I propose an addition to Godwins Law - anyone who mentions or quotes Jeremy Clarkson as a method of supporting their argument in a topic about driving should immediately loose all credibility.
Bwahahaha - I second that motion.
Again, it's worth reiterating that there has not been any change in the law. Merely that the police can now issue fixed penalty notices for some offences, which previously could only be reported for summons.Will this law change affect it No.
On the A34 northbound just as the road goes over the Ridgeway there is a no lorries over 7.5 tonnes in the outside lane up the hill sign. Guess how often that's ignored by HGVs & coaches...
Personally, I'd much rather briefly sit behind an empty wagon swiftly overtaking a loaded (and slow) one on the hill than be stuck behind the same combination on the flat when there's not much difference between them. Unfortunately I'd suggest that it's the behaviour of a tiny minority of drivers who really do take the biscuit (once followed a couple of HGVs, alongside each other for five or six miles - they still weren't done after that, but fortunately there was a lane gain at that point so I could get on with my journey in a more timely manner) that irritates the general public sufficiently to ultimately result in this sort of silly restriction.I fail to see why the 7.5 tonne weight limit is there, theres no structures there that are at risk and i fail to see why i should be confined to driving in lane one just because im in an HGV, a fully freighted HGV with average power will drop to anything as low as 20-30mph going up that hill, the same truck with a light load or empty will power up it flat out, so why should an empty HGV have to slow to 20-30mph due to not being allowed to overtake?
In Germany, they have daytime overtaking restrictions on lorries, caravans etc on many roads (especially two lane roads).
And the Germans like to comply with their rules. A few years ago I was heading east on the A6 near Nuremburg when the radio TP burst into life announcing that there were 20km tailbacks ahead. Lorries were not permitted to overtake on that section of the (3 lane!) autobahn, and one had broken down in lane ein. The lorry behind him decided he couldn't overtake the failure, and so did the next bloke, and then like dominoes every lorry behind just stopped, not able to disobey the regulations. For 20 km.
Brilliantly a Hungarian lorry driver risked it, and he looked like he was running for the border....
And here you have the problem perfectly encapsulated. People who believe laws don't apply to them - their skills and needs are above everything else.Quite often....
i ignore it all the time when in my 44 tonner, in fact i did it this week, just as i got to the bottom of the hill the truck up front (which to my disapointment was also from my firm) was driving at 50mph, three other trucks had backed up behind him but i dropped a gear selected power mode and roared up the hill passing all 4 of them before id even got to the top!
I fail to see why the 7.5 tonne weight limit is there, theres no structures there that are at risk and i fail to see why i should be confined to driving in lane one just because im in an HGV, a fully freighted HGV with average power will drop to anything as low as 20-30mph going up that hill, the same truck with a light load or empty will power up it flat out, so why should an empty HGV have to slow to 20-30mph due to not being allowed to overtake? So as not to increase journey times for car drivers? Thats what the sign stated when it was just a trial period, im sorry but since when did car drivers journey times take priority over HGV journey times?
Im sorry but ive just read this whole thread, i spend 5 days a week, week in week out living and driving on the roads, i see the good and mostly bad in drivers and as you've probably guessed i don't class myself as no angel, i also fail to understand why certain rules are in place and why there are no rules in place for other things.
Its not peoples driving that stinks, its peoples attitudes, from drivers to cyclists to pedestrians even down to the idiots that design roads and put the rules in place, everyones out for themselves and everyone thinks their right, or just don't think at all.
I drive to my abilities given the conditions at the time, ive had my truck up to 80mph and my car up to 150mph....... and all on a squeaky clean licence.
Nothing will ever change....... happy motoring people.
And here you have the problem perfectly encapsulated. People who believe laws don't apply to them - their skills and needs are above everything else.
Bravo.
And this person wants to be a train driver ?! ????????????
Its not peoples driving that stinks, its peoples attitudes, from drivers to cyclists to pedestrians even down to the idiots that design roads and put the rules in place, everyones out for themselves and everyone thinks their right, or just don't think at all.
I drive to my abilities given the conditions at the time, ive had my truck up to 80mph and my car up to 150mph....... and all on a squeaky clean licence.
