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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to be intimidated by an HGV driver on a busy motorway.

237 replies

EdwiniasRevenge · 30/09/2013 23:49

I was on the motorway today. Fairly busy but fluid and freely flowing traffic.

I was travelling at about 55-65mph in the slow lane. I wasn't in a hurry and found myself approaching a car +caravan in lane 2.

As I was doing an acceptable and safe motorway speed and I was in no hurry I decided that I wwasn't going to weavve out to lane 3 to overtake and I wasn't going to break the law by 'undertaking'. I was also approaching my junction. I sat behind the caravan in my lane (ie ensuring I wasn't in the caravan blind spot).

An HGV approached from behind, and continued to drive in my estimation, less than 2 car lengths behind me. It was so close that all I could see in my mirror was the radiator grill. I literally could not see his winscreen. I could not see the number plate.

I touched my brakes gently couple of times to indicate that he was uncomfortably close.

A couple of minutes late rhe was using his horn to tell me to move.

As it was a 4 lane motorway it would have been legal for the lorry to move out to lane 3 if he was tgat desperate. Meanwhile I felt intimidated and unsafe.

OP posts:
DameDeepRedBetty · 01/10/2013 10:05

If I go at about 50 my fuel consumption improves by nearly 30%. If I'm doing that speed I will be in Lane 1. If someone wants to overtake me, Lane 2 is available to him or her. If they don't feel confident to overtake me, they shouldn't be on the motorway. If their junction is coming up so soon that they don't have time to overtake me, the saving of time will be so miniscule as to be irrelevant.

SelectAUserName · 01/10/2013 10:08

When you saw the traffic behind the caravan in lane 2 that was stopping you from pulling out to overtake along the whole four-mile stretch (despite there apparently being "no queue"), did you put your indicator on to show the traffic behind the caravan that you wanted to pull out? Other drivers aren't psychic but I've found that if I indicate, very quickly someone will leave a suitable gap or move over into the next lane to let me move out.

Regardless of how 'unhurried' I was, if I couldn't get past a caravan within a four-mile stretch of uncongested motorway, to the point a driver of a speed-limited vehicle felt he had to sound his horn at me for driving too slowly, I'd be seriously considering my fitness to drive.

The caravan driver was BU to hog the middle lane, the lorry driver was BU in using his horn - but you made a bad situation worse by not reading the road properly and not reacting to the hazard (caravan) appropriately.

footballagain · 01/10/2013 10:08

You 'touched your brakes a few times'?

That is twattish behaviour.

onlytheonce · 01/10/2013 10:09

Bloody hell there's some idiots on this thread. If the OP had undertaken they could have been fined and got points. It is clear that it wasn't a queueing situation where undertaking is OK. The only people at fault are the caravan and HGV drivers.

70 mph is the maximum limit, not a target speed. You always drive to the conditions of the road and in this case the caravan was in effect setting the speed in the inside lane. It is dangerous to undertake. Lots of people pull in without looking left. You are not allowed to undertake simply because you think the other vehicle is driving a bit slow.

Original poster
EdwiniasRevenge · 01/10/2013 10:11

There was no opportunity to safely overtake.

If the caravan was ahead of me I would have planned ahead. It was next to me from the point I merged onto the motorway.

And I had talked to my neighbour about feeling bullied and should I have been bullied into breaking the law by undertaking.

OP posts:
onlytheonce · 01/10/2013 10:11

^You 'touched your brakes a few times'?

That is twattish behaviour.^

Why? Some idiot is driving 40 tonnes of metal far too close behind her. If it gets them to back off thats a good thing surely.

gobbynorthernbird · 01/10/2013 10:13

So, the caravan driver wasn't really middle lane hogging, more that their lane turned into lane 2 at a junction. At which point they can't pull to the left because you're sat there matching their speed. Thus causing the lorry driver, and everyone sat behind the caravan, to get agitated with you.

Original poster
EdwiniasRevenge · 01/10/2013 10:15

Have you never noticed that if you get 'stuck' behind a sliw vehicle on any multi-lane road it can be a pain to pull out because the faster moving traffic coming up behind you gets there first?

And I always thought that indicators were there to be used once you had a safe place to move to not to beg people to make it safe for you...

