Is it time to restrict HGV's to inside lane?

[wolves_wanderer]

GC8 said:

wolves_wanderer said:

surveyor said:

Only they don't 'dab' their brakes. They just pull out. Lane 3 works well if there is one. If there is not better hope that your own brakes work well...

Truckers must be different round your way. I have seldom observed such a thing. Maybe your observation is at fault?

It is never their fault, despite empirical evidence and common bleeding sense suggesting otherwise.

Same as the cycling threads, a bunch of people who really shouldn't have licences blaming everyone but themselves whilst revealing their incompetence with every statement.

[surveyor]

wolves_wanderer said:

GC8 said:

wolves_wanderer said:

surveyor said:

Only they don't 'dab' their brakes. They just pull out. Lane 3 works well if there is one. If there is not better hope that your own brakes work well...

Truckers must be different round your way. I have seldom observed such a thing. Maybe your observation is at fault?

It is never their fault, despite empirical evidence and common bleeding sense suggesting otherwise.

Same as the cycling threads, a bunch of people who really shouldn't have licences blaming everyone but themselves whilst revealing their incompetence with every statement.

Once again, I drive 30,000 - 40,000 miles a year, and have done for as many years as I can remember. My last accident was ten years ago. I drive defensively and have not hit any of these HGV's - even the ones who have decided to plop themselves in front of my front bumper with no warning.

I have yet to see a lorry 'dab' the brakes before overtaking - indeed most are so determined to keep ever fraction of speed there is no way they will come off the power unless they are about to hit the one in front.

I'd like to think that I'm a good driver, albeit one who willingly accepts that there are always lessons to be learnt.

I do understand that it can be hard to get into Lane 2, as I do on occasions tow a caravan. I however will indicate, and while I may on occasions 'push' my way in, you can bet that there was plenty of opportunity for other drivers to note my intention in both my indicating, and my road positioning.

[reckless st]

having not read all 7+ pages i dont no if it was mentioned but was it not a foriegn driver at the centre of this, also being a proffessional driver i have had to report other drivers to the bill for sitting in the middle lane for over 8 miles whilst watching a T V as he overtook me ,car drivers also need educating as to how HGVs work our limitations an vision

[reckless st]

my last an only reply to you people WITHOUT TRUCKS YOU GET fkING NOTHING no food no fuel no water (chemicals for water purifacation ) your st taken away an i do mean st all done by trucks

[chilistrucker]

surveyor said:

Once again, I drive 30,000 - 40,000 miles a year, and have done for as many years as I can remember. My last accident was ten years ago. I drive defensively and have not hit any of these HGV's - even the ones who have decided to plop themselves in front of my front bumper with no warning.

I have yet to see a lorry 'dab' the brakes before overtaking - indeed most are so determined to keep ever fraction of speed there is no way they will come off the power unless they are about to hit the one in front.

I'd like to think that I'm a good driver, albeit one who willingly accepts that there are always lessons to be learnt.

I do understand that it can be hard to get into Lane 2, as I do on occasions tow a caravan. I however will indicate, and while I may on occasions 'push' my way in, you can bet that there was plenty of opportunity for other drivers to note my intention in both my indicating, and my road positioning.

I find it very hard to believe you've NEVER seen a lorry dab its brakes before an overtake.

on the one hand you gripe at lorry drivers who pull out in front of you with little or know warning what so ever, and tbh rightly so. But you then go on to state that on occasion whilst towing a caravan you may push your way in.
cake and eat it springs to mind.
I've seen the truck drivers you're on about, but see equal amounts of just as stupid moves from dimwitted car drivers. Its just the way of the world, good and bad drivers in all walks.

[surveyor]

chilistrucker said:

surveyor said:

Once again, I drive 30,000 - 40,000 miles a year, and have done for as many years as I can remember. My last accident was ten years ago. I drive defensively and have not hit any of these HGV's - even the ones who have decided to plop themselves in front of my front bumper with no warning.

I have yet to see a lorry 'dab' the brakes before overtaking - indeed most are so determined to keep ever fraction of speed there is no way they will come off the power unless they are about to hit the one in front.

