Driving standards

[newbryford]

It is no fun hitting wrong way round parkers in fog

 

Yes I did look into it, they were liable.

 

I just slammed on my brake and did a stoppie!

 

Damaged their front bumper and my mud guard

 

Surely, if it's foggy, you drive at a speed appropriate so that you can stop in the distance you can see? Which way round the vehicles are parked shouldn't be an issue.

[Tony_S]

Surely, if it's foggy, you drive at a speed appropriate so that you can stop in the distance you can see? Which way round the vehicles are parked shouldn't be an issue.

Pretty much what my Dad always said when he was trying to instil a sense of road awareness in us as we were growing up. He said he learned to be careful in fog when he cycled into the milkman's horse one very foggy 1930s morning. He did say the horse was unhurt afterwards.

[Guest]

I think DRLs have been compulsory on cars registered since March 2011 IIRC

Nope.

Had three cars registered since then and none have had DRLs. I believe the 2011 date is for type approval.

[Tony_S]

Nope.Had three cars registered since then and none have had DRLs. I believe the 2011 date is for type approval.

Our 2012 Fiesta doesn't have them, our 2014 Freelander does.

[Horsetan]

Surely, if it's foggy, you drive at a speed appropriate so that you can stop in the distance you can see? Which way round the vehicles are parked shouldn't be an issue.

I take it there wasn't a verge available.

[MJI]

Surely, if it's foggy, you drive at a speed appropriate so that you can stop in the distance you can see? Which way round the vehicles are parked shouldn't be an issue.

 

Funny really but parked cars are usually visible due to reflectors, but not the fronts, It was illegally parked and I hit it at a low speed.

 

I was not even doing 30, actual speed I don't know it was over 35 years ago

[newbryford]

Funny really but parked cars are usually visible due to reflectors, but not the fronts, It was illegally parked and I hit it at a low speed.

 

I was not even doing 30, actual speed I don't know it was over 35 years ago

 

[Guest]

Have a little despair at this:

 

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/news/news/20299/impatient-motorist-releases-ambulance-handbrake-as-patient-receives-emergency-care.html

[Titan]

Whilst I in no way condone what the driver did, I have had personal experience of the arrogance of ambulance crew when it comes to situations such as this.

 

In my particular case, the ambulance was parked across a T-junction blocking it. Now these days rather than just shoving a patient in and immediately making a dash for the hospital, it is often the case that they can be there for over half an hour whilst giving treatment. Did not bother me as I was on my bicycle and could easily get round (no verges or pavements required!). It was a quiet residential road so not much traffic either.

 

However....

 

The T-junction it was parked across was at the bottom of a steep hill, with a bend in it, and traffic humps, which had sheet ice/compacted snow on it all the way down, i.e. if a car lost control on the hill it would likely hit the ambulance at some speed.

 

I tried telling them that maybe they were taking an unnecessary risk and it really really was not a good idea to leave it there for any length of time at all, especially as there was space in front of the ambulance to which it could move, and that a written off ambulance might cause distress and delay to the patient. They could not give a toss. It clearly seemed that not only did they think they were exempt from the laws of the land (which they may well be, I don't know) but the laws of physics too.

 

I expect if there had been a collision I would have heard about it.  I think if it had happened now I would be taking photographs and reporting it as a safety issue.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Titan

[chris p bacon]

 Now these days rather than just shoving a patient in and immediately making a dash for the hospital, it is often the case that they can be there for over half an hour whilst giving treatment. 

I won't comment on the parking, but the Harrow Rail disaster showed us that scoop and run was not the way to deal with patients, and that triage and assesment should be carried out before setting off.

[JDW]

Yeah, got to agree that they could from what you say have parked better, especially with the risk of a car sliding on the hill - I once has a trainee on my bus, we were approaching the back of a queue for a junction, and I stopped short of a side road.  It had been snowing, and the roads were still icy.  I said to him to be careful in situations like that, think of what other traffic might do, the side road being little used and sloping down towards us.  About 20 seconds later, a car appeared at the top of the side road, tried to stop, slid across the front of me, across lane 2, and stopped against the kerb at the far side of the road.  

