Top work by trucker

[xRIEx]

Sheepshanks said:

I relooked at it and the end of the slip road isn't actually that short - if the Civic driver had been a tiny bit more positive it would have been fine.

The Civic driver actually goes past the truck, then slows down until level with the truck then tries to move across; muppetry of the highest order.

[Riley Blue]

I'm sure a virtually identical incident was in the press around ten years ago except on that occasion the truck driver didn't know the car was there.

[Munter]

Riley Blue said:

I'm sure a virtually identical incident was in the press around ten years ago except on that occasion the truck driver didn't know the car was there.

Do you mean this one (not quite 10 years) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJic8Z4Tx9Q

[Sheepshanks]

xRIEx said:

The Civic driver actually goes past the truck, then slows down until level with the truck then tries to move across; muppetry of the highest order.

Sure - but it's what some drivers do. It's not reasonable to just crash into them.

Anyone who does a lot of motorway miles sees this sort of thing frequently.

[Corpulent Tosser]

The car was probably in a blind spot for the truck driver, he would also have been looking ahead, not down to his left.

[Riley Blue]

Munter said:

Riley Blue said:

I'm sure a virtually identical incident was in the press around ten years ago except on that occasion the truck driver didn't know the car was there.

Do you mean this one (not quite 10 years) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJic8Z4Tx9Q

That's the one, nowhere near ten years but a very similar car/truck merger.

[xRIEx]

Sheepshanks said:

xRIEx said:

The Civic driver actually goes past the truck, then slows down until level with the truck then tries to move across; muppetry of the highest order.

Sure - but it's what some drivers do. It's not reasonable to just crash into them.

Sorry, what? The truck driver maintains a steady course at a constant speed; the Civic driver speeds up (or at least, is initially travelling faster), slows down, then steers right - who drove into whom again?

The truck driver did not drive into the Civic - the Civic driver was unpredictable and reckless, due to piss poor driving skills.

"...it's what some drivers do." - that doesn't mean that 'some drivers' are in the right - de facto is not de jure. Doing their best to maintain momentum is 'what some truck drivers do' - surely any competent driver would know this and anticipate this when joining a motorway. I'm not saying maintaining a truck's momentum is correct, but it's the same argument as what you're putting forward.

Sheepshanks said:

Anyone who does a lot of motorway miles sees this sort of thing frequently.

I do a lot of motorway miles, I see quite a bit of muppetry - nothing quite as bad as that though.


ETA: and to repeat a couple of points made above, the blocked lines at the merge point are a give way sign, no one has the right to barge their way on to the main carriageway; and that spot is quite possibly in the truck driver's blind spot.

Edited by xRIEx on Wednesday 22 October 16:09

[surveyor]

I don't see why lorry drivers should not be expected to use a bit of courtesy and back off or move to lane 2. In this instance though the car driver came from behind the lorry and decided to move out in a blind spot - lorry driver should have known he was there, but may not have. Car driver got just deserts.

[Sheepshanks]

xRIEx said:

"...it's what some drivers do." - that doesn't mean that 'some drivers' are in the right - de facto is not de jure. Doing their best to maintain momentum is 'what some truck drivers do' - surely any competent driver would know this and anticipate this when joining a motorway. I'm not saying maintaining a truck's momentum is correct, but it's the same argument as what you're putting forward.

I'm not for a moment suggesting the Civic driver is right, simply that the truck driver could have backed off or changed lanes and avoided the Civic driving into him.

Of course there's always the possibility that no matter what the truck driver did, the Civic could have still hit him, but the fact is that the truck driver did maintain a steady and consistent course and did not react (maybe he didn't see it?) to the situation unfurling.

[Matt UK]

I hope the truck drivers insurance made a successful claim from the Civic driver for scratching the front bumper.

Civic driver is a cocksocket of the highest order.

[xRIEx]

Sheepshanks said:

xRIEx said:

"...it's what some drivers do." - that doesn't mean that 'some drivers' are in the right - de facto is not de jure. Doing their best to maintain momentum is 'what some truck drivers do' - surely any competent driver would know this and anticipate this when joining a motorway. I'm not saying maintaining a truck's momentum is correct, but it's the same argument as what you're putting forward.

I'm not for a moment suggesting the Civic driver is right, simply that the truck driver could have backed off or changed lanes and avoided the Civic driving into him.

Of course there's always the possibility that no matter what the truck driver did, the Civic could have still hit him, but the fact is that the truck driver did maintain a steady and consistent course and did not react (maybe he didn't see it?) to the situation unfurling.

