Your opinion on extreme lorry "overtaking"

[944 Man]

Or pull out for twenty seconds and let him undertake you, and he as gone. Drop a barely perceptible 1-2mph and he will be clear in 10secs.

[944 Man]

No one takes precedence, but lorries will squash you and being in the right will not help you when you’re dead.

People might try working with other vehicles on the road, instead of trying to best them and thinking that they’re in some way better/superior/more important.

[320d is all you need]

944 Man said:

Or pull out for twenty seconds and let him undertake you, and he as gone. Drop a barely perceptible 1-2mph and he will be clear in 10secs.

Or

Be a "professional driver' and not drive like an arse hole!

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

Back off and maintain a safe distance or move into L2 to overtake youself.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can argue your course of action.

Both lorry drivers I suspect.

[Mandat]

320d is all you need said:

Or

Be a "professional driver' and not drive like an arse hole!

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

Back off and maintain a safe distance or move into L2 to overtake youself.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can argue your course of action.

Both lorry drivers I suspect.

The decision is entirely yours to make.

Continue as your are in lane 1, with your thumb up your arse, and keep on ranting about "Big Dave" trying to kill you;

or

Take some simple and effective avoiding action to extricate yourself from the situation, that you think is going to kill you.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can moan so much about a situation on the road, but refuse to think & respond appropriately to simply remove themselves from that situation.

[Bright Halo]

M6 north yesterday morning just past jct11 where it is four lanes.
3 lorries abreast doing 55-56mph forcing all the cars who want to do 70mph into the fourth lane to get past.
You then have a long queue in lane 4 with others not realising or deliberately trying to get ahead diving down lanes 2 and 3 to try and get ahead of queue in 4.
1)Lorry drivers use some sense
2)Surely where there are 4 lanes lorries should be banned from lane 3 otherwise there is no point in having 4 lanes.

[s p a c e m a n]

320d is all you need said:

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

I'm just curious why the truck didn't move to lane 2 if he could. Was there a width or weight limit on that lane?

The problem with driving trucks is that you can see so far ahead that sometimes you forget how your driving comes across to other drivers. I'll be sitting in lane one bhing in my head about the Uber nob in the Prius 8 cars up in the middle lane and will start bunching up with all of the traffic because I'm waiting for him to wake up or a gap to open so that I can make a move, forgetting that I look intimidating to the car Infront even though I'm leaving the same amount gap as the car in the lane next to me.

I do over 50k miles a year, I'm sure that I must annoy other road users but it's never intentional and I always feel like a dick when I'm holding others up and I know that the majority of the people that I work with do too.

[MustangGT]

In my experience it is rare for an HGV to tailgate in lane 1. I see a lot of it in lane 2 however. I have had an HGV licence for 35 years although rarely used it so most of my 650k+ miles was in cars. It seems more prevalent now with a lot of 50mph limits and roadworks on motorways. I will see several car 'drivers' hogging lane 2 or even 3 sitting at 45 to 48 mph refusing to change lanes. Usual solution for lorries is to overtake in lane 1. Most HGVs will have cruise set to a real 50-52 mph, like me, so a car speedo will be reading 53-55mph. I rarely see a lorry exceeding 52mph in these circumstances.

[FiF]

944 Man said:

You certainly can: some are driven by complete bell-ends. (edited to add: I misread Fif's comment and thought that he said that you won't get an HGV bullying you)

What people do not realise, is that idiots holding up HGVs in the second lane is so prevalent, and that their ish behaviour encourages equally ish behaviour from the drivers of the vehicles that theyre obstructing.

It is so common, as a threads complaining about it, that in the absence of clear confirmation that they were in the nearside lane (absent, here), this will always be assumed.

If it happened to me, and it has rarely; then I would slowly decelerate. They will either pass you, or chase you across the desert in a demented attempt to kill you.

Edited by 944 Man on Monday 19th April 17:52

I didn't see your original comment but no worries. Everyone misreads or misinterprets something.

Indeed you do get trucks monstering folks in lane 2. Can't say I've experienced it much personally as would just get out of their sights, one way or another. It is a problem when lane 1 is full of a camel train all thinking (maybe?) that they are doing 50 because speedo says so, when in reality they are not and there are no sensible gaps in which to join lane 1. The thing that works for me mostly is that I know exactly how accurate my speedo is, so a true 50 is an indicated gnat's under 52. Setting my indicated speed to that plus a tiny bit then it's usually me that's one of the quicker ones in average cam sections. Only time a truck catches me up reckon it's been a foreigner who either doesn't understand or give a stuff.

