50 mph on Motorways, is it safe?

[tc]

allikat:
Urm, Critic, I’ve taken an artic up a motorway on an assesment, I don’t see that it’s much different in a straight line. Yeah, it’s longer, and it bends a bit on a bend, but what difference does that make on a motorway at 56? Not much as far as me or my backside could tell.
And no, the gearbox and weight don’t enter into it. I’m driving 32 tonnes with a 16 speed box this week. That’s as much as many artics on the road.

Sorry critic, but I don’t see your point.

Ali when you have got your class 1 licence and after you have got a little bit of class 1 experience then come on here and tell me the diference.
As for your assesment well I am quite sure you did very well, but it aint quite like driving a Artic at work!!
Preach to me after you have been converted.
because lets face, as for Artic driving you have no clue!!

[Lasurazes]

Lostpup:
What ever speed you do, there’s always some doughnut who wants to sit on your back door pushing you along.

Thats true Pup, I drove motors that would do 65 and 75 down hills easy I know, I did it plenty, and the same went on even then. If the trucks wouldve done 100mph, somebody would have wanted 110! It’s just human nature. Better to accept it, live and let live, and find a way, or it’'l drive ya barmy!

[dratsabasti]

Due to driving a dog of a 51 plate wagon today, I was forced to peg my speed at 50mph.
This was due to it being grossly undergeared, 2600 @ 50mph, any faster and I’m sure I would have done some damage.
I was both embarrased at causing other wagons to have to overtake me and worried that one might climb onto my back bumper.
Driving at 50 on a motorway in my mind is dangerous, to yourself, and to other road users.
You are causing unnessary congestion by causing other vehicles to overtake you and causing bunching behind them, and is wholly discourteous to other road users, also you are deliberately causing an obstruction to others by doing so.

[tartanraider]

Driving at 50 on a motorway in my mind is dangerous, to yourself, and to other road users.
You are causing unnessary congestion by causing other vehicles to overtake you and causing bunching behind them, and is wholly discourteous to other road users, also you are deliberately causing an obstruction to others by doing so.

Never heard such twaddle in all my life!(that’s the clean version of what I’m thinking!)

[tc]

Dratsabasti:
also you are deliberately causing an obstruction to others by doing so.

This would be the case if and only if a driver was driving at 50mph on anywhere other than the inside lane!

Reguarly I pass Police cars on the moterway when I am doing 50-53mph
Somehow I dont think they were causing an abstruction!

FACT =Speed kills!

[denis_f]

allikat:
Sorry, but this is a bit of a bugbear to me. Anything under 50 on the flat is dangerous, more dangerous than speeding in many cases. 53 is acceptable, it’s close enough to what everyone else does.

I’m sorry if you feel that I’m being un-neccesarily harsh on this, but this is a deomcracy, and this is my view. Feel free to continue disagreeing with me as much as you like.

you’re getting the hang of those tippers I see…

where’s me tin 'at

[lostpup]

Thecritic:
Reguarly I pass Police cars on the moterway when I am doing 50-53mph
Somehow I dont think they were causing an abstruction!

That reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to bring up. Anyone else noticed the huge build up of traffic behind a police car on the motorway? Everyone clocks the police car and slows down. Nobody wants to overtake a police car cos they think they will get done for speeding. I bet if the police car got slower and slower the Vectras and Mondeos in it’s wake would too.

[tc]

Lostpup:
That reminds me of something I’ve been meaning to bring up. Anyone else noticed the huge build up of traffic behind a police car on the motorway? Everyone clocks the police car and slows down. Nobody wants to overtake a police car cos they think they will get done for speeding. I bet if the police car got slower and slower the Vectras and Mondeos in it’s wake would too.

HaHa its the best part of the day when this happens! I really enjoy it, some do 80 to 40 in 2 seconds then refuse to drive up to 70!!
I am sure most salesmen have no clue on the speed limit on the motorway.

[saratoga]

I don’t tend to slow down for Police Cars. If I am doing the right speed for the road/conditions etc, then I will carry on. Now, if it was a Police/Fire/Military Special Vehicle, then, I could be around for a while

Oops, I might have revealed too much here

I’ll got and lie down in the corner I think

[manwell]

Manwell:
According to some self righteous posters on this site, they have a devine right to travel at 50 mph on motorways, and sod anybody else it might affect.

I think I’ve flushed most of them out

Thecritic:
I don’t see why the 50mph was to fault in this! may be i am not reading it right but the rigid was not involved as far as I can see!

That sounds like tunnel vision Doctor.

Mal:
Seems to me it was the Daf drivers fault, due care and attention springs to mind. I dont know about now, but when I took my class1 it was drummed in that “the onus is always on the overtaker”.

