Share your observation links
Discussion
A few for traffic queues:
- I watch the traffic lights at the front of the queue to give me advanced notice that traffic is imminently about to start moving.
- If I can't see the traffic lights, I look through the windows of the vehicle infront and identify brake lights on a car maybe 3/4 vehicles infront. When they extinguish, I get ready to pull away
- If I'm behind a van or lorry and can't see ahead, providing it's a sunny day I will stop behind the vehicle sufficiently to be able to see the shadow of the vehicle two ahead. When I see it move off, I know the vehicle infront should also be imminently moving off.
- I will always stop sufficiently far enough behind the vehicle infront to satisfy the old "tyres and tarmac" saying. If I can see through the car infront, I will gently begin to move forwards as the vehicle two infront begins to move off, so that I negate any reaction time delay when the vehicle directly infront moves away. Then as we accelerate, I will allow a safe gap to open up between us. The main gotcha with this is the vehicle infront not moving away when you expect it to, either because the driver isn't paying attention to their surroundings or they stall.
- I watch the traffic lights at the front of the queue to give me advanced notice that traffic is imminently about to start moving.
- If I can't see the traffic lights, I look through the windows of the vehicle infront and identify brake lights on a car maybe 3/4 vehicles infront. When they extinguish, I get ready to pull away
- If I'm behind a van or lorry and can't see ahead, providing it's a sunny day I will stop behind the vehicle sufficiently to be able to see the shadow of the vehicle two ahead. When I see it move off, I know the vehicle infront should also be imminently moving off.
- I will always stop sufficiently far enough behind the vehicle infront to satisfy the old "tyres and tarmac" saying. If I can see through the car infront, I will gently begin to move forwards as the vehicle two infront begins to move off, so that I negate any reaction time delay when the vehicle directly infront moves away. Then as we accelerate, I will allow a safe gap to open up between us. The main gotcha with this is the vehicle infront not moving away when you expect it to, either because the driver isn't paying attention to their surroundings or they stall.
When driving past a university campus during term time, beware of students with a lemming type mentality.
One will be brave and be first to cross, then its lemming time and they flood across the road regardless of what any traffic lights or pelican crossing are there. In September be extra careful for foreign students looking the wrong way before crossing and drunk/high students falling into the road.
Woodhouse lane in Leeds is particularly bad for this although have seen similar behaviour at most of the Red brick Unis.
Also if you see a group of male students after 2pm wearing fancy dress, expect one to be pushed into the road by his mates.
One will be brave and be first to cross, then its lemming time and they flood across the road regardless of what any traffic lights or pelican crossing are there. In September be extra careful for foreign students looking the wrong way before crossing and drunk/high students falling into the road.
Woodhouse lane in Leeds is particularly bad for this although have seen similar behaviour at most of the Red brick Unis.
Also if you see a group of male students after 2pm wearing fancy dress, expect one to be pushed into the road by his mates.
Vandenberg said:
When driving past a university campus during term time, beware of students with a lemming type mentality.
One will be brave and be first to cross, then its lemming time and they flood across the road regardless of what any traffic lights or pelican crossing are there. In September be extra careful for foreign students looking the wrong way before crossing and drunk/high students falling into the road.
Woodhouse lane in Leeds is particularly bad for this although have seen similar behaviour at most of the Red brick Unis.
Also if you see a group of male students after 2pm wearing fancy dress, expect one to be pushed into the road by his mates.
Oh Christ, foreign students at start of term. Tell me about it. Few years back at the light controlled crossing at the top of Brook Hill in Sheffield, near the University Square roundabout, a Chinese student stepped out in front of an ambulance on a full grade 1 run. How the hell the driver missed them will not know to this day. Student just stood in middle of the road raging at the ambulance and shouting "Gleen man! Gleen man!"*One will be brave and be first to cross, then its lemming time and they flood across the road regardless of what any traffic lights or pelican crossing are there. In September be extra careful for foreign students looking the wrong way before crossing and drunk/high students falling into the road.
