Dominating traffic...
Discussion
The driving style suggested by the O/P is just inconsiderate.
Watched the PC Langley clip, am sure has been debated to death somewhere, but is it just me or was he partly to blame for the HGV incident?
There was a RAB sign on nearside and the HGV seemed to be signalling for ages, granted he shouldn't be in lane 3 but i would like to think if I had been driving I would have backed off a bit to double check what the HGV was going to do. Hindsight eh!
Watched the PC Langley clip, am sure has been debated to death somewhere, but is it just me or was he partly to blame for the HGV incident?
There was a RAB sign on nearside and the HGV seemed to be signalling for ages, granted he shouldn't be in lane 3 but i would like to think if I had been driving I would have backed off a bit to double check what the HGV was going to do. Hindsight eh!
Edited by Mr Sweetchuck on Wednesday 27th June 23:51
Mr Sweetchuck said:
The driving style suggested by the O/P is just inconsiderate.
Watched the PC Langley clip, am sure has been debated to death somewhere, but is it just me or was he partly to blame for the HGV incident?
There was a RAB sign on nearside and the HGV seemed to be signalling for ages, granted he shouldn't be in lane 3 but i would like to think if I had been driving I would have backed off a bit to double check what the HGV was going to do. Hindsight eh!
I was horrified by the PC Langley incident. Obviously the HGV shouldn't have been heading for lane 3 anyhow, but Pat Langley seemed to show no appreciation of how things were shaping up, and pressed on regardless, whereas he could have gone past on the left with loads of space to use safely.Watched the PC Langley clip, am sure has been debated to death somewhere, but is it just me or was he partly to blame for the HGV incident?
There was a RAB sign on nearside and the HGV seemed to be signalling for ages, granted he shouldn't be in lane 3 but i would like to think if I had been driving I would have backed off a bit to double check what the HGV was going to do. Hindsight eh!
Edited by Mr Sweetchuck on Wednesday 27th June 23:51
It just goes to show that even people with specialised training and a high level of expertise are not going to get things right all the time - so what hope is there for the rest of us?
Maybe we don't do too badly after all.Best wishes all,
Dave.
R_U_LOCAL said:
imbecile said:
By the way, what is the best way of signalling to an emergency vehicle that you have seen them and will be letting them past as soon as possible? This is something I believe that I mess up quite a lot (given the flashes that I get in my mirror, especially from ambulances).
Firstly, don't panic - they're not expecting miracles. Look for somewhere that will make it easy for them to pass you, preferably on your offside. Give a left signal and move as far to the nearside as is safe and slow down.Hypothetically (ahem) I could have best eased the passage of ambulance by speeding at approx 50 in the 40 section, allowing space and time for a swift brake into the junction which was the first safe place to let him pass. This way he would not have to brake when I did.
That would of course have been speeding. If it had been a police car, could the same technique land a ticket?
I've had limited training in driving on motorways, but the overarching impression I got was that the aim is not to "dominate" other road users or to be agressive, but to use the vehicle assertively at times but always with consideration and courtesy.
You can "suggest" the best course of action to other road users by the attitude or your vehicle. Early and assertive positioning sends out a strong signal. Occupying lane 3 and maintaining a good closing speed against a vehicle in lane 2 which is closing on the vehicle in front is usually enough to hold them in place until you have passed for example. Occasionally when looking for an overtake I will position completely to the offside if the one behind me is repeatedly stabbing up my inside on every corner. This tells them that I am also looking for the overtake, and they will do well to stay behind me rather than try and force themselves past and risk me pulling out into them as they do so. It sends a strong message to the vehicle in front too!
The examples you've given sound overly agressive to me, and hint at a "progress at all costs" attitude which is going to lead to an increas in your own stress levels and those of motorists around you. And that'll lead ot mistakes and risk-taking.
You can "suggest" the best course of action to other road users by the attitude or your vehicle. Early and assertive positioning sends out a strong signal. Occupying lane 3 and maintaining a good closing speed against a vehicle in lane 2 which is closing on the vehicle in front is usually enough to hold them in place until you have passed for example. Occasionally when looking for an overtake I will position completely to the offside if the one behind me is repeatedly stabbing up my inside on every corner. This tells them that I am also looking for the overtake, and they will do well to stay behind me rather than try and force themselves past and risk me pulling out into them as they do so. It sends a strong message to the vehicle in front too!
The examples you've given sound overly agressive to me, and hint at a "progress at all costs" attitude which is going to lead to an increas in your own stress levels and those of motorists around you. And that'll lead ot mistakes and risk-taking.
chris_tivver said:
Earlier this week I had a situation where I saw an ambulance approaching from behind with lights on. I was on exit from village where speed limit rises to 40 for 1/4 mile until after a blind junction, then goes to 60.
Hypothetically (ahem) I could have best eased the passage of ambulance by speeding at approx 50 in the 40 section, allowing space and time for a swift brake into the junction which was the first safe place to let him pass. This way he would not have to brake when I did.
That would of course have been speeding. If it had been a police car, could the same technique land a ticket?
