Why is it?

[Dorsetmike]

When you get stuck behind a crawling driver on a twisty country road there is rarely any oncoming traffic, yet as soon as you get to a straight bit where you should be able to overtake, the oncoming becomes a solid stream and you still can't get past the crawler.

 

[JHC]

Mike, It is bosuns law Lol. I have told you before why I have powerful cars you just need them in NZ, 90% of our roads are single lane and hilly.

 

[teddy]

There is nothing like some blistering acceleration to get past safely, especially when you get two or three vehicles bunched together.
The sort of drivers who either can't or won't pass the slow vehicle in front, but don't want anyone else to either.

teddy

 

[JHC]

Plus the retards that put their foot down when you overtake...that's when you need the 'get up and go'

 

[Dorsetmike]

On the particular road I was on yesterday, the blistering acceleration ploy often results in deaths or severe injuries cos they "think" they can get past, then something suddenly appears right in their path, lots of side roads and concealed entrances: it's the sort of road you need to travel frequently to understand the difficulties. Even bikers that know it treat it with great respect.

A338, Ringwood to Salisbury, I've been using it for over 60 years, it's still much the same as it was in the late 1940s.

 

[teddy]

Everyone should take some form of advanced driving test. I taught at this level for ten years using ROADCRAFT, the police drivers manual. Everyone can learn something from these courses, even if it is only one thing they did not know/do before. Any competent driver should be able to read the road and traffic conditions and be able to stop SAFELY in the distance they can see to be clear. Maybe restrict drivers to a certain power to weight ratio like they do with motorbikes, until they are older or more qualified. Give me a fast powerful car any day. Provided you are properly trained they are safer than a doddermobile.

teddy

 

[Dorsetmike]

Cars can only ever be as safe as the person driving.

Too many drivers of "fast powerful" cars are not properly trained and tend to drive thinking they own the road and are often the cause of accidents to others trying to evade them, like having to brake or swerve into collisions when they get "cut up".

You suggest restricting drivers to a certain power/weight/performance vehicle, this should be mandatory, plus driver initial training for say the first 250 miles or more should be on a special track/course, not the open road .

A few other things that need attention, some means of disabling the use of mobile phones unless a vehicle is stationary with the engine off. There should be more use made of the automatic number plate recognition capabilty, fixed video cameras at a lot of locations fed into the network, that would soon sort out the untaxed, uninsured and untested vehicles. Anyone convicted of driving when drunk or on drugs, their car should be confiscated as well as fines &/or imprisonment especially if they have caused an accident.

The biggest lesson to learn is that "when driving assume that every other person an the road is a complete idiot."

Even allowing some credence to the "you may need the acceleration to get out of a tricky situation" I still see no need for the excessive power/speed/acceleration of many of the cars on offer today, (like Porsche Cayenne Turbo, top speed over 180MPH) given theBritish roads and speed limits. Probably if you were not already driving at or above the limit you might not have got into the tricky situation anyway. Life has enough risks in it without adding more. Maybe there is a need for a speed limiter that cuts in at say 80 MPH, or possibly adjusts to say limit plus 10 - 15% on signals from roadside equipment where speed limits change.

 

[teddy]

The idea of special tracks to learn on is a no no from the start. The size and complexity to be of any use would be prohibitive expensive and who would pay for them. Certainly not the government. Bear in mind the number you would need to be close enough to everyone. Or would you limit drivers to those rich enough to travel to them. Any competent instructor will find a quiet area to teach pupils the basics. Dual controls take care of the rest. A device to block mobile phones once the ignition is switched on is quite feasible, but why not the same feature that would work one the handbrake is released. And that of course means that the passengers could not use a phone either. I fail to see why having the engine running makes it dangerous to use a phone. It is only potentially dangerous once the vehicle is moving and there have been many occasions when I have been glad that my passenger could use a phone.
As regards speed would you like to crash your car at 60MPH..Thats the combined speed of a head on crash in a 30MPH speed limit. Fast enough to be fatal. Maybe we should go back to the man with the red flag. And which is potentially more dangerous. My driving one of my "fast" cars with my experience training and skills at 120MPH in a situation I deem to be safe or a youngster in an old hatchback at 60?