Well yeah, he had right of way - Civic driver was approaching a give way junction.

surveyor said:

I don't see why lorry drivers should not be expected to use a bit of courtesy and back off or move to lane 2.

Of course, it's the courteous thing to do, but expecting anything is what causes these sorts of situations. Personally speaking, I never expect anyone to be courteous and try to drive around what other people are doing (and expecting them to do something stupid), rather than expecting them to accommodate me.

[WinstonWolf]

surveyor said:

I don't see why lorry drivers should not be expected to use a bit of courtesy and back off or move to lane 2. In this instance though the car driver came from behind the lorry and decided to move out in a blind spot - lorry driver should have known he was there, but may not have. Car driver got just deserts.

That dashed white line, it's a give way indication.

[Sheepshanks]

xRIEx said:

Well yeah, he had right of way - Civic driver was approaching a give way junction.

There's no such concept as "right of way" - don't say it the Police or on an insurance report, although I'll bet it was firmly in truckers head. A road is a right of way. You mean priority.

xRIEx said:

Of course, it's the courteous thing to do, but expecting anything is what causes these sorts of situations. Personally speaking, I never expect anyone to be courteous and try to drive around what other people are doing (and expecting them to do something stupid), rather than expecting them to accommodate me.

Right - but that goes both ways. The trucker could have avoided that situation by backing off or changing lines. But he probably thought "why should I, I've got right of way and I'm in a big truck".

[WinstonWolf]

Sheepshanks said:

xRIEx said:

Well yeah, he had right of way - Civic driver was approaching a give way junction.

There's no such concept as "right of way" - don't say it the Police or on an insurance report, although I'll bet it was firmly in truckers head. A road is a right of way. You mean priority.

xRIEx said:

Of course, it's the courteous thing to do, but expecting anything is what causes these sorts of situations. Personally speaking, I never expect anyone to be courteous and try to drive around what other people are doing (and expecting them to do something stupid), rather than expecting them to accommodate me.

Right - but that goes both ways. The trucker could have avoided that situation by backing off or changing lines. But he probably thought "why should I, I've got right of way and I'm in a big truck".

^^^^^ Err, the dashed white line? It's a give way... If the road isn't clear you come to a halt and wait until it is.

[vikingaero]

Sheepshanks said:

Right - but that goes both ways. The trucker could have avoided that situation by backing off or changing lines. But he probably thought "why should I, I've got right of way and I'm in a big truck".

You're assuming the trucker could change lane. What if he had a car or HGV alongside him?

[Sheepshanks]

vikingaero said:

You're assuming the trucker could change lane. What if he had a car or HGV alongside him?

Slow down? I know it's a pain for them, but surely less than dealing with the consequences of a collision.

[WinstonWolf]

Sheepshanks said:

vikingaero said:

You're assuming the trucker could change lane. What if he had a car or HGV alongside him?

Slow down? I know it's a pain for them, but surely less than dealing with the consequences of a collision.

It's a give way....

[xRIEx]

Sheepshanks said:

xRIEx said:

Well yeah, he had right of way - Civic driver was approaching a give way junction.

There's no such concept as "right of way" - don't say it the Police or on an insurance report, although I'll bet it was firmly in truckers head. A road is a right of way. You mean priority.

So there is such a concept of "right of way", then?

Yes I meant priority - I take it from your post that you knew what I meant from context, even if I didn't use the correct term?

Sheepshanks said:

xRIEx said:

Of course, it's the courteous thing to do, but expecting anything is what causes these sorts of situations. Personally speaking, I never expect anyone to be courteous and try to drive around what other people are doing (and expecting them to do something stupid), rather than expecting them to accommodate me.

Right - but that goes both ways. The trucker could have avoided that situation by backing off or changing lines. But he probably thought "why should I, I've got right of way and I'm in a big truck".

He probably didn't have the option of moving up to 16.5m of artic into the neighbouring lane.

He probably didn't see the Civic, same as you probably didn't see earlier posts in this thread about trucks' blind spots.

He probably thought, "they won't drive into me, no one can be that fking stupid!"

We probably won't ever know for sure.

[surveyor]

WinstonWolf said:

That dashed white line, it's a give way indication.

Roads are busy - do you expect him to stop in that lane? That's going to work well. Yes it's a give way, but it's a two way street so lets all play nice.

[WinstonWolf]

surveyor said:

WinstonWolf said:

That dashed white line, it's a give way indication.

Roads are busy - do you expect him to stop in that lane? That's going to work well. Yes it's a give way, but it's a two way street so lets all play nice.

Yes, if necessary. The law does too.

Give Way, it's not a request, it's an instruction.