Also there is a notorious stretch of road around here that is narrow and quite frankly scares the shit out of me every time I have to ride along it. The other week I was followed by a German registered HGV for nearly one mile and never once did it attempt to pass me, something that has never happened afaic remember with a british registered truck who normally get three quarters of the way past before squeezing you into the gutter.
Lets be honest the standard of driving in this country by those who can cause the most damage is shocking.
I don't think it is necessarily that British HGV drivers are worse than the Europeans. On many of my rides I encounter a high proportion of European lorries (A55 near Holyhead; lorries going to/from Ireland). Some of the scariest overtakes I've ever had (apart from the 2 that actually hit me) have been from Dutch lorries. Really really shockingly bad, brushing my shoulders. This from a left hand drive vehicle were theoretically they would have a better view of me (I would be directly in their eye-line). I have found Eastern European and Irish lorries drivers to be as bad. On my route, the British lorries drivers are good drivers, as are German ones.
There is a HGV driving school in the area and if every British lorry driver drove the way they do then the roads would be a safer place. They always wait on double whites, narrow roads and difficult hills. They wait far enough behind that it doesn't feel like you are being pressurised (without that revving engine noise that precedes a dangerous close overtake). I can't say the same for driving instructors for car drivers...