Living with Lorries

[2657]

Goods vehicles with a design weight over 3.5 tonnes and buses with more than 8 passenger seats (regardless of weight) registered on or after 1 January 2005, are required to be fitted with a road speed limiter. The limiter will restrict the maximum powered speed to 56mph (90km/h) for goods vehicles, and 62mph (100km/h) for buses. A speed limiter will not be required until 1 January 2008, however for vehicles used solely on UK journeys and are either: •a goods vehicle with a design weight not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, or; •a bus with a design weight not exceeding 5 tonnes
Vehicles registered between 1 October 2001 and 31 December 2004 (inclusive), also need a road speed limiter if they are: •a diesel engined goods vehicle with a design weight over 3.5 tonnes, but not exceeding 12 tonnes, or; •a diesel engined bus fitted with more than 8 passenger seats and has a design weight not exceeding 10 tonnes. Vehicles used on international journeys need to be fitted with a speed limiter by 1 January 2006, while vehicles used solely on UK journeys will need a limiter by 1 January 2007.

Unfortunately the Government in it's wisdom did not alter the speed limits to align with speed limiter legislation, as with the previous legislation for over 7.5t trucks

Goods vehicles (not more than 7.5 tonnes maximum laden weight)

30 (48)

50 (80)

60 (96)

70 (112) 60 (96) if articulated or towing a trailer

 

[Oldbob]

Except for mobile plant hgv's, no tacho and no limiter . And any hgv registered before 1987 I do believe doesn't have to be limited but have to have a tacho.
The old F12 Volvo we had never had and still hasn't got a limiter, it is a D reg, 1986, and it does move !

 

[Ivory55]

Goods vehicles with a design weight over 3.5 tonnes and buses with more than 8 passenger seats (regardless of weight) registered on or after 1 January 2005, are required to be fitted with a road speed limiter. The limiter will restrict the maximum powered speed to 56mph (90km/h) for goods vehicles, and 62mph (100km/h) for buses. A speed limiter will not be required until 1 January 2008, however for vehicles used solely on UK journeys and are either: •a goods vehicle with a design weight not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, or; •a bus with a design weight not exceeding 5 tonnes
Vehicles registered between 1 October 2001 and 31 December 2004 (inclusive), also need a road speed limiter if they are: •a diesel engined goods vehicle with a design weight over 3.5 tonnes, but not exceeding 12 tonnes, or; •a diesel engined bus fitted with more than 8 passenger seats and has a design weight not exceeding 10 tonnes. Vehicles used on international journeys need to be fitted with a speed limiter by 1 January 2006, while vehicles used solely on UK journeys will need a limiter by 1 January 2007.

Was it as long ago as that, you forget how long things have been. A bit like 1 year out on ken Bruce show. Haha

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

My brother used to drive artics for the GPO on the Irish mail run to Cairnryan where most of the A75 is limited to 40mph. One of the other drivers had a wagon on his bumper for a few miles, flashing his headlights and sounding his horn, when they arrived at the ferry terminal, the Southern Irish driver of the other wagon threatened to "rip his head off" if he ever "held him up again".

I used to drive my 7.5 ton lorry from Glasgow to the Warrington area and back every night for many years and have lost count the number of times I've had Irish lorries speed past me when I'm sitting at 70mph (this is going back 17 years ago) Even when there's been heavy snow and everyone is following tyre tracks on the inside lane I've witnessed an Irish lorry racing up the middle lane far faster than was safe in these conditions more than once

 

[MikeD]

I find in Spain you have to drive at 65 mph to keep up with them

They must hate me as i am usually a fair bit slower than that

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[NickandClair]

Problem is that most of the time these things are by-passed with a magnet on the G-Box (no only to open it up, but to fool the Tacho head that you're "At Work" thus not eating into the drive time).
You only need to spend a bit of time watching Faceache's Motorway Police and Highways Agency threads to see how many trucks are being pulled for various by-pass mods (sadly the euro boys don't really care as they have less to loose than a UK driver).
Tacho Calibration tests are also not a universal thing, as you're relying on the test centre/dealer's equipment and it may sound silly (but it does make a difference) testing being carried out with the drive tyres on low tread. Take that same vehicle and fit a brand new set of tyres and you can easily add 3kph speed gain post calibration test.

 

[Ivory55]

We have moved on since the magnet on the gearbox, it’s a lot more technical now. Haha. There is a device that delays it being recorded and if stopped then they press a button and it records the last 59 minutes of driving.

 

[Misterg]

We have moved on since the magnet on the gearbox

So no more half-sucked polo mints in the tacho, either?

 

[RidersofRohan]

One thing that would help.
The temporary speed limit of 50 mph should be 56mph on MWays and dual carriageway as trucks generally ignore the 50 limit and try to press on at 56 while most car drivers drop to a Speedo reading of 50 which is actually 46 hence trucks are steaming up to them and then past them.

 

[2x2camper]

One thing that would help.
The temporary speed limit of 50 mph should be 56mph on MWays and dual carriageway as trucks generally ignore the 50 limit and try to press on at 56 while most car drivers drop to a Speedo reading of 50 which is actually 46 hence trucks are steaming up to them and then past them.

The speed limit is there to protect the workers. Better enforcement is the answer.

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[RidersofRohan]

The speed limit is there to protect the workers. Better enforcement is the answer.

Understand that but if traffic flowed steadily with no overtaking at a uniform speed safety of all concerned would be improved.

 

[2x2camper]

Understand that but if traffic flowed steadily with no overtaking at a uniform speed safety of all concerned would be improved.

Whatever the limit as every vehicle interperates the speed differently there will always difference's.

All the restrictions I have been through in the past few months have been ok.

 

[Jo662]

Well I am pleased they upped the speed for trucks on single carriageway roads from 40mph to 50mph, it may not seem much(10mph) difference but it is. It always seemed to be Tesco trucks I got stuck behind doing 40mph.

 

[chaser]

What annoys me is truck overtaking truck on the governor.
It can take a minute or more to travel far enough to pass the slower truck. Don't know what that equates to in actual speed but call it 1mph to 2mph faster.
So, providing the overtaking truck isn't held up further on, which is unlikely, after one hour he's gained a whole two miles at the most.

Yeah but it means he might get unloaded before the other one if going to same place

 

[2x2camper]

Well I am pleased they upped the speed for trucks on single carriageway roads from 40mph to 50mph, it may not seem much(10mph) difference but it is. It always seemed to be Tesco trucks I got stuck behind doing 40mph.

Well I don't want to be by one, but I'd rather be hit at 40 then 50mph. At least the Tesco ones were sticking to the legal limit.

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[JJ]

I reckon some folks are much, much, much better drivers than others.

Of course the crap drivers don't realise they are crap.

One guy going at the correct legal speed could easily be far, far more dangerous than another guy going over the limit.



"I am not saying it is right... it is just the way it is!" (early Al Murray.)

JJ

 

[Rob Turner]

Speed limit is 60mph.
Anything registered after Jan1st 1988 and over 12t were limited to 85kph +/- 5%
If you need to crack on in and Artic then it needs to be 1987 or before ?