The standard of laybys on main trunk routes needs to be improved, but that would cost money. Even laybys which have a partition from the road are dangerous because of the relatively short access to the main carraigeway, there should be fewer layby s and maybe for emergency use only. But they need to be replaced with fewer but larger rest areas. Safer for the parked vehicles and safer for getting back onto the road. Fewer entry and exit points during peak periods should also help traffic flow.
I dont understand drivers parking in laybys anyway. I dont get caught out and forward planning sees me sorted.
I worked out of felix for 5 months and never parked overnight on the 14.
The 14 is a pain in the arse if you require a power nap or a ■■■■ as there’s nowhere to stop.
so just out of interest after reading through this thread why is it the orwell crossings fault suffolk and norfolk police are clamping down, and that also the girl who was killed crashing her car was a druggy?!
euromat:
so just out of interest after reading through this thread why is it the orwell crossings fault suffolk and norfolk police are clamping down,
Because their business is struggling and are blaming it on people parking in laybys instead of the truckstop, theres an article in truck and driver…
I can’t see the difference between parking in an unsegregated lay-by and parking on a public road industrial estate; the vehicle is still going to require lights.
It would technically be possible to overcome the flat battery problem by adapting the battery saver system used for tail lifts, which cuts off the supply when battery voltage drops to a level just above that which is sufficient to start the engine. This could either operate an in-cab alarm to alert the driver or potentially start the engine. There are many difficulties that would need to be overcome, not least being an unattended vehicle, the handbrake being off, or the vehicle being left in gear. It obviously would be useless on an old nail that requires 10 minutes cranking on a cold morning before it coughs.
I have had a few nights out with side lights on all night (once fell asleep on a 45, woke up 8 hours later 
)
Never had a flat battery.
Roymondo:
merc0447:
Would 1 rear coneworks light on the rear o/s be enough or do they want the top of the trailer lit on the o/s aswell. Or do they want it all lit?Just the “position lamps” front and rear. No need for side or top markers.
+number plate light.
trubster:
I have had a few nights out with side lights on all night (once fell asleep on a 45, woke up 8 hours laterNever had a flat battery.
Wow that was a decent 45 break 
TBH with all these LED lights fitted to trailers and also on some tractors aswell, you’d hardly be pulling any power from the batteries anyway 
Saaamon:
euromat:
so just out of interest after reading through this thread why is it the orwell crossings fault suffolk and norfolk police are clamping down,Because their business is struggling and are blaming it on people parking in laybys instead of the truckstop, theres an article in truck and driver…
Yeah, yr definitely a NUMPTY!!!
As if the police are going to make a fuss because of a news report? You’ll be saying next that the owners of Orwell went to parliment and had regulation 24 introduced ?
As for parking in lay bys, it’s drivers choice. Never parked on the side of a major trunk route thru choice, always managed to plan ahead.
eddie snax:
trubster:
I have had a few nights out with side lights on all night (once fell asleep on a 45, woke up 8 hours laterNever had a flat battery.
Wow that was a decent 45 break
TBH with all these LED lights fitted to trailers and also on some tractors aswell, you’d hardly be pulling any power from the batteries anyway
There’s still a lot of older tackle in use though.
I just had a quick count up round my old tub and there’s around 20 bulbs lit when sidelights
are switched on. It does not have a “park” facility.
Planning ahead is fine if you tramp up and down the same bits of road every day but if you don’t know where you are heading next it isn’t an option. How long before this spreads across the country. At a guess I would say most drivers here who say don’t park in laybys don’t do general tramping work, If I drove for a supermarket or similar planning would be a bit easier. On a different subject does anyone know if there is a spare wire in the auxillary suzie? If so it would be easy enough to fit a set of led parking lights.
About ten years ago I was parked up in a layby with no island on the a38 not far out of Plymouth. I always tried to avoid laybys like this but I was bang on my hours and I didn’t know the area well enough to go off-piste looking for better places. I’d been in to Ginster’s Callington and there was delays on this paticular stretch on the way down from some accident or other, tho I don’t recall seeing anything except queues. Anyway about halfway through the night I got woken by two coppers knocking on the door saying I had to put my lights on if I wanted to stay here - IIRC their preferred option was to move me but the fact that I was way into my rest swayed them. I think they said it was legal requirement anyway, but they told me that the accident that delayed me earlier was in this layby and involved a car ploughing into a parked camper, in daylight. I seem to recall it being a fatal - they still seemed a bit affected by it so it must’ve been serious.
