Dipper_Dave:
Drivers of cars cannot be expected to be professional drivers, so what if there doing 40mph in the middle lane, part of our unwritten remit is to protect other road users and not use the size of our vehicle to intimidate them.
As far as squealing goes, no way. Sort it out roadside or follow em into the services to discuss.
Couldn’t agree more, why do lorry drivers expect those who’s skill set is in something else entirely to be able to drive to professional standards; glass houses etc, it’s nice to see a lorry driver doing their thing well unfortuntaely its getting to be rare that this happens.
No i’ll rephrase that, most lorry drivers do their job well, but the numpties stick out like a sore thumb and we all get tarred with the same brush.
mrginge:
On the motorways where we are banned from the second lane cars should be banned from lane one.
Should make entry and exit onto the motorway interesting, oh third lane is the no no for us
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
toby1234abc:
would you ring up his boss and tell him to throw his licence in the paper shredder or arrange tea and biscuits with Beverly or Sara Bell pleading for your licence back ?
mrginge:
On the motorways where we are banned from the second lane cars should be banned from lane one.
Should make entry and exit onto the motorway interesting, oh third lane is the no no for us
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
Your so wrong but that’s just my opinion.
If you ever put this philosophy to the test I have a feeling you will realise it’s not quite as cut and dry as you think.
Bluey Circles:
and if its a single carriageway or one lane in each direction contraflow, where do you want them to go?
I
Absolutely agree, but the op wasn’t talking single lane, he was talking your standard three lane motorway roadworks. For the record, some of the antics and tailgating I see actually make me physically cringe and there is absolutely no excuse for it. I posted that to try to balance things a bit by stating what is obvious (to us at least) that if lane discipline was adhered to then the majority of tailgating would cease to be.
I travelled down the A1 near Stamford today, cruise set at 86kph with nothing in front of me for a good 1000 yards but still there was an endless stream of cars in lane two doing roughly my speed but not overtaking anything whilst at the same time slowing their own journey down with the concertina effect. All it would take to cure that would be a modicum of lane discipline.
Actually we don’t exactly know what the OP is referring to. But to run with your point about a dual carriageway within roadworks. I get the impression that a great many people believe that within these restricted areas you are not allowed to change lane, it can be the only explanation for what they are doing! I have observed it many times and it doesn’t strike me as your standard ‘lane hogging’ it appears to me that they think they are not allowed to change lane. And the other point I would like to raise is the poor accuracy of car speedometers, if it is an ‘average zone’ they will think they are driving at 49 but in truth they could be only doing 45, speedometers in trucks are far better calibrated, and on a trunk road I share your frustration of sitting there at an unnecessary low speed. I have no idea what the solution is, but intimidating them is certainly not the solution.
mrginge:
On the motorways where we are banned from the second lane cars should be banned from lane one.
Should make entry and exit onto the motorway interesting, oh third lane is the no no for us
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
Your so wrong but that’s just my opinion.
If you ever put this philosophy to the test I have a feeling you will realise it’s not quite as cut and dry as you think.
Quite right dave, people forget the concept of defensive driving and many are hung out to dry because of pig headed Ness and refusal to take evasive action beliving that they are right in a given situation and maybe they are right but they still could have avoided an incident and that’s what counts.
Bluey Circles:
I get the impression that a great many people believe that within these restricted areas you are not allowed to change lane, it can be the only explanation for what they are doing! I have observed it many times and it doesn’t strike me as your standard ‘lane hogging’ it appears to me that they think they are not allowed to change lane. And the other point I would like to raise is the poor accuracy of car speedometers, if it is an ‘average zone’ they will think they are driving at 49 but in truth they could be only doing 45, speedometers in trucks are far better calibrated, and on a trunk road I share your frustration of sitting there at an unnecessary low speed. I have no idea what the solution is, but intimidating them is certainly not the solution.
It’s probably a toxic combination of non existent lane discipline regardless of in road works or not and truck drivers under too much pressure regards drivers’ hours regs and operational demands.Added to which in the case of road works you’ve got all that in addition to some drivers trying to adhere to speed limits ahead of others who either couldn’t give a zb or at least trying to take advantage of speed enforcement ‘tolerances’ real or perceived like the idea of the 10% +2 mph threshold.