I'd like to think that I'm a good driver, albeit one who willingly accepts that there are always lessons to be learnt.

I do understand that it can be hard to get into Lane 2, as I do on occasions tow a caravan. I however will indicate, and while I may on occasions 'push' my way in, you can bet that there was plenty of opportunity for other drivers to note my intention in both my indicating, and my road positioning.

I find it very hard to believe you've NEVER seen a lorry dab its brakes before an overtake.

on the one hand you gripe at lorry drivers who pull out in front of you with little or know warning what so ever, and tbh rightly so. But you then go on to state that on occasion whilst towing a caravan you may push your way in.
cake and eat it springs to mind.
I've seen the truck drivers you're on about, but see equal amounts of just as stupid moves from dimwitted car drivers. Its just the way of the world, good and bad drivers in all walks.

I have no problem adjusting my speed to allow a lorry to pass - although I'd prefer them not to elephant race. What annoys me is when they decide to present their trailer to my bumper with little or no indication.

I'll extend that to trucks having to drive 'positively' to change lane on occasions is on our busy roads inevitable. Just a prior indication would be handy.

[jmorgan]

Take the lorries away it will be the shed draggers, take caravans away it will be the elderly, take the elderly away it will be red cars........

[Foppo]

strudel said:

citizensm1th said:

well I think its time us truckers stuck to the rules

40mph on single carriage ways from now on then I wonder how many threads there will be by arsehat car drivers who don't realise that's our speed limit.

I did it on the a52 today from Grantham and must have had a half mile queue of traffic behind me by the time I got to Bingham. made I smile it did

Maybe you could stick to that other rule, rule 169

Good point can't see him take any notice to complicated.

[citizensm1th]

Foppo said:

Good point can't see him take any notice to complicated.

illiterate cock

[GC8]

Succinct.

[GC8]

Foppo said:

strudel said:

citizensm1th said:

well I think its time us truckers stuck to the rules

40mph on single carriage ways from now on then I wonder how many threads there will be by arsehat car drivers who don't realise that's our speed limit.

I did it on the a52 today from Grantham and must have had a half mile queue of traffic behind me by the time I got to Bingham. made I smile it did

Maybe you could stick to that other rule, rule 169

Good point can't see him take any notice to complicated.

GC8 said:

If you honestly believe that that applies to an HGV driving at its speed limit on a derestricted road then you are a self-important clown who deserves to be pilloried.

GC8 said:

It always makes me smile when an apoplectic car-only driver writes an 'HGV drivers are ignorant & stupid' rant, and it transpires that they are too stupid to read and write properly.

lolz

[zarjaz1991]

I know numerous HGV drivers through work and I can say without doubt that every one of them should be banned from the road.

Ok, sorry, I didn't mean that.

All of them are highly conscientious and all are also car drivers as well.

My experience on the roads tells me I'd rather trust an HGV driver than many car drivers, in an instant.

Of course, there are bad apples but I find the vast majority to be courteous and conscientious. Is it just me, but why do they get such a bad press?

[zarjaz1991]

Incidentally...unrelated, but often when driving late at night on fairly quiet motorways I tend to slow right down and do get overtaken by HGVs.

When that happens I tend to flash them back in once they're past me, and they always give me the little indicator flash back, even though I'm sure they are thinking "what a cock, I don't need to be flashed back in from overtaking your short-arsed Mondeo".

[GC8]

They do, although many are wary of trusting the signal from a car driver. Its difficult to tell when your trailer has cleared a passed vehicle; demonstrated bu the excessive distance covered before pulling back in in most cases.

[zarjaz1991]

GC8 said:

They do, although many are wary of trusting the signal from a car driver. Its difficult to tell when your trailer has cleared a passed vehicle; demonstrated bu the excessive distance covered before pulling back in in most cases.

I don't blame them frankly, though I give them the signal anyway.

Always give the plenty of room, and understand that their vehicles are a damn site harder to drive than the car you're in.

It helps that I've 'driven' an HGV (well, manoeuvred it round a massive empty car park under supervision). Everyone should try that before criticising HGV drivers.

Not to say there aren't any bloody dangerous ones though.....

[FisiP1]

Safer HGV designs are the most practical answer I think.

