Almost wiped out by lorry driver - would you report?

[hannah7411]

Was on a motorway today 3 lanes I was in the left lane, massive lorry in middle lane, lorry driving at the side of me starts indicating and moving over to my way, I used my horn to let him know I was there, still starts moving into my lane and then when I tooted again he blares his horn for a silly amount of time back at me, his own stupid fault completely by not checking mirrors. He was an inch away from totally wiping me out and causing a fatal accident, my heart was beating really fast I was really shaken up by it. I noted the name of his van and time when I pulled over shortly after, after I'd taken the slip road. It's happened before a few months ago similar incident I had came off slip road and a woman starting coming over to my lane to the point I had to swerve back to the slip road. I drive this road everyday to work and feel it's only a matter of time before one of these idiotic drivers seriously cause an accident with me or someone else involved and it really worries me. Im a sensible driver never caused an accident or been close I drive at the speed limit not slow and not not over. I drive a little car and I feel like that angers people! Should I report this idiot from today or leave it?

Where was the lorry in relation to your car when he started to indicate? Directly alongside?

I also think folk on this post do not fully understand the meaning of undertaking.

I've re-read. If you were in the left-lane, even if you're not confident, you should expect to be overtaken by lorries. If you see a lorry overtaking on the right and you're cruising at a slow pace, you should drop back and let them overtake.

Lorries (a lot of them anyway) have this indicate and then move over straight away approach which is incredibly dangerous. They basically think they can bully people out of their way but if that car physically cannot go anywhere, as it sounds like in the op, then that's pretty damn terrifying.

I would report, OP. His approach and reaction sounds aggressive too, large vehicles in the hands of angry people are not good.

Doesn't matter if op was undertaking. The vehicle who is moving lanes is obligated to make sure the way is clear before doing so. The lorry driver didn't. If he can't check his mirrors properly he shouldn't be on the road. If a lorry driver changes lanes into you and wipes you out would you shrug and say, "well it's hard for them to check their mirrors innit. Must have been my fault". Even though you were driving ahead, in your own lane. I've worked in road traffic liability work for 20+ years. The op wouldn't have been deemed at fault in the event of an accident.

alittle do you realise how big the blind spot on a lorry is? If you are alongside a HGV in the way the op was they can not see you.

I often join the motorway at a situation like I think the op is describing where my lane becomes a “new” lane for anyone wanting to come off at the next junction. If I see a HGV in what has now become the middle lane I assume they will want to come over and wait behind them rather than risking undertaking in their blind spot just to get off that bit of motorway a few seconds quicker

I do hate HGVs, they often drift over when joining a motorway without looking and power on in high winds without considering other traffic. I also hate people who trundle along in the left-lane and cause then to pull-out. I also hate fuckers that join a motorway and drift over to the right without much thought, across other people's stopping distance. The worst though are dick-heads that dart in and out, generally in hatchbacks, under and overtaking. Them and twats that drive up your arse when you're overtaking at 80 on the right.

I've reported all of these dick-heads whilst driving. I don't appreciate it.

If you are going faster than traffic in the lane to the right of you you don't have to pull out and cross 2 lanes to pass them. As far as I'm aware anyway and I've been driving for 30 years. You can't deliberately undertake but can continue in flow of traffic in a left lane that is going faster than the lane on your right.

If I'm joining a motorway on a slip-road and I see there's a lorry behind me though I'd put my foot down and aim for the middle lane pretty quickly (and safely) I wouldn't want to join just in front of a cruising HGV.

I would never cruise in the left lane unless it was very busy and I was going one junction. I do fear for cheap hatchbacks on the motorway. They look very vulnerable.

There's a lot of dick-heads out there.

Yes lorry drivers have a larger blind spot, they also have longer stopping distances. This means that lorry drivers need to be aware of this and show much more caution than the average driver, not less.

Sirzy

If course i do - didn't you read the bit where i said I've worked in motor liability for 20 years?

The size of the lorry's blindspot isn't op's problem. Of course she needs to be aware of a lorry alongside her because lorry drivers routinely do dangerous things, but if the lorry driver can't be sure the lane he wants to move to is clear, he shouldn't be moving across.

But then they would never move.

The op needs to take some level of responsibility for the fact she undertook and put herself in the blind spot. Even more so when from her description of the set up she was at a point where traffic needs to change lane for the junction ahead

I think whatever your driving the best thing to remember is you can only control your own actions so drive sensibly and prepared to respond to others rather than putting yourself in a position where things could get messy!

