HGV Speed Limits

[Bromptonaut]

DfT are consulting on raising single carriageway speed limit for HGVs form 40 to 50.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-34/

Neither consultation nor impact assessment make much mention of vulnerable road users.

 

[mark st1]

I agree the limit should be raised.

 

[Saluki]

I do a lot of driving, I used to do a lot more as I was a courier and I have only ever come across 3 artics that were doing 40mph up a single carriageway.
One was a Tesco lorry up the A9 last year and the other two were on the A17 on Saturday. Different companies and on different bits of the journey. It seems to me that the vast majority of HGV lorries don't take any notice of the 40mph rule on a single carriageway. The foreign HGVs don't worry about the 60mph on motorways and duals either!

The lorries certainly don't stick to 40 going up the B road that we live on, I have had to leap into the hedgerow several times when riding home. Change the speed limit or don't, it won't make any difference the speed that trucks travel at.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I do a lot of driving, I used to do a lot more as I was a courier and I have only ever come across 3 artics that were doing 40mph up a single carriageway.
One was a Tesco lorry up the A9 last year and the other two were on the A17 on Saturday. Different companies and on different bits of the journey. It seems to me that the vast majority of HGV lorries don't take any notice of the 40mph rule on a single carriageway. The foreign HGVs don't worry about the 60mph on motorways and duals either!

The lorries certainly don't stick to 40 going up the B road that we live on, I have had to leap into the hedgerow several times when riding home. Change the speed limit or don't, it won't make any difference the speed that trucks travel at.

As above, they might as well raise it to 50 as hardly any lorries stick to 40 currently.

 

[mark st1]

My lorry is limited to 56 mph and the amount of foreign lorries that drive past me like im stood still is quite frighting tbh.

 

[snorri]

One of the arguments for increasing the limit is to narrow the speed differential, but this could be achieved by lowering the 60 to 50. I know it's a limit and not a target, but many of our rural roads become unsafe for vulnerable users when motor traffic is driven at or close to the existing 60 limit.

 

[HLaB]

The consequence of a speeding hgv is big but what proportions of the accidents are they involved in and how many are caused by other drivers becoming frustrated behind them and doing stupid overtakes? More efficient deliveries should help the economy. Its an interesting debate, on the face of it it looks a good move

IMO. I think I'd make it so they can go faster on primary routes but restrict them further in towns etc though, and hopefully encourage them to use the former.

 

[Saluki]

My lorry is limited to 56 mph and the amount of foreign lorries that drive past me like im stood still is quite frighting tbh.

I got 'chased' by a lorry the other night, down the A17 (again). I was doing 60 up the single carriageway in my car (Rover streetwise 1.4 don't laugh) and a foreign truck was up my jacksie. I didn't want to break the speed limit but I didn't fancy dying either so I sped up and so did the lorry.
We got to a roundabout which we went round, still being followed, and I floored the accelerator - 1.4 streetwise cars can really pick up when booted, I discovered - The lorry caught me up reasonably quickly and then, as I was doing an indicated 65mph, overtook me! I was a bit shocked having never been overtaken by an artic. He disappeared into the distance, as he was really shifting. We expected to pass the carnage of a road crash for the rest of the journey home.

OH was an HGV driver for many years and has despaired of the foreign and Irish drivers and was sure that they caused the majority of truck accidents on account of driving way too fast. His trucks (TNT/CEVA) were limited to 50mph which annoyed no end of people following, he's sure.

 

[mark st1]

I got 'chased' by a lorry the other night, down the A17 (again). I was doing 60 up the single carriageway in my car (Rover streetwise 1.4 don't laugh)
We got to a roundabout which we went round, still being followed, and I floored the accelerator - 1.4 streetwise cars can really pick up when booted, I discovered

OH was an HGV driver for many years and has despaired of the foreign and Irish drivers and was sure that they caused the majority of truck accidents on account of driving way too fast. His trucks (TNT/CEVA) were limited to 50mph which annoyed no end of people following, he's sure.

I agree 100% with your OH i dont wish to come across as prejudice or biased toward British drivers (as ive met and worked with a fair few wronguns on that front) the majority of accidents poor driving decisions i have seen do involve foreign drivers. Cooking whilst driving going the wrong way up 1 way streets texting etc etc. We have a transport manager who sends our tacho records and work sheets off every month to be analyzed by a company who check everything with a fine tooth comb. Then send reports back for the transport manager and us to carry as proof we are sticking to and aware of the EU driving laws.

I was pulled over for a routine check once at the VOSA checkpoint at Leatherhead on the M25 i was parked next to an arctic which had 7 of his tyres declared unfit for use ! his tachograph was missing and i dint mean his tacho chart/card the whole instrument was missing to which his only reply was "Broken" ?????

Needless to say i was checked passed and allowed on my way within 30 minutes. I should imagine his stay was alot longer !

 

[Lurker]

DfT are consulting on raising single carriageway speed limit for HGVs form 40 to 50.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-34/

Neither consultation nor impact assessment make much mention of vulnerable road users.

Unhelpfully, the DfT website has moved so that link comes up with a 404 error. New link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consu...s-over-7-5-tonnes-on-single-carriageway-roads

Stephen Hammond is the DfT Road Safety Minister and in charge of this consultation. Would that be the same Stephen Hammond who only a few days ago publicly stated that “Cycling and cycle safety is very much at the heart of transport policy and I would like to join British Cycling in wishing Shane and Bradley a speedy recovery.” ?

Source: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3594863.ece

 

[BrianEvesham]

I could argue for and against this proposal, having driven all types of commercials since 1985. I will sit on the fence with a slight lean towards leave it as it is.

I was being overtaken by a Johnny Foreigner, one night on the m25 just past clacket services who was watching a DVD on a large screen laptop! It was no mistake, I was driving a large right hand drive truck and he, a left hooker so I could easily see what he was doing!

 

[sabian92]

My lorry is limited to 56 mph and the amount of foreign lorries that drive past me like im stood still is quite frighting tbh.

In the US they aren't limited either - I've been passed (not me personally, never driven in the US) by lorries doing 90. Yes, Ninety miles per hour. And their lorries are 53ft trailers as well, none of our pansy EU 40 footers!

I'm of the opinion that lorries should be limited simply because if you get hit by one at 56, it's going to hurt enough. I can't imagine what getting hit at 70 would be like - more akin to a train than a lorry.

 

[BrianEvesham]

none of our pansy EU 40 footers!

13.6metres or 44 ft (-;

 

[Deleted member 26715]

One of the most bizarre experiences I have ever had was driving between Las Vegas & Los Angeles going up hill on a 4 lane road trying to overtake 2 Arctic's side by side just like on the A1 but these guys were doing nearly 90.

But back to the original point, when I was driving I stuck to 40mph on all single roads, it was my licence no transport manager was ever going to make me go quicker.

Alan...

 

[sabian92]

13.6metres or 44 ft (-;

With a metres conversion as well, I'm impressed

In all fairness I can only drive a car, I don't really know a lot about lorries apart from they're probably a bugger to reverse.