Highway Code

[Bigjeeze]

Does anyone know when the law changed that allows trucks up to 7 tonne Gross Weight in the fast or overtaking lane on the Motorways?

 

It seems to me to be happening more and more that I and trying to overtake and a sodding truck pulls out in front of me and proceeds to slowly, oh so slowly overtake other vehicles. I had thought this was not allowed - but on looking in the Highway code I see that it is. Has it always been thus or when did it change?

[gio]

Does anyone know when the law changed that allows trucks up to 7 tonne Gross Weight in the fast or overtaking lane on the Motorways?

 

It seems to me to be happening more and more that I and trying to overtake and a sodding truck pulls out in front of me and proceeds to slowly, oh so slowly overtake other vehicles. I had thought this was not allowed - but on looking in the Highway code I see that it is. Has it always been thus or when did it change?

 

GREY area this one.

 

Since the begining of the year 7.5 tonne trucks have had to have speed

limiters fitted. this has been delayed till the end of the year,so technically

this is a grey area because, vehicles fitted with limiters cannot use the

outside lane,and as so many 7.5 tonnes vehicles are still without limiters

then under the highway code they can use the outside lane.

 

"slowly oh so slowly" as i am sure you are awear an unreastricted 7.5 tonnes

can go in excess of 70 mph [the legal limit] and can accelerate pretty well

from 55mph to over 70mph so am confused by your slowly statement?

 

Note i believe this new law does not apply to older 7.5 tonne vehicles [pre 2000]

and until the law is changed then you may still see these vehicles legally in

the outside lane.

Edited August 14, 2007 by gio

[Biscuit]

Hi All

I drive a 7 1/2 tonne truck for work a 56 plate had a speed limiter fitted 12/06

used to be able to get 70 in outside lane

but now i'm limited to 56 mph and i know its a pain in the backend

but the amount of grief i get from people who dont know the law has/is changing

regarding 7 1/2 tonners is unbelievable

Its not our fault!!!!!!!!

thanks

rant over :rolleyes:

 

ps i,m not having a go at anyone. i'm just trying to say its hacks us off as well

 

hope you had a good day today!

Edited August 15, 2007 by Biscuit

[big_kev]

I thought trucks greater than 7.5T ( laden weight ) had always been banned from the fast lane and vehicle under 7.5T had always been allowed in it.

 

Also trailers have never been allowed in the fast lane, although cars with trailers seem to ignore this ( and the speed limit ).

 

I didn't know it had changed !

[adrianf.]

I realise that being sat in a truck doing 56mph mile after mile after mile must bore the pants off most people (it would me), but when you see how some of them are being driven then im all for them being restricted.

 

Ive lost count the amount of times ive looked in the rear view mirror only to see the front grill of some truck breaking its neck to get to the next drop in time.

 

Yes i know that there are still some old fashioned lorry drivers left out there, the sort that wont run over the top of you rather than go around but as time goes by they seem to get less and less.

 

This also goes for most drivers and that includes car drivers so please dont think that im only against lorry drivers.

 

 

Whte van man

 

Well thats another story.

[Bigjeeze]

"slowly oh so slowly" as i am sure you are awear an unreastricted 7.5 tonnes

can go in excess of 70 mph [the legal limit] and can accelerate pretty well

from 55mph to over 70mph so am confused by your slowly statement?

 

 

Despite the fact that these light trucks can do 70mph plus they don't accelerate as fast as I do - So to me they go very slowly.

 

I think that they should not be allowed into the overtaking lane at any point as they do cause the traffic to slow and also such a large vehicle has the potential to cause significanlty more damage in an accident than a light van or car. I do an average 800 -900 miles per week and I see a lot of this.

[Smilge]

BigJ ........ was it a two lane motorway that this lorry was overtaking on? If so then they are allowed as far as I'm aware. The M54 is an example and you can wait a long time for a lorry to overtake another ............ and that smirk when you finally overtake both and look in the side mirror to pull back in!

[big_kev]

The only info. I have seen on this is here

 

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository...Regulations.pdf

Edited August 16, 2007 by big_kev

[Paul B]

Glad it's not just me it happens too! Caravans, Trailers and the neighbours Dog in the Fast lane (3 laned Motorways). What idiot came up with the idea of restricting HGV's to 40MPH on single track roads, when the rest of us, usually travelling behind for miles are allowed to do 60?? Here in Norfolk, most of the damn roads are single track anyway! I know this frustrates Lorry drivers just as much too!

