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The other day I was overtaken by a white transit type van on an open road, no surprise there as I am not a speed merchant and it seemed totally acceptable to overtake. I was traveling at 50mph and he/she was doing much faster than that. Anyway something prompted me to look up the class of vehicle and to my surprise I found out that transit van type vehicles should not exceed 50 mph on single carriageway and 60 mph on a dual carriageway.
You learn something every day eh?
Not only that, but any Goods Vehicles over 7.5 tons, i.e. Large Lorries and Articulated Lorries. The Speed Limit for them on a Single Carriage-way is 40MPH, on a Dual Carriage-way is 50MPH and on a Motorway is 60MPH.
Now how many Lorries have you ever seen sticking to the 40MPH limit driving on the A9 to Inverness. I never have, but I have been overtaken by Lorries while I have been driving, in my car, at 55MPH. So much for the 40MPH limit for Lorries.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...vice/DG_178867
Silly law anyway, nothing worse than getting stuck behind a lorry doing 40 on the A9 to Inverness, not the best stretch of road for passing on.
Actually I would have thought that if a lorry was restricted by law to do 40mph on the A9 then there will be more opportunities for faster vehicles to get past.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alrock
Not many good overtaking spots on the A9, not a lot of straights. Besides, if you're stuck behind a lorry at 40 it would take longer to accelerate to an overtaking speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rheghead
I agree that there not be many places if lorries are flouting the law but I think there is more than you may be giving credit for if the speed restrictions were enforced.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alrock
The fact is that if lorries are allowed to go faster then car drivers will feel the need to overtake faster and more dangerously.
I say.... Scrap all speed limits, just use dangerous driving laws. Only downside to that though is that it would put too much power into the hands of individual police officers. But on the upside, it would eradicate the scourge of the speed camera. Wonder what they'd dream up to replace that revenue stream instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rheghead
There's loads of places you can overtake, quite safely, on the A9 between Inverness and Caithness. If you find it difficult then I question your confidence, it's easy to drop a gear and get some oomph to overtake, I've never had a problem. I'm not a speed freak, plus I value my licence and repect other road users, but having driven the road many times I know where I can overtake quite safely.
also the fact that the larger the vehicle the harder it is to control at speed. there is a reason for speed limits after all. i can guarantee that if a Lorrie looses control and you are in its path.. you will not win!
Nah not at all Alrock. Just before you move out put it in 3rd or 4th depending on what gear you were in and accelerate quickly that way. You certainly would not overtake in 5th gear that will make it slow to accelerateQuote:
Originally Posted by Alrock
I'm the exact same minus the experience. My partner when we travel on the A9 tells me where the sharp corners are and the straights are for overtaking. I have to remind him that i know what i'm doing lol. Was on the motorway for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I don't have any bother overtaking anymore. Went to wick the other day and decided to overtake a couple of slower vehicles and he said nothing for a change haha!!Quote:
Originally Posted by joxville
A lack of safe overtaking places on the A9? Folk must be driving lawn mowers too and from the Highland capital.
All depends on the car you drive. In 5th Gear I can accelerate away no problem and in 6th gear all I need to do is to kick down and the Turbo kicks in and "Vroom" I am away and past any lorry. As I said it all depends on the car you drive and when overtaking you should take this into account.Quote:
Originally Posted by Koi
All these comments on how easy it is to overtake seem to be based on the assumption that there is no traffic coming in the other direction...
Sods law states... "When on a twisty bit of road there will be little or no traffic coming at you in the opposite direction but as soon as you hit one of the short potential overtaking stretches there will be a convoy of vehicles coming towards you in the opposite direction"
Obviously you can only overtake when theres no other vehicle coming towards you. Did you leave your sense under your pillow. Kind of goes without saying you're only going to overtake if its clear!Quote:
Originally Posted by Alrock
However if stuck behind slow moving traffic and you wish to make progress in your journey you got to get out there and past as soon as its clear and good to go. Hang around thinking about it too long and you miss your chance. Used to be like this myself but now i get out there and get past when its clear and safe to do so.
I think it overtaking opportunities vary depending on the vehicle you are driving. For me this means.....
A, Work vehicle, most limited options due to modest power.
B, My private car, much better power and therefore greater opportunities to overtake.
C, My Motorbike, overtaking is rarely a problem, such is the power/weight ratio I can overtake in places I would never dream of in a car.
With regard to the A9 between Caithness and Inverness I think there are plenty of suitable places depending on traffic conditions.
Reghead: I believe I read on another posting about a white van that travels at an excessive speed. Wonder if it could be the same white van?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rheghead
Seems to me most of you need to learn to drive and read the highway code. There ain't no safe overtaking 'places' on any road!
Okay then Mr Pedantic, there are sections on some highways in which it is easier and safer to carry out an overtaking manoeuvre; for instance, on the A9 between Inverness and Caithness there are twisty sections, we'll call them 'bends', and there are long, uninterrupted sections, we shall call them 'straights'. Should you wish to overtake a slower vehicle ahead of you, I recommend you only do so on a 'straight', trying to do it on a 'bend' could result in a major accident. Remember to keep a good distance between you and the car in front to allow you to see far enough ahead when you wish to overtake, and only to do so if the road ahead is clear, also remember to Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre. Here endeth the lesson. Tomorrow I shall teach you how to suck eggs! :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Phill
was thinking about this the other day.. how unsafe drivers are , and how lax in regards to what is safe.. there seems to be a lot of impatience and speed demons about.. especially on the road south. I personally have witnessed many unsafe passing maneuvers.. many in bends that no way you can see around.. and at high speeds. with all the recent news on the dual carriageway from perth to inverness.. due to all the accidents and deaths.. you would think it would make us slow down a little bit and think.
My mate and i were talking about it yesterday, was it the road itself that is so dangerous, (not counting bad weather) or just bad, inexperienced not paying attention drivers, or a combination of the both?
have driven the road many times over the years.. and my mate and i was talking about how it is a very fast road.. ie.. in places you can pick up a lot of speed without really realizing it.. and there be an unexpected bend.. also the repair of the road in places. there is a reason for road rules, and that is to save lives. when we disregard those rules.. and i have seen it up here a lot! ie speed.. then we are endangering not only ourselves but everyone else.
I remember we went to north wales on holiday, and there was cameras everywhere.. and everyone told us.. do not speed you will be caught.. and how hard they had come down on speed in north wales.
the majority of the locals while telling you really do not go over 30 when it says 30.. you will be ticketed and get points.. were quite happy with the new laws.. as they told us that it had cut road accidents more than half in the first year. from what i understood there had been a lot of fatal crashes in the area.. and they really cracked down on speeding and it worked a wonder.
also, something that i see often down south is the motorbike signs, about speeding.. and how many people have been killed in the past year on a stretch of road that while very fun for riders to fly down.. often ends in a dead body.
+1Quote:
Originally Posted by Alrock
40 mph limit?
Thats too low...!
If there are lots of cars coming the other way ..everyone will be stuck behind
and it makes ppl take chances to overtake...
Remember, the journey is the reward, not the destination. :)
i am a white van man myself and theres many more up ere we ve all got 3 points and a fine for speeding so wat been tuck of my licence so i ave got room for 3 more now its gud to speed like many more so wat wats it to do with any body wat we do i say get a life stop complaining get on with it i will get on with it ,i mean speeding
Well if you drive in the same manner as you write then we're all shagged.Quote:
Originally Posted by john winters