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German lesson wasted on Brits
Page 26
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HAVING READ the Comment "Sic transit gloria mundr (CM 6 October) and having many years experience of this type of no-overtaking legislation in Germany, there are a couple of points I felt needed drawing to your attention.
• It does work, but is only necessary during peak periods, not all day!
• HGV drivers must keep a safe distance from each other; this is rigorously enforced by the police in Germany and has to be done here.
• Lane discipline also has to be enforced and drivers prosecuted for lack of this As a truck driver it's an extremely frustrating law, but as a car driver it does help and we only have ourselves to blame for not being more considerate road users in the first place.
There also need to be more passing lanes built on long uphill climbs like that identified on the M42. Greater intelligence should have been used in the design stage: it should never have been just a dual carriageway in the first place. As for the idea of using the hard shoulder during peak times, in Germany this works due to strict lane discipline. When there is a breakdown or accident those in lane one move to their left and those in lane two move to their right This creates an emergency access lane.
On second thoughts, you are right. It won't work in the UK as drivers generally don't know their left from their right!
Nick Garlick By e-mail