[gio]

"slowly oh so slowly" as i am sure you are awear an unreastricted 7.5 tonnes

can go in excess of 70 mph [the legal limit] and can accelerate pretty well

from 55mph to over 70mph so am confused by your slowly statement?

 

 

Despite the fact that these light trucks can do 70mph plus they don't accelerate as fast as I do - So to me they go very slowly.

 

I think that they should not be allowed into the overtaking lane at any point as they do cause the traffic to slow and also such a large vehicle has the potential to cause significanlty more damage in an accident than a light van or car. I do an average 800 -900 miles per week and I see a lot of this.

 

I do2000 miles a week which is irrelevent as is your 800/900..

See far more inpatient car drivers trying to bully, than lorries

holding up people when they are actually driving at the

max speed limit,

 

can only assume you are an impatient driver,also assume

that you do not do this driving in the galaxy tdi,

otherwise am amazed that you think you accelerate that much

quicker between 55 and 70 when in 6th gear!!!!!!!!

[Paul B]

Yeah!! Agree with that too! Don't get me started.....Middle Laners as well.......Grrr!

[Biscuit]

:P-->

QUOTE(Paul B @ Aug 16 2007, 19:39:37) 113763[/snapback]

Yeah!! Agree with that too! Don't get me started.....Middle Laners as well.......Grrr!

 

 

 

Middle lane hoggers!!! <_<

As ive said before i'm limited to 56mph in my wagon and today

had an old fart hogging middle lane doing 45 mph!!!!!!!

and he was driving a Vectra!!!!

[Paul B]

Well, once had a hell of argument with the Mother-In-Law about this. Who to this day believes that on a 3 lane motorway, the Left Hand Lane is for Lorries and Slow Moving Vehicles! The Middle Lane and Right Lanes are for Cars only! I tried to explain, drive in the Left Hand Lane only, the other 2 lanes for Overtaking ONLY! Move back when you're past!! Well!! That did it! I can remember being really angry at the time, especially when it resulted in a Cigarette Burn in the Passenger Seat of my immaculate Ford Escort!!

[katman]

:P-->

QUOTE(Paul B @ Aug 16 2007, 18:07:09) 113756[/snapback]

What idiot came up with the idea of restricting HGV's to 40MPH on single track roads, when the rest of us, usually travelling behind for miles are allowed to do 60?? Here in Norfolk, most of the damn roads are single track anyway! I know this frustrates Lorry drivers just as much too!

 

A point that I have made on several occasions.

 

I used to travel from Great Yarmouth to Ipswich daily on the A12 which is oficially designated as the Great Yarmouth to London TRUNK road. Of the 50 miles to Ipswich only about 12 miles is dual carriageway and 7 of that is at the Ipswich end <_<

 

BTW..... whats a Motorway ??? ??? ???

[Biscuit]

BTW..... whats a Motorway ??? ??? ???

 

 

Something that Tractors aren't allowed on! <_<

[stevic]

;)-->

QUOTE(Paul B @ Aug 16 2007, 18:07:09) 113756[/snapback]

What idiot came up with the idea of restricting HGV's to 40MPH on single track roads, when the rest of us, usually travelling behind for miles are allowed to do 60?? Here in Norfolk, most of the damn roads are single track anyway! I know this frustrates Lorry drivers just as much too!

C

 

Common sense? Do me a favour! You are so right. I drive a 44 tonne truck and the restriction to 40mph on single carriageway roads is only sensible when those roads are narrow and windy and then 40mph is probably too fast.

 

But on straight single carrageways car drivers get increasingly frustrated and make suicidal manouvres to overtake, Im thinking of the A46 between Tewksbury and Warwick here. At 50mph the vast majority of car drivers will quite happily (well maybe not that happily) sit on the tail and the road is a safer place for it.

 

But one anomoly follows another when speed limits are set. 60mph is deemed ok on single a carraigeways for cars, but as soon as a cone is put anywhere a hard shoulder on a motorway the speed limit is reduced to 50mph - think M4 Reading.

 

Anyway us poor truckers are not out there to specifically annoy the car drivers of this world, we're out there to deliver the goods for the I-want-it-yesterday consumer.

 

Another question about the awful standards of car driver lane awareness. Why do so many car drivers drive at 30-40mph in the middle lane of the A40 aproaching London from the M40?

 

As I haven't got enough posts to ask questions in the technical forum, would someone please go to the newbies forum and answer my question specifically on badge measurements, I don't want to measure a random Galaxy 'cos the set up might not be exact. Cheers, Steve