Any - Travelling in convoy | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Mon 29 Oct 2018 12:00

Any - Travelling in convoy - catsdad

There's a quarter page ad on the back page of the DT today from convoyplates.com. This is for private motorists (the ad features Minis) to be able to identify yourselves as a convoy.

Their website says ".. plates are a clear signal to other drivers that your group is driving together, encouraging them to exercise patience and allow you to stick together". An acccompanying video shows an obliging driver letting a "convoy" exit from a side street onto a main road.

Civilian convoys are illegal in many countries but not, I believe, UK. It can be dangerous e.g. encouraging tail enders to jump lights to keep up and leading cars to pay too much attention to the following group at the expense of watching the road ahead. The only legit civilian convoy I can envisage is a cortege which surely anyone with decency would make allowances for anyway.

What really gets me about this product is the sense of entitlement that others should make way for their selfish behaviour! Oh (pedant alert) and the fact that their website confuses "less" and "fewer".

Lets hope this doesn't catch on.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 29 Oct 2018 13:06

Any - Travelling in convoy - S40 Man

How is this different to say, a classic car rally, where lots of the same or similar makes are driving from one place to another?

I do agree with your sentiment though, I don't even like leading our following other family members somewhere ( for the reasons you outlines) That's only usually 2 cars. I tell them to put sat Nav on now and see them at the destination.

I doubt it will catch on anyway. Why pay to do something you can do for free. I have that argument with the Mrs about parking though?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 29 Oct 2018 13:38

Any - Travelling in convoy - johnnyrev

I often travel in a funeral convoy, following the hea*** and funeral cars, and am astonished and amazed by how little attention is given to us. I’m not sure if this is because of lack of attention or just a lack of courtesy.

People frequently will not give way to me (in full vicar gear) following a hea***, or will overtake the whole convoy, or pull out in the middle of the convoy (sometimes between hea*** and funeral car). I think the funeral directors are used to it but I find it very annoying! I’ve even been overtaken driving around the cemetery towards the grave for a burial!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 29 Oct 2018 19:56

Any - Travelling in convoy - bathtub tom

I often travel in a funeral convoy, following the hea*** and funeral cars, and am astonished and amazed by how little attention is given to us.

I don't understand why funeral convoys have to go at such a slow pace, holding up all other traffic. It's not as if it makes any difference to the one in the box. In this day and age of traffic congestion, it just generates more delays.

I've instructed that my funeral procession should proceed at the speed limit.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 30 Oct 2018 08:30

Any - Travelling in convoy - Bromptonaut

I don't understand why funeral convoys have to go at such a slow pace, holding up all other traffic. It's not as if it makes any difference to the one in the box.

If it's a cremation there's a tight time slot to be met. At our local furnace as soon as one lot have exited the next party are in the lobby.

Mourners are usually ready and waiting and the cortege leaves on time. Drivers know exactly how long it takes from anywhere and adjust speed accordingly. One I remember the widow's aunt was still faffing about when the cortege was ready to go - when she was finally satisfied with fit of her shoes we went like the wind!!.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 30 Oct 2018 09:21

Any - Travelling in convoy - Andrew-T

<< Drivers know exactly how long it takes from anywhere and adjust speed accordingly. >>

What is the procedure in a gridlock situation? :-(

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 30 Oct 2018 21:29

Any - Travelling in convoy - Bilboman

Anecdote about a hea*** driver from many years ago. A traffic cop (remember those?) stopped one of two hea***s racing along the M4 at over 100 mph. The other car briefly got away - consecutive personal plates and a somewhat distinctive re-styled, bloated Volvo in a rather fetching two tone grey rather gave the game away...) After the usual "'Ello, ello ello" and "Are you the owner of this vehicle, Sir?" came the somewhat unexpected classic one-liners from the jaded B-i-B to the errant motorist:
"Going at a fair old lick back there, weren't we, Sir? BUSINESS A LITTLE SLACK TODAY, IS IT?"

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 29 Oct 2018 13:44

Any - Travelling in convoy - focussed

I have taken part in a couple of french motorcycle ride-outs recently (balade)

A ride-out with more than 15 riders has to be registered with the local maire (mayor).

The clubs have designated riding marshalls (securite) that ride ahead and are authorised to close off side roads while the convoy of motorcycles passes through- they then overtake the convoy and continue to do the same.

I don't personally like riding with the french clubs, too slow and too many refreshment stops. but these two were for charitable causes, €5 per helmet to enter etc - it's not unusual to get 200 - 300 riders on one of these.

It works the same for bicycle races, temporary road closures and diversions while the race is on with marshalls at various points etc.

Edited by focussed on 29/10/2018 at 14:32

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 30 Oct 2018 09:29

Any - Travelling in convoy - skidpan

3 or 4 years ago I was using Junction 27 of the M1 on my commute to one of our sites. It seems there had been huge issues with owners of modified cars using roads round the area for racing (the organisers advertised it as "cruising"). The Police/courts imposed a ban on "racing, riding in convoy and driving at excessive speed" in the area (why they needed to include the first and last was beyond me since they are illegal anyway). Cars were siezed and drivers fined.

Just done a Google and it seems the problem is still there. The original injunction has now been replaced by a "Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)" but it seems this only covers riding in convoy, the Police have probably realised that racing and speed are in fact illegal.

So in this particular area I would expect driving in convoy would attract the attention of the law. And there must be more such areas nationwide.

Convoy drivers beware.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 30 Oct 2018 09:45

Any - Travelling in convoy - RT

3 or 4 years ago I was using Junction 27 of the M1 on my commute to one of our sites. It seems there had been huge issues with owners of modified cars using roads round the area for racing (the organisers advertised it as "cruising"). The Police/courts imposed a ban on "racing, riding in convoy and driving at excessive speed" in the area (why they needed to include the first and last was beyond me since they are illegal anyway). Cars were siezed and drivers fined.

Just done a Google and it seems the problem is still there. The original injunction has now been replaced by a "Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)" but it seems this only covers riding in convoy, the Police have probably realised that racing and speed are in fact illegal.

So in this particular area I would expect driving in convoy would attract the attention of the law. And there must be more such areas nationwide.

Convoy drivers beware.

The specific injunctions are made to make it easier for the police and local authority to deal with the issue as any non-compliance is Contempt Of Court so doesn't need to be prosecuted in the normal way. Some local authorities have similar permanent injunctions to stop travellers setting up camp.

Where a group of cars is in a sensible convoy, eg the 1,000 Subaru's as a Colin McCrae memorial, then the police don't need to take action - sensible for such a large gathering included seeking and accepting police advice how to break the convoy into smaller ones.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Ask Honest John

Sell Your Car

Real MPG

Fuel Calculator

Any - Travelling in convoy

10 warranty myths exposed