Question on slow moving vehicles on the hard shoulder.

-Corkie-

Hello folks.

If a tractor or jcb are travelling along a hard shoulder and all other traffic are driving as normal passing them as normal and then the road gets narrow what happens.

Should the tractor driver wait for the cars to pass and then wait for a break in the traffic or can he just keep going as normal.

piston

IMO, he's effectively rejoining the main carriageway and would have to yield in the normal manner.

I know someone who was driving in the hard shoulder with a tractor and trailer and a Guard stopped him and gave him a mouthful and threatened to book him for driving in the hard shoulder. Warning duly noted and kept out of the hards shoulder for the rest of the journey. When driving home again in the opposite direction and sitting with a huge queue of traffic, a different Guard pulled him in and gave him a mouthful for not driving in the hard shoulder and letting traffic past and threatened him with all sorts. You can't win when even the law enforcement people can't sing from the same hymnsheets in this country.

MugMugs

-Corkie- wrote: »

Hello folks.

If a tractor or jcb are travelling along a hard shoulder and all other traffic are driving as normal passing them as normal and then the road gets narrow what happens.

Should the tractor driver wait for the cars to pass and then wait for a break in the traffic or can he just keep going as normal.

One would assume (and despite whether they should be doing it or not) that the JCB/Tractor/TDI Driver should indicate to rejoin the main road and only do so when it is safe to do so. He is re-establishing himself onto the main carriageway and as such should allow established traffic pass first...

piston wrote: »

............ a different Guard pulled him in and gave him a mouthful for not driving in the hard shoulder and letting traffic past and threatened him with all sorts. You can't win when even the law enforcement people can't sing from the same hymnsheets in this country.

Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't eh?

Out of interest, What law are you breaking if you're driving a slow moving vehicle on the road like a Harvester?

Mycroft H

MugMugs wrote: »

One would assume (and despite whether they should be doing it or not) that the JCB/Tractor/TDI Driver should indicate to rejoin the main road and only do so when it is safe to do so. He is re-establishing himself onto the main carriageway and as such should allow established traffic pass first...



Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't eh?

Out of interest, What law are you breaking if you're driving a slow moving vehicle on the road like a Harvester?

None that I know of. I've done it before and I'v never had trouble with the law. However, I will pull in occasionally to le traffic by.

Anan1

MugMugs wrote: »

One would assume (and despite whether they should be doing it or not) that the JCB/Tractor/TDI Driver should indicate to rejoin the main road and only do so when it is safe to do so. He is re-establishing himself onto the main carriageway and as such should allow established traffic pass first...

I'd say that's the legal position alright. Of course if all the cars choose to assert their right of way and not let him back in then they shouldn't be surprised when he decides not to use the hard shoulder at all any more. We need to remember that they're doing us a favour by using the HS to let us pass.

aujopimur

The hard shoulder (not motorway) is for pedestrians and cyclists, slow moving vehicles should use it to allow faster traffic to overtake, it is not to be used as a slow lane.

-Corkie-

-Corkie- wrote: »

........ or can he just keep going as normal.

Madness to keep going as normal, he's than relying on other road users to react and slow down as/if required. Odds are if he does that regularly there'll be a collision eventually.

piston

The trouble I find on the odd occasion I drive a tractor (usually MF 590 so sloooow) on the main road in my area (no hard shoulders) is that if you try to do people a favour by pulling into an entrance to let traffic go past, you will be sitting there for about 20 minutes before finding a gap to pull into. And once you do, within yards, you will have more cars queued up behind you.

I would like to be "nice" and let faster traffic past but not when it seriously holds me up from doing my work.

Bohrio

piston wrote: »

The trouble I find on the odd occasion I drive a tractor (usually MF 590 so sloooow) on the main road in my area (no hard shoulders) is that if you try to do people a favour by pulling into an entrance to let traffic go past, you will be sitting there for about 20 minutes before finding a gap to pull into. And once you do, within yards, you will have more cars queued up behind you.

I would like to be "nice" and let faster traffic past but not when it seriously holds me up from doing my work.

I know you have good intentions and please dont take me wrong but one of the main problems I believe there is in ireland is that drivers are way to nice to other drivers. But unfortunately most of the times being nice is worse than just letting thingsgo their way.

Another example is when there is a pedestrian trying to cross the road in the middle of nowhere (where he is not supposed to) and people stop to let him pass, next thing you bumb into this person, or even worse the pedestrian gets run over but another car, bike, cyclist etc...

Marty McFly

Bohrio wrote: »

Another example is when there is a pedestrian trying to cross the road in the middle of nowhere (where he is not supposed to) and people stop to let him pass, next thing you bumb into this person, or even worse the pedestrian gets run over but another car, bike, cyclist etc...

Had an example of the during the week myself driving through Dublin City and a couple step of the kerb as if they had right of way I kept driving not close to hitting them and the look of disgust on his face which he then followed up by shouting at me, so I duly rolled down my window and explained I had right of way how he was crossing at a non pedestrian crossing lets jut say a few angry words were exchanged with his girlfriend joining in. Sometime youd swear people are invincible the way the walk out in front of cars in built up areas.

-Corkie-

Cheers for the replies.

I actually had a close one earlier when overtaking a jcb that was in the hard shoulder. He pulled out just as I was passing and he nearly hit passangers side of the car..

Damien360

luvbulmers01 wrote: »

Had an example of the during the week myself driving through Dublin City and a couple step of the kerb as if they had right of way I kept driving not close to hitting them and the look of disgust on his face which he then followed up by shouting at me, so I duly rolled down my window and explained I had right of way how he was crossing at a non pedestrian crossing lets jut say a few angry words were exchanged with his girlfriend joining in. Sometime youd swear people are invincible the way the walk out in front of cars in built up areas.

That drives me bananas but sometimes it is better just to keep it to yourself. It actually helps the blood pressure. If they complained to guards that someone in a one tonne car (lets exaggerate and say weapon) was aggressive towards a pedestrian and they felt threatened, you would be screwed. And they had a witness.

creedp

Bohrio wrote: »

I know you have good intentions and please dont take me wrong but one of the main problems I believe there is in ireland is that drivers are way to nice to other drivers. But unfortunately most of the times being nice is worse than just letting thingsgo their way.

Another example is when there is a pedestrian trying to cross the road in the middle of nowhere (where he is not supposed to) and people stop to let him pass, next thing you bumb into this person, or even worse the pedestrian gets run over but another car, bike, cyclist etc...

I don't agree with this as I think its the opposite ... all too often drivers will not oblige other drivers by letting them pull out of junctions or cross a road into a junction even when traffic is heavy and it will cost them nothing. As for the pedestrian crossing the road, wasn't there a thread recently which argued that pedestrians have the tight to cross the road anywhere and cars have to give way to a pedestrian in any circumstance .. so all they have to do is be brave!!