Topic

I think it should be decreased with strict policing through average speed cameras. There are too many incompetent drivers on the road, most of them believing quite the opposite. Even those that are competent, experienced, well trained in well maintained vehicles can't account for the actions of others.

Fuel usage also increases exponentially causing pollution we all have to suffer.

Etc, etc.

Personally, I used to drive regular on motorways and have racked up more miles than I care to member and often at stupid speeds due to the pressure of the job. I was used to driving at speed but was only caught once in my own car coming back from holiday and wasn't intending to break the limit at that point.

However would I drive at those speeds now? Probably not, I'm reasonably happy with the 70 limit but would like it to be officially 80 at least, though where I live would only allow that once the roadworks are gone (now expected to be 2015). The M62 around Huddersfield has been a 50 zone for the last 3 or even 4 years, I can't remember the last time I did 70 all the way to the Leeds turnoff.

Nobrainer wrote: wrote:

Fuel usage also increases exponentially causing pollution we all have to suffer.

With planes, power stations and volcanos spewing out all that smog I really can't buy into the exhaust pipe, pollution paranoia thing. It just seems too convenient as another thing to fail your mot on.

88mph is where it's at.

Where has this hatred of LGVs come from?

Don't forget how your computer arrived at your suppliers, how your food arrived at your super market................

Paulontour wrote: wrote:

2 No overtaking for HGV over 7.5 t on certain stretches of motorways and hills.
3 Compulsory HGV ban at the weekends except if been issued with a permit or carrying perishable goods.
The weekend ban would force the HGV drivers to have their weekly rest which is a legal requirement and maybe put a stop to cowboy drivers exceeding their driving hours. It works all over Europe yet we in the UK don`t seem bothered.

Rant Over

Vehicles over 3.5 t have artificial speed limiters but that doesn't mean that they are all only cabable of manging 40mph on hills on the motorway. All our lorries do a true 56mph where as most supermarket lorries are limited to 50mph.

Strangly enough the week is 7 days, even if most only work Monday to Friday, the modern world runs 7 days a week, banning lorries at weekends would increase lorries on the road Monday to Friday.

How about we ban cars from the left 2 lanes on motorways and ban cars from the roads on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

Sorry Paul, your veiws are extremly narrow minded and not completly accurate.

I respect LGV, I have a Class I licence gained during charity work in the 90's. also respect that what's in the shop came on a lorry.
Frustrating on a 2 lane road when overtaking at restricted 56mph.
My suggestion would be what they do in Germany: stretches of motorway where LGV can't overtake. Followed by stretches where they can.

70 mph limit? Fine with me. 90 mph: calculate your average journey time saving in the UK: is your time really that vital? You must be a VIP. And when someone pulls out in front of you into lane 3 doing 50? Because they do. Seen it on autobahns: carnage.

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

Where has this hatred of LGVs come from?

Don't forget how your computer arrived at your suppliers, how your food arrived at your super market................

Paulontour wrote: wrote:

2 No overtaking for HGV over 7.5 t on certain stretches of motorways and hills.
3 Compulsory HGV ban at the weekends except if been issued with a permit or carrying perishable goods.
The weekend ban would force the HGV drivers to have their weekly rest which is a legal requirement and maybe put a stop to cowboy drivers exceeding their driving hours. It works all over Europe yet we in the UK don`t seem bothered.


Rant Over

Vehicles over 3.5 t have artificial speed limiters but that doesn't mean that they are all only cabable of manging 40mph on hills on the motorway. All our lorries do a true 56mph where as most supermarket lorries are limited to 50mph.

Strangly enough the week is 7 days, even if most only work Monday to Friday, the modern world runs 7 days a week, banning lorries at weekends would increase lorries on the road Monday to Friday.

How about we ban cars from the left 2 lanes on motorways and ban cars from the roads on Tuesdays and Thursdays?

Sorry Paul, your veiws are extremly narrow minded and not completly accurate.