Woodhouse lane in Leeds is particularly bad for this although have seen similar behaviour at most of the Red brick Unis.
Also if you see a group of male students after 2pm wearing fancy dress, expect one to be pushed into the road by his mates.
Sorry little bit racist I know, but accurate reporting.
R_U_LOCAL said:
jaf01uk said:
Never ever trust anyone driving a car with a hat on, any kind of hat...
On page 1 R_U_LOCAL said:
Beware of hats. Any type of hat. Honestly - if a driver is wearing a trilby or a baseball cap, or even if there is a hat on the rear parcel shelf - beware.
Can I make a plea for a possible exemption to the "hat rule" for people driving convertibles.Sometimes a baseball cap is necessary in bright sunshine, for exactly the purpose that such headwear was first invented; a large peak to shield the eyes from the sun.
If the baseball cap is being worn backwards, then be double beware
Also a hat may be needed for warm, the rest of the cockpit might be toasty but the hop of the head can get a bit chilly.
Of course any hat being worn in a closed car is certain trouble.
Out in the Yorkshire Dales this afternoon coaching a gent who is looking to upgrade from a RoSPA silver to a gold.
We're behind an old workhorse of a SWB Landrover Defender pickup with a hard top and a cage door on the rear - clearly a well used farm hack. In the back is a collie dog, relaxed, sitting up and gazing calmly out of the cage door.
We were chattng about observation links and I mentioned the Landrover, how it was clearly a farm vehicle & a working sheepdog, and that it is likely to turn into a farm at some point. But the driver drives past farm, after farm, after farm and really doesn't look like he's going to turn off any time soon.
But then, a mile further along the road, the dog in the back seems to start changing it's mood. Instead of being settled, it stands up, starts pacing around & wagging it's tail - it's getting excited - it recognises where it is and it's clearly close to home (anyne who has ever owned a dog will confirm that dogs recognise when they're getting close to home).
I point this out to my driver, tell him that I think the Landrover is about to turn off because of the dog's change in behaviour, and less than 10 seconds later, the left indicator comes on and it turns into the very next farm.
Best one of the year so far!
We're behind an old workhorse of a SWB Landrover Defender pickup with a hard top and a cage door on the rear - clearly a well used farm hack. In the back is a collie dog, relaxed, sitting up and gazing calmly out of the cage door.
We were chattng about observation links and I mentioned the Landrover, how it was clearly a farm vehicle & a working sheepdog, and that it is likely to turn into a farm at some point. But the driver drives past farm, after farm, after farm and really doesn't look like he's going to turn off any time soon.
But then, a mile further along the road, the dog in the back seems to start changing it's mood. Instead of being settled, it stands up, starts pacing around & wagging it's tail - it's getting excited - it recognises where it is and it's clearly close to home (anyne who has ever owned a dog will confirm that dogs recognise when they're getting close to home).
I point this out to my driver, tell him that I think the Landrover is about to turn off because of the dog's change in behaviour, and less than 10 seconds later, the left indicator comes on and it turns into the very next farm.
Best one of the year so far!
I've quite enjoyed reading this thread again from the start, there was quite a bit that I'd forgotten from the first time.
One little gem I'll put up is something that that was taught to me in the classroom whilst doing my motorbike test some thirty years ago.
The fella teaching us the 'life saver', that little glance backwards left and right before you make a manoeuvre said "Right, you're riding down an open road, you've caught up with a line of traffic and there are six cars in front of you and four behind. The car two ahead has their right indicator flashing. What does it mean?"
Of course all the eager lads were saying "he's going to over take, he's going to turn right..." Everything we threw out to the group was met with a resounding 'No' from the instructor.
Eventually he let on that the only correct answer is of course 'It means the bulb works'.
This is a 'teaching' that has stayed in the forefront of my mind since then and has saved me on a couple of occasions, one of which was in fact earlier this morning, which prompted me to post on this thread.
Sat at a T junction, me on the minor road joining a major road. Queues of traffic to the left due to a mini roundabout 150 metres further up. I'm waiting to turn right onto the major road, it's clear in the nearside lane from right but there is a car approaching from the left with their RHS indicator on.
