What MPG are you getting?

[Bellcrew]

I have to stick my oar in here as an ex. trucker.
Trucks are limited to 56 by law and the nature of the haulage business is delivery slots and deadlines. This means they are pedal to the metal all day. Watch container lorries pull out and then indicate! They are trying to make a living.
Coming across a vehicle doing 50 (44!!) is a right pain, It means having to get past it, at 56, which will pee off the following cars esp. on a dual carriageway. More often than not the offending mobile road blocker will accelerate as to thwart the overtake only to slow again when the lorry has retreated. A game played out over and over.
Don't get me going on the ***** who join motorways and head for and stay in the middle lane at 50...............
Bugger the fuel economy. If you want to cruise and look over the hedges then go on A roads or, and please, pretty please, tuck in with the lorries and go at 56...................

Now, when the certain distribution chain I drove for with a transport manager hoping to stay on the slippery pole had all the fleet restricted to 52 we became mobile road blocks ourselves.
We were constantly being overtaken by other trucks and the best response was to go at 50 and slow down a bit when being passed by the 'bigger boys'.
I am surprised it was even legal to restrict them like that.
Bring on google drive I say and all be driven at optimum speed for conditions in a road 'train''
Now in my Cali I can put all that (and you) behind me.........Still scarred though!!
Trains? Whatever happened to them??

Gentlemen, the lorry speed limit increased to 60 mph in 2015 in England and Wales, please keep up.

 

[T6 CFO]

I have to stick my oar in here as an ex. trucker.
Trucks are limited to 56 by law and the nature of the haulage business is delivery slots and deadlines. This means they are pedal to the metal all day. Watch container lorries pull out and then indicate! They are trying to make a living.
Coming across a vehicle doing 50 (44!!) is a right pain, It means having to get past it, at 56, which will pee off the following cars esp. on a dual carriageway. More often than not the offending mobile road blocker will accelerate as to thwart the overtake only to slow again when the lorry has retreated. A game played out over and over.
Don't get me going on the ***** who join motorways and head for and stay in the middle lane at 50...............
Bugger the fuel economy. If you want to cruise and look over the hedges then go on A roads or, and please, pretty please, tuck in with the lorries and go at 56...................

Now, when the certain distribution chain I drove for with a transport manager hoping to stay on the slippery pole had all the fleet restricted to 52 we became mobile road blocks ourselves.
We were constantly being overtaken by other trucks and the best response was to go at 50 and slow down a bit when being passed by the 'bigger boys'.
I am surprised it was even legal to restrict them like that.
Bring on google drive I say and all be driven at optimum speed for conditions in a road 'train''
Now in my Cali I can put all that (and you) behind me.........Still scarred though!!
Trains? Whatever happened to them??

I completely agree.

One of the joys of driving is the mutual politeness shown by and given to other motorists.

On motorways adjusting your speed and sensible lane changing are two of the factors affecting safety. Stubbornly sticking to a particular speed or lane causes accidents but it also increases the chances of an accident as do unnecessary lane changes.

There are no guarantees of staying safe but you can reduce the risk by being aware and flexible in your driving style.

There are many examples and I’ll use the 56mph lorry as an example as it’s used here. So I’m approaching a HGV traveling in the inside lane at 60mph. Choices are to stick behind it with reduced visibility and the likelihood of becoming the meat in a HGV sandwich, maintain my speed and pull slowly past it saving fuel but increasing the period of vulnerability next to an articulated vehicle, even more dangerous with a leftie as the blind spot will probably be larger, or accelerate smoothly past even considering a move to the offside lane if there is any indication of instability or the likelihood of the HGV having to change lane to overtake a slower vehicle.

My point is not to concentrate on MPG at the expense of being inconsiderate to others, stay flexible, as you will only increase the risk of causing or being in an accident.

Driving slower is not always safer or economical.

