Just driven back from Carnforth today on M6 Southbound total disbelief when a fellow caravanner overtook us towing his van with bikes on the back at a speed in excess of 65 miles an hour. Only to pull back into the lane we were travelling in causing us to brake as he pulled in far to soon. People like this give caravanners a bad name I only hope that he will eventually get pulled up by the police and heavily penalised before he causes a serious accident. We found out that earlier today a caravan did turn over on the M6 at junction 31 so could I please appeal to all fellow caravanners to observe the 60 mile an hour speed limit.
Bad drivers
- Thread starter rosebery
- Start date
65mph - lock him up!!! You'd better lock me up too - I'm sure I must had hit that from time to time on the motorway, especially when passing a slow truck!
Driving at 60mph isn't automatically safe - as this driver demonstrated by his lack of awareness of the length.
Far better to exhort other caravanners to drive safely, than just to observe a speed limit
Driving at 60mph isn't automatically safe - as this driver demonstrated by his lack of awareness of the length.
Far better to exhort other caravanners to drive safely, than just to observe a speed limit
Overheard a conversation in the office - young lady, recently in her first crash "I counldn't have been at fault - I was below the speed limit".
Stuart, you will find caravanners, like anyone else, have different personalities and outlooks on life.
For example there have been past debates on whether to pull in, or slow, up when it's safe to do so to give any queue of traffic behind chance to pass. This is what I do but it is seldom I have to do this. Others don't believe in doing the above and some seem to gloat on how many cars they can collect behind them. A person I know never pulls in but I don't waste my breath in trying to make him see reason because to understand the reason is beyond his comprehension.
There will always be problems between caravanners, hence the walking across others pitches, dogs, kids with balls and bikes etc.
The reason is, as in all walks of life, some will be brought up on courtesy and being thoughtful towards others while the rest will have the '**** you Jack, I'm alright' mentality ;O)
For example there have been past debates on whether to pull in, or slow, up when it's safe to do so to give any queue of traffic behind chance to pass. This is what I do but it is seldom I have to do this. Others don't believe in doing the above and some seem to gloat on how many cars they can collect behind them. A person I know never pulls in but I don't waste my breath in trying to make him see reason because to understand the reason is beyond his comprehension.
There will always be problems between caravanners, hence the walking across others pitches, dogs, kids with balls and bikes etc.
The reason is, as in all walks of life, some will be brought up on courtesy and being thoughtful towards others while the rest will have the '**** you Jack, I'm alright' mentality ;O)
One thing that gets my back up is them that twist on about caravans on the road and being stuck behind one. Its about time "THEY" read the highway code and check on the speed limits put on use by the powers to be.
We can do 60mph on the motorway, but wagons can do only 56mph legaly. You will find that TWO wagon drivers try to pass each other while one is doing 55 and the other doing 56, so work out how long it takes for them to clear the overtaking lane.
More often than not the hold up is because of BAD drivers like that. I have had motorists that think they should overtake you even when they reach the three hundred yard marker for the turn off only to pull infront of me and turn off.
People who dont tow any sort of trailer just DONT understand the responsibilities that go with it. I wish I new a forum where I could write the same things to people other than the converted. I must stop myself now other wise I will go on all day.
We can do 60mph on the motorway, but wagons can do only 56mph legaly. You will find that TWO wagon drivers try to pass each other while one is doing 55 and the other doing 56, so work out how long it takes for them to clear the overtaking lane.
More often than not the hold up is because of BAD drivers like that. I have had motorists that think they should overtake you even when they reach the three hundred yard marker for the turn off only to pull infront of me and turn off.
People who dont tow any sort of trailer just DONT understand the responsibilities that go with it. I wish I new a forum where I could write the same things to people other than the converted. I must stop myself now other wise I will go on all day.
"People who dont tow any sort of trailer just DONT understand the responsibilities that go with it. "
nope its not that. they just dont care.
nope its not that. they just dont care.
Stuart , how do you know he was doing 65mph. Most speedos reading 65mph will have the vehicle actually doing about 62mph.
- Jul 30, 2007
- 1,461
- 404
- 19,435
I keep to 50-55mph on motorways and stay in the nearside lane unless overtaking.
Stress free,relaxed,aware of what is going on around me,and at that speed,am able to take safe,evasive action if neccessary.
Arrive at my pitch 15-30 minutes behind everyone else?..ive enjoyed the journey and knowing that me,my family and dog have arrived safe and well.
