Motoring Discussion > HGVs on Motorways	Legal Questions
Thread Author: Wibble	Replies: 28

New Thu 6 Apr 17 00:23   HGVs on Motorways - Wibble

HGVs cannot use lane 3 on a 3 lane motorway. On a motorway with only 2 lanes can HGVs use lane 2? I ask because I was nearly sideswiped by one this evening when I was passing it in lane 2 and there wasn't a third lane. Really glad my brakes worked because of the car in front I would not have been able to accelerate out of trouble! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 00:47   HGVs on Motorways - Hard Cheese

Yes, on motorways and dual carriageways HGVs can use the second lane to overtake ... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 00:54   HGVs on Motorways - Wibble

Ta, I would give you a thumbs up but I think my privilege to do that has been removed? Last edited by: Wibble on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 00:55 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 02:00   HGVs on Motorways - VxFan

>> I would give you a thumbs up but I think my privilege to do that has been removed? No, you have to contribute a certain number of replies before earning the privilege. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 06:37   HGVs on Motorways - MD

Travelling too close were you? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 07:24   HGVs on Motorways - Pat

More like hanging about too long beside a lorry while in a queue of traffic overtaking it. In that situation I always wait until the car in front is clear and then accelerate and get past as quickly as possible. Minimise the risk. Pat Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Thu 6 Apr 17 07:31   HGVs on Motorways - Old Navy

MD and Pat's posts mach my thoughts as I read the thread. Too close to the car in front and alongside the HGV for too long. More so if it was on foreign plates and LHD. Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 07:35 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 07:43   HGVs on Motorways - Old Navy

It seems a little odd to me that a driver does not know that HGVs can overtake on a two lane dual carriageway. Is Wibble a learner? Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 07:45 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 08:42   HGVs on Motorways - Hard Cheese

Agreed though to imply that he was at fault is perhaps a little unfair, any road user needs to check a lane is clear and indicate before moving in to it ... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 08:49   HGVs on Motorways - commerdriver

>> Agreed though to imply that he was at fault is perhaps a little unfair, any >> road user needs to check a lane is clear and indicate before moving in to >> it ... >> Maybe he's a cyclist most of the time and used to it always being someone else's fault :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 08:59   HGVs on Motorways - Wibble

>> Maybe he's a cyclist most of the time and used to it always being someone >> else's fault :-) >> Har - de - har - har - har! No, been driving for several years, just not very experienced on motorways! Was on the M11 doing about 30 in heavy raffic and the HGV wanted to be where I was! There was a decent gap in front and I was moving past the lorry. Don't know why he wanted to move out, he wouldn't have got much further on. UK lorry. Big name. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:02   HGVs on Motorways - CGNorwich

As you are no doubt aware an overtaking ban for lorries is being implemented on parts of the M11 this month. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:27   HGVs on Motorways - movilogo

When a HGV on lane 2 (of a 3 lane M'way) tries to overtake a slower one on lane 1 it takes ages and effectively the M'way becomes a single carriageway as all cars only use lane 3. Why can't we have a dedicated HGV lane with a fixed speed of 50-55 MPH for all HGVs? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:33   HGVs on Motorways - CGNorwich

Because it would cost billions? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:46   HGVs on Motorways - Wibble

>> Because it would cost billions? >> Agreed. It is a great shame that the Beeching cuts removed so much of the rail infrastructure as well as many stations goods yards and marshalling yards which further reduced the ability to carry freight, which is a shame as shipping cargo at night would be efficient use of infrastructure that is already there. I believe that the nationalised BR also effectively priced themselves out of the freight market and of course they would also have had to have signal boxes manned at night. I still see bulk material shipments go by train but it is rare and new cars are shipped from BMW's Mini plant in Oxford to Southampton by rail. Last edited by: Wibble on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 09:48 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 10:01   HGVs on Motorways - henry k

>>I still see bulk material shipments go by train but it is rare Rare ? There are many dedicated trains for freight of all sorts e.g Stobart A new service operates from China to the UK. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_freight_in_Great_Britain Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:46   HGVs on Motorways - commerdriver

