53 replies to this topic

[*Raz*]

You might all already know about this, but my mum just heard on the news a big story about foreign lorries on the motorway, and I thought Id warn you about them, as we all drive likkle cars and I dont want you lot getting hurt!

read all about it here

Basically saying that they have a big blindspot and cant see cars coming up next to them, there have been a number of people killed by this on motorways. Overtake when its safe to do so, and if you have a third clear to move into if the lorry does start moving over


Drive safe now

Raz xx

[sazal]

Good work Raz!

[Broomer]

i watched this earlier, pretty shocking.

[Dazza IOW]

HI i missed it has any one taped it .All theses foreignrs say is me no understand .

[RobJaxon]

i watched this earlier, pretty shocking.

SAME!!!
With Quentin Wilson on Trever McDonald. Quite an interesting watch. Very scary all those eastern european right hand drive 40tonne lorries on our motorways

[*Raz*]

Good work Raz!

just want to keep y'all safe

i watched this earlier, pretty shocking.

SAME!!!
With Quentin Wilson on Trever McDonald. Quite an interesting watch. Very scary all those eastern european right hand drive 40tonne lorries on our motorways

I didnt actually see it, but my parents told me about it, rather scary if you think of the size of our cars and how much motorway driving a lot of us do!!

Raz

[RobJaxon]

Yeah my mum was saying that they shouldn't be allowed out of the 1st lane on a motorway, and none of this trouble would ever arise (on motorways)
Good point I think, what do you think?

Edited by RobJaxon, 31 March 2008 - 09:38 PM.

[Black.Ghost]

I can see how that happens, the same is somewhat true in a left hand drive land-rover. I generally watch the mirror for sometime before I pull out, even in the Mini.

[mini_morley]

Someone tried to do that to me yesterday on the way back from brooklands- scary stuff
THey were coming up a slip road so i moved inot the outside lane (two lane d/c), they then decided theyd go from the slip road staright to the outside lane- only problem is that I was there. Que much honking (and swaering from me)and him getting close enough for my passenger to knock on the window if hes wanted to. :S

Edited by mini_morley, 31 March 2008 - 09:44 PM.

[jack_marshall]

This happened to my dad a few years back.

One of the hooks on the side of the lorrie they use for strapping things down with.. got lodged into the side of his van and ripped a hole all the way down the side.

The lorry driver didnt even know he'd done it! Then denied it was his fault!

[RobJaxon]

God that's pretty bad isn't it.

[Pooky]

I took a short driving course with a guy from the Institute of Advanced Motorists and he couldn't warn enough people about this! It's the sort fo thing that the government should be making the public more aware of especially around ports and the channel tunnel etc

Thanks for bringing it up Raz

One thing I didn't read in that article was how you can identify a 'foreign' lorry (or one where the driver is on the left). The lorry will probably have a mirror at the top of the offside cab door window. It's there so they can see cyclists apparently.


rubbish pic but you can just about see it. It's the dangly bit at the top of the mirror arm, aiming down.

I was also told by this instructor to give the lorry as much room as you can (overtake two lanes away if you can) and always go past it as fast as you can, don't sit in it's blind spot.

Edited by Pooky, 01 April 2008 - 07:35 AM.

[A KIRK]

This is common sense, all vehicles have blind spots just these rhd artics have slightly larger ones.

Sorry but its basic driving skills to be aware of this type of hazard and if you don't know about it I suggest you go back to driving school or get a decent driving instructor.

Again it comes down to people having no idea of how other road users see the road, and again is another reason why we should all have to spend sometime in an artic when learning.

These problems are the same for our Bristish drivers when they go over seas, apart from were a lot stricter on driving hours etc

[freaker]

hey guys,

i actually watched this yesterday. and must say its scary but on sunday i came over with a van and a car trailer and had a length of 11 meters and drivingall the way from dover to portsmouth and making a little stop at warligham down some very small roads it is not that easy even with that length.

i drove around 500 km between the trucks lane 1 and 2 and most of them are very helpful when you tryto overtake them by flashing there lights to say that you where clear of them. but sometimes when i wanted to overtake one i whas looking in my mirror and i didnt see one and when i whs starting to pull out there whas one suddenly so i also had that problem once or twice.... a

the car is also a left hand drive


freaker

[Mini_Magic]

This is common sense, all vehicles have blind spots just these rhd artics have slightly larger ones.

Sorry but its basic driving skills to be aware of this type of hazard and if you don't know about it I suggest you go back to driving school or get a decent driving instructor.

Again it comes down to people having no idea of how other road users see the road, and again is another reason why we should all have to spend sometime in an artic when learning.

These problems are the same for our Bristish drivers when they go over seas, apart from were a lot stricter on driving hours etc

While I do agree, I think the point that people are making is that the problem is escalated with a LHD lorry due to driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

I also think some people fail to see just how dangerous undertaking can be, of course this is almost always due to people sitting in the middle lane. It's scary just how many people think this is a normal thing to do.