I agree Mal, the driver made a swift decision to pull out, and coupled to the porthole sized windows on an XF, it was the wrong one. But the chain of events stem back to Mr 50mph.

spaceman:
There is also the scent of “me, me, me” - the “my journey is the most important” brigade.

That argument is double sided, read my quote

Manwell:
According to some self righteous posters on this site, they have a devine right to travel at 50 mph on motorways, and sod anybody else it might affect.

Thecritic:
Ali when you have got your class 1 licence and after you have got a little bit of class 1 experience then come on here and tell me the diference.
As for your assesment well I am quite sure you did very well, but it aint quite like driving a Artic at work!!
Preach to me after you have been converted.
because lets face, as for Artic driving you have no clue!!

Niether have you Critic, as driving at more than 50 mph on a Motorway seems to be beyond your capabilities.

Dratsabasti:
Driving at 50 on a motorway in my mind is dangerous, to yourself, and to other road users.
You are causing unnessary congestion by causing other vehicles to overtake you and causing bunching behind them, and is wholly discourteous to other road users, also you are deliberately causing an obstruction to others by doing so.

Thecritic:
Reguarly I pass Police cars on the moterway when I am doing 50-53mph
Somehow I dont think they were causing an abstruction!
!

I think they would be causing an “abstruction”(obstruction), but then they have their own set of rules.
As for them cruising at less than 50 mph on a motorway, there would be a reason for doing such a low speed, they are probably fishing or waiting for a certain vehicle to pass. They are also allowed to do well in excess of the 70 mph speed limit, does that make it all right for the rest of to do the same.

Thecritic:
FACT =Speed kills!

WRONG!

FACT= Inappropiate speed kills.
FACT= Unattentive driving kills.

Thecritic:
HaHa its the best part of the day when this happens! I really enjoy it, some do 80 to 40 in 2 seconds then refuse to drive up to 70!!
I am sure most salesmen have no clue on the speed limit on the motorway.

Critic, I think you need to seek help, as you seem to get some sort of sadistic pleasure out of see other road users having to take evasive action, including watching your fellow truck driving comrades having to choose between having to fight their way into lane 2 on a busy motorway so that they can continue to make good progress, or tag along behind at the speed that you think they should be doing.

[tc]

All speed is inappropiate when it kills someone!

SPEED Kills Fact!

I can’t be bothered picking one liners out of your post to reply

But I shall post a quote of yours on a previous thread

You and your cohorts might think its big and clever to drive like ■■■■■■■■■■ but I and the probably the majority of posters on this site don’t.

Funny a large majority of posters on this site agree with me!

[rob_k]

Well I’m one of the “minority”? that doesn’t agree with you, in this instance . I still believe that 50mph is an “inappropriate” speed for a wagon on a motorway, as is anything less than 70mph for cars on motorway too.

If those drivers used the seemingly small amount of common sense that they have they would realise that it’s actually themselves who are responsible for the congestion on the countries road newtork and quite likely also the cause of most of the accidents. Sound far-fetched Think about it.

[Lasurazes]

so the only thing i can think of is everybody bang a round the motorway network at 56mph and take 15 miles to overtake each other

if you cant see whats infront of you on a motorway which by and large is a very straight road its either your following the vehicle infront to close or you’ve got your head up your backside. or your to busy changing cd’s reading a map and talking on the phone.

forward planning we are ment to be proffesionals does no body read the road in front of them anymore

jon

[rob_k]

It’s not about reading the road Jon. It’s about there being so much bloody traffic on the road that trying to change lane and have someone with a bit of courtesy let you out has become a huge task. No-one wants people in front of them holding them up, be it wagon drivers, car drivers, coach drivers, van drivers, motorbikes, the list goes on.

Drivers who do not drive with the flow of the traffic cause congestion and where there is no good reason for them to be dawdling along then they should be penalised for it, especially in peak periods.

A decade and more ago there was a much lesser amount of the traffic on the roads so it didn’t bother anyone to see other vehicles dawdling along because a quick look in the mirror would confirm an empty road behind and you’d pull out, overtake and job done. There is so much traffic on the roads now that one cannot safely do one’s own thing, travelling along an any tortoise speed they choose.

You all moan about this 5 mile tail-back here, and a 10 mile one there, took us 5 hours to do a 2 hour journey etc etc, but then in the next breath say “[zb] em, I’m doing my 50mph and not causing anyone else any harm”, but isn’t that such a me-me-me hypocritical attitude . By doing your 50mph you’re holding everyone else up and I refer back to my first paragraph. It’s just comes round full circle.

