Nice Overtake ( Not )

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Meaoooow!

I'm not an HGV driver, please enlighten me as to why they do it?

Also, on the subject of silly overtakes, if you can enlighten me as to why they bother to take 3 minutes overtaking another truck after they've pulled out? Instead of just sitting behind it? I'd love to understand that one too.

Lets say they have to gain 40 metres to overtake a 16.5 metre truck, and they take 3 minutes to do it. They are gaining on the other truck by 0.22 metres per second, or about 1/2 of a mph. So if they both drive for 2 hours the truck will be 1 mile further ahead than the other truck, or at a steady 56mph, a smidgen over 1 minute ahead (after 2 hours of driving remember!). If the overtaking truck gets caught at traffic lights, or spends one minute longer on his tea break, the other truck catches up and the overtake was a complete waste of time, achieving nothing other than 3 minutes of congestion.

Why?

Originally Posted by Ed

Oh I'm over it, I laughed as soon as I saw your pointless clever-clever post. You know, the one that is entirely self-serving.

When I reread Ralph's post, it's clear that he saw a post about HGVs and was simply raising an issue which bothered him, and wasn't having a go at the OP. So my comment is unjustified.

Sorry Ralph

Surely if the vehicle being overtaken has his indicator on it is being a bit foolhardy to continue your overtake -----They may be pulling out for an obstruction and I don't know of a law that says the overtaking vehicle has priority ,completely the contrary,only overtake when safe to do so is my interpretation of the law.

Then again I could be wrong

Originally Posted by Ed

When I reread Ralph's post, it's clear that he saw a post about HGVs and was simply raising an issue which bothered him, and wasn't having a go at the OP. So my comment is unjustified.

Sorry Ralph

Cheers Ed. I was kind of having a dig at the OP, hence the 'miaow' and a bit or sarcasm, but that was because of the "If you had any skills as a truck driver" comment. I thought that was a wee bit handbags at dawn towards suzukigt380paul.

I wasn't having a go at HGV drivers because I thought the OP was having a go at bikers. Being about as tuned into subtlety as a German engineer, I completely missed any of that tosh going on. I WAS just raising the point about elephant racing.

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

Surely if the vehicle being overtaken has his indicator on it is being a bit foolhardy to continue your overtake -----They may be pulling out for an obstruction and I don't know of a law that says the overtaking vehicle has priority ,completely the contrary,only overtake when safe to do so is my interpretation of the law.

Then again I could be wrong

Maybe not law, but certainly highway code, when on a multi lane road, it's not seen the same way as a single lane overtake.

133

If you need to change lane, first use your mirrors and if necessary take a quick sideways glance to make sure you will not force another road user to change course or speed. When it is safe to do so, signal to indicate your intentions to other road users and when clear, move over.

So basically if pulling out will cause the driver approaching from behind to brake, you should be waiting until he has past, and the road behind has a clear slot for you to pull into. He effectively 'has priority' and if you pull out and he can't stop in time and hits you (very unlikely), the insurance companies and the courts if prosecuting DWDC, would not find in your favour.

[Red Herring]

The Highway code is a wonderful publication, full of lots of useful advice. For example:

167
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example
approaching or at a road junction on either side of the road
where the road narrows
when approaching a school crossing patrol
between the kerb and a bus or tram when it is at a stop
where traffic is queuing at junctions or road works
when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down
at a level crossing
when a road user is indicating right, even if you believe the signal should have been cancelled. Do not take a risk; wait for the signal to be cancelled
stay behind if you are following a cyclist approaching a roundabout or junction, and you intend to turn left

It also says:

144
You MUST NOT
drive dangerously
drive without due care and attention
drive without reasonable consideration for other road users

Like I said, a great book, but mostly common sense.

It also needs common sense applied when reading it. 167 is out of the 'Overtaking' section and mentions nothing about multi lane roads, and none of the illustrations in that section show a multi-lane road. It is clear that that section is intended to deal with a different kind of overtake.

The layman like me or Mac could argue all day long about what a certain bit says of means, but all that matters is what precedents have been set when that section has in the past had to be interpreted in court.

[mikerj]

Originally Posted by Ed

+1

This debate is unedifying, stupid point scoring for the sake of being clever.

I think everyone knows where 'nowhere' is. It means that you checked your mirror a few seconds before and there was nothing there. In my admittedly limited experience of criminal law, it does not make people unreliable witnesses as magistrates courts do understand.

I believe that the OP makes an excellent point. And as Stuuk1 says - why ruin it?

So because you think the OP makes an excellent point, everyone else should immediately share your view? That does tend to defeat the purpose of an argument, and surely the OP didn't post on here just to get several pages of "yes men" agreeing with him?

bringing us back to the problem,a car doing 110kph 100-150 mts behind the truck which is limited to 85kph is inevidently going to have to slow down to some degree while the truck completes the overtake.
Let me make my position clear as a LGV driver,if the third lane on the motorway is clear and the car can move over I will signal and pull out providing the other driver has time to move over, On a two carriage way road this is not always possible and if the vehicle I am overtaking is doing 5kph less than me by the time I pull out,pass and pull back in it may seem a long time to the other road user,but he has the capability to increase his speed by 10kph for a short period of the overtake to make up the lost time.
I think this whole discussion is all to do with patience and tolerance of other road users and a lot of the points being put forward are very blinkered.I drive trucks,cars and ride a bike all the time and have to contend with the same scenarios as everybody else but a bit of allowance for somebody who has no option because they are working makes YOU the better driver
I admit that we have good and bad drivers in all modes of transport,
as there are nice and not so nice people in the other walks of life so reflect on the others persons view sometimes

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

bringing us back to the problem,a car doing 110kph 100-150 mts behind the truck which is limited to 85kph is inevidently going to have to slow down to some degree while the truck completes the overtake.
Let me make my position clear as a LGV driver,if the third lane on the motorway is clear and the car can move over I will signal and pull out providing the other driver has time to move over, On a two carriage way road this is not always possible and if the vehicle I am overtaking is doing 5kph less than me by the time I pull out,pass and pull back in it may seem a long time to the other road user,but he has the capability to increase his speed by 10kph for a short period of the overtake to make up the lost time.
I think this whole discussion is all to do with patience and tolerance of other road users and a lot of the points being put forward are very blinkered.I drive trucks,cars and ride a bike all the time and have to contend with the same scenarios as everybody else but a bit of allowance for somebody who has no option because they are working makes YOU the better driver
I admit that we have good and bad drivers in all modes of transport,
as there are nice and not so nice people in the other walks of life so reflect on the others persons view sometimes

+1000

That right there, is all that's needed. A bit of consideration for how what you are doing affects other road users.

So let me get this straight...

I'd comment on the OP but he's prob too busy smashing his skull against a wall to hear me.