Exactly that. They don’t give a damn, the stuff on my lorry is going into warehouse to be used at a later date, they don’t need it right now and they gain an extra 3 days of not having to shift it around. Who cares what it costs the haulier or driver?
@Corona Rigs? Are you American? Only joking, but it might betray knowledge that comes from films rather than real European life.
But to the point. Maybe one has an earlier booking time, maybe the faster one has to keep resetting his cruise control because it cannot be made to follow the speed of the other precisely, who may be slowing down because of weight, hills etc. Any number of variables and if you want to get where you are going in relative comfort, why not overtake a slower vehicle?
why not… indeed… no problem with that… but I do have a problem with those who stick too close to the rear of a vehicle… (especially my vehicle).
I noticed something on the back of a large vehicle… ages ago… something along the lines of “if you can read this you are too close”… another time it was “if you can’t see my wing mirrors, I can’t see you”
I’m wondering about something in my rear screen saying “if you can read this, you are too close. You are being filmed and will be reported to the authorities…”
Incidentally, both my BiLaw and Nephew had a transport business and both used the word “rig”… so I reckon it’s quite acceptable… Nephew still has his “rig”… his pride and joy.
Wagons is English usage, arctic is the North Pole, Tractor trailer is definitely American, Detest America? Many do apparently.
I am sure you meant artic, short for articulated vehicle, only in Britain. In France it is semi-remorque, or semi, the same as in most of the rest of the world (semi-trailer). That is a trailer that cannot be moved without a tractor unit (more often just ‘unit’ in Britain) supporting the front end, and just for good measure a trailer is towed by a towbar connecting it to the towing vehicle. In the old days they used to have a wheel in each corner but nowadays the fashion is for centre axles, like a caravan. Caravan is the term rather sneeringly used by old school wagon and drag (driver slang) drivers because they do not require the same level of skill as traditionelles (French) in reversing.
So do I, but I would point out that, because of the height, the appearance of just the grill of a following vehicle, and normally no bonnet out in front, they do seem somewhat closer than they actually are. But to get back to the original question, that is a deplorable by-product of the confusion of speed limits in France these days.
sadly… there has always been confusion over speed limits… whatever they might be set at…
Some drivers seem to consider it as the starting-point and object to any drivers who do not seem to be in agreement…
Many drivers do not seem to know about the 50kh limit which applies automatically (unless specifically overridden) on entering the Villages and Towns across France…
It’s just a rule of the road… 50kh… no speed sign necessary.
There are many apps that show speed cameras which are illegal to use (or even have) and there are no reports of anyone in France being caught using one. The police and gendarmerie have no right to access a mobile phone without a court order and are adept at catching those that exceed the limit without needing to bother about camera apps and all that would ensue…
The periphery of France, roughly, appears to be continuing an 80km/h speed limit, dark green on the map, but there’s a large south central area, purple, reverting to a 90km/h speed limit. Why would that be?
Much prefer the slower speed limit on local ordinary narrow roads here in Charente Maritime. Less scary.
I always allow appropriate times to get to school as I know I have about 15km through the woods, often with tractors ect. Most of it is pretty straight, certainly 80km is safe. I did get annoyed the other morning as got stuck behind a car doing 60km/h for no reason whatsoever, I think 20 below the speed limit is almost as dangerous as 20 over!
Me too, but the current situation is really bad. The switching back and forth is much worse than it used to be. It is really exhausting trying to keep legal.
As mentioned elsewhere I went to Niort and back yesterday. The road between the N10 near Sauze Vaussais and Niort is a nightmare hotchpoch of 50, 70, 80 and 90, with frequent stretches of 3 lanes presumably to allow light vehicles to get past slower lorries. But with only 150, or if lucky 250, metres before it swaps back again, absolutely no chance of passing lorries, which are already doing 90 anyway, without speeding up to over 100.
Further south, with one or 2 exceptions, the Dordogne remains at 80, but heading west from Nontron towards Angouleme, the Charente in its wisdom has jacked it back up to 90. On the return journey though, happily racing along at 90 you then pass the border only to find that you are now suddenly back to 80. Except that the Dordogne has not seen fit to to tell you so and you suddenly realise how lucky or unlucky you were, when brought up short at Javerlhac’s 70, then 50.
The one Dordogne section of 90 I know is between Nontron and Chateau Leveque, some of it dualled, but much of it totally unsuitable for such speed. Anyway you cut down to 70, then 50 and emerge the other side onto a long straight stretch with plenty of forward vision, so off you go again, totally missing the sign in your euphoria, the crafty 80 which they have left it at.
The worst thing Macron did was not to drop the national limit from 90 to 80, but to allow it back up again a year or so later at the entire whim of sadistic cyclists, because I can’t believe that those departmental morons normally drive cars very far from their own locality.
I use cruise control wherever I go if I can and use it in conjunction with the gps which beeps if I’m going too fast if I’m not in cruise control. I then make a cruise control adjustment asap. If I’m going too slow is another matter but that won’t result in a speed ticket. How the gps knows what the speed limits are is a bit of a mystery so must suppose it keeps in touch with current speed limit laws in all departments.
Well my Garmin only knows speed limits when it is manually updated. That needs a connection to a computer and the last time I tried it didn’t work.
The last time it worked was just after Macron’s national change to 80, thus I pay no attention to that anymore.
It was particularly hard work yesterday, because although I didn’t have the sun in my eyes the extreme glare and flashing shadows made reading the dash challenging to say the least, with a resulting diversion of senses. I too use the cruise extensively, but it won’t work below 50 in the increasing proliferation of 30 zones.
Yes standalone sat-nav boxes don’t seem to pick up speed limit changes “over the air” - apps on phones I think do better as they are connected to the internet.