>> Why can't we have a dedicated HGV lane with a fixed speed of 50-55 MPH >> for all HGVs? >> Where would the slow cars / campervans etc travel? Also I believe, and Pat / Harley etc may correct me, the motorway limit for HGV's is actually still 60. I think the limiters set to 56 is an EU thing which may or may not disappear after the B event happens. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 10:14   HGVs on Motorways - smokie

>> When a HGV on lane 2 (of a 3 lane M'way) tries to overtake a >> slower one on lane 1 it takes ages and effectively the M'way becomes a single >> carriageway as all cars only use lane 3. >> This problem is caused so much more, and is so much more easily avoidable, by lane 2 lane hogging motorists, when lane 1 is virtually empty. You end up get a tailgating chain of cars in 3 and nothing in lane 1. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:36   HGVs on Motorways - Wibble

>> As you are no doubt aware an overtaking ban for lorries is being implemented on >> parts of the M11 this month. >> Nope, didn't know that. Is that why there are lots of road works on the north end near the A14? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:43   HGVs on Motorways - CGNorwich

Between junctions 8 and 9. tinyurl.com/ky92l2o Last edited by: R.P. on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 10:10 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 09:53   HGVs on Motorways - rtj70

>> More like hanging about too long beside a lorry ... then accelerate and get past as quickly as >> possible. When I passed me test I had a motorway lesson (money well spent!). One tip was always to have an escape route so never get boxed in - and this is an example of it. In fact the instructor told me you're better off speeding past a situation and then slow back down, i.e. even exceed the speed limit briefly. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 10:08   HGVs on Motorways - R.P.

LGVs are a red flag for motorcyclists on my commute. Loads of LHD trucks heading to and from the port at Holyhead are the risks. Pass them as quickly as possible and get them behind me. Same rule, for me, in a car as well. In fairness trucks seem well driven on this stretch, avoiding bottles of urine seems to be the biggest hazard. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 13:22   HGVs on Motorways - Old Navy

I believe that most unpleasant situations on the road can be avoided by simply backing off the accelerator. Always having a plan B and an escape route is good advice and never go into a closing gap. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 15:20   HGVs on Motorways - Pat

I'll second that ON. I did a few miles on Sunday and Monday going on a 'Thelma & Louise' run with a female friend who is a good driver and she asked me why I always hang back on the motorway and then put my foot down to pass lorries both here, and in France. It made perfect sense to her once I'd explained. Brouilly re-stocked now:) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 20:44   HGVs on Motorways - Old Navy

Another one that a driving instructor said to me many years ago was "If you see a problem on the road ahead don't drive up to it and become part of it, give people room to sort themselves out". Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Thu 6 Apr 17 23:25   HGVs on Motorways - bathtub tom

>> Brouilly re-stocked now:) ;>0 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 21:11   HGVs on Motorways - No FM2R

>> More like hanging about too long beside a lorry while in a queue of traffic >> overtaking it. Because you can't count on them to look first, or they just get bored and pull out anyway? I quite get the self preservation aspect of not tempting fate, but let's be very clear, it would still be the incompetence of the truck drive to blame for any incident in those circumstances. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 6 Apr 17 22:17   HGVs on Motorways - Old Navy

No point in blaming a lorry driver or insisting on your right of way or priority if you end up dead. A car rarely comes off best in a contact with an HGV. Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 6 Apr 17 at 22:20 Reply to this message | Report message       2

New Fri 7 Apr 17 03:29   HGVs on Motorways - Pat

>>Because you can't count on them to look first, or they just get bored and pull out anyway?<< Because if something happens in front of them or on their nearside I have blocked their escape route and would come of worse. Because if it has foreign plates I would probably be in their blind spot. Because when I'm between a lorry and a crash barrier I have no escape route, which is not a position I want to be in any longer than necessary. Pat Reply to this message | Report message       2