On Tuesday morning, myself and a colleague were out on roadtest investigating engine noise under heavy load. Conveniently close by is the M62 motorway, which at one point has a very long uphill stretch, where we could keep the engine under a constant heavy load and switch between 6 microphones placed strategically, trying to pin down the source.
This is a heavily-used route, quite popular with HGV's transporting all sorts of goods north and south.
We came up behind a slow-moving HGV that appeared to be steel-bodied, something which would likely to be suitable for carrying construction aggregate. As we slowed to match speed, I, as passenger and wearing the headphones, noticed an increase in noise level and signalled my colleague to stay where we were.
We hadn't been behind this HGV for more that what seemed to be about 10 seconds, when my colleague reached for the hazard-light switch.
Instinctively, I looked in the door mirror and saw a rapidly-approaching 7.5 tonner.....
....which, luckily, passed both vehicles on the hard-shoulder (emergency lane) as if we were stood still!
It could have gone a few different ways:
We could have veered to the hard-shoulder and got creamed from behind, but possibly escaped.
We could have veered to the hard-shoulder and witnessed a terrible accident.
We could have been 'sandwiched' and that is the one which brings a bit of a shudder.
Just hope it gave him as much of a scare as it did us, and he pays more attention in future.
This is a heavily-used route, quite popular with HGV's transporting all sorts of goods north and south.
We came up behind a slow-moving HGV that appeared to be steel-bodied, something which would likely to be suitable for carrying construction aggregate. As we slowed to match speed, I, as passenger and wearing the headphones, noticed an increase in noise level and signalled my colleague to stay where we were.
We hadn't been behind this HGV for more that what seemed to be about 10 seconds, when my colleague reached for the hazard-light switch.
Instinctively, I looked in the door mirror and saw a rapidly-approaching 7.5 tonner.....
....which, luckily, passed both vehicles on the hard-shoulder (emergency lane) as if we were stood still!
It could have gone a few different ways:
We could have veered to the hard-shoulder and got creamed from behind, but possibly escaped.
We could have veered to the hard-shoulder and witnessed a terrible accident.
We could have been 'sandwiched' and that is the one which brings a bit of a shudder.
Just hope it gave him as much of a scare as it did us, and he pays more attention in future.