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Minimum speed on highway


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Interesting thread here. I'm sure that a vehicle traveling on a motorway or duel carrigeway has to be able to maintain 30 miles an hour minimum speed......I would never take my scammell on such a road its just not worth the risk.

 

I thought it was it had to maintain 30MPH on a level road. It is my understanding that you can take a vehicle onto these roads although you could be down to 10 MPH or less when climbing hills.

 

It has been my experience, that with Antar and two Trailers, with the rear living van painted in Airfield red and white squares, with a beacon on the back, a beacon on either rear corner of the Dyson, a beacon on the back, cab roof, and the front of the Antar, that lorries have still nearly steamed into the back of me on hills.

 

I cannot see how I could have made it more obvious. Even so, running like this a lady decided to drive her car into the rear of my middle trailer, as I was negotiating a roundabout in Milton Keynes.

 

If I have been a little flippant I am sorry, but my experience after 30 years of moving slow vehicles to shows is in reality there is virtually nothing that has any real effect, and these accidents will always happen.

 

Research suggests that something close on 95% of all motorists have "micro-sleeps" were for a second or two up to periods nearer 30 seconds they fall asleep while driving. Often they are completely unaware that it happens to them. We are not talking about occasionally, with some people there are several of these events on each and every journey. You do not have to feel tired or exhausted to experience a micro-sleep.

 

I may be cynical, but it because I can't see any way of avoiding these situations until vehicles have automatic collision detection and prevention systems fitted as standard. Humans are not adapted to driving and we are not very good at it. Accidents will continue to happen.

 

http://www.sleepdex.org/microsleep.htm

http://atigo.com/microsleep.htm

Edited by antarmike
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Some people just don't look.. had flashing beacon & headlights on.. she said she didn't see me.. the Police car behind her did :cool2:

Or as I said she could have been mid Micro-sleep. Airline pilots in Micro-sleep do not respond to flashing warning lights on their instrument panel. You can't expect any better from a car driver, humans should just walk everywhere!

Edited by antarmike
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I thought it was it had to maintain 30MPH on a level road. It is my understanding that you can take a vehicle onto these roads although you could be down to 10 MPH or less when climbing hills.

 

<snipped>

 

I believe that the only minimum speed limit in everyday use is on the motorways where you are required to more than 30 mph, road conditions permitting. A vehicle doing less than this and incapable of exceeding it - again a Mk 1 Militant springs to mind - found using the motorways can be escorted off by the police, Highways Agency or - dare I say it - VOSA.

 

Regarding automatic collision detection - have a dig through the web for the reports on Mercedes attempts at this with the S class a few years ago. The cars so fitted crashed every time... Onboard AI's aren't intelligent enough yet to be able to assume control of a vehicle thus. In a decade or so it may well be different.....

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I believe that the only minimum speed limit in everyday use is on the motorways where you are required to more than 30 mph, road conditions permitting. A vehicle doing less than this and incapable of exceeding it - again a Mk 1 Militant springs to mind - found using the motorways can be escorted off by the police, Highways Agency or - dare I say it - VOSA.

 

Regarding automatic collision detection - have a dig through the web for the reports on Mercedes attempts at this with the S class a few years ago. The cars so fitted crashed every time... Onboard AI's aren't intelligent enough yet to be able to assume control of a vehicle thus. In a decade or so it may well be different.....

 

Web search seems to show that there is no minimum speed for U.K. Motorways. Rebublic of Ireland has a minimum speed of 30 MPH.

 

The restriction on UK motorways seems to be on very slow vehicles, and these are mentioned by type, not speed. Banned are horse drawn vehicles, Pedal cycles and Mopeds.

Edited by antarmike
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Web search seems to show that there is no minimum speed for U.K. Motorways. Rebublic of Ireland has a minimum speed of 30 MPH.

 

The restriction on UK motorways seems to be on very slow vehicles, and these are mentioned by type, not speed. Banned are horse drawn vehicles, Pedal cycles and Mopeds.

 

I stand (well - actually sit) corrected - thanks Mike. :D

 

When I was younger I thought I recalled seeing a 30 minimum sign at the entry to motorways but doing some digging brought this up which makes for interesting reading..

 

http://www.safermotoring.co.uk/there-minimum-speed-motorway.html

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I stand (well - actually sit) corrected - thanks Mike. :D

 

When I was younger I thought I recalled seeing a 30 minimum sign at the entry to motorways but doing some digging brought this up which makes for interesting reading..

 

http://www.safermotoring.co.uk/there-minimum-speed-motorway.html

I had to look it up! I think the 30 MPH on the flat I referred to is actually from the rules governing when Amber beacons can be used...

 

As you say, some road can have minimum speeds applied to them, and yes I seem to remember the motorway signs....

