Heading as much as Glencoe alongside the one carriageway A82 just lately, cruising on the 60mph pace restrict, we have been making good time and having fun with the sweeping elemental surroundings because the Highlands started to unfurl in all their glory.
Towering cliffs arose, peaks of Munros loomed and scree tumbled all the way down to nice flinty lochs.
It was a joyous drive, particularly after negotiating clogged motorways from Derbyshire, the place we started. This was a deal with we’d been wanting ahead to, broadly thought of one among Britain’s most scenic roads.
After which we got here to a digital standstill. We’d joined a queue of at the least 20 autos, led by a motorhome, although it could have been a caravan.
Our pace fell to 30mph, peaking if we have been fortunate at a heady 35mph. Quickly 20 or 30 automobiles (most likely extra) have been caught behind us including to the motorcade.
But, in an act of outright selfishness affecting nicely over 100 folks, the motorhome/caravan didn’t pull over in one of many many laybys. It was a blatant act of anti-social behaviour.
Caravans must take it regular…however why cannot they study to drag over and let others move?
We crawled alongside for half an hour imagining the smug driver forward stubbornly blocking the way in which – little question believing of their proper to drive at no matter pace they happy.
That is legally right. The Freeway Code doesn’t stipulate a minimal pace restrict except for some tunnels or bridges.
Be a part of the dialogue
Ought to caravans pull over quite than maintain up site visitors – or have they got the best to make others drive at their tempo?
All over the place else, you possibly can go as slowly as you want – in principle – even on motorways. Though on the latter, police might concern a verbal warning if it put others in danger. In excessive circumstances, ‘you can be prosecuted for careless driving’, says the RAC, with potential £100 fines.
But the regulation on every other street, such because the A82, permits slow-going, even at half the restrict.
However the Tenting and Caravanning Membership, established in 1907 when most caravans have been horse-drawn, is obvious. It says that if gradual driving ‘results in a construct up of site visitors behind your unit, pull over when it’s protected to take action to permit sooner autos to move’.
That is wise recommendation, not simply to forestall hold-ups. Not doing so can even encourage dangerous overtaking.
Motorhome moans: Whereas they’ll legally drive slower, sitting behind a vacation dwelling on wheels will be irritating for different autos on the street
Sluggish experience: Tom skilled this first-hand throughout a visit by way of Glencoe to the Scottish Highlands
Up within the Highlands for ten days on my current climbing journey, I witnessed this first-hand. Dicey manoeuvres have been frequent, typically involving high-powered autos overtaking a number of automobiles without delay in caravan/motorhome bottlenecks.
In a current assertion, the letting dealer Nationwide Car Contracts confirmed the hazards of such hold-ups, saying gradual driving causes ‘frustration’ that ‘can anger different drivers, resulting in tailgating, harmful overtakes and reckless driving’.
It’s a recognised downside. But many caravan and motorhome drivers appear to not care a jot.
Pressure between caravans/motorhomes and different drivers might simply be averted – if solely the slowcoaches would pull over a little bit extra typically.
