Foreign Trucks (Bryan?)

[SteveD CB500K0]

M25 this morning following a foreign artic doing 75.

Do they not have to stick to the same laws as UK drivers?

Do they have tachographs?

No idea what nationality but it had red plates.


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[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I've seen plenty of UK registered trucks travelling well in excess of the 60 mph limit on M1 motorway & A50 Dual Carriageway - I assume they have found a way around the speed limiters.

[Orcade-Ian]

Steve, it might be prudent to edit your post to read 70 in case of a vindictive smart arse of which there are increasing numbers!  I take your point though - we don't go that far South much these days but on our last trip saw quite a few Latvian, Lithuanian and Romanian trucks flouting the law.  The 'authorities' certainly crack down on us who pay more than our fair share. So as well as these proposed tourist taxes, foreign motorists should also pay as we do in Switzerland and Austria plus many more.

Ian

[ST1100]

So as well as these proposed tourist taxes, foreign motorists should also pay as we do in Switzerland and Austria plus many more.

Common discrimination of local population...
Running service calls (HVAC) with a panel van, and whilst migrant workers are totally ignored and unharmed over parking wherever they please/their engines stall, those meter maids are all over us... sure, the easy way: local plates, local language, no worries about getting accused of racism... 

[Oddjob]

Do they have tachographs, yes they do but any speeding is condoned by their employer as it speeds up the journey time and so saves money.

Police tend not to prosecute as it's just a nightmare getting the paperwork done. If they can impound the truck for offenses they will do as that's easier to get money out of them.

I've followed a UK registered HGV at 100mph, so it's not just the foreigners taking the piss. Well known firm as well.

[Bryanj]

Legaly all eu trucks have a max limit of 90kph, if the limiter fails the max motorway speed is 60mph, guess what-----our wonderfull mps forgot to even the speeds in legislation.
If the limiter or tacho fail you have 4 days OR whenever you get home whichever is first to get it fixed.
Most hgv there is a "trick" to turn limiter off but the employer should be analysing your tacho card(no disc any more) and issuing infringement notices plus discipliniary

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

An off duty detective cycling near Hilton in Derbyshire on a Sunday iirc was killed by a  HGV that failed to stop - some years ago now around 2004/5.

The driver & transport company owner were eventually both jailed for various offences including driving offences,  driving excess hours at the wheel, perverting the course of justice etc. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/4312164.stm

[Laverda Dave]

The standard of driving in this country is appalling and especially in London where nobody gives a toss about anything in terms of speeding, lane discipline, parking etc. But on the foreign lorry debate my wife was driving along the M25 near to the Heathrow junction and was overtaking a foreign artic who was in the lane to go onto the M4 from the M25. At the last minute matey decided he needed to stay on the M25 and just slewed his artic into the lane my wife was in without even looking. He pulled the car along with him bursting the front tire of our car. Eventually he pulled over and the police were called. When they arrived the it was found the lorry driver couldn't speak a word of English (very convenient) and the police let him go! Meanwhile it was left to my wife to get our car recovered and she was left at the side of the M25 whilst she waited!

[andy120t]

The boys in blue...I watched a recent news report with 'stop oil' protesters blocking a road in London and the Met with their backs turned away from the blocked road and not really doing anything. However, when someone who was being blocked by these 'protesters'  began to drag one of them off the road so he could go about his legitimate business, our finest reacted like sprinters out of the blocks....the speed with which they turned around and then raced to handcuff the guy (the one trying to clear the road, not the ones blocking it) was astonishing.  Pity they weren't at all interested in dealing with the real problem.

[Sesman]

I’d say the problem is the ‘Laws’ not the poor sods trying to enforce it…..just saying. I support the right to protest,  but not if it creates significant inconvenience to those not protesting. Of course creating inconvenience and disruption is the objective…..

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Not helped when the Laws passed by Parliament are sometimes so loosely or badly worded that the Home Office have to issue guidelines for interpretation  often followed by ACPO & CPS guidelines - then of course the local Police & Crime Commissioner also directs the Chief Constable on policy areas he or she consider a priority. Little wonder the Police are confused about enforcement not helped by social media knee jerk reactions from both ends of the extreme spectrum.

Just when everyone starts to iron out the difficulties of enforcement an appeal will sometimes become case law - general election - new laws so the cycle starts again - not to mention the budget implications.

Decades ago an experienced CPS solicitor told me that good laws such as the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861 that define GBH etc are understood by everyone and do not need updating often. He went on to say that good criminal laws are understood by most people - we know it's wrong to intentionally cause harm to a person murder is even in the Bible.

Today we have laws that most people are not even aware of that form criminal imprisonable offences that can affect normal law abiding members of the public. An interesting thing is how public opinion has shaped some legislation.

Back in 1971 if you had a vehicle accident that was due to  a momentary lapse of concentration or error of judgement you might be convicted of Driving without Due Care & Attention - you could face a fine, endorsement or disqualification regardless of if anyone was injured or killed. Only Dangerous Driving that caused death was imprisonable.

Today you could commit the same momentary lapse of concentration or error of judgement  but if a person died as a result of the accident you face a charge of Causing Death by Careless Driving where imprisonment is a real possibility.

[Sesman]

That’s interesting. A bloke pulled out to pass me Ona blind bend and drove headlong into another car. The resulting carnage was horrendous with two persons including myself hospitalised. The driver was not prosecuted for any offence as he fessed up immediately. Go figure.

[Sesman]

Just read a Telegraph news bulletin, the rozzers are getting stuck into the orange brigade….lovely.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

That’s interesting. A bloke pulled out to pass me Ona blind bend and drove headlong into another car. The resulting carnage was horrendous with two persons including myself hospitalised. The driver was not prosecuted for any offence as he fessed up immediately. Go figure.

That certainly sounds unusual if the driver at fault was over 70 the CPS will often accept a driver surrendering his or her licence to drive as an alternative to prosecution.  Aside from a heart attack I can't see why admitting fault would evade prosecution. There has been a drift in recent decades to let insurance companies sort it out if injuries are minor. My wifes car was struck by a young lad who failed to give way at a junction. Prosecution did not happen as the young PC who was dealing with the incident went off sick then the case ran out of the statutory time limits for a summary prosecution. 6 months between offence date and laying an information at the magistrates court to issue a summons..

[Oddjob]

Today you could commit the same momentary lapse of concentration or error of judgement  but if a person died as a result of the accident you face a charge of Causing Death by Careless Driving where imprisonment is a real possibility.

Maybe that's a reflection on people using mobile phones or other devices when they should be concentrating on the road, I've seen all sorts in my years driving HGVs, even seen a old bloke driving with a plate salad sat on his lap which included full eggs, he was eating with a knife and fork and steering the car with his knees.