No-one’s dictating to you to do the same speed as everyone else, but if you engaged your brains and looked at the big picture all the evidence is there for you to see.

[gurner]

I have to say i agree with slow speed causing tail backs and further problems, take a tractor for example, you get car drivers doing kamakazie (spelling) moves to get past, and the result is 2 miles of frustrated traffic.
When in a motorway situation, as rob has said before, when overtaking its hard enough to get a gap to begin with, then every one has to move over, and in the big picture it does cause problems.

That said, i have no problem with those that wish to travel at 50 mph, at the end of the day its there choice and they are entitled to it.

[thebigone]

It’s only a problem if you don’t look where you’r going. It’s also only a problem if someone can’t be bothered to ease off the gas and the one in the middle lane takes half an hour to get past. That’s what causes the congestion. That and impatient ■■■■■ cutting the driver in the middle lane up because you can’t be bothered to look in your mirrors when overtaking and causing an accident . Sorry but I’ve been up the BIG hill on the M62 5 times this week and done a lot less than 50 with a fully loaded rigid (and before you start, no I can’t go any quicker up their) and seen so many stupid overtaking manouvers from so called professional drivers through sheer carelessness or selfishness that have nearly resulted in an accident. I realise we’re not perfect and everyone makes mistakes, but if you want to be thought of as professional drivers, then drive like one for christs sake and look in your mirrors occasionally.

That’s better, rant over.

[tc]

TheBigOne:
It’s only a problem if you lot don’t look where you’r going. It’s also only a problem if someone can’t be bothered to ease off the gas and the one in the middle lane takes half an hour to get past. That’s what causes the congestion. That and impatient [zb] cutting the driver in the middle lane up because you can’t be bothered to look in your mirrors when overtaking and causing an accident .

Makes sense to me!

[Lasurazes]

Rob K:
It’s not about reading the road Jon. It’s about there being so much bloody traffic on the road that trying to change lane and have someone with a bit of courtesy let you out has become a huge task. No-one wants people in front of them holding them up, be it wagon drivers, car drivers, coach drivers, van drivers, motorbikes, the list goes on.

Drivers who do not drive with the flow of the traffic cause congestion and where there is no good reason for them to be dawdling along then they should be penalised for it, especially in peak periods.

A decade and more ago there was a much lesser amount of the traffic on the roads so it didn’t bother anyone to see other vehicles dawdling along because a quick look in the mirror would confirm an empty road behind and you’d pull out, overtake and job done. There is so much traffic on the roads now that one cannot safely do one’s own thing, travelling along an any tortoise speed they choose.

You all moan about this 5 mile tail-back here, and a 10 mile one there, took us 5 hours to do a 2 hour journey etc etc, but then in the next breath say “[zb] em, I’m doing my 50mph and not causing anyone else any harm”, but isn’t that such a me-me-me hypocritical attitude . By doing your 50mph you’re holding everyone else up and I refer back to my first paragraph. It’s just comes round full circle.

No-one’s dictating to you to do the same speed as everyone else, but if you engaged your brains and looked at the big picture all the evidence is there for you to see.

I disagree Rob, it is about reading the road, thats exactly what its all about. I drive at a variety of speeds between 30 and 56 mph, every day, on the same roads as everyone else. Ive also drove at off the clock pre limiter speeds as well so I know the difference. Now, why can I do that and not be calling for everyone to drive to suit me, and you cant? Theres got to be an answer to it aint there? Why is it I can easily live with people “doing there own thing” and you cant? It aint like ive never seen the roads emptier, I know damned well how bad they are now compared to 25 years ago. But in spite of that, I can get the job done without aggro and calling for others to have to suit me, why is that? My opinion on the answer to those questions ive asked you is, I read the road, forward planning and observation, everything beyond thats luck of the draw.

[rob_k]

There’s a big difference to people “doing their own thing” which doesn’t affect anyone else, or maybe only affects one or two people but they’re not really that bothered about it. Unfortunately, “doing your own thing” on a motorway - in this instance - hampering everyone elses prgress because of your own selfishness and basically becoming a rolling road block does affect other people, and it’s not just one or two others, it’s the entirety of other road users. That’s when one should stop and think, hang on a minute, it’s me that’s causing all this congestion, I’ll get my toe down and keep with the flow of traffic so we all get where we want to be today and not the silly hours of tomorrow morning sometime.

With respect.

[flatbedman]

i dont have a problem with people doing 50 mph in the left lane, i have a big problem with people in the middle lane taking from J22 M1 to south of the M1M6 A14 split to overtake another truck just because his truck can do .00001 mph more!!!
we have to remember that the roads are there to SHARE! if we all join the same team i think we will get there quicker and safer■■?

paul