The only real answer to the menace is to put ALL container traffic onto the railway network and arrange for local pick ups. If the Governement got their act together and sorted out an integrated traffic policy we could have containers on the railways, thus reducing pollution, traffic queues, the number of large lorries on the road travelling great distances,reducing congestion, cutting down on acciddents and hold ups due to lorries breaking down (which they frequently do)
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Ooooo, I haven't laughed as hard in ages, So you would want all container traffic to go to a railway head somewhere? So where would all these new depots be built? Where would the capacity on the railway come from? They already struggle to fit all the passenger trains on the line and you want to see more!!!! Not a hope in hell, too costly, not quick enough and the infrastructure will never ever be there.
And just out of curiosity, why is your journey more important then that of the trucks, why do you feel you have a right to do 70mph, yet you think the truck that is overtaking should have to sit behind a slower vehicle - you obviously don't like sitting behind slower vehicles so why should they?
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Agree that putting things on the railways isn't viable with the network in its current form. Perhaps that was something that ought to have been explored before Dr Beeching got busy.
And just out of curiosity, why is your journey more important then that of the trucks, why do you feel you have a right to do 70mph, yet you think the truck that is overtaking should have to sit behind a slower vehicle - you obviously don't like sitting behind slower vehicles so why should they?
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Flip side of that coin - why do you as a lorry driver consider you have the right to hold everyone else up while you overtake?
The problem that most of us have with lorries overtaking each other is that the overtakee in far too many instances appears to regard being overtaken as an unforgivable affront to his or her dignity, and is therefore hanged if he or she is going to take foot off accelerator to allow the overtakor to complete the manoeuvre more quickly.
I saw an extreme example of this on the southbound A34 last year - one lorry pulled out to overtake another just after the Newbury turn-off and then took by my reading of the mileometer 14 miles to complete the overtake, because the guy he was overtaking just would not ease off to let him past.
Doubtless those who regard such behaviour as acceptable would seek to explain it by reference to loss of momentum, power to weight etc but I'm afraid that isn't going to cut a lot of ice with the people in the queue behind, who are for the most part trying to go about their business and earn a living too.
As HJ himself has said on numerous occasions, the answer to all of this nonsense is to get rid of these ridiculous 90 km/h restrictors so that lorries can go with the flow a bit better.
A bit of a reminder to some of the LGV-driving fraternity that if you are driving something many times bigger and heavier than everything else on the road, you have a greater potential to cause a lot of damage if you make a mistake and therefore you have an even greater responsibility to drive sensibly, would be a good idea. I am sure that most are only too aware of this, but there are clearly some who need reminding.
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Flip side of that coin - why do you as a lorry driver consider you have the right to hold everyone else up while you overtake?
Personally I don't, I was normally happy to sit at 50 on dual carrigeways (yes that is in fact the legal limit), 40 on single carrigeways and against the limiter on the motorway - but that still got other drivers agitated, espicially 40 on single carrigeways - at the end of the day ther is never going to be a solution, as cars think they have a god given right to use the road and trucks do the same, as do motorbikes and vans - but the worst of all are push bikes who seem to be able to ignore the highway code by riding 2 or 3 abreast, and pulling out when thy feel like it.
The problem that most of us have with lorries overtaking each other is that the overtakee in far too many instances appears to regard being overtaken as an unforgivable affront to his or her dignity, and is therefore hanged if he or she is going to take foot off accelerator to allow the overtakor to complete the manoeuvre more quickly.
Actually has more to do with the Speed limiter and the fact most drivers have the cruise control on.
I saw an extreme example of this on the southbound A34 last year - one lorry pulled out to overtake another just after the Newbury turn-off and then took by my reading of the mileometer 14 miles to complete the overtake, because the guy he was overtaking just would not ease off to let him past.
But not half as much fun though!!!
Doubtless those who regard such behaviour as acceptable would seek to explain it by reference to loss of momentum, power to weight etc but I'm afraid that isn't going to cut a lot of ice with the people in the queue behind, who are for the most part trying to go about their business and earn a living too.
