Why do so few people ‘use all of the road’?

[waremark]

nonsequitur said:

Dr Jekyll said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Is moving over the line to overtake poor technique?

Of course not That is a considered and positive move (we hope). Straightlining is an opportunists folly.

No. What Dr Jekyll said. The 'other side of the road' is available to be used when safe and advantageous. Straightlining is often safe and advantageous.

How do you decide when crossing the central line is safe enough? You are happy with overtaking, a far more dangerous manoeuver than using the offside where there is nothing to stop you recovering immediately to the nearside if someone appears coming the other way. What about moving across the line towards the offside in suitable circumstances to improve separation from a blind entrance on the nearside? What about avoiding pot holes or puddles on the nearside?

[wst]

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

If you aren't good at judging when it is safe to do that, yes.



You'll never be surprised here, unless you're blind, for instance, and in that case you're just as dangerous being in the left hand lane.

[akirk]

nonsequitur said:

Dr Jekyll said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Is moving over the line to overtake poor technique?

Of course not That is a considered and positive move (we hope). Straightlining is an opportunists folly.

so to move over the line at a time when there is another car present and in that space is safe, but to move across with no other cars around at all is dangerous?!

interesting logic

[SOL111]

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Top trolling

[nonsequitur]

waremark said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Well, if there is a person coming the other way in the other lane, and you haven't been able to see them when you thought you had seen that there wasn't anyone there (otherwise you would not have used the other lane) then perhaps you are equally likely to run into a vehicle in the nearside lane because you haven't see them.

Not remotely the same thing.

[nonsequitur]

waremark said:

nonsequitur said:

Dr Jekyll said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Is moving over the line to overtake poor technique?

Of course not That is a considered and positive move (we hope). Straightlining is an opportunists folly.

No. What Dr Jekyll said. The 'other side of the road' is available to be used when safe and advantageous. Straightlining is often safe and advantageous.

How do you decide when crossing the central line is safe enough? You are happy with overtaking, a far more dangerous manoeuver than using the offside where there is nothing to stop you recovering immediately to the nearside if someone appears coming the other way. What about moving across the line towards the offside in suitable circumstances to improve separation from a blind entrance on the nearside? What about avoiding pot holes or puddles on the nearside?

You are making what is simply poor driving into something far too complex.

[nonsequitur]

SOL111 said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Top trolling

To accuse a fellow poster of being a troll, when it is just disagreement, is almost Jurassic.
( a differing point of view or another relevant point would be useful).

[akirk]

nonsequitur said:

waremark said:

nonsequitur said:

Put simply, straightlining or moving to the right over the line, is a poor driving technique.
Because one day, not tomorrow not next week not even next year, someone you haven't seen will be coming the other way, in the other lane...

Well, if there is a person coming the other way in the other lane, and you haven't been able to see them when you thought you had seen that there wasn't anyone there (otherwise you would not have used the other lane) then perhaps you are equally likely to run into a vehicle in the nearside lane because you haven't see them.

Not remotely the same thing.

of course it is - how on earth can you:
a) have space and visibility to know that the road is clear offside / etc.
b) not see a car in that space

if you really can have both those things happening at the same time - then you are as likely (as Waremark says) to not see someone in your own 'lane' i.e. you are blind!

the simple fact is that no-one is advocating offsiding / crossing to the other side of the road at any point where there is even the slightest risk that a car would come around a blind bend and hit you - that would be foolish... however that doesn't negate the fact that there are plenty of roads / bends where offsiding is pretty risk free and can enhance sightlines - i.e. make your driving safer...

the fact that you or another motorist can not understand that / envisage that, perhaps says more about your driving / understanding of driving than changing the reality...

the world would really improve if people realised that their own limited view of a situation / lack of understanding - doesn't define life for everyone...

[nonsequitur]

Please let me end by saying that I do not like Straightlining, or anything like it. It is foolhardy and will, one day, for those who practice it, end in tears.

[SOL111]

nonsequitur said:

To accuse a fellow poster of being a troll, when it is just disagreement, is almost Jurassic.
( a differing point of view or another relevant point would be useful).

There have been numerous opinions expressed in here already.

Accusing people of poor driving technique is your opinion. My thinking you're a troll, given the rationale posted already, is mine.

I've been sat next to a police driving instructor, who advised it was fine. During my IAM test my examiner advised I was fine to use the opposite side of the road too (narrow country lane).

