LGV 40 mph speedlimit on "A" roads

[rokcrawlin]

I have started a petition to raise the limit for LGV's from 40 to 50mph on roads outside built up areas the petition is at,
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/antislow/ if you feel you can support it please sign up, cheers

[JumboBeef]

....why?

[discowoman]

....why?

To stop car drivers being complete and utter Planks and overtaking in stupid places because the wagon has made them late.....speaking as a HGV driver here ;)
OK we agree in built up areas - but on nice wide A roads why stick to 40 - when everything else can do 50 - (if legal)

[Boggert]

To be fair I tend to agree with this, I know when I am out in my own car no HGV or LGV sticks at 40, they trundle along at 50-55 mph with no problem at all, but get behind them in a Marked Police Car and they drop to 40 mph, which if fine except for the massive queue of traffic that builds up and then people start taking big risks overtaking.
Had a woman nearly take me out, the HGV as well as the bloke coming towards her. She got into a bit of trouble as you can imagine.

No I figure if we were all doing 50mph than people wouldn't be in such a hurry to kill them selves.

[ian_s]

whatever speed they do people will want to overtake them, so with the trucks moving slower its easier to that!

[The Smiths]

National speed limit for cars is 60 MPH on single carriageway roads.

[rokcrawlin]

whatever speed they do people will want to overtake them, so with the trucks moving slower its easier to that!

problem is with the mentality of people wanting them to go slow, it encourages planks, to kill people like you coming the other way or you to kill yourself and others because you want to overtake,  but not always in an appropriate place, where as most LGV drivers if they have a clear road ahead will indicate left for you to go when its safe to do so, that is why most of us are professional drivers not kamikazi pilots.

[redhand]

National speed limit for cars is 60 MPH on single carriageway roads.

and dual purpose vehicles and car derived vans. 50mph limit applies to Commercial vehicles with a GVW exceeding 3.5tonnes so transits etc are limited but defenders aren't unless it's got a tachograph fitted.

[frosty]

being a hgv driver i think itd be best to leave us hgvs at 40 and drop everything else by 10mph... i cant see the government ever raising a speed limit (think of the millions in lost revenue from speeding fines) and a fully loaded artic running at 44 tonnes (or any other weight of hgv for that matter) needs a lot more road to slow down than a normal saloon car etc.. and as i drive a recovery truck it might just save me going to so many accidents,(id say at least 99% of the accidents i see are caused by to much speed for the conditions) and seeing so many lives ruined by the thoughtless planks.

    cheers, rob

[Niel]

being a hgv driver i think itd be best to leave us hgvs at 40 and drop everything else by 10mph...     cheers, rob

Thats whats happened around here, they just slapped a 40 limit on what was a national limit road, for extra earnings perhaps as the 'scamera partnership' was loosing money on their new shiny vans...

cynic? me?

And there's the planks who no matter what HAVE to get past the vehicle in front, be it a truck, land-rover or another car, twunts in roller skates are a particular issue with must pass that land-rover around here...

[Garin]

I understand the frustration caused by HGV doing 40mph, I also know how long it takes a fully laden artic to stop at various speeds in different conditions,  having seen the carnage a HGV can cause I would rather frustrate half a dozen or so drivers on a regular basis than not be able to stop once, 50mph could possibly be OK in perfect conditions how often do we get perfect conditions in the UK

[generation-x]

they have done the same in telford
we have a duelcarriage way that goes straight throu the middle no houses on it and they have dropped it to 60mph at the end it goes to a single track for about a mile again no houses and thats been dropped to 50mph

they put up signs about how many accidents in 2006 then someone took out one in an accident because she came down slip road @ 70 as u normally wud and the traffic was doing 60 and she miss judged it and took the sign out(funny really) she was not hurt in anyway BTW

its all going mad

simon

[rokcrawlin]

:oops: ok I am sorry for trying to save a few lives,  it would appear that the best gear in a lot of  gearboxes (brains) is neutral as thinking outside the box(coffin) is not an option, and Hgv's should not be a problem as it keeps the population down