In which case it’s no surprise that you’ll get the combination of car or whatever in lane 2 running at or slightly below the road works limit with a truck driver behind trying to stay on the limiter at 90 kmh in a 50 mph limit or around 45 mph in a 40 mph limit.
The way to fix that seems to be.
abandon the idea of lane discipline and go for the American idea of making it official that we over take on either side.
And/or 2) Put an overtaking ban/lane 1 only on trucks through roadworks.
And/or 3) remove speed limit tolerances completely within roadworks.IE go over the 50 or 40 limit then you’re guaranteed to get nicked with no tolerance at all set in the cameras.
And 4) Remove the pressures on drivers by going back to domestic hours regs at least regarding driving time limits and making it both a criminal and employment law offence to discipline,or even moan at,any driver regards late running.
The problem you get in the roadworks is that, if you leave a big enough space between you & the vehicle in front someone will get into it, so you drop back to leave enough space and, someone pulls into it. After a few goes at this you tend to stay closer to the vehicle in front to prevent you stopping altogether.
Just so you non drivers know. In some roadworks on DC, A1M being one, hgv aren’t allowed in the outside lane for the full 12 miles anyway.
You find that, with the constant speed changes of car drivers, lane discipline goes out of the window anyway, undertaking being commonplace.
toby1234abc:
would you ring up his boss and tell him to throw his licence in the paper shredder or arrange tea and biscuits with Beverly or Sara Bell pleading for your licence back ?
No because I’m not a grass & I have no time for such petty things.
toby1234abc:
They then flash their lights, toot the horn , to intimidate the motorist to make them go over the 40 or 50 mph average speed limit.
If the so called motorist got on with it or kept out of the way ie left (like you’re meant to) then there wouldn’t be any any problems-simples[emoji16]
When I’m in the car in roadworks I do stay in the left lane, I check my speed with Satnav as the speedo reads 2 mph fast, what do these brain dead morons expect me to do? I’m not picking up points just to save them a few minutes through 50 limits.
truckman020:
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
Yeh but you can’t go around driving 44tonnes with that sort of attitude to other road users mate, surely.
Ok you have right of way but these guys are amateurs, where as you are a professional.
Surely it is more professional to anticipate and avoid a potential accident situation, with more than likely possible injuries to the car driver, not ignore it just because you have right of way.
It may be some poor sod’s (or worse mine), 17 yr old daughter just passed her test, nervous and inexperienced.
Also if it’s another truck I will always give way if safe to do so.
If we all thought that way it would go a long way to explain why other road users treat us with disrespect and contempt.
There’s been quite a few times this week I’ve had to take evasive action to allow a stream of cars sitting 3 feet from each other’s bumpers access onto the motorway. One time the hard shoulder was coned off so a guaranteed game of skittles had I not backed off.
But at night on an empty road and slip road, they’re on their own.
Last few comments seem to be getting to the truth of the matter. it is not about how many lanes are available, or if matey-boy is coming on the motorway at 40mph and the limit is 50mph, it is about YOUR attitude and reaction to these things. Lets get it right…if you start driving aggressively you have lost. It really is as simple as that. Its YOUR blood pressure that is rising, it is you who will be at fault if anything comes of your aggression, no matter how righteous you think you are, and apart from that, you just make yourself a laughing stock to any right thinking driver. Drivers chasing other vehicles even sounds childish.
I am still fuming about a car trip I made recently to Birmingham in the evening. Tailgated by HGV’s through every set of roadworks even though I was on the speed limit, and it did not matter whether I was in the inside lane or the middle lane. It is just madness.
It is okay to impose a speed limit to protect the workforce working on the roads, and impose it, but then turn a blind eye to the meatheads in trucks who terrorise innocent motorists and put other peoples lives at risk. Am sure more people are killed in cars by the jokers driving these trucks than road-workers. Can it be that hard to bring a prosecution with the technology available?
truckman020:
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
Yeh but you can’t go around driving 44tonnes with that sort of attitude to other road users mate, surely.
