Driver narrowly misses chap on hard shoulder
DRIVERS of large vehicles who fail to pull over to let other motorists past should be charged with driving without due care and attention, a road expert has claimed.
Transport consultant Bob Daimond will tell a conference this week that increased use of 'crawler lanes' is the easiest way to make roads both faster and safer.
Mr Daimond believes police should take action against drivers who cause tailbacks of frustrated motorists.
He says: "We need a concept of discipline so that we don’t get one lorry overtaking another with a 3mph speed differential, and possibly a wider interpretation of driving without due care and attention.
“If a driver wastes the opportunity of a crawler lane by trying to overtake somebody who is doing only marginally less than him, that can be considered driving without due care and attention if they’re stopping 20 cars overtaking."
Motoring organisation the IAM Trust said police could take action against road hogs for two offences – careless or inconsiderate driving and driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.
A spokesman said: “We need a public information campaign to set out what these measures are aimed at. Equally, it should make clear to car users that agricultural vehicles and lorries have a job of work to do. Let’s have a bit of tolerance.”
He said banning lorries and other vehicles from overtaking lanes could keep the opportunities open for faster traffic, but deciding who to exclude would be problematic.
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