As was the truck driver - as I said, why is your job/journey any more important then his?
As HJ himself has said on numerous occasions, the answer to all of this nonsense is to get rid of these ridiculous 90 km/h restrictors so that lorries can go with the flow
Yep, but we live in Europe, and that will now never happen, just wait till they are introduced on cars!!!!!!
A bit of a reminder to some of the LGV-driving fraternity that if you are driving something many times bigger and heavier than everything else on the road, you have a greater potential to cause a lot of damage if you make a mistake and therefore you have an even greater responsibility to drive sensibly, would be a good idea. I am sure that most are only too aware of this, but there are clearly some who need reminding.
A badly driven car can cause a truck to jackknife or a coach to go out of control just as easily as the drivers of those vehicles can. I would love to know the statistics of how many crashes involving HGV's are actually caused by the HGV driver and how many are caused by other vehicles!!
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- at the end of the day ther is never going to be a solution...
Agree with you there, especially the last part about cyclists - which is why the one bit of road safety publicity I've seen recently and which I agree with wholeheartedly is the "Share the Road" campaign. But at that point you're getting into a different debate about traffic levels.
Actually has more to do with the Speed limiter and the fact most drivers have the cruise control on.
OK, speed limiter is a fact of life - I accept that (and the point about the nature of EU regs, too). But cruise control, if it works like it does in cars, can be disengaged by a quick dab of brake - so why not do that? As for impeding overtakes for fun , with the thought process there presumably being along the lines of "I can't go any faster than this so I don't see why anyone else should" - well, I'm sorry, but with the roads as busy as they are, that's just not on. For the record, I detest all forms of inconsiderate behaviour, not just this kind of thing.
I'm not seeking to imply that the journeys of car drivers are more important than those of lorry drivers - sometimes that will be the case; sometimes it will be the lorry that is making the more important journey; most of the time, I suspect, it will be fairly even. My point is that if we are all trying to go about our day and do whatever it is that we are doing, which is what makes the economy work after all, let's try and do it in a way that doesn't involve holding each other up/annoying each other/whatever. That way we all get to go home afterwards without unreasonable amounts of stress. Yes, I know it'll never happen, but I can dream.
I would love to know the statistics...
Me too, as it happens. Everything on the road is capable of being, and is, driven badly. My point was more though that the larger the thing you are driving, the greater the mess that is likely to be caused in the event of an accident, and the fact that there are some drivers of large vehicles who do not, for whatever reason, seem to grasp that.
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>>But cruise control, if it works like it does in cars, can be disengaged by a quick dab of brake - so why not do
>>that?
Because what tends to happen is as soon as you dab the brake to let another truck past who is struggling to overtake you is that the next truck that is up your backside will then pull out to overtake you too. As soon as you slow slightly when on the limiter in a line of trucks the next guy will be out and alongside you. Then its just a vicious circle. Okay you've let the one who was halfway past you get in front but now you have another one alongside again. If you keep dabbing the brake to let everyone past you soon end up going backwards whilst they all sail off into the distance.
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For Gods sake.
Will you change the record about trucks.
I'm getting sick of hearing it.
Either put up with them,and the fact they are a way of life,or move to the Arctic circle,if you hate them that much.
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Erm.
Buy british, locally produced items ?
keep us all in secure employment and reduce the traffic on the road, and emissions and stress and make us the nation we once were again?
Bring back the old days I say !
Then we culd go back to the farmers adverts "Buy British" so they can buy german cars etc etc etc.
But to get the roads less busy (we all want?) means depending less on stuff being imported and moved. Simple really ! You want it made in china it has to be moved to the shops/to you somehow. Very few houses and shops have got rail side delivery access.
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Im caught between lorries and cars - my little van falls into the light commercials speed limits which come in at 50 on single cw, 60 on duals and 70 on Mway. Problem is, most car drivers are not aware of my restrictions so think Im being an ass, but on the otherhand, I have no desire to loose my license or gain points and fines on account of other peoples ignorance.
