Me vs HGV (Was I 8n the wrong)? - Page 5

bl52krz · 17th June 2024, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue

What you should have done was to slow down and merge behind him. The Lorry driver has no obligation to move out of your way. It is your obligation to merge safely without causing any drivers on the main carriageway to have to manouvre to compensate for your actions. If it is not safe to merge then you do not force the issue and if you have to you stop.

Sorry but it is one of my pet peeves when people pull out of slip roads causing others to have to avoid them.

As an x heavy goods vehicle driver, I can only agree with you. To many people think that people ‘ should let me in’. I have seen many accidents because of the same thing happening. Never, never, come into an argument with a lorry. You will not win. Even if you are in the right. A little adding up of what is going on in front, behind and around you, goes a long way to safe driving. And please, when joining a motorway, YOU have to work out when and where you can join in, If there is not a lot of traffic on the m/way, you will find a lot of lorries pull into the second lane to allow easy access to the m/way. I used to do this 40 years ago.

bl52krz · 17th June 2024, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ched

I too am a hgv class one driver, as well as being a qualified hgv driving assessor, come out with me for the day and witness first hand the appalling driving standards of at least 50% motorists and some lorry drivers.

I guarantee within the hour you too will have used many hand signs as well as used every swear word known to man.

Driving standards in this country are at best abysmal and when someone who is driving does something wrong who better to blame but the driver going about his own business correctly.

I have to agree with everything you say Dave. One thing I cringe when I see it taking place, is overtaking a lorry on a roundabout on the nearside. WAIT until the lorry has finished his manoeuvre. I have seen so many accidents employing this tactic.

macafee2 · 17th June 2024, 22:08

If we are going to talk about safe driving, never drive along next to a lorry, you could be in their blind spot and if they change lane, you are done for. Seen it done and I was not very complimentary to the car driver.

Re passing a lorry on the near side on a roundabout, dont do it on the off side as the trailer takes a tighter line.

If fact the list of don'ts around a lorry go on and on but why do we find ourselves telling people this, why don't they think for themselves?

macafee2

squire · 18th June 2024, 07:23

A lot of HGV's have a sign on the back of the trailer saying " if you can't see my mirrors I can't see you ", ignore this at your peril because it's 100% true. It's amazing the number of car drivers and cyclists that don't know that a trailer will take the shortest route ie, it will cut in!

bl52krz · 18th June 2024, 09:40

To illustrate the weight of a lorry, I have said for many years that when taking your driving test, at the end, you should be taken round the back of the test centre, and after being shown a lorry wheel lying flat on the floor, then you should be asked to roll it and put it against the wall. This would then show people what kind of weight they are dealing with, when cutting up, driving to near a lorry. One thing comes to my mind about when we were coming back from the shuttle at Folkestone. Where the M25 nears Dartford, the traffic was horrendous. As we approached, I noticed that cars were driving very close to the edge of the road, and passengers were craning their necks looking over the side of the M/way. I did the same and we were above a roundabout. There was a large Artic lorry lying on its side on a roundabout. I remarked to my wife that I hoped that no one was by its side when it went over. Months later, watching the T.V. that incident was being shown. And yes, there was a car under the curtain side trailer. It was full of tomatoes I think, and trapped under it was a woman, and what they thought was a young child.They thought they could hear it crying. It was a young woman who was trapped under the steering wheel and could not talk properly. The good news is, after removing tons of tomatoes, they got her out alive. Please all, learn from this story. Don’t drive near a lorry, except for over taking it on a straight road. You may be a little slower, but you will still be safer, and alive possibly.

Westonboy · 18th June 2024, 10:11

Having followed this post for the last two days it is clear the weight of opinion is that the op was in the wrong. I would however like to relay my reverse experience where lorries apply their indicator to pull out when I am along side and have nowhere to go thus having to brake, just saying in balance lorry drivers are capable of thoughtless if not dangerous practices.

Gate Keeper · 18th June 2024, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westonboy

Having followed this post for the last two days it is clear the weight of opinion is that the op was in the wrong. I would however like to relay my reverse experience where lorries apply their indicator to pull out when I am along side and have nowhere to go thus having to brake, just saying in balance lorry drivers are capable of thoughtless if not dangerous practices.

Thank you for those thoughts from a different angle

We have not had any views from the traffic police members, I know they are on the forum. We have heard from HGV drivers/instructors and their views. I thought it was quite brave of the OP to speak up and ride the criticism wave.

From personal experience, I have been run off the road by aggressive truck drivers in Africa. I found they are bigger and you can’t win against them so always give way or get off the road if there is no way through.

Mogodon · 18th June 2024, 10:58

Been following this and read all the responses.

Admit i was in the wrong and is not my usual standard of driving and entering motorways but would like to offer a little mitigation for my getting into the situation.

It's quite a short slip road and your view of traffic already on the carriageway as you come down is very limited due to very high, overgrown vegetation until the last few yards of the slip.

This wasn't helped by the fact I wasn't in the Micra but a very low slung MX5 type car.

