Driving standards

[ParkeNd]

Cruise control?

I have a mk1 variable position right foot

Ah but does it prevent you from speeding up going downhill past speed cameras, and brake if someone pulls out of a side turning in front of you, and stop you varying your speed between 55 and 75 when you think you are doing a constant motorway speed?

[Horsetan]

....Parents ( mostly women) refusing to close their doors when you pass them, especially the rear doors. I guess they are strapping their kids in. Firstly would it not be safer for all to have the seat on the pavement side, secondly they seem not to be worried about their and their property safety. Lastly its downright inconsiderate to others. I find a quick tap on the horn tends to bump their head on the door frame.....

That's another thing: why do parents always do these things on the road side, and not the pavement side, of the car? Are they trying to endanger themselves and their kids? I live in the heart of a certain orthodox religious community and, virtually without exception, the parents load and unload their people carriers onto the road, not the pavement.

[ianwales]

Hi all

 

Coming up the M20 the ohter day from the chunnel I noticed there were portaloos every couple of hundred yards on the opposite carrigeway as part of operation stack, stupid thing was there were people stopping on the hard shoulder to use the loos including 1 which had 3 cars parked outside and a queue of people including small children running around the hard shoulder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ian

[Adams442T]

Ironically I think one of the problems is the (generally) excellent quality of modern vehicles, in that they enable idiots to get away with manoeuvres that in earlier vehicles they would have come unstuck with.

 

Even so, some of the clapped out Ratmobiles that ply the roads from Spalding to Peterborough every day chance their arm with some hair-raising overtaking.   Where's the Police I hear many people say, but the numbers on the streets in Lincolnshire are so low that they no longer act as any form of deterrent.  Indeed any arrests in Spalding have to be taken to a 'Custody Suite' in Boston, 20 + miles away, run by G4S, and their incompetence is legendary.  An ex-colleague, who is still serving, says that, apart from the journey times it regularly takes over 4 hours to be dealt with, effectively taking them off the streets for the rest of the shift. 

 

Any driver who is so unaware of his situation and surroundings as to rely on a cruise control, beyond its basic functions, is IMHO an idiot.

[Horsetan]

....some of the clapped out Ratmobiles that ply the roads from Spalding to Peterborough .....

Any on foreign registration plates?

[Pannier Tank]

What's happened to Volvo Man, are they extinct?  

 

The modern day equivalent is Mr Audio / Mr BMW 

Edited August 8, 2015 by Pannier Tank

[hayfield]

The modern day equivalent is Mr Audio / Mr BMW 

 

 

Mr Volvo man was quite reserved in his driving as far as speed was concerned, unlike those with modern high end cars/4 wheel drive jobies, we always had Jack the lads with their hot hatches and prior to that Escorts.   

[coachmann]

No one has mentioned B&Q Club Card man and Sunbed Ivy. Every Wednesday the back road from here is like a cattle convoy with pioneers off to B&Q over the Chisum Trail via Rhuddlan. BMW 4x4's, Jaguars and twin-pipe whatever's speeding along at 35mph are their new zimmers. It's even worse in B&Q with the Wednesday club knocking everyone over with their large trolleys loaded with window frames, garages and Tamworth....

[kevinlms]

I tend to agree with the person who posted that he finds that people sharing the same road is generally a remarkable demonstration of cooperation. However the use of smartphones at the wheel particularly by young women on the school run is potentially lethal - particularly noticeable when I am riding a bike as they drift across the road at you. This can only worsen eventually as car makers are committed to make interactive entertainment a feature of new cars which at some stage will filter down to school run usage.

 

However one bad driving trait can be an advantage. Middle lane hogging. The new law has made zero difference to the M4 between Newport and the Severn Bridge in either direction. Virtually every car uses only the middle and outside lanes. Whilst it can be very dangerous on leaving the bridge toll booths as the cars at the left two or three booths drift straight across "their" lane without looking to get into the middle lane, the middle lane hogging does leave the left hand lane virtually empty and thus ideal for 67 mph on adaptive cruise control.

So you still have toll booths, how quaint! Much better to drive through electronic gantries at 80 or 100 kmh, depending on limit.

[Fat Controller]

So you still have toll booths, how quaint! Much better to drive through electronic gantries at 80 or 100 kmh, depending on limit.

