Speeding Vanners Again

[martin.]

Just another winge really, M61 southbound yesterday, 2 seperate instances 2 caravans being towed at 75mph.

First was a mid 40's couple driving a 4x4 and second was a people carrier with 3 kids in the back.

Traffic was reasonably light but it was a bit windy with some strong gusts, strong enough to send my transit into a state of unease anyway.

 

[Guest]

Maybe they were late for an appointment with their maker.

 

[RogerL]

Of course no other category of vehicles/drivers break the speed limit do they?

Which is the safest - a 3500kg Sprinter van at 80mph or a well-balanced 3500kg outfit at 70mph?

 

[martin.]

What are you talking about sprinters for?.

 

[emmerson2]

Roger, of course the Sprinter at 80mph is far safer than a caravan at 70! It's a damn sight safer than a caravan at 50! A Sprinter, or Tranny or any other van doesn't bend in the middle.

A caravan being towed at over 60mph is dangerous, and the driver should be banned from towing for life.

(and no, I'm not perfect.When I was young and daft I towed too fast on more than one occasion, until I got a fright. Not ever again)

 

[martin.]

Why have you mentioned 80mph aswell and an outfit being towed at 70, have you actually read what I wrote?.

 

[spj]

Is the speed limit not 80mph in France?

 

[martin.]

I give up!!!!

 

[RogerL]

81 mph in France if it's not raining.

Why is it acceptable/safe for other vehicles to exceed their speed limits by wide margins but castigate caravanners for doing so?

I used Sprinter as an example because I didn't want to accuse Martin of speeding in his Transit - most white vans exceed their speed limit by more than the caravans quoted.

 

[martin.]

Thanks for that RogerL, you could of used Transit it wouldn't of bothered me, I know white van man has a very bad reputation and for those who have never driven a van it's very difficult to get your speed back up when you are slowed down, that's why most of them just drive up behind people expecting them to move out of the way.

Fortunately for me though i'm not in the "most" categorie, especially during the day, no point rushing to work, just means I have to do more, lol, plus speeding doesn't actually make that much difference in time, over a 130 mile trip to carlisle, the difference between travelling at 70mph and 85/90mph is only 7 minutes and that isn't worth losing my licence over.

Yesterday while driving down the M61 I was the one in the inside lane only doing 70mph, and you don't alwasy expect to be passed by a caravan, i'm no saint and not claiming to be, but I was also aware of the tailbacks we were coming upto due to a crash, and driving at over 70mph towing a van, I really wouldn't want to have to brake suddenly.

 

[Del_374232870]

70mph on your speedo doesnt mean you are actualy doing 70mph, there is a built in error tolerance and most spped read fast.

 

[Guest]

It is certainly true in France you get fast driving outfits,which do not seem to be stabilised (alko/snake) what is classified as safe,in what country,by whom, who knows.

 

[Lutz]

That the speed limit in France is 80mph doesn't mean that it's safe to tow at that speed. It just means that the French didn't give specific speed limits for towing a thought. After all, France is an exception and one shouldn't turn the exception into the rule.

 

[giovanni_5060838]

Amazing! yes martin i totally agree with your sentiments.

No way is a car pulling a van at 70 or 75mph going to be as stable or safe as a single vehicle,and its silly to even suggest such a thing.

Add to that you mentioned the conditions and yesterday was indeed very windy, which makes it almost criminal for anyone to be so stupid as to tow at 15 mph above the speedlimit!in such conditions!

 

[rayc]

Motoring in Britain has been reduced by the current government obsession to "driving by numbers".

Because the speed limit for all towed trailers is 60mph does not mean it is always safe to drive at that speed or that 59mph is safe and 61mph is not. The limit is arbitary and covers a huge range of vehicles and trailers. A well balanced unit may be safer at 70mph than a unbalanced one at 50 mph but the effects of the balanced one loosing it would be dramatic.

