Animal Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I've noticed this happening more and more over the last month or so. The amount of cars that creep up to me in the next lane doing barely 1mph more and sit right on your back quarter is unbeleiveable. Either speed up and pass me or fuck off and pull in behind. Wankers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 As a novice HGV driver I agree entirely. My wife does this, loiters alongside things for ages. I always like to make an overtake decisively and get out of the danger zone ASAP, especially passing LHD trucks.Plus the number of cars that squeeze suicidally up the inside on roundabouts and junctions is ridiculous, they just play on the fact you will wait rather than have them on the centre island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewOW Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 My friend that bought my Prelude off me did exactly that to a Polish lorry, and ended up with a huge hole in the passenger door, which resembled a huge tin opener, including the tyre marks too. I nearly cried! He wrote it off smashing it up the rear of a Transit van before the claim was settled. Idiot. I get past as swiftly, and as safely, as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 As a novice HGV driver I agree entirely. My wife does this, loiters alongside things for ages. I always like to make an overtake decisively and get out of the danger zone ASAP, especially passing LHD trucks.Plus the number of cars that squeeze suicidally up the inside on roundabouts and junctions is ridiculous, they just play on the fact you will wait rather than have them on the centre island. I fully agree, I always make sure I can see whats going on ahead of the trucks so I can estimate what they might want to do. Honest John has some campaign about getting foreign lorrys fully "mirrored" up to prevent M-way side-swipes but I suggest the reason it happens is because people loiter alongside HGVs as said above. In all my years of driving, I've never had a truck pull out on me, I've hung back and I've scooted past may times though. I'm certain in my Dad's case it was because he liked to always be in 5th gear all the time "for economy" so he'd have been labouring up the Dartford Bridge unable to move clear of the truck that collected him. BTW...Chris, check your e-mails....exhaust gaskets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I tend to sit behind lorries anyway and hypermile it. You have to make sure their brake lights are working though!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purity14 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I tend to sit behind lorries anyway and hypermile it. You have to make sure their brake lights are working though!! I got 46.5mpg average to edinburgh and back in my 320ci (2.2 petrol) the other week doing that... Could have done better if my daily was a diesil though.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willson Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 YouTube lorry shunt driver keeps licence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supra steveo Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 ahh well and why should he lose his licence ? it was an accident Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BazzaAlpine Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 I actually witnessed something similar to this on the A14. Heavy traffic and only crawling along. I joined the 14 off a slip road in front of a lorry (correctly I might add) and some impatient lady squeezed in between me and the lorry. Seriously the gap could have only just been bigger than her sodden Golf. It was such a stupid manover that I kept more time than norm looking in the rear view. Sure enough I see the back of the Golf start bouncing round as the lorry starts pushing her along. In the end I had to wind down my window and point across to the hard shoulder to get them both to stop. God knows how long it would have gone on for otherwise. What really gets me though is: a) the lorry driver must have been able to see at least some of her damn car and.. b) If he didn't know she was there why the hell did he speed up when she pulled over to the hard shoulder. I actually had to weave the car slightly in front of him befor he pulled over. When he got out of the cab he didn't seem to be confused as to why I got him to pull over. Police attended, took statement and away I went. They said it looked like joint responcibility and I can see thier point but there is no way you can convince me he didn't see her. Apparently all new lorries are meant to have a front blindspot mirror now but any made before a certain date don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snooze Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Pure speculation on my part, but I partly blame the car drivers for loitering in lorries' blind spots. Either move ahead of the blind spot or move behind, don't just sit there for a few minutes. Same goes for when a car comes alongside another car. Tricky to avoid when the roads are very busy though. Agree with you for the lorry case - lorries will always have blind spots that can't be fixed. Do NOT agree with you about cars - there is NO excuse for changing lane without checking your blind spot before manouvering - it's pure laziness. I once almost got side-swiped on a motorway that was completely empty except for me and the other car: they joined the motorway from a slip road just infront of me, travelling about 5mph slower. I moved into the middle lane as they joined (so they didn't side-swipe me joining), in the blind spot. The car then proceeded to move out into the middle lane (despite the motorway being empty), and I had to swerve hard to avoid them - I don't think they even noticed I was there afterwards. NO EXCUSE FOR NOT CHECKING YOUR BLIND SPOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Where's my blind spot, can't see it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supra steveo Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snooze Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 Where's my blind spot, can't see it.... Here he is: http://64.115.204.118/44/44-142.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Here he is: http://64.115.204.118/44/44-142.jpg Oh god, Ed's going to see that and that's a whole new world of wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Agree with you for the lorry case - lorries will always have blind spots that can't be fixed. Do NOT agree with you about cars - there is NO excuse for changing lane without checking your blind spot before manouvering - it's pure laziness. I once almost got side-swiped on a motorway that was completely empty except for me and the other car: they joined the motorway from a slip road just infront of me, travelling about 5mph slower. I moved into the middle lane as they joined (so they didn't side-swipe me joining), in the blind spot. The car then proceeded to move out into the middle lane (despite the motorway being empty), and I had to swerve hard to avoid them - I don't think they even noticed I was there afterwards. NO EXCUSE FOR NOT CHECKING YOUR BLIND SPOT! I think you misunderstood me. I meant that it's best that whoever is doing the overtaking to not loiter in the overtakee's blind spot. I don't stay in people's blind spots (be they lorry or car) for longer than absolutely necessary, for the reason you described. Too many drivers don't look when starting to move into another lane: although they would (should!) be found to be in the wrong if it came to court, I'd rather avoid all that in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snooze Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Ah gotcha! Yes - as described from first-hand experience, best not to loiter in anyones blind spot if you can help it. If someone pushes you into the crash barrier doing 70 on the motorway, having the moral high ground that it was their fault for not looking isn't really going to help much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJD Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 ahh well and why should he lose his licence ? it was an accident Does "accident" mean neither of the drivers intended it to happen, or does "accident" mean neither of the drivers did anything wrong? The report would seem to suggest that the lorry driver wasn't at fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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