1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
ROAD AND WORKSHOP by HANDYMAN
Page 36
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Courtesy with a Purpose
TUST as there is criticism levelled at J road transport drivers for their use of head, tail and fog lamps as signalling media, so is there a new form of grumble heard from car drivers moving in the long town and city traffic streams to and from their places of work.
This time, the lorry driver is accused of worsening the traffic delays by his habit of releasing a trapped fellow goods driver from some side street or crosstraffic situation. Quite frequently illmannered horn blowing tells of some irritated car driver—behind the so-called offender—who is certain in his own mind that the goods man is in no hurry and, if anything, is deliberately aggravating an already difficult situation.
This is very far from the truth, however, and just as inside the circle of road transport we accept the flashing signal as an aid to safer overtaking, reduced accidents and improved traffic flow, so do we understand that many of our large vehicles would stay trapped in cross-traffic were it not for the efforts of fellow goods and passenger drivers.
In these very short working days within industry time is precious, and a great deal depends upon the driver and his ability to move in and through towns with minimum delay, as many of his collections and deliveries must take him into side streets. Therefore, as with flashing signals, so is there a further courtesy or service operating between drivers. To see this working at its best would merit a ride or two with one of the " heavy " boys rather than try to assess the manceuvre from car or kerbside.
On many occasions I have watched this help-each-other move take place in thick traffic, and not in one single instance have I seen a deliberate hold up whilst another vehicle was released from a side street. When riding with drivers, I have taken note of circumstances ahead where the traffic would check in any event, and have seen the driver choose this moment to ease down and let a trapped vehicle move out or across.
I have remarked on the implicit faith each driver has in the other's judgment, particularly when signalled to cross the path of his helper virtually blind. It is, of course, hardly likely that the car driver behind the halted lorry would have seen the true situation ahead. All he would know was that he had been further delayed by the lorry in front.
In the reverse situation, cars will pass in an unbroken line across the bows of a trapped vehicle, almost closing ranks as it were, to ensure that he did not break out. Only when some knowledgeable car driver appears does the gap open enough to let the lorry driver get on with his busy day.