Lorries with a hexagon logo livery

[heimlaga]

I also have a small old car with the sort of capabilities that you usually find on an early 80-ies cheap small car with the smallest motor available. 35 years of use and 320000 kilometres on the clock and a partially home built cooling system hasn't done much to improve it. Due to financial reasons I remove the studs from old winter tyres and wear them out as summer tyres.
In all...... I like to live and therefore I drive rather slowly and carefully on curvy roads or after dark or when the road is wet or icy. Anything else would be suicidal.
When I tow a trailer the speed isn't very high going uphill. Anything else is physically impossible. Even without a trailer the economical top speed is 80 kilometres an hour in fouth gear. Anything higher makes the motor guzzle petrol like mad and on warm days there is also the risk of the cooling system collapsing and the soft winter tyres getting slippery on hot asphalt pavement.

Therefore I often have other drivers honking or shoving the finger or sometimes even shouting threats at me.
It is just a fact of life that there are people who believe that the numbers on the road signs is the lowest allowed speed whatever the conditions are. Their new cars with ABS brakes and all sorts of electronics to keep them on the road usually protect them from their own foolishness. However it is not unusual to see them in single accidents in winter. Where the airbags save their lives.......
Money can sometimes replace common sence.......

 

[Lons]

The HGV driver was bang out of order and driving in a dangerous and aggressive manner he was therefore committing a crime! Unfortunately not an uncommon experience though car, van and motorcycle drivers do it too but tailgating is an offence whoever does it.

Can you do much about it Steve? - Not really without video evidence or at very least a reg plate and witnesses.

Apart from our cars I regularly drive our large motorhome and usually do a steady 60 - 65mph on motorways but am regularly passed by huge HGVs especially on downslopes then catch them up when they hit a gradiant and drop to 50 ish or less but some of the bu**ers then pull out immediately in front of you to overtake another lorry, sit there for a mile and pull back in 'cos they can't make it!
Not a lot you can do on a 2 lane motorway except swear a lot which then gets the missus upset. #-o

Can I make a suggestion Steve, tell your friend to fit a dashcam, preferably front and rear cameras, I've fitted to all our cars and they're half decent at around £150 a set hard wired which I fitted myself but you can get them a lot cheaper. Worthwhile in case of an accident or situation such as yours as the police would follow up video which gives all details.

My wifes car was recently hit by a motorcyclist who came out of a T junction without looking, were it not that she managed to take avoiding action he could well have died rather than break a few bones in his foot. He admitted liability to the police and there happened to be an expert witness, a motorcycle training assessor who saw the whole thing but later he denied laibility and I'm still waiting to get our repair excess back from his insurance company which of course I will. She didn't have the camera then and had there been no witness it would have cost us the £150 excess and loss of no claims discount so buying cameras is a no brainer IMHO.

Bob

 

[MikeG.]

......... if you are unable to travel at a speed in excess of a wagon then you are causing a danger being on a main road especially at night..........

Causing danger to lorry drivers who can't be bothered watching the road ahead, you mean? This is shameless victim-blaming, and should have no place in an intelligent conversation.

 

[Hlsmith]

......... if you are unable to travel at a speed in excess of a wagon then you are causing a danger being on a main road especially at night..........

Causing danger to lorry drivers who can't be bothered watching the road ahead, you mean? This is shameless victim-blaming, and should have no place in an intelligent conversation.

I'm not victim blaming I was pointing out that they are putting themselves in a dangerous position
If you don't spend a lot of time near roads you won't realise just how dangerous


Yes the driver was out of order I never said anything otherwise
But it's a completely different topic that driving slowly on the motorway is dangerous it won't be the lorry driver be he in the right or the wrong leaving the scene in an ambulance

If you don't believe watch the millions of hours of dash cam footage on YouTube of lorry's piling into the back of cars

You make it sound like I am on the lorry drivers side which I am not I know full well they loose concentration get, distracted and a million other things and they do it far more often than most people realise hence why it's self preservation to travel faster than them

Also above its mentioned that they travel faster down hill but this is increasingly uncommon many lorry's are set up so the engine brakes engage on down hill runs so the driver can't speed and it is recorded on there tacho that they have been speeding
There are ways round this from even more dangerous lorry drivers so if they are traveling faster than 56 I would find it even more important to get out there way and not be part of there accident

 

[Lons]

Also above its mentioned that they travel faster down hill but this is increasingly uncommon many lorry's are set up so the engine brakes engage on down hill runs so the driver can't speed and it is recorded on there tacho that they have been speeding
There are ways round this from even more dangerous lorry drivers so if they are traveling faster than 56 I would find it even more important to get out there way and not be part of there accident

I agree with you but from my personal experience there are a lot of lorries doing more than 60mph.
Different matter if you're in a car and can keep out of the way which I always try to do but not so easy when I'm driving a motorhome. It's pretty intimidating being sandwiched between HGVs and the one behind you is always right up your backside.