 

On the other hand, there might not have been a space when they arrived (for example) and of course, in some situations getting to the person is the first thought, rather than not causing an obstruction, that's something else I always tried to get trainees to recognise, that a situation might not appear now how it might have arisen 10 minutes earlier, and sometimes patience is called for.

 

Certainly in the newspaper article that 30801 highlighted, I'd hope he gets caught and fined for something or other!  

[Tim Hall]

Surely, if it's foggy, you drive at a speed appropriate so that you can stop in the distance you can see? Which way round the vehicles are parked shouldn't be an issue.

Not just if it's foggy, either....

[Baby Deltic]

Not just if it's foggy, either....

I think all depends on the grass verge being driven over at the time.

[Reorte]

Another person this morning who seems to think "Keep Clear" markings are there to leave a space for him to pull in in front of me. At least it wasn't a box junction this time, or worse still a box junction with one car's length free beyond it, where I start moving to occupy that space only for an idiot to race past and swerve into it, leaving me stranded in the box. That's happened a couple of times.

[Baby Deltic]

Another person this morning who seems to think "Keep Clear" markings are there to leave a space for him to pull in in front of me. At least it wasn't a box junction this time, or worse still a box junction with one car's length free beyond it, where I start moving to occupy that space only for an idiot to race past and swerve into it, leaving me stranded in the box. That's happened a couple of times.

That's where a dash cam would certainly be useful to gather evidence to ensure said idiot gets their just desserts should a ticket be sent to you.

[peanuts]

Another person this morning who seems to think "Keep Clear" markings are there to leave a space for him to pull in in front of me. At least it wasn't a box junction this time, or worse still a box junction with one car's length free beyond it, where I start moving to occupy that space only for an idiot to race past and swerve into it, leaving me stranded in the box. That's happened a couple of times.

try abox junction in a hgv mate just as the gap at the far side gets big enough either the lights change or some clever arse nips around you and leaves you stranded once spent 12 mins trying to get across one in london wasnt risking it due to the yellow box camera 

[Horsetan]

,,,,At least it wasn't a box junction this time, or worse still a box junction with one car's length free beyond it, where I start moving to occupy that space only for an idiot to race past and swerve into it, leaving me stranded in the box. That's happened a couple of times.

 

I sometimes wonder if some drivers do this deliberately to get the following driver penalised. I've seen instances where two or three cars pass over a box junction, but the last to cross then gets caught in it because the one in front has done a dirty stop even though there's room in front to move up.

[PhilJ W]

I sometimes wonder if some drivers do this deliberately to get the following driver penalised. I've seen instances where two or three cars pass over a box junction, but the last to cross then gets caught in it because the one in front has done a dirty stop even though there's room in front to move up.

More likely ignorance, the way some people drive they obviously have no idea of the size of their car.

[SM42]

try abox junction in a hgv mate just as the gap at the far side gets big enough either the lights change or some clever arse nips around you and leaves you stranded once spent 12 mins trying to get across one in london wasnt risking it due to the yellow box camera 

 

It's obviously what the council wants you and every other motorist  to do and cause as much mayhem as possible as then they can make a case for congestion charge zones and if that doesn't work a bit of cash on the side from the more impatient driver.

 

It's been a long time since I was last in Stafford but is there still one on the roundabout near Sainsbury's that you can't see the other side of when sat at the lights. I was always tempted to just not move when the lights changed.

Of course it is only an offence to enter if your exit is blocked by stationary vehicles. A previously clear exit suddenly blocked by a moving vehicle arriving from somewhere else is not.

Though you will probably have to argue the case with the council.

 

We are now well and truly into that time of year when people wonder what those fancy new dashboard indications are when they start the car in the morning.

 

Well the car seems Ok, I'll just ignore them. 

 

No, turn your fog lights off you dimwit, The Andromeda Nebula is visible in the sky and visiblity is reduced to 2.2million light years.

 

Or we have the "ooh look a little bit of mist, must turn on fog lights as I can only see a couple of miles"  syndrome

 

Last night's trip to work had the usual  35- 40mph driver in the 70mph limit (single track dual carriagway) who seemed to be drifting all over the place and then  continued at 40mph (well he left me behind) through the 30 zone, still drifting around. It was then I noticed the pale blue glow in the car as we got to the unlit stretch of road.  Hmmmm.

