oldlowie Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Had a great hol in Worcester last week, weather variable, but hey-ho, not much we can do about that! My trip home was an amble down through the Welsh border on deserted roads on Bank Holiday Monday. Not much traffic on M4/M5 either, right down to our exit at J25. Only 15 miles to home, along the A358, a long winding single carriageway road that has a couple of overtaking places, but usually has too much oncoming traffic, as was the case on Monday. Just after Henlade I caught up with the longest, slowest tailback I have seen for a while. When the road twisted to allow me to see what was causing the problem, I found to my horror that there was a motorhome at the head of this enormous queue, dribbling along at 40-45mph, seemingly blissfully unaware of the large proportion of Somerset's traffic that was following! Now to my question: we all know that motorhoming is a 'leisure pursuit', but do we have the right to dictate the road speeds of other road users in this arbitary way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hi, no we dont, When I was a caravener I always pulled to one side if I was holding up the traffic unreasonably, mind you I towed with a Range Rover so this didnt happen too often on open roads. I have indeed seen the same thing you described and you can get quite frustrated. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mco Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I brought up this topic some time ago when the same thing had happened to us several times. No we don't have the right to hold up other road users. If we want to tootle along we should pull in and let others pass. It costs us nothing.Causing frustration to other drivers could cost lives. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 While in France earlier this year we pulled over to let the locals past and 99% waved their thanks at us, at least i think thats what they were doing :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hi, I may be wrong but I understand in France if you are holding up a queue of traffic you are required by law to pull in at a convenient place and let them past. Anyone confirm or otherwise. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Isn't it strange, no one does this, but it happens. Wonder who it is?? Worse than caravanners you lot (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 On the way home from Norfolk on Tuesday I was wondering whether some companies have instructed their drivers to restrict speed to around 45 mph to save fuel. We were stuck behind an RAC recovery truck (with nothing aboard) for several miles and later on were held up by a National Grid van. What was more annoying, though, was a convoy of a combine harvester on a low loader with vans in front and behind. Having followed it for some miles we passed the rear van and the low loader but didn't have space to pass the van in front. The driver of that vehicle continued to drive at about 40 mph and passed several laybys before eventually pulling in to let us pass and then pulling out before his mate arrived. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Hi Graham, The speed limit for HGV's (or what ever they are called these days) on a single carriageway road is 40 MPH so one can hardly blame them for sticking to the limit. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Don Madge - 2008-08-29 8:30 AM Hi Graham, The speed limit for HGV's (or what ever they are called these days) on a single carriageway road is 40 MPH so one can hardly blame them for sticking to the limit. Don Thanks Don - I'd forgotten the lower limits for goods vehicles. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Yes, I often pull over, both home and abroad, to let other faster travellers pass. I also increase speed, within the law if I am holding up others and there are no suitable pull-ins. Cattwg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I was always taught that "MANNERS MAKETH MAN" So I do my best to show other road users that Motorhomers are all "MEN", not forgetting our "LADIES" of course, so on narrow country roads I pull in and let queues of faster vehicles pass, allow buses and trucks out of side roads if reasonable space and traffic conditions allow. If a H.G.V. is struggling to overtake on a hill but is loosing his revs I slow down a bit and wave him passed. These folk have problems enough keeping to schedule doing a frustrating job without having to put up with slow moving motorhomes and caravans getting in their way. I usually get a polite signal of thanks. Always wave to other motorhomes of course!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Oh jeepers, is it me that is holding eveyone up in my Motorhome, am I the only one who without a care in the world lets the traffic build up behind and says , oh what the heck, I am on holiday and do not care a jot. Am I. Am I really the only one. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 All of us have a right to drive at a speed with which we feel is safe providing in doing so we are not creating a hazard. On a typical road with minimal overtaking opportunities, I would have though 40 - 45 mph was a reasonable and fuel efficient speed for a motorhome. As a caravanner, I was taught by the Caravan Club to pull over when there were nine vehicles behind me - assuming it was safe to do so. I use the nine rule as the maximum and like many of the other forum posters, will pull over to let traffic pass. On my recent tour of Cumbria and Yorkshire, often I pulled over to let a single vehicles pass when I thought it was safe to do so. In the main, it was really appreciated. An awareness of what is going on around you, a bit of common sense and thought for others, is all it takes. Motorhomers tend to have them all in bucketloads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 I can't abide dawdlers!. He should have been driven off the road, pulled from vehicle and hung upside down from a tree... then tickled to death :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Oo, you are awful. