Motorways

[RedHerring2]

We should have used the German/Austrian system years ago and perhaps now the lazy and selfish British driver may have become educated enough to understand it. Driving on the autobahn is a joy compared to the motorway here. Decent lane discipline, variable speed monitoring on the vast majority of the network.....sadly we live in a backward country in many ways.

Also I note that some are moaning about drivers not moving to an open lane from a closed one quick enough. While that is the correct thing to do as soon as possible where a motorway electronic sign is telling you to do so by a red X marker above your lane, it is entirely incorrect to do so when the lane is merely closed by roadworks or whatever and there is a merge in turn sign telling you to move to another lane. The correct procedure is to move the the end of the closed lane and merge in turn....hence the name. The british way of Queuing and not doing that properly merely makes the queue longer and more frustrating.

In Germany, at least, it's an offence to overtake when approaching roadworks, for whatever reason. At least it was about 30 years ago.
I know, I've had an on-the-spot fine for it.

 

[Crickleymal]

One very annoying problem is when an HGV overtakes another HGV but is only travelling about 0.5 mph faster than the one its overtaking. A lorry driver once told me that this practice was done on purpose in protest of the 60mph speed restriction.

I doubt it. It's more that they drive on the speed limiter and the limiters' calibrations are all slightly different.

 

[nickso]

In Germany, at least, it's an offence to overtake when approaching roadworks, for whatever reason. At least it was about 30 years ago.
I know, I've had an on-the-spot fine for it.

Last minute overtaking at speed on a clearish road on the approach to roadworks is often not safe but I am talking about a queue moving at walking pace.

If the germans fine you for that then it's a poor show.

 

[longdogs]

One very annoying problem is when an HGV overtakes another HGV but is only travelling about 0.5 mph faster than the one its overtaking. A lorry driver once told me that this practice was done on purpose in protest of the 60mph speed restriction.

I doubt it. It's more that they drive on the speed limiter and the limiters' calibrations are all slightly different.

Yes , you might be right there but would you overtake someone knowing that you can only manage to go 1mph faster?

 

[Crickleymal]

I doubt it. It's more that they drive on the speed limiter and the limiters' calibrations are all slightly different.

Yes , you might be right there but would you overtake someone knowing that you can only manage to go 1mph faster?

Yes, if I were driving a 30 ton truck and didn't give a hoot about other road users. As they obviously do overtake and only go 0.5mph faster then I think that answers your question. Let's face it when have you ever seen a lorry overtake another with a speed difference of much more than 2mph or so. They can't all still be protesting about the 60 mph limit which has been in place for, what, 15 or 20 years now?

 

[cantaloup63]

Why would an HGV driver, who works for someone else on a wage, protest?

 

[Crickleymal]

Why would an HGV driver, who works for someone else on a wage, protest?

Depends on what they were protesting about but yes, point taken.