Should lorries/Trucks travel at night?

[Touareg-8]

Should lorries and other large vehicals be only allowed to travel at night , to stop delays and accidents in the daytime?

[Ethel]

No - I don't want to take receipt of deliveries in the middle of the night.

I don't want to be disturbed by builders' merchants delivering to the building site next door while I am trying to sleep.

And should a lone person be expected to stay in an otherwise closed shop to take a delivery? Not very safe.

Are lorries responsible for the delays and accidents? Round here, some major road or other nearby is usually closed on Sundays because of lunatic motorbike riders getting themselves killed. T

The roads are remarkably clear during rush hour at the moment. Nothing to do with the absence of the school run which normally brings everything to a grinding halt twice a day, I suppose?

[Touareg-8]

I meant like long haulage lorries ones that seem to be really slow and hold up cars for miles, and yes i do know what you mean by bikes.

A1m , M1 , or A14 are near me so get quite a few accidents.

[Toureman]

Oh, Ethel, your answers are always good but not part of this one.

Most accidents involving motorcycles are caused by innatentive car drivers. Fact!

Sorry I didn't see you is the usual excuse!

[Ethel]

Tourerman - in July 2000 a motorcyclist hit me head on- he came round a bend down hill on the wrong side of the double white lines. His head hit my windscreen because he was banked over - I saw his face briefly.

I was going uphill at 40mph - the police said he was doing 115. His two friends following on ran over him. But of course he died on impact with my car.

There was nothing I could have done. :(

I used to ride BSAs and Triumphs, my husband had a Black Shadow, so I do know about motorbikes. And I will never be convinced that most accidents involving motorbikes are caused by car drivers. Some are.

I live on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border and the cyclists treat the roads like a race track - wheelies, racing, showing off. I don't go out on Sundays any more.

[Ethel]

Apologies, Touareg for going off-topic. I didn't realise I still felt so raw about that accident.

I see your point about the heavy haulage, but I don't think it would work because the same run would probably have to be taken over two nights instead of one long day.

So there would be twice as many lorries travelling at night with no extra deliveries being made.

Rail is possibly a solution - with smaller feeder lorries from the train.

[boro1986]

Im not a fan of trucks/haulage especially when im driving down the M1 every day to work. This country could only survive because of it we live on an island so things have to be moved around even from ports/ rail heads etc. A lot of haulage firms do move overnight with 2 drivers but at the end of there usually 12 hour shift there are always gonna hit rush hour

[Touareg-8]

Thats ok Ethel its not any easy thing to get over, how do you know im a man lol.

[Rock'n'Roll]

Maybe if more incompetent car drivers used public transport there would be less accidents. Drove a truck for going on thirty year and believe me,some of the antics the car drivers get up to are frightening and they are usually the cause of most motorway accidents.

[tellboy]

I have never understood why that does not apply to Caravans (No Road Tax). Lorries are OK that is what the roads are for after all. Cars second.

[Loosehead]

I think we are stuck with the way it is, it's not practical to do as you suggest.

The reason the roads are full of trucks is because of the distruction of the rail network in this country starting with Beeching.

Generally I'm a against state ownership but in the case of the rail network the government should restore it and use it for haulage.

[cascarelli]

Hey Rock'n'Roll (sounds like a record!)......hope you weren't a tailgater? Worst thing about lorries is them driving 2 foot away from the rear of the lorry in front, can't see what's going on ahead and no hope of breaking in time.

As for motorcyclists, some of them are such idiots its no wonder they get killed - overtaking at junctions and blind corners etc, weaving in and out of traffic, doing 70 in 30mph zones. Personally I just let them get on with it, they'll always come off worse in an accident. Mind you, as someone tried to say earlier, they'll always try and blame the car driver!

Agree that things are better during the school hols with less women in 4x4's taking little Johnny to school.

[sddsddean]

Even countries with good rail systems (Germany/ Austria etc) hardly use rail freight for trunking. Why? Because Road Haulage is cheaper. Thats why you see so much railway rolling stock being moved by road in this country. Strange but true. All those who moan about all the lorries cluttering up the road remember 2 things: 1) There are about 45 million cars on this island, but only 450,000 trucks. 2) If you bought it, a truck brought it. (Everyone wants all there comforts and luxuries, but seem to forget there are people out there grafting to get them to them).

[dayoff]

no

[Jenarry]

it's a fact that one of the safest places in the world is in a british truck on a British road with a British driver ( please substitute the word British for English if it offends) ta
Arry