Road Rage....

[Jod Clark]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr> I have had several occasions where I have been travelling at 60 and an articulated has been about 2 feet from my bumper. <hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>
<br>
Then his speed limiter was faulty, incorrectly calibrated or not functioning. Or your speedo is under-reading.<br>
<br>
I think ALL car drivers should be FORCED to use a motorcycle for a month immediately after passing their driving test before moving on to a car. This would teach them some PROPER road sense and awareness.<br>
<br>
I know I'm biased, but truckers have it tough. We are the only people on the road that have to account for our speed AT ALL TIMES, not just when the law catch us. If people aren't getting mad while trying to overtake a class 2+ vehicle on a single carriageway road (40MPH no matter what the signs say) then they are moaning that we are blocking-up the motorway with our vehicles that are limited to 54 MPH.<br>
<br>
While some people may scribe "Up The Villa" in the inevitable filth on the tailgate of the truck, I prefer to use something along the lines of "if you overtake me, you're speeding". That usually gets the hand signals going.<br>
<br>
I find its better to laugh at the idiots and let them go rather than challenge them. After all, I know I would win the tin-war in 98% of cases so its academic. Quite why people feel that I deserve to be "flashed-over" when I'm doing 70 in the fast lane is beyond me, especially because I'm only there when overtaking slower traffic. So if you come up behind my Premier Paper 05 reg 7½ tonne DAF and I'm in the fast lane doing 70, flash your lights at me and I'll stop you breaking the law for another 5 miles.<br>
<br>
Good to see you on the board again Reg. Tight wheels.<br>
<br>
Jod

<p><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.towingandleisure.co.uk/images/bash.gif" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></p><i></i>

[davepoth]

Probably just carried over annoyance. There's nothing more annoying than seeing three foreign registered trucks (and they are almost always foreign) blocking the whole motorway trying to overtake each other because each can do .2 mph quicker on their limiter than the other.While watching a TV mounted on their dashboard and making a phone call.<br>
<br>


<p></p><i></i>

[Jon Tilson]

So another thread clearly proving the virtues of dolomite drivers. If only the public at large drove the way we all clearly do...<br>
<br>
Adam accepted of course....arf arf<br>
<br>
Much as I sympathise mate and have a hair trigger hooter too the highway code used to say your horn should only be used to let another road user know you are there....so here I am everybody! BEEEEP!<br>
<br>
As to the cyclists among us well I find the roads round here far too dangerous so I ride on the pavement.<br>
I like those nice pelican crossings where I can lean on the post whithout putting my feet off the pedals while I wait for the flashing green man...<br>
<br>
Of course when I'm driving any cyclist crossing at a pelican is fair game...25 points I think?<br>
<br>
Jod very few HGV's are governed to 54....Ive seen a lot of artics cruising in the mid 60's.<br>
<br>
Why do Merc Sprinters all do 80 all the time? Are they really only 120 bhp? They go like rockets....<br>
<br>
Jonners<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>


<p></p><i></i>

[2F45T4U]

get it lucky... I've not long passed my test so was almost always on my push bike... The way I look at it is I'm a pedestrian but when theres people to hit I'd use the road and when the traffic got bad I was then a pedestrian again <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
But when I got in peoples way I got off the road, thats what I hate to see in cyclists. "I was once on a bike just like you mate, be more considerate you t*t"<br>
<br>
<br>
I once done over 40mph on a push bike <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> . Down a very very steep hill <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :lol --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Adam

<p></p><i></i>

[algtj]

Got to admit I am with Jod and Jonners on this one.<br>
Everybody should be made to ride motorbikes before they drive cars.<br>
And I have passed artics doing 70+ mph! bollox to governers!!!<br>
<br>
I used to teach offensive/defensive driving a few years ago and the first words out of my mouth were..........................<br>
Patience.<br>
<br>
By the way I have a motorcycle and HGV licence too, so I am biased in no direction. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END-->

<p></p><i></i>

[davepoth]

Jonners,<br>
<br>
HGVs are governed to 56, but the limit is actually 60, to take into account speedo innacuracy etc, but you are right, some trucks can go a lot quicker. One of the trucks that comes into my work is reputed to do 63 on a flat road. And of course they always go into neutral going down hills.

