Smarten up the act
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Ichallenge you to highlight the appalling standard of lorry driving in Britain and
to do something to improve It.
For the past two years I have used the M40 and M42 regularly and I have always found lorry drivers unpredictable and rude. In my opinion the M6 was the worst but a trip up the Ml recently left me apoplectic with rage.
At least half a dozen and probably more times I was forced to take evasive action when I was just about to Overtake a lorry and it pulled out in front of me. Who is going to argue with the might of a lorry? The bully gets free rein. We saw a near accident when one driver forced his way in between two others to get into the correct lane and we gave a wide berth to another whose interior light was on and who appeared to be doing something on the floor of the cab. The whole unit was swerving from side to side of the lane.
Lorries travel far too close to cars in front of them, especially if they are doing under 70mph (I'm not one of them) and terrify the drivers. It seems that the only way to escape these bullies is to drive at 80mph, which is illegal.
I have read that a large proportion of lorry accidents are caused by lorries. Why not improve standards by producing stickers, running competitions, suggesting an advanced HGV test, running a complaints hotline and encouraging a culture of safety and politeness, rather than the macho disregard for everyone else on the road which seems to prevail. Judy Steele, Andover