Police attitude to bad driving report

[Deleted member 967]

Yesterday I was almost forced off the road by a truck that was intent on overtaking me on the brow of a hill. The road was marked into one lane by hatching which led up to a bollard.

Due to my vehicle being fully loaded and towing the Smart car on the trailer I was down to 25 MPH in a 30 MPH area.

The road was single track for about half a mile before it opened up again into a dual carriageway.

The truck came up beside me on the hatching and then cut in to avoid the bollard. I was forced to do an emergencty stop and I had to swing almost onto the verge to avoid an accident.

I reported this incident to the Police. Their attitude was that as they had not seen the incident it was my word agaist the driver of the truck. They refused to take details even though we had the registration and company name.

In the old days the Police asked us to report bad driving incidents but it would appear that they do not want to know now. CPS and cost analysis over-rides safety these days.

 

[Tigatigatiger]

Yesterday I was almost forced off the road by a truck that was intent on overtaking me on the brow of a hill. The road was marked into one lane by hatching which led up to a bollard.

Due to my vehicle being fully loaded and towing the Smart car on the trailer I was down to 25 MPH in a 30 MPH area.

The road was single track for about half a mile before it opened up again into a dual carriageway.

The truck came up beside me on the hatching and then cut in to avoid the bollard. I was forced to do an emergencty stop and I had to swing almost onto the verge to avoid an accident.

I reported this incident to the Police. Their attitude was that as they had not seen the incident it was my word agaist the driver of the truck. They refused to take details even though we had the registration and company name.

In the old days the Police asked us to report bad driving incidents but it would appear that they do not want to know now. CPS and cost analysis over-rides safety these days.

Ring the company who own the truck, give them the full details. They may jsut speak to the driver?

Most companies will and at least the driver knows that you took the details and may just think twice next time.

 

[Deleted member 967]

Ring the company who own the truck, give them the full details. They may jsut speak to the driver?

Most companies will and at least the driver knows that you took the details and may just think twice next time.

I have done that already.

 

[Coolasluck]

The police will only give a crap if you end up dead or the prick ended up causing a pile up.It does make you mad,i remember being on the m62 last November and hated every last mile,it was teeming with knobheads and some of them carrying flammables.I panicked my wife having just lost my rag at some twat driving up my arse after passing and seeing my response he would have been stupid to have stopped,im getting angry now.....time for some breakfast...

 

[maingate]

Do what I did a few years ago when I was cut up by a cowboy waggon driver.

I phoned the company and asked for the Traffic manager. I let him know that I was very angry at his driver and then told him I had a son who was a Police Sergeant in the Traffic division. I told him that I would do my best to get every one of his trucks pulled over. Even if no faults were found, the delays would be a big problem (and he knew it). I got a very profuse apology and I bet all of his drivers got a roasting.

 

[Coolasluck]

Sorry that you guys have had such bad experiences, the standard of truck driving or should I say manners has declined in recent years. It is dog eat dog out there and the drivers are under severe time pressures, they even cut other trucks up, which does not excuse this.
However, if I had a pound for every car driver that has cut me up while driving a truck by just having to get in front and then braking or cutting across from lane 3 on the Mway to exit a junction, I would be a very rich man
I have even been cut up by motorhome drivers that just do not know where the rear end is
Regarding ringing the transport office, my experience is that the small company traffic operators might be nice to you on the telephone, but as soon as you hang up, they just call you all the names under the sun.
The large PLC companies usually handle it differently.For example we had a self employed Agency driver delivering a new trailer to John Lewis, he gave a lady driver some abuse and he was subsequently banned from John Lewis sites.
My advice would be to just put it down to experience and keep well clear of trucks

I keep well clear of trucks i just want to drive at a leisurely pace the only thing that would teach these drivers consideration would be a lump of wood to the head,i have seen good as well as bad which includes giving space before pulling in,how can you drive safely when these morons dont let you
And it should not be a case of time and targets,consideration to other road users and driving to a safe practice should be the main target,when it comes to sympathy 50 per cent of these tossers need shooting,so no sympathy from me.
And that does also go in the direction of car drivers,its always the innocent that loose their lives i wouldnt mind so much if it was themselves they were killing,but its us sensible ones that end up getting hurt.

 

[maingate]

" its us sensible ones that end up getting hurt"?

What`s that coolie, a New Years resolution or summat?

 

[zeezee16]

I keep well clear of trucks i just want to drive at a leisurely pace the only thing that would teach these drivers consideration would be a lump of wood to the head,i have seen good as well as bad which includes giving space before pulling in,how can you drive safely when these morons dont let you
And it should not be a case of time and targets,consideration to other road users and driving to a safe practice should be the main target,when it comes to sympathy 50 per cent of these tossers need shooting,so no sympathy from me.
And that does also go in the direction of car drivers,its always the innocent that loose their lives i wouldnt mind so much if it was themselves they were killing,but its us sensible ones that end up getting hurt.

