motorway driving

[Dollie]

Is there a minimum speed at which you should drive on a motorway? I'm not very comfortable on motorways, but believe myself a careful and safe driver. I usually stick in the first lane and do between 50 - 60mph. Last night a huge lorry came right up behind me in this lane, flashing lights and nearly touching my bumper (or at least it seemed that close) and was tooting his horn as if to tell me to get a move on. He had every opportunity to overtake me but obviously couldn't be bothered. I was following another big lorry. Was I doing something wrong?

[Dollie]

of course Bob57 - I take your point - thank you

[erimus1]

There is no express lower speed limit for motorways, but under the Road Traffic Act, you could be prosecuted for obstructing the highway or even Dangerous Driving

[espookid]

I think ronnor was a bit harsh but - - - - if she has to ask it does mean that she cannot be bothered to find out herself without resorting to "the lazy approach ," which might illustrate her attitude to motorway driving and the accidents are much worse at faster speeds and despite several attempts by bob57 I dont think he stressed it enough but these lorries take a lot longer to get back up to speed so I think that was just the drivers way of maintaining his speed as long as he could so I think if you dont know what to do dollie please leave the motorway to others and enjoy your javelin throwing for as long as you can

[homer75]

The moron in the lorry had no right tailgating you Dollie - lots of them, in my opinion, are retards and the sooner all the heavy freight is back on the railroads the better. Then all these numpties can be dispensed with making our roads so much safer. I have a very distant relative who is a lorry driver, he too is an idiot and brags about epidodes like the one you described.

[homer75]

ooops 'episodes'

[derekpara]

Hi, Bob. Having driven HGVs for a while I know the pressures they're under to meet schedules etc, but you haven't really explained why the driver in question behaved as he did. Personally, I think it was just for his own boredom-relieving amusement.

Even if Dollie had instantly vanished from the road he would have still been left with the same situation except that in place of dear Dollie there would have been another 56mph HGV.

What should our bully do now ? If he tries to overtake, the two HGVs will be side by side for miles. Surely he won't be stupid enough to tailgate and blast one of his own kind ? No, he will probably behave professionally and safely keep his distance.

If, as Chris (Buenchico) says, dear old Dollie(no offence, I'm 73 !) is in the crawler lane then I can perhaps understand his action, but it's all about courtesy and consideration replacing aggression and disaster. With you all the way, Dollie.

[Craig007]

If ur not very comfortable on motorways then can i suggest not using them? All the major route planners on-line give alternatives without using them, it will take u longer but u will arrive at ur destination less stessed i would think!

[Craig007]

** stressed!

[bob57]

sorry derekpara I nor anyone else can answer the actions of that hgv driver all I can say is that no matter where you are, what you do you always get a moron to spoil things.

I've had hgv drivers overtake me in the third lane of a motorway swtch on his interior light then give me a rude gesture as I was in the middle lane overtaking a slower moving hgv in the first lane.

sorry to say the hgv driver in the third lane was on irish plates not avery good advert for his company neither

[madein1978]

You should be doing a minimum of 65 mph on a motorway in optimum conditions. Artics are limited to 56 mph as has been stated before, and coaches/buses are limited to 62 mph, both have limited acceleration when near their limited speeds, so when you are pootling along in your car at 55 mph, you are indeed being a real pain when one is driving a speed limited vehicle, we can't overtake you very easily, and people like you invariably accelerate when a large vehicle is about to pass you, nothing irritates more than that! My suggestion to you, if you are too scared to drive on motorways, keep away from them, or use public transport!

[madein1978]

In fact, half of you clueless people who have never driven a large vehicle, who lambast the people that have, I suggest you have a shot of a truck or a bus, then you might appreciate what you are doing, what do you think the outcome is going to be when two vehicles are travelling at or nearly the same speed as each other?

[Gef]

madein your answers are just a load of nonsense. There is no reason why Dollie should be doing 65mph. If she wants to do 50mph in the inside lane then you will just have to pull out and overtake her - if you can be bothered!

[madein1978]

Just thinking some more, they want to fit speed limiters to cars, just think of the carnage and road rage that would lead to!

[madein1978]

Are you totally thick and ignorant gef??? You obviously do not have a clue about these things, I'm most certainly not talking nonsense, even if she is doing 50 MPH, there is still a problem, and it's not laziness! Big vehicles like trucks and buses are nothing like driving a car, they dont have the same acceleration as a car, they have slower responses, so when you are on a busy motorway and come across someone doing about 50-55 MPH when driving a truck which remember is limited to 56 MPH, sure you can overtake, but it will take a long time to do it as well as holding everything behind you up. I'm sorry but your attitude is completely ignorant and selfish, and people like you really, really annoy me!

[derekpara]

Now see what you've done, Dollie !