Dieseldoforme:
What is the stopping distance for a 44 Tonne artic travelling at
56 mph on straight, level ground in dry weather ?
How would the above differ when travelling at 40 mph ?
What are the stopping distances for an empty artic of
18 Tonnes when travelling at 56 mph and 40 mph ?
The above questions were asked by a Magistrate in a recent Court case.
The Driver didn’t have a clue.
Quite simply there is no correct answer which is why there are no figures stated anywhere in the Highway Code as there are for cars.
The safe stopping distance depends entirely on the type of load and whether or not the unit and the trailer have ABS and EBD. A liquid load will take a longer safe stopping distance than a solid one and the safe stopping distances with something like steel plate on a flatbed are going to be longer than a trailer loaded headboard back with palleted paper.
Harry Monk:
Th Highway Code still uses car stopping distances based on tests carried out in the 1960’s using a drum-braked Ford Anglia for some reason.
Good point, I believe the reason for this is the weight difference, I remember driving my Capri onto a weighbridge it showed 760 Kilos, the handbook of a more recent similar sized car says 1100 kilos.
When I say “similar size” when you see say an old ■■■■■■ or cars from that era they look tiny, I would have thought much bigger tyres better brakes and suspension would pull you up quicker despite the weight difference.
It was a case in Chesterfield Magistrates a few weeks ago.
There is no link - I was in the public gallery giving moral support
to a friend on a separate matter.
Basically, the HGV Driver had gone through a pelican crossing on red.
There was no collision but he was caught on camera.
His defence was that he had braked but, fearing a jacknife, he eased off
the brakes when he established that there was no danger in doing so.
He was then asked various questions about HGV stopping distances but was
unable to give any clear answer.
The hearing was then adjourned and I don’t know the outcome.
Unless the roads was covered in snow and ice, or he was driving a truck old enough to not have ABS fitted, I think him using the defence “I was scared I would jackknife”, is a pretty lame excuse for jumping a red light, and deserves to face a royal shafting just for being an idiot!
Dieseldoforme:
Trouble is, you leave a decent gap and some *rick thinks you’ve left it for them.
Not all the time so in the odd times that happens just ease off or brake if way too close
I think it occurs more frequently as traffic volumes increase year on year.
I tend to just ease back 1 or 2 km on the cruise control and it
usually does the trick.
However, I would hate to be prosecuted for dangerous driving due to
driving too close if the gap in front had just been reduced by someone
jumping into the gap from a slip road etc.
Harry Monk:
Th Highway Code still uses car stopping distances based on tests carried out in the 1960’s using a drum-braked Ford Anglia for some reason.
Probably because so many veterans from the sixties still drives like in the sixties…