I don't believe ive ever said i want to be a train driver!
My apologies !!! I got your name mixed up with Geargrinder!
Or you have the real pain in the A###.
On a single carriageway road you have the sunday walker. Toddling along at 40.
You are about 30 back in the queue. You get to a stretch of Dual Carriageway and the slow one at the front speeds up to over 80 gets to the end of the DC stretch and slows back down to 40.
How many get past, not many. Irritating Yes.
Illegal no except for the speed
Will this law change affect it No.
Completely agree with you on that one
I am absolutely adamant that there are a significant number of drivers who have absolutely no idea at all what the national speed limit sign means, or what that limit is. I'm not a prat behind the wheel, but I'm afraid I do find it unacceptably antisocial to drive at 40mph-ish on a clear road with a limit of 60mph with a column on traffic slowly building up behind you. Many A roads offer little opportunity to overtake safely, and a pleasant journey can become incredibly frustrating as you sit behind a plodder trying to get your head around why they are so unaware of their speed/the speed limit/other people stacking up behind them. Grrrrr.....
Personally, I'd much rather briefly sit behind an empty wagon swiftly overtaking a loaded (and slow) one on the hill than be stuck behind the same combination on the flat when there's not much difference between them. Unfortunately I'd suggest that it's the behaviour of a tiny minority of drivers who really do take the biscuit (once followed a couple of HGVs, alongside each other for five or six miles - they still weren't done after that, but fortunately there was a lane gain at that point so I could get on with my journey in a more timely manner) that irritates the general public sufficiently to ultimately result in this sort of silly restriction.
Quite often....
i ignore it all the time when in my 44 tonner, in fact i did it this week, just as i got to the bottom of the hill the truck up front (which to my disapointment was also from my firm) was driving at 50mph, three other trucks had backed up behind him but i dropped a gear selected power mode and roared up the hill passing all 4 of them before id even got to the top!
I fail to see why the 7.5 tonne weight limit is there, theres no structures there that are at risk and i fail to see why i should be confined to driving in lane one just because im in an HGV, a fully freighted HGV with average power will drop to anything as low as 20-30mph going up that hill, the same truck with a light load or empty will power up it flat out, so why should an empty HGV have to slow to 20-30mph due to not being allowed to overtake? So as not to increase journey times for car drivers? Thats what the sign stated when it was just a trial period, im sorry but since when did car drivers journey times take priority over HGV journey times?
Im sorry but ive just read this whole thread, i spend 5 days a week, week in week out living and driving on the roads, i see the good and mostly bad in drivers and as you've probably guessed i don't class myself as no angel, i also fail to understand why certain rules are in place and why there are no rules in place for other things.
Its not peoples driving that stinks, its peoples attitudes, from drivers to cyclists to pedestrians even down to the idiots that design roads and put the rules in place, everyones out for themselves and everyone thinks their right, or just don't think at all.
I drive to my abilities given the conditions at the time, ive had my truck up to 80mph and my car up to 150mph....... and all on a squeaky clean licence.
Nothing will ever change....... happy motoring people.
In Sweden & Norway where you have hundreds of miles of 2 lane "motorway" slower drivers & trucks will pull into the wide hard shoulders to allow you to pass. When didyou last see someone in the UK do that!
Do slower drivers pull over automatically without hesitation though?
Easy really - either the overtaking vehicle eases off a bit to pull back in behind the first vehicle, or the first vehicle eases off a bit to let the other one get past more quickly. I accept that neither vehicle wants to lose momentum, and that a slight difference in speed can make quite a difference over a long journey, but spending six or seven minutes trying to overtake, with a long queue of potentially faster traffic behind, is thoroughly discourteous.They may have been alongside each other for 5 or 6 miles because of speed limiters, once you commit to overtake what else can you do?
It's such a common sight, I guess the desire not to lose any momentum wins out - and sod anyone else.
That's also indicative (sorry!) of the number of drivers who use indicators to inform you that they have actually started a manoeuvre; rather than the proper use of letting you know they intend to make a manoeuvre.It's a bit like trucks indicating to move out and expecting others to drop anchor...