Bloody Lorry drivers

[Trouble]

Well, minding my own business Wednesday afternoon, driving along the M25, nice and steady, middle lane when next thing i know, a great big bloody lorry has decided to pull out into the middle lane while im in it. He pushed me into the fast lane and needless to say my lovely little black convertible peugeot now has the stuffing kicked out of it and i had two sleepless nights thinking about what could have been. I avoided injury thankfully.

However, this lorry driver has left hand drive, could hardly speak any english and all he said was, sorry i didn't see you.

Dont underestimate how near to death i came in this incident.. i managed to gain control of my car and thats what saved me and all the traffic behind me from becoming a major major accident.

Nobody stopped, nobody helped or offered witness statements it was just me and the dutch driver.

Should we allow left hand drive vehicles in this country seeing as all the roads are set up for completely the opposite. I think not.

Thoughts?

[dep]

keep the left hand drives out!!
But there are idiots out there that result in incidents that are culpable.

Driving through a camera protected site of motorway road works with two lanes doing about 50MPH in each direction. I started to pull in after passing a truck. Oops too close, go on a bit further and then pull in to let the queuing traffic overtake me.

The truck driver must have thought I deliberately cut him up.
So, the truck overtakes me and when alongside drives back into the nearside lane taking me onto the gravel verge and a barrier looming while I'm still doing about 45MPH with only the offside tyres still on asphalt. Can I stop in time. I did, but it was a close call.

I think this truck driver tried to deliberately run me off the road and the consequence if I hit the barrier is almost unimaginable.

The following car driver must have been aghast at what he/she was witnessing.

[Lynn]

Dont underestimate how near to death i came in this incident.. i managed to gain control of my car and thats what saved me and all the traffic behind me from becoming a major major accident.

Glad you are OK and were able to react and stay safe.

Not just the left hand drives, the other week a lorry was indicating as I came up past him in the fast lane. It was on an uphill stretch and he wanted to overtake another lorry. I was already going quite fast so I thought I would go on past and he could move in behind me. He just started moving into my lane with me in it. I had no other lane to change into (as we only have two lanes on most of our motorways here) so just had to brake hard to avoid being hit and pushed into the central barriers. Fortunately there was no-one coming up fast behind me.

Not as bad as your incident, but still a bit scary. We have had two fatal accidents in NI recently involving lorries ploughing into other vehicles - one a school bus and the other an ambulance en route to hospital (wth sirens going).

I wonder is there a do some lorry drivers just think 'Well I'm in a big lorry' so they habitually expect other drivers to get out of their way and simply don't feel they need to be as careful?

[Dance Demon]

Middle lane is an overtaking lane and not really for cruising along nice & steady..lorries can only use the middle lane for overtaking, as they are not allowed in the fast lane, and people who sit in the middle lane cause them problems if they cant get out to overtake. this means they have to slow down, dropping into lower gears, burning more fuel, and taking ages to build up speed again to keep up with the flow of traffic. It could also be that you were unfortunate to be in a blind spot in his mirrors. Some of the bigger truck's cabins are quite high off the ground and the mirrors don't always give you total vision of what's going on around you - regardless of whether it is a left hand drive or not. Glad to hear that you are OK. Driving in the inside lane if you are not overtaking is the safest bet. ( I'm a lorry driver - )

[Lynn]

It could also be that you were unfortunate to be in a blind spot in his mirrors. Some of the bigger truck's cabins are quite high off the ground and the mirrors don't always give you total vision of what's going on around you - regardless of whether it is a left hand drive or not.

I did wonder that about the one that tried to change lanes directly into me... I blared the horn as soon as he started moving to let him know I was there (but braked at the same time to get out of the way) but he didn't go back into his own lane.

[RedFox]

Thanks to the EU there is a new law on blind-spot mirrors for HGVs which should help, although - according to this - the Government doesn't seem in much of a rush to implement it.

Anyway, good to know that you're OK...

[stewart38]

Middle lane is an overtaking lane and not really for cruising along nice & steady..lorries can only use the middle lane for overtaking, as they are not allowed in the fast lane, and people who sit in the middle lane cause them problems if they cant get out to overtake. this means they have to slow down, dropping into lower gears, burning more fuel, and taking ages to build up speed again to keep up with the flow of traffic.

Middle lane drivers are a major danger on the road for reasons as above

Ive said before ill come up and flash a middle lane driver to pull over even if the fast lane is free

Clearly it depends on the amount of traffic etc but to see people hogging the middle lane on empty roads can be dangerous

[Lynn]

Middle lane is an overtaking lane and not really for cruising along nice & steady..lorries can only use the middle lane for overtaking, as they are not allowed in the fast lane,

Just noticed this. We only have two lanes on most stretches of motorway here - but some parts have three for a short distance. I presume the 'lorries aren't allowed in the fast lane' therefore doesn't apply as I was overtaking in the fast lane when the lorry moved out almost into me. (Not sure if that was a stretch with three lanes or not.)

I hate it when car's cruise in the fast lane. I will often stay in for a while if wanting to get past a line of slower cars but move back in as soon as I see someone coming up faster behind me.

[stewart38]

I hate it when car's cruise in the fast lane. I will often stay in for a while if wanting to get past a line of slower cars but move back in as soon as I see someone coming up faster behind me.

Do you see my flashing lights or hear my beeping horn first ?

I own the fast lane

[Lynn]

Do you see my flashing lights or hear my beeping horn first ?

