HGV Speed limits
Discussion
A wee question for the BiB:
NSL on a single carriageway road, for an HGV over 7.5 tonnes, is 40 mph, and for cars, 60 mph.
If the roads authority introduces a speed limit that lowers the NSL from 60 to 50, so NSL regs no longer apply, what is the new speed limit for lorries? Is it then the plated limit of 50, or is it still 40?
In other words, could reducing the speed limit result in lorries being allowed to go faster?
NSL on a single carriageway road, for an HGV over 7.5 tonnes, is 40 mph, and for cars, 60 mph.
If the roads authority introduces a speed limit that lowers the NSL from 60 to 50, so NSL regs no longer apply, what is the new speed limit for lorries? Is it then the plated limit of 50, or is it still 40?
In other words, could reducing the speed limit result in lorries being allowed to go faster?
Trucks are restricted to 56mph but the speed limit on Motorways is still 60mph (thats the way i understand it), Any other road the speed limit is 40mph unless of course if its a 30.
Urban Motorways were the limit is 50mph is also 50 for trucks, so if the NSL came down to 50 for everybody, trucks would still be restricted to their limit of 40mph.
Urban Motorways were the limit is 50mph is also 50 for trucks, so if the NSL came down to 50 for everybody, trucks would still be restricted to their limit of 40mph.
And this slowing down of lorries is making single carriageway A roads more dangerous as people go for silly overtakes fed up of being stuck in a convoy!
I am quite sure 50 would be in fact safer for HGVs - after all they are professional drivers!
Plus the fact that to make up time, drivers are exceeding their hours to avoid getting the sack. I would prefer an awake lorry driver at 50 than a sleeping one at 40!
I am quite sure 50 would be in fact safer for HGVs - after all they are professional drivers!
Plus the fact that to make up time, drivers are exceeding their hours to avoid getting the sack. I would prefer an awake lorry driver at 50 than a sleeping one at 40!
BigBob said:
Out of interest - why was a limit introduced at all?
Is this just something else been dumped on us by the Eurocats?
There has been separate limits for trucks for as long as I can remember. The limit on dual carriageways used to be 40 but it was increased to 50 in the late 1970s or early 80s.
Einion Yrth said:
Does anyone know why the limit was set at 56? Why not 55 or 60? Is 56 deemed to be the most fuel efficient speed?
>> Edited by a2z on Monday 30th January 14:06
I believe it's because it's eurocratic nonsense and 56mph = 90kph (approx)
And 90 kph happens to be the rural single lane road speed limit.........
for cars!
>> Edited by kevinday on Monday 30th January 19:07
wowbagger t.i.p said:
I have just come back from Florida, where the trucks were often doing 70mph on the freeways. Traffic flow was much better (than in UK) due to lack of speed differential, I think lorrys should be able to go as fast as cars.
It`s all well and good until something goes wrong. The difference in tyre temp at 56mph and 70mph is huge. Bang. Goodnight.
ashes said:
Towman - heard this on a BBC report about three weeks or so ago. But do I trust the BBC? Not sure
Apologies for the confrontational post earlier. There are always one or two idiot truckies wo give the professionals a bad name. Same as in any walk of life. Of course the meeja pick up on these and then we all get tarred with the same brush.
towman said:
There are always one or two idiot truckies wo give the professionals a bad name.
As in the driver who was followed by two inspectors (pre VOSA days) and he went Sheffield > Felixstowe > Aberdeen > and finally stopped in Eastern England enroute back to Felixstowe. That was all without any proper rest periods and certainly no sleep.
That wasn't a bad apple driver that was down to a bad operator.
I would argue that any operator should know from the work his drivers and vehicles are doing exactly which are taking the michael with the regs.
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