If you’ve never driven an HGV, then you won’t have the faintest clue on driving an HGV training. Unfortunately, many typical drivers complain about HGV drivers quite often and there are even numerous news articles written about them in a negative light. However, HGV drivers face many challenges and we will now take a closer look at a couple of things these drivers wish other motorists were aware of.
HGVs Are Quite Challenging To Drive
Even though this might seem clear, most UK drivers are very impatient when they need to deal with an HGV driver that is taking a couple of minutes to manoeuvre the vehicle in order to turn. We completely understand how frustrating it is to wait, however, you need to keep in mind that we need to carefully manoeuvre a vehicle that is as heavy as 40 tonnes and 18 metres long. We also need to do so while having to deal with low visibility and small roads. Even the most experienced HGV driver will still take a couple of minutes to manoeuvre the HGV. So, you should definitely try to be patient and understand that we are driving as quickly as we can.
HGVs Take A Bit Longer To Stop That The Average Vehicle
This is another obvious point, but one that you should keep in mind especially if you are driving in close proximity to us. Even though it may be easy for you to stop your vehicle within 100 feet, an HGV that is packed will take a minimum of 300 feet to 500 feet in order to stop. Therefore, if you are in front of an HGV it is best that you pay close attention to the road. If you need to apply brakes very quickly for an emergency stop this will be very problematic for any HGV driver behind you. This is one of the most common reasons for accidents involving HGVs. As a result, you should ensure that you start braking a bit earlier and if you are behind us, be aware that we will need to start to slow down a bit sooner when we are close to roundabouts, traffic lights, intersections et.
Regulated Speed
If you have paid attention to most HGVs, you’ll see a sticker at the back of them that indicates the speed is regulated. In many cases, it will be regulated at 70. This means exactly what you think it does and the HGV can’t drive faster than 70 mph. This is due to electronic limiters and is the main reason why we usually drive on the left lane. Many other drivers often get frustrated when behind an HGV, however, keep in mind that we have a set speed limit that we can’t break.
Limited Visbility
Due to the size of large vehicles, most drivers of these vehicles have limited visibility. In particular, HGV drivers always need to be sharp while driving and always look out for other drivers on the road. However, it is the duty of other drivers and pedestrians to always ensure that they can be seen and not get in the way of HGVs.
The Road Is For Everyone
According to the typical driver profile that was completed in 2007, most drivers in the UK are very irritated by other drivers who don’t understand that the motorways and roads are for everyone to drive on. The typical UK driver was found to have insufficient levels of patience when it comes to dealing with HGVS as oppose to other motorists and pedestrians. So, it is important to keep in mind that HGV drivers also have a right to use the roadways and they aren’t simply trying to frustrate other drivers.