I did as I was told, put the sidelights on and went back to sleep (partly grateful they didn’t find the contents of the case of rejected chicken I’d dumped in the hedge - not proud of myself but the local foxes ate like kings that week…).
By the time I was up in the morning, 4-6 hours later probably, the sidelights and markers (and my small cab fridge) had drained enough power from the batteries to prevent the wagon starting and a callout was required - it was an ECX ERF with a fairly modern fridge trailer behind it, which I’d say probably had LED side markers rather than bulbs. Maybe I was unlucky in battery condition etc, but I was even more wary of parking in such places after that and paranoid about leaving lights on for any length of time with ignition off.
MR VAIN:
Saaamon:
euromat:
so just out of interest after reading through this thread why is it the orwell crossings fault suffolk and norfolk police are clamping down,Because their business is struggling and are blaming it on people parking in laybys instead of the truckstop, theres an article in truck and driver…
Yeah, yr definitely a NUMPTY!!!
As if the police are going to make a fuss because of a news report? You’ll be saying next that the owners of Orwell went to parliment and had regulation 24 introduced ?
As for parking in lay bys, it’s drivers choice. Never parked on the side of a major trunk route thru choice, always managed to plan ahead.
Did you actually bother to read the article?
MR VAIN:
Saaamon:
euromat:
so just out of interest after reading through this thread why is it the orwell crossings fault suffolk and norfolk police are clamping down,Because their business is struggling and are blaming it on people parking in laybys instead of the truckstop, theres an article in truck and driver…
Yeah, yr definitely a NUMPTY!!!
As if the police are going to make a fuss because of a news report? You’ll be saying next that the owners of Orwell went to parliment and had regulation 24 introduced ?
.
Ouch thats a bit harsh Rob. You are probably right to say that the Police wont be influenced by a magazine article, but heavy lobbying to the Chief Constable, or one off his subordinants by a prominent local business man, or his elected reprsentatives, would possibly have an effect. That effect would be to make the police reveiw the situation and see that there is legislation in place, which is being flouted by drivers parking illegaly by way off not correctly lighting their vehicles for the duration.
MR VAIN:
As for parking in lay bys, it’s drivers choice. Never parked on the side of a major trunk route thru choice, always managed to plan ahead.
And we would all say Amen to that, but as you know it just dont allways work that way.
I would say the orwell have a “Special” relationship with the police, everytime I was there at night, so was mr plod having his free coffee
A word in the ears every now and again?
trubster:
I would say the orwell have a “Special” relationship with the police, everytime I was there at night, so was mr plod having his free coffeeA word in the ears every now and again?
Can’t see it.
This isnt going to be just a Norfolk/Suffolk problem, it is going to be a UK problem in the not to distant future.
So I would say its also going to be a problem for the haulage bosses to sort out, not us!
weeto:
This isnt going to be just a Norfolk/Suffolk problem, it is going to be a UK problem in the not to distant future.
So I would say its also going to be a problem for the haulage bosses to sort out, not us!
It’ll be interesting to see if you are right. (Of course you are right in what you say, but lets see if it follows on)
weeto:
This isnt going to be just a Norfolk/Suffolk problem, it is going to be a UK problem in the not to distant future.
So I would say its also going to be a problem for the haulage bosses to sort out, not us!
Yep, reckon you onto something there mate,
MR VAIN:
trubster:
I would say the orwell have a “Special” relationship with the police, everytime I was there at night, so was mr plod having his free coffeeA word in the ears every now and again?
Can’t see it.
Agree with you on that Rob, this is from alot higher up the Plod food chain
eddie snax:
Police wont be influenced by a magazine article, but heavy lobbying to the Chief Constable, or one off his subordinants by a prominent local business man, or his elected reprsentatives, would possibly have an effect. That effect would be to make the police reveiw the situation and see that there is legislation in place, which is being flouted by drivers parking illegaly by way off not correctly lighting their vehicles for the duration…
As I wrote earlier
The lighting legislation says you can park lights off in a coned off area ie road works.
Would I be correct in assuming if I cone my vehicle off I don’t need the lights on. So I checked Screwfix web site and £30 gets me 5 cones. Job done.