I just ignore them now I know Im within my rights to pootle along at 50.
Its sometimes safer to overtake a much slower vehicle than one which is only 5 mph below the limit. You discover this driving slower vehicles such as my van. Id far rather have to overtake a lorry doing 40 than one doing 55 but taking an age to get there after every corner.
I think the larger issue is that this attitude of aggression, speed and 'must over take' is far more dangerous than the actual speed of the vehicles.
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Thought car based vans had the same speed limits as the cars?
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Thought car based vans had the same speed limits as the cars?
Not all small commercials are car based - my Suzuki Carry is not based on a car and as such, it falls into a different catagory as car based vans such as the Corsa.
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For Gods sake. Will you change the record about trucks. I'm getting sick of hearing it.
If threads on this subject bore you, you're under no obligation to read them, still less post on them. Plenty of stuff on here is of little interest to me - I click on by (to quote Growler).
Either put up with them,and the fact they are a way of life,or move to the Arctic circle,if you hate them that much.
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I'm sorry, but you can't have read my two posts in response to TU properly. There is nothing in either of them that says, or even implies, that I hate lorries. Of course they are a way of life. Only a total fruitcake thinks otherwise. How else is the stuff I buy in the Sainsbury up the street going to get there?
What I hate, as I have tried (with, clearly, singular lack of success) to explain, is lorries (or anything else, come to that) being driven in an inconsiderate manner. TU and Simon have explained a couple of things from the lorry driver's point of view. I'm grateful for that - it's always good to get a different perspective. Making silly remarks about moving to the Arctic Circle adds nothing.
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This forum is full of NIMBY's,who are quick to berate the truck driver,of which I am one,and have absolutely no understanding of what it takes to control something that can weigh up to 44 tonnes.
As for driving along at 40 mph.
Remember that we do not make the law,merely stick to it,so again,people shouldn't have a go at us becasue we stick to the law of the land.I personally think 40 mph is too slow,but as I don't make the law,there's not a lot I can do about it,and I'm sure as hell not going to put my licence at risk,because some jerk thinks I should speed up to suit them.If it bothers them that much,then let them feel free to write to the Department of Transport and complain.
Trucks,despite their higher carrying capacity than a few years ago,are safer now,than ever,what with ABS,disc brakes,retarders etc,and yes,I think the speed limit should be raised slightly on certain roads,but having a go at a driver on here,is not the right way to address the situation.As a driver,I get frustrsted when I'm travelling along a road,and a tractor is going along at 20 mph,so I know how it feels to a car driver,of which I am also one,strange as it may seem.
The roads on our shores,are more crowded than ever,and we need to be more tolerant of situations when travelling,and if it's a route that an individual uses regularly,and is a well known slow spot,then perhaps leaving the set off point a little earlier or later may help.
I don't think there is a quick fix to the problem of slow vehicles,or inconsiderate drivers,but I'll repeat what I said earlier,please don't tar us all with the same brush.
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>>Remember that we do not make the law,merely stick to it,so again,people shouldn't have a go at us becasue we stick to the law of the land.<<
Quite right - I think these people who have this need to get everywhere so quickly and want the roads to themselves should perhaps emigrate to Iceland or Northern Russia - they may like the empty roads there.
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I've just read a report that they are about to install Specs Speed Camera's on a 14 mile stretch of the A14 running through Cambridgeshire. I'm not starting a debate about whether it is right or wrong but what it will mean is that the trucks that use it will be limited to a top speed of 50mph along those 14 miles. So you know what that means, instead of you car drivers following behind overtaking HGV's at around 56mph, it will now be around 50mph instead, and a battle of wills from the drivers about who dares creep up that little bit faster as they overtake without running the risk of an automatic speeding fine.
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These cameras are due to become operational in march apparently and as the rules on 7.5 tonners have now changed and over the next couple of years most of them will come under the 56 mph rule so bunching along this section can only get worse. These are average speed cameras, unlike Gatso's which should be set to 10% + 2 mph tolerance, although according to the local paper they do have a failing when used on roads with more than one lane.
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