MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
Fair enouigh, but you asked me why I thought it would be disastrous to restrict them to Lane 1.
As for the 45mph lorries, we're back to the idea of having a minimum speed limit.
80mph Motorway limit looks to be coming this summer
Fair enouigh, but you asked me why I thought it would be disastrous to restrict them to Lane 1.
As for the 45mph lorries, we're back to the idea of having a minimum speed limit.
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
Which is basically what Charles said. Cars aren't restricted to 70mph, so why are lorries restricted to 60mph? (Well, we know why, but the point is that lorry drivers would overtake more quickly if they could).
st4
Banned
They are by virtue of the limit
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
No, Apial still wants to take his slowmobile on the motorway, and dhard hasn't even had his say yet.
st4
Banned
Thank god for little Mercies.
Another OT question. If the NSL is raised to 80mph what will be the APCO guidelines before a ticket is issued (10% +2 IIRC). Thats means a nice 90mph. And how fast before you get court summons.
Is 100mph super cruising just 3points and £60???
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
In which case you're undermining your own argument. You said car drivers don't behave the way lorry drivers do. What about a car doing 70mph overtaking one doing 69.9. How long would that take?
,time to get the sunday papers
Can't see having the official speed limit raised to 80 will make any difference to progress along any m-way as the de facto limit is 80 anyway.
If the Gov. or Police want to improve traffic flow they need to rigorously enforce lane discipline & get asleep at the wheel drivers over to the left lane & out of the middle & right lanes.
If the Gov. or Police want to improve traffic flow they need to rigorously enforce lane discipline & get asleep at the wheel drivers over to the left lane & out of the middle & right lanes.
Charles Morgan
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2010
- Messages
- 8,206
- Car
- Mercedes 250CE W114, Alfa Romeo GT Coupe 3.2 V6
If they put up the speed limit to a figure that is credible and represents largely what is accepted as the norm today then it should be enforced properly. Nothing undermines the law more than it being ignored.
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
I haven't read up on this, but the commonsense reason for putting the limit up to 80mph is because that's what drivers are doing anyway. Therefore I'd say 85-90mph would become "pulling over" speed, and 100mph would remain the benchmark for a ban (although I know there are cases where this has not happened).
st4
Banned
The other car driver might reduce their speed to allow the other past. I will do if I see someone struggling to pass me. Just a slight lift of the pedal. I see it as good manners.
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
Agreed, and I would usually do the same, but there's nothing to stop a lorry driver slowing down to let someone overtake either. Don't forget that most lorry drivers will also be car drivers. They're not a breed apart.
NewMB
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2008
- Messages
- 750
- Location
- Colchester, UK + Köln, Germany
- Car
- 2012 535D F11 Sport (Touring)
I would like to add my 2c of the difference between German autobahns and UK motorways.
Having lived in the UK for almost 15 years, and now living in Germany for about a year, there are many differences between the two countries driving habits and law enforcement.
1. Germans have great respect for the rules of lane discipline. Unlike the british, they overtake and then move over. Middle lane hogging does happen here quite a bit, but I would say not as much as in the UK.
Their police are out checking speed, drink driving and other bad behaviour on the roads. Not a day goes by not seeing them. They also quite often have road checks only for lorries (checking driving time, weight, certificates and permits for haz goods etc).
2. Road quality is far superior to the UK's motorways. I mean the actual quality of the road/asphalt but smaller roads seems to be worse than in UK with lots of potholes. But again, unlike the UK, I have since the cold winter seen many sections of roads being fixed.
3. Lorries are banned to drive between Sat 2200 Hrs until Sunday 2200 Hrs unless it has a certificate that allows them to drive and transport perishables (ie medicals, food etc). Buses can still drive. This is also law in many other other EU countries and should IMO be the law also in the UK, but as long as the UK motorways and A-roads are small and tiny I guess it is not going to happen as these roads would not be able to cope with the additional lorry traffic on the Monday morning.
Btw, I own a transport company and it works fine with the ban on Sundays.
4. Many sections of the 2 lane autobahns have ban on lorries overtaking. Not just the 3 lane ones. When lorries are banned, it is usually a free speed section.
5. There are still many sections of free speed autobahns in Germany, but as said before, traffic is the main hold up that you may not reach the goal of 155mph and care has to be taken.
I have a saying that however fast you drive in Germany, someone else will still be faster than you!
6. In the year I have been here, I have only seen 3 accidents. One fatal involving a lorry that actually came of the road. In the UK I would see the same number in a day going on the M25!
7. Intersections/junctions between motorways are a disaster here IMO. But newer motorways have a new layout (like an 8).
8. Unlike the british, the germans hardly ever say thanks when you let them out from a junction or let them pass before you etc. In fact, it is very rude not to say thanks I think.
9. Another fact that some british people may have experienced while driving in Germany is the fact how some here can behave when they see a UK regged car.... in my experience mostly with the north around Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover etc. My opinion of this has always been that it has something to do with the two wars + football and as sad as it sounds, it is!
As soon as I got my german car here, I no longer noticed any weird behaviour - even the wife noticed this.
However, when speaking with germans about the UK, the ones that has been there, love it! Except the food ....
Some other OT things about Germany and driving..... insurance costs alot more than in the UK. Fuel is about the same, possible slighly cheaper. Diesel costs less than petrol. You can not have a number plate unless tax & insurance has been paid for. In Germany you insure the car on the VIN and then get the number plates. Your reg doc must be carried at all time, it is your proof that you have insurance and have paid tax and who owns the car, a so called "Zulassungsbescheinigung".
