speedking

Public dashcams become admissible in evidence

/Possible future headline.

richs2891

Continuous driver education is the way forward in my eyes. Every 5 or 10 years a compulsory retest / evaluation of your driving.
I'm not meaning can you pass the basic ability to drive test, including but motorway driving - how to join a motorway, which lane to be in, how to go around a roundabout.
It amazes me that can pass test at 17 and can drive until die without any other form of actual in the car on the road evaluation of your driving ability.

Roads do change, when I first learnt to drive the merge to the left type of roundabout did where few and far between but now a lot more common - yet how many people cant go around one properly - even when there's white lines guiding you !

Would create jobs as well !

Richard

Oldun

There is a rumour going around that the Highways Agency patrol vehicles will be getting ANPR camera equipment on board linked directly to a police control centre.
They could use their powers as in the Traffic Management Act 2004*, they could become the PCSO of the motorway.
Only a rumour, but it's a big possibility.


*Traffic Management Act 2004
Officers must follow the directions of a police constable and to exercise their powers, must be on duty and in uniform.

For the purposes of:

maintaining or improving the movement of traffic on a relevant road over which the traffic officer has jurisdiction
preventing or reducing the effect of anything causing (or which has the potential to cause) congestion or other disruption to the movement of traffic on such a road,
avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using such a road (or preventing risks of any such danger arising),
preventing damage to, or to anything on or near, such a road,

a traffic officer may:

direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle to stop the vehicle, or to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic,
for the purposes of a traffic survey of any description which is being carried out on or in the vicinity of a road, to direct a person driving or propelling a vehicle to stop the vehicle, or to make it proceed in, or keep to, a particular line of traffic, or to proceed to a particular point on or near the road on which the vehicle is being driven or propelled (subject to the restriction in section 35(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52)),
to direct persons on foot (or such persons and other traffic) to stop,
to direct a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, or riding a cycle, on a road to stop the vehicle or cycle,
to place temporary traffic signs and cones on a road.

Assaulting, resisting or willfully obstructing an officer are offences. It is also an offence to impersonate an officer, or for an officer to claim they enjoy more powers than they do. HA traffic officers do not have any powers of detention; to search, issue fixed penalties or report for summons for any motoring offence. HATO traffic officers are not exempt from any traffic laws and must at all times comply with the posted speed limits and red traffic lights, except those for which they are exempt from.

Drivers are obliged by the Traffic Management Act 2004 to comply with the directions given by officers. This is briefly explained in the Highway Code:

Highways Agency Traffic Officers have powers to stop vehicles on most motorways and some 'A' class roads, in England only. If HA traffic officers in uniform want to stop your vehicle on safety grounds (e.g. an insecure load) they will, where possible, attract your attention by

flashing amber lights, usually from behind
directing you to pull over to the side by pointing and/or using the left indicator

You MUST then pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Then switch off your engine. It is an offence not to comply with their directions.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Indeed.

Wasn't holding anyone up, even tried to explain to said cop (who seemed new to the job as he was very young) that I was travelling at 50mph in the controlled average speed zone, so I couldn't have been holing anyone up anyway.
He even went further to say that I stayed in the overtaking lane for 1.1 miles before I move left.
Yeah - when there were no ******* cars in my way.
Plus it was a Sunday.

tony de wonderful

A speeders charter?

Dr Hu

I love blatting past the HA officers at 90..... when other muppets slam their brakes on at the mere sight of one....

urban

iTrader: (1)

HA?

hodgy0_2

highways agency

do keep up

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I once followed a police motorcyclist up the M5 then the M42, with everyone else moving over, at speeds of...well, above the posted limit, anyway.

I was probably the ONLY person who realised he wasn't Five-O, just a courier with lookalike bike, light on pole etc etc.

tony de wonderful

You can't technically be holding anyone up at 70 mph because only illegal speeders would be able to pass. Obviously in real world driving this means about 75 mph.

