Don Madge Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Do you know what these road signs mean ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Highe Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I had always thought they meant that trucks can't overtake cars, in the second example when its raining. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hi Don, Don't know but my guess would be a) lorries may now overtake cars, after a restriction, b) lorries must not overtake for 3.5 (?)km and c) lorries must not overtake for 7.5 (?)km when it is raining. Not sure of the figures as the increasing the zoom resolution is blurring the image. Are you going to tell us the answers? Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 Basil - 2008-02-11 11:28 AM Hi Don, Don't know but my guess would be a) lorries may now overtake cars, after a restriction, b) lorries must not overtake for 3.5 (?)km and c) lorries must not overtake for 7.5 (?)km when it is raining. Not sure of the figures as the realution is blurring the image. Are you going to tell us the answers? Bas Hi Baz, I really posted the pics just to show what a minefield it is with road signs in the EU. These are in Belgium and apply to Goods Vehicles. The top pic is. "Overtaking is allowed on 2 lane motorways/dual carriageways between 1900 -0600 where there is a blue sign showing a truck overtaking a car". The middle pic is. "No Overtaking for vehicles over 7.5 tons when its raining The bottom pic."No overtaking for vehicles over 3.5 tons on two lane motorways and dual carriageways" The sign in the top pic is causing some debate because from 1st Jan 2008 there is a no overtaking ban for goods vehicles on ALL two lane motorways/dual carriageways in Belgium between 6am and 7pm. I'm glad I'm not a trucker in Belgium. Of course I could have got it all wrong. Safe travelling. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 That's interesting Don, personally I would like to see that over here and extended to motorways, blanket ban no lorries overtaking at all. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Basil - 2008-02-11 3:12 PM That's interesting Don, personally I would like to see that over here and extended to motorways, blanket ban no lorries overtaking at all. Bas I've seen some stupid suggestions on this forum, but that is about the silliest yet. obviously posted by someone who doesn't drive a lorry for a living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I don't happen to think it is stupid, it would stop most of the hold ups and the atrocious driving that you see from the newby 'Ive been made redundant what else can I do, oh I know I'll get an HGV licence' brigade that seem to be in charge of most lorries nowdays. You could rely on good lorry drivers once, but not nowdays they are in the main reckless to say the least. Oh yes and I did used to drive profesionally for a living at one time! Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 To suggest that the majority of lorry drivers are unprofessional in the way they drive is extremely insulting. you may have "used to drive" but I doubt you had to put up with speed limiters and the like, so maybe you would like to suggest how, in my 18 tonner, fully capable of travelling at the legal speed on the motorway, are supposed to deal with the old git in his 1975, 4 speed 1600 cc Transit campervan, who can't get above 55 mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 What,s wrong with 55mph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizken Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 The comments made by Basil prove how bigoted many non-HGV drivers are, and how little they understand the contraints under which they work. To suggest that redundant workers simply decide to obtain an HGV licence also proves how little he knows of the cost of such training (approx £1000 for course and test + medicals at up to £150). It is also the 56mph limit on HGVs which causes problems on motorways, as it causes bunching of HGVs and frustrated motorists of all types of vehicles to attempt overtaking. The biggest danger, in my opinion, on motorways is stupid car drivers who do not have the patience to stay in a lane, and are constantly overtaking and undertaking, coupled to drivers who will nbot return to the nearside lane after overtaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Mickt - 2008-02-11 4:49 PM What,s wrong with 55mph Sorry Mick was just using that as an example, nothing personal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 What is wrong with the old git as you put it doing 55mph? Lorries should be limited to far less than they are now, they generally travel far too fast for the conditions/ traffic, normally one car length off the one in front and then are unable to brake in time so either hit the one in front or jacknife trying to stop or worse still pile into the stationary traffic and kill some poor girl because they are sending a text. Then the real gem is the one that can go 1mph faster than the one in front and then takes 10 minutes trying to overtake until it hits the next hill and can't make it so has to drop back and pull back in, what is the point? If they were not allowed to overtake that could not happen, it is good to see in France where they are banned from overtaking and causing the congestion that they do, works over there why not here? It is common knowledge that Tacho's can be fiddled, it's done all the time (my brother in law still drives a HGV). Not bigoted just as I see it, I hold an HGV licence from when it was something to be proud of having, and it is one of the most often chosen retraining for redundant workers (from personal experience of HR replacement) is to take an HGV course normally paid for as part of the redundancy package and subsidised by government payments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Basil - 2008-02-11 6:12 PM Lorries should be limited to far less than they are now, And you would be prepared to pay the huge increases in food and everything else to pay for the extra hours. they generally travel far too fast for the conditions/ traffic, normally one car length off the one in front and then are unable to brake in time so either hit the one in front or jacknife trying to stop or worse still pile into the stationary traffic and kill some poor girl because they are sending a text. You have quoted one incident that happened years ago, my friends daughter was killed by a motorhome slamming into her moped because the driver was altering his sat nav. HEY, lets ban motorhomes. Then the real gem is the one that can go 1mph faster than the one in front and then takes 10 minutes trying to overtake until it hits the next hill and can't make it so has to drop back and pull back in, what is the point? If they were not allowed to overtake that could not happen, it is good to see in France where they are banned from overtaking and causing the congestion