Having lived in the UK for almost 15 years, and now living in Germany for about a year, there are many differences between the two countries driving habits and law enforcement.
1. Germans have great respect for the rules of lane discipline. Unlike the british, they overtake and then move over. Middle lane hogging does happen here quite a bit, but I would say not as much as in the UK.
Their police are out checking speed, drink driving and other bad behaviour on the roads. Not a day goes by not seeing them. They also quite often have road checks only for lorries (checking driving time, weight, certificates and permits for haz goods etc).
2. Road quality is far superior to the UK's motorways. I mean the actual quality of the road/asphalt but smaller roads seems to be worse than in UK with lots of potholes. But again, unlike the UK, I have since the cold winter seen many sections of roads being fixed.
3. Lorries are banned to drive between Sat 2200 Hrs until Sunday 2200 Hrs unless it has a certificate that allows them to drive and transport perishables (ie medicals, food etc). Buses can still drive. This is also law in many other other EU countries and should IMO be the law also in the UK, but as long as the UK motorways and A-roads are small and tiny I guess it is not going to happen as these roads would not be able to cope with the additional lorry traffic on the Monday morning.
Btw, I own a transport company and it works fine with the ban on Sundays.
4. Many sections of the 2 lane autobahns have ban on lorries overtaking. Not just the 3 lane ones. When lorries are banned, it is usually a free speed section.
5. There are still many sections of free speed autobahns in Germany, but as said before, traffic is the main hold up that you may not reach the goal of 155mph and care has to be taken.
I have a saying that however fast you drive in Germany, someone else will still be faster than you!
6. In the year I have been here, I have only seen 3 accidents. One fatal involving a lorry that actually came of the road. In the UK I would see the same number in a day going on the M25!
7. Intersections/junctions between motorways are a disaster here IMO. But newer motorways have a new layout (like an 8).
8. Unlike the british, the germans hardly ever say thanks when you let them out from a junction or let them pass before you etc. In fact, it is very rude not to say thanks I think.
9. Another fact that some british people may have experienced while driving in Germany is the fact how some here can behave when they see a UK regged car.... in my experience mostly with the north around Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover etc. My opinion of this has always been that it has something to do with the two wars + football and as sad as it sounds, it is!
As soon as I got my german car here, I no longer noticed any weird behaviour - even the wife noticed this.
However, when speaking with germans about the UK, the ones that has been there, love it! Except the food ....
Some other OT things about Germany and driving..... insurance costs alot more than in the UK. Fuel is about the same, possible slighly cheaper. Diesel costs less than petrol. You can not have a number plate unless tax & insurance has been paid for. In Germany you insure the car on the VIN and then get the number plates. Your reg doc must be carried at all time, it is your proof that you have insurance and have paid tax and who owns the car, a so called "Zulassungsbescheinigung".
Dieselman
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 34,199
- Car
- Peugeot 403 Convertible
No, because you wouldn't be anyway if you passed at 70mph. Is a 10mph differential not enough to pass a car quickly?
If the limit was set because cars could only attain 20mph above that limit, given that most cars can do 130mph, should the limit now be set to 110mph?
Dieselman
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 34,199
- Car
- Peugeot 403 Convertible
Please expand, why are lorries restricted to 60mph. My understanding is because the tyres are only made to withstand 60mph so the vehicles were governed on safety grounds.
You really don't see as many lorry tyre carcases and treads littering motorways as you used to as a result f this measure.
A160DSB
Active Member
The difference with lorry drivers (and my ol' man being one a few years back, and banging on about this for years...) If a car driver takes his foot off the pedal s/he can easily regain the speed s/he has "lost", with a fully loaded lorry, pulling your foot off the pedal, even for a matter of seconds, can take a good 10 or 15 minutes to recover to the restricted speed of the vehicle, which could, in theory, make the driver late for his/her delivery. On a tight schedule, this could be costly for the driver and/or company. depending on fines the company impose.
Dieselman
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 34,199
- Car
- Peugeot 403 Convertible
This thread had great potential for discussion, but as usual turned into a "get everyone off the road that might get in my way" thread.
It's obvious that vehicles will travel at differing speeds on motorways, some of that down to available power, some dowe to legal restriction, some down to driver mood, this is why motorways are multi-lane, to allow for that.
I rarely find a problem of lack of ability to overtake due to slower vehicles when driving on motorways, other than too many vehicles for the amount of roadway.
Increasing the maximum speed will make this problem worse as you can't fit as many cars in a given mile of tarmac when going faster...FACT.
It's obvious that vehicles will travel at differing speeds on motorways, some of that down to available power, some dowe to legal restriction, some down to driver mood, this is why motorways are multi-lane, to allow for that.
I rarely find a problem of lack of ability to overtake due to slower vehicles when driving on motorways, other than too many vehicles for the amount of roadway.
Increasing the maximum speed will make this problem worse as you can't fit as many cars in a given mile of tarmac when going faster...FACT.
Last edited:
MOCAŠ
MB Enthusiast
I hadn't heard about lorry tyres not being able to withstand speeds in excess of 60mph. My commnent was in reference to the limiters being there to enforce the long-standing lower speed limit for HGVs, which itself was imposed due to their extra weight and the risk of jack-knifing under emergency braking.
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