[electricbluebadger]

a long queue of traffic held up...hmmm is it no longer an offence to hold up traffic, i may be wrong but thought if you are travelling at a slower speed than other traffic is allowed to do then you should pull over and allow vehicles to pass (when safe), i was told this was the law when i took my test many moons ago if there are 6 or more vehicles behind and if over 12 then it is an offence not to do so???

i certainly always pull over when towing the caravan on a roads if i get a few cars behind.. why hold em up or risk em trying a stupid overtake that may kill me in the process

on a side note driver mentality comes into play a lot even at 60mph in my series 1 i still get idiots trying loony overtaking moves, or pulling out as i approach and you know its cos of the 'i dont want to be stuck behind an old slow landrover' despite me driving at the limit

But as for asking delivery drivers tgo pull over and let past when they all 'drive for a living' and deserve to be there whereas all car owners are obviously driving 'just for fun and to get from a to b' .. youve got more chance of plaiting fog :)

Woo Hoo.. cat .. pigeons :)

ps must say living in the country ALL tractor drivers, farmers etc etc around here comply with the pull over when safe to do so idea/ law???

ps.. I also drive HGV and minibuses which have similar restrictions regularly and beleive limits are there for a very good reason

Cheers Steve

[electricbluebadger]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

[Disco Matt]

And there's the planks who no matter what HAVE to get past the vehicle in front, be it a truck, land-rover or another car, twunts in roller skates are a particular issue with must pass that land-rover around here...

They are funny though...Especially when they suddenly find thar old and muddy does not equal slow :lol:

We seem to have a rash of daft speed limits here of late. Daft because the sort of people that hit the scenery are travelling well in excess of the existing speed limit, and are just as likely to ignore a lower one!

[rokcrawlin]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

mmm it would appear bending the words to suit your own means and ends are something you enjoy .......you must be an MP or a NERC supporter

[Steve ray]

40mph on single track is still right for LGV - takes a lot of road to stop a fully laden one.

[SteveGoodz]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

Whilst I applaud the sentiment of Rule 169 (nice to see MC members have the new highway code) and apply it whenever appropriate it isn't backed up by specific legislation and so cannot be "enforced" with, or without, gusto.
 :D  :D

[Wireless]

Highway Code?  What's that then?  I bought my Licence from the GPO for 7s/6d, and all you common folk need to get out of my way and doff your caps when I approach.

[spy]

Another lgv (OK I only have class C at the moment!) driver signed!  

Mike

[mobi]

as a hgv driver, i say stick to 40mph let others overtake as it's easier at slow speeds. and as for letting others pass you don't have to as the police don't see a hgv doing 40mph as a slow moving vehicle.
as for braking distances in a 44tonner it is a lot quicker than you think (depends on t how much of your load you want left) and don't forgot if you kept your distance you wouldn't have a problem.

and just to add i drove for 50 miles last night (friday) with a blow outand  didn't see it till i got back to the yard.

[spy]

Just out of interest, how do you know you had it for 50 miles if you didnt see it till you got back to the yard?  

   :D

[gtomo2]

and just to add i drove for 50 miles last night (friday) with a blow outand  didn't see it till i got back to the yard.

Must be the time of year i had a trailer blow out some were on the between the a34/m40 services and portsmouth didn't feel it go and didn't know about it till another driver pointed it out at my drop. Oh and i had a police car behind me from winchester til i turned off for portsmaouth   :shock:  :roll:  and he never saw a tyre missing when he over took me
How did he miss this

[hobbit]

Unfortunately increasing the speed limit would not make that much difference, as cars could still 'legally' go 10mph faster, and no matter what speed you go or where you are you will normally find a muppet on your back bumper trying to pass you

Wagons doing 50 on a open A roads could be a double edged sword, yes it would increase the flow speed of the traffic, but not all these roads are straight, and you have to admit 40 tonnes of truck dont corner very well at speed

Also you loose it at 50 in a car your chances of recovering are so so, but in a wagon once it starts to go, its amazing on how much less room you have to do a spin

[electricbluebadger]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

mmm it would appear bending the words to suit your own means and ends are something you enjoy .......you must be an MP or a NERC supporter