 

I have been on the M4 more times than I want to remember with Antar and two trailer, once going through I contraflow where I was signed to straddle both lanes. I felt very bad going 10 miles without anything able to pass me!

Edited by antarmike
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Web search seems to show that there is no minimum speed for U.K. Motorways. Rebublic of Ireland has a minimum speed of 30 MPH.

 

The restriction on UK motorways seems to be on very slow vehicles, and these are mentioned by type, not speed. Banned are horse drawn vehicles, Pedal cycles and Mopeds.

 

and agricultual vehicles

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I am not sure, Now in Law there are two classes of Agricultural vehicles, Slow Agric vehicles and Fast Agric vehicles, I don't know how this alters the position with Motorways.

 

okay Agric vehicles AND wheelchairs....

 

Prohibited vehicles. Motorways MUST NOT be used by pedestrians, holders of provisional motorcycle or car licences, riders of motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, certain slow-moving vehicles and those carrying oversized loads (except by special permission), agricultural vehicles, and powered wheelchairs/powered mobility scooters

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069862?CID=TAT&PLA=url_mon&CRE=highwaycode_motorways

Edited by antarmike
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I am not sure, Now in Law there are two classes of Agricultural vehicles, Slow Agric vehicles and Fast Agric vehicles, I don't know how this alters the position with Motorways.

 

okay Agric vehicles AND wheelchairs....

 

Prohibited vehicles. Motorways MUST NOT be used by pedestrians, holders of provisional motorcycle or car licences, riders of motorcycles under 50 cc, cyclists, horse riders, certain slow-moving vehicles and those carrying oversized loads (except by special permission), agricultural vehicles, and powered wheelchairs/powered mobility scooters

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069862?CID=TAT&PLA=url_mon&CRE=highwaycode_motorways

 

you are right about 2 classes,unimogs have always been allowed and i think jcb fastracs are in the list as well,both can do 50 mph +

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my unimog only does 45mph if you can stand the vibration, noise and bad brakes...not my idea of fun...

 

amber lights do have a specific use and its for vehicles with a maximum speed of 25mph...if they cannot achieve this speed an amber flashing light needs to be used...however if your vehicle is forced to travel at slow speeds due to age weight or other restrictions, run with an amber flashing light. it should be dimmed at night or switched off, I use mine at night on some narrow roads, it gives great early warning to those driving along the lanes.

 

If the police believe my actions to be dangerous they can happily test me in a court room, remember it is not the police who will fine you its the courts...the police may insist that you stop using an amber light if they feel it is blinding or being used in an inappropriate manner...the police generally have better things to do if they dont see that being the case...I would always argue my case for safety being usually, that I am in an unusual vehicle, generally old and generally not going much above 30-50mph depending on truck being driven...stollys are lucky to reach 40mph at the best of times.,.

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Good topic for discussion Mike. I recall seeing some 30MPH minimum speed signs on motorways but not for several years now.

I read somewhere that one of the most likely places for accidents is on country roads. I keep the Explorer at my in-laws farm which is several miles from a main road. A lorry or tractor completely fills the road here there are numerous times when oncoming cars round a bend at a ridiculous speed and find the road completely blocked.

 

High verges and hedgerows either side of the road coupled with blind bends don't seem to slow people down in the slightest :shocked:

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Or as I said she could have been mid Micro-sleep. Airline pilots in Micro-sleep do not respond to flashing warning lights on their instrument panel. You can't expect any better from a car driver, humans should just walk everywhere!

 

People regularly collide when out walking, so as you say we are simply accident prone. However anything that might alert people to our presence on the highway has to be pursued.

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About 1995 my radiator blew on the M5. Called out the AA who agreed to tow me to the next services where they could replace the radiator.

 

I waved my manual (no pun intended: see what's coming) which said to tow the car with the automatic gearbox in neutral but at speeds not to exceed 30mph.

 

The AA man countered, "My orders are not to travel below 40mph." I trusted him and all was well with my automatic gearbox. Dunno where he / they got the 40mph rule from though.

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During my H test training I was told there was a minimum speed of 30mph on UK motorways and that therefore they cannot be used by tracked vehicles, which cannot legally exceed 20mph. However, my search for any piece of legislation specifying that 30mph minimum limit has been singularly unsuccessful!

 

Andy

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I always thought there was a minimum speed for motorways, obviously I was wrong.

 

High verges and hedgerows either side of the road coupled with blind bends don't seem to slow people down in the slightest :shocked:

 

What you need to drive slow and carefully for?

Everybody knows that with ABS you can stop really quick and anyway if you hit something you have airbags to save your life.

They also seem to think that you don't need to wear a seat belt with airbags.

They do not reallise that an deploying air bag and no seat belt will probably kill you. They are designed to work in conjunction with a seat belt.