Stress free,relaxed,aware of what is going on around me,and at that speed,am able to take safe,evasive action if neccessary.
Arrive at my pitch 15-30 minutes behind everyone else?..ive enjoyed the journey and knowing that me,my family and dog have arrived safe and well.
"more often than not the hold up is because of BAD drivers like that".
!!!!!!! That not bad driving!There is no law that states one vehicle cannot pass another at only 1 mph faster!and at a 1 mph difference it should take approx 50/60 seconds to complete an over take, which means you are moaning about a mere loss of 117 yards in distance travelled had you been able to carry on at 60 mph rather than 56mph,which means you would be all of 4 seconds further up the road! 4 seconds!
!!!!!!! That not bad driving!There is no law that states one vehicle cannot pass another at only 1 mph faster!and at a 1 mph difference it should take approx 50/60 seconds to complete an over take, which means you are moaning about a mere loss of 117 yards in distance travelled had you been able to carry on at 60 mph rather than 56mph,which means you would be all of 4 seconds further up the road! 4 seconds!
The only way that driver will realise the error of his/her ways is when its to late. It will be sham, cos chances are, it will be to the deteriment of other road users.
I agree with most comments regarding the quality of driving we see amongst caravanners. My view is that this stems from the fact that most caravanners learnt how to tow by hitching a caravan up and driving! Those of us who had to pass a test to tow have to demonstrate how to load, couple, reverse, tow and stop a caravan. We do need a way to ensure 'assess' those drivers who have never had to pass a towing test.
i with lordy braky i call it caravaners and cheep holiday seekers ,caravaners dont take risks dont walk on your pitch dont let there dogs p/ss up your car or awning dont go to the bog and dont flush. But some people by caravans so thy can have cheap holidays dont make them caravaners.
I generally agree with the comments here.
The trouble starts really at the dealership who sell's the newbie a brand new caravan. All the salesman is interested in is the commission on the van sale and the kickback from the finance company. I've never heard of any dealer throwing in a free towing coarse.
I started towing and had to learn the hard way before I got my HGV1 and funily enough when I took my HGV coarse the group was asked who were farmers and who had towed trailers with cars. we were took to one side as we didn't need the trailer reversing coarse which was an additional 1 day. Oh by the way, and I don't think it's changed yet, I took my test with a 30ft trailer and the artic running empty. So I didn't have to demonstrate using the splitter box or do an emergencey stop loaded to 32 tons gross as it was then.
Now put the two senarios above together with drivers who couldn't give a sh(1)t and will not use lane 1 under any terms as it's the sissy lane as they see it. That's right you now have the lovely mix of pillocks we see hourly (not even daily) on our roads.
But what do our wonderfull police force do about it? Sweet nothing. I reckon if they photographed the offender in the act and sent the registered owner of the vehicle a
The trouble starts really at the dealership who sell's the newbie a brand new caravan. All the salesman is interested in is the commission on the van sale and the kickback from the finance company. I've never heard of any dealer throwing in a free towing coarse.
I started towing and had to learn the hard way before I got my HGV1 and funily enough when I took my HGV coarse the group was asked who were farmers and who had towed trailers with cars. we were took to one side as we didn't need the trailer reversing coarse which was an additional 1 day. Oh by the way, and I don't think it's changed yet, I took my test with a 30ft trailer and the artic running empty. So I didn't have to demonstrate using the splitter box or do an emergencey stop loaded to 32 tons gross as it was then.
Now put the two senarios above together with drivers who couldn't give a sh(1)t and will not use lane 1 under any terms as it's the sissy lane as they see it. That's right you now have the lovely mix of pillocks we see hourly (not even daily) on our roads.
But what do our wonderfull police force do about it? Sweet nothing. I reckon if they photographed the offender in the act and sent the registered owner of the vehicle a
Hi Philsapper, I never mentioned "65mph". Maybe you ment "55". Well my sat nav is two miles an hour faster than my car speedo. So when I am passing a wagon I can tell the speed by looking at either of them.
I to have passed my HGV but I must be an inconsiderate driver by not passing another wagon doing 55 and wait till I have the time to do it.
aybe I should start to hold people up so I can get 117 yards further down the road.
I to have passed my HGV but I must be an inconsiderate driver by not passing another wagon doing 55 and wait till I have the time to do it.
aybe I should start to hold people up so I can get 117 yards further down the road.