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvynT Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Driving habits of the other motorists are always a problem, it's never us, is it? I'll admit to losing speed on uphill stretches, but on the flat/downhill I keep to around 60-65, which I think is sensible. I have travelled slower, last week from coming down from Redcar to Whitby, it was 30mph, behind a motorcycle, couldn't do anything about it. He was in front, in the middle of the lane and doing 30, there's nowhere my Transit could attempt to overtake so we just dawdled along behind him, mind'st, the ones that overtook me then found the motorcycle caused a few problems, luckily I leave an appropriate gap. ;-) Drive at a safe speed and travel comfortably, keep your eyes open forwards and backwards and you shouldn't cause any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Living in a remote corner of Essex, I'm always surprised by the number of drivers in ordinary cars who think the national speed limit on single carriageways is precisely 42! Maybe it's something to do with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 I've heard it said that if the faster traffic on the motorways slowed down a bit, and everyone stayed further apart, there would be a lot less jams. There would certainly be a lot less flashing brakelights. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champstar Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Surely the point is to travel at a safe comfortable speed. Remeber the speed limits are exactly that limits not a guide on travelling speed. I will allways try and either pull in or indicate that it is safe to overtake but you do get some a**eholes that tailgate you and then you cant see them...so I just slow down just to annoy them >:-) >:-) It really amazes me the impatience of some drivers who need to speedily get where they are going...have they never seen a head on smash and the carnage that enfolds. Better to get where you are going safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hymer C 9. Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Like the majority of the posts agree it is manners if there is a queue behind us we would always pull over (admittedly it does not happen often ) these days it easy to keep up with traffic with a modern vehicle, it is really annoying when anyone tries to police the speed others travel at by tootling along because they have all the time in the world, when other people can travel safely at a reasonable speed and get frustrated stood behind a unreasonably slow vehicle. Carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAS Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Unless this motorhome was over 7.5 ton and was classed as an LGV vehicle (even though it was a motorhome) he really had no reason to be doing 45 mph. Sometimes you can cause accidents through this kind of driving just as much as you can through speeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvynT Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Tony, I thought the answer was 54? Seems we all agree it's better to travel safely, and to obey speed limits and to pull over, who are all the bad guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 MelvynT - 2008-09-02 1:11 PM Tony, I thought the answer was 54? Seems we all agree it's better to travel safely, and to obey speed limits and to pull over, who are all the bad guys? I told you...it is me. Am I the only one travelling around at 40 to 45 on windy twisty roads..not caring a jot. I see plenty others doing it as well in large Motoromes, are none of them reading thios thread. Converted van, I can believe higher speeds but lateg Motorhomes with over cab bunks - admit ot you drive at 40 to 50 and rarely pull over , basically because there ain't anywhere to pull over. Stop pretending you are all good drivers. We are all as bad as each other and all guilty of sins on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Hi Brambles, I'm with you. I'm one of the annoying ones obviously, especially since the fuel costs have risen. I watch my revs as much as I watch my speed, constantly. I try and leave in plenty of time so I don't have to put my foot down and I can cruise along quite aimlessly at times. I don't feel guilty as when on a quiet road I keep to the left hand side so anyone wantin to can overtake me, and I don't think I cause as many accidents as the idiots who are completely oblivious to ANY speed limits and keep 'pushing' me to go faster than the legal limit by keeping right up on my backside .... or maybe they want to come in and use the rear toilet! So, no Brambles you are not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 So am I the only one who gets brassed off following other cars, caravans, trucks, vans and motorhomes when I have many miles to cover? I know some of you are on your jolly holiday and the rest, I presume, are just dead to the world and other road users about them but is that any reason to hold me up for mile after mile when, with a little thought, you could easily let me pass so that I can disappear over the horizon and get on with doing my bit to increase carbon emissions to make the world a warmer place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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