It was in the news a few days ago; a MAN concept that looked pretty good to me. More aerodynamic to incentivise haulage companies to buy them, fully cowled all around to stop cyclists/bikers/cars from getting tangled under the trailer, and crash structures on the cab to minimise frontal collision energies.

It has always amazed me how safety-conscious the modern world is, and yet the HGVs feel like a relic of decades and decades ago. Bars that are supposed to stop cars going under them are often very weak, while the strongest part of the trailer is at a drivers chest/head level.

The only disadvantage of the new design is that they are a bit longer than current HGVs, but there is probably a way to minimise the problems with this.

[All that jazz]

aww999 said:

After following an endless parade of turnip lorries across the a-roads of Norfolk yesterday at 30-40mph (no chance to overtake as there was a similar stream coming the other way!) along with many dozens of similarly frustrated car drivers, I propose that the restriction of trucks to lane 1 on motorways is balanced by allowing them to travel at NSL on a-roads.

From my experience of driving on s/c roads these days, it's far more likely that the trucks were being held up by a car driving at 35mph. I come across this problem (in my truck) on nightly basis on the A65 between Kendal and Bradford but other roads will be suffering the same problem.

[Petrol Only]

Lorries really are not the problem. Only thing I'd restrict them on is overtaking up long hills on dual carriageways.

It's bloody car drivers overtaking at 2-3 mph more than the lorry then sitting there for ages before pulling back in.

Contrast to driving in Europe people just get on with the overtake and move back quickly. I always sigh when popping out euro tunnel back on to the M20 with the lemmings.

[Panda76]

FisiP1 said:

Safer HGV designs are the most practical answer I think.

It was in the news a few days ago; a MAN concept that looked pretty good to me. More aerodynamic to incentivise haulage companies to buy them, fully cowled all around to stop cyclists/bikers/cars from getting tangled under the trailer, and crash structures on the cab to minimise frontal collision energies.

It has always amazed me how safety-conscious the modern world is, and yet the HGVs feel like a relic of decades and decades ago. Bars that are supposed to stop cars going under them are often very weak, while the strongest part of the trailer is at a drivers chest/head level.

The only disadvantage of the new design is that they are a bit longer than current HGVs, but there is probably a way to minimise the problems with this.

All MAN have to do now is stop using cheap plastics so the interior doesn't fall to pieces, find a better electronics supplier and make the engine and gearbox reliable. People might buy them then.

On a more serious note, a fully aero dynamic trailer with cowling is a good idea and they are around at the moment. However these trailers have one enemy. Over zealous fork truck drivers driving into the trailer and smashing the cowling up. My place of work had one made up, withing one week it was in for repair, sides smashed in by a fork truck. They didn't go head and have the rest of the new trailers fitted with side skirts.
Bars down the sides of the trailers are designed to push cyclists/motor cyclists away, common misconception they are to stop cars, they aren't. The only part of the trailer designed to stop a car is the rear bumper bar, even then, if a car hits it hard enough there is a good chance of ramming the car under the trailer.

[aww999]

All that jazz said:

aww999 said:

After following an endless parade of turnip lorries across the a-roads of Norfolk yesterday at 30-40mph (no chance to overtake as there was a similar stream coming the other way!) along with many dozens of similarly frustrated car drivers, I propose that the restriction of trucks to lane 1 on motorways is balanced by allowing them to travel at NSL on a-roads.

From my experience of driving on s/c roads these days, it's far more likely that the trucks were being held up by a car driving at 35mph. I come across this problem (in my truck) on nightly basis on the A65 between Kendal and Bradford but other roads will be suffering the same problem.

Nope, this was definitely just lorries. Accelerating so slowly from each roundabout or junction that they barely touched 40mph before starting to slow for the next one. This meant I had ample opportunity to observe the streams of traffic heading towards me, each clot on our transport arteries comprised of a dozen or so cars, impotently following some lumbering HGV at ~50% of the sensible speed for the roads. I realise it's not the HGV driver's fault, but it is massively frustrating and I see little benefit. Even raising their speed limit to 50mph on a-roads would be a start, but I doubt it will ever happen.