I did about 400 miles on motorways on Saturday and the lane hogging is unbelievable now.
It is now perfectly normal to have 5 cars in a convoy cruising down the middle lane at say 75 with clear lanes either side of them.
Although still an offence under the Highway Code we now have de-facto multi-lane passing ala US and I for one no longer think twice about doing so.
This is not the only area where driving standards have fallen but it all in my mind has one cause.
Police forces used the introduction of speed cameras as an excuse to reduce/disband traffic patrols. Police on any road including motorways are now a rarer site than a rare thing (except for mobile speed traps of course). As a result its everyman for himself and whilst I have not seen any statistics it would not surprise me if really dnagerous stuff like drink-driving is on the increase as well.
I believe we are being softened up for 'road wardens' to replace police patrols but I guess they would have to be 'self funding', now how would they achieve that...
|
They should let trucks be limited to 70mph instead of 56mph, the inside lane has been next to useless since this EU rule was enforced.
How many places are there where you can move from lane 2 to 1, without catching up with a truck going at least 15mph slower? This doesn't happen to me, as I'm usually the fasted one on the motorway in whatever most leftward lane I can do it in, but you can see it happening to others, or when you're getting ready to exit the motorway.
We should be allowed to pass on either side.
The limit should be 70mph on truck's governers
|
|
Sooty, I can understand your call for a higher limit for trucks, but only until I think about the consequences of trying to stop 38 tonnes from that speed in an emergency.
|
|
|
>They should let trucks be limited to 70mph instead of 56mph, the inside lane has been next to useless since this EU rule was enforced.
And single carriageway A roads effectively have a 40mph limit.
|
>>They should let trucks be limited to 70mph instead of 56mph, the inside lane has been next to useless since this EU rule was enforced.
I think the national motorway limit for heavy lorries should be 60 mph, which is the current limit (despite most lorries having to be fitted with limiters set at 56 mph!).
Their national limit should also be 60 mph for other dual-carriageways instead of 50.
And on single-carriageways the LGV limit should be 50 mph instead of the anachronistic and rarely observed or enforced 40 mph.
As for cars - I'd raise the limit to 80 mph on motorways and dual-carriageways.
Single-carriageways - I'd stay with 60 mph, but with more use of 50 and 40 limits for sub-standard sections.
I would also introduce short 30 mph approach/departure zones around all roundabouts and sets of traffic lights outside
existing 30 areas.
Cheers, SS
|
|
|
|
|
>> Although still an offence under the Highway Code we now have de-facto multi-lane passing ala US and I for one no longer
think twice about doing so.
I think it's 3 points plus a fine for passing on the nearside? I agree though - sometimes it seems safer to continue in lane 1 at 70mph than have to pull into lane 3, go around the mobile roadblock and then pull back into lane 1. Trouble is, if one of the middle lane owners club suddenly wakes up and pulls back into lane 1 hitting you, you'd be up a certain creek without a certain instrument in the eyes of the law, insurance etc.
|
I am always "undertaking" middle lane hoggers, although I think I am write in saying that it's not an offence unless the undertaking involves a lane change which I never do since I tend to stick to lane 1 as much as I can..... willing to be corrected on that though....
In any case, surely a road-user is obliged to check mirrors whether changing lanes to the left or right and in the event of any accident, it would likly be viewed more as their fault than mine?
|
I am always "undertaking" middle lane hoggers, although I think I am write in saying that it's not an offence unless the undertaking involves a lane change which I never do since I tend to stick to lane 1 as much as I can..... willing to be corrected on that though.... In any case, surely a road-user is obliged to check mirrors whether changing lanes to the left or right and in the event of any accident, it would likly be viewed more as their fault than mine?
The Highway Code specifically states "do not overtake on the left" however in slow moving traffic with congested lanes that does rule does not apply. This has been discussed countless times in the Backroom and the clear consensus is that you cannot use that exemption to undertake the middle lane hogger doing 50 -60mph. - although not many would condemn you for doing so.
As for whose fault it would be! A headstone in Germany is engraved with the words(roughly translated) as "he died but he had the right of way."
|
No such thing as lane hogging in Thailand. All vehicles overtake both sides. You have to watch your mirrors like a hawk, or you will be D-MAXED. Happily, Thai drivers do not get offended or bear grudges, they merely get on with it. Most important lesson of all, flashed headlights are a warning and a warning only. The Thais have taught me that \'flashing other drivers out\' is hopelessly open to mininterpretation. There is no place for misplaced politeness. Horns are used as warnings, never as reprimands (as instructed by the UK Highway Code). Also, if you are at a junction or a U turn and put your hazards on it means you want to drive straight ahead. That makes perfect sense, too. As well as turning left through a red light. Why are the Brits such slaves to stupid rules that ignore common sense.
HJ
|
Bangkok has changed then - driving on the horns seemed to be the order of the day when I was working there - on the rare occasions when anything moved fast enough for it to matter.