I'm a very experienced and confident driver btw, not everyone is so I can completely sympathise with Steves friend. Might be unwise to drive a car at 50 - 60 but she was driving within the law was she not.

 

[Noel]

Does anyone know what firm has a hexagon logo as their livery? Several hexagons, like a beehive?

Last night I was being driven by a friend up the M1, when a lorry got as close behind us as he could, sounded his horn, turned on his main beam and generally intimidated her. We were leaving at J28, as did he (I'm assuming it was a He). He headed off down the A38 towards Derby.

I can only assume that he was upset that she was doing 60 instead of 70. It is a small, old, car, it was dark and we were about to leave at the exit. It was totally uncalled for and it really upset her.

I didn't have my eyes in, so I didn't see the name, but I did see the livery. If it rings a bell with anyone, I'd be really grateful. I'd certainly know it again if I saw it.

Sounds like ILG Logistics Steve perhaps:

Initially thought DPD but they only have the single hexagon

 

[jeremyduncombe]

The highway code has nothing to with it sitting in a lorry at night and all of a sudden being on top of a car is dangerous no two ways about it
In the dark the problem is worsened as your sense of perception is skewed
And Sitting on a fairly empty motorway at night with nothing to look at can lead to two problems
Firstly drivers can become blind to things changing, there is a term for this as fighter pilots experience it
The second problem that occurs is target fixation where you see an object and concentrate on it so hard you steer into, it's why people can crash into the only tree on an empty stretch of road

I was mearly pointing out that it is actually very dangerous to travel slower than lorrys are and trying to educate you for the future

What a strange point you are making. There is no obligation on any driver to keep up with faster traffic, the onus is on the faster vehicle to drive safely and appropriately. And by the way, the motorway speed limit for lorries over 7.5 tonnes is 60 mph not 56.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Many years ago I was driving from Italy into France on a Saturday afternoon, in a big, slow Leyland DAF Luton van. Heading uphill into the Alps, top speed was about 35 mph- not my fault - blame Leyland! There was /is a two lane carriageway, but it is forbidden for trucks to use the outside lane. I built up huge queues of trucks, but I would pull over wherever possible, because I am a nice guy. However, France had a no trucks on a Sunday rule, which meant that these guys were desparate to get where they wanted to be before the embargo, and were less than appreciative of my "Es-car- go". One guy finally found a place where he was allowed to overtake, and tried to side-swipe us with his trailer - more making a point than actually trying to kill us, I hope, but he damn near jacknifed his load by playing silly beggers.

Not all truck drivers are rational, and they get stressed, and quite often they come from countries a long way from the UK, with rules that are more "advisory" than required. Personally, I would let it go.

(We know a song about that, don't we, Simon?)

Edit: it could have been worse! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ALQo158X1E

 

[Hlsmith]

The highway code has nothing to with it sitting in a lorry at night and all of a sudden being on top of a car is dangerous no two ways about it
In the dark the problem is worsened as your sense of perception is skewed
And Sitting on a fairly empty motorway at night with nothing to look at can lead to two problems
Firstly drivers can become blind to things changing, there is a term for this as fighter pilots experience it
The second problem that occurs is target fixation where you see an object and concentrate on it so hard you steer into, it's why people can crash into the only tree on an empty stretch of road

I was mearly pointing out that it is actually very dangerous to travel slower than lorrys are and trying to educate you for the future

What a strange point you are making. There is no obligation on any driver to keep up with faster traffic, the onus is on the faster vehicle to drive safely and appropriately. And by the way, the motorway speed limit for lorries over 7.5 tonnes is 60 mph not 56.

I don't think it's a strange point I honestly believe there is a lack of self preservation when it comes to driving in the UK
There many thousand of things that are perfectly within your right to do but doesn't mean they aren't dangerous
I see people every day complete unaware of the dangers they are putting themselves in on the roads because it is there right to do so.


