Blind Spot
- Thread starter Sharky
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NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Glad the OP is OK.
Incidents like that are one of the reasons I hate driving through roadworks on the motorways when everyone is forced to do 50mph - when they were upgrading the M62 in West Yorkshire to smart motorway there were months of narrow lanes barely wide enough to fit a truck in and 50mph limits with lots of enforcement cameras and there was a truck vs car incident at least a couple of times a week due to everyone being bunched up. The only way to keep safe was to slow down to 40mph and let the trucks thunder past - not always hugely popular with the driver behind but there you go.
That was on the A1(M) near where it merges with the M1 east of Leeds - the police reconstructed the event and found that the lorry driver couldn't see the car from the drivers seat. I seem to recall the trucker had 56mph dialled in on the cruise control and due to the greasy road surface the extra drag of the car was negligible given the amount of grunt a modern truck has in reserve. Scary stuff.
Incidents like that are one of the reasons I hate driving through roadworks on the motorways when everyone is forced to do 50mph - when they were upgrading the M62 in West Yorkshire to smart motorway there were months of narrow lanes barely wide enough to fit a truck in and 50mph limits with lots of enforcement cameras and there was a truck vs car incident at least a couple of times a week due to everyone being bunched up. The only way to keep safe was to slow down to 40mph and let the trucks thunder past - not always hugely popular with the driver behind but there you go.
That was on the A1(M) near where it merges with the M1 east of Leeds - the police reconstructed the event and found that the lorry driver couldn't see the car from the drivers seat. I seem to recall the trucker had 56mph dialled in on the cruise control and due to the greasy road surface the extra drag of the car was negligible given the amount of grunt a modern truck has in reserve. Scary stuff.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
If the speed limit was rigidly enforced from 51MPH upwards, not this stupid 10% + 2, then truckers wouldn't be able to barrow blithely through such roadworks.
classic33
Leg End Member
Bromptonaut
Rohan Man
- Location
- Bugbrooke UK
And if that fails, you can always look at the number plate.
I know this was only semi-serious but we have one or two local firms with UK registered LHD trucks.
When swapping details with a driver of a foreign truck in such circumstances, it’s a good idea to get a photo of the driver. (Surreptitiously, if necessary) They have been known to vanish and deny all knowledge of the incident!
In roadworks, if everyone is travelling at 50mph +or- a bit, you can still accelerate to get past a vehicle. It won’t increase your average speed enough for it to be a problem.
I get cars hiding alongside my truck when the driver knows there’s a camera in situ to avoid being registered. They then speed off and hide alongside another truck when they’re approaching the next camera.
In roadworks, if everyone is travelling at 50mph +or- a bit, you can still accelerate to get past a vehicle. It won’t increase your average speed enough for it to be a problem.
I get cars hiding alongside my truck when the driver knows there’s a camera in situ to avoid being registered. They then speed off and hide alongside another truck when they’re approaching the next camera.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Just for the benefit of the truckies, and indeed many car drivers, that like to pinch an inch in the roadworks, the recent 50mph limit on the roadworks on the M1 in northants was catching and average of one person every 5 seconds, per carriageway! That's an average, so at night whole minutes may pas, but by day during busy periods it might be every second. The volume was so great that the back office admin lot couldn't process it all, so each day they'd review the stats, finger the worst offenders, and set a band for which they would ticket the lot. The amount that get pinged is incredible.
I had some light flasher in a big lorry up my arriss, didn't think the 50 limit applied to him. Well, tough luck buster, because I'm not getting points for him, and my car lacked the vertical flight mode of the higher spec models. Double unlucky that I have front and rear dashcams. Anyway, his company were quite aghast, and immediately relieved the driver of his £50 good conduct bonus for the month. I'm happy to grass up twots like that any day of the week, and they make it so easy, what with their company name and phone number on the side of their vehicles in huge type...
I had some light flasher in a big lorry up my arriss, didn't think the 50 limit applied to him. Well, tough luck buster, because I'm not getting points for him, and my car lacked the vertical flight mode of the higher spec models. Double unlucky that I have front and rear dashcams. Anyway, his company were quite aghast, and immediately relieved the driver of his £50 good conduct bonus for the month. I'm happy to grass up twots like that any day of the week, and they make it so easy, what with their company name and phone number on the side of their vehicles in huge type...
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
[QUOTE 5390176, member: 9609"]I have never bought any of that, just excuses for appalling unawareness on behalf of the driver, anyone half on the ball would have noticed something was amiss.[/QUOTE]
I'd have thought the same to be honest, but that was direct from the copper who was involved in the investigation.
It formed part of a presentation given by whatever they call the accident investigation branch now. It's a while ago so I can't remember every exact detail but they did carry out a very thorough probe and the car driver was found to be responsible.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...nted-Renault-Clio-motorway-60mph-cleared.html
When they switched on the variable speed limits on the 'smart' M62 it was like driving through a lightening storm some days as the cameras were flashing that often.
It's quietened down a lot now with most people complying, but you still get people who think that the limits only apply to others.
I'd have thought the same to be honest, but that was direct from the copper who was involved in the investigation.
It formed part of a presentation given by whatever they call the accident investigation branch now. It's a while ago so I can't remember every exact detail but they did carry out a very thorough probe and the car driver was found to be responsible.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...nted-Renault-Clio-motorway-60mph-cleared.html
When they switched on the variable speed limits on the 'smart' M62 it was like driving through a lightening storm some days as the cameras were flashing that often.
It's quietened down a lot now with most people complying, but you still get people who think that the limits only apply to others.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Indeed, it's what they can prove, not what they might intuitively 'know'. The only giveaway I think the driver might have noticed is the extra tonne+ of mass in front of the steering axis, but the police aren't in a position to prove that point by ramming a car with an HGV at 56mph and seeing what it feels like.
Can't prove it = as far as a Court is concerned it never happened, no matter how blindingly obvious it might seem.
