Message Forums

Quote: Originally posted by Draig on 09/8/2009

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I don't know what is the matter with the majority of motorway drivers. I try to obey the speed limit without fail, including the temporary limits where there are roadworks, but I would say that 90 per cent of drivers ignore the limits completely. If they only realised what plonkers they are when they fly past those obeying the law they wouldn't do it.

AL

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I do think that if all were traveling at the motorway speed limit it would end  in bunching and that would cause in my belief  be just as dangerous Having said  when it is busy then it should be observed.Obvious the road works should be cut down for the sake of the workforce and in fact should be controlled with average speed if a major works.

WG

what about the convoys of 40-45 mph outfits on the M5 heading north today then ?

equally as dangerous as the 70+ brigade.

maybe its time for a minimum speed limit on flat sections of motorway ??

5-7 caravans all dangerously close together at a very low speed is a recipe for disaster for traffic coming up behind at 70

Quote: Originally posted by whiterosesom on 09/8/2009

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I did read your post correctly. I didn't read it anywhere that you weren't towing either !!

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I've just got back from Cornwall, I've left my family down there with our van for a holiday while I force the nose against the grindstone for another week before I join them.

We were on the M5 saturday morning & saw the caravan on its side, I think it was around Wellington. Everyone will assume the driver was speeding but no one knows for sure what would have caused the accident. One thing was certain, whether they were going on holiday or returning from one, that van won't be going anywhere without serious repairs & the poor family in the car must have been scared witless. The van was on its side still hitched to the car, it hadits rear wheels several feet off the ground.

Having set my speed at around 55 I saw countless towing vehicles going far too fast, a number were actually out in lane three, only one with a caravan but several with trailers & going like the clappers.

Considering the vast increase in the number of towing vehicles on our roads this time of year, I'm not surprised at the number of accidents involving them. The problem IMO is driving in general. Everyone wants to be in front & very few afford other motorists courtesy of the road any more. 

Unless we motorists control our behaviour on the roads, the only way to prove driving activity history for drivers stopped by police or involved in accidents will be to fit all vehicle with driving recorders similar to tachographs & then the authorities will be able to prove what the person behind the wheel has been up to, how fast they've been driving & how long they've been driving without a break. 

From what I saw driving past the overturned van, everyone seemed to be OK, that's all that matters.

BB 

Perhaps there should be signs at the start of motorways and at on-ramps indicating the speed limits and that you cannot use the outside lane on 3+ lane motorways for towing outfits.

Mike

Caravanners = no different to any other class of driver I am afraid.  We had a motorhome pull out of a layby right in front of us on the way home yesterday.  I couldn't switch lanes (it was a dual carriageway) as it was chock a block so he nearly had my X Trail embedded in his boot.  He made no attempt to pull away swiftly, just came straight out in front of me with the typical "sod you I am not waiting attitude" of people today.

Ali

Quote: Originally posted by sbsuk on 10/8/2009

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Perhaps there should be signs at the start of motorways and at on-ramps indicating the speed limits and that you cannot use the outside lane on 3+ lane motorways for towing outfits.

Mike

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It was obvious, yes they stated their outfit in their profile but they also stated they knew the rules with regard to limits etc so ergo they would not have been driving illegally and stating as much would they.

This is a friendly forum, there are ways and ways of saying things without being confrontational.

Ali

We've only been caravanning just over a year now and although we have seen the odd van being towed by an unsuitable car and some driving too fast the main chunk of bad driving we see and experience is people without vans pulling out on us, cutting us up and overtaking when it's clearly not safe to do so.

You can pretty much guarantee on our short 20 min drive we do most weekends at least 2 cars will see us coming at a junction or island and race to pull out on us, we're in a 30 area and easily accelerate to the speed limit so dont hold anyone up, we frequently have to slam the brakes on to avoid ploughing into the side of someone.

Last week proved it to us, we were towing at 50mph with the van on (in a 60 zone), it was single carriageway but a straight main road,  8 cars overtook us when there was a constant stream of oncoming taffic that they squeezed in between, the following day we drove the same road but without the van on and deliberately drove at 50mph to see how many came past and not a single one did!

Quote: Originally posted by jennifernn on 09/8/2009

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Yep, I also reckoned they were not towing a caravan/trailer.

Having traveled extensively in UK (and Europe) we look forward to coming north and the reduction of traffic on the roads here.

We feel really sorry for you all down south, it really is so crowded.

We may not be so well off up here, but the quality of life is excellent.

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