indicators mistaken for passing signal.

[henrycrun]

Hazards on before turning would be my choice. Collision avoided.

[AW8]

Crusoe said:

Sounds like you would be better to let the vehicles behind pass before trying to make the tight turn. If you were indicating left and pulled into the right lane while a car was passing I would say you would be mostly to blame for the accident. In the situation where you need more room most longer vehicles would indicate right and take up position in the middle of the road and then indicate left so that nobody is able to overtake while they are preparing to make the turn.

Totally agree with the signalling right before moving over the centre line.

That should put most following others off a dangerous offside pass, once out over the centre line safely then a left signal should follow albeit slowing to a near or brief halt prior to gradual left turn in would be sensible to reduce risk of a muppet attempting a nearside pass. In my experience when a tractor and trailer slow to a near stop of halt most stay well back....Lots of tractors around my way though.

Hazards could be later argued to have caused confusion but in my scenario above here you come to a brief halt then argubaly their use when stationary would avoid any later criticism of their misuse.

The surrounding physical hazards could complcate matters, (such as the left entrance/turn being on the outer apex of a tight blind right hander.

In the righthander layout situation above theoretical support options could include having a lead vehicle warning oncoming traffic, however, escorting of vehicles, abnormal loads, &/or even having a banksman or colleague on foot ahead raise all sorts of practical & legal isuses.....can of worms !

Edited by AW8 on Sunday 8th November 20:36

[xpc316e]

Using hazard lights on a moving vehicle is prohibited unless in certain circumstances. From memory they are: it must be on a motorway, or dual carriageway subject to the national speed limit, and they are being used to warn following drivers of a hazard ahead.

Clearly, a tractor and trailer turning into a gateway on a country road does not fit into the above category. You are turning left, so the only possible indicator you can use to be both driving properly and to avoid any confusion, is the left one. Use it and while so doing move slowly and carefully into the position you need to adopt to make your turn (all this after checking mirrors, and continuing to do so throughout the manoeuvre).

[WD39]

xpc316e said:

Using hazard lights on a moving vehicle is prohibited unless in certain circumstances. From memory they are: it must be on a motorway, or dual carriageway subject to the national speed limit, and they are being used to warn following drivers of a hazard ahead.

Clearly, a tractor and trailer turning into a gateway on a country road does not fit into the above category. You are turning left, so the only possible indicator you can use to be both driving properly and to avoid any confusion, is the left one. Use it and while so doing move slowly and carefully into the position you need to adopt to make your turn (all this after checking mirrors, and continuing to do so throughout the manoeuvre).

I often use my hazard lights to deter tailgaters. Always works,

[watchnut]

For me as "275" and RU local said......the post with the "Learners" Theory test question confirms what they said.....around my neck of the woods any chump trying to over take a tractor/trailer combo is even more stupid than they would look pushed into a ditch/hedge and trying to explain it to their insurance company

"I was over taking a tractor/trailer.....it was turning left.....the road was narrow....I couldn't see clearly past the tractor.....yes it was very wide ( the tractor)....yes it was long (the trailer).....no I couldn't see that the road/field/gateway was very narrow....no I did not allow for that.....I was in a hurry because Gemima was going to be late for her riding lesson, because I did not leave enough time for the journey....tractors shouldn't be allowed on the road.......

Best bet is signal properly timed, road position sensibly, allow for the tts, and as they pass press the button that dumps 3 tonnes of cow st onto their car

[300bhp/ton]

Crusoe said:

Sounds like you would be better to let the vehicles behind pass before trying to make the tight turn. If you were indicating left and pulled into the right lane while a car was passing I would say you would be mostly to blame for the accident. In the situation where you need more room most longer vehicles would indicate right and take up position in the middle of the road and then indicate left so that nobody is able to overtake while they are preparing to make the turn.

This sounds like you've never sat in a tractor, let alone driven one.

