towing a chipper in third lane of motorway

[openboater]

I tow in the right hand Lane with my jet ski, pulled by the Navara. I only do it to overtake though. Never been pulled, yet!

 

Anyone in that lane should only be there whilst overtaking, and the centre lane too for that matter. As for your Navara and a jetski, please stay out of lane three from now on, then nobody will have to say 'I told you so'. Cheers.

[robert t]

No ifs, no buts, no vehicle of any description is permitted to use the third lane when towing. Be it a M or A road, and it never has been!

 

The only exception to this would be if there has been an accident or road works occupying lanes 1 and 2 and you have been directed to lane 3 for safety reasons.

 

The rule does not apply to dual lane M & A roads.

 

I don't know how long it is since you passed your driving test, but I find you're ignorance in this matter quite staggering. Whilst you are not expected to know every UK Road Traffic Law chapter & verse, it is your responsibility to have a basic understanding of what you can & cannot do in relation to the vehicle you are driving at the time.

 

Suggest that if you haven't already done so, get thee to a shop and buy a current copy of The Highway Code and revise what your responsibilities are when out on the open road. Far too many people these days seem to think that once they get their driving licence they can throw the rule book away and do as they damn well please!

 

 

Thanks for the lecture mate.

 

Iv hardly thrown the rule book away, maybe just forgot some of the rules through time. Some times I learn to remember the hard way, that's life.

Maybe you don't. I don't know you so I wont judge you, like you have me.

 

By the way I have had a clean licence for 32 years, even had an HGV 2 for 26 years, albeit Iv never used it for 25 years.

I have ran 5 vehicles in my business for 22 years and this is the first ticket on any vehicle, so Im probably not as irresponsible and ignorant as you obviously think I am.

 

Robert.

[Gnarlyoak]

wind your neck in bruv

 

My apologies if my post sounded overly patronising, but I stand by what I say.

 

The OP was dead wrong in his lame excuse of being ignorant of what the law of lands says on this (towing) issue. And in MHO got of lightly with a fixed penalty. He should have known better, and he should attempt to re-acquaint himself with what he can and cannot do when out driving a large vehicle and towing before he gets himself into more grief which could also have dire unforeseen consequences.

 

You only have to read the current thread here on AT posted by Forest Gough and the unimaginable devastation that his family has recently suffered as the result of a road traffic collision.

 

It not just a work van & chipper the OP is driving for his business, loaded or not it is a potential WMD, a guided missile weighing a few tons. And if the OP does not fully understand what he can or cannot do to operate safely on the public highway then he really shouldn't be there! Period.

 

A fact that even seems to have completely gone over the OP's head, given that he came on here questioning the police officers interpretation of the law and seeking advice as to wether or not he could have the FP overturned in court!

 

Perhaps if the OP had read Forests' post. He might have sat and thought for just a moment about the reasons why you are not allowed to tow in the middle lane. About the consequences if something had gone wrong, and the impact that could have had on him, his family as well as other innocent road users and theirs. If he had then come on to this site and post a heads up warning and acknowledged the error of his ways with a suitably contrite attitude, then I would have been less judgemental.

 

So yeah, my post might have been a bit preachy, over bearing, patronising even. But the OP started this topic feeling unjustly persecuted and treated the law, which he didn't believe existed, as a bit of a joke.

 

So I'll stand by my stance and continue to stick my neck out.

Thanks though.

 

Stay safe "eagleye", all the best.

 

Oh, and keep one of them eyes on the road ahead mate, loadsa muppets out there everyday who don't know how to drive properly......!

[Spruce Pirate]

Without wishing to fan the flames of this, could someone explain why it is illegal to tow in the third lane? Especially on congested roads or when overtaking two large vehicles taking up the other two lanes.

 

For the record, I was aware that it is illegal before this thread, but have never known why.

[difflock]

I cannot see ANY connection between road safety and towing in the 3rd/outside lane, and regardless of speed either.

A car or van will cause just as much carnage as a car and trailer, or van and trailer.

Accidents, 90+% are caused by driver error or inattention.

Mostly by car and van drivers without trailers too (statistically)

Not speed.

Not mechanically defective vehicles.

Not road nor weather conditions.

Nor indeed trailer towing.

Cause collisions/accidents.

but drivers do.

From someone who recalls they might have towed at 80 odd in whatever lane was available, when safe to do so.

regards,

Marcus

Spruce Pirate,

I presume to prevent the slower trailer combos holding up the traffic, no other reason.

Edited July 9, 2014 by difflock

[Gary Prentice]

Without wishing to fan the flames of this, could someone explain why it is illegal to tow in the third lane? Especially on congested roads or when overtaking two large vehicles taking up the other two lanes.

 

For the record, I was aware that it is illegal before this thread, but have never known why.

 

Just a guess, but I think it's more to do with traffic flow than anything else. Better one vehicle with restricted speed can't overtake, than everything else behind it. Bad enough with hgvs hogging two uphill lanes, imagine how it would be with three

[Daniel Jiggins]

My apologies if my post sounded overly patronising, but I stand by what I say.

 

 

 

The OP was dead wrong in his lame excuse of being ignorant of what the law of lands says on this (towing) issue. And in MHO got of lightly with a fixed penalty. He should have known better, and he should attempt to re-acquaint himself with what he can and cannot do when out driving a large vehicle and towing before he gets himself into more grief which could also have dire unforeseen consequences.