<p></p><i></i>

[Jod Clark]

ALL our 15 /17 /19 tonners are governed to 54 and there is a right bollocking for those that exceed this level on their tachographs. There has even been talk of matching the tacho chart to the satellite trackers and AUTOMATICALLY issuing speed infringements. That would be good for angry car drivers because then there would be no trucks on the road at all. And everything you own would become irreplaceable, including your food.<br>
<br>
Jod

<p><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.towingandleisure.co.uk/images/bash.gif" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></p><i></i>

[davepoth]

Jod, <br>
<br>
I know lots of trucking companies deliberately set the governor lower for economy/wear and tear reasons.<br>
<br>
Of course if they did satellite track all trucks, the same technology for cars wouldn't be too far away. Then there would be nobody on the roads at all and all the cyclists would be ecstatic.<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>


<p></p><i></i>

[Jod Clark]

Stoppeed on the M40 for 20 minutes on Saturday morning on my way to Slough to extract a young lady from her overturned Discovery after she had swerved to avoid a low-flying pheasant. No injury but the poor girl was badly shaken and the Disco was trashed.<br>
<br>
It amazes me that people were getting angry because she had had this accident on an almost deserted motorway. And very surprising that many drivers didn't appear to notice the obstruction until the last minute.<br>
<br>
Still, I felt better for helping.<br>
<br>
Jod

<p><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.towingandleisure.co.uk/images/bash.gif" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></p><i></i>

[dollyboy]

this IS a good thread... <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :lol --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> its not just me who sees all these then... good.<br>
<br>
the cycling thing - i used to race, and keeping fit for that involved 200-300 miles a week. we used to train in a group of anything from 5-20, drivers dont tend to mess with you in a group that big.<br>
<br>
also on the truck speed limiter thing - most speedos read about 5mph out - my 'lady in a box' thing on my dash is a gps camera detector, and amongst other things it tells you how fast you're going, very accurately. road angels do the same. my 02 focus reads an average of about 5mph quicker than im actually going, thats not a bad thing i guess. <br>
<br>
anything 7.5 ton upwards would generally have a tacho, which are generally better callibrated than your average car dial, unless its a new digital tacho which is separate to the truck speedo<br>
<br>
<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END-->

<p>project orange - the longest rebuild project ever<br>
project white - let the mission begin...<br>
</p><i></i>

[SuffolkSprint]

Trucks: It's true that most drivers hate trucks, but it is worth remembering, as pointed out above, that without them our Tesco shelves would be half empty and our other consumer demands not met. I regularly drive on the A14, the death road of East Anglia. There are regular serious accidents on there, I have driven passed several but thankfully never been involved in any. Many involve trucks - one recently involved a lorry driver ploughing in to the back of a BMW at 60mph (maybe 56mph...?!) which was in stationary traffic.<br>
<br>
I anticipate the HGV driving test is not easy, afterall such a huge vehicle needs considerable skill to control. And I for one would find driving such long distances exhausting. But, like most drivers, it does seem SOME truck drivers slip into bad habits, which could be potentially lethal (I've seen drivers of 18 wheelers eating and reading at the same time), and the outcome of any accident is likely to be really messy. Tailgating is a 19 tonner can never be an option, doesn't it take something like 1/2 mile to stop a fully laden lorry going full speed?<br>
<br>
And patience is really important, something I remind myself daily if not hourly. The three most important things I tell myself to do whilst driving are:<br>
<br>
1. Concentrate! (I'm a great one for looking at the cool classic in the opposite carriageway!)<br>
2. Keep Your Distance!!<br>
3. Look as far ahead as you can - staring at the back of the car in front gives little time to react.<br>
<br>
Finally, add to that - let the idiot behind go... I remember years ago letting two racing XR2s pass me - one mile down the road I found they had crashed into each other!<br>


<p></p><i></i>

[davepoth]

One thing that always scares me. No LGV driver can see you unless you can see their mirrors. Have you ever seen how far back you need to be to be able to see them?

<p></p><i></i>