[Dark85]

7mike said:

Maybe some people need to sit the DVSA theory test for new drivers. Or is it too complicated to work out the same applies to a right turn

I assume this is the "dash cammer test" and the answer, therefore, is D. The answer is always D.

[GravelBen]

I live in a area with hundreds of dairy tankers on the roads, which are in and out of farms all the time and have the same issue with having to swing wide for some turns.

They generally have signs on the back saying something like 'I turn often, do not overtake indicating vehicle' as a reminder for the hard of thinking, you could try similar.

[sjmmarsh]

It is not just a problem with tractors. To get to my garage I need to turn left down an unmade road. There are parked cars on the left, leaving about a 1 car length gap to turrn into. From the LHS of the road it is impossible to make the turn. The road is narrow enough at that point that it is not easy for two cars to pass, so local custom is for cars to alternate the flow.

To turn into the garage I wait for a gap to proceed, and indicate right to occupy the opposite carriageway then immediately indicate left as I slow to execute the turn.

It beggars belief the number of times a car tries to squeeze past (from either direction) as I am slowing and indicating left....

[7mike]

Cliftonite said:

7mike said:

Maybe some people need to sit the DVSA theory test for new drivers. Or is it too complicated to work out the same applies to a right turn

But you haven't told us what the correct answer is!

I incorrectly assumed people here have all passed a driving test therefore know the answer; reading some of the posts here has reminded me never to assume.

[drivingood]

shakotan said:

It is the responsibility of the overtaking vehicle to be aware of the position and intention of the vehicle it is overtaking before making that manouvre.

So if I overtake a vehicle that then decides to overtake the vehicle in front of it and hits me as I'm by the side of it, then that's my fault?

[waremark]

drivingood said:

shakotan said:

It is the responsibility of the overtaking vehicle to be aware of the position and intention of the vehicle it is overtaking before making that manouvre.

So if I overtake a vehicle that then decides to overtake the vehicle in front of it and hits me as I'm by the side of it, then that's my fault?

Not 100%. Bit not 0% either.

[drivingood]

waremark said:

drivingood said:

shakotan said:

It is the responsibility of the overtaking vehicle to be aware of the position and intention of the vehicle it is overtaking before making that manouvre.

So if I overtake a vehicle that then decides to overtake the vehicle in front of it and hits me as I'm by the side of it, then that's my fault?

Not 100%. Bit not 0% either.

In whose eyes exactly?

[brisel]

waa said:

My job entails driving tractors and trailers, on numerous occasions whilst turning left vehicles mistake my indicator for a signal to pass. This would not be a problem however I have to use both sides of the road to turn in narrow gateways.i have even had cars passing on the inside. Where do I stand if there's a collision

Where do you stand? You will have to have witnesses saying you indicated or your insurance will probably go knock for knock. I have been running tractors & trailers for years. I fit secondary sets of lights to the tailgates & still I see idiots overtaking as I or my staff sit there indicating right waiting for them to actually look at what could be sending them off the road. Keep your mirrors clean & adjusted, with all lights, brakes etc working.

Turning left, I put my right indicators on, swing wide (having checked in my mirror it is safe to do so) then indicate left. Before turning in, check the mirror again, stop, wait for the idiots to overtake on your inside then continue when safe.

I had an incident last year when one of my lads was turning right. He indicated correctly & started to turn but he hadn't checked his mirror. A car overtook from 4 vehicles back (behind a van so he couldn't see the tractor or trailer, never mind the indicators). My man saw him & steered left again but the car driver was committed, veered right, got a tank slapper on & rolled the car 3 times into a field on the left having never touched my tractor or trailer. The van driver saw everything & stopped to help. The car driver had been tailgating the van for ages, swinging out on blind corners to try to overtake. He told the copper this. Copper said what a plonker he was & no further action. He checked out the tractor & trailer to find everything working as it should. Driver was carted off to hospital with a sore head but nothing more. I thanked the van driver & have made a point of stopping to help RTCs since in the hope of karma helping him out one day. My operator learned to be more observant.