Ok you have right of way but these guys are amateurs, where as you are a professional.
Surely it is more professional to anticipate and avoid a potential accident situation, with more than likely possible injuries to the car driver, not ignore it just because you have right of way.
It may be some poor sod’s (or worse mine), 17 yr old daughter just passed her test, nervous and inexperienced.
Also if it’s another truck I will always give way if safe to do so.
If we all thought that way it would go a long way to explain why other road users treat us with disrespect and contempt.
I can’t remember many if any runs I ever did which didn’t routinely involve the need to reverse the priorities at some point in numerous types of situations in the course of normally expected defensive driving standards.Any mindset which says otherwise could foreseeably see someone facing a careless or dangerous driving charge regardless of the priorities even in the case of the same charges being applied to the other driver.
On that note you’re right it’s scary if we’ve really got drivers of large vehicles applying such bat zb crazy logic on the approach to junctions etc.
Terry T:
But at night on an empty road and slip road, they’re on their own.
That’s the type of logic which just didn’t exist in the speed regime of pre limiter night trunking at least,by necessity.There are no situations,in which vehicles that are on a converging course,such as an entry slip road,should be seen as it not being the responsibility of both drivers to do their best to avoid any potential conflict situation.On that note ‘at night on an empty road’ you’re preferably going to be in lane 2 long before the entry slip anyway as a matter of course regardless of if there’s a truck or a car on the slip road or even nothing at all.Just like if there is something on the hard shoulder.IE it’s a potential hazard that needs to be dealt with accordingly.
truckman020:
on motorway roadworks where us hgv drivers are banned from the lane two I keep going at 50mph when passing an entry ramp,the vehicles entering the motorway have to give way to you anyway[even if you are a car driver]if they choose to pull onto the motorway and sideswipe you they are in the wrong,you have the perfect excuse,ie,sorry I am not allowed in the second lane and anyway you have to give way when entering a motorway,that is what I would say to a car driver who causes the accident,what could the police say,you are following the rules set by the highways agency
thought you only got them in America … “slip road please”
Terry T:
There’s been quite a few times this week I’ve had to take evasive action to allow a stream of cars sitting 3 feet from each other’s bumpers access onto the motorway. One time the hard shoulder was coned off so a guaranteed game of skittles had I not backed off.
But at night on an empty road and slip road, they’re on their own.
Lets get our facts right there are no lane one, two or three. We drive on the left in this country, so the left hand lane is the driving lane any lanes to your right are therefore overtaking lanes, even when the lane on the left is being repaired. The first overtaking lane becomes the driving lane.
If the driver in front is under the the stated speed limit adjust your speed to keep a safe gap and when the opportunity arises overtake and move back into the driving lane.
Before you all slate me try taking the advance motorist written driving paper, I got 95%.
Wrinkly:
Lets get our facts right there are no lane one, two or three. We drive on the left in this country, so the left hand lane is the driving lane any lanes to your right are therefore overtaking lanes, even when the lane on the left is being repaired. The first overtaking lane becomes the driving lane.
If the driver in front is under the the stated speed limit adjust your speed to keep a safe gap and when the opportunity arises overtake and move back into the driving lane.
Before you all slate me try taking the advance motorist written driving paper, I got 95%.
I am not slating you, but lanes need to be numbered to identify them, 1 near side 2 middle 3 outer lane, in road works the notifications identify the lanes restricted lanes should be obvious by their notification , personally I will go with the flow, if a car is doing 40 on the middle lane then I will cruise past him at 50 on the inside lane and I have had police cars follow me with no ill effects… Do not do this at home
If truck drivers are purposefully using the size of their vehicle to deliberately intimidate other road users by riding inches from the bumper in front at high speeds, especially where the vehicle in front is travelling at the prescribed speed limit, then I would be happy for them to be pulled by police and the matter referred to the traffic commissioner as there would be a big question mark as to their suitability to hold a HGV license.
Trouble is there are too many nobs driving trucks nowadays, that think they are the most important person on the road because some spotty faced kid in the transport office is on their case.