As other people have said, it is not illegal to pass on the inside (undertake) if the other lanes are travelling below the speedlimit or there is congestion, however it is plainly daft to be sat in the blind-spot of a lorry long enough for them to signal, manoeuvre and almost hit you - if you 'need' to underetake, do it safely, quickly and have an escape plan to either speed up, slow down or move to the side if something like this happens.

I have this situation daily coming from the M62 to the M60, and the same leaving the M60 where there is a 'filter/exit' lane moving much quicker than the stagnant traffic - someone pulling out at the last minute is always a possibility.

OK, OP, so you joined the motorway into the L hand lane and we’re staying there at the speed limit ready to exit at the next exit.

Was the lorry already in the middle lane when you joined?

Were you going faster than the lorry?

I often join the motorway at a situation like I think the op is describing where my lane becomes a “new” lane for anyone wanting to come off at the next junction. If I see a HGV in what has now become the middle lane I assume they will want to come over and wait behind them rather than risking undertaking in their blind spot just to get off that bit of motorway a few seconds quicker
Same.
If two motorways merge then I assume the HGVs will want to be across to the inside lane as they're going slower than other traffic.
If I'm coming off soon then I either put my foot down to get in front, or ease off to make a safe gap. I would be fairly stupid to decide "I want to do 70 and am coming off soon so I shall drive into the blind spot of an HGV".

I'm still confused as to how if the OP was on the motorway since it started, an HGV going slower than her managed to pull up alongside her, unless of course it's a motorway merging situation.
But then if it's a motorway merging situation, surely it's obvious how an HGV can end up in the new middle lane (their previous left lane), in which case how can the OP claim there was no reason for the lorry to be in the middle lane.

It's all quite bizarre and could easily be solved by not driving at 70 into the blindspot of an HGV to your right.

I’m more concerned that someone who works in insurance seems to automatically assume hgv drivers are in the wrong.

Speaks volumes.

@Bloomburger

You cant undertake, if it's stop start traffic/very congested and the inside lane is moving faster than the middle you can keep moving, however OP was going at 70mph. That's just plain old undertaking.

You don't undertake for this exact reason, because especially lorries have massive blind spots and they won't know your there! You expect to overtake the cars in the left lane so you know what's there .

No, the lorry driver was in the wrong because they changed lanes. Do keep up.

The op needs to take some level of responsibility for the fact she undertook and put herself in the blind spot.

Legally no she doesn't. If the lorry driver hadn't changed lanes, nothing would have happened.

It's not if the middle lane is moving less than the speed limit ffs! It's basically in a traffic jamesque situation you can keep moving faster in the inside lane than the middle lane. But in this situation there will be lots of cars all doing the same thing, therefore vehicles in the middle lane expect it, the lanes won't be 60/70.

It's not just if you come along and someone's doing 60mph in the middle lane you can undertake them because they were travelling less than the speed limit. And even if you could only a fool undertakes a massive fucking hgv in this case.

People need to respect lorries more, it's all very well to say "the lorry shouldn't do that" but the fact of the matter is Lorries will and therefore you need to be wary. It's a bit like saying "children shouldn't run out in the road" except they will so again you need to be wary they might do this.

But @Alittlepotofrosie if OP hasn't been undertaking a lorry in it's blindspot then nothing would have happened.

A lorry driver changing lanes is perfectly acceptable, and if a car is in their blind spot, undertaking so not behaving as the lorry would expect then they literally can't see them, and wouldn't have ever seen them because they weren't ever ahead of them on the road. That's the point of a blindspot. It's blind.

The lorry gave enough time for OP to beep twice. I find lorries normally give a fair amount of indicating time so you can move out their way.

A lorry driver changing lanes is perfectly acceptable, and if a car is in their blind spot, undertaking so not behaving as the lorry would expect then they literally can't see them, and wouldn't have ever seen them because they weren't ever ahead of them on the road. That's the point of a blindspot. It's blind.

It's it really so hard to understand that a vehicle, any vehicle, shouldn't be changing lanes unless they know that their path is clear?

It’s not undertaking to REMAIN in the left hand lane and pass slower moving cars in the middle lane, it’s undertaking to MOVE to the left hand lane to a pass a slower moving car you were behind.

If cars are moving faster in the left lanes than the middle the fault is with the cars in the middle lane (unless there’s congestion), as they’re lane hogging and should move to the left so people can safely overtake them in the middle lane. Also, when changing lanes it’s the responsibility of the driver to check it is safe to do so, checking their own blind spots. You cannot hit other cars or road users and use the defence of “they were in my blind spot” it’s your responsibility to check your own blind spot, not expect other people to avoid it.

You cannot hit other cars or road users and use the defence of “they were in my blind spot” it’s your responsibility to check your own blind spot, not expect other people to avoid it.

Thank you finally some common sense.