Pond Life - I pay for these people out of my Tax?
Discussion
Einion Yrth said:
If in doubt, pass in lane three. Leave the road rage entrapment for me and my unmarked!
Whole point of the post though Ian is that the OP was towing making the whole MLM problem a bit of a legal conumdrum.
Yep, point taken, I was answering in a more general way. Probably because my mindset was such that I was trying my best not to take the bait offered by the OP.
However if you were prohibited from the outside lane, and lane two is 'congested', I'd suggest that if flashing did not work, and the vehicle blocking middle lane is doing less than 60mph then go past carefully in lane one - it's the most legal option.
IaHa said:
I'd suggest that if flashing did not work, and the vehicle blocking middle lane is doing less than 60mph then go past carefully in lane one - it's the most legal option.
Agrred it`s the legal option, but a long way from the safest one. Your average driver does not expect a trailer. Imagine if MLM "sees the light" and pulls left immediately after the car has passed on his nearside. Who would be liable?
towman said:
I'd suggest that if flashing did not work, and the vehicle blocking middle lane is doing less than 60mph then go past carefully in lane one - it's the most legal option.
Agrred it`s the legal option, but a long way from the safest one. Your average driver does not expect a trailer. Imagine if MLM "sees the light" and pulls left immediately after the car has passed on his nearside. Who would be liable?
Even more likely if the driver's apoplectic with rage after you've flashed him then gone to undertake him. He might decide to tailgate you and not spot the trailer. Still, his fault if he does though not much consolation if you're dead.
iaint said:
I'd suggest that if flashing did not work, and the vehicle blocking middle lane is doing less than 60mph then go past carefully in lane one - it's the most legal option.
Agrred it`s the legal option, but a long way from the safest one. Your average driver does not expect a trailer. Imagine if MLM "sees the light" and pulls left immediately after the car has passed on his nearside. Who would be liable?
Even more likely if the driver's apoplectic with rage after you've flashed him then gone to undertake him. He might decide to tailgate you and not spot the trailer. Still, his fault if he does though not much consolation if you're dead.
Not a concept which has translated to my collision or road rage experience, although I've dealt with quite a few mishaps involving cars and trailer combinations which have been travelling too fast for circumstances. It's surprising when you go to a collision involving car and trailer that you will often have independent witnesses who have stopped to complain about the speed of the combination prior to impact.
If you move past in lane one slowly to give him plenty of chance to see what you are doing, and what you are trailing. The normal response from the nutter driver in lane two is to speed up.
If he causes further problems then give us a call.
towman said:
My experience comes from driving one of these.............
When overtaking, it is not unusual for drivers to miss the trailer and try to pull out behind the prime mover.
Which would / could happen whichever side you pass. I'm talking about the narrower situation of having 'undertaken' a lane two slowcoach, I have no experience of dealing with problems arising from the 'quick swerve to tailgate' causing a collision. Not to say that it couldn't happen, and I hadn't factored it into my analysis.
You must understand it is not always easy to offer the most appropriate (wrt safety) advice, such as passing in the third lane if safe, or exceeding the limit to overtake, because it is against the law. I'm quite identifiable on this forum, so it wouldn't be clever.
It may indeed be safer, if appropriate, to pass in the third lane, and you'd be very unlikely to get a ticket, if your reason was that the 2nd lane was being obstructed. But it is an illegal manoeuvre, which is enforced more rigorously by trafpol than excess speed, so if I was to advise it then I'd be likely to be criticised for giving the advice, also get short shrift from those who take the advice then get a ticket.
What's your normal course of action/remedy in your rigid/drawbar combination, towman, when faced with a stubborn lane two hogger?