>>Why are the Brits such slaves to stupid rules that ignore common sense.
Such as ?
|
When I go to Bangkok, I always make a point of visiting my friends who ride mopeds there...
IN HOSPITAL!
|
|
|
Such as:-
Not turning left on a red even when there is obviously no danger; staying behind another car even if it is obviously in the wrong lane and it would be safe to overtake; obeying speed limits on clear roads where 20mph faster is the obvious speed to go; using 'rules of evidence' to close motorways (strangling the country) for up to 24 hours after an accident because it is classed as a 'crime scene'; not adopting common sense practices such as using the hazards to indicate you are proceing straight ahead through a junction.
That said, Bangkok could be gridlocked for the next couple of years because major reconstruction work is taking place at most of the city's main junctions, starting next month. A real incentive to use the new subway system and the Skytrain instead of a car. But try telling that to a Bangkok car owner.
HJ
|
Not turning left on a red even when there is obviously no danger;
Obvious to whom ? We get fools unable to decide how to cross when they only have to choose between red and green, never mind making it even more subjective.
>>staying behind another car even if it is obviously in the
>>wrong lane and it would be safe to overtake;
We have motorways full of people who don't understand lanes. How do we differentiate between the ones causing the problem and the ones making the "obvious and safe" decision of when to overtake ?
obeying speed limits on clear roads where 20mph faster is the obvious speed to go;
Again, obvious to whom ? Firstly its not particularly stupid to obey a speed limit, even when the limit is wrong, because there could be a camera on it. And anyway, how do we differentiate between the person driving at 50mph who is safe at that speed and the person who shouldn't drive over the speed limit at all because they're not safe.
using 'rules of evidence' to close motorways
Dunno about that one.
>>not adopting common sense practices such as using the hazards to indicate you are proceing straight ahead through a junction.
And how would they denote a hazard ?
There are hugely more people killed on Bangkok roads than London roads. Perhaps, after all, they're not that good at working out "obviously" safe speeds and "obviously" safe places to overtake etc. etc.
|
|
By the way, what does "D-MAXED" mean ?
|
|
|
|
And why is more use not made of flashing amber (proceed with caution if safe to do so): can't remember the last time I saw it in operation, but it would clear an awful lot of congestion, especially on left turns at junctions.
|
|
|
No such thing as lane hogging in Thailand. All vehicles overtake both sides. You have to watch your mirrors like a hawk, or you will be D-MAXED. Happily, Thai drivers do not get offended or bear grudges, they merely get on with it. Most important lesson of all, flashed headlights are a warning and a warning only. The Thais have taught me that \'flashing other drivers out\' is hopelessly open to mininterpretation. There is no place for misplaced politeness. Horns are used as warnings, never as reprimands (as instructed by the UK Highway Code). Also, if you are at a junction or a U turn and put your hazards on it means you want to drive straight ahead. That makes perfect sense, too. As well as turning left through a red light. Why are the Brits such slaves to stupid rules that ignore common sense. HJ
HJ,
The difficulty is everyone has a different definition of "stupid rules that ignore common sense"
For all the common sense driving practices in Thailand that impress you, they still manage to kill over 4 times as many people in RTAs as we do in UK.
C
|
Fair point, Cardew, and I wondered why the official Thai road death toll is actually more like 5x the UK\'s for a similar size population. The reason is the way people are transported. Half the pick-ups you see have half a dozen people travelling in the pick-up beds, school buses and country buses are basic trucks with canopies, standing room only, for up to a hundred. Out in the country there are motorbike buses carrying up to eight. And three to a motorbike is very common. Only the driver is compelled to wear a helmet. So the reason is what would be a survivable accident in the UK could kill 20 Thais simply because of the way they travel, not because of the way they drive, which is generally very good.
HJ
|
Plus the post accident 'treatment'. Transport to hospital for the poor in Thailand is in the back of a pick up truck (marked as an ambulance mind) and treatment in the 20 baht hospitals is err... not up to standards we would expect...
Whatever you think of the NHS trauma care is pretty good.
|
Whenever I encounter a lane hog on a lightly trafficed road I like to play a little game called "Hog Lapping"
Firstly I identify the lane hog, then overtake. Then back to lane 1 and slow down to approx 5mph slower than the hog. As he overtakes I then move out behind them into lane 2, then lane 3 and re-overtake them. Then back to lane 1 and repeat the process over and over again seeing how many times I can "lap" the lanehog before they get the idea and move their sorry behinds into lane 1. My record so far is 12 laps.
Also if the lane hog doesn't seem to be getting the idea by lap 5 or 6 I like to reinforce the fact that something odd is happening by using my headlamp washers to cover their windscreens with a film of water during the lane 3 to lane 1 transition phase.
This is all done at a safe distance and only on a lightly trafficed road so I can't see any problem with it at all. Seems to get right up their noses as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