I drive a truck 50000 miles a year, if you want to wack me over the nogin with a lump of wood, go ahead, I will only get up and wack you back with it, then I will run over you with my truck, then I will push your camper/car into the ditch, when I will go through all your cupboards and nick all your single malt.
So there.
PS, please make sure you have good quality malt, not the crap from Aldi.
Cheers, Pete

 

[ajs]

.

truckers ... queens of the road they are now.
.. bunch of hairyassed primadonnas

that peepee is the worst.... reeeet nastid he is...


regards
aj

 

[Deleted member 967]

" its us sensible ones that end up getting hurt"?

What`s that coolie, a New Years resolution or summat?

I do not think that the majority of truck drivers would have even attempted such a dangerous manoeuvre but there is always a small minority who don't give a dam for themselves and other road users.

I have driven coaches for many years (my own and other operators) and have always found most other users considerate.

I always flash HGV in when they are at a safe distance ahead to pull in when they overtake my outfit. I find that they do the same for me.

 

[maingate]

As ***** mentioned earlier, car drivers cut across from lane 3 to lane 1 just before their m/way exit. This is more and more common.

I always close up to the vehicle in front to prevent this and hope that the next exit is 20 miles away. I have done this for 3 years, ever since I was cut up by a 4x4.

 

[Coolasluck]

I drive a truck 50000 miles a year, if you want to wack me over the nogin with a lump of wood, go ahead, I will only get up and wack you back with it, then I will run over you with my truck, then I will push your camper/car into the ditch, when I will go through all your cupboards and nick all your single malt.
So there.
PS, please make sure you have good quality malt, not the crap from Aldi.
Cheers, Pete

No ZeeZee i wouldnt have thought so,you old git,you are always welcome to my malt though that is if you can find any,cant stand the stuff im more of a babby sham coinouser meself!!!
Which reminds me to send of a cheque to you for some stickers

 

[Deleted member 967]

I have just witnessed another example of a truck moving out into the outside lane on the A1M in County Durham and crawling past a Motorhome towing a boat. It took a long time for the truck to edge past and then he cut in on Motorhome and had to swerve out again to miss the Motorhomes front end.

There was nothing in front of this truck but he blocked the road for other users by his impatient driving

 

[derekfaeberwick]

I have just witnessed another example of a truck moving out into the outside lane on the A1M in County Durham and crawling past a Motorhome towing a boat. It took a long time for the truck to edge past and then he cut in on Motorhome and had to swerve out again to miss the Motorhomes front end.

There was nothing in front of this truck but he blocked the road for other users by his impatient driving

If those stupid bloody speed limiters were done away with then the problem would be done away with at the same time.

Presumably the motorhomer was not 'working' so why could he or she not have backed off a little to let the lorry driver pass a bit quicker. That's the one being inconsiderate in my opinion.

 

[Captain]

If those stupid bloody speed limiters were done away with then the problem would be done away with at the same time.

Presumably the motorhomer was not 'working' so why could he or she not have backed off a little to let the lorry driver pass a bit quicker. That's the one being inconsiderate in my opinion.

I always take my foot of the accelerator to assist overtaking vehicles. They get by quicker, nobody behind gets frustrated and impatient, less likely to be a collision. Good practice I think, must admit I thought most people did!

 

[NicknClair]

Defending the contracted HGV driver, you would prob find it being an agency driver/EU worker as they norm have complete lack of regards to the truck let alone anyone on the road (sorry to any agency peeps here, but it's true in most cases).
Former employer's used to use agency alot due to peeps on hols or on sick, got fed up with constant repairs to the rigs, due to swipes and general stupidness not including the list of complains we got to the transport manager about them.
Generally contracted driver's take care of the rigs and when they are on the road (most of the time they are fellow camper owner's or tuggers as they can't get driving out of their system even on holiday, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE ).
It also sums up the driver's mentality that have the sticker saying "How's my driving, call 0800 go "£$% yourself". Does make you wonder at times

 

[Deleted member 967]

If those stupid bloody speed limiters were done away with then the problem would be done away with at the same time.

Presumably the motorhomer was not 'working' so why could he or she not have backed off a little to let the lorry driver pass a bit quicker. That's the one being inconsiderate in my opinion.

Unfortunately Derek speed limiters are proliferating and will be on HGVs over 3.5 tonne unladen and Motorhomes over 3.05 tonne unladen from 2011 if the governments proposals go ahead.

We were doing 70 in the outside lane in the Smart car when the truck pulled out in front of us and slowed us to his speed. He then crawled passed the Motorhome then misjudged the rear end of his truck and had to have two attempts to get back into the nearside lane.

