Hgv Limit Increases

[Towtug]

https://www. gov. uk/government/speeches/national-speed-limits-for-heavy-goods-vehicles

 

What do you think of the proposal, do faster HGV s have an affect on the leisure towing community?

[CommanderDave]

It was raised on here a few weeks ago about the speed increase . IMO I dont think it will make any difference to stop overtaking just more serious front end crashes . I m the size of a artic nearly and travel at 50 mph on single lanes and I still get people coming through and forcing their way in .

 

 

Dave

[Black Grouse]

It'll reduce congestion on single carriageways caused by those HGVs which obey their 40mph limit - it's a minority but it does cause congestion.

 

Raising the HGV limit up to 50mph will of course mean they'll all do 56mph, ie flat out on their limiters, as that's just within ACPO guidelines for speeding - so any caravanner sticking to 50mph GPS will be holding everyone up - heaven help any caravanner that does 50mph from the speedo!

 

Sadly modern car drivers seem to have lost the ability to overtake when they do get chance - it's not uncommon to see a HGV or caravanner at the head of a queue but with a perfectly clear road ahead with good sight lines.

[Chillout]

Yes, it should speed up traffic on roads which have the speed limit to permit HGVs to drive at the increased speed. It wouldn't help those who tow caravans, trailers etc who drive at a much slower pace. ie holding up traffic!

[Towtug]

This move obviously reflects the technical advances in HGV construction. Do you think we may see lobbying for other increases. There has already been a consultation to increase agricultural speeds and axle loads.

[gumdrop]

So they can go even faster while reading maps

and asking directions or ETA's over the phone.

Will it end the truck pulling into the middle lane

and tramping along there for the next five miles

before finally pulling in again?

Why not just let them in the third lane? the foreign

drivers would think they were still on the continent

[Black Grouse]

This move obviously reflects the technical advances in HGV construction. Do you think we may see lobbying for other increases. There has already been a consultation to increase agricultural speeds and axle loads.

No - it simply reflects the fact that the average speed of HGVs on a 40mph single carriageway is OVER 50mph.

So they can go even faster while reading maps

and asking directions or ETA's over the phone.

Will it end the truck pulling into the middle lane

and tramping along there for the next five miles

before finally pulling in again?

Why not just let them in the third lane? the foreign

drivers would think they were still on the continent

And every other type of vehicle has perfect drivers ?

[gumdrop]

No - it simply reflects the fact that the average speed of HGVs on a 40mph single carriageway is OVER 50mph.

And every other type of vehicle has perfect drivers ?

No but they do not weigh 40 Killer Tonnes.

[Brocher12]

No - it simply reflects the fact that the average speed of HGVs on a 40mph single carriageway is OVER 50mph.

And every other type of vehicle has perfect drivers ?

So if all us caravanner's drive at the same limit as solo and the government will up our limit too????????

[David 38]

Motorways not mentioned.

I thought they were limited to 58mph on motorways if I'm right they will be able to faster on a duel carriageway than a motorway.

I know it only 2 mph, but always hated when they doing what I think is their max. in the slow lane and I at 60 mph taking ages to overtake, I have always wished their speed to be 60mph too.

[Towtug]

Motorways not mentioned.

I thought they were limited to 58mph on motorways if I'm right they will be able to faster on a duel carriageway than a motorway.

I know it only 2 mph, but always hated when they doing what I think is their max. in the slow lane and I at 60 mph taking ages to overtake, I have always wished their speed to be 60mph too.

Their limit is 60 the same as caravans.

[Black Grouse]

So if all us caravanner's drive at the same limit as solo and the government will up our limit too????????

No - it's not us that keeps the country supplied with essential goods is it?

Motorways not mentioned.

I thought they were limited to 58mph on motorways if I'm right they will be able to faster on a duel carriageway than a motorway.

I know it only 2 mph, but always hated when they doing what I think is their max. in the slow lane and I at 60 mph taking ages to overtake, I have always wished their speed to be 60mph too.

The proposed increase from 40 to 50 mph is the HGV limit on single carriageways - HGVs are already limited to 50mph on dual carriageways and 60mph on motorways, for which no increase is proposed - their limiters are set to 56mph but it's quite legal for them to go up to 60 down motorway gradients.

[zen]

A lot of haulage companies limit their vehicles for fuel economy, If you notice when following them they have it stated on the back.

[N&L]

So they can go even faster while reading maps

and asking directions or ETA's over the phone.

Will it end the truck pulling into the middle lane

and tramping along there for the next five miles

Why not just let them in the third lane? the foreign

drivers would think they were still on the continent

 

 

 

Sounds like your very Anti-HGV

Edited September 2, 2014 by Foghorn Leghorn

[Honk]

It's 44 killer tones now.

