Tailgating lorries - I dont want to be another statistic!

[Matthew_T]

One thing that I really fear is when a lorry tailgates me.
On todays little ride, I was just approaching my turn off for my house and was aware of a lorry behind me. He gradually grew closer even though there was opposing traffic and he couldnt overtake. His proximity got to a stage where I was very uncomfortable, so I turned around and waved at him whilst saying "Back up please". I had to do this twice before he got the message.
The lorry had a company logo on it which has been a little bit of a pain to me lately with a few close passes and badly planned overtakes.

I am unhappy with cars tailgating me, but lorries are much worse. Mainly because if a car was to hit me, I would go over the bonnet most likely. But if a lorry was to hit me, I would definately go under the wheels.

I know its not just me with this catastrophic fear of lorries tailgating me.

 

[BentMikey]

Being afraid of a tailgating lorry is a wise fear, IMO.

 

[Davidc]

That's one that scares me too. I do the same as Mr Paul, and then see how to get rid of them (turn off or whatever).

I try to get the company and registration, and then complain. Sometimes the owning company will take action. One of those I complained to about 10 years ago (actually about close passing) invites me to go and talk to their new drivers once a year and pays me £100 for the day plus my rail ticket - it's worth the trouble!

 

[markharry66]

Hi Matthew best bit of advice pull over let them pass right or wrong your lifes not worth making a statment for.

 

[jarlrmai]

pulling over means slowing significantly with a huge lorry right behind you. It's pretty lose/lose, the best drivers back off and often I will pull over for them if it is safe, as I know they have issues with gears and momentum, but when its tailgating you you just have to keep going sometimes.

 

[slowmotion]

Skip trucks have the ominous clanking of chains. "Muck-way" tipper lorries have that over-revving badly-serviced loud diesel noise. I look over my shoulder at about 0.3 Hz.....

 

[Crankarm]

My advice is to get off the road, pull in, just get out their way. You are never going to come off well against one of these dinsosaurs of the road. IME coaches, buses and 7.5 tuck drivers can be pretty hazardous as well.

But I don't ride the roads any more. Riding the GBW, there aren't any traffic hazards, so I know I AM going to make it to my destination and back home. I don't cycle on the roads, too dangerous and not sufficient punishment for drivers who are careless or who turn bad injuring and killing, making you very vulnerable on a bike.

 

[Leodis]

Had something similar today coming up Elland Road, headwind and could hear it coming but just had to brave it out, not pleasent when you feel your wheel turning into the lorry.

 

[jarlrmai]

I had one behind me on a hill, the wind was so bad I couldn't hear it, didn't know that it was there.

 

[mickle]

Slam your brakes on - they soon get the message....

 

[sabian92]

Slam your brakes on - they soon get the message....

So will your family from your local Plod if you keep doing that. What a f**king stupid thing to do to a lorry.

 

[mickle]

So will your family from your local Plod if you keep doing that. What a f**king stupid thing to do to a lorry.

I'm sorry if it wasn't totally bleedin obvious that I was joking. Der.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

Hi Matthew best bit of advice pull over let them pass right or wrong your lifes not worth making a statment for.

Thats what I do, they normally thank me for it.

 

[Nigeyy]

I'm with Crankarm on this one -well, to an extent. In non-urban lighter traffic conditions, an average cyclist is usually considerably slower than motor vehicles -few of us can keep up a 30mph average -so I do think if you are holding up a vehicle, is it that big of a deal to pull in and let a vehicle get by you safely? I know you could say it may not be convenient to you, but it's certainly not convenient (and potentially makes a driver of a large heaving vehicle behind you get frustrated) for the driver behind you either. Being in the road just because you can (and subsequently effectively blocking traffic) doesn't necessarily make it a smart, effective or a nice thing to do, nor in all likelihood will change the bad behaviour of drivers.

Having said that, this does become a problem if you end up doing it every 5 minutes -then you end up not getting anywhere. Of course if you are in heavier traffic or an urban environment where there's a traffic light every couple of hundred of metres or so, obviously I don't think you should pull in (well not unless you feel like there's a real danger -as someone else posted, it's just not worth it.) There's obviously a certain amount of incumbent logic you hope drivers have that allows them to realize they aren't going to get too far once they overtake you anyway.

For me anyway, this can be summed up to just be considerate to others and use common sense from both sides (i.e. pull over if it's safe to do so if you're really holding someone up and it only costs you a minute or so, and likewise, if it's heavy traffic or traffic with loads of stops, don't drive up someone's backside trying to pressurize them when you aren't going to get anywhere anyway).

My advice is to get off the road, pull in, just get out their way. You are never going to come off well against one of these dinsosaurs of the road. IME coaches, buses and 7.5 tuck drivers can be pretty hazardous as well.

But I don't ride the roads any more. Riding the GBW, there aren't any traffic hazards, so I know I AM going to make it to my destination and back home. I don't cycle on the roads, too dangerous and not sufficient punishment for drivers who are careless or who turn bad injuring and killing, making you very vulnerable on a bike.

 

[BentMikey]

Once you're at a certain speed, and being tailgated already, it becomes progressively more difficult and dangerous to slow down and/or move out of the way.