MP??? nope ,

bending the words??? .........its copied from VOSA's site????? wasnt even aware the highway code had been rewritten.... oops

and although Ive only had a quick look ive failed miserably to find anything in the NERC Bill that relates to speed limits or overtaking on A roads so dunno where that random comment comes from???? :) .. aklthough anything that protects the countryside and keeps it open for us all to use must have some good points. weve lost enough of the ridgeway access down here thanks in the most to morons failing to adhere to temporary TRO's etc i certainly dont want to lose any more (id have [!Expletive Deleted!] all to put on my site :)

as i said never looked to see if my driving instructor was telling porkies till last night but its something ive always done whether driving C+E, C, tracked or simply towing a caravan... its a courtesy thing and ive never seen the sense in holding others up, even do it in the series 1 if im happily bowling round the countryside in no rush

much the same way in that ive never understood why people wont move in to let motorbikes pass easily by giving em a bit more room or why some idiots who tootle along at 40 but try to speed up if anyone dares to try and overtake

Its a pity courtesy seems to have taken such a nose dive.... perhaps another reason road rage incidents are on the increase???

Cheers Steve

[mobi]

Just out of interest, how do you know you had it for 50 miles if you didnt see it till you got back to the yard?  

   :D

trailer ABS light came on. must of taken the wire out with it.

[rokcrawlin]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

mmm it would appear bending the words to suit your own means and ends are something you enjoy .......you must be an MP or a NERC supporter

MP??? nope ,

bending the words??? .........its copied from VOSA's site????? wasnt even aware the highway code had been rewritten.... oops

and although Ive only had a quick look ive failed miserably to find anything in the NERC Bill that relates to speed limits or overtaking on A roads so dunno where that random comment comes from???? :) .. aklthough anything that protects the countryside and keeps it open for us all to use must have some good points. weve lost enough of the ridgeway access down here thanks in the most to morons failing to adhere to temporary TRO's etc i certainly dont want to lose any more (id have !Expletive Deleted! all to put on my site :)

as i said never looked to see if my driving instructor was telling porkies till last night but its something ive always done whether driving C+E, C, tracked or simply towing a caravan... its a courtesy thing and ive never seen the sense in holding others up, even do it in the series 1 if im happily bowling round the countryside in no rush

much the same way in that ive never understood why people wont move in to let motorbikes pass easily by giving em a bit more room or why some idiots who tootle along at 40 but try to speed up if anyone dares to try and overtake

Its a pity courtesy seems to have taken such a nose dive.... perhaps another reason road rage incidents are on the increase???

Cheers Steve

Steve, as most of the people who dont vote for anything, or who are not willing to support pettitions thro laziness or any other reasons, are classed as supporters thro silence,  because  no objections are seen from people like these to things like the NERC bill,  they go through Parliment .
If you voiced your opinion against NERC, as I did, then I appologise, but the rule you quoted was for milkfloats/ tractors & abnormal loads not general Lgv's.
consideration for other road users is a better use of words, as courtesy has gone the same way as being bothered,
and I for one do not take things lying down, freedom with consideration for others is paramount,
and I bother to do something about things that I see as punative and resultant in having a derisory effect on mine and others life,  I dont believe in being bulldozed into something I dont support, but when I ask an MP a direct question, I expect a direct answer, or them to find out about the subject then answer the question directly, we pay their wages and they are OUR servants not the other way round.
Its about time more people started thinking that way .................before the end of thinking for yourself becomes law aka the nanny state, have a happy new year ......................rant over .............cheers pete       

[rokcrawlin]

How many people actually look at petitions to the Prime Minister?
And how many winge about the cost of fuel etc?
and never do anthing about what they winge about,
 are you one of the ones given the opportunity and fail to give your opinion, you put them in power so be a pain in the arse to them, when they do something you dont like.     

[beast5680]

yep my good old driving instructor was right.....

Highway code rule 169

169
Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slower-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.

although i think the 6 / 12 car rule was his interpretation.. :) so no need to raise the limit just enforce the rule 169 withy more gusto :)

Cheers Steve

that rule mainly will apply to vehicles doing less than 25mph such as tractors and the like and round us they have been known to enforce it(but mainly when they feel like it)