To brake or not to brake

[misterblonde]

Trivial but something that's been bugging me...I need a PH solution.

I do a fair few motorway miles and, hopefully like lots of other PHers, get REALLY annoyed by drivers who dance on the brake pedal, lighting up their brake lights for half a second every few hundred yards. Often amplified by tailgating, I also see it from drivers just travelling in free flowing traffic and not tailgating.

But it made me think about something...I think good driving is all about anticipation, and by watching the traffic on the motorway you can anticipate needing to slow; is it then better to use the engine braking through the gears to slow, or brake so that the cars behind you know you are slowing down? I feel the former is better driving, but then is it 'better' to use the brakes?

Help me sleep better at night, PHers.

[SturdyHSV]

misterblonde said:

by watching the traffic on the motorway you can anticipate needing to slow;

I agree, assuming it's not an emergency, if you've had to brake, you weren't paying enough attention.

Not saying I never brake, I just know that when I have done, I've cocked up a bit.

[trashbat]

IMO your comment about down the gears means that you're on about two different things.

One is about constant minor braking. This is completely unnecessary and removed by using good observation, gentle acceleration, keeping a safe distance and pace behind and easing off the throttle in good time.

The other is when more significant slowing is required, e.g. a queue ahead, for which you should use the brakes (gears to go, etc). This is of particular importance on a motorway because following traffic needs to react as well.

Edited by trashbat on Friday 8th June 15:03

[Accelebrate]

Make a decision based on how close the vehicle behind is and how quickly you know your vehicle will decelerate.

[misterblonde]

Accelebrate said:

Make a decision based on how close the vehicle behind is and how quickly you know your vehicle will decelerate.

By jove you've got it...good thinking Accelebrate, it feels like to me like that cracks it regardless of situation.

Sleep easy I shall.

[6fire]

There's a good mnemonic for signalling (be it brake lights, indicators or whatever). Remember TUG.

TAKE - watch for other people's signals
USE - obvious - act on the information taken
GIVE - ensure that you give a signal if it would benefit another road user.

For braking, it *can sometimes* be worth just brushing the brake pedal even if you don't need to use the brakes - just so you give a signal to those following.

[deltashad]

If someone is travelling behind me too closely, and I have to slow down quicker than just releasing my foot from the accelerator, then, I'll use the brake.

With the manual gearbox I find myself regularly changing down a gear, I enjoy it, I blip the throttle sometimes too (Its a mid-engined RWD sports car).

With the auto my driving is far more relaxed, I have had to blip down a few gears with the tiptronic a few times though for this reason

If I see something coming up from behind that needs to know, I'll use the brakes.

[Raize]

Is engine braking where you are driving along at say 2000 rpm in 4th, then change down to third and you're now at say 4,000 rpm and the engine slows the car down? Or is there more to it than that? I'm fairly new to driving and this is how I "engine brake" but it feels like it's hard on the car...

[TheTurbonator]

SturdyHSV said:

misterblonde said:

by watching the traffic on the motorway you can anticipate needing to slow;

I agree, assuming it's not an emergency, if you've had to brake, you weren't paying enough attention.

Not saying I never brake, I just know that when I have done, I've cocked up a bit.

+1

[AndyNetwork]

Could some of this be down to the prevailance of people using cruise control now, in order not to contribute to the money making scheme known as speed safety cameras.

By using cruise, ok, you are pretty safe from getting a ticket (assuming you set it at a reasonable speed), but you start to close up on cars in front, and can't just ease off the gas to slow a little.

In my experience, most people will just hit the middle peddle to disengage the cruise rather than use the controls to reduce their speed.

Then the gap opens up again, and they just hit resume, and then catch the car in front up again, rather than adjusting the speed that the cruise is set at. It drives me crazy when my dad does this!

Edited by AndyNetwork on Friday 8th June 15:29

[Melman Giraffe]

TheTurbonator said:

SturdyHSV said:

misterblonde said:

by watching the traffic on the motorway you can anticipate needing to slow;

I agree, assuming it's not an emergency, if you've had to brake, you weren't paying enough attention.

