Discussion
Coming out of Woosters on the A64 and turning towards Leeds. I roll slowly off the forecourt. I check right no problem, about a quarter mile to the vehicle on my side. Turn to check other direction and break hard. I'm not onto the road but a Mercedes overtaking nearly takes off my nose closely followed by a LDV Mini-bus. They are on a multiple over take (a car and a 7.5 TONNE truck) and by this time the Car hasclosed so I wait to go. Don't these people remember their test? Overtaking by a entrance to a road is pretty risky maybe the first car reckoned it could make it but the Mini-Bus?
telecat said:
Coming out of Woosters on the A64 and turning towards Leeds. I roll slowly off the forecourt. I check right no problem, about a quarter mile to the vehicle on my side. Turn to check other direction and break hard. I'm not onto the road but a Mercedes overtaking nearly takes off my nose closely followed by a LDV Mini-bus. They are on a multiple over take (a car and a 7.5 TONNE truck) and by this time the Car hasclosed so I wait to go. Don't these people remember their test? Overtaking by a entrance to a road is pretty risky maybe the first car reckoned it could make it but the Mini-Bus?
If it had been a crash you would have been at least partly to blame because you were in the give-way situation. So the lessons are:
1) Always look both ways before pulling out. You should be 'planning to stop, but looking to go'. This is FAR better than 'I'm going unless a conflicting vehicle appears'.
2) For them - and by extension for everyone - don't overtake near junctions or driveways.
Allow me to recommend: www.nearmiss-report.org . I wrote the following article for them: www.nearmiss-report.org/safespeed.html
A very succinct reply Paul. There is a particular junction near to me where just about everyone pulls out without looking left. It is just at the start of a straight where people tend to go for an overtake. It should really be a Stop sign rather than a Give Way but I suppose we will have to have a fatality there before anything is done. The depressing this they would probably put up a Gatso in that event as they seem to be the universal panacea to all road safety issues........
My driveway joins the road where the road is clearly marked as no overtaking, both signed and solid whites in the centre of the road. The number of times I have to wait before pulling out into my side of the road because people on the far side of the road are overtaking is beyond belief. The signage is there not just because of the houses, but also because there is a blind crest in the road. It is also a 50kph limit as well.
safespeed said:
Coming out of Woosters on the A64 and turning towards Leeds. I roll slowly off the forecourt. I check right no problem, about a quarter mile to the vehicle on my side. Turn to check other direction and break hard. I'm not onto the road but a Mercedes overtaking nearly takes off my nose closely followed by a LDV Mini-bus. They are on a multiple over take (a car and a 7.5 TONNE truck) and by this time the Car hasclosed so I wait to go. Don't these people remember their test? Overtaking by a entrance to a road is pretty risky maybe the first car reckoned it could make it but the Mini-Bus?
If it had been a crash you would have been at least partly to blame because you were in the give-way situation. So the lessons are:
1) Always look both ways before pulling out. You should be 'planning to stop, but looking to go'. This is FAR better than 'I'm going unless a conflicting vehicle appears'.
2) For them - and by extension for everyone - don't overtake near junctions or driveways.
Allow me to recommend: www.nearmiss-report.org . I wrote the following article for them: www.nearmiss-report.org/safespeed.html
Lets be quite sure that I did look and stopped Else the car would have had no nose!! I had my feet on the clutch and brake because I don't trust anybody else's driving. What I found disturbing was that I had initially checked left and it was clear before checking right, my recheck caught them as they were both attempting to overtake two vehicles againest a oncoming vehicle at 50MPH. Very much an advert for COAST. My Worry was that somebody else will get caught out by these two to88ers, especially given the Lincolnshire Mini Bus incident and the suicidal actions of this Mini-Bus driver.
I got caught out doing the same several days after a biker overtook into me and wrote my car off. Got a new 2nd hand one, same colour and everything, planning to turn left out of a junction, edging forwards (bad visibility to the right, farm exit) edging, edging, clear, look left... SH*T... brake!
Alfa 156 overtaking the three cars I'd spotted when I looked left, but clearly the 156 started to overtake while I was edging forwards looking right...
