The company I drive for through their agency delayed the changeover from analogue tachos to digital by replacing the fleet with the last of the vehicles to be fitted with analogue tachos.This last few months we now have quite a number of digital tachos as the fleet is being replaced again.
Most of us drivers have had a digi card for some time so that when the digi tachos came in we would be prepared,I think we have all,employed and agency drivers,been trained up on digi tachos now.
From time to time,our office gives us a reminder of our responsibilities regarding our obligations to comply with all the laws that we are subject to.
No bad thing,everyone needs to be on their toes,and the employers “O” licence is dependant on the conduct of it’s drivers.
The latest reminder made me think though,are some of the points expected of the wheel tappers just that bit over the top?Is it even law?
I know there was a thread recently where most of you gave your view or knowledge on overspeeding,but is this point here,actually in law,a just some over zealous wheel tapper?.
The reminder states:
VOSA are getting very keen on over speeding,so much so,that a vehicle was given an immediate prohibition for travelling at 91 kmh.
Therefore,you really have to take into consideration utilising fully the exhaust/secondary braking system earlier than you have done in the past.
If this is now in law,it’s obviously another one brought in by some ■■■■■ that don’t hold a HGV licence and have no idea what driving a truck is all about!
Our Axors,and Volvos,as most trucks these days,when running on cruise control have the exhauster come in automaticallyt 2mph over whatever speed the cruise control is set at. Therefore if you are at 56 mph on the motorway,if you overspeed on a down grade,the exhauster comes in at 58mph giving you some automatic control to keep you below the supposed speed limit of 60mph.
I had a digi tacho last Saturday and thought,OK,I’ll try and do as asked.
Now trying to monitor your speed to within 1 kmh using the speedometer is not possible unless there is a digital display.Trying to keep your eye on the digital display on the tacho,above your head,is just bloody dangerous.I tried seting the cruise control to 54mph,but when loaded,within seconds on a slight down grade I was up to 91-92 kmh.
I spent the whole trip speeding up and slowing down,trying to maintain momentum,but had to input all the time.Now this makes all these modern gizmos to make life easier for the driver like cruise control totally useless.
Therefore the only way I can see of staying well safe is to set the cruise control at 52mph,as an hourly paid driver,I can earn more by staying out of the danger zone!
VOSA are getting very keen on over speeding,so much so,that a vehicle was given an immediate prohibition for travelling at 91 kmh.
Therefore,you really have to take into consideration utilising fully the exhaust/secondary braking system earlier than you have done in the past.
Your office is making up lies. VOSA don’t give a toss about overspeeding down hills. They’re only tightening up on incorrectly calibrated speed limiters, targetting wagons who average over 90KPH, not those who spend 5 minutes over 90KPH as they descend Windy Hills. VOSA are likely to have given a prohibition to one of your companies’ wagons that had the limiter set over 90KPH.
geebee45:
OK I’ll admit that I’m confused as to why so many folk in the UK get vexed about overspeed on digital tachos. If the overspeed report says you were doing 94 km/h for 2 minutes why should I care? Now, 94 km/h for 10 minutes is a different matter as that tends to indicate that the speed limiter is / was defective, don’t think there are many ‘10 minute’ hills in the UK.
geebee45:
The legislation governing digital tachograph fitting and use (1360/2002) says that the overspeed trigger point will be set to the maximum authorised speed of the speed limitation device for that class of vehicle. For most trucks the set speed of the speedlimiter will be 85 km/h, the vehicle is allowed to ‘free power’ to 90 km/h. The ‘overspeed warning’ trigger will be set to 90 km/h.
The trigger speed can only be set using a Workshop Card (calibration centre) if the overspeed trigger is set higher than the legal value, the vehicle will be issued with a a Prohibition Notice.
I know there was a thread recently where most of you gave your view or knowledge on overspeeding,but is this point here,actually in law
If ‘overspeeding’ in itself was illegal then the EXPERT would have said so.
my renault is like yours on cruise, if its set at 56 it’ll rolll on to 58 before the secondary brake kicks in. After maybe 30 or 40 seconds the taco will beep with an overspeed warning, after a minute it beeps again and you actually have to accept that you were over speeding by clicking ok to clear the message. I assume its at this second beep that it will make a note of an overspeed on the vu. I normally allow it to run on down hill as its not normally for long and if the speed limit is 60 wheres the problem?
Anyone know of anyone who’s had the vu checked by vosa and been fined for a short over speed like this?
bestbooties:
The company I drive for through their agency delayed the changeover from analogue tachos to digital by replacing the fleet with the last of the vehicles to be fitted with analogue tachos.This last few months we now have quite a number of digital tachos as the fleet is being replaced again.
Most of us drivers have had a digi card for some time so that when the digi tachos came in we would be prepared,I think we have all,employed and agency drivers,been trained up on digi tachos now.
From time to time,our office gives us a reminder of our responsibilities regarding our obligations to comply with all the laws that we are subject to.
No bad thing,everyone needs to be on their toes,and the employers “O” licence is dependant on the conduct of it’s drivers.
The latest reminder made me think though,are some of the points expected of the wheel tappers just that bit over the top?Is it even law?
I know there was a thread recently where most of you gave your view or knowledge on overspeeding,but is this point here,actually in law,a just some over zealous wheel tapper?.
The reminder states:
VOSA are getting very keen on over speeding,so much so,that a vehicle was given an immediate prohibition for travelling at 91 kmh.
