36 replies to this topic

[Dusky]

Lorries don't cause congestion, it's cars trying to overtake lorries.

Ok, if you say so.

The faster you go the more road space you take up to maintain a safe stopping distance. If you weren't taking up more road space you'd never catch up with any lorries to overtake them. The braking starts because the traffic already is congested, everybody is following at a minimum safe difference so can't manoeuvre without 1st slowing to reduce the minimum safe stopping distance in order to create the space they need.

It's people who drive faster until all the gaps are reduced to a minimum who create congestion.

So lorries cause the most congestion as they take a lot more stopping distance. Lorries need 120 meters at 55mph. Cars doing 80 mph need only 100.

Only if there's another vehicle in front of them, requiring them to keep their distance. I acknowledge Sonscar's observation, but if you want to have any goods in the shops you'll have to accept some Heavy Goods Vehicle traffic is unavoidable & the slower the DVD watching Yorkie munchers go, the faster (relatively) everyone else is going to catch them up.

Sure. But they never seem to keep a safe distance during peak hours. Neither do they follow basic rules like no overtaking during rainy weather. Then again most are all low cost eastern Europeans now who only know the word "chef". But lots of car drivers don't know how to drive either. I miss the lockdown times.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Why are lorries allowed to use all lanes apart from the one closest to the central reservation when there are more than two lanes?  On two lane dual carriageways I accept that they want to overtake slower traffic so use both lanes.  On three lane carriageways they can use lanes one and two to sort themselves out while cars can get past in lane three.  The trouble comes when there are four or more lanes.  You then have lorries in lanes one, two and three with cars able to get past in lane four.  Why not allow the lorries to only use lanes one and two - they can still sort themselves out then, and other vehicles then get an extra two lanes.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Another issue I see is lorries travelling at 56 mph.  A car tries to overtake but is religious about not letting their speedo needle rise about 70 but their speedo over reads by 5 mph so the overtaking speed difference is less than 10 mph so it takes ages.  There needs to be more difference maximum allowable speeds of cars and lorries.

 

I used to drive a 7.5 tonne lorry restricted to 56 mph and regularly got overtaken by 36 tonners going down hill as mine stayed at 56 but their weight made them sail past me.  I'd then crawl back past them up the next hill.  Ridiculous.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Why should battery electric vehicles have a higher speed limit as they are heavier than conventional cars and therefore harder to stop quickly.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

The lowering speed limit argument never ends.  Why don't we stop driving and walk as it'll be safer or maybe bring back the man with the red flag?

[Ethel]

Do we have any genuine 4 lane motorways? Sure we have more than three lanes in places where roads merge, but isn't better to keep the left hand lanes free for traffic to merge before the number of lanes reduces back to three?

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Do we have any genuine 4 lane motorways? Sure we have more than three lanes in places where roads merge, but isn't better to keep the left hand lanes free for traffic to merge before the number of lanes reduces back to three?

The A1(M) in Cambridgeshire just south of Peterborough between Alconbury and Stilton is one example of a lovely stretch of proper four lane non smart motorway.  A real pleasure to drive on.