Bad Drivers

bod1467

frugal_mike wrote: »

The discussion on slow moving vehicles is missing the point. The guideline in question says do not hold up a queue of traffic, especially if you're in a slow moving vehicle.

It doesn't only apply to the set of vehicles that can only drive slowly.

Hammer. Nail. Head.

JohalaReewi

Is that a slow-moving vehicle, or a slowly moving vehicle?

stephen77

Azari wrote: »

Can any of those who seem to think that there is some requirement to drive at or near the speed limit post links to either the highway code or the road traffic act where this requirement is stated?

I'm aware that people have been prosecuted for driving absurdly slowly but, until reading this thread I wasn't aware that anyone thought there was any requirement to travel close to the limit.

Highway code 169
"Do not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass"

As your taking what the highway code says, maybe used as law.
Then if your not driving near the speed limit and a big queue is building you behind in good driving conditions etc and you do not pull over when its convenient and safe to do so.

Then if the high way code is legal. Your breaking the law.

Obviously is there is not a queue behind you. Then you can of course drive more slowly.


also the dude that got the conversation going again and what the last few pages having been discussing.

reason2 wrote: »

just to stick my nose in to a debate that happened a couple of posts back..

i got in touch with the nice dudes responsible for the highway code.

"slow moving vehicle" refers to tractors, and the likes where 10-15mph is a maximum speed.

they also confirmed that slow moving vehicle in that respect was not a car capable of 70 but going 20...

glad thats cleared up
.

225

Vehicles with flashing amber beacons. These warn of a slow-moving or stationary vehicle (such as a Traffic Officer vehicle, salt spreader, snow plough or recovery vehicle) or abnormal loads, so approach with caution. On unrestricted dual carriageways, motor vehicles first used on or after 1 January 1947 with a maximum speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) or less (such as tractors) MUST use a flashing amber beacon (also see Rule 220 above). Law RVLR 1989, reg 17

For a start he got the speed wrong. The high way code just says if the max speed it must have flashing lights.
If a vehicle can go faster eg 30mph. We would still say its slow moving, it just does not need lights.

on point 164 in the highway code.

"drop back. This will increase your ability to see ahead and should allow the driver of the large vehicle to see you in their mirrors. Getting too close to large vehicles, including agricultural vehicles such as a tractor with a trailer or other fixed equipment, will obscure your view of the road ahead and there may be another slow-moving vehicle in front"
.
So while it says its more likely to be a tractor, the highway code assumes a Ferrari is not going to be driving at 25mph on a open road with a speed limit of 60mph. But reading above this would constitute as slow moving.

go_cat

I spend a huge amount of time on motorways. My biggest annoyance is when you are travelling at 70 and a lorry in the left hand lane suddenly indicates and pulls out into your lane ( indication and lane move obviously at the same time ) causing me regularly to have to break suddenly, only to then be stuck behind them for a mile with a queue of traffic as they haven't the speed to overtake the other lorries.

Oh my other annoyance was the lady I kept encountering last night on the M40 who would not deviate out the middle lane and insisted on travelling at 60 who kept speeding up when someone was about to overtake then slowed down again.

JohalaReewi

stephen77 wrote: »

Highway code 169
So while it says its more likely to be a tractor, the highway code assumes a Ferrari is not going to be driving at 25mph on a open road with a speed limit of 60mph. But reading above this would constitute as slow moving.

A slow-moving vehicle is one that can only move slowly.
Slow-moving is an adjective which describes the vehicle.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/moving?q=moving
Also
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/slow?q=slow


A Ferrari is not a slow-moving vehicle even when travelling at 25mph on a 60mph road.
In this situation, the Ferrari is moving slowly.
Slowly is an adverb which describes how the vehicle is moving.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/slowly?q=slowly

In your example, the Ferrari is a slowly moving vehicle.

Of particular interest from the dictionary definition for slow...

The word slow is normally used as an adjective (a slow learner; the journey was slow). It is also used as an adverb in certain specific contexts, including compounds such as slow-acting and slow-moving and in the expression go slow. Other adverbial use is informal and usually regarded as non-standard, as for example in he drives too slow and go as slow as you can. In such contexts standard English uses slowly instead. The use of slow and slowly in this respect contrasts with the use of fast, which is completely standard in use as both an adjective and an adverb; there is no word ‘fastly’.

It's English innit?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

The point about "slow moving vehicles" is if there is a car behind it doesn't hurt to pull over when it's safe and let them go, if you have 50 cars behind you then you are clearly driving a lot slower than the rest of traffic and should observe the Highway Code and pull over.

I've always wondered why people slow down going up inclines, I assumed they didn't understand the concept of gravity but maybe they are just trying to save fuel?

Another thing that really bugs me is how people can't drive down a straight road at a constant speed, 25, then 30, then 25 again then 35, it's not difficult, just stick to 30 or even 25 as long I don't have to keep slowing and speeding up again.

Also those who pull out causing you (as the only car on the road) to slow down and then drive along at 25, what the hell was the rush to be in front of me?

A lot of it is people are in a little bubble and completely unaware of the world outside their car.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

stephen77 wrote: »

Another time I saw a motorway variable speed limit sign with "10 mph" on

This happened to me on the M20 at Maidstone, all the signs said 60 but the last one said 20, there are cameras mounted and it's bloody dangerous. Luckily it was late at night but lorry (a fair way) behind wasn't impressed with me slowing down.

martinthebandit

go_cat wrote: »

I spend a huge amount of time on motorways. My biggest annoyance is when you are travelling at 70 and a lorry in the left hand lane suddenly indicates and pulls out into your lane ( indication and lane move obviously at the same time ) causing me regularly to have to break suddenly, only to then be stuck behind them for a mile with a queue of traffic as they haven't the speed to overtake the other lorries.

Just maybe if you observed that the lorry you were overtaking was coming up to a slower vehicle you could either speed up a bit and get past him before he needs to pull out and overtake or slow down a bit to give him room to overtake.

Just a thought.

stephen77

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

This happened to me on the M20 at Maidstone, all the signs said 60 but the last one said 20, there are cameras mounted and it's bloody dangerous. Luckily it was late at night but lorry (a fair way) behind wasn't impressed with me slowing down.

It was squeaky bum time.

In a way, no offense. I am glad it happened to some one else. So I know it was not my eyesight :cool:

If it happened again. I probably put my hazards on, just to be safe.
DId you have any idea of why it went to 20mph in your stretch?

stephen77

martinthebandit wrote: »

Just maybe if you observed that the lorry you were overtaking was coming up to a slower vehicle you could either speed up a bit and get past him before he needs to pull out and overtake or slow down a bit to give him room to overtake.

Just a thought.

While you can some times guess it.

You also do not want to be stuck out in the 3rd lane if your not over taking anything in the middle lane. Especially if the 3rd lane is busy.
Some times cars in the 3rd lane are flying past you, so you can not safely move out into the 3rd lane as well.

I often drive in the middle lane as over taking lorry's, but not going faster to warrant being in the outer lane.
I do pull over to the 1st lane when I have over taken everything I need to, before some one says I am a middle lane hogger.

However sometimes, Yep I could have anticipated it a bit earlier in hindsight. Well basically every steepish hill a lorry will try and over take another lorry.