If you want to accuse both of poor driving style that's fine but with due respect I'll continue to consider you a troll

[Gary C]

GOATever said:

I’m often driving early in the morning, or late at night. The roads are (typically) quieter than at other times of the day. As long as there are no solid white lines, and I can see what’s ahead clearly, I ‘use all of the road’ but I find that most people I know, religiously stick to the left lane, even when it was clear to use the other carriageway, on a twisty for example. Why do they not use the available road, to it’s full potential? I find it odd.

because they have never been taught.

Spent yesterday on the lanes with the youngest, learning braking, turn in, throttle and using best lines for sight. Instructors teach to pass the test, its up to us to tech them to drive.

[Schmeeky]

Hol said:

Most times, I enjoy deliberately sticking between the lines/in lane when out for a hoon with friends - because its harder than cutting the corners to maintain the same pace.

I simply like the challenge and lateral feeling of cornering fast in the twisty parts..

This. I drive a car that's short on power but big on corners - so why make the bends less 'cornery'?

[Gary C]

nonsequitur said:

You are making what is simply poor driving into something far too complex.

Your wrong

[DoubleD]

Gary C said:

nonsequitur said:

You are making what is simply poor driving into something far too complex.

Your wrong

Ha ha

[waremark]

nonsequitur said:

Please let me end by saying that I do not like Straightlining, or anything like it. It is foolhardy and will, one day, for those who practice it, end in tears.

Those of us who believe the offside of the road can be used safely and to advantage have no problems whatever with the first sentence there. The second sentence expresses your opinion in a way which is insulting to us.

[Munter]

Few people do it. Because they don't need to.

If you need to do it. You're probably pushing the envelope further than is wise on the public highway.

If you're doing it when you don't need to, but just because you can. You're probably "one of them".

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

Munter said:

Few people do it. Because they don't need to.

If you need to do it. You're probably pushing the envelope further than is wise on the public highway.

If you're doing it when you don't need to, but just because you can. You're probably "one of them".

It's true that the majority of drivers only use a small part of their vehicle's potential.

Straightening and more extreme positioning expands the safety envelope by either improving vision or reducing the cornering forces generated in a particular situation.

Doing it because you need to do it is possibly bad practice. Excepting those rare times when you have complete vision, you need to allow enough margin to get out of that position if something changes.

Doing it when you don't need to, but can do it safely is the best time to do it. You get the benefit of the expanded safety envelope with the ability to return to the nearside before anyone's noticed.

Edited by S. Gonzales Esq. on Friday 1st March 16:16

[Dr Jekyll]

S. Gonzales Esq. said:

Straightening and more extreme positioning expands the safety envelope by either improving vision or reducing the cornering forces generated in a particular situation.

Doing it because you need to do it is possibly bad practice. Excepting those rare times when you have complete vision, you need to allow enough margin to get out of that position if something changes.

Doing it when you don't need to, but can do it safely is the best time to do it. You get the benefit of the expanded safety envelope with the ability to return to the nearside before anyone's noticed.

+1

and if you aren't doing it when you can do it you're probably not concentrating.

[Munter]

S. Gonzales Esq. said:

Munter said:

Few people do it. Because they don't need to.

If you need to do it. You're probably pushing the envelope further than is wise on the public highway.

If you're doing it when you don't need to, but just because you can. You're probably "one of them".

It's true that the majority of drivers only use a small part of their vehicle's potential.

Straightening and more extreme positioning expands the safety envelope by either improving vision or reducing the cornering forces generated in a particular situation.

Doing it because you need to do it is possibly bad practice. Excepting those rare times when you have complete vision, you need to allow enough margin to get out of that position if something changes.

Doing it when you don't need to, but can do it safely is the best time to do it. You get the benefit of the expanded safety envelope with the ability to return to the nearside before anyone's noticed.

Edited by S. Gonzales Esq. on Friday 1st March 16:16

I disagree.

Either you could safely negotiate the road on the left. Or you needed to improve your safety. In which case my second paragraph applies, and you're probably pushing things harder than is wise on the public highway.* Or (and given your post) you genuinely are "one of them" and showing off just how much cleverer you are... At which point, pride, and fall, are the words that spring to mind.

• take the picture used further up the page. There's way too much "yompyness" to that stretch of road to be able to carry enough speed to need to use the right side, and everything can be seen when sitting on the left of the road anyway. Using the right there is either unwise, or not required.

That's basically the situation for any piece of road in the UK. Where you could use the right, you generally don't need to. Where you need to, you already did something unwise.

[otolith]

So, one of Reg's videos, where he uses the offside a fair bit and explains what he's doing, why he's doing it, and why he isn't doing it.

Looks perfectly reasonable to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJgll4p9QJc