The immediate conclusion is that this car approaching from the left with their right indicator on is wanting to turn right into the side road that I'm attempting to turn right out of.
I see the indicator, I look at the driver and get a nasty little mental tug 'this doesn't feel right' - sure enough the car passes me, carrying straight on down the main road, passing the junction I'm wanting to turn right from.
Seems that car arrived at the mini roundabout, turned right, the indicator stayed on as they passed the junction I was pulling out from, I could have assumed that they would be turning right into the road I was exiting and so I would have time to get out in front of them.
Remember - indicator on only means the bulb works.
One little gem I'll put up is something that that was taught to me in the classroom whilst doing my motorbike test some thirty years ago.
The fella teaching us the 'life saver', that little glance backwards left and right before you make a manoeuvre said "Right, you're riding down an open road, you've caught up with a line of traffic and there are six cars in front of you and four behind. The car two ahead has their right indicator flashing. What does it mean?"
Of course all the eager lads were saying "he's going to over take, he's going to turn right..." Everything we threw out to the group was met with a resounding 'No' from the instructor.
Eventually he let on that the only correct answer is of course 'It means the bulb works'.
This is a 'teaching' that has stayed in the forefront of my mind since then and has saved me on a couple of occasions, one of which was in fact earlier this morning, which prompted me to post on this thread.
Sat at a T junction, me on the minor road joining a major road. Queues of traffic to the left due to a mini roundabout 150 metres further up. I'm waiting to turn right onto the major road, it's clear in the nearside lane from right but there is a car approaching from the left with their RHS indicator on.
The immediate conclusion is that this car approaching from the left with their right indicator on is wanting to turn right into the side road that I'm attempting to turn right out of.
I see the indicator, I look at the driver and get a nasty little mental tug 'this doesn't feel right' - sure enough the car passes me, carrying straight on down the main road, passing the junction I'm wanting to turn right from.
Seems that car arrived at the mini roundabout, turned right, the indicator stayed on as they passed the junction I was pulling out from, I could have assumed that they would be turning right into the road I was exiting and so I would have time to get out in front of them.
Remember - indicator on only means the bulb works.
Tbh I get a reminder of that one at least twice a week. Right turn at T from a minor road, there's another junction 75m to the left of the road I'm emerging from. Certain times of the day it's busy with traffic from both directions and you have to have your wits about you and take opportunities when they present. By that I mean if you wait until it's clear into the far distance in both directions you'll be waiting a long time, and sometimes you still are. Twice a week at least, there will be nothing coming from the left but something coming from the right with the left indicator going only to drive straight past. Of course sometimes they do turn down my lane, but reckon it's about even stevens. Always surprises me there aren't more collisions due to this.
damned right about indicators.....
If it is on it does not mean they are going that way......on a roundabout...no indicator...you have no idea where they are going!
but in so far as they work......maybe should read works/does not/ works/ does not!
On vans..."Red Van Man/lady" are the worse....Post man Pat.....in rural area's particularly, the door will fly open....they will step out from behind hedges, roar away and brake hard etc....
A new game for every one....if safe to do so when passing a post office van....try to see if it has no dents......It is many months since I have seen an accident free post office van...
If it is on it does not mean they are going that way......on a roundabout...no indicator...you have no idea where they are going!
but in so far as they work......maybe should read works/does not/ works/ does not!
On vans..."Red Van Man/lady" are the worse....Post man Pat.....in rural area's particularly, the door will fly open....they will step out from behind hedges, roar away and brake hard etc....
A new game for every one....if safe to do so when passing a post office van....try to see if it has no dents......It is many months since I have seen an accident free post office van...
I was in the Highlands last week. The posties are the fastest thing on the road up there. I was overtaken by one or more each day. 
The exception had stopped to make a delivery. However it was on a single track road. I had to press on to the next passing place, so there was no time to check it out.
The exception had stopped to make a delivery. However it was on a single track road. I had to press on to the next passing place, so there was no time to check it out.
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff