Couldn't drive an HGV - but I am in two minds about this.
What happens when the HGV comes upon some idiot dawdling in the inside lane?
I see lorries overtaking is a major cause of accidents - so it's not speed
Should have been accompanied by a minimum speed limit on Mways IMHO - depending on conditions.


QUOTE ex-Times
Overtaking ban keeps lorries in inside lane
By Ben Webster
Tempers flare over new rule to stop heavy goods vehicles blocking traffic on busy motorways



DRIVERS will no longer become trapped behind slow lorries overtaking each other on a motorway under rules forcing heavy goods vehicles to remain on the inside lane.
The scheme has outraged the haulage industry, which fears that a trial run in the West Midlands will lead to more than 400,000 trucks being banned from overtaking on all busy stretches of motorway.



But motoring groups said that lorries leap-frogging each other not only caused delays to car drivers but were a major cause of motorway crashes.

The Highways Agency said that the ban was urgently needed to increase motorway capacity.

A spokesman said:

 

An interesting idea, but I think this will create more problems than it solves. What happens if you get a slow moving load? You could end up with a queue of 50 lorries all going 15-20mph along the motorway.

Personally, I think if people exercised proper lane discipline that would solve a large part of the congestion problem. Rubber-necking should be made illegal too. Motorways should have a big fence between carriageways so you can't see what is going on on the other side.

 

There are slower things than lorries. Such as oap's.

 

I'm an OAP!

 

All well and good on motorways, but North of Leeds the A1 is mostly dual carriageway and these lorries overtaking each other bring traffic to a standstill. Normally they don't make up any ground anyway, they're just a pain in the arse TBH.

And don't get me on to the A1 North of Newcastle where it goes down to single carriageway

 

yes bring in a ban-I'm all for it

you can see the current problem on the motorway. 1st lane taken up by lorries, 2nd and 3rd lane moving along briskly. One of the lorries pulls out to overtake, everyone in the middle lane signals to move to the 3rd lane, resulting in everyone for about 3 miles slowing down.

another thing they should bring in is to make people pull over who are driving below the speed limit on a single carriageway and there is a queue of more than 5 cars behind them

They do this in the states (although restricted to lorries) and it works great

 

Having Driven a Lorry on occasions in the Army i know just how frustrating it can be. All lorries are limited to 56mph which means the only speed advantage that one can generate over the other is being empty. Hence lighter...............hence overtaking up hill.

Military lorries were not restricted so on the flat or downhill I could overtake loads. Then on the uphills where the age and weight of the machines showed they cruised past me at 56mph.............................try doing that for 300 miles thats frustrating!

A great emphasis is placed in the HGV test on "Making Progress" for these people driving is their livelyhood they have time schedules and targets just like anyone else (all done within safe limits due to tacos) I think it would be a bit unfair to ban all lorry over-taking and I don't think it would solve much there are still other idiots cutting down on road space i.e the "middle lane sitters" etc etc etc

I think that alternatives should be looked at for keeping the number of lorries down...............freight rail etc..........

Just my thoughts personally I don't think its an easy job and its one that comes with alot of responsibility carting up to 52 tonnes at 57mph. Its easy to attack and blame a proportion of motorists but who are really to blame?

Edd

 

I'm with UK_S2000 on this one, driver education or re-education on motorway lane discipline is the key, alongside this a complete ban of any rep-esq vehicle from the outside lane
The amount of times I've seen people sitting too close to the car in front, then anchoring up when all it would take is a simple release of the accelerator pedal Then there's the indicators are an optional extra brigade , Silly feckers who sit in the middle/outside lane's for no apparent reason, when there's an expanse of tarmac to there immediate left for a mile in either direction
Lorries that take at least 5 miles to overtake another lorry

To think there are millions upon millions of drivers who haven't the first clue about driving smoothly and safely on britains motorways. Kinda scarey

 

Not all oap's

 

I'm all for it, I hate lorries. Now if only taxi drivers could be vetted for a criminal record and forced to take a driving competency test every 12 months I'd be a happy man.