that they do, works over there why not here? You advocated a BLANKET BAN, France and many other countries use selective areas to ban overtaking, whether by LGV and often cars. It is common knowledge that Tacho's can be fiddled, it's done all the time (my brother in law still drives a HGV). Yes,and each offence carries a huge £1000+ fine [quoteNot bigoted just as I see it, I hold an HGV licence from when it was something to be proud of having, and it is one of the most often chosen retraining for redundant workers (from personal experience of HR replacement) is to take an HGV course normally paid for as part of the redundancy package and subsidised by government payments. So you believe that I cannot be, and am not proud to be a proffessional driver, because I drive now and not in the olden days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Now, now! An opinion was expressed that a ban one trucks overtaking on two lane roads in UK may not be such a bad thing. In general, I'd agree with that. Too often the "lorry fight" breaks out and one truck spends miles trying to inch ahead of another, while a huge queue of increasingly impatient drivers of faster vehicles gets pent up behind. With infinitesimal differences in speed between the two, there is no advantage to anyone from this selfish silliness. France has been cited, Belgium started the debate, and Germany has miles of two lane autobahn where there are restrictions on trucks overtaking between specified times. Ultimately, it eases the flow for everyone and, whether some truckers think it silly or not, it will come here unless due restraint is shown by all truck drivers. Many truckers are excellent drivers, and a few are saints, but others are selfish road hogs who will, in time, spoil it for all. But then, that is just the normal state for the evolution of society. Once we had total freedom. Then a few idiots went too far and we had the first restriction. The ten commandments were just the beginning, but presumably were necessary to curb excesses. I bet a few complained about them at the time. "Can't bloody kill anyone any more; what is the world coming to? All this religious correctness has gone too far" I'm emigrating! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Just to back up Donna - Sorry for the pun!!I've just recently had the situation where I pulled out to overtake another of our other vehicles, only to be held up by someone in the 3rd lane - a car - pulling back into the middle lane to let faster traffic go by him. Then what does this person do, slows right down.!! So now I'm stuck behind this person, having to slow down, and then the vehicles on my near side are catching up. Eventually had to pull in behind my colleague. What did I get, just horns beeping , lights flasing & the odd salute!!The guy who had caused this mayhem then carried on picking up speed, so by the time anybody had come pass me, they were blaming me!!What else can I do in a 45Ft wagon??Best thing was, when I got back to the yard, we had a complaint over the phone, as we have a "How good is my driving?" sticker on the back of the wagon.The other day a good friend of ours flipped his wagon. Why?? Because some ejit decided to suddenly want the exit that he/she was about to pass.No place else for him to go. Now off the road for weeks, with no pay as his wagon is being repaired.He's gone agency driving to keep the money coming in.We're not all bad you know.Please don't tar us all with the same brush!!Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjmike Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Not having a go at truckers but every time I come out of Dover there is always and I do mean always two trucks stuggling up the hill, the one in the outside lane doing 1MPH more than the one on the inside. Why???it gets them nowhere and annoys everyone else. Getting the thread back on subject, I thought that nearly all european countries adhered to a system of :-Warning signs = red triangle. Information signs = blue background with round signs indicating a positive ie cycle route.Giving an order sign = red circle. This is all in The Highway Code (maybe Vicarious books should start selling it, then more people would read it). So armed with this info it is possible MOST of the time to work out how important the sign is and what it means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Not wishing to extend the 'discussion' but: 1) I would be happier to see more produce sourced locally and become more seasonal and any long distance goods moved by railway and then distributed locally. 2) The incident I was refering to happened last year on the M20 and the driver of the killer vehicle was jailed just before Christmas, so not that long ago. 3) I have noticed that the ban in various European countries is becoming more and more extended so that indeed some roads have virtually a 'blanket' ban and yes I would like to see it happen over here as some truckers seem unable to use common sense. 4) But it still happens as you no doubt know, my comment was in reply to your intimation that Tacho's somehow improved truckers driving standards. 5) I have never intimated that YOU were or were not a good driver you are the one taking exception to another point of view by calling names. Fact is when you are looking at easily transferable skills in an 'outreach' programme driving is one that is top of the list for otherwise lower skilled manual workers (and before anyone gets upset I do not mean that in a derogatory way either). Thai, Sounds like an awkward situation but I have to ask the question, why did you decide to overtake your workmate and put yourself into this situation? What was so important that you needed to be in front of the other driver? Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 On a quick "speed-read" of this thread to catch up, I noticed one or two comments that can't go unanswered. "What's wrong with 55mph?" Nothing, IF that's the highest speed that's both safe and legal in the situation. CHOOSING to go at 55 on a derestricted dual carriageway in good conditions is just plain selfish, and at one time would have been a "test-fail." I don't know if it still does, but the test used to require you to "make reasonable progress to suit road and traffic conditions." "Lorries should be limited to far less than they are now" So on a SINGLE-carriageway road, when cars can legally (and often quite safely) travel at 60, but where there are few safe overtaking opportunities, we should all queue up behind lorries which travel even slower than they do at present? I've long thought that different speed limits for different vehicles on single-carriageways was absurd. Widening the differential further would make things worse, and lead to even more frustrated (and sometimes stupid) car drivers trying to overtake in unsafe places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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