Lorrys overtaking each other on Dual Carriageways

[clk320x]

As some of you may know, I do a lot of motorway driving, as well as a fair bit of A-road (DC) driving..

Now normally all is well, on the a-roads, happily moving along in the right hand lane.. Until, oh know, both lanes are now blocked? With queues forming?? What could it possibly be?

Oh yes, a lorry has decided to overtake another, this procedure should last a short 5 minutes.... I guess we will all just wait??

Is it just me that gets annoyed by this.... on the A34 to combat this on the uphill section lorries are NOT allowed to use the right hand lane, in peak times (IIRC 8am-6pm) now this has really helped and means these kinds of jams no longer occur in this area...

I wonder if this is a concept that should be followed through in other areas too?

and, Hi Mark, don't take this personally

Cheers,
Abs

 

[StephenSJason]

Someone should tell the A1M. I was consistently fckd between M25 and Lincolnshire in my previous contract due to this issue.

 

[Weds]

A couple of miles on an uphill section of the M11 has this too...

 

[fabes]

Had this on a run into Grimsby some 10 years ago and it lasted 20 mins plus.

In the end, as there was no end in sight, a car went up the hard shoulder and bravely slowed up the lorry on the inside after undertaking and pulling out
Took a bit of bottle as he was obviously an ignorant HGV driver ....

Horns were sounded......

 

[rf065]

French & Spanish m/ways have signs banning HGV's from overtaking on long uphill sections and most HGV's are banned from m/ways completely on Sundays. Much more civilised.
A few years ago we left the ferry at Dover and a HGV with Italian plates immediately moved to the outside lane as soon as the dual c/way started, which is a long & steep uphill haul, and proceeded to sit there for at least 10 miles without really overtaking much at all. An HGV drivers reputation is the lowest it's ever been these days, completly selfish bar stewards!

Russ

 

[E55BOF]

Had this on a run into Grimsby some 10 years ago and it lasted 20 mins plus.

I've never known a lorry jam last anything like that long; surely very much an exception?

The problem is that the road space is inadequate for modern traffic. One solution is to build lots more roads (very very costly, very very slow, hugely unpopular, hence lots of nimby protests, legal challenges and eco-freaks causing problems), or add lanes to existing roads (very costly, quite slow, not overly popular with the locals if any).

Another is that we all buy a lot less stuff, so many fewer lorries are required to deliver it. This will not be popular with lorry drivers...

I don't drive for a living, and though I can appreciate how irritating it must be to be held up for those who do, bear in mind that the lorry driver, too, drives for a living, and he/she is just as keen to get the day's work done as anyone else. Just put up with it; it's a situation that will get worse, not better, and grinding your teeth with your blood pressure popping out of your ears won't change it, so try not to let it get to you. Some lorry drivers are ****wits; so are some car drivers...

 

[Scott_F]

Is it just me that gets annoyed by this.... on the A34 to combat this on the uphill section lorries are NOT allowed to use the right hand lane, in peak times (IIRC 8am-6pm) now this has really helped and means these kinds of jams no longer occur in this area...

There are sections of the A14 in Northamptonshire east of the M1 where lorries are prohibited from using lane two but time and again you find HGVs performing protracted overtaking manoeuvres there.

 

[m2287]

There are sections of the A14 in Northamptonshire east of the M1 where lorries are prohibited from using lane two but time and again you find HGVs performing protracted overtaking manoeuvres there.

I second this!!!

 

[brucemillar]

I posted here many moons ago about an HGV that decided to start his overtake on his fellow HGV where the M26 starts at the M25. As the M26 becomes the M20, he was still overtaking the same HGV!! The queue in the outside lane behind this guy was absolutely massive (I would estimate, several miles). This knight of the road was in a British Registered Eddie Stobart truck. I can only guess the name on his truck, I am assuming that most of us caught in his self created, tailback could have come up with a more appropriate name for it. Starting with C and ending with T.

