So was driving up the A1 and the HGV infront of me starts to cross the white line into the hard shoulder. He gets about half way into the hard shoulder and then eases back into the live lane.
1 min later he does it again, 80% of his truck into the hard shoulder, then makes a sharp correction back into lane 1 narrowly missing a cone and some temporary traffic signs on the hard shoulder.
I’m like wtf is he doing. So I tried to pull up alongside him to make sure he’s ok, but am limited to 53. He’s also doing 53. I pull into lane 2 (of 3) to make sure no traffic is getting close to him.
He drifts off a few more times but not as bad as before. He always drifts off to the left and never to the right into lane 2 (so doesn’t endanger other traffic at any point). I have 999 dialed on my phone, but never actually press the call button. (In case I think it’s a medical emergency). However as I never manage to pull up alongside him, I don’t know what’s going on…
I follow him for 10 miles, trying to pull up alongside him to see into his cab but never managed it. Eventually he indicates right and accelerates to 56 and along he goes.
After the initial swerve into the hard shoulder, he does it again about 4/5 times but not as bad.
So what would you do?
Ironically on the way back down the A1 later in the day, the same but this time with a Class 1. He does it a couple of times but then seems fine after that.
!) He really has nodded off. Copious use of flashing headlights and horn on your part, if you’re close enough. If it persists, either dial 999 or, if you’ve got the dashboard keypad and Bluetooth like a Merc, and there’s a contact number on the back, dial it. Good on you for protecting him from other traffic.
He’s on the phone; in my experience, more likely. Solution as per above; added bonus he might drop the ■■■■ thing thinking it’s a copper, and break it.
I wouldn’t feel guilty about “bubbling” the driver to his employer BTW. If he’s doing that sort of thing, either deliberately cos he ain’t concentrating, or not because he’s nodding off he’s a serious danger to both himself and others.
You did the right thing going into lane 2 but i wouldn’t be trying to get along side him in case he swipes you! Just stay in lane 2 & if he comes across to the right try to warn anything coming up your outside.
Personally i wouldn’t be calling the company/owner of the vehicle, would call police if it persists for too long
Probably on the phone/rolling a smoke/pouring a coffee/watching a movie or all the above. If that’s the case he deserves plod catching him.
What would I do? Nothing. At the most I’d ease back from him so overtaking traffic could see him for longer with an unobscured view but that’s it. I’m not his moral guardian nor am I a traffic cop.
Sound your horn to alert him of your presence then ease back to a safe distance.
Swerving + slowing down usually means that they are using a mobile phone.
No reaction? Ease off some more to avoid the potential catastrophe that they may cause
the maoster:
What would I do? Nothing. At the most I’d ease back from him so overtaking traffic could see him for longer with an unobscured view but that’s it. I’m not his moral guardian nor am I a traffic cop.
Beat me to it mate,.I was waiting for the ‘‘I’d call the Police’’ crew to jump in.
Me?..I’d stay well back from in and get past him first chance I had.
Cue the…‘‘What if he wiped out your family’’ chestnut,.well what if he just cracked on regardless and nothing happened.
yourhavingalarf:
The third one being it never happened at all.
You don’t do night trunking do you? Happens often, usually when you manage to pass them they’re watching something on a tablet or their mobile phone.
I did have one guy I would regularly come across on the A1, like all who do the same trunks regularly you get to recognise vehicles you come across often. I’d often catch him up at Wetherby services and over the course of a few months he got worse and worse. Not doing anything untowards, both hands on the wheel when you passed him, no screens lighting up the cab but obviously struggling to keep awake. He wasn’t a young guy either, looked like he should’ve been retired years ago. Eventually phoned up his employer and had a chat with the transport manager, said he wasn’t doing anything he shouldn’t but suggesting maybe he was starting to struggle doing nights.
yourhavingalarf:
The third one being it never happened at all.
You don’t do night trunking do you?
I did it…
For 15 years or so.
I’m not doing this with you Conor.