Power and speed. If you drive abroad you will know why these things are useful. Particularly in France where they love to drive up your a***. Usually three feet from your boot. Speed limiters have been tried in government experiments and were deemed to add to the dangers. Even the ambulance service rejected them as potentially dangerous.

The only answer is better and ongoing driver training. They are just introducing things into the regime which I was doing in my lessons over 20 years ago. Maybe compulsory motorway lessons would help, but it would not stop the idiots, which far too often are young females driving hatchbacks.

teddy

 

[JHC]

Common sense, experience and lots and lots of BHP.

 

[JHC]

Maybe there is a need for a speed limiter that cuts in at say 80 MPH, or possibly adjusts to say limit plus 10 - 15% on signals from roadside equipment where speed limits change.

A good many high performance cars do have speed limiters, My Z has one set to 155mph, BUT........... these can be re mapped so...

 

[Krummhorn]

I spent a number of year driving 40' commercial buses ... To this day, I still employ all the same techniques when out and about in my Jetta, always scanning both sides of the road, looking far into the distance observing changes in traffic flow, and always constantly checking my side and rear view mirrors to know exactly where I am at all times.

To this day, when backing up, I only use mirrors ... in a bus, you can't turn and look over your shoulder, so you get used to trusting the view in mirrors ... I have those concave round 'spot' mirrors on both exterior rear view mirrors on the car, which give me a much clearer view when backing into a parking stall ... I could not get the same view looking over my shoulder ... the parking space lines are not viewable out the rear window - they are on both sides of the car, and with round spot mirrors, one can see those clearly.

My Dad kept telling me a little phrase when I was learning to drive ... it was: Leave Yourself An Out, which has two meanings:

1. Drive like nobody can "see" you ...
2. Leave yourself room to get out of any situation - don't follow to close, don't run right up on the bumper of the car in front of you at the signal light (if they stall, you are stuck right there).

I stop so that I can see the rear tires of the car in front of me.

Lots of it is just plain common sense ... unfortunately, there are too many cretins out there that firmly believe that driving is their right to do so, no matter how bad a driver they may be. Driving is a "privilege", something that has to be earned by passing exams, etc.

As to power for passing the pokey ones ... my Jetta is Turbocharged ... 180 Hp ... and it moves like right now when I need it to. I also have great respect for that 'power' and because of all my years driving 40 footers, I know exactly how much room I need to pass slower vehicles.

That turbo is nice to have when on a long haul drive in the mountains ... goes uphill at any speed like a hot knife through butter.

I maintain between 27 and 33 mpg on the Jetta ... lower right now because of the extremely hot weather and running the A/C around town. The only caveat, is that I have to use the 91 Octane fuel, because of the turbocharger.

Kh

 

[teddy]

One of my favorite sayings was "use the car like a giant indicator" in other words make your intentions obvious by good use of your position and speed. Unfortunately I said to one young lady " use the car like a giant vibrator". I must have had my mind on something else. Luckily for me she had a good sense of humor otherwise my reputation might have been shot, but she did not let me forget it.

teddy

 

[JHC]

To this day, when backing up, I only use mirrors ... in a bus, you can't turn and look over your shoulder, so you get used to trusting the view in mirrors ..

I also reverse via the mirrors but not by choice... My neck is now too stiff to rotate and loosing the sight of one eye makes it very tricky but thanks to very clever mirrors and reverse bleepers it has become second nature, long live technology...

 

[Krummhorn]

One of my favorite sayings was "use the car like a giant indicator" in other words make your intentions obvious by good use of your position and speed. Unfortunately I said to one young lady " use the car like a giant vibrator". I must have had my mind on something else. Luckily for me she had a good sense of humor otherwise my reputation might have been shot, but she did not let me forget it.

teddy

:lol: with and at the Duckmeister. That is really a good one ... one for the blooper show at least.

Kh ♫

 

[Dorsetmike]

Seems pointless trying to discuss cars and driving with Teddy, "don't confuse him with facts, his mind is made up"; typical bosses attitude. Not prepared to listen to anybody elses opinion that differs from his.

Many people can no way afford to run "fast powerful cars", we have to make do with what we can afford, and try and keep out of the way of the "thrusters", the ones that force their way past with blaring horns and snarling exhausts. Maybe not all drivers of fast powerful cars are stupid, just the majority.

