Lorries......can anyone explain this to me......

You want to see proper lorry overtaking! Head south out of Perth (Scotland) and watch in amusement as you get lorries trying to overtake on the steep gradient that cuts through the Ochil hills!!!!!
 
cosmicma said:
i'm sure iv'e seen this on here before but it's surprising what a lorry driver can't see through their mirrors

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this ones been done to death on another thread as you said but you obviously didnt read the whole
thread ,,,,,,,,,there is no blind spot ,,only lazy drivers
 
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donut said:
this ones been done to death on another thread as you said but you obviously didnt read the whole
thread ,,,,,,,,,there is no blind spot ,,only lazy drivers
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i read the whole thread :) and that video suggests there is blind spots
looks like london transport got it wrong i don't drive an artic so who am i to know

traveled in one for a few years in my youth as a drivers mate on deliveries and my lazy driver had blind spots too :)
 
Hang on a bit!

If this was on the road and the lorry was pulling to the junction he would have seen the cycles as he was approaching and have been bloody stupid to have driven down the outside of them and should have stayed behind them.

More likely scenario is the cyclists blithely ride down the inside - fail to notice the indicators and still decide to ride straight on effectively committing suicide. They do it all the time with cars too.

Don't forget they are selling the additional mirrors/cameras
 
cosmicma said:
i read the whole thread :) and that video suggests there is blind spots
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Except that someone here (I forget who) did a real test to prove the blind spots were significantly smaller than suggested by the video. Almost to the point of being negligible.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
Except that someone here (I forget who) did a real test to prove the blind spots were significantly smaller than suggested by the video. Almost to the point of being negligible.


Steve.
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Does that apply to left hand drives too? Because blind spots is all they seem to have.
 
viv1969 said:
Does that apply to left hand drives too? Because blind spots is all they seem to have.
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If we are talking about blind spots in mirrors, I don't think it would make much difference. The video someone posted showed that he had good visibility on the left with a right hand drive vehicle so the view down the right side should be even better.

Swapping to left hand drive mirrors everything but the blind spots should still be much smaller than the alarmist video posted above.

Of course, that does depend on having the right mirrors and having them adjusted properly.


Anyway, this has been debated at length already. It would be good if someone who knows where the old thread is could post a link.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
If we are talking about blind spots in mirrors, I don't think it would make much difference. The video someone posted showed that he had good visibility on the left with a right hand drive vehicle so the view down the right side should be even better.

Swapping to left hand drive mirrors everything but the blind spots should still be much smaller than the alarmist video posted above.

Of course, that does depend on having the right mirrors and having them adjusted properly.


Anyway, this has been debated at length already. It would be good if someone who knows where the old thread is could post a link.


Steve.
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The underpant stain driver who wiped me out had no such mirrors.
 
I don't want any more mirrors, this was my 60 plate, my 63 plate has a frensel lens in the bottom left of the window, 5 on one side is enough.
DSC00130.jpg
 
PeterTheJet said:
I don't want any more mirrors, this was my 60 plate, my 63 plate has a frensel lens in the bottom left of the window, 5 on one side is enough.
DSC00130.jpg
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I'm sure the frog who hit me was happy with his mirrors too lol
 
I've seen other truckers watching movies on laptops whilst driving - beggers belief these should be locked up.

1 thing that really really winds me up with car drivers is when they try or just manage to succed in cutting in front of you last minute for a turn off, what they don't realise is when trucks especially when fully loaded take some bloody stopping, the amount of times I've thought oh $hit and nearly taking out someone cutting it at the last moment is unreal.
 
have you seen how much road tax a HGV pays?

they are morons but they pay a lot
 
Thats my sock said:
I've seen other truckers watching movies on laptops whilst driving - beggers belief these should be locked up.

1 thing that really really winds me up with car drivers is when they try or just manage to succed in cutting in front of you last minute for a turn off, what they don't realise is when trucks especially when fully loaded take some bloody stopping, the amount of times I've thought oh $hit and nearly taking out someone cutting it at the last moment is unreal.
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If lorries take so long to stop... Why do they sit 2 feet off your bumper, and especially so when behind another lorry where they have no visibility?
 
Maybe they have a death wish, and it's not all lorries. You get ar$eholes in control of every type of road going vehicles.
 
Try drivings on the autobahn - even on the unrestricted bits where I like to take Dame Edna up to 135 - not kph but mph.. many autobahns are still 2 lanes each side - and unrestricted - you could be cruising at well over 200 kph and then 2 miles ahead you can see 2 lorries - you realise you have to ease off already and let the car drift down to 90.1kph....
 
Thats my sock said:
Maybe they have a death wish, and it's not all lorries. You get ar$eholes in control of every type of road going vehicles.
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It is most lorries. I cover a lot of miles and on motorways very few lorries IMO are a safe distance away.
 
Thats my sock said:
Maybe they have a death wish, and it's not all lorries. You get ar$eholes in control of every type of road going vehicles.
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Mr Bump said:
have you seen how much road tax a HGV pays?
they are morons but they pay a lot
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We seem to be taring everyone with the same brush here. The majority of professional drivers drive at a much higher standard than the majority of non professional drivers yet they are all being judged by the very small minority whose standards fall well below what is acceptable.

(and I don't count taxi drivers as professional drivers!!).


