BBC one show

[Steve L]

On last Wednesday the "One show" showed an article about caravanning. To be more accurate a debate between neighbours who had opposing views.

While Mr Pro caravanning gave some very valid points about the freedom of caravanning and the wonderfull locations you could see.

All Mr Negative could bang on about was how caravans were slow and a nuisence on the roads.

However one film clip showed the caravan being towed down a single track road at what I would call a sensible pace for a car (30mph) and still that was not gooodenough for Mr Negaative.

Perhaps the one show would be better off running a story on incompetence of motorway use, which is far more prevalent than any caravan holding up traffic.

I drove on the A5 last night and despite it being very busy, no caravans were holding back traffic. The traffic jamming was caused by car drivers driving well below the speed limit.

I certainly don't appreciate caravanners being blamed or ridiculed for the sake of a chat show joke.

Steve L.

 

[RogerL]

In a line of traffic travelling at less than 60, motorists see a caravan up front and assume it's that holding all the cars up - because they can't see the vehicles holding the caravan up!

A couple of years ago I towed south on the A9 between Inverness and Perth, which is single carriageway with long visibility (in good weather!) for most of it's length. To assist cars behind I indicated left and moved left over the edge marker line whenever there was no traffic coming - apart from a handful of cars that overtook everyone from about 10 back, not one seemed to know how to overtake me.

Poor drivers always blame someone , or something, else for their delays.

 

[partridge]

remember being held up by a hgv on the a477 heading towards tenby. No problem really because he was doing about 40mph. however in my door mirror i could see a bwm with a young lad (baseball cap type), appearing as if to overtake then pull back in behind me. Further down the road i forked left towards my destination, as i did so, i saw him flashing the v's and accelerating with anger. All of a sudden he slammed on his brakes when he noticed the lorry. A sight to behold.

 

[Auvergne]

I saw the same programme - perhaps they'd like to do a follow on show about neighbours and caravans. We bought our caravan to have weekend respite from our neighbours who have blighted our lives since they moved next door....We have a lot to thank them for!

After Easter away we are back to reality. Returned home to the herd of elephants on the stairs, doors slamming, garden full of rubbish including old mattress, kids yelling and screaming in the garden, kicking balls up the fence constantly. Reflecting on waking up to the most beautiful birdsong this morning..... I know whose side I'm on.

 

[S-MaxJon]

I had a similar experience travelling back from Cirencester yesterday.It was on the A429 - where that horrific accident was a few weeks ago.We were travelling at about 45 mph in a line of traffic behind Doris and Gladys out for there morning drive in their Micra.We were 4 cars behind this car when all of a sudden a BMW raced past at about 60 assuming that it was us holding up the traffic - he then proceeded to overtake about 3 cars as he was unable to pull back in.Funny thing was he ended up behind the Micra !!

My point being is that people assume that the caravans hold up traffic which we all know is not the case - it can be but there are lots of other modes of transport that do as well.

Modern cars towing vans are more than adequate of keeping up with traffic flow with their powerful engines and masses of torque etc.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

As I have stated on previous similar postings I was taught when learning to drive in the early 1960s that it was not the lead vehicle that causes the traffic queue, it is the second vehicle for not overtaking when the chance arises. This then forms a longer line of slow traffic for the following vehicles to try to pass. However it is assumed that it is either the caravan towing motorist or the HGV/PSV driver who is causing the hold up. For this type of motorist it requires a far longer stretch of safe road to pass the offending slow driver at the head of the tail back so we tend to have the bad reputation.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Following on from colins comment, if I am behind a slow moving vehicle, then depending on the road, I will pull in for others behind me to get past the slow vehicle because they have better acceleration than I do when towing. Just good manners and thoughtfulness for other road users. Maybe if we did think of others we wouldn't have such a bad press :O(

 

[Coops]

Colin (Brigend) As an ex-traffic cop (of 14 years traffic exp), I say to you 'got it in one'. Qualified only by the comment that if you can't (or don't want to) overtake, leave a space for somebody that does !!!!!

 

[Garfield]

So it's not just me that always gets stuck behind Nissan Micra's!, my sister in law is a typical Micra driver, nothing like her sister who drives our car with our 21' twin axle on the back whilst I am not in the passenger seat but on my motorbike following!, YES! I am a biker and a caravanner! I am going to hell!

 

[JTQ]

The fact that we are limited to only 50 mph even on main arterial single carriage roads such as parts of the A303 is a point of great traffic irritation.

 

[RogerL]

I'm very surprised that Highways Agency doesn't realise the frustration of applying different limits to different classes of vehicles in the same line of traffic.

On single carriageways with no lower limit, cars can do 60, trailers can do 50 and HGVs can do 40 - so in practice everyone is limited to 40 - it would be better if they applied a 56 limit to all single carriageways, regardless of vehicle type.

 

[Garfield]

HGV's are limited to 40mph on such roads which seems ridiculous on roads like the A1 north of Newcastle but consider the consequences of losing control and ploughing into traffic coming the other way, it's the old balance of probability and consequence, the probability of a caravan outfit losing control is higher than a solo car and the consequences are higher so a lower speed limit is used, HGV's are probably no more likely to lose control than a caravan but the consequences are much higher.

On a dual carriageway, there is less chance of collisions between traffic travelling in opposite directions,

 

[John_374353318]

Have you noticed that more and more HGV's are sticking ridgly to the 40 mph speed limit on single carriageway roads. I first noticed this trend about 3 years ago whilst regulary following a Boot's the Chemist's HGV to work. Tesco's then got in on the act, about 2 years ago, and now many independent hauliers and other supermarket's are also following suite. Some lorries even display a sign on the rear stating that, 'This vehicle is limited by law to 40 mph on single carriageway roads'.

The reason for this is due to the new digital TACHO's that are now fitted in the newer HGV's. They are easy for the authorities to read, can't be fiddled, and the police can use the informaton to bring about a prosection against drivers for speed and rest period infringements, which have been recently updated by the EU.

But what annoys me most is the pratt that is determined to overtake at all costs, bobbing in and out, behind, like a fiddlers elbow. Then regardless of life and limb overtakes on a blind corner into oncomming traffic, causing me to brake heavily, and then just sits in front of me at 40/45 mph for the rest of the journey. What a $%

 

[John_374354584]

HGV's are limited to 40mph on such roads which seems ridiculous on roads like the A1 north of Newcastle but consider the consequences of losing control and ploughing into traffic coming the other way, it's the old balance of probability and consequence, the probability of a caravan outfit losing control is higher than a solo car and the consequences are higher so a lower speed limit is used, HGV's are probably no more likely to lose control than a caravan but the consequences are much higher.

On a dual carriageway, there is less chance of collisions between traffic travelling in opposite directions,

I have towed my caravan in france once or twice every year for the past twent years. Yes I am an old F*** . In France Ther generally is no difference in solo and with caravan speed limit.

I have yet to see an accident involving a caravan. The ol argument re speed kills is invalid it's stopping to quickley that causes the problem !! Seriousley it is a diferentialin speed that causes frustration and accidents.