The worst snake I saw recently was a twin horse box, with the horses on board, towed by a Range Rover at a speed of approx 60mph. The inside wheel started to lift but thank God the driver managed to reduce speed and it settled back down.

 

[Lutz]

The problem is, however, if you don't drive 'by numbers' who's to decide whether a speed is safe or not? I know the speed limits are not always realistic or appropriate, but without them ther would be one hell of an argument over what constitutes a safe driving speed.

However, bearing in mind that caravans are actually designed to be safe at speeds of up to 60mph (and this is borne out by the University of Bath's findings), 60mph is a very reasonable speed limit, subject to other conditions being favourable, too.

 

[seth1]

i also think 60 mph is plenty fast enough.although ive also towed at 70mph as have lots of people.but to me and this might just be me,60 mph feels alot safer and more surefooted than 70 or 75mph.and quite recently ive settled in to traveling at 55ish.but its what ever your comfitable with.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

In France you get count down speed reduction signs specifically for caravans on long downhill stretches with a desristriction sign at the bottom of the hill

That's why I never try to overtake lorries approaching a summit because you have to descend slower than them and are just in their way

I did 100+ miles solo on the motorway today and was overtaken going and coming back by vehicles in the outer lane towing trailers

Has the law changed one wonders

 

[andrew1608]

Is 60MPH not the max speed for towing a caravan, it's in the car handbook, although at easter i went on the m74 and caravans were travelling at 70mph i was not towing.

 

[Thorpedo]

A very simple message was put to me when I was a lot younger and more even stupid than I am now by an ex Policeman travelling as passenger as I drove at 90mph:-

'What happens when something goes wrong ????'

Would you prefer a blow out at 90 or 65? Neither is the obvious answer but it happens and I know which I'd prefer.

Can you imagine a front wheel blow-out whilst towing at 70, or more commonly the vehicle you are overtaking suddenly pulling out.

It's very easy to be 'the person that nothing happens to' towing at 70, but it takes a bit more effort to be safer at 55 -60.

Of course it's not just you and your passengers at stake here; it's the other innocent people who may become involved.

Once I had to stop on the hard shoulder with vehicles passing 4-5 ft away from at 60 -70 mph I began to realise how fast that is, I wonder what it would be like standing between the crash barriers on the central reservation with vehicles passing at 90+.

The message has always stuck in my mind and hopefully helps to keep me safer:-

'What happens when something goes wrong ????'

 

[lukebfox]

a point to note is that its a speed limit and not a speed target,im of the opinion that i like the hobby because its relaxing, touring does not need to be rushed just take it easy and enjoy the trip. luke

 

[RogerL]

A very simple message was put to me when I was a lot younger and more even stupid than I am now by an ex Policeman travelling as passenger as I drove at 90mph:-

'What happens when something goes wrong ????'

Would you prefer a blow out at 90 or 65? Neither is the obvious answer but it happens and I know which I'd prefer.

Can you imagine a front wheel blow-out whilst towing at 70, or more commonly the vehicle you are overtaking suddenly pulling out.

It's very easy to be 'the person that nothing happens to' towing at 70, but it takes a bit more effort to be safer at 55 -60.

Of course it's not just you and your passengers at stake here; it's the other innocent people who may become involved.

Once I had to stop on the hard shoulder with vehicles passing 4-5 ft away from at 60 -70 mph I began to realise how fast that is, I wonder what it would be like standing between the crash barriers on the central reservation with vehicles passing at 90+.

The message has always stuck in my mind and hopefully helps to keep me safer:-

'What happens when something goes wrong ????'

Safety is always increased at lower speeds - lets have a 10mph limit for all vehicles.

 

[Tram]

It can be frustrating though when there are lots of lorries and you can't get above 54mph unless you pull into the middle lane, but then your not allowed to exceed 60mph so you pull into the first lane again and then almost immediately have to reduce to 54mph again. I have to admit to cruising at 65 to keep pace with other traffic. I've never done 70 on purpose.