Are there many overtaking bans in Europe for trucks? If so, which countries are the worst for this?
ezydriver:
Are there many overtaking bans in Europe for trucks? If so, which countries are the worst for this?
Yes!!
In my limited experience Germany is the worst, Miles and miles of Autobahn with overtaking bans. But I’ve also seen them in France and Spain mainly on hill sections and Italy, mainly in the tunnels.
no overtaking in the rain in belgium , holland has no overtaking at certain times of the day ,
AUSTRIA Swiss too luxembourg in places uk too so they say
but germany must be the worst even on 3 and some 4 lane autobahn sections no overtaking
Any sign that these bans may soon get lifted? They only seem to be in place in order to lift the frustration from car drivers. Yet they contribute to the majority of congestion in the first place. What a ridiculous ban, I’ve never agreed with overtaking bans like that. The M42 and A14 are awful at these parts.
ezydriver:
Any sign that these bans may soon get lifted? They only seem to be in place in order to lift the frustration from car drivers. Yet they contribute to the majority of congestion in the first place. What a ridiculous ban, I’ve never agreed with overtaking bans like that. The M42 and A14 are awful at these parts.
It was on German radio a week or two ago that they are considering placing overtaking bans on ALL two lane autobahns between 6am and 7pm.
This is due to a large number of accidents recently involving trucks.
Personally I think they should put limiters on the bloody cars and educate the car driver’s!
In places Germany is incredibly bad for overtaking bans. Three lane motorways with slow moving queues of trucks that can stretch as far back as the eye can see, while the other two lanes are all but empty, then a few k’s further on, on an identical section of motorway, the ban is lifted, only to be put back in place again in another 5 k’s for no apparant reason what so ever!
Someone had told me that as of January 1st next year, overtaking by trucks on all two lane motorways will be banned in Belgium, although I have not read anything anywhere to confirm it, so maybe its just a false rumour?
THE increase of overtakeing bans is due to many reasons
one of which is that with lorrys haveing a limiter it takes a
much longer time for a lorry to overtake,YOU should note
that if you can not overtake the lorry in front with 10kmh or
then be prepared to get a fine if stopped by the german
police. if you over take in a no overtakeing area then you
can recive not only a fine. but also points and a driveing ban
The minimum speed limits are a simple idea in Germany. If the middle lane says 80kmh you are already banned from overtaking if you cannot maintain that speed.
In Holland now there are also many no overtaking bans between 7am and 1900
Three lane motorways with slow moving queues of trucks that can stretch as far back as the eye can see, while the other two lanes are all but empty,
There is something so wrong with that. I’m suprised truck drivers have not made more of an issue about it. You could lose quite a lot of time, and also, a truck driver with that level of frustration is not really the safest person on the road.
I feel overtaking bans are pathetic. Are the majority of European motorways still largely ban free though? Or is it only something like 50%? What the deal out there?
ezydriver:
Three lane motorways with slow moving queues of trucks that can stretch as far back as the eye can see, while the other two lanes are all but empty,
There is something so wrong with that. I’m suprised truck drivers have not made more of an issue about it. You could lose quite a lot of time, and also, a truck driver with that level of frustration is not really the safest person on the road.
I feel overtaking bans are pathetic. Are the majority of European motorways still largely ban free though? Or is it only something like 50%? What the deal out there?
Yes, you can lose quite a lot of time in Germany because of the overtaking bans, especially in hilly areas, which happen to be quite a lot of the country. The worst thing is being behind a heavily laden old clapped out Polish or Russian motor that does say 25mph up every hill, and by the time the ban ends, its either down hill or flat and he’s sped up so you cant get past him and end up being stuck behind him again at the next hill and overtaking ban. Plus whenever a junction comes up, you’ve got cars doing kamakaze (sp?) manouvers trying to push in and leave the motorway at the last minute. I do really love driving in Germany but this is really one thing that I do hate, but it will never get better, after all, the fast and efficient movement of freight and commerce isn’t really important to an economy is it?!?!?!
As for the rest of Europe, it really does vary, I’m not sure what percentage but lets just say that its one heck of a change from driving in the UK where overtaking bans are all but non-existant. I wouldn’t say its quite 50% but I may be wrong, especially as in many places, the bans are applicable only during the day, or morning and evening rush hour. The one good thing is that over there, you dont really tend to get many companies fannying about limiting their trucks to slower speeds than the 90kph norm. If it came in over here, there’d be a mile queue behind every Maritime or Chep truck!
Maritime or Chep truck!
ha ha ha, you can add all the shopping trolleys to that too. Thats really funny because the first thing I thought of when I imagined it happening here is a chep truck with six miles of trucks behind it.
So if you’re stuck in a line of trucks in one of these overtaking ban areas, would you normally be travelling at around 90kph? ish. On the flat sections I mean. I know the hills are another story.
Does anybody know if these bans are fulfiling their purpose? If they are statistically reducing accidents. Or if they are affecting the economy in any way. They must have some marginal impact at least.
