Search not working so apologies if this comes up all the time.

I've just followed for about 17 miles a lorry driving at 40MPH along an A road. There was about 15 cars behind said lorry, I was two from the back, as a passenger in my LR Defender. (Not the fastest overtaking vehicle in the world).

I have just witnessed some of the most dangerous overtaking I have ever seen. Cars overtaking on very short straights, over the brow of the hill, overtaking into bends ........ absolutly shocking.

Now normally I would wish the lot were pulled for at least DWDCA or worse, but in this case I could not blame them.

The absolute frustration of being behind something for so long was awful. It was as bad for vehicles coming the other way, stuck behind anoth 40MPH lorry, again where it was not safe really to overtake, but they were overtaking.

I even saw a bus pullout in front of the lorry and speed off, so not to get stuck behind it....... because of course the bus is allowed to travel faster.

My question is, who invented such a silly idea to reduce lorries to 40MPH? The consequences of this, make driving more dangerous for more people than it did before when lorries could travel at a more normal speed.

This countries H&S road mentality just gets madder imo.

IS there not a rule that says if you are in a slower moving vehicle you must pull over and allow others to pass if the queue reaches 12 vehicles?

Or is that for tractors?

Or have I just imagined it?

The most surprising think about the OP's post is that the cars behind were actually attepmting to overtake to truck. Usually the sheep follow blindly behind the truck even if there are ample overtaking opportunities.

Imagined it

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/travelandtransport/hig...
169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

BUT - that is not law

So this isnt a new law? I just imagined it was, because I can't remember them driving so slow on A roads years ago ....... maybe I notice it more now then I did then.

It was articulated, but wasn't a 44 tonner.

Poor driving caused by frustration due to ignorance of the law I suspect.

In my recent Speed Awareness course, there were only two people out of about thirty that knew lorrys could only travel at 40mph on single carriageway National speed limit road.

I can't remember this, but a retired traffic cop told me the max speed for trucks used to be 20MPH, and they used to do them at 25.

I'd agree with that, and I'm one of them. I'm reasonably good with the highway code, but I didn't know this one.

Not really. I've followed lots of trains of cars, when you get to long straights people don't want to overtake. They also sit bumper to bumper so you have to do a multiple car overtake rather than 3 or 4 individual ones.

Driving up the A1 last weekend I overtook a lorry then a train of 3 cars. The MR2 isn't exactly a fire breathing monster, so there was plenty of time for cars in front of me to get passed the lorry.

I didn't say law, I said rule.

And as you have confirmed there is a rule within the Highway Code.

Thanks for that.