Sorry! Gone on a bit





Mike

 

[EddieEagle]

Gentlemen, the lorry speed limit increased to 60 mph in 2015 in England and Wales, please keep up.

I think that was 40 to 50 on A roads but yes, limit is 60 but I think you will find all are limited to 56.

 

[EddieEagle]

As an aside..
I am getting average of 35.7mpg over 17 months of very careful, considerate and courteous driving............

 

[WelshGas]

On a motorway generally around 50, I wonder what the stats are of

why is it inconsiderate and dangerous?

Because the HGVs cruise at 56mph so will be constantly pulling out to overtake.

 

[WelshGas]

Gentlemen, the lorry speed limit increased to 60 mph in 2015 in England and Wales, please keep up.

Many are still limited to 56 though.

 

[Amarillo]

Many are still limited to 56 though.

A 56/60 MPH limit is just that: it is neither a target or entitlement.

All the motorways I know have one or more overtaking lanes, and although it is forbidden for HGVs to use the outside lane on motorways with more than two lanes in one direction, they are always permitted to pass slower moving vehicles.

 

[Amarillo]

If you drive at less than the speed of the HGVs and then try to claim it's responsible, then you you should tootle along (at 44mph) to the doctors for a check-up.

That would be highly irresponsible! The speed limit between where I live and my doctor is 20 MPH, except for a very short section crossing the A205 where it is 30 MPH. Indeed, all the roads in my local authority area, except red routes, have a limit of 20 MPH except red routes.

 

[motacyclist]

Starlings flying south already?

 

[2into1]

That would be highly irresponsible! The speed limit between where I live and my doctor is 20 MPH, except for a very short section crossing the A205 where it is 30 MPH. Indeed, all the roads in my local authority area, except red routes, have a limit of 20 MPH except red routes.

I sometimes struggle to know if you are be serious Tom.

 

[westfalia]

44 mph is the optimum speed, around 1200 rpm 7th gear DSG. What's the rush?

I bet there´s no flies on your van.

 

[WelshGas]

That would be highly irresponsible! The speed limit between where I live and my doctor is 20 MPH, except for a very short section crossing the A205 where it is 30 MPH. Indeed, all the roads in my local authority area, except red routes, have a limit of 20 MPH except red routes.

And your point is?

All vehicles will be limited to a maximum 20 mph. So impeding traffic by travelling at 5 mph when there is absolutely no reason preventing you travelling at 20 is perfectly acceptable in your world?

 

[ArunAlec]

I bet there´s no flies on your van.

Cobwebs?

 

[Amarillo]

I sometimes struggle to know if you are be serious Tom.

https://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/transport/road-safety/Pages/20mph-borough-speed-limit.aspx

 

[Amarillo]

And your point is?

All vehicles will be limited to a maximum 20 mph. So impeding traffic by travelling at 5 mph when there is absolutely no reason preventing you travelling at 20 is perfectly acceptable in your world?

I cycle with Ben to school. Quite often we only manage ~5mph uphill,

But that is not really relevant. 44mph ~80% of the 56mph limit of many HGVs. 5mph = 25% of the 20mph limit on Lewisham's roads: your comparison is not valid. Better would be to ask if you think that driving at no more than 16mph on Lewisham;s roads is safe and acceptable, and the answer to that question is yes, if conditions allow.

Just to clarify an apparent contradiction in what I have written: we live in the London Borough of Greenwich; our road is in three London Boroughs, the section where we live the highway authority is Lewisham.

 

[WelshGas]

I cycle with Ben to school. Quite often we only manage ~5mph uphill,

But that is not really relevant. 44mph ~80% of the 56mph limit of many HGVs. 5mph = 25% of the 20mph limit on Lewisham's roads: your comparison is not valid. Better would be to ask if you think that driving at no more than 16mph on Lewisham;s roads is safe and acceptable, and the answer to that question is yes, if conditions allow.

Just to clarify an apparent contradiction in what I have written: we live in the London Borough of Greenwich; our road is in three London Boroughs, the section where we live the highway authority is Lewisham.