 

 

 

You only have to read the current thread here on AT posted by Forest Gough and the unimaginable devastation that his family has recently suffered as the result of a road traffic collision.

 

 

 

It not just a work van & chipper the OP is driving for his business, loaded or not it is a potential WMD, a guided missile weighing a few tons. And if the OP does not fully understand what he can or cannot do to operate safely on the public highway then he really shouldn't be there! Period.

 

 

 

A fact that even seems to have completely gone over the OP's head, given that he came on here questioning the police officers interpretation of the law and seeking advice as to wether or not he could have the FP overturned in court!

 

 

 

Perhaps if the OP had read Forests' post. He might have sat and thought for just a moment about the reasons why you are not allowed to tow in the middle lane. About the consequences if something had gone wrong, and the impact that could have had on him, his family as well as other innocent road users and theirs. If he had then come on to this site and post a heads up warning and acknowledged the error of his ways with a suitably contrite attitude, then I would have been less judgemental.

 

 

 

So yeah, my post might have been a bit preachy, over bearing, patronising even. But the OP started this topic feeling unjustly persecuted and treated the law, which he didn't believe existed, as a bit of a joke.

 

 

 

So I'll stand by my stance and continue to stick my neck out.

 

Thanks though.

 

 

 

Stay safe "eagleye", all the best.

 

 

 

Oh, and keep one of them eyes on the road ahead mate, loadsa muppets out there everyday who don't know how to drive properly......!

 

 

I don't think he put any one in any more danger than if he was in Lane 2 he said he was doing 55 overtaking a hgv. I think its a ridiculous law surely it's safer to keep the traffic flowing rather than causing a bottle neck which would happen if he stayed behind the hgv until it picked up enough speed to pull back in. IMO the lorry driver should be at fault for causing an obstruction and if plod had half a brain cell they would understand why he overtook.

[headgroundsman]

Few and far between then.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Arbtalk mobile app

 

M54 2 lanes for it's entire length

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

My apologies if my post sounded overly patronising, but I stand by what I say.

 

 

 

The OP was dead wrong in his lame excuse of being ignorant of what the law of lands says on this (towing) issue. And in MHO got of lightly with a fixed penalty. He should have known better, and he should attempt to re-acquaint himself with what he can and cannot do when out driving a large vehicle and towing before he gets himself into more grief which could also have dire unforeseen consequences.

 

 

 

You only have to read the current thread here on AT posted by Forest Gough and the unimaginable devastation that his family has recently suffered as the result of a road traffic collision.

 

 

 

It not just a work van & chipper the OP is driving for his business, loaded or not it is a potential WMD, a guided missile weighing a few tons. And if the OP does not fully understand what he can or cannot do to operate safely on the public highway then he really shouldn't be there! Period.

 

 

 

A fact that even seems to have completely gone over the OP's head, given that he came on here questioning the police officers interpretation of the law and seeking advice as to wether or not he could have the FP overturned in court!

 

 

 

Perhaps if the OP had read Forests' post. He might have sat and thought for just a moment about the reasons why you are not allowed to tow in the middle lane. About the consequences if something had gone wrong, and the impact that could have had on him, his family as well as other innocent road users and theirs. If he had then come on to this site and post a heads up warning and acknowledged the error of his ways with a suitably contrite attitude, then I would have been less judgemental.

 

 

 

So yeah, my post might have been a bit preachy, over bearing, patronising even. But the OP started this topic feeling unjustly persecuted and treated the law, which he didn't believe existed, as a bit of a joke.

 

 

 

So I'll stand by my stance and continue to stick my neck out.

 

Thanks though.

 

 

 

Stay safe "eagleye", all the best.

 

 

 

Oh, and keep one of them eyes on the road ahead mate, loadsa muppets out there everyday who don't know how to drive properly......!

 

 

Nothing in what you say I could disagree with. Sometimes a good hard critical look at what you're doing might sting a little, but will most likely make you a better person in the longer term and sometimes there is no way of sugar coating it!

[skyhuck]

Any body been pulled for this?

 

I got pulled to day on M74 and got a £100 fixed penalty and 3 points.

 

I never once gave it a thought that when towing a sub 750kg chipper if I went in to the third lane I was breaking the law.

 

 

The story is, I was towing a chipper 740kg behind a transit tipper, going up hill, an artic in inside lane Im behind another artic in middle lane doing about 55mph. Artic in middle lane trying to overtake but not managing. I pull out to pass in the third lane, still under the 60 speed limit. Just as Im passing I clock two of our finest:thumbdown: standing next to their car in the police parking area on the hard shoulder. Never gave a thought about the chipper and about a mile up the road they pulled me.

 

Tried to explain about the over taking and that the motorway continually goes from two to three lanes. I also added that I didnt realise the chipper was classed as a trailer:

 

Whats your thoughts, rules are rules and braking the law, pay the fine, suck it up and move on.

Or a load of bollocks, speak to a lawyer and try and wriggle out of it if I can:sneaky2:

 

Cheers,

 

Robert.

 

:confused1:If you did not think it was a trailer, what did you think it was?????