I own the fast lane

They don't have to do that, I just see them coming up fast behind me, clearly doing well over the limit, and I get out of their way, slow down into the slow lane, let them whizz past and if the slow lane is still sitting slower than I want to go, I move back out.

[stewart38]

They don't have to do that, I just see them coming up fast behind me, clearly doing well over the limit, and I get out of their way, slow down into the slow lane, let them whizz past and if the slow lane is still sitting slower than I want to go, I move back out.

All joking aside there is nothing worse then Tail gating

With a 38 ton lorry if he wants to tail gate its even more dangerous

A lorry once force me off the road very frightneing experience

[Kel_Warminster]

All joking aside there is nothing worse then Tail gating

With a 38 ton lorry if he wants to tail gate its even more dangerous

A lorry once force me off the road very frightneing experience

Driving approx 38,000 miles a year with my work, I have seen everything on UK roads, and now I drive under the assumption that anything can happen - so I stick to the speed limit and take it easy. If a lorry driver ahead is being an idiot, I give them a wide berth if I can!

I think drink drivers are more of a menace.... Someone who was 4 1/2 times ove the limit put me in intensive care 6 years ago, my chances were 30% for the first two days after. Luckily I am still here annoying everyone

It left me with some interesting scars that provide a talking point at parties Seriously, please don't drink and drive.

[robd]

There are bad drivers in cars and bad drivers in lorries and I am sure each set have horror stories about the behaviour of the other. I know quite a few accidents locally are caused at a junction where people cut in late to the queue for the slip road going off. As there are many lorries on this road they will often spot a gap in front of a lorry, dive in there and this sometimes forces the lorry to take evasive action. Unfortunately the person causing the accident tends to escape the resultant crash.

Not so sure about the L/H steering thing - would be interested to know if this does lead to a genuine proportionate increase in accidents. Of course, UK lorry drivers wouldn't be too happy if similar action to ban R/H drive vehicles was instigated on the continent.

[SteveK]

Do you see my flashing lights or hear my beeping horn first

I own the fast lane

This is when you need an old "tank" of a car with a rear towbar fitted. I used to drive a 15 year old Volvo 240 saloon with obvious rust marks on one of the rear panels.

All the law-breaking drivers realise that they have to wait for you - they realise that a towbar through the front of a BMW affects them far more than it affects a young driver who hasn't accumulated any no-claims bonus to lose.

Roll on the advent of "average speed" cameras - these will slow the selfish maniacs down, and improve traffic flow.

[rubyred]

i had two sleepless nights thinking about what could have been. I avoided injury thankfully.

Dont underestimate how near to death i came in this incident.. i managed to gain control of my car and thats what saved me and all the traffic behind me from becoming a major major accident.

I have just got back from my weekend and I am so shocked to hear this, really really glad you are ok babes.

[CheesyRobMan]

Had my own near death experience a while ago on the M5 going back to Bristol from Exeter - doing 70, overtaking a lorry doing about 50, traffic on my right so couldn't move over. Lorry decided it was going to move out into my lane, he did signal but only once he'd started moving! I stood on the brakes - literally, my bum was off the seat - and fell back past his rear bumper by about a foot. Luckily there was no one close behind me. The lorry had a Dutch registration...

[Lou]

Hi Trouble. I'm very glad you're safe.

I've had a similar experience on the M25 - fortunately I saw him start moving & could change into the outside lane. It was bloody terrifying, but I see it happen quite often. (BTW... before someone starts on me, too - I don't hog the middle lane! )

There was a piece about it on the Tonight program a few weeks ago. It's all down to blind spots that their mirrors can't cope with.

The Tonight link is here

[stewart38]

Roll on the advent of "average speed" cameras - these will slow the selfish maniacs down, and improve traffic flow.

Sure 4am on the motor way with no one around lets 'catch' these nasty criminals with a 40mph average speed zone

Hey get the 4 police to sit in a van all day and catch those going 35mph , what joy

If you have a axe attack of course you will have to wait afew hours

Police ‘too busy’ for 999 axe attack call | Metro.co.uk

Have camera at schools at bottom of hills if need be but come on if you want to hold a queue of traffic up then pull over occasionally

[Trouble]

thanks for all the hugs, kisses and regards guys through here and pm's etc....

Just to update, the driver was actually Dutch.

I had pulled out the slow lane to overtake him so i am not a middle lane hogger and i was halfway passed him when he pulled out. He pulled out straight into the back end rear of my car and that pushed the back end into the fast lane and the car out of control.

The after effects of the crash physically were nothing, a back ache and wrist a little sore and a major sore throat funnily enough. But i could not sleep for two nights. Friday night i missed Ashtons as i was exhausted and finally Friday night, i slept.

Where is the claim for that sort of stress?. There is none as far as i know. I was forced to take time off work unpaid and also the excess which will be deducted from me at £300 (company policy) will also leave a bitter taste and unlikely to be paid back for a long time as its a foreign company that our insurers are having to get it sorted with.

Its not a persons fault so where is the payback? Stress, time off, time off to get car sorted out, driving a shitty little courtesy car, hassle hassle hassle.

Mind you could be worse, could be dead.:

[DundeeDancer]

So Trouble is that your car a right off then?

Your driving confidence must have took a big dent as well.

Really is like a war zone on the roads these days.

Take it DTS will be doing all the driving up to Blaze.

Really glad your OK as I'll be able to have a dance with you now, seeing as your still with us