Thank goodness you live in Greenwich and the rest of us live in the real world.

 

[Digger]

I read somewhere that the 20 mph limit was on grounds of pedestrian impact but the pollution level was greater as engines were less efficient at the lower speed and journeys longer. Therefore putting out pollutants for a greater time in the area!!. Stand to be corrected but I know my car does not like 20 mph in low gears for any length of time.

 

[larrylamb]

I think this thread is careering off topic now.

 

[Bellcrew]

Thank goodness you live in Greenwich and the rest of us live in the real world.

My eldest lives on a 20 mph street in South London, parking on both sides of the road makes it a single lane, of course it is a rat run between two busy main roads, the only people who keep close to the limit are a few of the locals. I would guess some of the cars reach over 50, as there are no speed checks in such locations it would seem we are now ruled by people who love gestures and not reality.

 

[Amarillo]

My eldest lives on a 20 mph street in South London, parking on both sides of the road makes it a single lane, of course it is a rat run between two busy main roads, the only people who keep close to the limit are a few of the locals. I would guess some of the cars reach over 50, as there are no speed checks in such locations it would seem we are now ruled by people who love gestures and not reality.

Since the introduction of the 20mph limits, I do have the perception that average speeds have dropped, probably not by as much as a third, but it is noticeable. This makes the streets a better place for road users other than motorists, and probably only has a marginal affect on motorists.

The road we live on is wide, and most (all) homeowners have private driveways: parking on the road is not really a problem. Our road is also a shortcut between two red routes, so we have plenty of traffic moving considerably faster than the 20 mph limit. The police do regular random speed checks, though they tend to overlook those exceeding the speed limit by less than 25%.

I do agree that the 20 mph limits are not in place to reduce pollution, and agree that it is probable that pollution levels will be marginally higher in places with a 20mph limit.

 

[Amarillo]

Thank goodness you live in Greenwich and the rest of us live in the real world.

I'm unsure of the point you are making or trying to make here.

 

[westfalia]

I think this thread is careering off topic now.

Fast.

 

[Andy]

Gentlemen, the lorry speed limit increased to 60 mph in 2015 in England and Wales, please keep up.

UK law states that hgv speed limit is 60mph. However eu law, which has been adopted in this case, says hgv must be limited to 90 kph . If hgv goes over 90 kph then can be prosecuted for exceeding the limited speed of his vehicle.
I drive an hgv for a living.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[WelshGas]

I'm unsure of the point you are making or trying to make here.

Likewise.

 

[Legin]

Really bizzare that anyone could think being overtaken all the time is safer than going with the flow.

This always fascinates me about the dangers of bicycles compared to motorbikes. On one you have all the protection of a net curtain with a bathing cap and only as good as the attention of the myopic passing. On the other you are flowing with the traffic with real head and body protection and more visible yet most folk will quote the motorbike as the unsafe option.
I have never understood those that risk it on a push bike in rush hour and yes in my 40 years of work the colleagues that died on the journey to work were on push bikes.
The relevance ? Well the cali is not a match for a HGV I think we can all agree, but dawdling along your motorway hoping the foreigner sitting in the wrong seat watching the iphone is on the ball.
This is real, Last night a Hungarian passed me in an MPV watching his ipad in the centre of the steering wheel.
So actually its safer to be going with the flow in the middle or third lane even if exceeding the speed limit irrespective of the law than it is in the slow lane.
Its all about risk and probability and the slow lane is certainly higher consequence mathematically. Time exposed to danger.
The human failure rate is 1 x10-3 so we will cock up the same repeat task once every thousand times executed its a fact.
Mr 44 mph motorway man I have dealt with safety and human factors all my career and will be very direct if I can prevent an accident, injury or save a life so implore you to stop dawdling on motorways and reduce the chance your next - really please think about it.
Im sure we have all seen the tragic consequences.