 

Andy

Feeling better post rant or "rexit" as it has become  known at SM42 Towers.

[peanuts]

Frighteningly acurate 

 

Bit of snow to paralyse Manchester! 

Trafford Park Weather Desk reporter Sindy McJuggs has just sent this shocking information:

Manchester will grind to a halt tomorrow as up to three millimetres of snow is expected to blanket the city.

Traffic will come to a standstill, schools across the region will close on Friday, and shops will sell out of milk and bread.

The entirely unexpected wintry weather has not been seen since as long ago as last winter, leaving many unprepared for the chaos that will sweep in with the blizzards, which could cause snow drifts of up to three centimetres.

A Met Office spokesman said: “As is quite common in January it will turn slightly chilly. In which case, rain might fall as a bit of snow.”

The warning sent shock waves through Stretford - Mum of 12, Sharon Clutch, said: “This will cause major problems. It must be global warming or something to do with the Russians - or some like that - oy, Porsche - pass us me fags!.”

Police are advising motorists to leave home earlier than normal, prepare for delays and carry all sorts of that costs three times as much in the winter that they'll never use .

"But, above all, we would advise motorists to not travel unless your journey is absolutely essential - and even then, take maximum precautions“, a spokesman said before disappearing down the local boozer with the weather girl.

[newbryford]

Frighteningly acurate 

 

Bit of snow to paralyse Manchester! 

Trafford Park Weather Desk reporter Sindy McJuggs has just sent this shocking information:

Manchester will grind to a halt tomorrow as up to three millimetres of snow is expected to blanket the city.

Traffic will come to a standstill, schools across the region will close on Friday, and shops will sell out of milk and bread.

The entirely unexpected wintry weather has not been seen since as long ago as last winter, leaving many unprepared for the chaos that will sweep in with the blizzards, which could cause snow drifts of up to three centimetres.

A Met Office spokesman said: “As is quite common in January it will turn slightly chilly. In which case, rain might fall as a bit of snow.”

The warning sent shock waves through Stretford - Mum of 12, Sharon Clutch, said: “This will cause major problems. It must be global warming or something to do with the Russians - or some ###### like that - oy, Porsche - pass us me fags!.”

Police are advising motorists to leave home earlier than normal, prepare for delays and carry all sorts of ###### that costs three times as much in the winter that they'll never use .

"But, above all, we would advise motorists to not travel unless your journey is absolutely essential - and even then, take maximum precautions“, a spokesman said before disappearing down the local boozer with the weather girl.

 

Waiting to see all the Chelsea tractor drivers realising that their wiz-bang 4x4 is actually cr&p in snow.....

[PhilJ W]

Waiting to see all the Chelsea tractor drivers realising that their wiz-bang 4x4 is actually cr&p in snow.....

Its not the vehicles that are cr@p in snow, just their drivers.

[Kickstart]

It's been a long time since I was last in Stafford but is there still one on the roundabout near Sainsbury's that you can't see the other side of when sat at the lights. I was always tempted to just not move when the lights changed.

If you mean Goalgate roundabout, then they did change the exit from the roundabout which has improved things a bit. You could always see the exit of the yellow box from the left lane (possibly not from the right lane that is also marked for that exit), just that with 2 lanes going to 1 pretty much immediately on the exit, plus a pedestrian crossing on the exit (and another one a hundred yard further on) it could back up really quickly

 

All the best

 

Katy

[kevinlms]

Waiting to see all the Chelsea tractor drivers realising that their wiz-bang 4x4 is actually cr&p in snow.....

 

It's not snow that's the problem in Australia, but flood waters. They think that because their 4x4 has a snorkel that they can simply drive through flooded creeks & other moving water. Of course the vehicle ends up floating and washed down stream. One guy made the news by being rescued twice in 24 hours, despite being warned that it was dangerous, on both occasions.

[Titan]

Its not the vehicles that are cr@p in snow, just their drivers.

 

4x4 is an optional extra on a Range Rover Evoque. Browsing the classifieds it would appear an option not many people choose...