Slow moving vehicles (e.g construction, farm)

bobjim

Hi,
I've searched for an answer on this but haven't found anything, maybe someone here will know. I have always had the belief (don't know where it came from!) that construction and farm vehicles were not allowed on public roads at busy times such as 7-9am and 5-7pm.

Is this complete nonsense or is there any truth to it? Reason I bring it up is that I keep getting caught on my way to work behind a lorry exiting a quarry, then crawling along for a few miles till he turns off - drives me crazy!

thanks,
bobjim

Lord Nikon

Drop a gear or two. Floor it.

Padraig Mor

It's not the case. But it should be.

bobjim

I would if I could but it's a narrow, uphill winding road, not really safe to do so!

Cheensbo

Padraig Mor wrote: »

It's not the case. But it should be.

Why?


So people who are already in work should stay off the roads so people can get to/come from work without having to slow down?


The roads are for everyone..


Leave early / later to avoid them..

ironclaw

OP, its law in some US states. But then again, they have rules saying you can't have 'Construction Ahead' etc signs when there is none actually taking place i.e. At night. Makes total sense.

It should be law here at least on N roads. Making a distinction between slow moving i.e. Combine harvester, tractor with trailer and a truck which can easily do 100km/h and hold no one up.

Then again, we had a thread here and there was a sponsored cycle arriving in major cities at 5pm. No joined up thinking on behalf of AGS who in general have no understanding of traffic flows.

Padraig Mor

Cheensbo wrote: »

Why?


So people who are already in work should stay off the roads so people can get to/come from work without having to slow down?


The roads are for everyone..


Leave early / later to avoid them..

Because mixing slow and fast traffic on the same road is inherently dangerous (extremely so in the case of high speed roads) , regardless of the rights and wrongs.

Cheensbo

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Because mixing slow and fast traffic on the same road is inherently dangerous (extremely so in the case of high speed roads) , regardless of the rights and wrongs.

But then they shouldn't be on the roads at all, ever...

Also, rush hour traffic moves considerably slower than non-rush hour traffic..


And the op was saying he was behind a lorry.....

I'm not trying to be argumentative, and only quoted your post to make a point, not single you out, merely trying to highlight the fact that people cannot be calling for bans for everything that proves to be a minor inconvenience..

Padraig Mor

Cheensbo wrote: »

But then they shouldn't be on the roads at all, ever...

Also, rush hour traffic moves considerably slower than non-rush hour traffic..


And the op was saying he was behind a lorry.....

I'm not trying to be argumentative, and only quoted your post to make a point, not single you out, merely trying to highlight the fact that people cannot be calling for bans for everything that proves to be a minor inconvenience..

I wouldn't exclude lorries etc TBH, more tractors and so on that cannot be driven at a suitable speed. I'm also not talking about all roads, mainly N roads, dual carriageways and motorways (from which tractors are not banned, despite popular misconception).

While rush hour traffic may move slower, it is the very volume of it, and consequent lane changing, on many roads that makes the presence of a slow moving vehicle in traffic mainly going 80 k/h+ so dangerous. I've 'nothing personal' against tractors, etc - it is as simple as 'large speed differential + high traffic volume = huge increase in probability of a collision'. It's just sensible road safety.

Silvera

Afaik, in the U.S. drivers of slow-moving vehicles must pull over when 5 or more vehicles are behind them.

Slow-moving vehicles in the U.S. (and most of Europe) must also display a type of 'warning triangle' on the rear (so they stand out from a long way away. e.g. many large Irish tractor-trailers look like trucks from the rear).

Del2005

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Because mixing slow and fast traffic on the same road is inherently dangerous (extremely so in the case of high speed roads) , regardless of the rights and wrongs.

There's always going to be slow drivers on most roads at some point and when driving you should always be able to stop within the distance you can see to be safe. So if the fast driver hits a slow driver it's the fast drivers fault.

Don't forget that there are even slower more vulnerable road users on our roads than tractors and heavily laden vehicles, should these be banned also?

Wexfordian

Up to a point, but this time of year farmers are flat out with machinery, can't expect them to shut down for 4 hours a day. Guy that farms the complex of fields next door to where I live went right through the night a week or so ago, getting it tilled and sowed. Mildly annoying noise wise, but for once a year not going to worry too much.

sean1141

Wexfordian wrote: »

Up to a point, but this time of year farmers are flat out with machinery, can't expect them to shut down for 4 hours a day. Guy that farms the complex of fields next door to where I live went right through the night a week or so ago, getting it tilled and sowed. Mildly annoying noise wise, but for once a year not going to worry too much.

This.. During peak times of the farming calendar its ridiculous to expect them to stay off roads.
Nobody likes getting stuck behind them but it's just the way it goes

fasttalkerchat

As long as slow moving vehicles pull over every time they cause a tailback of 10 vehicles there wouldn't be a problem.

Cee-Jay-Cee

they're allowed on the roads so long as they're taxed. If they're moving very slowly then you treat them as an obstruction and pass them out if it is safe to do so, if your on a continou white line then you can still pss them so long as you can see that its safe to do so and your not putting yourself or anyone else in danger.


It is more annoying to be stuck behind someone who sits behind crawling vehicles purely because there's a continius white line. if it was stopped you drive around it, the same applies when its crawling at snails pace, its an obstruction and your nit obliged to sit behind it if there's an opportunity to pass it.

AugustusMinimus

I wonder how many of these vehicles are using public roads with green diesel in their tanks.

I believe technically this is not allowed but it is not enforced.

maidhc

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

I wonder how many of these vehicles are using public roads with green diesel in their tanks.

I believe technically this is not allowed but it is not enforced.

You believe wrong. It is perfectly legal to use marked diesel in an agricultural/construction machine that does not have a max speed in excess of 50km/h.

valerossi

Well most people don't realise their already going as fast as the can and if they do pull in for everyone it gona really slow them up that and if they wave you on its on them if an accident happens and now that the hard shoulder is out of bounds they break the law so you can pass.

AugustusMinimus

maidhc wrote: »

You believe wrong. It is perfectly legal to use marked diesel in an agricultural/construction machine that does not have a max speed in excess of 50km/h.

Be interested what farmers with JCB Fastrac's are putting into the tank.

maidhc

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Be interested what farmers with JCB Fastrac's are putting into the tank.

Few if any farmers run fastrac's. Too compromised a machine for much other than transport work. Fastracs are also limited to 50km/h from the factory, although obviously this is sometimes removed. And no doubt some unscrupulous types run them at in excess of 50km/h on marked diesel.

AugustusMinimus

IIRC, they are popular enough with contractors for drawing sileage or grain.

slimjimmc

valerossi wrote: »

Well most people don't realise their already going as fast as the can and if they do pull in for everyone it gona really slow them up that and if they wave you on its on them if an accident happens

It's entirely your responsibility to make sure it's safe for you to overtake. You don't go blindly on the other driver's recommendation.

valerossi wrote: »

and now that the hard shoulder is out of bounds they break the law so you can pass.

You were never permitted to drive continuously in the hard shoulder, but on a non-motorway it's generally not illegal to move into it briefly to allow faster traffic pass.