By all accounts if unrestrained you and the airbag will meet with a force significantly greater than being punched by a heavyweight boxer.

The only explosion proof building I have worked on the design was a "hut" inside a factory for the testing of air bags.

The gas used is also flammable so smoking may not be a good idea. Although I think the chances of it igniting are far slimmer than that of you swallowing you fag.

 

The AA man countered, "My orders are not to travel below 40mph." I trusted him and all was well with my automatic gearbox. Dunno where he / they got the 40mph rule from though.

 

I believe the rules on this have now been changed, as I was recently passed by an AA van towing a car on a motorway and I was doing about 60 mph

 

Mike

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I always thought there was a minimum speed for motorways, obviously I was wrong.

 

 

 

What you need to drive slow and carefully for?

Everybody knows that with ABS you can stop really quick and anyway if you hit something you have airbags to save your life.

They also seem to think that you don't need to wear a seat belt with airbags.

They do not reallise that an deploying air bag and no seat belt will probably kill you. They are designed to work in conjunction with a seat belt.

By all accounts if unrestrained you and the airbag will meet with a force significantly greater than being punched by a heavyweight boxer.

Mike

:rotfl:

Hasn't it been said that the best thing to promote safe driving would be a sharpened steel spike in the centre of the steering wheel.....:cool2:

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TBH, if your going to use motorways, I feel that you should be able to maintain 50mph.

Alot of wagons are limited to 52mph now.

 

I would not like to see abnormal loads banished off motorways, onto far narrower A roads.

 

Some abnormal Indivisible loads are limited by law to 20 MPH so you have a conundrum.*

 

If you want to stay within the speed limit associated with STGO AILV's then you may have to have two lanes of a motorway taken up by a 20 MPH load. If it is a three lane motorway HGV can't use outside lane, so they are in the bottle neck.......What do you do?

 

*Speed limit for an AILV can be either 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 MPH depending on particular towing vehicle and the weight it is carrying.

 

The road itself may impose a lower speed than the speed limit applied to the vehicle. All Cat2 or 3 STGO are limited to 40 MPH on Motorways, 35 MPH on Dual Carriageway and 30 MPH on other roads (yes i Know that one is never observed, but that is the rule.

 

So ANY STGO Cat 2 or Cat 3 Vehicle cannot legally exceed 40 MPH when travelling on a Motorway. (And I believe that applies to Unladen Cat2 Cat 3 vehicles!)

Edited by antarmike
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As for ABS :pfrt: As for speed and LGV/PCV, a test vehicle must be ble to do a MINIMUM of 50 mph. And during the test, if it is SAFE to do so you will be expected to take the vehicle up to at least 50mph and hold that speed. Oh, and now the test vehicle must have ABS fitted. :banghead: Intrestingly, when I did a course for driving for driving H.M.'s vehicle some years ago a trick question was 'What is the slow lane on a motorway?' The correct answer is 'There is no SLOW lane, all lanes on a motorway have a limit of 70 mph, unless a compoulsory restricted speed limit is posted. You should drive in the lane farthest to the left, as long as it is safe for the speed you are doing. Should the speed change either slow down and keep to the lane, or, move to the middle or outside to overtake, then move back to the left'. Speed is dependent on weather and traffic conditions but always keep a minimum of two seconds apart in dry clear weather and at least four seconds in wet.

 

ONLY A FOOL BREACKS THE TWO SECOND RULE.

AND A BIGGER FOOL BREACKS THE FOUR SECOND RULE.

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I would not like to see abnormal loads banished off motorways, onto far narrower A roads.Abnormal Indivisible loads are limited by law to 20 MPH so you have a conundrum.If you want to stay within the speed limit associated with STGO AILV's then you have to have two lanes of a motorway taken up by a 20 MPH load. If it is a three lane motorway HGV can't use outside lane, so they are in the bottle neck.......What do you do?
and sometimes the Police would ask on meeting up to escort - "How fast can you go?"........"Well get going then!"
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and sometimes the Police would ask on meeting up to escort - "How fast can you go?"........"Well get going then!"

 

The original post you quote (#20) has been edited to correct an error. You will need to refer back to the original edited post to get the update.

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During my H test training I was told there was a minimum speed of 30mph on UK motorways and that therefore they cannot be used by tracked vehicles, which cannot legally exceed 20mph. However, my search for any piece of legislation specifying that 30mph minimum limit has been singularly unsuccessful! Andy
Have you never had the pleasure of taking a Scorpion on the motorway. That was an ego trip big time. I hope the civvy driving instructor is a member here who will verify the speed that 2 of Luggershal's Scorpions used to manage. If I told you - you would not believe me but it shocked the Artics of the day when you indicated, pulled out and passed them.
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