The lorry driver could see my predicament but still appeared to have a "I don't have to let you in, so I'm not" attitude, the gap I had to (as some on here say) push into, was , although not huge, was, even smaller after I weighed up my options and acted, as the HGV seemed to be deliberately closing it to stop me getting in.

With regards to it getting on "the net" or ro police or his employer, his actions after, unless selectively edited, make him (or her) look as bad, if not worse than what I did.

stocktake · 18th June 2024, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mogodon

It's quite a short slip road and your view of traffic already on the carriageway as you come down is very limited due to very high, overgrown vegetation until the last few yards of the slip.

.

"Relaxed mowing" has a huge impact on what you can see at a lot of junctions, its really not a good practice.

Dave47 · 18th June 2024, 11:42

For the OP, refresh yourself with the "Highway"
why put yourself and other road users in danger,
please remember a HGV takes longer to stop and longer to pick up speed again, ialso t's better to concentrate on driving rather than "giving the finger"

18th June 2024, 09:40	#45
bl52krz This is my second home Rover 75 cdt club + Rover 2.5 KV6 Conni SE Join Date: May 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 11,445 Thanks: 6,587 Thanked 2,262 Times in 1,729 Posts	To illustrate the weight of a lorry, I have said for many years that when taking your driving test, at the end, you should be taken round the back of the test centre, and after being shown a lorry wheel lying flat on the floor, then you should be asked to roll it and put it against the wall. This would then show people what kind of weight they are dealing with, when cutting up, driving to near a lorry. One thing comes to my mind about when we were coming back from the shuttle at Folkestone. Where the M25 nears Dartford, the traffic was horrendous. As we approached, I noticed that cars were driving very close to the edge of the road, and passengers were craning their necks looking over the side of the M/way. I did the same and we were above a roundabout. There was a large Artic lorry lying on its side on a roundabout. I remarked to my wife that I hoped that no one was by its side when it went over. Months later, watching the T.V. that incident was being shown. And yes, there was a car under the curtain side trailer. It was full of tomatoes I think, and trapped under it was a woman, and what they thought was a young child.They thought they could hear it crying. It was a young woman who was trapped under the steering wheel and could not talk properly. The good news is, after removing tons of tomatoes, they got her out alive. Please all, learn from this story. Don’t drive near a lorry, except for over taking it on a straight road. You may be a little slower, but you will still be safer, and alive possibly. __________________ Great Barr, Birmingham.

17th June 2024, 22:08	#43
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 15,009 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	If we are going to talk about safe driving, never drive along next to a lorry, you could be in their blind spot and if they change lane, you are done for. Seen it done and I was not very complimentary to the car driver. Re passing a lorry on the near side on a roundabout, dont do it on the off side as the trailer takes a tighter line. If fact the list of don'ts around a lorry go on and on but why do we find ourselves telling people this, why don't they think for themselves? macafee2

18th June 2024, 07:23	#44
squire Posted a thing or two MGB GT, 2 Morris Minor Travellers Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bilston Posts: 1,668 Thanks: 1,610 Thanked 497 Times in 370 Posts	A lot of HGV's have a sign on the back of the trailer saying " if you can't see my mirrors I can't see you ", ignore this at your peril because it's 100% true. It's amazing the number of car drivers and cyclists that don't know that a trailer will take the shortest route ie, it will cut in!

18th June 2024, 10:11	#46
Westonboy Posted a thing or two Honda Jazz Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Llangollen Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 301 Thanked 344 Times in 158 Posts	Having followed this post for the last two days it is clear the weight of opinion is that the op was in the wrong. I would however like to relay my reverse experience where lorries apply their indicator to pull out when I am along side and have nowhere to go thus having to brake, just saying in balance lorry drivers are capable of thoughtless if not dangerous practices.

18th June 2024, 10:58	#48
Mogodon Gets stuck in Nisan Micra 1.4 SVE Auto. Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Posts: 841 Thanks: 196 Thanked 198 Times in 84 Posts	Been following this and read all the responses. Admit i was in the wrong and is not my usual standard of driving and entering motorways but would like to offer a little mitigation for my getting into the situation. It's quite a short slip road and your view of traffic already on the carriageway as you come down is very limited due to very high, overgrown vegetation until the last few yards of the slip. This wasn't helped by the fact I wasn't in the Micra but a very low slung MX5 type car. The lorry driver could see my predicament but still appeared to have a "I don't have to let you in, so I'm not" attitude, the gap I had to (as some on here say) push into, was , although not huge, was, even smaller after I weighed up my options and acted, as the HGV seemed to be deliberately closing it to stop me getting in. With regards to it getting on "the net" or ro police or his employer, his actions after, unless selectively edited, make him (or her) look as bad, if not worse than what I did.

18th June 2024, 11:42	#50
Dave47 Newbie none at the moment Join Date: Jan 2024 Location: Margate Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	For the OP, refresh yourself with the "Highway" why put yourself and other road users in danger, please remember a HGV takes longer to stop and longer to pick up speed again, ialso t's better to concentrate on driving rather than "giving the finger"