Lorries Overtaking at Busy Periods?

[ryanMIL]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before...

Why isn't there a restriction on HGV's using lane 2 for overtaking during peak times as per some sections of autobahn?

I anticipate some arguments that goods need to be delivered on time etc, consumers want products in stores, 90% of everything we buy is delivered by HGV's etc...but would it really slow down deliveries THAT much if they weren't able to overtake one another for a few hours each day? Is this not something they could plan-out?

I don't mean for this to sound like the rantings of a well-built, goatee sporting, A6 driving, squash playing, director-type, but they do cause quite a bit of disruption when they take a mile or so to overtake another lorry, pushing people into the outside lane who are barely doing 60mph.

I'm aware there is a restriction like this on the A14 in Northamptonshire which seems to work quite well (albeit this is only a dual-carriageway). Not sure how effective it is in Germany?

Thoughts?

[300bhp/ton]

So much could be done, but isn't

[krallicious]

They used to run something similar on the M11 from where the A11 joined to around Stantead. It seemed to work very well and it works well in Germany too.

[Spanna]

Some lorries are limted to just 50, I can imagine it getting tedious if you're able to travel 6mph faster than that, but not allowed to creep past in the next lane.

There's a section of M42 that had/still has an overtaking restriction for lorries, but there's regularly a lorry in lane 2 followed by a stream of brake lights.

[lauda]

I think there are some sections of dual carriageway where HGVs are not supposed to use the outside lane, particularly on uphill sections. I think this is the case on part of the A34 going north from the M4 towards Oxford.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me and can't see that it shouldn't be extended to other busy routes, particularly during peak times.

[Superhoop]

Having had to drive along the M11 and A14 today, I have to say that the OP has a valid point

Lorry A doing 56.000213 mph, comes across Lorry B doing 56.000211, so pulls out to overtake - total overtake took 4.2miles, which TBH is just taking the piss

[GC8]

ryanMIL said:

Sorry if this has been mentioned before...

Why isn't there a restriction on HGV's using lane 2 for overtaking during peak times as per some sections of autobahn?

I anticipate some arguments that goods need to be delivered on time etc, consumers want products in stores, 90% of everything we buy is delivered by HGV's etc...but would it really slow down deliveries THAT much if they weren't able to overtake one another for a few hours each day? Is this not something they could plan-out?

I don't mean for this to sound like the rantings of a well-built, goatee sporting, A6 driving, squash playing, director-type, but they do cause quite a bit of disruption when they take a mile or so to overtake another lorry, pushing people into the outside lane who are barely doing 60mph.

I'm aware there is a restriction like this on the A14 in Northamptonshire which seems to work quite well (albeit this is only a dual-carriageway). Not sure how effective it is in Germany?

Thoughts?

What this really comes down to, is the foolish notion that 'I am more important than lorries', but you arent.

Some HGV drivers may be inconsiderate, but if you tried it for a day I suspect that youd soon be doing exactly the same thing. Its nothing to the ignoarance and stupidity seen in endless car drivers everyday.

[ryanMIL]

Well, I see that it would cause some inconvenience to HGV drivers, but that's about the only counter-argument I can see. And, shirley, planners could negate any delays this would cause?

I was expecting a bit of abuse for posing this question. It does seem a bit selfish.

[ryanMIL]

Verboten said:

Because for example you get tractors on dual carriageways, you also get mongs driving at 40mph and these trucks are not allowed to overtake so you get one long queue of slow moving vehicles, which makes it harder to join and exit. Motorways wouldn't be so bad if the car drivers were better educated on lane discipline and aiding the flow of traffic.

Good point about other slow-moving traffic, but I can't remember the last time I saw a tractor on a m'way during peak times? Very good hole in my point though - can't really think of a way around this without imposing a 'minimum speed' during peak times, which would be lunacy.

[blongs]

Should we bring in a law like our French friends??


►HGV restrictions in France

Most heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are banned from the French road and motorway network every weekend between the hours of 10 p.m Saturday and 10 p.m Sunday.

Summer weekend HGV bans in France.
This weekend truck ban is longer from early July to mid August, when HGVs are banned from Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and then from Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 10 p.m. In other words, during these July and August weekends, there is a 3 hour window of opportunity on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for HGVs to reach their destination or get out of France to a country without weekend HGV bans (unless the Saturday in question is a public holiday - see below.)

HGV's are also banned on public holidays, normally from 10 p.m the night before, until 10 p.m on the holiday itself. The two big summer public holidays in France are 14th July and 15th August. When these public holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, HGVs are banned 24/24. This the case for 14 July 2013


or is this a little too far?