Or am I just thinking too much about it? I just hate all the restrictions over the last few years, the freedom of the Truck driver is getting severely limited and that was one of the attractions of the job.
ezydriver:
Maritime or Chep truck!
ha ha ha, you can add all the shopping trolleys to that too. Thats really funny because the first thing I thought of when I imagined it happening here is a chep truck with six miles of trucks behind it.
So if you’re stuck in a line of trucks in one of these overtaking ban areas, would you normally be travelling at around 90kph? ish. On the flat sections I mean. I know the hills are another story.
Does anybody know if these bans are fulfiling their purpose? If they are statistically reducing accidents. Or if they are affecting the economy in any way. They must have some marginal impact at least.
Or am I just thinking too much about it? I just hate all the restrictions over the last few years, the freedom of the Truck driver is getting severely limited and that was one of the attractions of the job.
To be fair the overtaking bans are not new. The difference is that a few years ago we were stuck behind F Troop (Romtrans) in their underpowered fuel saving mode of transport. Now they are stuck behind us with their new economy and fleets of modern trucks
ezydriver:
So if you’re stuck in a line of trucks in one of these overtaking ban areas, would you normally be travelling at around 90kph? ish. On the flat sections I mean. I know the hills are another story.Does anybody know if these bans are fulfiling their purpose? If they are statistically reducing accidents. Or if they are affecting the economy in any way. They must have some marginal impact at least.
Or am I just thinking too much about it? I just hate all the restrictions over the last few years, the freedom of the Truck driver is getting severely limited and that was one of the attractions of the job.
In Germany you may well be travelling at 80kmp on flat sections as that is the speed limit, but one that 99% of all trucks totally disregard, but you do find the odd one doing it occasionally. Normally on the flat sections where everyone is going say 90ish, it all just spreads out nicely and moves well enough though.
On the one hand yes you have all these traffic restrictions in Europe but I prefere that to all the paperwork, legislation and red-tape you get here just to opperate a truck to begin with. At the end of the day I see myself as a trucker, not a HGV operative as I call those who prat about with their tachos (obsessive mode changing with regards the wtd), doing as little work as possible, home every night, doing 10hr days and having an obsession with being seen by everybody else as proffesional when in my opinion they are everything but. I know my little rant is off topic now but I think professionalism is demonstrated by work ethic, not my pen pushing and filling in paperwork. So I’ll take German autobahns over British beaureaucracy in the workplace any day. To be honest, I always tell people that the worst thing about driving abroad, is the coming back here again. The feel good factor of being homeward bound as you drive across Germany, Holland, Belgium and into Calais is instantly wiped away as I pull out of Dover and onto the M20!
Okay…I’ll shut up now 
i have found in holland when you can not overtake thay all seem to do 80 ks then when you can thay find the power to do 90 ks . allso in germany as well . that ■■■■■■ me off.
boost:
i have found in holland when you can not overtake thay all seem to do 80 ks then when you can thay find the power to do 90 ks . allso in germany as well . that ■■■■■■ me off.
So I’m not the only one then!!! I had an idiot doing that with me for ages the other week on the A14 between Magedeburg and Halle. It does seem to be a common trait over there for some reason.
As far as im concerned we can thank stupid limiters for all this no overtakin crap,having to wait for a hill so gravity can take over etc.
A bit like that trial section by dunkerque,thats one long trial,and everytime i go along there you get the local bus doing 40 mph 
Unfortunatly, i dont know,but i’ve heard they are doing it over here now,bet the car drivers love that,they’re the ones who need the limiters,can someone explain why is it you can buy a car or bike that can do 160 mph when the limit is 70,seems a bit daft to me.
As far as the no passing goes,if you are out in the other lane but dont pass anything can you still be nicked?
No overtaking in the rain in belguim,whatever next?they really do treat us like we are spasticated.
Anyway when they bring in no overtaking everywhere over here they wont have any trouble selling it cos no car or bus driver will dissagree with it cos they’re journey , need and ability to get on is far more important than ours,we just have to take it and get stressed out creeping along keep catching up slowing down ,cant help it it just annoys me,good ol limiters,solved it all,whatever it was.
I look forward to the day when cars n bikes have limiters,all stuck at the same speed give or take point nothing of an mph,see the accidents,the punch ups etc,as i whizz past in either my crusader,transcon or capri.
I know went off on a bit of a tangent there but no overtaking is coming soon everywhere for us,but what are we gonna do to stop it.
Am i right in saying that tankers are only able to do 50mph on the motorways? they just ■■■■ the whole job up in the no overtaking areas!
adr tankers are sposed to be 80 k
foodstuffs 90 k
ive noticed also in germany that when you get to a two lane section where there is an overtaking ban there is a long snake of traffic with some plum at the front doing just under 80k’s.
i have no idea why it is so and then when the overtaking ban is lifted there florr it back to 90k’s