 

With the advance of in-cab technology, it is very easy for a company to penalise a driver for driving over the limit. There is also in-cab gubbins that relates all manner of driving style: speed, acceleration, braking, etc. Here is one that is fitted to the merc I was in today

FleetBoard® measures the performance of vehicle and driver on every journey with it’s grading system. The grade awarded reflects driver behaviour in key areas such as braking, harsh acceleration, anticipating the road ahead, gear changing etc and can also identify use of cruise control and excessive idling.

 

Getting caught speeding in a HGV can result in the loss of your HGV entitlement and therefore the loss of your income.

 

Raising the limits to 50 will make little difference to many drivers (supermarkets especially) as customer focussed and fuel saving experts will override it. You also have the driver who will drive according to the load, weather conditions and how the trailer reacts (some are a nightmare to pull behind you).

 

What it will do is speed up a few journeys for a few people, don't for one minute think the highways will be a pleasure to use again - speed limiters have killed that along with the cash cows of cameras.

 

For me, I used to get paid by the mile so would go the maximum speed the truck could cope with to get the miles in. Now I am paid by the hour, I just plod along and snigger at the angry folk just waiting to risk killing themselves to save five minutes of their journey.

 

Truck drivers are a funny breed

 

H.

[Trevor Marron]

I won't be going any faster on a single carriageway in my truck. I get paid hourly, no need to rush or speed.

[bmwbrooks]

So if all us caravanner's drive at the same limit as solo and the government will up our limit too????????

 

With a bit of luck!

[gumdrop]

Sounds like your very Anti-HGV

Not at all, no trucks no food in the shops, but someone

needs to point out the worst case scenario.

[Digger_07]

Well I might be the minority here, but I take my hat off to truck/HGV drivers, driving up and down this country with the maniacs on the roads these days. It is bad enough on the motorways so god only know what it must be like in the towns and city's. So anything that can help them gets a thumbs up from me.

 

Don't get me wrong I am no saint when I am on the road and have and do curse truck/HGV drivers at times, but I deify anyone who doesn't.

[fatgit]

There are good and bad in all types of drivers whether it's HGV, car, bike, caravan or motorhome - just take a long drive down any motorway and you'll witness or all.

The technological advances on vehicles mean that many new ones can safely go faster, but there are also a large percentage of vehicles that are older and can't.

It's not just the limits that need a total rethink but the laws surrounding them.

 

With the move to vehicle databases for NPR etc, I don't see why, in the near future, a vehicle can't have different restrictions based on it's safe maximum speed. If it's new and full of safety gadgets let them go faster than the older ones.

I wouldn't want to tow my caravan at 70/80mph, but maybe a new one fitted with all the latest stability kit and a car with trailer control etc could,). Just as I wouldn't drive an old banger at 80/90 on the motorway but my new yeti would probably be perfectly ok (if it was legal and I had money to burn on diesel).

 

There are still dangerous driving laws, so if you are doing the legal limit but it isn't safe for you to do so, the police can (if they wanted) prosecute.

[gumdrop]

I find it disturbing the amount of HGV rubber I see on the Motorways,

in this day and age so tyres are still a limiting factor on HGV's

High speeds on new trucks with safety devices are all very well,

but the ropey old trucks were new and cutting edge once, it is a

lack of maintenance and the cost of people able to work on these

new safety devices that will cause problems.

[ian16527]

It'll reduce congestion on single carriageways caused by those HGVs which obey their 40mph limit - it's a minority but it does cause congestion.

 

Raising the HGV limit up to 50mph will of course mean they'll all do 56mph, ie flat out on their limiters, as that's just within ACPO guidelines for speeding - so any caravanner sticking to 50mph GPS will be holding everyone up - heaven help any caravanner that does 50mph from the speedo!

 

Sadly modern car drivers seem to have lost the ability to overtake when they do get chance - it's not uncommon to see a HGV or caravanner at the head of a queue but with a perfectly clear road ahead with good sight lines.

I havent got a GPS - what do I do?

 

(Other than buy one straight away) - I could estimate that my speedo is always 10% out and add this on.

 

I also tend to drive to the road/weather conditions so do sometimes 45mph. (0 mph on the M6 the other week for 2 hrs

Edited September 3, 2014 by ian16527

[shipbroker]

As someone who was heavily involved in Road Haulage for especially the last 7 years of a long working life may I agree with views expressed by Honk & Trevor. ..and add Digger to that as well. .....By the way we normally use LGV as being descriptive of vehicles in excess of 7. 5 tonnes these days.

 

geoff

[Honk]

Cheers Geoff but I still work in mph feet inches and lbs

 

H.

[beejay]

Why not just let them in the third lane? the foreign

drivers would think they were still on the continent

 

 

Why? They can't use the outer lane of three on the continent and I have never seen it in theUK either.

 

No but they do not weigh 40 Killer Tonnes.

 

 

Have you ever driven one?

.