Foreign Trucks

pdw8

pdw8

pdw8

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Joined
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Kent/London
Bit of a rant coming up here.

I have been driving between London and Edinburgh via Manchester a lot lateley and done some 4000 miles in the last 6 weeks. I have been unfortunate to come across a few accidents and it seems each time a foreign truck is involved. I have also witnessed quite a few on my normal commute between London and Sittingbourne in Kent.

Firstly, I was driving home early yesterday through some roadworks on the A2 which have the average speed camersa. I was in lane 1 doing around 55mph when a Belgian truck came up behind and pulled into lane 2. He approached cars doing 50ish and drove right up behind to try to speed them up. At this time he is along side me and suddenly starts to pulll over into my lane meaning I had to slam on the anchors so he overtook me fully.He then pulled int lane 1 and undetook the cars and must have been doing 65-70mph by now. I hope the cameras got him but do they or can they prosecute him for speeding?

Seecondly, in view of the high amount of accidents involving foreigh truck would it be feasable for ferries to bring over the loads and hand over to UK trucks at the ports here?

I know there are a few truckers who visit here so would be interested in their views.
 
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pdw8 said:
Seecondly, in view of the high amount of accidents involving foreigh truck would it be feasable for ferries to bring over the loads and hand over to UK trucks at the ports here?
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A lot of foreign companies do this, I don't think it's as cheap as sending their own vehicles though?
 
pdw8 said:
2. I approached cars doing 50ish and drove right up behind to try to speed them up.
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You do realise this is variously known as intimidation, tailgating, and perhaps most importantly of all, illegal? For good reason too, I might add.
 
pdw8 said:
Bit of a rant coming up here.

I have been driving between London and Edinburgh via Manchester a lot lateley and done some 4000 miles in the last 6 weeks. I have been unfortunate to come across a few accidents and it seems each time a foreign truck is involved. I have also witnessed quite a few on my normal commute between London and Sittingbourne in Kent.

Firstly, I was driving home early yesterday through some roadworks on the A2 which have the average speed camersa. I was in lane 1 doing around 55mph when a Belgian truck came up behind and pulled into lane 2. I approached cars doing 50ish and drove right up behind to try to speed them up. At this time he is along side me and suddenly starts to pulll over into my lane meaning I had to slam on the anchors so he overtook me fully.He then pulled int lane 1 and undetook the cars and must have been doing 65-70mph by now. I hope the cameras got him but do they or can they prosecute him for speeding?

Seecondly, in view of the high amount of accidents involving foreigh truck would it be feasable for ferries to bring over the loads and hand over to UK trucks at the ports here?

I know there are a few truckers who visit here so would be interested in their views.
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He sounds like a typical left hooker driver tbh, on foreign plates, they ignore speed cameras as the Police ignore their offences (Not so UK truckers on the continent I may ad!) more to the point, I'd imagine he simply did not see you.

Give trucks a wide berth especially left hookers.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=11231997&postcount=76

My little rant about HGV blind spots, you may find it helpful. :)

P2180166.jpg


Blind spots, bad enough on RHD trucks.
 
Just before Chirstmas, I was driving on the A14 towards Brum and watched a poor lass in a 306 get smacked by a trailer of a latvian lorry who had just overtaken her. After she did a lovely 360 she ended up down a ditch. Was surprised only 3 cars stopped and only I went down to her smoking car to pull her out. Talking to the paramedics and the police they said this kind of thing happens all the time.

Was also interesting to listen to the drivers understanding of the English language stop when the police arrived.
 
Pyscho_Si said:
Why not just have wide angle cameras on the back of the trailers? This could then be views on a screen like a rear view mirror.
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There would still be a huge-ass blindspot directly next to the cab, reaching back to the middle of the trailer, about the point at which your wing mirrors can see ;)
 
My Wife's Uncle was wiped out on the M25 IIRC by a French lorry driver. He noticed what he'd done and stopped which surprised me most!

He was fine, but his car was written off after tumbling down a large embankment. You just have to give them the space they need, then you'll be fine.
 
Akira said:
You do realise this is variously known as intimidation, tailgating, and perhaps most importantly of all, illegal? For good reason too, I might add.
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Yeah right... as if you would give a toss about the law or making the guy in front sweat when you are about to get squashed by a HGV!
 
NathanE said:
Yeah right... as if you would give a toss about the law or making the guy in front sweat when you are about to get squashed by a HGV!
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completely agree, while it's not good/legal driving, I've both been run onto the hard shoulder and forced by a tailgating lorry through a speed camera (in mway roadworks) at too high a speed, and it's a pretty frightening experience, there's no chance that you're going to come off best if it does happen
 
You would be Surprised by how many of these Foreign Trucks are driven by UK drivers , i am one of them , i work for an Italian company with an Italian reged truck but i do go to Milan at least once a month. I do get a lot of snide comments like "theres another one over here talking our jobs" right up to the point were open my mouth :).

But yeah give left hooker a little more thought when passing , but the ones having the accidents on the whole are plain bad drivers who arnt aware of the surroundings
 
Swissy said:
You would be Surprised by how many of these Foreign Trucks are driven by UK drivers , i am one of them , i work for an Italian company with an Italian reged truck but i do go to Milan at least once a month. I do get a lot of snide comments like "theres another one over here talking our jobs" right up to the point were open my mouth :).

But yeah give left hooker a little more thought when passing , but the ones having the accidents on the whole are plain bad drivers who arnt aware of the surroundings
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i agree - a lot of trucks registered overseas are done for money reasons i think but still quite a few driven by english drivers.
 
Akira said:
You do realise this is variously known as intimidation, tailgating, and perhaps most importantly of all, illegal? For good reason too, I might add.
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I was supposed to type "He" at the beginning of that sentence. I also know he knew exactly what he was doing and was driving recklessly, probably late for his ferry or something. I have a lot of respect for trucks as my dad used to be a HGV mechanic and I went out on breakdowns with him as a kid.
 
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If you are involved in a accident with a foreign trucker has anyone had trouble with the claim

Its the ones at the end of the M58 in the left lane turning right that wind me up every morning
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
Oh come on, I can hardly see claiming from a Latvian insurance company being completely straight forward. Especialy if the driver doesn't stop.
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Why not? he needs to have EU insurance, valid in errm the EU including the UK , why should it be harder to claim. And if they dont stop its still the same as anyone else

By your post i take it you have had experiance with this ?? or is this just a guess on your part :rolleyes:
 
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