Lorries and 50 mph average speed check

[Chestrockwell]

I drove a 1.0 Hyundai i20 to Margate from Surrey today, I was in no rush so I prepared for a relaxing journey and the bonus was the car was equipped with Bose

I put cruise control on at 50 mph and thought I'd just cruise along until lorries started aggresively tailgating me and over taking, I upped the speed to 53 mph to mitigate this but then I suddenly found myself constantly slowing down/having to overtake.

Are lorries impervious to speeding fines? I know they're limited to 56 mph, is 56 mph the threshold for speeding fines

Anyways, it's official, there is no relaxing, calm, single lane driving experience available in the UK, you're either too slow, too fast or stuck in traffic

[anonymous-user]

I once had a lorry tailgating me in an average speed zone whilst I was on the bike. He was a few feet behind me, honking his horn and flashing his lights. I don't know what he wanted me to do. I hope he's had an aneurysm.

[Sway]

Were you using car speedo or gps?

Lorries have very accurate speedometers, and every mph counts in their line of work.

I'm pretty certain they'd have been bang on 50...

[Sheepshanks]

Chestrockwell said:

I know they're limited to 56 mph, is 56 mph the threshold for speeding fines

Yes, 56 in a 50. Action starts at 57.

[Chestrockwell]

Sway said:

Were you using car speedo or gps?

Lorries have very accurate speedometers, and every mph counts in their line of work.

I'm pretty certain they'd have been bang on 50...

Speedo, I'm aware there is a discrepency however I thought it got bigger the faster you went, it's also very ignorant for them to tailgate knowing people with cars aren't aware of the real speed.

What's hilarious is I passed most of them when the average speed was lifted to NSL

[Caddyshack]

It is very frustrating when you are on a dual carriage way and a car sits there at 50 when the traffic is moving faster. In a lorry it takes a long time to get from 50 to 56 and hills are killers if you are loaded up.

Our horse lorry is slow and when you come up behind cars doing 50 in all speed limits (did the op speed up in 70’s part of motorway?) it is often too slow to overtake in the middle lane and I don’t like HGV’s right up my bum.

I expect the OP was driving too slowly

If you are in a car and lorries are overtaking you regularly then you are driving too slowly and being a nuisance.

[Its Just Adz]

I always go though the 50 average zones on the limiter, so 55 in my truck.
It doesn't trigger the cameras.
I don't tailgate cars, just pass them in lane 2.
Or lane 1, if the car is committed to lane 2.

[Sheepshanks]

Its Just Adz said:

I always go though the 50 average zones on the limiter, so 55 in my truck.

Why is it not 56MPH (90kph)? Is it just that the limiter isn't spot on, same as a speedo?

[anonymous-user]

Lorry drivers absolutely HATE being forced to do anything less than 56mph on the limiter. Temporary 50mph limits on motorways are made a nightmare due to their impatience.

I know there are plenty of good ones, but there's a reason why most of them are driving lorries for a living.

[jondude]

Get this all the time on my commute which also has a long stretch of 50 mph average speed.

All you can do is hold the speed around or on 50 and keep left. Be prepared for an equally dangerous and very childish cut up once the lorry overtakes you then gets back left.

We desperately need more marked police cars out there.

[Chestrockwell]

Well I wasn't stubborn about it, I upped my speed and then found myself too fast, either constantly slowing down or having to overtake.

The point of the thread was to explain how it's impossible to have a relaxing drive on the motorway even if theres a 50 mpg average speed check

[Caddyshack]

Chestrockwell said:

Well I wasn't stubborn about it, I upped my speed and then found myself too fast, either constantly slowing down or having to overtake.

The point of the thread was to explain how it's impossible to have a relaxing drive on the motorway even if theres a 50 mpg average speed check

Yes, agreed if it’s a 50 limit / average. It is worth gps checking the car as my motorbike reads 4mph under at 50 so would be frustrating for other cars if I set at 50.

I am not keen of being sandwiched by HGV in a 50, too easy to get squished in a pile up, I would want to make some space.

[Snow and Rocks]

An indicated 50 in that i20 is probably something like 46 true mph so it's no surprise that lorries with a limiter set at a genuine 56 want to get past so better just keeping out of their way if you don't want to push on.

I do a lot of miles with a trailer on and pick one of two techniques depending on the speed limit - I often just keep pick one truck and keep up with it at 56. Once the speed limit returns to normal I either plod on at the same 56, a sensible way behind the same truck or up the speed to a true ~62 so you actually can actually catch and overtake the HGVs at a sensible rate.

Anyone in a modern car doing less than 60 when the speed limit allows really needs to get a bit of a move on though.

[Patio]

I wouldn't fancy sticking limiter at 50 on the motorway and expecting some relaxing cruise

Foreign and domestic HGV's would be up your arris within minutes

It would be like the scene in planes, trains & automobiles

[AndyAudi]

This is partly the reason I filled in responses to the Scottish speed limit consultation.

It’s proposed adjusting NSL
Move Lorries up from 40-50
Move cars down from 60-50
So everyone’s supposed to be at same speed - but as discussed on this thread - they are not, as Lorrie’s have more accurate displays.

[John D.]

I wish they'd set the limit to 60 average. Traffic would flow so much better.

I feel sorry for the lorry drivers getting stuck behind the 45mph brigade across lanes 1 and 2. At least I have the option of lane 3 to clear the rolling road block.

[Aiminghigh123]

Snow and Rocks said:

An indicated 50 in that i20 is probably something like 46 true mph so it's no surprise that lorries with a limiter set at a genuine 56 want to get past so better just keeping out of their way if you don't want to push on.

I do a lot of miles with a trailer on and pick one of two techniques depending on the speed limit - I often just keep pick one truck and keep up with it at 56. Once the speed limit returns to normal I either plod on at the same 56, a sensible way behind the same truck or up the speed to a true ~62 so you actually can actually catch and overtake the HGVs at a sensible rate.

Anyone in a modern car doing less than 60 when the speed limit allows really needs to get a bit of a move on though.

100% this.

I do pretty much exactly the same and works a treat when it’s a busy motorway. Takes all the stress out.

[Krikkit]

AndyAudi said:

This is partly the reason I filled in responses to the Scottish speed limit consultation.

It’s proposed adjusting NSL
Move Lorries up from 40-50
Move cars down from 60-50
So everyone’s supposed to be at same speed - but as discussed on this thread - they are not, as Lorrie’s have more accurate displays.

Ew, no.

[Pica-Pica]

Patio said:

I wouldn't fancy sticking limiter at 50 on the motorway and expecting some relaxing cruise

Foreign and domestic HGV's would be up your arris within minutes

It would be like the scene in planes, trains & automobiles

Aris.

[croyde]

As said earlier, make it 60.

I find the 50s fekin dangerous as most people switch off and you have a moving road block of lorries, cars, vans and motorbikes barely inches from each other side by side and due to the perceived lack of motion, seemingly safe.

I've banged on about this a couple of times now but I have only just returned from driving 3500 miles across France/Spain and it was only on the M20 and M25 heading to Folkestone and back, that I came across these ridiculous 50mph average sections that go on for ages, and for no apparent fekin reason.

Oh! and the fuggin potholes.