There are some awful and inconsiderate caravan drivers. Don, John Barden, Brian Rodgers, and I (to name some folkies about whose driving I DO know) are not among them. We press on but not excessively. My Volvos (either of the turbos or the twin cam) will tug most things without effort and John's Mondeo (V6 if my memory serves me) ditto. Don and Brian both use the very capable Rover with the BMW diesel turbo lump, Brian's being chipped and more than capable of holding over 80 where permitted on the continent with a large van on the back.   

I do however get very vexed with some loonies who stick up my chuff when I am (a) doing about 5 over a local limit because I don't want to hold traffic up and (b) in fact also being held up by someone going shopping.

Anyone with more than half a brain should make extra room for horse boxes - the horses do not like lateral G nor indeed braking forces.

Anyone should be able to drive and know what is behind them with either or both of wing mirrors or internal rear view mirror.   

Apart from his ignorance about caravans, Steve makes a lot of sense. Silas overlooks the many reps who are trying to cover too many miles and may arrive dead on time, and may well be overtired/overstressed by deadlines/inattentive - or just dozing off on the motorway through boredom. Other than that he makes a lot of sense.

Dick plainly has no idea, as is demonstrated by his confusing a tachometer and a speed limiter.


I am constantly amazed by the motorway idiots who sit as close as three feet to another car. Often I am the ONLY vehicle within visual range observing the "two chevron" rule. I am constantly amazed by the idiots who don't know the basic rule - keep left except when overtaking (or positioning to do so). As for the middle lane owners club, I'd just LOVE a heavy machine gun, particularly when I have the van on and am therefore prohibited from overtaking on what is the only legal side (save when in a two or more lane queue of traffic). Overtaking on the inside is dangerous - first it is illegal and therefore it is not expected. So the risk of the slower vehicle pulling in is considerable. Sure he should be looking - but the very fact that he has not moved over in alarm at the sight of your purple eyeballs ten feet from his rear-view mirror almost proves he is not looking. Ignoring that does not make you a good candidate for life insurance.

Then there are the twats who think they are entitled to enter the left hand lane from the slip road. They should never force another vehicle to brake by emerging from the slip road.   But I've had dozens who seem to know nothing about "speed matching" pull out in front of me when I cannot pull out because there is someone coming up on my outside, so forcing me to brake - whether or not I have the van on.

So some sort of motorway education is pretty important. I can see considerable merit in a two stage test, with the motorway test coming AFTER passing the basic test, and those preparing for the second stage allowed on motorways ONLY with a qualified instructor in a dual control car. There is something similar for motorbikes in that there are capacity thresholds.