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hi room , i was following an articulated lorry on monday and on the back of the trailor it had 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 ..plates darted about on the rear door....whats that all about?
Edited by Pugugly on 07/08/2008 at 22:17
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Probably a lorry from overseas, they are km/h speed limits that apply to it depending on which road type it's on. The highest would have been 90 (km/h = 56mph).
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As this is a thread about lorries, perhaps you can answer this Dave t-d.
Driving along the 2 lane stretch of the M11 the other night heading southbound.
its dark, slight drizzle and the roads were almost empty. I passed a truck at 70, waited a few seconds before indicating left and moving to the left lane.
I get a flash of lights from the truck driver. Why?
It wasn't as if I'd suddenly dived in front of him and cut him up and I couldn't have possibly entered his 'comfort zone', besides which, at the speed I passed him there was no danger of me suddenly stopping and causing him a problem. I know truckers get tetchy about cars entering their safety zone, what with taking longer to brake than cars etc, etc but it was an empty road ahead of us and nothing was going to cause either of us to slow or stop.
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Usually a lorry drivers signal telling the overtaking vehicle it is safe to pull back in. Were you driving a large vehicle, towing, or indeed had a tow hitch fitted?
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Twas simply a "thankyou" from the truck driver for a safe overtake in which you did not compromise his "safe" zone, - usual response is to "flash" your (rear) lights back to acknowledge the courtesy,
Billy
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maybe one of his colleagues going up the other carriageway.... ?
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usual response is to "flash" your (rear) lights back to acknowledge the courtesy
Alternatively, a single flash of your left-hand indicator followed immediately by a single flash of your right-hand indicator ~ or vice versa.
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thanks for all the replies. I am aware of the protocol when a truckie signals to let you know its ok to pull back into the left lane, and I always indicate to say thanks, but his flash came after I'd nearly completed my manouevre so it seemed too little, too late.
Oh well I'll just remain baffled.
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Did you have your rear fog lights on?
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Nope!
I even checked those just in case.
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Nope! I even checked those just in case.
Well done you! Leaving them on is an easy enough mistake to make (especially as some cars don't have a decent idiot light on the dash) but few car drivers realise that on a dark wet road rear fogs play hell with truck drivers' vision, since the reflection off the wet road surface dazzles them. Car drivers don't cop this as much as the angle of sight is different.
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Hi,
I think the most likely explanation is that you both indicated and moved over in a reasonable time, rather than the majority of car drivers who carry on in the overtaking lane until they are 200-300ft past the front of the lorry before drifting left without signalling. Maybe the lorry driver assumed you were a professional driver and thus warranted the courtesy of a headlight flash? Also, if you had almost completed the manoeuvre before the flash came, the lorry driver may have thought you were a little hesitant about moving all the way back in in front of him and merely wanted to reassure you that the space was there for you.
Or of course you could have made him miss a few seconds of his DVD...
The correct etiquette, I believe, is to flash at a driver to let them know they can manoeuvre in/out of a space without inconveniencing you, or at least that you will make way for them to carry out this manoeuvre, and the response I always give is to insert one "wrong-way" indicator flash into the half-dozen or so flashes involved in carrying out such a manoeuvre. I.e. 3 left flashes, one right flash then two left when otherwise I would merely signal left for six flashes whilst moving over. No headlight flash, no indicator thankyou.
hth,
Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:39
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it`s an unwritten rule that lorry drivers flash each other in/out but there`s a `pecking order` amongst lorry drivers , i.e artics are top of the pile then us rigids then you`ve got tipper drivers` a class unto themselves!!
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Now there speaks a rigid driver with a chip on his shoulder!
It was token of appreciation for a perfect manouvre.
Pat
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Now there speaks a rigid driver with a chip on his shoulder! you could say i`m well balanced, i have a chip on each shoulder, ( plus on or two on the windscreen caused by a tipper driver cutting in too soon!!)
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I.e. 3 left flashes one right flash then two left when otherwise I would merely signal left for six flashes
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Dear Lord!
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