Via Al Jahom, I see this interesting story.
LORRIES are to be permanently banned from overtaking during the daytime on two stretches of a busy North East motorway.
The ban is aimed at curbing the frustrations of motorists stuck behind two slow lorries overtaking, and on increasing the capacity of motorways.
It is to come into force on the A1(M) in County Durham from March 31, following an 18-month trial which the Highways Agency has hailed a success, claiming less congestion and improved journey times for other vehicles.
From 7am to 7pm each day, lorries of 7.5 tonnes or more will be banned from the outside lane on two uphill stretches of the southbound carriageway of the A1(M), between Junction 63 at Chester-le-Street and Lumley New Bridge, and between Junction 61 at Bowburn and Bishop Middleham.
Much as I dislike bans and petty laws, I cannot but feel that this one has been a long time coming. This ban applies to a two-lane stretch, but the same congestion occurs on three-lane motorways as well. Many goods vehicles are limited by law to 56mph, which doesn’t help matters, but we all have to bow to the gods of the carbon footprint and elfansafety, so vehicles that once could overtake relatively briskly can no longer do so.
However, it takes a measure of bloody-mindedness to move out and overtake travelling at one or two miles per hour faster than the vehicle in front, thereby creating a 56mph traffic jam for several miles at a time. The whole thing is summed up by the person making the first comment to the article:
Of course none of this would be necessary if lorry drivers exercised just a smidgin of common sense and courtesy towards other drivers.
Indeed.
Apparently this ban will be enforced by fines and penalty points – so that will work well… Much is made of the French ban on trucks at the weekends and on public holidays. As someone who travels the French motorway system regularly, I can assure you that this ban is regularly breached. Truckers regard the fines as an occupational hazard and worth balancing against the cost of being holed up somewhere unable to get to their destination. The same, I suspect, will apply here.
While I am having a moan about trucks, another comment echoes one of my regular complaints:
They will tailgate other road users with alarming closeness in order to intimidate them to speed up if they find they can’t overtake due to traffic in the outside lane.
Whenever I slow down for a 50mph limit through road works, I invariably see the radiator grill of a truck in my rear view mirror, barely a few feet from my bumper. If anything happened and we had to stop suddenly, I would be crushed and the trucker would walk away. I don’t give a fig if people wish to play fast and loose with their own life – I do have a problem with arrogant bastards who take risks with mine just because they want to ignore the prevailing speed restriction.
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Update: While I’m in full rant mode… When you want to overtake, you check your mirrors and if there is a suitable opening you indicate your intention. You make the move when there is sufficient room for you to do so. What you don’t do is put the indicator on and move out irrespective of any vehicles that may be alongside you at the time. I have to take avoiding action pretty much every motorway trip I do because of this moronic homicidal behaviour.
No we don’t have to bow down before the god’s of the carbon footprint and elf’n safety. The 56 mph limiter is just plain daft. Not least of all because 90% of the time its sensible for the lorry to go faster than that- so the lorry driver gets in the habit of keeping his foot on the floor. I did read that it’s introduction was followed by a 20% increase in fatalities- I’d guess from the effect of dissociating the lorry driver from what he is doing.
Limiters are never calibrated the same, so a lorry limited to a true 57mph coming up behind one limited to a true 55 mph is very tempted to crawl past in order to keep on going- and crawling past is all that he can do.
and of course we will never have the situation of a three mile queue of nose to tail lorries doing 50 and a car doing 50mph in the outside lane. No sirree.
They should do what they never even consider. Spend some of the money they steal in road taxes and give to feral youths and widen the road. Is it so difficult to consider?
Road planners are on my list for when the time comes.
An argument for minimum speed limits in the outer lanes. Indeed, there should be a minimum speed limit on the motorways in all lanes. An idiot I came across a month or so back was cheerfully driving at 30mph. Probably never had an accident but wonders why he has seen so many.
Personally I’d completely ban them from the road during rush hours.
But this is a start.
What’s a motorway?
I believe you are not quite right on your use of indicators on motorways. What you describe (indicating and moving simultaneously) is of course wrong. The highway code:
“Lane discipline
133
If you need to change lane, first use your mirrors and if necessary take a quick sideways glance to make sure you will not force another road user to change course or speed. When it is safe to do so, signal to indicate your intentions to other road users and when clear, move over.”
That is to say — indicators mean that you are moving. They are not to ask permission. You look first, then indicate, then move. If it is not safe to move you should never have indicated.
I am terrified on a daily basis by people who use their indicators to mean that they would like to change lane. I have to slam brakes on assuming they haven’t seen me. Of course they have no intention of changing lanes, they are just preparing for their five minute build up to changing lanes.
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I’ve just reread your post, and see that we are in agreement. Comment withdrawn (or feel free to leave it with this message appended).
Andy, I’ve left your comment in place as it clarifies the point I was making.
This can be summed up by the observation that Other people, when in a motor vehicle, are all c**ts.
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This needs to be done for the whole of the A14 too. Lorry drivers can be such selfish bastards when there are hills as in the Northampton stretch but they cause horrendous tail backs at rush hour.
Agree about the lorry tailgating in 50 mph stretches of road works. They will kill you. And I see the signal and move out all the time, regardless of having to slam on the brakes or accelerate like mad to avoid crashing into the bastards. I have nearly been sideswiped off the motorway. This has always been by left hand drive continental trucks too.