AIBU to expect lorry drivers to respect speed limits and distance?

There is NO place on the roads for bullying and intimidating behaviour.

Is it too much to ask for them to obey the law? Bearing in mind that you can do a lot of damage with 44 tonnes.

I've been going down the A55 at an indicated 70 and been overtaken by some of the Irish lorries. They've worked out that it's cheaper to pay the fine if the police check their tacho than it would be to miss out on that one extra load they can fit in.

It’s because their speedometers are more accurate and in cars they’re a few mphs slow/not reliable. If you’re intimidated by lorries, you shouldn’t be on the motorway.

If you can't match, or indeed drive faster, than a a HGV, you shouldn't be on a motorway.

If you feel that intimidated by lorries and you drive in the middle lane, you aren't safe to drive on a motorway.

Simple.

Theyve got a point, how does that excuse terrible driving?

And even on a 3 or 4 lane motorway, if lane 1 is so crowded with lorries that you feel intimidated then move to lane 2. Keep to the left doesn’t mean squeeze in dangerously between two lorries. Drive where you feel safest. The lorries are always going to endeavour to drive at the maximum permissible speed. If that’s a 50 zone they will drive at 50. If you feel intimidated and can’t match the speed then get out the way.

The op mentioned 3 different scenarios.

Conversation evolves.

This thread is about road works speed restrictions!

Why can't lorry drivers actually abide by the law and drive properly? They'd still get the goods delivered in most cases. The vast majority of lorry drivers don't drive like lunatics. There is NO excuse for dangerous driving.

If the lorry is speeding, that's the issue.
Speed limits are reduced during roadworks for safety reasons, though some regular drivers clock whether there are cameras or not, and if there aren't they ignore the limits. It doesn't make it safe.

Not talking about roadworks
I'm talking about a 3 or 4 lane motorway

This happens to me all the time and it is extremely annoying. But funnily enough, it only ever happens when I'm driving my little old runabout Fiesta. It does not happen when I'm driving our van or DH's large estate car, even though I would be going at the same speed whichever vehicle I'm driving.

Don't let them intimidate you.

Until the trucks are also in the right hand lane bullying their way through the roadworks. That happened to me recently and it was scary - no where to get out of their way as lorries in the left hand lane nose to tail, and some huge monstrosity in my mirror driving way too close. I eventually got into the left land so he could pass. Inevitably, a couple of minutes after the end of the speed restriction, I passed him so he achieved nothing by bullying people out of his way.

Still doesn't excuse their highly dangerous bullying of being inches from your rear end where they've not got the slightest chance of stopping in an emergency situation.

It’s not the worse advice ever at all it is common sense. 50mph average speed zones are put in place in roadworks often in conjunction with narrow lanes to restrict vehicles speeds. One lane is often closed
off completely for use by the workers, leaving two lanes. Let the trucks have the inside one(s) and stay out of their way in the outside lane in your car. I do it daily on the M6.

If you're driving that slow on a motorway that a HGV has to overtake you, you are the issue!

What a ridiculous answer.

I expect this is more about your fear of “massive lorries” and your perception they are too close rather than actually being too close. When u r in the 50 average speed zone are you actually driving at 50? Do you use your cruise control? Or are you driving at a few mph below it? If so you will be pissing off anyone behind you. I regularly drive though these zones on the M6. All the Lorries do 50 and if they need to overtake they do so. Therefore I suspect its your own fears of being too close to “massive lorries” that is the real issue. For what it’s worth I don’t consider lorries massive. They are lorry sized and I’m not intimidated by them.

I drive on the motorway nearly every day to go to work and the biggest issue I see is people tootling along in the middle and 3rd lane ( on a 4 lane section ) and not moving over

I will flash you out of the way, you should move over if you have chance and I am talking about 8pm at night or 7am in a morning! No excuse for it! Move back in your lane and if you can't cope with motorway driving stay off it

I drive on the m62 a lot which carries a lot of HGV traffic and the small gaps many of the drivers leave is scary. There are many car drivers who do it too so it isn't just lorries, but like you say you'd hope that someone who is a professional driver and in a vehicle capable of doing so much damage would know better.
The frustrating thing is if I try and leave a sensible stopping distance, someone will just fill it!

This is the worst advice ever.
If you do this you're an idiot and the one causing accidents.

Showing your ignorance there......they have to overtake slowly, they can't just drop a gear and speed up!

I find it annoying too OP.

seems like for the last few years every single time I have been on the M1 in whatever direction there are roadworks and 50mph limits

I just let them over take me then overtake them again later down the road. I’d rather not get points cos a lorry drivers in a hurry

I don't agree that complaining about dangerous driving means you don't appreciate the vital service hgv drivers provide. Just because you're doing an important job it doesn't mean you get a free pass to put people's lives in danger.