Not saying I never brake, I just know that when I have done, I've cocked up a bit.

+1

Or an automatic?

[MissChief]

Personally I'm of the opinion that there are a huge nunmber of drivers who wouldn't recognise a slowing car that didn't show brake lights until they were half a gnat's chuff from plowing into someone. I've seen cars slowing just by lifting off and drivers following not realising until it's almost been too late.

[Krikkit]

Raize said:

Is engine braking where you are driving along at say 2000 rpm in 4th, then change down to third and you're now at say 4,000 rpm and the engine slows the car down? Or is there more to it than that? I'm fairly new to driving and this is how I "engine brake" but it feels like it's hard on the car...

Engine braking is leaving the clutch engaged and lifting off the accelerator - it happens at all engine speeds, (because you're asking the drivetrain to keep the engine going with kinetic energy rather than fuel) but is more pronounced at 5k RPM rather than 2k for example.

Personally I drive like most of you on the m-way, unless someone nearby does something rapidly and unpredictable I don't touch the brakes until the slip road off.

[aw51 121565]

Krikkit said:

Raize said:

Is engine braking where you are driving along at say 2000 rpm in 4th, then change down to third and you're now at say 4,000 rpm and the engine slows the car down? Or is there more to it than that? I'm fairly new to driving and this is how I "engine brake" but it feels like it's hard on the car...

Engine braking is leaving the clutch engaged and lifting off the accelerator - it happens at all engine speeds, (because you're asking the drivetrain to keep the engine going with kinetic energy rather than fuel) but is more pronounced at 5k RPM rather than 2k for example.

Personally I drive like most of you on the m-way, unless someone nearby does something rapidly and unpredictable I don't touch the brakes until the slip road off.

To add to this, if you're on a flat road with the engine at 2,000rpm in 4th, you'll get 'engine braking' (the car gently slows down) if you just stay in 4th gear and take your foot off the accelerator pedal - and if you've anticipated well enough you'll just need to brush the brakes and press the clutch to come to a gentle halt at the red light ahead . (Anticipation is all, as well as keeping a good distance behind the car in front to "take up the slack" if the car in front slows down.)

If you're driving down a gentle incline at 2,000rpm in 4th, you may well get enough 'engine braking' to maintain the same speed if you take your foot off the accelerator; but on a steeper incline the car will probably speed up and "run away" (so to speak) even with your foot off the throttle, at which point changing to third (increasing the engine revs to maybe 3,000 rpm?) will probably be enough to keep the speed the same - but you will probably need to initially use the brakes gently as well until you've worked out if the engine braking is enough to maintain the speed... Steep - STEEP - roads, you'll maybe need second gear (and first on twisty Lake District Passes such as the Wrynose Pass) - but you'd be at low speeds anyway so this wouldn't be revving the engine excessively in the lower gears .

When changing to the lower gear, press the clutch and then 'match' (by increasing) the revs to what the lower gear would need at the same road speed (eg 2,000rpm in 4th might give the same road speed as 3,000rpm in third - it depends on your car ) to make sure it's a smooth gearchange - then do it (but don't rush it, take your time). And work on anticipating the road so you can do this at the start of the downhill bit so the car doesn't start to gain speed and "run away" .

[PanzerCommander]

Depends, I get very little engine braking (TC automatic) so I do tend to use the brake pedal more than I would in a manual gearbox car.

Also as the cruise control doesn't have a hold button (disables the system but memorises the speed) this feature is activated with a quick flick of the brake pedal, otherwise I have to turn the system off and then on and then re-set the speed rather than just pressing the resume button.

[R0G]

Not sure if this is still done but on police advanced training course drivers were challenged to do a section of motorway in relatively busy period and not use the brakes or use the gears to force the car to slow down
The idea was to get excellent forward planning and anticipation instilled