As said earlier the standard of driving required for these things is minimal these days. The standard of intellect to not recognise that you are causing a queue half the length of Kent must be into the minus scale.

I support our HGV drivers and realise that they a difficult job, surrounded by stupid motorists, but they still need to help themselves sometimes and this is not the way to do it. They must know at the start of their ill judged pass, that it is just not going to work, without the inside truck slowing (which they never ever do). So why do they do it?

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Take HGV’s off the roads from Monday and slowly watch the UK grind to holt.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Maybe we should be thinking more about the trucks that are being overtaken. Would it really hurt for them to slow down slightly to allow a faster truck to pass? Then once the overtake is complete they can resume their previous speed.

Maybe they’re the ones that need to chance a little.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I like stuff in the shops.

 

[Red C220]

Is much of this problem exacerbated by speed governors/limiters on trucks these days meaning sometimes there's little more than a 1mph speed differential when one truck does need to overtake?

 

[st13phil]

Is much of this problem exacerbated by speed governors/limiters on trucks these days

In short, yes, but the biggest issue is the pig-ignorant driver of the vehicle being overtaken who, by slowing marginally, would assist the passing vehicle to complete their overtake in a reasonable distance. Highway Code Rule 168 states:

Being overtaken. If a driver is trying to overtake you, maintain a steady course and speed, slowing down if necessary to let the vehicle pass. Never obstruct drivers who wish to pass. Speeding up or driving unpredictably while someone is overtaking you is dangerous. Drop back to maintain a two-second gap if someone overtakes and pulls into the gap in front of you.

 

[BTB 500]

Is much of this problem exacerbated by speed governors/limiters on trucks these days meaning sometimes there's little more than a 1mph speed differential when one truck does need to overtake?

I'm sure that's the case. On 3-lane motorways the inside two lanes are often blocked by trucks running side by side for miles ... inching backwards and forwards relative to each other. This is painfully obvious if you're towing a caravan and not allowed to use lane 3 to get past - also very frustrating when a truck pulls out aggressively in front of you just as you're about to pass. Of course you occasionally get ignorant morons in cars trundling along in the middle lane at 55 too, presumably unaware that you can't pull out to overtake. Or (more likely) unaware that you're there at all.

 

[bob6600]

I second this!!!

Third this

 

[geraldrobins]

In short, yes, but the biggest issue is the pig-ignorant driver of the vehicle being overtaken who, by slowing marginally, would assist the passing vehicle to complete their overtake in a reasonable distance. Highway Code Rule 168 states:

I think this applies more to A roads when there is the possibility of oncoming traffic.

 

[rf065]

Is much of this problem exacerbated by speed governors/limiters on trucks these days meaning sometimes there's little more than a 1mph speed differential when one truck does need to overtake?

Absolutely, in the US even the largest trucks do 70mph on the freeways and I've never seen any tailbacks due to overtaking, which can be done in any lane which also helps a great deal.

Russ

 

[leef44]

Someone should tell the A1M. I was consistently fckd between M25 and Lincolnshire in my previous contract due to this issue.

For the few times a year when I go up to North Yorks, I tend to prefer the A1. However, last time coming back down south on the two lane section around 4pm, you start to hit the peak traffic (no surprise there). On the inside lane, it is lined back to back with lorries. On the outside lane, you've got cars bumper to bumper.

Now I tend to drive with a bit of space in front of me in case of emergency brake from the car in front so I don't like this bumper to bumper technique. Then I realised every other lorry was looking for that gap then indicating and immediately pulling out which then requires me to brake urgently to avoid being swiped by them.

I then realised that it was "safer" to follow the car in front with 0.1sec gap, 1ft from its bumper

Once that lorry gets in front then it will take 5 to 10 minutes for it to overtake. It's then a "free for all" for all the lorries in front to all pull out into the outside lane.

I agree with this idea of no overtaking for lorries.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Truck drivers hate braking as it loses their momentum, uses more fuel and takes longer to reach their destination.

Doesn't make it right but it helps to understand rather than blindly blaming them.