Oversize lorries causing 'bedlam' on rural roads

[lycanthrope]

Lorry drivers ignoring weight restrictions on minor roads are causing “bedlam” in rural communities, the Local Government Association has said.

The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, said there had been a “spate of accidents” recently.

And it said councils “urgently need tougher powers” to tackle the issue.

But the government said police already had the “necessary power to take action” and it had “no plans” to give local authorities more powers.

Driving a lorry into a road where it breaks height or weight restrictions is punishable with a fixed penalty notice of £50 - though serious cases can go to court, where penalties can be much higher.

Local authorities in Wales and London have been given powers to use against lorry drivers who break the law, the LGA said.

It said police did not always have the resources to enforce road weight and width restrictions, so all councils must be given powers to do so.
Beer truck crash

“There has been a spate of accidents involving lorry drivers driving irresponsibly and bringing bedlam to small rural communities - and action must be taken immediately to curb this,” LGA transport spokesman Peter Box said.

“Councils are doing everything they can to help their residents, but they are trying to take action with one hand tied behind their back and urgently need tougher powers.”

Incidents cited by the LGA include a lorry crashing into a tree in Iwade, Kent, and a 40ft articulated beer truck hitting houses and bringing down power lines in Uffculme, Devon.

In another case, a driver had to sleep in his cab for three nights in Ivybridge, Devon, after his satnav led him into a narrow lane where his lorry got stuck.

Christopher Snelling, of the Freight Transport Association, said: “We fully support enforcement of weight and width restrictions and actively help our members to adhere to these with regular updates on regulations and industry innovations.”

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "The government welcomes the fact that local authorities are taking this issue seriously and working closely with communities.

“The police already have the necessary power to take action where it is needed, and there are no plans at present to give local authorities greater powers to enforce moving traffic contraventions.”

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33201181

[liberty_guy]

Trouble is some of those drops are within the 7.5 tonne weight limits. Builders merchants, oil and gas tankers and those delivering to people’s homes are all ones that readily spring to mind. On bigger stuff you have things like farm equipment, modular buildings etc all having to venture in to where the customer is at.

You get lorries jammed in town centres too, when satnavs take them down inappropriate roads.

[switchlogic]

LIBERTY_GUY:
You get lorries jammed in town centres too, when satnavs take them down inappropriate roads.

Oh, I didn’t realise self driving trucks were on the road already

[liberty_guy]

switchlogic:

LIBERTY_GUY:
You get lorries jammed in town centres too, when satnavs take them down inappropriate roads.

Oh, I didn’t realise self driving trucks were on the road already

The satnav told me to turn left - I didn’t realise anything was wrong till my cab took off the height barrier of the multi storey carpark.

The satnav told me to turn right - I naturally assumed it knew the river was there.

The satnav flashed up ‘GAME OVER’ does anyone know what this means?

With the best will in the world, overhanging trees in country lanes are something that won’t show on any maps and you only find out about when you venture down them. Likewise the street in the towns, where parked cars prevent your planned route from being completed.

[happysack]

This week I have been loading up a small lane. Done a bit of pruning going in and out of there. It’s about 2 miles up the road with only one place to pass anything bigger than a car. Can’t go in between 8&9 in case you meet the school bus.

[conor]

There’s some signed HGV routes to Minsterley from the A5 which look like that lane except they also have high banks on each side as well.

[topmixer11]

simples dont go down them if you do not have delivery or permission then NO CRIME NO FINE i got stopped once as i was causing congestion up in nottingham area police happened too be coming up towards me SLOWLY as i negotiated road ASKED ME FOR REASONS WHY im in village 7.5 access only showed them delivery note THEY CLEARED MY WAY happy days ,said if i had not of had note and was cutting through like some BIG TROUBLES

[nodding_donkey]

topmixer11:
simples dont go down them if you do not have delivery or permission then NO CRIME NO FINE i got stopped once as i was causing congestion up in nottingham area police happened too be coming up towards me SLOWLY as i negotiated road ASKED ME FOR REASONS WHY im in village 7.5 access only showed them delivery note THEY CLEARED MY WAY happy days ,said if i had not of had note and was cutting through like some BIG TROUBLES

AND NORFOLK ENCHANTS WINS BY A NOSE…

[ollienotts]

‘My mate’ got stuck in the arse end of nowhere once looking for a nursery and found himself on the address road but it was a dead end, big farm at the top no one about so cheeky daft he drives in to turn around…on the way out he took the telephone cables down
Rang his boss who said has anyone come out to see what the noise was, no one had so he was told to get the ■■■■ away asap before anyone sees the company phone number

[roadhog69]

Its not just rural roads but narrow roads in small towns and villages. Near me is an old town with a badly signed 7.5 tonnes limit but with a good bypass. Often encounter attics who clearly wish they had never used the town Last week was a transporter (S!) going to local Land Rover dealership on the industrial estate and two Aldi trucks for the store on the same estate, also an Argos and Tossco trucks. When I was at a large RDC we could get a printout of the risk assessment, map and directions for particular store, so can only assume not all companies provide this. However, is it not logical that large car showrooms and superstores are not in the centre of small towns and likely to be close to bypasses? It would also seem that there is a need for paper maps alongside satnavs.