No your wrong. Not narrow minded views at all. Everything I stated there has been in operation all over Europe for longer than I can remember. This is not hatred of trucks its common sense. How many times have you been behind a truck travelling at 56 mph overtaking a truck at 55.5 mph and causing frustration with all behind them both. That never happens in Europe. I am not saying a total overtaking ban that would be silly. The trouble with trucks in this country is give them two lanes and they want two, give them three and they still want two, give them four and they want three. I have already said why a weekend ban would work so your argument is lost if you don't understand it. In the 25 years I have been driving in Europe these laws have been in place. and I mean all of Europe. So much for your modern world, Its about time the UK caught up.
Ban cars on Tuesdays and Thursdays, why answer if you cant put across a proper argument. I would have expected better from you.

i think the problem is in england our roads are just too busy,I have been to france a few times.two land roads with no traffic.we drove around on day on a roads and saw only one car and one tractor.ok paris is busy but so is london.then back on the ferry,on to england and 30 miles of traffic.
My grand dad has been dead a few years know but when he first drove he didnt take a test.he told me once he was bone in 1904, no cars,no planes.no lorries.and sailing ships where still in use.steam engines.
he died in 1992. concord,125 hst trains,bmw m5s. he said when he was a lad if some one had said you could do 100 mph with 5 people on board they would lock you up.
we have differant ages on the roads,differant skills,differant size vehicals,all wanting to get to A to B.So we will just have to put up with it.My brother drives a hgv.yes they do get in the way,and sometimes getting stuck behind one is a pain.but we need them if want things.its better they do the speed they do then race along causing carnage.
In a village where i used to live as a child,a class mate was killed by a hgv lorry that was speeding.70 mph on a dual carriage way.ran into the back on this little girls family allegro,she died.she was nine.when i see my brother and get us close to this massive 40 ton low loader truck you realise that if a car hits it you stand no chance.but at 52 mph it may well stop better then 70mph.
the road population has doubled in the last 20 years.but we dont have double the roads.

John and Sue wrote: wrote:

I respect LGV, I have a Class I licence gained during charity work in the 90's. also respect that what's in the shop came on a lorry.
Frustrating on a 2 lane road when overtaking at restricted 56mph.
My suggestion would be what they do in Germany: stretches of motorway where LGV can't overtake. Followed by stretches where they can.

70 mph limit? Fine with me. 90 mph: calculate your average journey time saving in the UK: is your time really that vital? You must be a VIP. And when someone pulls out in front of you into lane 3 doing 50? Because they do. Seen it on autobahns: carnage.

Thanks John. Common sense prevails.

Paulontour wrote: wrote:

why answer if you cant put across a proper argument. I would have expected better from you.

It's the stuff of good healthy debate when you see both sides of an argument. Try not to let it get to you and become personal. Easier said than done when you're doing it for a living or spending lots of time behind those wagons I know.

All the posts here are valid points of view for consideration by all the readers. None are worth more than others. Unless you're the author.

The voting results look interesting on this one.

talkingcars wrote: wrote:

How about we ban cars from the left 2 lanes on motorways and ban cars from the roads on Tuesdays and Thursdays?.

Come on Leigh, When could this ever be considered a valid point of view.

I`m putting forward a constructive point of view and this dribble comes out. I don't call that a healthy debate.

The origin of the Lorry problem is the railways. All long distance freight should go by rail. Then lorries to local delivery. This would decrease the amount of heavy goods vehicles using the roads.
Unfortunately historical government decisions crippled the railway system and led to the proliferation of road transport companies.

Frustration is the cause of a lot of anti HGF rhetoric.(Freudian Slip there, HGV, HGV,HGV.)

How many times have you watched one HGV try to overtake another with a minute speed differential. Miles of two lanes at 56mph because one lorry driver can do 0.000002mph more than the lorry in front. Then the road conditions change and suddenly the overtaken vehicle is going slightly faster than the other HGV and it starts again.

I used to travel the A66 trans Pennine road a fair amount and it is single carriageway with, until recently, only a sprinkling of short stretches of dualled road.
I gave up recording the number of times I've sat behind two HGVs, waiting for the dual carriageway - only for the rearmost wagon to pull out as soon as two lanes appear, spend the entire length of the dual carriageway overtaking the other HGV, and then pulling back in just as we return to single carriageway. That causes real frustration. Frustration causes accidents!
Thankfully, the A66 is more dualled these days and so traveling over the Pennines is less frustrating.

All points of view are constructive. Whether we agree with them or not is another matter. A 'tongue in cheek' backlash is just what it was intended to be I daresay.