Therefore,you really have to take into consideration utilising fully the exhaust/secondary braking system earlier than you have done in the past.
If this is now in law,it’s obviously another one brought in by some [zb] that don’t hold a HGV licence and have no idea what driving a truck is all about!
Our Axors,and Volvos,as most trucks these days,when running on cruise control have the exhauster come in automaticallyt 2mph over whatever speed the cruise control is set at. Therefore if you are at 56 mph on the motorway,if you overspeed on a down grade,the exhauster comes in at 58mph giving you some automatic control to keep you below the supposed speed limit of 60mph.
I had a digi tacho last Saturday and thought,OK,I’ll try and do as asked.
Now trying to monitor your speed to within 1 kmh using the speedometer is not possible unless there is a digital display.Trying to keep your eye on the digital display on the tacho,above your head,is just bloody dangerous.I tried seting the cruise control to 54mph,but when loaded,within seconds on a slight down grade I was up to 91-92 kmh.
I spent the whole trip speeding up and slowing down,trying to maintain momentum,but had to input all the time.Now this makes all these modern gizmos to make life easier for the driver like cruise control totally useless.
Therefore the only way I can see of staying well safe is to set the cruise control at 52mph,as an hourly paid driver,I can earn more by staying out of the danger zone!
The simplest way to look at the issue is that we’ve effectively got a 50mph limit being imposed on a 60 mph road.And to think that the yanks nearly had a revolution over the double nickel.
As long as your engine doesn’t power the truck past 90kmh and you don’t free wheel it past 60mph, nothing else matters. The tacho can flash up overspeed all it wants when you are free wheeling between 56 and 60 mph and it doesn’t mean anything.
Silver_Surfer:
As long as your engine doesn’t power the truck past 90kmh and you don’t free wheel it past 60mph, nothing else matters. The tacho can flash up overspeed all it wants when you are free wheeling between 56 and 60 mph and it doesn’t mean anything.
Firstly I would have thought speeding is something the Police would need to enforce not VOSA, and as the offence of speeding needs to be proven with a calibrated speedo, so whatever speed your tacho might have recorded, so long as it’s calibrated & working correctly even if it says you drove at 150mph thats nothing to do with VOSA.
Are you also saying if I had my truck’s limiter altered to 98kph (60mph) or even simply disabled I comiting some kind of offence ? Even if I dont actually break any speeding laws ?
Secretelephant:
Are you also saying if I had my truck’s limiter altered to 98kph (60mph) or even simply disabled I comiting some kind of offence ? Even if I dont actually break any speeding laws ?
See what the EXPERT says about that a few posts above
Secretelephant:
Are you also saying if I had my truck’s limiter altered to 98kph (60mph) or even simply disabled I comiting some kind of offence ? Even if I dont actually break any speeding laws ?
Yes. EU regulations require that all HGVs >12t registered after 1/1/1988 are mandatorily fitted with a speed restriction device that is calibrated to 85KPH on a rolling road.
If you have a lorry registered after the old E reg and the limiter doesn’t work then you’re committing an offence. If you have a limiter that is set much over 85KPH, you’re committing an offence.
Whilst you’re not breaking the law in regards to speeding, you are breaking the law in regards to Construction and Use.
Conor:
Yes. EU regulations require that all HGVs >12t registered after 1/1/1988 are mandatorily fitted with a speed restriction device that is calibrated to 85KPH on a rolling road.
The regulation reads that the engine should be fitted with a device that cuts the power at speeds above 85 kph with a +/-4kph margin.
My firm use Trutac for analysis, it was mentioned to me by our Tachograph Dept supervisor that more and more driver infringements were being flagged up for overspeeds. It was clearly drivers just freewheeling down hills etc, as none of the overspeeds were for more than a few minutes. I actually suggested that we should get the overspeed analysis tool on Trutac disabled as I feel that drivers were being lumbered with unnecessary infringements when there really is no issue.
As someone has commented previously, there is an obviously an innocent explanation for occasional overspeeds of two or three minutes, if, however the overspeed is for ten minutes or more then it is rather more sinister.
Simon71:
I actually suggested that we should get the overspeed analysis tool on Trutac disabled as I feel that drivers were being lumbered with unnecessary infringements when there really is no issue.
These unnecessary infringements were invented to keep the analysis companies in business, after all they have lost much of the analogue business and the manufactured infringement of “failure to subtract start from finish kilometres” and “writing your name in the wrong order” on the centre field.
They go into the annals of room 101 along with the minimum distance to the bunk, etc.
Whatever about whatever, stick to the below and you’ll be fine.
Silver_Surfer:
As long as your engine doesn’t power the truck past 90kmh and you don’t free wheel it past 60mph, nothing else matters. The tacho can flash up overspeed all it wants when you are free wheeling between 56 and 60 mph and it doesn’t mean anything.
Most Vosa probly wouldn’t be that arsed if you do go a few mph above 60mph here or there on a down hill, I think they’re more interested that your truck isn’t powered beyond 56mph
The 1986 Regulations were amended by S.I. 2004/2102 and 2005/3170 so as to implement Directive 2002/85/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No. L57, 4.12.2002, p.327), which amended Council Directive 92/6/EC on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain categories of motor vehicles in the Community
C&U 1986 covers things like seat belts, glazing and lighting, although even these are overtaken by European Type Approval.
A French, Belgian or Polish truck do not need to conform to any UK C&U regulations. They all meet European Type Approval though
? Even if I dont actually break any speeding laws ?