[tris]

roadhog69:
Its not just rural roads but narrow roads in small towns and villages. Near me is an old town with a badly signed 7.5 tonnes limit but with a good bypass. Often encounter attics who clearly wish they had never used the town Last week was a transporter (S!) going to local Land Rover dealership on the industrial estate and two Aldi trucks for the store on the same estate, also an Argos and Tossco trucks. When I was at a large RDC we could get a printout of the risk assessment, map and directions for particular store, so can only assume not all companies provide this. However, is it not logical that large car showrooms and superstores are not in the centre of small towns and likely to be close to bypasses? It would also seem that there is a need for paper maps alongside satnavs.

Don’t think there’s any need for paper maps at all now apart from a UK road atlas, if you zoom in on your sat nav, add way points, and use google earth (including street view) you can programme a Sat Nav to get you from a to b with no problems. The only time I’ve had issues is when I rush and just put the address in.

[suedehead]

roadhog69:
Its not just rural roads but narrow roads in small towns and villages. Near me is an old town with a badly signed 7.5 tonnes limit but with a good bypass. Often encounter attics who clearly wish they had never used the town Last week was a transporter (S!) going to local Land Rover dealership on the industrial estate and two Aldi trucks for the store on the same estate, also an Argos and Tossco trucks. When I was at a large RDC we could get a printout of the risk assessment, map and directions for particular store, so can only assume not all companies provide this. However, is it not logical that large car showrooms and superstores are not in the centre of small towns and likely to be close to bypasses? It would also seem that there is a need for paper maps alongside satnavs.

Are they of a lofty appearance ?

[paulnowak]

I love it when they say 7.5t limit “except for access/loading”

The road is either suitable or it isn’t

[the-snowman]

PaulNowak:
I love it when they say 7.5t limit “except for access/loading”

The road is either suitable or it isn’t

Ive always wondered that.
Sometimes ill just batter on through it. Well,if I need access to the other side then technically im still legal!

[fatboy_slimslow]

PaulNowak:
I love it when they say 7.5t limit “except for access/loading”

The road is either suitable or it isn’t

NIMBYs

[robroy]

There was some councilor or MP on the radio yesterday, was it Balfour or somebody?.He sounded a right posh pompous prick anyway, and he came out with something like ‘‘THESE lorry drivers need to learn’’ …he may as well have been saying these vermin.
Another reporter was interviewing a girl that owned a hairdresser’s salon in a high st where they were trying to get trucks banned from. He wasn’t exactly interviewing her, more like putting words in her mouth with leading questions like ‘When these trucks are thundering (:roll: ) past your shop, they must be throwing a lot of dirt and dust in, and rattling the foundations are they not’’
This is the sort of crap we are up against, we should be looked on as a necessary service provider, not a necessary evil that is reluctantly tolerated.

[syramax]

happysack:
0

that looks quite wide compared to some of the places we get sent, we deliver bespoke wooden windows and they are often destined to a far flung country cottage that someone is renovating . seen some beautiful / scenic places mind .

[bertiebus]

I deliver daily onto the sites at buckshaw village chorley.
Home of the worst nimbys going.
Dont want trucks parking anywhere. Or passing throu the centre of the village.
Get 3 complaints weekly from 1 guy about me parking in the village…he gets same reply every time!
The trucks doing deliverys to a property.
And now i have a guy who moved into his house 3 weeks ago who complains every time i drive to the unfinished house’s at the end of his road.
Even the site agents had enough of his whinging.

[robroy]

I do a lot of farm deliveries in Devon and Cornwall, enogh said , some of the A roads there are like Bs, so the unclassifieds are a real eye opener. I always prior ring for directions and access, but have often thought I must have took a wrong turn some of the places I am sent to and am constantly looking for potential turn around spots just in case. Some I have refused to go to if they cannot guarantee artic access and turn around, by verifying that they have had artics there in the past. Some tell me that they have, but l later discover they have been short arsed tippers, so turning around aint exactly easy in those places. An inexperienced newbie would have big probs I reckon.

[win-stone]

As I said on one of the other forums, I live and work in that part of the UK that calls Inverness ‘Doon Sooth’…

… and the roads that the LGA (and others!) are complaining about are, for vast tracts of The Highlands, like bl[zb]dy motorways!

Oh, to have something that WIDE!