The Severn Bridge, until recently, accepted only cash or their own electronic card. This latter only works at very slow speeds. Even the APRR transponder I use in France only works at relatively slow speeds (30 kph), and the 'non-stop' facility on that is relatively recent, and not universal.

[leopardml2341]

Ah but does it prevent you from speeding up going downhill past speed cameras, and brake if someone pulls out of a side turning in front of you, and stop you varying your speed between 55 and 75 when you think you are doing a constant motorway speed?

Oh yes, the full process path is:

 

Eyes, road, brain, eyes, speedo, brain, adjust right foot accordingly repeating at a frequency required by the prevailing traffic conditions.

[alastairq]

At night, when I forfeit my priority to you all, usually in the vicinity of parked cars.....will you all STOP FLASHING YOUR HIGH BEAM SUPAH DOOOPAH BRIGHTER-THAN-BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS at me to say thank you.

 

Headlamp flashers, when but 2 meters away, leave me with scorched retinas, and absolutely zero vision for hte next 10 minutes...not forgetting the headache to boot!

 

If you all really insist on saying 'ta' to me, do so by switching to sidelights briefly, instead!

 

Then I won't feel tempted to suddenly slam my armco-laden door into the side of your car as you pass!

 

 

In fact, I don't care if you don't say 'ta' at all!

 

That would be better than the headache!

 

[Thoughtless beggers, all of you!]

 

BTW, ever wondered why so many of those so-called 'courteous' acts on the roads, may get one a 'fault', possibly 'serious', on a driving test?

 

Oh Yes, you all forget, didn't you [ shame on those of you employed by THE railways, too].....it's all about 'risk'....ie, your act of courtesy isn't universally recognised [ie, in the Highway Code]....simply because, none of you carry, on your back bumpers, a big erectable electronic sign announcing ''I'M LETTING THIS POOR BEGGAR OUT, SO KINDLY ALL STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHILE I DO SO'.....

 

So, why is it actually a risk-raiser, this courtesy?  Well, it has a lot to do with the fact that we drivers only control our own vehicles, and not anybody else's.    If it ain't in the Highway Code, think twice before being 'courteous'.....

 

As for that Land Rover trailer? Well, I'd be looking at a nice shiny new car off his insurance.... as have been a lot of my new cars in the past....!  

 

Ad no, none of you 'know better'...I assure you.  Highway Code? Or, Myway Code?

[Guest]

If you all really insist on saying 'ta' to me, do so by switching to sidelights briefly, instead!

 

That.

[ParkeNd]

Oh yes, the full process path is:

Eyes, road, brain, eyes, speedo, brain, adjust right foot accordingly repeating at a frequency required by the prevailing traffic conditions.

I realise that. But you sound like someone who has never experienced adaptive cruise control. The speed with which the radar detects someone in your path and matches your speed to theirs - even full emergency braking - is much faster than human reactions. You might only get overtaken by someone who brakes hard in front of you and tries to get up a motorway slip road and doesn't make it once in your lifetime. Better to have all the tools to help and not have to big up the Y reg Sierra. Edited August 8, 2015 by ParkeNd

[leopardml2341]

I realise that. But you sound like someone who has never experienced adaptive cruise control. The speed with which the radar detects someone in your path and matches your speed to theirs - even full emergency braking - is much faster than human reactions. You might only get overtaken by someone who brakes hard in front of you and tries to get up a motorway slip road and doesn't make it once in your lifetime. Better to have all the tools to help and not have to big up the Y reg Sierra.

Correct I haven't, but I do know the origin of the software controlling my actions, AND I also know it has 33 years of points free provenance to back it up. Do you drive a Y reg Sierra?

[ParkeNd]

Correct I haven't, but I do know the origin of the software controlling my actions, AND I also know it has 33 years of points free provenance to back it up. Do you drive a Y reg Sierra?

Close. A 2014 Golf GTi.

[newbryford]

All these gadgets and gismos that react faster than the average human are great, but does that make a driver become lazy and rely too much on them?

Auto headlights. auto wipers, auto braking, adaptive this and that.

 

What's next? Auto bottom cleaners for when the car in front stands on it's auto brakes and the guy behind is driving a Y reg Sierra?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[leopardml2341]

All these gadgets and gismos that react faster than the average human are great, but does that make a driver become lazy and rely too much on them?

Auto headlights. auto wipers, auto braking, adaptive this and that.

 

What's next? Auto bottom cleaners for when the car in front stands on it's auto brakes and the guy behind is driving a Y reg Sierra?

