time spent there.
I have spent a fair time driving a RHD on the roads of Europe in the years past. I dont recall seeing many, if any, incidents of RHD’s swiping cars on the continent, although i dare say it did happen. The trend of side swiping that you see on British roads is more common since the levels of left hand drive vehicles increased over the past few years.
A case of common sense gone out of the window? or a phenomenon highlighted by sheer numbers?..hard to say for sure. but you raise yet again an interesting topic…good luck!
orys:
(For information of our polish-haters society: Chap from english lorry was english, it’s very unlikely, that german driver was from East Europe, as they haven’t opened their work market for Eastern Europeans )[/i]
saw a german lorry with a polish driver crash into a shunter in the port of travemünde last month, if it hadn´t been the nameplate in the window, then the wifebeater would have been a a sure giveaway
All this talk of the difference between LHD and RHD is hogwash.
The problem is crap drivers and crap driving and not been aware of your surroundings. Whether that be some ugly mother who hides away behind his tasseled velvet curtains and indian dream catchers or whether its a Latvian or a Pole with 3 open stolen laptops on his dashboard. If you dont look in the mirrors or signal then eventually you will hit something
You have to give car drivers the benefit of the doubt because they are in their own little world wondering if their dole will be enough to buy some more drugs this week.
Its hardly rocket science.
This isnt anti Pole or anti anything except against the poor driving standards on todays roads.
Wheel Nut:
All this talk of the difference between LHD and RHD is hogwash.
The problem is crap drivers and crap driving and not been aware of your surroundings. Whether that be some ugly mother who hides away behind his tasseled velvet curtains and indian dream catchers or whether its a nother driver or a nother driver with 3 open stolen laptops or dvd player/TV on his dashboard. If you dont look in the mirrors or signal then eventually you will hit something
You have to give car drivers the benefit of the doubt because they are in their own little world …
Its hardly rocket science.
This isnt anti Pole or anti anything except against the poor driving standards on todays roads.
Wheel Nut:
Latvian or a Pole with 3 open stolen laptops on his dashboard. If you dont look in the mirrors or signal then eventually you will hit something
Another one joined the club?
This isnt anti Pole or anti anything except against the poor driving standards on todays roads.
i think is not only a standard of drivers, but also an amount of traffic nowadays.
I bet that it was much easier to drive 25 years ago…
Limestone Cowboy:
When a RHD truck overtakes, the driver pulls across to his right and has a very good view of the lane he is changing into. After he has overtaken the slower vehicle he knows that there is nothing else in the left hand lane and pulls back over.
A LHD truck however pulling out into the right hand lane has faster traffic coming from behind and entering the blind spot under his mirrors and hence why foreign trucks are more likely to be involved in side swipes.
I also think that’s the case. But is that really such a big problem? You just need to look into your mirror more often before you want change the line, and observing mirror during the change, as when you turn your lorry in slightly different direction you can spot things, what you haven’t seen before…
Twoninety88:
I have spent a fair time driving a RHD on the roads of Europe in the years past. I dont recall seeing many, if any, incidents of RHD’s swiping cars on the continent, although i dare say it did happen. The trend of side swiping that you see on British roads is more common since the levels of left hand drive vehicles increased over the past few years.
That what’s I told some time ago. I can bet, that if every one of three or something lorries on Berliner Ring would be british, problem would be analogical there…
Wheel Nut:
Latvian or a Pole with 3 open stolen laptops on his dashboard. If you dont look in the mirrors or signal then eventually you will hit something
Another one joined the club?
This isnt anti Pole or anti anything except against the poor driving standards on todays roads.
i think is not only a standard of drivers, but also an amount of traffic nowadays.
I bet that it was much easier to drive 25 years ago…
Orys, you dont know me very well or obviously havent read any of my posts. I have stuck up for the Eastern Bloc drivers even if they havent really deserved it, and been slated by many on here for doing so. So for joining the club, dont think so
Twoninety88:
I have spent a fair time driving a RHD on the roads of Europe in the years past. I dont recall seeing many, if any, incidents of RHD’s swiping cars on the continent, although i dare say it did happen. The trend of side swiping that you see on British roads is more common since the levels of left hand drive vehicles increased over the past few years.
That what’s I told some time ago. I can bet, that if every one of three or something lorries on Berliner Ring would be british, problem would be analogical there…
Wheel Nut:
Orys, you dont know me very well or obviously havent read any of my posts. I have stuck up for the Eastern Bloc drivers even if they havent really deserved it, and been slated by many on here for doing so. So for joining the club, dont think so
I just do not understand why you mentioned their laptops as stolen?
I managed to escape into the bus stop and then on the pavement and grass, as it was really close (he was changing lane so quickly…).Chap stopped to check if I am all right (very kind of him) and he told me that he’s very sorry and that he hasn’t seen me as I was in his blind spot (?).
)
when would that be