It must have been about 6 inches from my bumper... I was still on the track, but the road is pretty narrow anyway, and a quarry is opposite the exit of the farm too, so sand and mud run out onto the road. Would have been pretty bad had I edged out any more. Would have been my offside bumper/bonnet area, but the cars overtaking, and narrow road with walls at each side
Could have been nasty the rate of speed he was going! Eeek!
Can NEVER ever be too carefull at any junction. Ultimately it was my fault, but there is only so much observation you can do looking left and right all the while as you pull out with poor visibility to one side. Not worth rushing at a junction no matter how clear you think it is, and you don't do the same thing again!
Silly driver was overtaking several cars into a 30 zone though, at maybe 70mph+, and a slight right hand blind kink another 100 yards on... so he was being a bit on the daft side anyway if anyone down that 30 zone was planning on pulling out too
Dave
Alfa 156 overtaking the three cars I'd spotted when I looked left, but clearly the 156 started to overtake while I was edging forwards looking right...
It must have been about 6 inches from my bumper... I was still on the track, but the road is pretty narrow anyway, and a quarry is opposite the exit of the farm too, so sand and mud run out onto the road. Would have been pretty bad had I edged out any more. Would have been my offside bumper/bonnet area, but the cars overtaking, and narrow road with walls at each side
Could have been nasty the rate of speed he was going! Eeek! Can NEVER ever be too carefull at any junction. Ultimately it was my fault, but there is only so much observation you can do looking left and right all the while as you pull out with poor visibility to one side. Not worth rushing at a junction no matter how clear you think it is, and you don't do the same thing again!
Silly driver was overtaking several cars into a 30 zone though, at maybe 70mph+, and a slight right hand blind kink another 100 yards on... so he was being a bit on the daft side anyway if anyone down that 30 zone was planning on pulling out too
Dave
mungo said:
ALWAYS check BOTH directions before turning left. This will avoid a nasty head on!
Yup, I must admit to being very thorough at junctions now, and follow the intend to stop, but looking to go idea.
What about if your turning right, clear road to the left, visibility very very good for a good 1000 yards, and no vehicles in sight at all (rural)... looking right there is a good 75 yards, then it drops off over a brow and a slight right hander. Pulling out slowly after having looked right, then left, then right again, car emerges over brow, I stop instantly with about 6 inches of the car out from the junction give way lines. Oncoming car dives a good second later, then swerves as if I am out over half the road (old fella over-correcting and paniking I guess)...
What is the done thing here?
I can't help but think back to my driving test... I got a dangerous fault 1st time round for pulling out on a bus after a parallel park (left hand bend, urban in rain and fog, parked cars both sides, me on left)
The problem is, had I *not* been over-observant, and had followed the guidelines for pulling out from a parking space, I would have looked, seen it to be clear, and commited and completed the manoeuvre, pulling out on a bus that came round the corner during my pulling out of the space.
Stupidly, I glanced half way through the manoeuvre, and saw the bus, and stopped.
Now, is it best practice once commited after having safely observed it to be clear to your best abilities, to complete the manoeuvre, and if something comes into sight, try complete it as quickly as possible. Or was I right in stopping, even though I would have probably safely completed the manoeuvre?
I'm quite sure it says when joining a road or traffic flow, to not distub the speed and direction of the traffic on the road you are joining. Surely you can't win all the time?
Dave
I think what our telecat was saying is that he was already at junction before the other two started their o/take?
If so yes very poor driving by the other parties.
Well done telecat for being aware enough to check both ways.
I must admit I do occasionally o/take on roads with entrances, just the nature of most roads I drive on. However I am very aware the entrances are there and do extra checks for them and if I spot a vehicle approaching i will generally give h/light or horn signal and if vehicle was already there the o/take would not be considered. I appreciate it is partly me to blame for passing in these locations but if i didn't i could be stuck behind 30-40 brigade for miles (and i mean 20-30 miles).
Still safety first.
If so yes very poor driving by the other parties.
Well done telecat for being aware enough to check both ways.
I must admit I do occasionally o/take on roads with entrances, just the nature of most roads I drive on. However I am very aware the entrances are there and do extra checks for them and if I spot a vehicle approaching i will generally give h/light or horn signal and if vehicle was already there the o/take would not be considered. I appreciate it is partly me to blame for passing in these locations but if i didn't i could be stuck behind 30-40 brigade for miles (and i mean 20-30 miles).
Still safety first.
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