Forest Gump.
What in heavens name are you talking about?What you have written doesn't make one ha'puth of sense.
What in heavens name are you talking about?What you have written doesn't make one ha'puth of sense.
Hi
Just because I did not take a test does not mean that I cannot (demonstrate how to load, couple, reverse, tow, speed and stop a caravan).Just got back from a week away the only thing I asked someone to help with was lifting the handle on the hitch so stiff, I can push it down but pulling is a different matter. Other than that I did everything myself even hitching up when leaving site. Mind you one offered either to help see me on so it took about four times out of the car. Never a gentleman when you want one!!!!!!
Just because I did not take a test does not mean that I cannot (demonstrate how to load, couple, reverse, tow, speed and stop a caravan).Just got back from a week away the only thing I asked someone to help with was lifting the handle on the hitch so stiff, I can push it down but pulling is a different matter. Other than that I did everything myself even hitching up when leaving site. Mind you one offered either to help see me on so it took about four times out of the car. Never a gentleman when you want one!!!!!!
Hi Smiley.
One doesn't have to take a test to proove their worth, but perhaps over the years of having to deal with the idiots on the roads we do pick up some bad habbits ourselves. Like you, I learned to caravan by reading the hints &tips in PC mag and asking advice of others. Now after 28 years of vanning, I can accomplish most tasks without assistance, but due to arthritis issues they take longer to do. So could that not be said of drivers?
I would welcome a driver assesment scheme where all license holders take a 1/2 hour drive with a driving instructor to assess their driving standard and be offered advice where needed. This would not necessarily be a pass/fail test but would highlight the bad drivers and perhaps after education, they just might change their attitude behind the wheel. I would suggest these assessments start at 45 which also happens to be the age that lorry drivers have to take a medical to retain their HGV (now LGV) license.
Atb Steve L.
One doesn't have to take a test to proove their worth, but perhaps over the years of having to deal with the idiots on the roads we do pick up some bad habbits ourselves. Like you, I learned to caravan by reading the hints &tips in PC mag and asking advice of others. Now after 28 years of vanning, I can accomplish most tasks without assistance, but due to arthritis issues they take longer to do. So could that not be said of drivers?
I would welcome a driver assesment scheme where all license holders take a 1/2 hour drive with a driving instructor to assess their driving standard and be offered advice where needed. This would not necessarily be a pass/fail test but would highlight the bad drivers and perhaps after education, they just might change their attitude behind the wheel. I would suggest these assessments start at 45 which also happens to be the age that lorry drivers have to take a medical to retain their HGV (now LGV) license.
Atb Steve L.
- Jun 20, 2005
- 19,571
- 4,984
- 50,935
You can teach monkeys to pass tests!
IMO the actual driving test itself is the problem . Too easy. Why isn't the driving test increased in standard to that of a class one police driver test based on the infamous Roadcraft book tecniques. It isn't just the ability to drive but the attitude to driving care consideration etc that needs attention.
IMO the actual driving test itself is the problem . Too easy. Why isn't the driving test increased in standard to that of a class one police driver test based on the infamous Roadcraft book tecniques. It isn't just the ability to drive but the attitude to driving care consideration etc that needs attention.
To correct a few mis conceptions with regards not having to drive a hgv fully loaded for a test. Firstly the same could be apllied to the lowly car test,but more importantly you cannot take a hgv class 1 as it was know,straight from a car test, you have to first do the hgv class two, which is upto 6 wheelers and i believe 32 tonnes, although we run only 26 tonners. so its not a case of a newly appionted Hgv class 1 driver having no experience of great weights as was the case prior to 1990 whenever. most class one drivers would have been driving lorries from 14 to 32 tonnes anyway. but i do agree our 26 tonners do feel a hell of a lot different loaded up to partially loaded, but again the lowly car driver has to overcome the same problem when towing a caravan that can in some cases double his weight and length
i drive mobile cranes to a wieght of 130tons as travels and ballast trailors that gross 150 ton stgo 2 and have no problems people get out of your way for som reason.
Your quite right Johny, HGV drivers can no longer go from Car to fully laden artic in one foul swoop. I'm also glad that soon trailers and presumably rigid trucks will be at least half loaded for a driving test.
I think that should apply to the car trailer test as well. For many years we used a Diahatsu F70 short wheelbase 4X4 to tow an Ifor Williams goods trailer. The goods trailer only had a 12ft 6" deck, but was every week loaded to 3500Kgs and 500Kgs of parcels of turned parts in boxes was loaded into the Diahatsu, as we used it as our delivery vehicle for our engineering business. Because the brass turned parts and pressed products were very heavy and not volumus, the trailer rarely had a load more than 2ft above the drop sides and as we had no sign writing we were left alone by the fuzz. But one canonly imagine how difficult it was for me to control a 3500Kg trailer with a 2000Kg laden tow truck. We did around 30K miles a year like this as I always planned or delivery collection run to maximun efficiency to make the truck pay it's way. When I took the reigns of the company from my father, I had to find a driver for the Dia. One bloke that came along was an ex landrover sales demonstrator who towed their show trailer and did off road demo's. Great I thought, but after interviewing him and taking him on a test drive with the laden out fit I soon found out that he had no idea of anticipation of traffic and no idea of just how heavy his load was. I eventually employed a semi retired farmer to do the job.
What I'm getting at is quite simple, a fully laden trailer/caravan is a vastly different animal to an empty one and therefore the driver has to have a different skill set.
Atb Steve L.
I think that should apply to the car trailer test as well. For many years we used a Diahatsu F70 short wheelbase 4X4 to tow an Ifor Williams goods trailer. The goods trailer only had a 12ft 6" deck, but was every week loaded to 3500Kgs and 500Kgs of parcels of turned parts in boxes was loaded into the Diahatsu, as we used it as our delivery vehicle for our engineering business. Because the brass turned parts and pressed products were very heavy and not volumus, the trailer rarely had a load more than 2ft above the drop sides and as we had no sign writing we were left alone by the fuzz. But one canonly imagine how difficult it was for me to control a 3500Kg trailer with a 2000Kg laden tow truck. We did around 30K miles a year like this as I always planned or delivery collection run to maximun efficiency to make the truck pay it's way. When I took the reigns of the company from my father, I had to find a driver for the Dia. One bloke that came along was an ex landrover sales demonstrator who towed their show trailer and did off road demo's. Great I thought, but after interviewing him and taking him on a test drive with the laden out fit I soon found out that he had no idea of anticipation of traffic and no idea of just how heavy his load was. I eventually employed a semi retired farmer to do the job.
What I'm getting at is quite simple, a fully laden trailer/caravan is a vastly different animal to an empty one and therefore the driver has to have a different skill set.
Atb Steve L.
i was towing the other day at 75 mph and my vehicle weighed 1750 tons, i didn't overtake any one though and it did take around a mile and a half to stop.
i do laugh when im running side by side with the motorways and see all those trucks tail gating each other at 56 mph, one engine one trailer at 56 mph, me one engine 30 trailers and 75 mph with my feet up and a coffee to hand,
I do agree though ive seen some terrible driving in my time, i have total regard for other road users when im driving the car and especially with the van on tow, i find that most lorry drivers seem to treat caravanners with respect as i do them, a nice flash of the head light to say your tail is clear and so forth, it all goes a long way to making the roads safer for all. however i still dont go with this obsession of 60 mph being the "safe limit", its not the safe limit its the law ! i tow my van within the law which means when im on the continent i often tow at over 60, never at 83 as i could but yes i do occasionally tow at 75 with no problems at all but then i use my head and judge whether the conditions are suitable and i do have a good outfit match.
i do laugh when im running side by side with the motorways and see all those trucks tail gating each other at 56 mph, one engine one trailer at 56 mph, me one engine 30 trailers and 75 mph with my feet up and a coffee to hand,
I do agree though ive seen some terrible driving in my time, i have total regard for other road users when im driving the car and especially with the van on tow, i find that most lorry drivers seem to treat caravanners with respect as i do them, a nice flash of the head light to say your tail is clear and so forth, it all goes a long way to making the roads safer for all. however i still dont go with this obsession of 60 mph being the "safe limit", its not the safe limit its the law ! i tow my van within the law which means when im on the continent i often tow at over 60, never at 83 as i could but yes i do occasionally tow at 75 with no problems at all but then i use my head and judge whether the conditions are suitable and i do have a good outfit match.
TRENDING THREADS
-
-
Surprised at lack of comment on caravan industry economic issues.
- Started by otherclive
- Replies: 197
-
-
-
-
-
Facebook
Twitter