Driving a motor home is slightly different the higher and wider lights make it easier to judge speed and distance especially at night a small car is very vulnerable and can be difficult to judge in some lighting positions

And lorrys are limited to 56mph modern lorrys have aswell as an engine governor the ability to operate the engine brake and Jake breaks if fitted you also get warnings on the dashboard over 60 it is recorded on the tacho and it is compulsory for the company to issue a written warning about overspreads to the driver
Although the severity of the warning is up to the company
This record is kept and can be viewed in the future if an accident occurs
and it's actually all commercial vehicles over 2.4 tonne unladen weight that 60 applies too

 

[Lons]

To be fair I don't normally drive the motorhome at night as I tow a little Skoda Citigo to use when on site. My vehicle is restricted to 60mph instead of 70 when towing as the Skoda is classed as a trailer and as I said I cruise at 60 - 65mph. I regularly am overtaken by HGVs travelling in excess of that speed so there must be a hell of a lot of warnings issued.
My neighbour is an HGV driver and I know how much pressure they're under so I'm just a little sceptical. :wink:

I have no axe to gring over lorry drivers btw, there are good and bad drivers everywhere.

 

[Lons]

and it's actually all commercial vehicles over 2.4 tonne unladen weight that 60 applies too

I think that's wrong. The gov website states vehicles under 7.5 t can travel at 70mph on motorways unless articulated or towing a trailer when they are restricted to 60mph on UK roads.

No mention whatsoever of 2.4 t though in the motorhome section it lists at 3.05 t

 

[rafezetter]

The highway code has nothing to with it sitting in a lorry at night and all of a sudden being on top of a car is dangerous no two ways about it
In the dark the problem is worsened as your sense of perception is skewed
And Sitting on a fairly empty motorway at night with nothing to look at can lead to two problems
Firstly drivers can become blind to things changing, there is a term for this as fighter pilots experience it
The second problem that occurs is target fixation where you see an object and concentrate on it so hard you steer into, it's why people can crash into the only tree on an empty stretch of road

I was mearly pointing out that it is actually very dangerous to travel slower than lorrys are and trying to educate you for the future

Have to strongly disagree - there's no "all of a sudden" in driving - at least not if you are properly paying attention, nighttime or otherwise.

If said lorry driver can't see far enough ahead to see red tail lights and that he is gaining on them, HE is the one that shouldn't be on the road.

Target fixation is also rare - and again usually only occurs when drivers are doing so with a "tunnel vision" mentality, which is dangerous and usually how bikes, cyclists and people crossing the road inapproprately get hit. As I passed my driving test only 3 years ago I can still clearly remember the advise of my instructor "DO NOT focus on a fixed point in front - i.e. the car or road - relax the eyes and allow them to take in less, but more of it" - in other words you can't read the numberplate in front, but you CAN see more of the periphery, and any changes thereof as human eyes are especially good at picking up movement. Target fixation also occurs more often when driving with tired eyes.

The correlation you make between truck drivers and fighter pilots is laughable - not even remotely the same circumstances - even around Heathrow, there are less potential hazards in the air than any UK road, even at night (not to mention the screaming in your ears of a traffic controller) - if a truck driver of more than a few weeks isn't aware or been told that this can occur and take steps to avoid it, then again - SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ROAD.

The remedy is simple - just stop staring blindly out of the glass in front of you - look inside the cab briefly but often, moving the point of focus of your eyes is enough to reset them.

Sounds to me like the truck driver was doing a lot more wrong than Steve's lady friend.

Yes professional drivers are under pressure but I'm pretty sure the company they work for would rather they were a little late and intact than not at all, or worse, kill another road user.

Also, stating that driving slower than a lorry is dangerous has a correlation - that the lorry driver WILL NOT SLOW DOWN OR BACK OFF.

So who's driving worse? Steve's friend or the truck driver with the mentality of "GTFOOMW* or I'll drive you off the road".

(*Get the ......... my way)

Trucks are not trains.

Steve's friend has equal right to be on the road as the truck, and trucks despite what they might think, have no legal dispensation to drive in an intimidating manner, and the fact you are trying to place the blame on Steve's friend or otherwise defend the truck leads me to think there's more behind your words than simply an onlookers viewpoint.

Oh and just in case you've forgotten, TRUCKS CAN ACTUALLY DRIVE SLOWER THAN 56** you know, and it really doesn't matter what reason he has for driving agressively, he was wrong and there's no defense of truck drivers you can make that changes that.