Personally I'm a habitual middle lane hogger. I estimate I spend 90% of the time in the middle lane cruising at 70 mph plus a little extra margin of error. I don't like having to repeatedly dart in and out of slow lorries in the inside lane and so this is why I do it, plus the lorries give you poor visibility and the inside lane is where collisions with vehicles on the shoulder happen. Furthermore at junction where slip roads enter the motorway you don't want to be boxed in on the inside lane. Making good progress in the middle lane is sound defensive driving. One has the best view of the road ahead and avoids the hazards of the shoulder to the left and barrier to the right. If there is a problem you can go left or right in an emergency. If the motorway gets busy then one can move about to help even up traffic. I've never felt I was rightfully holding anyone up by doing a good 70 mph plus a little extra. It's not my duty to clear the road for angry UKIP supporting Audi drivers who want their own Zil lane to do 100 mph down.

speedking

Your points are in the post

tony de wonderful

So you're always on the inside lane then are you?

I was using a major motorway just a few days ago and it's funny how traffic doesn't just stick to the inside lane.

cster

I do - more relaxing, no crowding and you don't have to use your mirrors anywhere near as much.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Its an English thing.

phoenixgold

iTrader: (2)

I drop back to lane 1 wherever possible. It isn't possible or sensible most of the time. The biggest issue I have with this change, is that it won't address the actual problem. Someone driving with driving without due care and attention because they have undertaken? How about the person that was undertaken. They usually have no clue about what is going off around them. That to me, is not paying attention to driving. The majority of middle lane hoggers come onto the motorway, get into the middle lane and don't move again until they leave. They are absolutely petrified of driving, and haven't got the 1st clue about anything going off around them. They are the real danger, not the person who may run above the posted limit, but has 100% concentration and awareness of the other vehicles around them.

Of course, until this can be policed by camera or on board prox/GPS systems, it's likely to be few and far between that anyone actually gets done for it. There'll be a few examples on one of the police "look how good we are" programs like with mobile phones and seat belts, but the number of people using phones is many times those that get caught.

Leslie

I should have qualified that by stating it would be dangerous in fast moving traffic.

Only too easy to find the one being overtaken moving back to his left while not expecting someone to be overtaking him.

Fair enough of course, as the law says, to do it in slow moving traffic.

Les

speedking

One man's fast is another man's slow

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I only use the overtaking lanes to believe it or not...overtake.

I use lane one or lane two or three (etc) only when it is clear and safe to do so.

Its seems this logic is lost on many people.

If, for example you are doing 70mph and see a lorry ahead doing 56mph (which it will be - or slower). You check mirrors and move to an overtaking lane when it safe to do so WELL IN ADVANCE.

Its the distance of the latter point which many people fail to comprehend. The slower the overtaken vehicle is going or the heavier the surrounding traffic or weather conditions is, the longer that distance is...200yards or 50metres is my rough rule of thumb; Thats about 13 car lengths or 4 lorry (artics) lengths. If there is another slower moving vehicle less than 500yards ahead, then I stay in the overtaking lane until until I am clear to safely pull back in.

Many people leave lane changing far far too late, then end up having to brake as they can't change lane in time or they cut up faster traffic by changing lanes without assessing the speed of traffic approaching from behind or giving that traffic time to react by moving to lane 3. There are some that think that because they are doing 70mph, they can change lanes and cut-up overtaking traffic with impunity.

The same applies for moving back to lane one....one lorry distance ahead before pulling back in. And never pull into lane one at a motorway junction when the slip road has joining traffic.

I heard arguments saying that lane two is "safer"...Please someone remove licenses from these people. The safest place for their car is at home on their driveway with a 'For Sale' sign on it! Lane 2 is never safe....it has traffic on either side. Of which can do unpredictable things.....notable example are left hand drive trucks and those in the 'BMW lane' that cut across lanes forgetting there is a still 6ft of car behind their front seat that's not finished overtaking. The other lanes to either side of Lane 2 usually have traffic which you may hit when doing avoiding maneuvers. Lane one almost always has a nice empty hard shoulder should the worst ever happen (like a dozing trucker pulling back to lane one without knowing its clear to do so ).

