Oh no, Penny, I disagree... 0.001mph is the norm!!

;o)

When I was a young driver, the motorways had a 'slow lane', a 'fast lane' and an 'overtaking lane', but that was fairly quickly changed to a driving lane with two overtaking lanes - but 'middle lane hogs' do not seem to understand the danger they cause. An HGV is not allowed to use the third lane (of three), and can be held up by the moron who is doing 50 in the middle lane - unless they break the law and overtake on the inside.


As for the other tirade about young drivers and their safety record, it's the insurance companies who offer the statistics to back it up.

Oh, and Dick, care to argue about RoSPA's statistics? I'm fairly sure they know what they are talking about!

Yes, my write-off (caused by a young, inexperienced and possibly cocky) young driver may well have been one isolated incident, but I'm sure you'll agree it was one incident too many?!! I've been a fully qualified driver since June 1967, so I've had plenty of opportunities to witness the idiots on our roads, and how they behave.

The comment I made about yesterday's incident on the M60 (which made the national press and TV news) was referring to the other 'sub-argument' about the possible need for trailer towing training and testing that crept into this thread (okay, it was me, I admit it!!). I don't recall making any reference (actual or implied) to young drivers and towing trailers...

The trailer (a horse box intended for one horse and towed by a 4x4) overturned on the M60 and was reported to have been carrying at least 25 sheep... many of which perished quite horribly.

Silas quite correctly pointed out that speed is not in itself dangerous, but it can be a contributory factor. Driving too slow for the conditions is just as dangerous as driving too fast, if not more so. You have to learn to adapt your driving to the conditions around you, and the 56mph governor on HGVs is more aimed at fuel economy than road safety!!

The same is true of the 60mph National Speed Limit on single-carriageway roads, which was introduced as an economy measure at the time when we were all issued with fuel rationing tokens! We never had occasion to use the fuel tokens (I still have mine somewhere), and the speed limit wasn't lifted.