You can’t tell me you’ve not seen drivers weaving down the road if you’ve done nights. The only way to not have seen that is to have driven with your eyes closed. I’ll be honest I don’t think you’ve ever driven lorries given how you seem to never have experience what everyone else apparently has.
You just NEVER learn do you.
Nodded off?..That’s exactly what ended your night trunk career when somebody dobbed you in to your guvnor on the A1 at Wetherby that night…
Muddy K:
So was driving up the A1 and the HGV infront of me starts to cross the white line into the hard shoulder. He gets about half way into the hard shoulder and then eases back into the live lane.
1 min later he does it again, 80% of his truck into the hard shoulder, then makes a sharp correction back into lane 1 narrowly missing a cone and some temporary traffic signs on the hard shoulder.
I’m like wtf is he doing. So I tried to pull up alongside him to make sure he’s ok, but am limited to 53. He’s also doing 53. I pull into lane 2 (of 3) to make sure no traffic is getting close to him.
He drifts off a few more times but not as bad as before. He always drifts off to the left and never to the right into lane 2 (so doesn’t endanger other traffic at any point). I have 999 dialed on my phone, but never actually press the call button. (In case I think it’s a medical emergency). However as I never manage to pull up alongside him, I don’t know what’s going on…
I follow him for 10 miles, trying to pull up alongside him to see into his cab but never managed it. Eventually he indicates right and accelerates to 56 and along he goes.
After the initial swerve into the hard shoulder, he does it again about 4/5 times but not as bad.
So what would you do?
Ironically on the way back down the A1 later in the day, the same but this time with a Class 1. He does it a couple of times but then seems fine after that.
I personally would have done the same as you Muddy, it’s just common sense.
9 times out of ten it’s because they’re either on the phone or reading/doing paperwork. Especially if driving slower than their limiter. In that case I sometimes honk at them as I pass them, almost never a reaction
Conor:
. I’ll be honest I don’t think you’ve ever driven lorries given how you seem to never have experience what everyone else apparently has.
I agree! I reckon that neither YHAL nor that uppity Punchard fella who you also accused of being a fantasist have never set foot in anything larger than a Micra
You just NEVER learn do you.
Nodded off?..That’s exactly what ended your night trunk career when somebody dobbed you in to your guvnor on the A1 at Wetherby that night…
Oh…
You know about that as well?
I know who told you and it’s nothing like what he said it was and my gaffer said he really didn’t want to let me go (but did anyway).
Conor:
. I’ll be honest I don’t think you’ve ever driven lorries given how you seem to never have experience what everyone else apparently has.
I agree! I reckon that neither YHAL nor that uppity Punchard fella who you also accused of being a fantasist have never set foot in anything larger than a Micra
To be fair…
I don’t think the uppity Mr Punchard drives lorries either.
Conor:
. I’ll be honest I don’t think you’ve ever driven lorries given how you seem to never have experience what everyone else apparently has.
I agree! I reckon that neither YHAL nor that uppity Punchard fella who you also accused of being a fantasist have never set foot in anything larger than a Micra
To be fair…
I don’t think the uppity Mr Punchard drives lorries either.
You just NEVER learn do you.
Nodded off?..That’s exactly what ended your night trunk career when somebody dobbed you in to your guvnor on the A1 at Wetherby that night…
Oh…
You know about that as well?
I know who told you and it’s nothing like what he said it was and my gaffer said he really didn’t want to let me go (but did anyway).
Think you got wrong end of stick mate, it was my (bad) attempt at a joke.
Conor reckoned he dobbed some poor sod in , for what HE considered driving without DC & A, on the A1 at Wetherby, so I was implying that it was YOU that he dropped in it.
Just a bad attempt at humour.
So …whatever our mutual mate knows about you, he certainly has not told me,…so don’t you be dropping ME in it with him.
If it’s any consolation to you,.I have also been on the end of it a few times (so as to speak ) with our mate Conor.
) with our mate Conor.