Having recently driven through France and Spain in the space of two days I am reminded at how good lane discipline is far far better that it is in the UK. They may tailgate, panic brake for no reason, drive in fog/rain with no lights and leave their indicators on for 10miles (even when in lane one).

But at least they only use the overtaking lane to overtake. Which is much more than can be said for the British (and its immigrants ).

Through the majority of that 3000mile return trip I was not held up by any traffic (even in Rouen...the main bridge is still closed! )...nor did I hold up traffic from behind with my cruise control set at the 130kph and 120kph motorway limits for most of the journey (according to the satnav).....that was until I hit the M5 when travelling home and spent 50miles behind a queues of cars tailgating a Nissan Quasqai(sp?) driven by a 30 something woman with her head 3 inches from her windscreen and her view ahead blocked by a sat nav infront of it and a inability to maintain a steady or constant speed - swinging between 55mph and 75mph (and never faster than 70mph on the sat nav) Many undertook. I didn't get the chance as by the time I was the second car in the lengthy line of the cars behind her I was at Oxford Services and I fancied a burger and a p!ss

tony de wonderful

Ali the hard-shoulder is one of the most lethal places on our roads with 1500 people killed or injured each year in the UK. This is why the cops freak out if you stop and use it to take a ****.

This is one good reason to avoid lane 1, as if the poor visibility afforded by trucks ahead.

Plus to make progress you are constantly moving from lane one to two and back. Each manoeuvre carries a risk.

Staying in the middle lane and doing a decent speed is sound defensive driving. It gives you the best view of the road ahead, options to go left or right in the event of a situation (unlike the outside lane), and allows you to predominately stay in lane.

Plus the inside lane has a poorer surface due to diesel and oil leaking from the trucks over the years.

alistair

What people seem to be missing is that the law hasn't actually changed. You can be charged with any of these offences already.

If you want to plead not guilty, then you have the option to go to court and make your case.

Sitting in the middle lane isn't an offence - however, forcing someone else to slow down or manoeuvre around you is.

alistair

The Highway Code is not the law.

Breaking the Code can be used as an example of Driving without Due Care.

So undertaking is not breaking the law, neither is sitting in the middle lane etc.

I think he meant it would be better if they were offences in their own right - at least that way, insurance companies could differentiate.

alistair

Also, the ACPO Guidelines have lane hogging & forcing people to slow or pass on the inside as requiring a summons.....

Was part of my defence for passing a marked Police car on the inside - ACPO show the lane hog as being the greater offence - I was found not guilty BTW

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

What about everyone else trying to get around you? It's not all about you!

tony de wonderful

How can they be going past me if I am doing the speed limit?

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Because not eveyone does the speed limit, and we allow people to break the speed limit at their own will (I did start a thread here about making all cars physically restricted to 70mph but was quickly mocked )

c_maguire

The same logic applies irrespective of which lane you are in does it?

tony de wonderful

Wait, so you want me to pull over to give people the freedom to break the law?

Beastie

iTrader: (2)

I am very excited about this whole thing!!!

Does this mean that we will be getting a "middle lane" in Scotland instead of our standard two lane motorways

Bring it on!!!

Beef

Yup. You're not a copper, and if you insisting on trying to impose the law on those around you makes you a vigilante.

Others do not recognise your authority to command what they can or cannot do, and trying to force them causes frustration and anger.

Your attempts to act like the unofficial upholder of the law on the road are very likely making the roads less safe than if you did nothing.

If you are unable to see clearly while using the inside lane I would suggest both additional driver training and possibly a vision test.

hodgy0_2

I have done large amounts of driving on the continent, and have a similar view and experience as yourself re the whole affair.

I once flew to Dusseldorf one morning to pick up an au pair and her car and then drove back to London, arriving early evening, the drive thru northern Europe was totally trouble free, 5 miles into the M20 and fvcking cones/stationary traffic everywhere

But and is a big but traffic density is so much less in Europe. In France you can drive for over 20 miles without any junctions, this is the rule rather than the exception, so the general need for lane changing is so much less And you get a much more stable traffic as a result.

In the UK you would typically get 3 or 4 junctions in a 20 mile stretch of motorway - lots of people coming on and off, lots of lane changing