 

Cheers,

Mick

With you all the way Mick, how many people drive beyond their capabilities in the misgiven belief that the gizmos will always get them out of the do-do?

[newbryford]

With you all the way Mick, how many people drive beyond their capabilities in the misgiven belief that the gizmos will always get them out of the do-do?

 

"Will ABS always prevent a skid?"

 

How many of you will score 9/9 in this little quiz?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Arthur]

 

What complete and utter nonsense. That's the same logic which kept things like AWS off the railways because it would make drivers less diligent.

 

So just which modern safety features would you remove from cars to make them safer and their drivers better? Seat belts, better lights, ABS, air bags, crumple zones?

 

 

As long as people still drive cars there will be good and bad drivers,

[newbryford]

What complete and utter nonsense. That's the same logic which kept things like AWS off the railways because it would make drivers less diligent.

 

So just which modern safety features would you remove from cars to make them safer and their drivers better? Seat belts, better lights, ABS, air bags, crumple zones?

 

 

As long as people still drive cars there will be good and bad drivers,

 

It's a difficult argument. Too many gadgets and the driver becomes too reliant upon them. 4 of the five features you've mentioned above are not really to do with driving standards, but in car safety.

In some cases, as highlighted (no pun intended), by Alistairq, good lights can sometimes be a problem to other road users. 

ABS is good, but it isn't the be all and end all of skidding. Maybe cadence braking should be taught as a skill in case the ABS fails?

 

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't remove ABS, but there does become a point at which the driver has to be responsive and proactive within the vehicle than relying upon automatic brakes? The train driver doesn't need to worry about anyone tailgating when the AWS (or other train protection system, takes over. (Not that the driver should be reliant on these systems anyway)

 

I completely agree with your last statement, but unfortunately car drivers aren't subject to the retesting and constant training that train drivers are. Maybe that's the solution?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[alastairq]

Modern cars & their technologies probably do little more than increase survivability.

 

The 'danger', for want of a better word, is that knowledge of the capabilities of the technologies [and the advertising blurb/propaganda doesn't help]....will increase driver complacency.

 

The driver license will truly become, a 'travel pass'....

 

The danger with an increase in complacency is, a licenced driver will need all that technology, and more, simply to survive a journey.

 

I will not comment on the abilities of the 'average' driver , since, if I were to, such comment would be made from the viewpoint of my own experience & skill.....and I cheat, in that respect.....given what I do for a living, and what I have done...I practice what I preach., so to speak.

 

Handy that....although I am aggrieved at making so much profit for my insurers...[but maybe, not so much profit for other people's?}

 

BTW, ABS doesn't work when you're going sideways.

[Guest]

BTW, ABS doesn't work when you're going sideways.

True. But it does help you to not be going sideways in the first place, especially when its friend ESP joins in.

 

FWIW I had a Y reg Sierra. Worst built car I ever had and I've had three Ladas and two Allegros.

[ParkeNd]

Thanks to Arthur for joining in to help defend the use of technology to improve car safety. Although the counter arguments are clearly based on surmise and not experience and shouldn't probably be considered seriously, I have found that the Front Assist component of ACC forces you to plan overtaking moves in advance. No longer can you sail up to a cars boot at 70mph when the car in front is doing just 60mph and pull out at the last moment. The radar detection (which is detecting how far the car is ahead rather than that there is just a car there) automatically reduces your speed to match it when it comes in range of the safe distance you have set. So you have to pull out in time rather than too late.

 

Park Assist on a VW scans front, rear and both sides based on steering input and gives you a visual and sound picture of what is in all your blind spots. Surely a good thing - I find it so.

 

Wether or not these tools will still work when the cars have 150,000 miles on the clock and don't get serviced any more is any ones guess.

[Griffin Road]

Now that LGVs can travel within the Law at 50 mph on single carriageways, I notice how the 'hold-ups' have now increased....

 

Small vehicle drivers are definitely reluctant to try to overtake ....

 

Splendid way of slowing down overall rural traffic speeds.....well done, government.....pity you didn't think it through a little further?

 

 

Just a shame it is only in England and Wales . When I cross the border ( into Scotland ) things revert back to a snails pace .

 

I think the traffics flows a lot better . It saves a good few dangerous overtaking manoeuvres by cars that are quite happy to enjoy the new enhanced speed limit .

 

Mike b