OP posts:
KatyTheCleaningLady · 01/10/2013 10:16

For all the hgv driver knows, that's as fast as you can go. Perhaps you were limping to the exit with engine troubles. It's never, ever ok to tailgate and intimidate.

I think you could have sped up, but you assumed the law was interpreted differently.

Jollyb · 01/10/2013 10:18

I wonder if we'll see a post from the caravan owner saying 'AIBU to be annoyed with driver who wouldn't let me back into the low lane'?

I really don't see why you couldn't have overtaken the caravan if it was there when you joined. As a PP had said caravans are hazards - I always try to get away from them.

thistlelicker · 01/10/2013 10:18

Ok! I now wondering what the point of thread is ..op doesn't think she was unreasonable! Why should we tell her otherwise when she(presume she) thinks otherwise !!!!

Op ... All involves in this scenario were twats!

Original poster
EdwiniasRevenge · 01/10/2013 10:19

And when I touched my brakes it was lightly to show my brake lights without sliwing me further.

Initially I left LOTS of space for tge caravan because I EXPECTED him to move across.

It was only when I was feeling pressured by the lorry that I realised I was getting closer to it but at all times I feel I left room for it to move in.

It is a notourious stretch for people to sit in lane 2 because lane 1 disappears again at the next junction..

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 01/10/2013 10:19

I would love to see a 'caravan driving on the motorway' AIBU Jolly. Shock

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm · 01/10/2013 10:23

I am not scared to overtake. I am comfortable on the motorway. I am happy drivng at 80mph on the motorway

Did you ask your friendly local cop for his opinion on driving at 80mph on the motorway? Why so bothered about undertaking when you are a habitul speeder? Grin

MidniteScribbler · 01/10/2013 10:26

Why? Some idiot is driving 40 tonnes of metal far too close behind her. If it gets them to back off thats a good thing surely.

Because they are being twats and sitting too close. You don't know if they're paying attention to your brake lights, or texting on their phone, or eating a sandwich. It takes a hell of a lot longer for a large vehicle to stop than a small one, and a large vehicle is going to do a hell of a lot more damage to the small car. You are risking your life playing these sort of games with other vehicles.

Here's a tip - If someone is being a prat and is so damned desperate to get in front of you, then MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! You will not be able to "teach them a lesson" or make them see the error of their ways. They will get more angry, they will make silly mistakes, you will be concentrating on their behaviour more than your own driving and make silly mistakes. All while in control of a metal machine which can cause a hell of a lot of damage to you or another person. The road is not the place for silly games.

angelos02 · 01/10/2013 10:27

It isn't the 'slow lane'. You can do 70 in that lane assuming the other 2 lanes are clear. The other lanes are for overtaking.

onlytheonce · 01/10/2013 10:29

But tapping the brakes doesn't slow you down, it is to hopefully get them to back off. It's not slamming on the brakes to make them crash into you.

What you are saying is that the OP should have carried out an illegal manoeuvre because someone else is driving aggressively.

Weller · 01/10/2013 10:30

HGV driver should not of driven so close but he cannot overtake caravan on the middle lane and after breaking and showing your lights after a couple of minutes (so 3 or 4 miles) he beeped his horn. But you still could not overtake in free flowing traffic. While I like to be in the left lane nice and early for exit I am usually talking a mile.

FutTheShuckUp · 01/10/2013 10:30

That's rubbish onlytheonce. You cannot amble along at a speed you feel safe at on the motorway. You are meant to drive as lose to 70 as possible or you are endangering other motorists and also being a huge PITA

StickEmUp · 01/10/2013 10:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

angelos02 · 01/10/2013 10:32

Lorry drivers aren't allowed to drive in the 'fast lane' so you were holding them up. They have targets to hit so YWBVU.

Jollyb · 01/10/2013 10:32

I know there isn't a 'slow' lane. I just tend to get my inside versus outside lane muddled - as the inside is really on the outside!

Suzieismyname · 01/10/2013 10:33

I'm with Bumpotato. If you don't know how or want to overtake or keep around 70 then stay off the motorway!

StickEmUp · 01/10/2013 10:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

onlytheonce · 01/10/2013 10:34

Want to show me that bit of the highway code FTSU? And in this case, the OP could not drive faster or they would be doing an illegal manoeuvre.