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
We seem to be taring everyone with the same brush here. The majority of professional drivers drive at a much higher standard than the majority of non professional drivers yet they are all being judged by the very small minority whose standards fall well below what is acceptable.

(and I don't count taxi drivers as professional drivers!!).


Steve.
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...and that's a whole new argument and thread :LOL:

However yes, I too have had lorries sat up my cars chuff for no earthly reason other than the driver is an utter moron, but as someone who also does a lot of miles I wouldn't say that is the norm - as I said right at the beginning of this thread, most drivers are thoroughly professional. When it comes to tail gating, 'white van man' is a far greater exponent of the art!

As for blind spots, They are very limited to the point of negligible on modern trucks due to the number of mirrors, but I was taught whilst doing my cycling proficiency to never ride up the inside of any vehicle indicating left, and be cautious even if they weren't indicating but a left turn was an option. It is simple self preservation really, but certainly here in London to give you an idea of quite how dreadful cyclists are [in all scenarios, not just the left hand side of a lorry thing] , we actually find ourselves commenting when we come across one riding sensibly.
 
Do modern lorries have cruise control? Do they have the follow me cruise control that some cars have now?
 
On cycling try S.29 RTA 1988, careless and inconsiderate cycling. Failing to adhere to Rule 66 of the Highway Code is evidence towards that.

Try drivings on the autobahn - even on the unrestricted bits where I like to take Dame Edna up to 135 - not kph but mph.. many autobahns are still 2 lanes each side - and unrestricted - you could be cruising at well over 200 kph and then 2 miles ahead you can see 2 lorries - you realise you have to ease off already and let the car drift down to 90.1kph....
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"2 Miles Ahead"? Problem with that in the UK is that nothing exists beyond the end of most British driver's bonnets.
 
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Any kind of driving is a skill, truck driving just has areas that require more attention due to the nature of the vehicle.

Im all for improved technology like auto boxes and cruise control to make the long journey less of a strain but with such technology comes the inherent risk of lazy driving.

Gone are the days when trucks had crash boxes and double declutching was the normal thing to do - try explain that to a new driver and they will think you are off your rocker!!!!!
 
Yv said:
Amen to that!! ...and don't even get me started on lane discipline, or rather lack of it in this country!! :punch:
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If you want to really be scared pantless, try the 101 freeway through and out of LA :lol:
 
Bernie174 said:
On cycling try S.29 RTA 1988, careless and inconsiderate cycling. Failing to adhere to Rule 66 of the Highway Code is evidence towards that.



"2 Miles Ahead"? Problem with that in the UK is that nothing exists beyond the end of most British driver's bonnets.
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Bruntingthorpe runway is about 2 miles long, that's a long way away to see the end, even when doing nearly 200 mph. You always think its coming up close, brake hard and end up with lots of runway left, but better that way...
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
Bring freight back to the railways! Nothing more ridiculous than the unending wall of lorries blocking entry and exit to the motorway for the rest of us and then clogging the middle lane up for hours doing the above overtakes....
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Ha! Ha! Best one yet, they cannot get the bloody passengers to their destination on time.Half the supermarket shelves would be empty.
 
Bruntingthorpe runway is about 2 miles long, that's a long way away to see the end, even when doing nearly 200 mph. You always think its coming up close, brake hard and end up with lots of runway left, but better that way...
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It is better that way, but at 120, it's a minute. That sounds like a long time, but of course it is dependent on looking that far ahead. at 1 mile, and 120, it's 30 seconds. Still not too bad. at 1/2 mile it's 15 seconds, doable if looking that far ahead. at 100 yards, it's far too bloody late. Yet watch other people driving and it's obvious most look no further than the vehicle in front, which they are usually too close too.

Change those speeds to 90, the standard speed for those that own German/Swedish cars, and the times are not much different, but of course the result is the same, as they are still not looking any further than the car infront.
 
Steve Smith said:
Nothing should have cruise control.

Steve.
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without cruise control I'd be more of a risk on the motorway than I am now (not saying I believe I'm a risk but I know I'm not perfect).

Thanks to a badly broken leg and some side effects the muscles up the front of my right shin are fairly weak and sitting at a single speed causes me to get bad cramp or I speed up slowly as the muscles not longer my foot in the same position and very gently apply more pressure to the accelerator.

I can either vary my speed by an unreasonable amount every 10-15 minutes or use to give the muscles a break or I can cruise control.
 
Bernie174 said:
It is better that way, but at 120, it's a minute. That sounds like a long time, but of course it is dependent on looking that far ahead. at 1 mile, and 120, it's 30 seconds. Still not too bad. at 1/2 mile it's 15 seconds, doable if looking that far ahead. at 100 yards, it's far too bloody late. Yet watch other people driving and it's obvious most look no further than the vehicle in front, which they are usually too close too.

Change those speeds to 90, the standard speed for those that own German/Swedish cars, and the times are not much different, but of course the result is the same, as they are still not looking any further than the car in front.
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Just done the maths, 180 mph is a stopping distance of around 1350 feet assuming dry conditions. They'll be other factors in there such as tyre and brake types
at 90 mph it drops to around 340 feet. Thats 132 feet/sec so even the two second rule at 90mph isn't enough
 
Yep

You've done the "mechanical" equation I take it? But then add in thinking and reacting time. At best another second, which increased that overall stopping distance.

When you translate it to the numbers, perhaps it's understandable that people like me bang on about speeding.
 
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