Pendragon:
The law is very clear that HGV’s are not allowed to use the right hand lane of any carriageway of 3 or more lanes, except in exceptional circumstances.
Motorway, not carriageway. You can use the outside lane of a 3 or more lane sindge or dual carriageway unless signs indicate otherwise.
The roadworks do not change the fact it’s still a 3 lane motorway and you are not allowed to use the outside lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.
Unless the signs say “any vehicle” , because any vehicle means what it says.
del949:
The roadworks do not change the fact it’s still a 3 lane motorway and you are not allowed to use the outside lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.
Unless the signs say “any vehicle” , because any vehicle means what it says.
Those signs are not usually placed when the three lanes have just shifted over for roadworks. They tend to be where the three lanes split direction, lane 1 becoming an exit and lanes 2 and 3 continuing for example. At that point it’s no longer a three lane motorway, as at the bottom of the M6 at the M1 for example.
I wouldn’t argue with that Coffee, but not having been down the M1 through the roadworks, I was led to understand from the earlier posts that these signs were in fact there.
If there are no such signs, then I would agree that the 3rd lane is a no-no.
I don’t see that being in road works alters the normal rules.
The Highway Code states quite clearly that:
" the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes MUST NOT (and that means it’s a legal requirement, failure to observe commits a criminal offence) be used, other than in prescribed circumstances, if you are driving a goods vehicle with a max. laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes."
As I only use the M1 below Sheffield when absolutely necessary, I have no idea what the signs state, but if they state that all lanes through the roadworks can be used by “any vehicle”, presumably that has been “prescribed” by the powers-that-be and means what it says??
If “normal” motorway rules applied through the roadworks, surely the signs should indicate as such by weight/width limits, as in the M1 round the Field of Wake?
I thought that fifty was a MAXIMUM limit and not a COMPULSORY one? 
If the vehicle in front is doing 40 or 45 then so what, just ease the pedal from the metal and jingle along happily at a suitable distance and, as I see regularly on that stretch, stop trying to clamber into the back seat of it. Chill out, lower your blood pressure and heart rate and enjoy the longer lifespan you will gain. 
Pete.
del949:
Unless the signs say “any vehicle” , because any vehicle means what it says.
In this case “any vehicle” DOES NOT mean “any vehicle”. It means any vehicle less than 7.5 tonnes
So when the original application was made to the secretary of state to carry out the roadworks on the motorway, were the motorway regulations suspended to allow the roadworks to be carried out? Is the roadworks section still classified as ‘motorway’?
Wildy:
So when the original application was made to the secretary of state to carry out the roadworks on the motorway, were the motorway regulations suspended to allow the roadworks to be carried out? Is the roadworks section still classified as ‘motorway’?
Is there an ‘End of Motorway Regulations’ sign like those at the entrance to a service area indicating temporary suspension of motorway regulation at roadworks? If there isn’t, and I’ve never seen one in that situation, then motorway regulations still apply.
Wildy:
So when the original application was made to the secretary of state to carry out the roadworks on the motorway, were the motorway regulations suspended to allow the roadworks to be carried out? Is the roadworks section still classified as ‘motorway’?
A sure fire way to find out would be to go for a leisurely stroll or cycle through that section!
del949 wrote:
Unless the signs say “any vehicle” , because any vehicle means what it says.
In this case “any vehicle” DOES NOT mean “any vehicle”. It means any vehicle less than 7.5 tonnes
[/quote]where did you find this ? If the sign didn’t intend for certain vehicles to use the lane , it wouldn’t say “ANY” vehicle, it would say “any vehicle except ETC”.
Signs such as this exist on weak bridges for example, “12 tons except for buses”
Vehicles over 7.5t are not allowed in the outside lane of a motorway. However, it’s entirely possible for a vehicle to be less than 7.5t but over 6 foot 6 wide. In most roadworks the lanes are narrower so a width restriction applies to the outside lane. This does not affect the weight restriction.
del949:
del949 wrote:
Unless the signs say “any vehicle” , because any vehicle means what it says.
In this case “any vehicle” DOES NOT mean “any vehicle”. It means any vehicle less than 7.5 tonnes
[/quote]where did you find this ? If the sign didn’t intend for certain vehicles to use the lane , it wouldn’t say “ANY” vehicle, it would say “any vehicle except ETC”.
Signs such as this exist on weak bridges for example, “12 tons except for buses”Didn’t find it anywhere, just seems pretty bloody obvious to me.
In this case the law overrides the sign, if sign said any vehicle including HGV’s then the sign would override the law.
it seems equally obvious to me that the sign means what it says “any vehicle”.
I had this argument with a driver the other week,when he said you could so ended up phoning a mate who is a local plod. He had a word with a traffic cop the result was the roadworks are still under motorway regulations so lane 3 is a no no ha also said if he saw anyone in lane 3 he would not go lightly on them because anyone with any intelligence should realise you can’t use lane 3
del949:
it seems equally obvious to me that the sign means what it says “any vehicle”.
Fair enough, if that’s your opinion then you keep thinking that. I’ll stick to lanes 1 & 2
I’ll use all three…but there again I am not in hgv nowadays!
del949:
it seems equally obvious to me that the sign means what it says “any vehicle”.
Del. why don’t you use the outer lane at every opportunity to pass slower vehicles when driving a truck and you are on a motorway with more than two lanes? You don’t because you know motorway regulations don’t allow it, along with walking, cycling, parking, reversing, making a u-turn etc. Unless there is one of those ‘End of Motorway Regulations’ signs then those regulations still apply. You have those at the entrance to service areas, that the only way out of is back onto the motorway, to temporarily suspend the regulations for that area or you wouldn’t be able to park, get out of the vehicle, reverse out of a space and so on. You don’t see that sign, or the end of motorway one then the usual rules apply.
The any vehicle signs only refer to the width, the reason it doesn’t say except vehicles over 3.5 ton, is because it should be bloody obvious to anyone who knows their job 
What amazes me is how little value people put on their vocational licences these days, and for what?, making a minute if that.