How can a lorry turn over on a straight road ?

Jack Ratt

Jack Ratt

Zorg Expert (I)
Supporter
British Zeds
The West Country
Joined
Dec 3, 2013
Points
200
Location
TRURO, CORNWALL
Model of Z
2.8i AUTO and 2.8i MANUAL
Twice this week I've been held up in traffic due to a lorry flipping over onto it's side on a straight road.

The first was on Monday morning on M27 Eastbound between jtn11 and 12 when a dustbin lorry decided to have a lie down.

Then today on my way home, a lorry did the same thing on the A30 in Devon just west of Exeter.
 
You are the common factor in both of these incidents.
You are not Mr Incredible by any chance?
 
Impossible one would have thought.

Probably too much speed then braking and manoeuvring to avoid something. Then Newton's first law takes over - big time. The cab goes one way but the trailer and especially the load wants to carry on in a straight line and the load itself high sides out flipping the trailer.

Just let us all know where you're going in future so we can stay away =))
 
@Redline I wasn't close to either incident, they must have decided to have a lie down and wait for me.
 
It's very easy. You can guarantee that the load would have been top heavy (not in the instance of the bin lorry). One sharp manoeuvre will send an artic over.
While we were in Turkey we had one artic roll outside the Britannia stadium in Stoke. He was doing 8 miles an hour witnessed by an off duty copper. It is under investigation but we all know it had been loaded top heavy, an agency driver went under a 14ft bridge with a 15ft trailer, that didn't fit and now looks like a flat bed and a driver didn't do his checks at the start of his shift and pulled out the yard gate and his trailer wasn't locked in and roll straight into the back of his cab! Not bad out of a fleet of 25.
 
Like your way of putting your alibi up front Dave "While we were in Turkey"
 
Dave why are you not polishing :ymdevil::ymdevil::ymdevil::ymdevil:=))
 
Grumpy said:
It's very easy. You can guarantee that the load would have been top heavy (not in the instance of the bin lorry). One sharp manoeuvre will send an artic over.
While we were in Turkey we had one artic roll outside the Britannia stadium in Stoke. He was doing 8 miles an hour witnessed by an off duty copper. It is under investigation but we all know it had been loaded top heavy, an agency driver went under a 14ft bridge with a 15ft trailer, that didn't fit and now looks like a flat bed and a driver didn't do his checks at the start of his shift and pulled out the yard gate and his trailer wasn't locked in and roll straight into the back of his cab! Not bad out of a fleet of 25.
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Isn't 15ft a bit above standard height? Aren't most bridges set for 4.3m vehicles at around 4.5m min, i.e. just slightly below 15ft.
Surely there's technology to give the driver a warning of width and heights in front that are below the size of the vehicle plus clearance.

Was that the island A50/A500 at the bottom of the hill?
If I remember correctly it cambers away from you turning right from the A500 and the same from the A500 south onto the A50.

Sounds like they won't let you go on holiday again!
 
I don't think there is one of the roundabouts on Lincoln by pass which hasn't witnessed an artic on its side. Solely down to speed and as Dave said poor loading.

Tony.
 
Very easy, a curtainsider with a empty or most lightly a very light load i.e empty plastic bottles.

If it goes on to a straight road and there are no trees at the side of the road, the cross winds can just tip it over.

demonstrated here, watch as the trees at the side of the road end.

 
@stevie_a I can well understand your explanation but it would take a mighty wind to blow a dustbin lorry over.
 
stevie_a said:
Very easy, a curtainsider with a empty or most lightly a very light load i.e empty plastic bottles.

If it goes on to a straight road and there are no trees at the side of the road, the cross winds can just tip it over.

demonstrated here, watch as the trees at the side of the road end.

Click to expand...
The lorry overtaking is what helped that. The pressure wave in front of it created a low pressure area that combined with the wind simply sucked the trailer over.
 
Jack Ratt said:
a mighty wind
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That is one thing I love to do to my best mate when he picks me up on a freezing cold winters morning in his van.
Quick, jump in and close the door a says, heater running full blast.
I always make sure the night before that I have eaten something very nasty......:D

@Miller's mates are good at doing that to.....;)
 
Redline said:
Isn't 15ft a bit above standard height? Aren't most bridges set for 4.3m vehicles at around 4.5m min, i.e. just slightly below 15ft.
Surely there's technology to give the driver a warning of width and heights in front that are below the size of the vehicle plus clearance.

Was that the island A50/A500 at the bottom of the hill?
If I remember correctly it cambers away from you turning right from the A500 and the same from the A500 south onto the A50.

Sounds like they won't let you go on holiday again!
Click to expand...
The drawbar that I drive are 13'10" but we mark them at 14'. The artic trailers are 15'9" and are marked inside the cab but to be fair Ian if a driver doesn't know the dimensions of his vehicle they shouldn't be driving it. They sign a sheet every morning stating they know this information.
Yes your on the right island mate and it does have a camber, at 8 miles an hour the lorry would be unaffected unless it was loaded top heavy. I am fed up to the back teeth with telling the loaders not to do this but it falls on deaf ears. Maybe it won't anymore.
 
makes you think about not driving beside trucks for any longer than necessary. Hang back or zip past.
 
Don't get me started on "Closed to high sided vehicles" as I haven't found anyone that can tell me what is classed as high sided and I mean in writing from the relevant authority, crazy season just around the corner too.
 
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