Have certainly experienced the game players as previously described, though they've tended to be scruffy yoofs in stboxes. Soon dealt with, even if not exactly according to Roadcraft.

On the subject of being chased across the desert, presumably a reference to the film Duel. Not the desert but leafy Pennsylvania. Was trundling along the back roads in a Chevrolet Cavalier, must have been a 2nd gen as it was a V6. Anyway caught sight way back of a white Mack tanker catching me up. Clearly going quicker than me and it was a relatively narrow winding road so in an effort to be helpful speeded up, still catching me up. So stepped it up a bit more, and then more again. Still catching me up a bit, realised that he could see over the walls and hedges whereas I couldn't see if any traffic towards. By this time was convinced in full Duel mode, this guy could not only really pedal but was a homicidal maniac determined to punt this hire car off into the fields and river below the right hand side of road. Switched onto road rally mode, drove like an utter prick for a few miles, left him way back, came to a junction with a gravel forest road and buggered off up it and found a clearing, parked up for a bit to calm down.

[Muddle238]

320d is all you need said:

No.

So I'm already speeding (doing 54 in a 50).

I'm being tailgated by a huge truck with potentially fully loaded trailer.

Which means if he wants to overtake he should maintain a safe distance until able to move over to over take.



And rather than suggesting these "professional" driver's use a little bit of their professionalism and slow down to a sensible gap

You suggest the car being tailgated has to speed up?

If that is what you are suggesting, you are a clown.

If I had a blow out or had to brake suddenly for some reason I could be killed because "Big Dave" is an insecure little tt whos only "moments of power" are when he's in his cab lording over other motorists in a machine significantly more likely to kill someone.

Edited by 320d is all you need on Monday 19th April 16:48

Yeah I agree. If you’re in L1 in an average 50 zone, already at 54ish yet you have an HGV up your chuff, I can’t see any way shape or form how that’s your fault.

If I’m in that situation, I look to increase the gap slightly ahead of me, invariably involves knocking 1 or 2mph off my speed. Two fold benefit, firstly you are adjusting your gap ahead to compensate for the fact you’re pretty much towing an HGV, so need greater stopping distance. Secondly, if the HGV was already bouncing off their limiter, by slowing ever so slightly, you give them a margin to be able to pull out and I overtake. I’m not talking about brake checking, just ever so gently reducing your own speed slightly.

There’s absolutely no obligation to even do 54, you could go right back down to 50 on your speedometer, because of cause that is the limit. It’s then up to matey boy in his HGV if he wants to overtake.

Cruise control is great here, utilising it helps avoid that subconscious speed creep when you’re aware of a tailgating vehicle, especially when there’s an HGV on your arse. Less time staring at SCANIA in your rear view mirror and more time with eyes ahead, looking for the potential hazards that may need to be dealt with different given the proximity of traffic to your rear bumper.

[Muddle238]

Last year I came up behind a pair of HGVs side by side on the A417 near Cirencester. I noted from our trip computer it took 6.5 miles for the overtaking lorry to get past the overtakee, and they’d already begun their race before we caught up. Now, I’m quite happy to sit patiently behind vehicles overtaking each other, but it becomes a bit of a piss take IMO when the overtake starts being measured quite literally in miles.

[944 Man]

320d is all you need said:

Or

Be a "professional driver' and not drive like an arse hole!

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

Back off and maintain a safe distance or move into L2 to overtake youself.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can argue your course of action.

Both lorry drivers I suspect.

It isn’t all about you.

It is becoming obvious where the problem lies.

Edited by 944 Man on Wednesday 21st April 20:21

[Muddle238]

944 Man said:

320d is all you need said:

Or

Be a "professional driver' and not drive like an arse hole!

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

Back off and maintain a safe distance or move into L2 to overtake youself.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can argue your course of action.

Both lorry drivers I suspect.

It isn’t all about you.

It is becoming obvious where the problem lies.

Edited by 944 Man on Wednesday 21st April 20:21

Absolutely, the problem are HGVs (or any vehicle for that matter) tailgating in L1 trying to get vehicles ahead to exceed the posted limit, instead of using L2 to overtake.

[FiF]

Devils advocate, don't shoot the messenger for a moment.

50mph average speed cam section, 3 narrow lanes, not uncommon.

Lane 1 full of a camel train all trundling on, all too close together, thumbs up rear ends, brains in neutral, doing 40 something.

