Driving without due care and attention HGV

Conor_3

scotsman4th wrote: »

Do lorries not have mirrors above the passenger window to see down to the road to help reduce the blindspot?

.

Jesus christ...have you not seen the diagrams in this thread showing where they are and the areas they cover?

mikey72

Professional driver? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and take ozvaldinho's word for it.

Rolandtheroadie

Conor wrote: »

We're only 3" off your rear end because when you dive onto the motorway, you seem to think that you're entitled to a stopping distance but we're not. It's funny how you never dive onto the motorway 3" from the vehicle in front...

Just as an afterthought, any DECENT driver would have moved into the overtaking lane to be courteous to other road users. They would be forward thinking enough to realise there are vehicles going to join the motorway and do what they could to accomodate this.
Most (if not all) slip roads have plenty of sighting to allow observant drivers already on the motorway to assess whats happening in front of them.
If the overtaking lane is already occupied, use an indicator and observe the vehicle already IN the overtaking lane. Whether it slows down, speeds up or moves into the second overtaking lane (if avaliable) will allow you to assess your next move.
It is not the responsibility of other road users to make up for your shortcomings.

Quinny_2

I think you'll find that the lines at the bottom of the sliproad are indeed give way lines.I've just come off the phone with my brother-in-law,who is a traffic cop in South Shields,and he has said that any accident at the base of a sliproad,would nearly always be attributed to the person joining the motorway,as they have no automatic right to join,unless the road is clear.

Taken from the Highway Code:

Driving on the motorway


259


Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

• give priority to traffic already on the motorway
• check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
• not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
• stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
• remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking

ozvaldinho

Conor wouldn't move over, he'd ram you off the road and hope you weren't insured or your MOT had expired, then he'd feel much better about himself.

cyclonebri1

Think this one is getting a little toooo personal and will soon be pulled, best thing too.

However Derrick(sp) I take exception to anyone who makes protest at any ones mis grammar or mis terminology.

We all know what people mean by the fast last, wether or not it may exist, what we don't know is what is it you get off on?

Rolandtheroadie

Quinny wrote: »

I think you'll find that the lines at the bottom of the sliproad are indeed give way lines.I've just come off the phone with my brother-in-law,who is a traffic cop in South Shields,and he has said that any accident at the base of a sliproad,would nearly always be attributed to the person joining the motorway,as they have no automatic right to join,unless the road is clear.

Taken from the Highway Code:

Driving on the motorway


259


Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

• give priority to traffic already on the motorway
• check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
• not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
• stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
• remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking

I believe I said I had not seen any give way SIGNS.
And thank you for confirming my statement about adjusting speed to join the motorway seamlessly.

tommie1shunt

Been driving hgv 1 for 20 years got some simple rules when I am driving my car, I just stay away from hgvs, don't undertake them on the left, don't overtake them on roundabouts, don't run alongside them in the middle lane, don't dawdle on the inside lane of a motorway doing 45 mph and become a mobile chicane, I just keep clear of them. The driver of an hgv might have been working 14 hours so his reactions might not be to quick. Foreign lorry drivers get much more respect on the road, as such they might treat roundabouts etc with a different attitude, IE they might not be to keen on giving way and just sail out in front of you. Plus if your hit by an foreign truck and it,s "not your fault" there is a very good chance you wont get paid out.
Just give them room and stay away from them, could save you hours of grief sorting out an accident, and for what just trying to save a couple seconds on your journey.

jammin_2

anewman wrote: »

Haven't read most of this thread, but just like to say that on an unfortunate day back in 2001, I was the car approaching at 70. Driver of lorry 2 moved out to over take lorry 1 - obviously didn't see that the overtaking lane wasn't clear (I was in it) - and the accident occurred.

Lorry 2's insurance company accepted liability and paid out for the damage to my car, and I got a letter from the police informing me that they were recommending the driver of the lorry to sit some kind of driver awareness class. Something like that anyway - it's getting on 8 years ago now.

Situation was identical to that in anewman's diagram though.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Didn't know this silly little row was going on, earlier in the thread i kept reading about blind spots on a truck, whats all that about then, no such thing on a modern UK spec truck.

If the person behind the wheel (i won't say driver, thats a title that takes years to earn its not a right) sets their mirrors correctly there is no blind spot anywhere except behind the vehicle itself.
And it is the sole responsibility of the truck driver to make sure the mirrors are clean and adjusted correctly to alleviate the problem.

Anyway, if a truck manages to hit someone whilst changing lanes it is always the truck jockeys fault, same as anyone else.
Mirror, signal, manoeuvre in that order and only when clear.

Calling yourself an HGV driver means that you regard yourself as professional, well its high time some of the newer ones acted it.

On the OP's position, difficult to give a considered opinion without seeing the accident first hand.
Its very normal for there to be almost no marks on a truck after impact with a car/van anyway, friend of mine T boned a car that for some reason turned right across the front of him in a line of traffic at about 50mph.
Car destroyed, car
driver hospitalised, slight scratch to front of truck.

take it easy out there.

Edit, and the poster above is absolutely right about Foreign regd trucks, avoid at all costs, very little chance of getting the truck operator to do the right thing, thats if the trucker stops anyway.