Enough said.

** unless he's in the SPEED re-boot.

PS just in case you're wondering why I've chimed in - I've had trucks right in my boot trying the same carp - but I won't be intimidated and have actually slowed down a little until they back off and get the message, because I'm bloody minded like that.

Yet another damn good reason to get a set of dashcams front and back.

 

[rafezetter]

You have an interesting point of view. I wish I could understand it.
This guy deliberately intimidated her when she was driving perfectly properly. I don't see how that can be justified.

I said in my first post his reaction was not justified yes he over reacted however I am trying to educate you of the problems you are causing and how it's dangerous
I work in traffic management zones on a daily basis and get to see allsorts and people simply don't realise how much of a dangerous position they put themselves in
Personally seeing what I've seen I will not be anywhere near an HGV on a main road Infront behind or to the side if I can possibly avoid it let alone be running slower than them

When you say "work in traffic management zones" under what pretext?

I'm still not seeing how her driving at a speed that is above the minimum, and at a speed that was SAFE FOR HER AND HER PASSENGER, but otherwise not breaking any highway code or law, how SHE was "causing problems".

Sorry but you're not educating anyone by telling us that truck drivers are A-holes, we all know this, but any driver doing as she did, doesn't and shouldn't have an automatically accepted correlation of "she should have know better and stayed out of the truck drivers way".

That rule only works for trains, tanks and the Queens Guard.

If you can't see that you are in essence giving truck drivers a free pass to do as they please without consequence, then you are just as much part of the problem, because that PROMOTES trucks drivers to tailgate.

"I'll tailgate him/her and they will GTFOOMW" again and again and again.

No I don't get out of the way of cars that tailgate me either, flashing lights or horns or whatever.

You've got this situation upside down, car drivers GET PUT into those "dangerous situations" by the actions of the TRUCK DRIVERS, not themselves.

If a person drives in a manner that's safe for them, the road conditions and that car's and drivers limitations, and all of the above is within accepted behaviour of the highway code, I don't give a damn about what the other guy want's me to do, imma driving MY WAY.

Like my instructor said "drive for you, not other people, let them crack on how they like, they aren't paying for your insurance".

I would suggest Steve report this to the Police and see if any camera caught anything.

 

[galleywood]

I don't understand the argument that the lady should be driving as fast (or faster?) than the lorry driver - why?
Also, is the carriageway of the M1, where it approaches J28, single lane? Why didn't the lorry driver overtake the car?

 

[Chris152]

I don't understand the argument that the lady should be driving as fast (or faster?) than the lorry driver - why?

I think Hlsmith is making a separate point, not really the issue in Steve's post - he's probably right that it's safer to keep speed up on the motorway as people not paying attention are more likely to go into the back of you. Ideally, you shouldn't have to go faster than trucks in order to be safe, but maybe statistically it's true?

But Steve's point - quite rightly - is that the driver of the lorry had absolutely no right to endanger his and his friend's lives by driving recklessly and aggressively.

 

[oobaa]

Try NFT


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lonsdale73]

Lorries are limited to 56 mph

First time in a long time I was on M1 the other day, up around Sheffield. I'm no boy racer and my car no hot hatch but, even so, I was maintaining a steady 70mph and still being overtaken by lorries. Not sure it's speed that is limited.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Try NFT

I think that might be Bingo. Thank you very much. It would make sense, too, as they have a distribution centre just a mile or two on.

I'd need to see the back end of a trailer to be sure, but I shall go over and see what I can see.

Thank you all for your contributions, whether I agree with them or not.

 

[MikeG.]

...........I don't think it's a strange point I honestly believe there is a lack of self preservation when it comes to driving in the UK.......

You might want to look up the statistics before you rely on your instinct or experience. The UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive. Telling people to drive faster than they are comfortable driving is a ridiculous and unsustainable argument, particularly when the stated reason (to keep out of the way of lorries which aren't driving with due care and attention) is shifting the onus from the law breaker to the law-abiding road user. You'll be telling all cyclists to get off the road next, using precisely the same argument.

 

[RogerS]

..... Telling people to drive faster than they are comfortable driving is a ridiculous and unsustainable argument, ....

If you extend your reasoning ad absurdum then a person driving their car along a busy A road at 20 mph, because that is the speed that they are comfortable at, is perfectly reasonable and acceptable.