IaHa said:
What's your normal course of action/remedy in your rigid/drawbar combination, towman, when faced with a stubborn lane two hogger?
patience!
couple of quick flashes as I close the gap. But if no joy, just drop back and knock the cruise down a coupke of notches. Any silliness in something that big would end up with someone dead. Truckies are seen as the bad guys in any RTC and I wouldn`t want it on my concience.
ledfoot said:
My response to Jellsions's rant? "Tough titty". Especially WRT to the outside lane offence. It's well known that the plod crack down hard on that.
So, he passed a plod-mobile at over the speed-limit and got done for it? My heart pumps piss for you.
Agree 100% mate.
The original poster has just made a prat of himself.
Anyone that tows a trailor I would like to think should know the law before they even attempt it.
Remember that guy that caused the Selby train crash killing 10 people while towing a trailor.
Trailors can be very dangerous, and the law is there for a reason, ie, to protect yourself and others that share the same road.
Speed limits are there for a reason ie, to protect yourself and others that share the same road.
I've done 90 with a trailer before now, perfectly safely.
jamesson said:Cool - well sort of!
7db - sorry for the late reply, only just read your post. I've edited my previous text to say when you 'should' undertake rather than 'can'. You're quite correct, it's not an offence as such to undertake on the motorway, but you're guaranteed to attract police attention if you do it in their presence. It's basically bad etiquette and makes you more likely to be watched and analysed as to the standard - and speed - of your driving. If you think someone is driving poorly, you're more likely to pull them over. Now, initially it may just be for a ticking off, but whoops, what's this? A bald tyre, or out of date road tax, indicators not working... You get the picture. The way to avoid unwanted police attention is to drive sensibly, be it speed or lane discipline, and avoid doing something which attracts attention. There will always be someone who's doing something wrong and will get pulled. Let's make sure it's nobody on this forum anymore, and then nobody else will want to refer to us as pondlife - or worse! :-)
jamesson said:
7db - did you send me an email then? No sign of it...
It might be sitting in the email address you used to register with PH if that is not your normal email address. I mention this just in case, like me, you use a PH address which is slightly more anonymous such as a hotmail account.
>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Tuesday 24th January 10:27
btw Mr Jellison,
years of towing and yes I know what you mean that middle lane owners club can be frustrating.
Used to tow a Laser on a combi trailer which due to the profile was almost completely hidden behind the vehicle, and it was entirely stable at 0.9 units, but never in many thousands of miles went into lane 3+.
Towing heavy rally cars the outfit was never all that stable >50 so not an issue in that case.
Even if the MLOC actually see that you are towing, which in my experience is doubtful, they probably have no clue why you don't pull out into L3 and overtake.
I think it is called character forming, but equally think about this. We all complain about our image with the general public. Petrolheads, competitors, seen by some as irresponsible.
What sort of message does a deliberate and blatant flaunting of the rules send?
years of towing and yes I know what you mean that middle lane owners club can be frustrating.
Used to tow a Laser on a combi trailer which due to the profile was almost completely hidden behind the vehicle, and it was entirely stable at 0.9 units, but never in many thousands of miles went into lane 3+.
Towing heavy rally cars the outfit was never all that stable >50 so not an issue in that case.
Even if the MLOC actually see that you are towing, which in my experience is doubtful, they probably have no clue why you don't pull out into L3 and overtake.
I think it is called character forming, but equally think about this. We all complain about our image with the general public. Petrolheads, competitors, seen by some as irresponsible.
What sort of message does a deliberate and blatant flaunting of the rules send?
Was waiting for this one - so what diference is there from exceeding 70!
Still breaking a rule / law - levels of law breaking.
Caravan and unloaded trailers especially single axle (Eek) should not be allowed even if they were to change the law.
Think thread is done - Plod can seem my point must have gotten one on a bad day and with some mega rear facing nite camera!
J
Still breaking a rule / law - levels of law breaking.
Caravan and unloaded trailers especially single axle (Eek) should not be allowed even if they were to change the law.
Think thread is done - Plod can seem my point must have gotten one on a bad day and with some mega rear facing nite camera!
J
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