When do you require an escort vehicle?

joebre

Mods, please mode if a more appropriate forum.

Was on a Regional road today when I was nearly swept off the road by a large forage harvester. We met when he was nearly 2 feet over the solid white line. I don't know how I managed to avoid him.
He must not have gotten any fright because he drove on at full speed for the next 2 miles before I could pass him. One mile of this was continuous white line.
We had words but he is only the driver. His boss must have a duty of care towards other road users.
What is the law in respect of wide vehicles. I know that it must be dependent on the road width but cannot find anything on it.

CiniO

I'm not sure if laws are the same in Ireland, but in general oversized vehicles are required to have a pilot car with yellow flashing light, etc..

However this is bit funny here, as there is not prescribed by law minimum lane width, so lanes can be very narrow.
F.e I often drive a bus (2.55 metre wide) on a country road where lanes are as narrow as 1.5 metre in some spots, and generally not wider than 2.2 to 2.3 metres in most places.
So I have to be over the line (whether it's broken or continuous) and other vehicles have to account for that. But bus doesn't need a pilot car.

9935452

joebre wrote: »

Mods, please mode if a more appropriate forum.

Was on a Regional road today when I was nearly swept off the road by a large forage harvester. We met when he was nearly 2 feet over the solid white line. I don't know how I managed to avoid him.
He must not have gotten any fright because he drove on at full speed for the next 2 miles before I could pass him. One mile of this was continuous white line.
We had words but he is only the driver. His boss must have a duty of care towards other road users.
What is the law in respect of wide vehicles. I know that it must be dependent on the road width but cannot find anything on it.

I was always told that over 10 feet in width was the definition of a wide load. Its got nothing to do with the width of the road.
Depending on the model a SPFH is normally round the 10 ft mark so not a wide/oversize load. Manufacturers have a tendency of making these things road legal and not oversize
As regards driving on a narrow road from personal experience at silage i wouldnt drive too close to the margin as if its a soft margin the machine can end up in the dyke. Depending on the state of the ditches/ hedges are overgrown , it may not be possible to drive tight to the edge of the road eithre.

As regards driving the machine on the road , once you get into the drivers seat its your responsibility not your boss.
Driving on narrow roads you have to take it easier , drive with more care /caution, give way to other road users more.
If the driver of that machine met a guard in a bad mood instead of yourself he could end up being done for dangerous driving/ driving without due care.

savagethegoat

you came up behind him? you should have been observing the road ahead of you and driving within the limits of what you could see.

galljga1

savagethegoat wrote: »

you came up behind him? you should have been observing the road ahead of you and driving within the limits of what you could see.

What? Read the post again: "we met".

savagethegoat

yes ...and he drove on for the next two mies before he could pass him... he must have come up behind him

galljga1

savagethegoat wrote: »

yes ...and he drove on for the next two mies before he could pass him... he must have come up behind him

I would assume that was after he turned around to pursue and have words.

pete4130

This is the widest load I've encountered. Was very windy and the thing was swaying on the back of that trailer Didn't capture the first cop car speeding on the wrong side of the road to make sure it was clear before the 2nd cop car comes along. ……music was quite fitting too.

savagethegoat

private video

jimgoose

This crowd appear to specialise in this. See their "General Guidelines":

http://www.wide-loads.com/escorting.htm

1 Road Pilot for loads > 3.2m wide or >22m long or > 85,000kg or< 50km/h
2 Road Pilots for loads > 4.25m wide or >30m long or > 120,000kg or< 32km/h

joebre

Was posting from my phone and need to clarify.
Was driving towards him when we met on a bend. Hardly any margin on either side.
Turned around and followed him. He was driving at full speed and over the solid line most of the time.
My wife took a dozen photos, all over the line.
I called to the Garda Station and they said the would call to have a word with the owner.
Checked the spec of the machine and it is 3000mm wide

pete4130

savagethegoat wrote: »

private video

Working now? Not sure how it went to private.

TheChizler

joebre wrote: »

Was posting from my phone and need to clarify.
Was driving towards him when we met on a bend. Hardly any margin on either side.
Turned around and followed him. He was driving at full speed and over the solid line most of the time.

So you met driving towards each other? Your first post makes it seem like you couldn't get past, but here it sounds like you did pass each other when you met coming towards each other, and then you turned around and followed him and eventually overtook?

dgt

joebre wrote: »

Was posting from my phone and need to clarify.
Was driving towards him when we met on a bend. Hardly any margin on either side.
Turned around and followed him. He was driving at full speed and over the solid line most of the time.
My wife took a dozen photos, all over the line.
I called to the Garda Station and they said the would call to have a word with the owner.
Checked the spec of the machine and it is 3000mm wide

Seeing as I've been ran off the road before by a combine I hope they take his licence and fire the book at him.

Many hats off for reporting, hopefully something will come out of it

I have no time for pig ignorant operators like that, there are too many of them out there

All in all

joebre wrote: »

Mods, please mode if a more appropriate forum.

Was on a Regional road today when I was nearly swept off the road by a large forage harvester. We met when he was nearly 2 feet over the solid white line. I don't know how I managed to avoid him.
He must not have gotten any fright because he drove on at full speed for the next 2 miles before I could pass him. One mile of this was continuous white line.
We had words but he is only the driver. His boss must have a duty of care towards other road users.
What is the law in respect of wide vehicles. I know that it must be dependent on the road width but cannot find anything on it.

I had a similar experience the other day too, where the harvester clipped my wing mirror. Unfortunately didn't get the reg. number though. Where did your incident happen?

joebre

Near Cahir in Co. Tipperary.
Guard I spoke to after the incident said she would get somebody from Traffic Corps to ring me. No call after 8 hours so I rang again last night.
Spoke to different Guard who checked the owner from the reg I provided.
Told her that the driver was at a minimum driving without due care and attention.
Said she would visit him personally today with a colleague from TC.
Nearly 24 hours since I spoke to her and no call back like was promised.
I just need to know if there is some law that the guy has broken. I have a dozen photographs following him where he is continuously 2 feet over the solid white line.

9935452

joebre wrote: »

Was posting from my phone and need to clarify.
Was driving towards him when we met on a bend. Hardly any margin on either side.
Turned around and followed him. He was driving at full speed and over the solid line most of the time.
My wife took a dozen photos, all over the line.
I called to the Garda Station and they said the would call to have a word with the owner.
Checked the spec of the machine and it is 3000mm wide

there seems to be no legal width for a grass cutting machine

http://rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Std%20Leg/Vehicle%20regs/Weights_Dimensions_Leaflet.pdf

Out of curiosity what speed was he doing ?

Page 11 states that the maximum width dimensions do not apply to a grass cutting vehicle used during the daytime.