Source : http://about-france.com/travel.htm

[Chrisw666]

300bhp/ton said:

So much could be done, but isn't

On so many topics this is so true its sad.

[HD Adam]

I think you will find that most car drivers would be happy with a time restriction and most commercial drivers will not.

[ryanMIL]

GC8 said:

What this really comes down to, is the foolish notion that 'I am more important than lorries', but you arent.

Some HGV drivers may be inconsiderate, but if you tried it for a day I suspect that youd soon be doing exactly the same thing. Its nothing to the ignoarance and stupidity seen in endless car drivers everyday.

As I said, I don't want it to sound like I think I'm more important than lorries - that isn't the case. I'm aware that our economy is pretty reliant on goods being transported. However, in the interest of keeping a steady flow of traffic - would it really cause that much disruption for hauliers? Could they not plan around it?

[jamei303]

I hope one day lorries will run in convoys on autopilot so the poor drivers won't be faced with the appallingly prospect of having to dab their brake pedal to let a colleague complete an overtake in less than an hour, or even worse, use their gas pedal instead of cruise control for while, or dare I say it, have to change gears.

[GC8]

That was an impersonal 'I'.

[Nimbus]

There's a restriction like this on the 'hills' A34 northbound between Newbury and Didcot for peak hours.

It should work great, but its not 'enforced, so...

How many lorries do you think pay attention to it ?

And how many decide to pull out for their 'overtake' just as they are at the steepest part of the hill...

Then there are daily shunts on these hills, as the somewhat inattentive car drivers then have to slow down sharpish to avoid the lorry that's muscled it's way out into lane 2...

Sometimes they slow down in time, sometimes they stop in the back of the car in front...

Normally the lorry disappears off into the distance untouched...

Sadly, there are selfish idiots everywhere... some in cars, some in lorries...

Edited by Nimbus on Wednesday 30th January 17:00

[300bhp/ton]

Chrisw666 said:

300bhp/ton said:

So much could be done, but isn't

On so many topics this is so true its sad.

I have nothing against lorries or lorry drivers, indeed I know a few and an owner of a haulage firm.

But if you think about it an average lorry takes up the space of 3-5 cars (depending on how you measure it). They also have an annoying habbit of not wanting to be be slowed up by 1-2mph, despite in percentage terms 2mph from 56mph is next to nothing. Their answer is to then slow up traffic moving at 70mph. Something just seems wrong with the logic I don't want to be held up a little bit, but I'm happy to hold others up a lot to achieve it.


I think banning haulage off the roads weekdays 6:30-9:30am and 4:00-7:00pm would make a huge difference (permits for exceptions such as dustbin lorries, etc etc) But as a general rule of thumb. Remember if a lorry takes up 3-5 cars worth of space getting 1000 lorries off the road would create room for 3000-5000 extra cars, or rather a lot less congestion.

There would still be plenty of hours in the day for moving items about the country.

[Mintyhit]

Superhoop said:

Having had to drive along the M11 and A14 today, I have to say that the OP has a valid point

Lorry A doing 56.000213 mph, comes across Lorry B doing 56.000211, so pulls out to overtake - total overtake took 4.2miles, which TBH is just taking the piss

Did you follow these two lorry's for 239.73 years then?

[John145]

Do as Europe does, ban them from using lanes 2 and 3 between 7am and 8pm. Simple. More lorries would run at night and the roads would run smoother.

[chilistrucker]

Verboten said:

Because for example you get tractors on dual carriageways, you also get mongs driving at 40mph and these trucks are not allowed to overtake so you get one long queue of slow moving vehicles, which makes it harder to join and exit. Motorways wouldn't be so bad if the car drivers were better educated on lane discipline and aiding the flow of traffic.

agree with this. more education needed.

i'm not totally against the ops point.
wouldn't bother me if there was a ban on any 2 lane a road or motorway. i'd guess 6-9am, and then again maybe 4-6.30pm.
but i wouldn't agree with this on any 3 lane a road or motorway, there is a third lane for cars etc to pass, if you get a numpty out there in a car dawdling at 55-60 mph tough, your problem should lie with them and not the trucks in lane 1 or 2.

i like everybody else, hate the whole elephant racing scenario, its a disgrace, gets us all a bad name and i detest it. the sad fact is though, that proper lorry drivers are becoming a rare breed, the job today has far to many steering wheel attendants driving wagons
pay peanuts.....