Driving in Europe.

[raymont]

I have recently returned from a trip from Surrey to Regensburg, a distance of some 700 miles each way.

Average speed on the journey there was 78mph using fuel at the rate of 24mpg. Return journey figures were 78mph and 22.4mpg. Four people and a load of luggage. All figures from the trip computer so only take into account the time the engine is running, so exclude ferry crossings, lunch stops etc. Vmax for the journey 120mph limited by the winter tyres which are good for 125mph but I think a little safety buffer is in order.

Journey covers UK, France, Belgium and Germany, and every time I drive in these countries it highlights just how bad lane discipline is and how inconsiderate motorway drivers are here in the UK. Outside of the UK sector catch a car up which is overtaking and it will promptly pull in as soon as the overtake is complete. If it’s a three lane section it will pull into lane one if this is clear. Of the three non UK counties Belgium is probably the least disciplined, but much better than the UK.

The lane utilisation on the four lane section of M25 on a busy Sunday evening was, shall we say, suboptimal. Lane one was all but empty, Lane 2 had a few vehicles in it, lane 3 was quite busy and lane 4 was a 60mph traffic jam.

Whilst some new or widened motorways would be good, it would help if we actually used the ones we have to their full capacity.

 

[MBManInKen]

Of the three non UK counties Belgium is probably the least disciplined, but much better than the UK.

As a Belgian who has lived in the UK, I only agree in part. I regularly drive both here and on the continent and I find drivers in France and Belgium a lot less polite and more pushy than here in the UK. But in defence of my home country, the French are a lot less disciplined than the Belgians...

 

[pauldmaynard]

I agree with you say I live now in the south of France and most of the time it,s a pleasure to drive I think the big problem on the UK is that the roads are full and when a driver gets into the outside lane they just stay there

 

[raymont]

I was thinking polite insofar as they move over quickly when an overtake is complete.

The ‘pushy’ prize really goes to the Germans. For some of them, albeit a minority, aggressive is a better word. You’re passing a string of traffic and are moving at, say, 110mph when someone arrives behind you and sits what feels like a few centimetres behind you with headlight blazing. Don’t know what they expect you to do, dematerialize perhaps?

 

[BTB 500]

Average speed on the journey there was 78mph using fuel at the rate of 24mpg. Return journey figures were 78mph and 22.4mpg.

I don't feel so bad about 'only' getting 30 mpg from the Vito when we go to/from Germany with the cruise set to 120 kph (75 mph) then

We almost got wiped out by an airborne VW Golf in Belgium. It tried to cut across the grass verge at motorway speed after taking the wrong autoroute at a junction. Hit a ditch hidden in the grass and took off, landing about 2 metres from us (amazingly, still upright).

 

[MBManInKen]

I was thinking polite insofar as they move over quickly when an overtake is complete.

Hmm, perhaps, although there are plenty of middle lane hoggers in Belgium too.

The ‘pushy’ prize really goes to the Germans. For some of them, albeit a minority, aggressive is a better word. You’re passing a string of traffic and are moving at, say 110mph, when someone arrives behind you and sits what feels like a few centimetres behind you with headlight blazing. Don’t know what they expect you to do, dematerialize perhaps?

Yes, you tend to get that where there is no speed limit, but then depressing the pedal of my 5L V8 usually leaves them well behind .

The French tend to be quite pushy too - you drive in a 130kph zone and are overtaking cars at max speed and they still hang almost onto your bumper.

 

[BTB 500]

depressing the pedal of my 5L V8

Careful, you don't want it to get suicidal

 

[MBManInKen]

Careful, you don't want it to get suicidal

You lot are terrible!