Vehicle in lane 2, overtaking camel train, doing 50 so not much opportunity to speed up.

Heavy right up his bottle trying to push for an extra couple of miles per hour, heavy not permitted to move to lane 3.

What then, vehicle in lane 2 only has following options.
a)Look for a space in lane 1 and elbow way in.
b) Sit it out
c) Speed up a bit to try and make space, and hope average doesn't trigger, but then will be caught up again, and it just reinforces to heavy driver that his behaviour gets results.
d) Move to lane 3 and allow heavy to undertake, same issue as in c) with behaviour reinforcement.

Any other suggestions? I'm assuming no one would be daft enough to do a brake test.

[NGee]

Muddle238 said:

944 Man said:

320d is all you need said:

Or

Be a "professional driver' and not drive like an arse hole!

If I'm already exceeding the speed limit In Lane 1 I am not going to move to lane 2 to be under taken..

Back off and maintain a safe distance or move into L2 to overtake youself.

I am genuinely shocked anyone can argue your course of action.

Both lorry drivers I suspect.

It isn’t all about you.

It is becoming obvious where the problem lies.

Edited by 944 Man on Wednesday 21st April 20:21

Absolutely, the problem are HGVs (or any vehicle for that matter) tailgating in L1 trying to get vehicles ahead to exceed the posted limit, instead of using L2 to overtake.

^ This

[E-bmw]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Ph! to your 5.5 miles.

I was going south on the M18 from the M62 to join the M1 a couple of years ago & was approaching a queue of around 10/12 lorries as the road narrows to 2 lanes.

At that point the rear-most lorry pulled out.

I think it is about 13 miles before the motorway goes back to 3 lanes & he was still there when it did.

He managed to get level with the lorry 2 in front of him by the time the queue behind was as far as I could see.

[AudiMan9000]

This happened to me the other day. Was going to post about it, but thought I’d search for an existing thread, and it sounds like it’s a very common phenomena.

I was on a 70mph dual carriageway wanting to cruise at 70mph. Road wasn’t busy. Lorry in L1 doing 59mph, being ever so slowly over taken by lorry in L2 doing 60mph. Caused a big frustrating blockage to all the normal traffic that wanted to make progress.

[cossy400]

AudiMan9000 said:

This happened to me the other day. Was going to post about it, but thought I’d search for an existing thread, and it sounds like it’s a very common phenomena.

I was on a 70mph dual carriageway wanting to cruise at 70mph. Road wasn’t busy. Lorry in L1 doing 59mph, being ever so slowly over taken by lorry in L2 doing 60mph. Caused a big frustrating blockage to all the normal traffic that wanted to make progress.

Fast they are then considering the regulations limit them to 56 mph, you did well to find 2 going that speed, did you still make it to your destination though after this almighty hold up you were in?

[bigothunter]

cossy400 said:

AudiMan9000 said:

This happened to me the other day. Was going to post about it, but thought I’d search for an existing thread, and it sounds like it’s a very common phenomena.

I was on a 70mph dual carriageway wanting to cruise at 70mph. Road wasn’t busy. Lorry in L1 doing 59mph, being ever so slowly over taken by lorry in L2 doing 60mph. Caused a big frustrating blockage to all the normal traffic that wanted to make progress.

Fast they are then considering the regulations limit them to 56 mph, you did well to find 2 going that speed, did you still make it to your destination though after this almighty hold up you were in?

56mph was the actual speed. 60mph was just the reading on his car's speedo.

[bigothunter]

Roger Irrelevant said:

What gets on my tits is when a cruise control zombie in a normal car does the same thing - a prod of the pedal could see them past the car they're overtaking in no time, but no they insist on sitting at what their car deems to be 70, which is 0.1mph faster than what the overtaken car deems to be 70, and are happy to sit in the outside lane like that for ages as they're doing the speed limit and thus can't be driving badly.

From May 2022, all new cars will be on cruise control: 70.0 mph max and not 0.1 mph more. Cars and trucks all matched at exactly the same speeds.

Chaos and rage should be entertaining, just to satisfy the zealots in Brussels I can hardly wait

Edited by bigothunter on Wednesday 1st September 12:26

[Gary C]

bigothunter said:

From May 2002, all new cars will be on cruise control: 70.0 mph max and not 0.1 mph more. Cars and trucks all matched at exactly the same speeds.

Chaos and rage should be entertaining, just to satisfy the zealots in Brussels I can hardly wait

Missed by 19 years ?