Drove up the M1 this afternoon for the first time in ages - Normally use M40. I couldn't believe how close some HGV drivers were behind each other. As close as 6-8ft at 50-60 mph. The danger is obvious but I can only assume this 'slip streaming' must save fuel: or what?
Bob H
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Bob I've noticed this myself for a very long time and simply put it down to bad driving. There is no excuse whatsoever for them. This is an accident just waiting to happen and I am amazed at professional drivers behaving in this way. But of course we must remember that it is just a minority who do it and it should be up to the Police to pull them for it.
My son in law is an HGV driver and he deplores it also.
They also do it to cars of course and the worst I knew was in a village near me which used to be the main A50. this was subject to a 30mph limit and lorries would often tailgate cars trying to push them faster. On this occassion one did this to a car with two ladies in. It eventually actually touched the car.
The younger woman who was with her mother stopped the car in front of the lorry. Went back to the driver and booked him. She just happened to be an off duty Policewoman.
Alvin
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I've just returned from 2 weeks on a Greek island (Samos). During that time I enjoyed (!) several hours in taxis with various drivers. Some of them relied heavily on quick reactions as they tailgated much closer than I felt comfortable with, and seemed to assume that sounding the horn before a blind bend guaranteed that no vehicle would be coming. However the evidence (lack of external damage) suggested they were good at it, especially given the figures on the mileage recorder - anything from 250K to 940K !! kilometres. Not bad on an island 25 miles by 10 !
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Motor bikes too seem to be exempt from the '2 second safe interval' rule. The only difference is that they wait in the blind spot 6 feet behind your car, and tend to come of worse if they run into you.
Cliff
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A result of the 56mph limiter.
U try sitting in a vehicle restricted to the same speed as everyone else and then drive from Penzance to Manchester on a Friday & then get back to me!
I'm not an HGV driver by the way....
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HGV folks tell us that when speed limiters came into use, accidents increased by 24%.
They complain that they are now passengers sitting behind the steering wheel.
More info at members.tripod.com/~Cybertrucker/menace.htm
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Limiters are a dead loss: why limit a vehicle carrying 40 tons to 56 mph (OK, that may be reasonable) and then limit the same vehicle, running empty but still equipped with wheels, brakes, steering and tyres to handle a 40 ton load, to the same speed.
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Brian wrote:
>
> Limiters are a dead loss: why limit a vehicle carrying 40
> tons to 56 mph (OK, that may be reasonable) and then limit
> the same vehicle, running empty but still equipped with
> wheels, brakes, steering and tyres to handle a 40 ton load,
> to the same speed.
I would expect an empty trailer with locked up rear wheels
to take longer to stop than a fully laden one in the same circumstances.
Of course seeing as the EU are now making ABS mandatory on HGV's
(including trailers), this should be less of an issue.
/John
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because it's still a massive vehicle! An HGV does not have the same nimbleness as a car. Also it's good to have them limited to 56mph because it's usually a safe bet that they won't be tailgating you when your driving at 70mph -except those pesky Irish HGV's without limiters!
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And how many people have seen lorries/coaches with the '56mph limited' sticker on the back doing about 70?!
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It probably wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to HGVs tailgating, but I like the French system of having long white lines to divide lanes, and signs at the side which basically say "Keep two lines between you and the vehicle in front for safety". Not universal, but certainly used on the Autoroutes around Calais.
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