Safe Speed Forums

Rigpig,

Again your making a lot of sense, and i thankyou for realising the differences involved with driving bigger, heavier vehicles.

Again our campaign has addressed this issue with Government by asking for a greater awareness to be taught to new drivers regarding HGV's, backed up with the inclusion of a seperate section within the Highway Code.

There are vast differences in vehicle characteristics, and everybody should at least have an incling as to what they are.
The objective of my own personal view is to educate rather than chastise, road safety is paramount for drivers of ANY vehicle, as our lives in the job we do is dependant on it...

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Dave

Thanks for the positive comments.



What good are dual signs? I can't see it; please explain or point me at a document.

But answer these:

- Was HGV40 a problem 5 years ago?
- What's changed?
- Why not put it back like is was before the problem?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Who's the 'we' shaky?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

But as ordinary people, there’s nothing we can do directly as we are not seen as having authority or the ability. No-one can be judged by just one peer.


Because of today’s policy of banning learners from such roads, and not encouraging taking the missed tuition once drivers get their full licence, almost all drivers have no professional tuition of how to correctly/safely use such roads; hence slip road cameras punishing incorrect manoeuvres could be seen to be terribly unfair. We really do need broader tuition to learners, even if only to give a grasp of what is expected.


A particular aspect of the highway code is being abused for the interests of a few but at the detriment of many. The HC is a good guide but its effectiveness is being gradually eroded.

I agree it could be open to abuse, but enforcement on motorways using ANPR cameras (and a decent database ) would solve a great amount of that problem. There’s no need to make motorway tuition mandatory for all drivers, but make no mistake - we have to do something and it has to be fair.

A massive amount of drivers are unaware of the 40mph limit imposed on HGV's, and even if we were successful in raising it to 50mph which is our aim, there would still be a 10mph difference to that of lighter traffic.
Our Idea is to have dual signs displaying the limits to each catagory..



Yes



It's getting worse, no doubt due to more traffic and stricter enforcment by camera vans.



No good, the limit in our opinion needs to be raised, some drivers have the the ruling enforced upon them by company policy. I.e Tesco for example discipline there drivers caught breaking the 40 limit, and check tachograph charts to find offenders..

The we is Truckersworld Drivers Lobby Group..

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Dave

Eh? Are we going to register as sole drivers of particular vehicles?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Such signs could reduce animosity between car drivers and HGVs, but would (once installed) make the silly limit much harder to get changed.

And I don't believe that they would address the potential for dangerous overtaking.

And they certainly wouldn't stop skilled drivers from being prosecuted for driving safely.



Can you put me in touch with the 'policy' person or group please?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

See your pm's..

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Dave

Of course not. I’ve already admitted that it’s open to abuse but I reckon it would discourage 90% of the opportunists from using motorways without the appropriate tuition. ‘that car doesn’t have anyone insured on it with a motorway licence - pull it’. I realise your misgivings about ANPR and I know the system isn’t perfect (and that it can be so easily circumvented) but I believe it’s the fairest overall compromise.

Unfortunately it wouldn't be practical with the huge numbers of cars that are on fleet/trade/3rd party extension cover.

Good points. Here are my (brainstorming) thoughts:

Fleet: any respectable company whose drivers could be expected to use a motorway could demand that that drivers have a ‘full licence’; this could be policed to some extent (the company I work for would definitely demand this).

Trade/3rd party extension: if one driver needs to have a full licence, then chances are that the other named drivers will desire/need one too. Insurance companies can force this, or hike the premium recognising the risk of a named driver with a partial licence using the motorway (edit: what I meant to say was reduce the premium for everyone else ), thereby discouraging abuse.

Just for the record, I do not brag. I have no need. Were I bragging, I would have started out giving my experience. Read your first couple of replies and you will maybe see why I got irritated. I just arrived home having covered 4200 miles in a week. Tarp loads both ways. No accidents or troubles. Major city traffic too. As I say, I have no need to brag. I just thought you should know that I am not a novice.
Neither did I get personal in the first place. I don't know you and doubt I ever will. I'm sure you are a hell of a fellow, but I imagine we would disagree on things if we did know each other the same as anyone else.
You siad those silly things about the speed at which you joined the motorway. I didn't suggest it to you or anyone else.
The main point to my reply to you was this. If you join at 80 mph, and there are trucks ahead and behind, then how are you able to see that some muppet isn't passing the truck at 100+ mph? How can you tell that it is safe?
Motorways are near enough to racetracks as it is. Why try to suggest that they be treated as pit lanes? Remember Ayrton Senna?



Next thing. The dual signs work quite well. There are some European countries use them and they are fairly common in the States. They make the situation clear to all.

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Once a Cornishman, always a Cornishman