There's not many of us left...

tc20

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It depends on the vehicle. When driving a truck or bus, the driver is expected to make cars and other small vehicles change their position on the road to compensate for the greater width of the truck or bus.

Looking back, that's exactly how I was taught to drive large vehicles but, over the years, I had developed the habit of keeping inside the lines.

Wishbone, i can see your point with regard to camber/high sided vehicle, but i agree with peasant here on the 'mine's bigger than yours, get outta me way'
train of thought.
However, and this is a point drivers will only gain with road experience (not something that is generally thought to beginners) - that larger vehicles obviously need more room (duh!) but how often have you seen a truck pass a parked car when there is clearly oncoming traffic, and forcing the smaller car, who should have priority, into taking evasive action?
An experienced driver will notice the oncoming truck, and the obstruction, and generally hold back to let the truck make the pass. But the 'bullying' tactics by drivers of larger vehicles is bang out of order.
In many cases, a novice driver, fresh with knowledge on correct road procedure, might expect the truck driver to hold back, and so not alter their speed or position, before having the bejebus scared out of them by 20tonnes of metal coming towards them.

Curran

If large artics are driving "aggressively", and sometimes on the other side of the road - should they, perhaps, drive with their indicators on all the time??

fozzle

Wishbone Ash wrote:

If a road is 5 metres wide, it is more appropriate that the truck/bus utilises 3 metres and the car utilises 2 metres. I'm often is situations where I'm using every cm available to me when meeting a car while the car driver has a metre to spare at their nearside.

Ugh, I have that, it's invariably middle aged women who seem to think they're driving tanks. YOU DON'T NEED FIVE FEET OF CLEARANCE ON EITHER SIDE OF YOUR CAR! Mind you, since most of them probably got their licences in the amnesty I probably shouldn't be suprised. :mad:

gbh

Yep noticed it as well...going home the other evening and behind a chancer with an L plate on and all his friends in the car. His first mistake was to go into the wrong lane (the turn off lane for a right turn). I then go into the left lane as normal. Then this guy suddenly veers off into my lane without bothering to indicate or look in his rear or wing mirror. He nearly ran me off the road. This guy is a danger to himself but more importantly to others.

gbh

fozzle wrote:

Ugh, I have that, it's invariably middle aged women who seem to think they're driving tanks. YOU DON'T NEED FIVE FEET OF CLEARANCE ON EITHER SIDE OF YOUR CAR! Mind you, since most of them probably got their licences in the amnesty I probably shouldn't be suprised. :mad:

I've noticed that women in SUVS are usually the most arrogant drivers and tend to use their vehicle to take over the road, and never let you edge in front of them if you are coming from a slip road.

Kadeshh

daedalus2097 wrote:

Kadeshh, maybe you meant 3rd exit? Either that or you were going too far around in the outside lane...

sorry, meant that the other way round. as in i'm in outside lane turning at second exit, guy inside me from same turn on, coming across me. (only single lane exit)

i

OKenora

I think we are confusing "defensive" driving and "correct" driving. In the case of a HGV crossing the divider for any reason when not needed it is a fail point in your test, but the driving out from the kerb is a defensive driving technique which is being taught to drivers AFTER they pass their test but not as part of it.

It is designed to protect the vehicle (tele poles bad verges etc) and pedestrians who wobble off or near the edge of the path.

What is a shame is the fact that driving professionals feel the need to drive like this (or at least are being instructed to) I think it's a large indictment on the standard of driving generally in the country.

Enygma

Has anyone noticed that some people (taxi drivers) are just using the blinkers instead of indicators lately? It's like they're saying "I'm going to turn soon, but I'll leave the direction as a surprise!"

I've seen a fair bit of it lately. Is it just me?

Rovi

Enygma wrote:

...are just using the blinkers instead of indicators lately?

Um... pardon me for being dense, but what's a 'blinker' as opposed to an 'indicator?'

Stark

Blinker is in what horses wear I guess. ie: driving around with head locked in forward position and not so much as the odd glance in any other direction.

Darragh29

BMW drivers are the worst in the world for it, or maybe BMW just stopped putting indicators on cars???

Wossack

bmw-recall.jpg

jjbrien

Wossack wrote:

bmw-recall.jpg

LOL:D

Darragh29

Wossack wrote:

bmw-recall.jpg

Haha, excellent!

Wishbone Ash

tc20 wrote:

larger vehicles obviously need more room (duh!) but how often have you seen a truck pass a parked car when there is clearly oncoming traffic, and forcing the smaller car, who should have priority, into taking evasive action?

There is a difference between bullying and being assertive on the roads.

The main difference between driving a truck and driving a car is not directly connected with the size of the vehicles but with the ability to read the road ahead.

If one is driving an articulated truck and spots a parked car several hundred metres ahead, the correct procedure is to move out and take up a position in the centre of the road in good time. This allows the car driver approaching from the opposite direction to see the truck and notice that there is a parked car on the trucks side of the road. (Many car drivers tend not to read the road ahead and then deal with predicaments much too late).

The car driver had two options.

1. He may continue as normal as he has right of way. No problem there as the truck driver who has read the road and has moved out in good time can move in again if necessary.

2. The second option is that the car driver will slow down slightly and allow the truck to pass the parked car safely. The car driver can continue on his way after his few seconds delay.

A vehicle weighing 40 tonnes is much more difficult to manoeuvre that a 1.5 tonne car and involves much greater changing of gears and loss of momentum. Therefore it may make sense to allow the larger and heavier vehicle to pass unhindered.

Anyone who has done lessons in an 'artic' will know that the phrase "take up you position" is frequently used. In a driving test, the examiner will not look too kindly to a submissive candidate. On a very busy road , he could end up stuck directly behind that car for ages whereas, with a bit of confidence, everyone can be on their way without delay.

I know that this will probably irritate many car drivers but they should remember that all truck drivers are also car drivers and can see it from both sides.

colm_mcm

I'm afraid a lot of car drivers don't put themselves in the shoes of truck and bus drivers, cutting in in front of them, not leaving them enough room to take turns, or cutting them up on roundabouts.

peasant

[*dreaming mode*]

I would be all in favour of everybody having to do two or three hours on a truck as part of their instruction before the driving test. Possibly motorbike as well, but that would be tad difficult for the instructor.

[/*dreaming mode*]