I’ve been meaning for a while now to spend a few mins calculating the losses of backing off 1-2 clicks versus a truck travelling 1-2 clicks faster just waiting patiently behind, and it’s unanimous - it’s ALWAYS more efficient, as a whole, to back off a let the other guy overtake and thus keep things moving.
This is also in response to the thread regarding closing lane 2 to HGVs on the M11.
I personally think a rule keeping HGVs to lane 1 is ridiculous - a better rule would be that any vehicle (HGVs AND cars) being overtaken on a two lane road has a responsibility to ensure the speed difference between the vehicles is at least 2 mph.
If a truck is stuck behind another truck doing 1 mph slower, over the course of 30 miles the faster truck will be held up by 35 seconds. However, if the slower truck slows down by just 1 MPH for the duration of the overtake, the slower truck will lose just HALF A SECOND over the course of 30 miles. So unless the truck travelling 55 mph is overtaken by more than about 70 trucks doing 56 mph over the course of 30 miles (VERY unlikely), it always makes sense for the slower truck to back of by just 1 mph to help the overtake.
while I agree it would be good if people did back off to reduce elephant racing and reduce chance of accidents. If over 30 miles the difference is 35 seconds is there much point in overtakingn in the first place?
The trouble is if you have a line of hgvs following you and you back off a little then they’ll pull out because you’re slowing down so I’ll only knock it down a notch or two if there’s nothing behind me.
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
Aurri:
while I agree it would be good if people did back off to reduce elephant racing and reduce chance of accidents. If over 30 miles the difference is 35 seconds is there much point in overtakingn in the first place?
Multiply that over 2k km and 10hrs driving and overtaking slower trucks will always gain time. Doing short distance runs in the UK though where traffic congestion a major problem probably very little gains to make…
What I do is if a truck is overtaking me, and I am on the limiter (max 53 so they are normally a couple of clicks faster than me) is just knock it off when the back of his trailer is level with me,…( it also tends to counteract the ■■■■ arse wipes who just cut in on you as it works out)…don’t give a ■■■■ if they ignore a flash or stay out, I still do it anyway.
What is the ■■■■ point of keeping somebody out for whatever reason, and more so, if it is just to prove a point that they should not have attempted it in the first place, by keeping them out, it just makes you as crap a driver as them.
bald bloke:
The trouble is if you have a line of hgvs following you and you back off a little then they’ll pull out because you’re slowing down so I’ll only knock it down a notch or two if there’s nothing behind me.
Yeah this one is a pain, but in saying that, even if there’s 3 trucks, I’ll still back off a couple of clicks and let them all past IF (because I’ll have been checking my mirrors ) they are gaining on me when I’m still on the limiter.
The thing is, backing off AT ALL is always going to cost you time, and some people just can’t stand the thought of it, whether it’s because it’s a knock to their masculinity or whatever. But this is more about getting the system as a whole to work better.
Another random calculation (OK, OK, I’m in a nerdy mood today!)… Take a 5 minute elephant race in rush hour, for example. Let’s me optimistic and say by the end of said race, 20 cars are waiting to overtake. 5 minute race has covered 4.67 miles that 20 cars have spent at 56 instead of 70 mph. That equates to every car losing one minute, so a total loss of 20 ‘man minutes’, probably more by the time they’ve concertina’d’ off after the first few have slowed to give the coffee beans to the truck drivers etc.
It doesn’t sound like a lot really, but bearing in mind the average numbskull leaving a truck stranded in the outside lane will have given no thought whatsoever to this (and probably would lack any vision outside of their own little bubble anyway), how many wasted hours a day are they causing by their actions?
Using almost my full IQ and factoring speed differentials, hidden factors like the traffic your holding up elephant racing vs unknown slower traffic ahead I have concluded that the speed at which overtakes are helpful is when the vehicle ahead is 2mph slower.
Now as I tootle along at 52 with 54.5 available using gradients and forward planning allow seamless overtakes.
In fact I’m so relaxed that even external factors like where should I take my break are calculated well in advance.
I’m not even considering fate and destiny where your arrival time is predetermined and out of your hands.
One can make themselves time rich by just relaxing and realising in the scheme of things it doesn’t matter.
if a truck can catch up to me, then it is obviously faster… then if it wants to overtake and is struggling, it is so easy just to knock it back a couple of mph for a few seconds… no drama… and I am paid by the hour so I earn an extra tuppence…
OVLOV JAY:
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
How about 3 points to the overtaking driver if he cant complete the move in under 2 minutes ? I know if i.m catching someone really slowly i.ll just knock it off 1 or 2 and wait for a big hill so i can use the weight to get past , i think sometimes theres too much blame put on the person being overtaken rather than the one who decides to pull out and have and go
Then there’s the duty to overtake a slower vehicle because if you don’t then when the next vehicle behind ends up overtaking he or she finds they have 2 vehicles to pass thus delaying faster traffic for longer bunching vehicles up when there’s no need.
I usually just hang back 1/4 mile as I do like me space.
OVLOV JAY:
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
How about 3 points to the overtaking driver if he cant complete the move in under 2 minutes ? I know if i.m catching someone really slowly i.ll just knock it off 1 or 2 and wait for a big hill so i can use the weight to get past , i think sometimes theres too much blame put on the person being overtaken rather than the one who decides to pull out and have and go
The rule in the Highway Code says maintain your speed while being overtaken, so no yoyo with the pedal when a couple of clicks below the limiter, but the same rule says drop off if necessary to help the overtaking vehicle, as you should never hold up an overtaking vehicle. The onus is placed on the vehicle being overtaken to slow down.
But I don’t give a toss about 3 lane roads or if it’s a car overtaking. Just measures to stop elephant racing on two lane roads which is the reason we have so many overtaking bans. If we’re not careful, it’ll go like the continent and be a blanket ban on overtaking everywhere
I always drop back and after seeing 4 trucks last week. 3 of which in the back of each other from the first is a good reason to stay far back so you can brake.
I hate people who are up my arse as well so I’ll slow down till they overtake me. I really can’t be arsed to have some impatient ■■■■ kill himself and make my day longer then it needs to be.
Shouldn’t have to even be having a debate, its common courtesy to work together and help one another out when we can, what type of moron does this job nowadays.
OVLOV JAY:
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
Seeing as I do 57mph this doesn’t really apply to me. Beep beep coming though
OVLOV JAY:
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
Seeing as I do 57mph this doesn’t really apply to me. Beep beep coming though
OVLOV JAY:
I personally think it should be 3 points if you hold another truck out, as should tailgating. These two are the most prevalent type of bad driving amongst hgv’s and should be stamped out
Seeing as I do 57mph this doesn’t really apply to me. Beep beep coming though
The tailgating might though
Never. Why would i want to end up like…
I leave that kind of driving to fat idiots like ribroy.
) they are gaining on me when I’m still on the limiter.