My car has a claimed top speed of 99MPH, when cruising on a motorway or good dual carriage way I stick around 70 and leave plenty of room between me and the car in front. I don't hog the centre lane, (not being a member of CLOC - centre lane owners club the eejits that sit in the centre lane at 55 - 60). I think I can honestly say that in over 50 years driving I have never needed to rely on acceleration to get out of trouble, and I have in the past had cars that could have done that.

The "accelerate out of danger" argument is always trotted out by the owners of (or those that want to own) "fast powerful cars" as their justification, all I can say is if you have needed to accelerate for that reason then you obviously have not read the road properly or are not driving as safely as you think.

But then that is only my opinion, I don't count, I don't have a big powerful car; nor do I want one even if I could afford it. My road tax costs £30 per year, I get 62 MPG I can keep up to the motorway speed limit, why change?

 

[teddy]

What you fail to realise Mike is that there is some one else as strong willed and self opinionated as you are. There have been several occasions when I have been passing junctions, after assessing my view into then and moving out into the road further to increase my safety margin, and some idiot has come blundering out without checking properly. I would like a pound for every time a vehicle has jumped a red light on me through either inattention or just plain stupidity. On some of these occasions the only course of action, and to avoid being hit in the side ls sharp acceleration as the only course of action. Then there are the idiots who change lanes without checking, who pull out of a side road into a sixty limit when you are right on top of them. I can think of at least one occasion when slamming it down a gear and hitting the accelerator has saved me from a crash. However safely you drive what Lars said is true, always leave yourself a get out, and sometimes that means acelaration rather than swerving or breaking hard. Stop being so biased against people who drive large, fast, prestige cars. I have seen more potential accident situations caused by drivers of small slow cars that anything else.

teddy

 

[JHC]

The "accelerate out of danger" argument is always trotted out by the owners of (or those that want to own) "fast powerful cars" as their justification, all I can say is if you have needed to accelerate for that reason then you obviously have not read the road properly or are not driving as safely as you think.

Well I don,t know about that Mike, stuck behind a joker doing 80k in a 100k stretch for at least 7-8k with the traffic piling up behind with no chance of overtaking for any of us due to the tight road then a good straight stretch for about 1kilometre with nothing coming .... pull out to pass and when you get level the other driver puts the foot down the car behind has closed the gap so only one direction remains and you give it the boot and thank goodness you have the power............

 

[Dorsetmike]

Another old chestnut from the power faction. So what if the one you're trying to overtake out accelerates you and leaves you standing? Then where do you go? The end of the straight is fast approaching and nobody will let you back in and a bloody great 40 ton wagon has just appeared. Just hope there's a handy soft hedge, not a brick wall, :grin:.

I'd be more likely to pull off the road and take a break a few miles before it gets to that level of frustration. I'm too fond of living.

REminds me of a motto from a few years back

ARRIVE ALIVE
​

 

[JHC]

If he out accelerates me and leaves me standing I let him go and tuck in behind and blast him with my extra powerful horn as for the rest it really is down to common sense and experience, as for pulling off the road that is not an option on most of our country roads.
Now how about Caravans and Camper vans?? these are a pain in the A#$! :grin:

 

[teddy]

So there you have the answer. Never ever overtake ever again. Welcome to the traffic jam to end all traffic jams. Driving through France (usually 650 miles) you have two choices. Stick to 56 MPH and just sit behind the lorries or overtake when it is safe. Option one will get me there in about 14 to 15 hours. Option two. ten to ten and a half hours including stops. I know from experience which is less tiring. Most of the poodlers who hold up traffic believe it is their right to do so. It is the same with the people who insist on sitting in the overtaking lanes on motorways at 70MPH, maybe doing 2 MPH faster than the vehicle they are overtaking. If you have ever taken the police driving course you will know that you are taught to overtake as quickly as possible so you can pull back in in the shortest possible time. Our police drivers are some of the best drivers in the world which is why I taught my pupils to drive according to their edicts, and why I still drive that way myself. Their motto is SAFETY FAST.
Fast driving does not have to be dangerous driving.
Actually if you have to crash the brick wall is one of the best options. They tend to give. What you do not want to hit is a tree. They are very unforgiving.

teddy