I am sure you would not drive like that.

No name or telephone on the truck, it looked like it had been sign written and the letters were painted out.

 

[Deleted member 207]

Re: the agency drivers.

Back in the mid 80s I got a job as the driver trainer for a largish transport company in Victoria, Australia, we employed about 800 full time drivers with about 600 trucks and used maybe 5 agencies for top up. We had a staggering 2000 plus "reported" accidents a year - everything from a cracked mirror to a shop being pulled down. Big dollars in excesses, premiums and vehicle downtime, basically the insurer would charge whatever they paid out the previous year plus 25%.

I went down the burrow about who was causing the accidents - the agency drivers were accounting for about 80% of the reported accidents and about 60% of the costs. We setup our own internal agency of about 20 permanent drivers and saw accident rates plummet within a few months. The agencies were also spending an arm and a leg on entertaining (bribing) the site supervisors to get the business - which was coming back as higher hourly rates.

As well as the internal agency we started training the existing drivers in defensive/progressive/fuel efficient driving techniques (slow down to go faster in cities).

Every new driver got a driving test that was 10 times harder than the State tests - surprising how many truck drivers cant reverse around a corner!! We had drivers queueing up to work for us.

The owner of the business also came to the party, he would stop one of his vehicles tell the driver that he'd been following, liked the way he drove and would give him $100 for job well done. He only had to do that once a month but the impact was incredible on the rest of the drivers.

We killed about $3million of accident/premium costs (plus harder to quantify fuel and maintenance costs) which at the time meant a turnover of about $30million with 10% profit. It was a lot easier to put $3million on the bottom line than go out and find $30million of new business to get $3m in profits.

 

[derekfaeberwick]

Unfortunately Derek speed limiters are proliferating and will be on HGVs over 3.5 tonne unladen and Motorhomes over 3.05 tonne unladen from 2011 if the governments proposals go ahead.

We were doing 70 in the outside lane in the Smart car when the truck pulled out in front of us and slowed us to his speed. He then crawled passed the Motorhome then misjudged the rear end of his truck and had to have two attempts to get back into the nearside lane.

I am sure you would not drive like that.

No name or telephone on the truck, it looked like it had been sign written and the letters were painted out.

Not 'his' speed, just the speed he has to put up with.

If I am stuck behind a less powerfull or heavier laden truck than mine then I will overtake it whenever I get the chance to and tough luck to any tourists behind because I really do think that car drivers are far less considerate than us.

Think about it, you are at a give way on a busy street waiting to get out, which vehicle is most likely to back off to let you out? Try it sometime, I have, shock horror, it's the lorry that usually backs off.

If it costs us nowt then we let it go, if it's going to cost us or our company then why would you expect us to give way to tourists?

 

[defitzi]

pushy

My 32 year Hymer is happiest between 70 and 90kph really happy around 75-80kph, which on motorways means most trucks will overtake me and that's ok. If I find I'm in processions with 80 kms, I just leave them well ahead.
The Hymer has a big Old Timer 1978 on rear and often tows my boat or Honda 400. I flash trucks past as a help-out courtesy.
I tend to drive my Kangoo-roo at a similar speeds, especially when towing.
On motorways. especially in Belgium, it seem, now to be the accepted practice for vans and cars to cut across in front of slower vehicles at high speed into slip roads.....well, it's their country... But it can be bloody unnerving, even in a left-hand drive vehicle and it's wildly frightening in my RHD!
But on A and B roads, especially in France, the situation is entirely different. Bloody great monsters forever up my tail, getting closer and closer, pushing-pushing -pushing to try and make me go faster than I consider safe.
I reckon if they want to got at the maximum permitted speed then they should pay for the motorways and not endanger others by trying to save money. Fortunately , there are lots of roads in Europe where heavy trucks are banned.
The worst offenders-both in Ireland, UK and France (and seemingly immune to police action) are the animal feed (trippage?) 12 wheelers and contractors trucks-damn few seem to have any sort of limiter. Time after time they overtake me even when I'm doing 70 mph!
Vans and cars are a diffrent matter-tailgaters are on the increase. I've a sign warning- "get off my arse-I'm NOT gay" that pops up in the rear windowthat and a quick flash of brake lights mostly gets the message across if not, then gently (and safely) reducing speed has an effect. But too often-they go bloody mad with frustration and rage. But.... better them than me.
I do try to leave space-notwithstanding it is rare someone does not take advantage of it, and frequently on narrow roads I pull in and out of a layby to let queques pass on -it's much easier on my nerves!.
These days, I don't give a damn who behind is impatient-which seems nowadays to be everyone! I all right Jack: at my own reasonable speed and may the Devil take the jumpers!