Driving alongside trucks

sp3ctre

sp3ctre

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Just saw this pop up on lifehacker and thought it may be an interesting thread for duscussion here:

http://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-never-drive-alongside-a-large-truck-1475713889?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Most of us drive cars but share the road with large trucks. These behemoths of the road can pose a significant safety risk when we're careless. Redditor and truck driver stbb shares his experiences and explains why you should never drive alongside a large transport vehicle.
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Sounds like common sense to me, but never thought of the blowout angle. Not sure some of the physics is entirely correct in the article but I thought it's worth discussion :)
 
I pass as quickly as possible. Had two blow outs & it does scare the (what he said) out of you. The noise is incredible. Really good advice.
 
I just pass them and never cruise alongside unless I really have to. Mostly concerned from the wandering around the road as they often seem to be dozing off or on mobiles. Just as important is all the crap they chuck out on my paintwork.

Tyre blowouts - not a worry. Just drive the motorways and see how few lorry tyres have gone. Consider the number of trucks and total tyres and the risk in miniscule. Many more much greater risks on the road than that.
 
I pulled back from a woman the other day who I was following overtaking 2 trucks side by side on the motorway. She was passing in the "fast" lane doing about 1mph only faster than the trucks!!!

The trucks were doing that "I'm overtaking as slowly as I can because I shouldn't really be overtaking" thing also mind!
 
Breaker said:
... The trucks were doing that "I'm overtaking as slowly as I can because I shouldn't really be overtaking" thing also mind!
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Oh lordy, it's universal then!

They do the same thing here (in Japan). Normally the expressways are two lanes, so you'll have Mr. Impatient truck decide he's going to overtake Mr. Slowpoke truck who's traveling at about 80 km/h (which is the legal limit for trucks on the expressways here ... although it's 100 km/h for cars), and Mr. Impatient will swerve out into the passing lane, usually without indicating, and roar into action, passing Mr. Slowpoke at around 80.5 km/h. So if you're behind these clowns you're stuck at 20 km/h below your legal limit for ages. And then further up the road the dance is repeated.
 
It's called 'Elephant Racing'.

Lorries are now banned from passing on some UK motorways at certain times for the very reasons you guys list
 
cj10jeeper said:
It's called 'Elephant Racing'.

Lorries are now banned from passing on some UK motorways at certain times for the very reasons you guys list
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It's the same on the A14 between the M1/M6 junction and Kettering.

Doesn't seem to stop them doing it though - and in the past I've been behind an almost 10 mile elephant race (made up of 5 or 6 trucks taking turns at pulling out in front of each other, then pulling in, then pulling out) :thumbsdown:

In the end I overtook on the inside as there was plenty of space to do so :oops:
 
Many years ago I think it was around 1986 I had a work colleague who was a passenger in a car going up the M6 just past junction 12, traffic moving fairly quick and the tyre on a large lorry the car was overtaking exploded broke the car window and caused some quite severe head and facial injuries to my colleague, it also seriously scarred the hell out of him and the driver.

When ever we went out on business after that he would not allow who ever was driving to overtake a lorry unless there was at least one lane between the vehicles and he would not ever sit in the passenger side of the car.
 
When I was about 16 I was sat on a bus iun the seat above the back wheelarch when it had a blowout.
Fortunately I was on the way back from shopping, and I had a spare pair of trousers as I absolutely sh@ myself.
:oops:
 
its common sense really but some people just dont appreciate the dangers around them and think they are completely safe when they are in a car

i always make sure i am visible to the truck and overtake as quickly as possible as its not a good idea to loiter alongside them
 
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