I've done exactly this before in the New Forest (40mph limit). An Ambulance was behind me, the grass verges mean't I couldn't pull over and there was a constant stream of traffic coming the other way. I saw a layby in the distance so booted it up the road as I knew I could get there and stop in the layby without holding hime up.Hypothetically (ahem) I could have best eased the passage of ambulance by speeding at approx 50 in the 40 section, allowing space and time for a swift brake into the junction which was the first safe place to let him pass. This way he would not have to brake when I did.
That would of course have been speeding. If it had been a police car, could the same technique land a ticket?
chris_tivver said:
R_U_LOCAL said:
imbecile said:
By the way, what is the best way of signalling to an emergency vehicle that you have seen them and will be letting them past as soon as possible? This is something I believe that I mess up quite a lot (given the flashes that I get in my mirror, especially from ambulances).
Firstly, don't panic - they're not expecting miracles. Look for somewhere that will make it easy for them to pass you, preferably on your offside. Give a left signal and move as far to the nearside as is safe and slow down.Hypothetically (ahem) I could have best eased the passage of ambulance by speeding at approx 50 in the 40 section, allowing space and time for a swift brake into the junction which was the first safe place to let him pass. This way he would not have to brake when I did.
That would of course have been speeding. If it had been a police car, could the same technique land a ticket?
imbecile said:
R_U_LOCAL said:
imbecile said:
Please understand that I am talking about situations where the lorry overtaking would be putting you in danger (i.e. when there is a high speed differential). My logic here is that if you pass the two lorries overtaking one another at high speed then on a three lane road you have nowhere to go in an incident. Discouraging the overtake gives you more space.
That's not the lorry putting you in danger, it's you putting yourself in danger. Remember what I said about trying to avoid making a line of three vehicles abreast? The key words are "trying to avoid". I've always taught people to try to time their overtakes so that they're not alongside two other adjacent vehicles, and it isn't too difficult - a slight lift or squeeze on the accelerator combined with good observations and planning is usualy enough.Sitting stubbornly in lane 2 when you're anticipating a vehicle moving out is unecessarily dangerous.
What do expect the rear truck driver to do when he realises that you will not move into lane 3 to let him overtake?, Yes, he has to lift off which then means he loses speed and will eventually end up Elephant racing to pass the lead truck but you aren't interested in that, your gone.
One day you will try this manoeuvre when there is a car behind you, he will move to lane 3 and the truck will pull out regardless, you will have nowhere to go and will have to brake, It's the sign of a good driver when they can anticipate that a vehicle is going to want to move into lane 2, you seem to know what he wants to do but think it right to block him from doing it.
Slowly Slowly said:
One day you will try this manoeuvre when there is a car behind you, he will move to lane 3 and the truck will pull out regardless, you will have nowhere to go and will have to brake, It's the sign of a good driver when they can anticipate that a vehicle is going to want to move into lane 2, you seem to know what he wants to do but think it right to block him from doing it.
Not really, because if I were driving like this (and I wouldn't be), then the situation would be such that noone would be overtaking.imbecile said:
Slowly Slowly said:
One day you will try this manoeuvre when there is a car behind you, he will move to lane 3 and the truck will pull out regardless, you will have nowhere to go and will have to brake, It's the sign of a good driver when they can anticipate that a vehicle is going to want to move into lane 2, you seem to know what he wants to do but think it right to block him from doing it.
Not really, because if I were driving like this (and I wouldn't be), then the situation would be such that noone would be overtaking.Slowly Slowly said:
imbecile said:
Slowly Slowly said:
One day you will try this manoeuvre when there is a car behind you, he will move to lane 3 and the truck will pull out regardless, you will have nowhere to go and will have to brake, It's the sign of a good driver when they can anticipate that a vehicle is going to want to move into lane 2, you seem to know what he wants to do but think it right to block him from doing it.
Not really, because if I were driving like this (and I wouldn't be), then the situation would be such that noone would be overtaking.
imbecile said:
Not really, because if I were driving like this (and I wouldn't be), then the situation would be such that noone would be overtaking.
imbecile said:
Examples:
Making rapid progress, approaching two lorries in lane 1. Rear lorry looks as though it might be considering an overake. Remain in lane 2 to discourage overtake, prepared to have to move to lane 3.
I'm not assuming anything, you explained a certain style of driving that hopefully the majority of drivers would not agree with.Making rapid progress, approaching two lorries in lane 1. Rear lorry looks as though it might be considering an overake. Remain in lane 2 to discourage overtake, prepared to have to move to lane 3.
imbecile said:
Bing o said:
Imbecile, are you still driving on that Polish icense?
Isn't it about time you tried getting an english one, as you obviously never have read the Highway Code...
Nowt wrong with being open minded to new driving techniques... Isn't it about time you tried getting an english one, as you obviously never have read the Highway Code...
Bing o said:
imbecile said:
Bing o said:
Imbecile, are you still driving on that Polish icense?
Isn't it about time you tried getting an english one, as you obviously never have read the Highway Code...
Nowt wrong with being open minded to new driving techniques... Isn't it about time you tried getting an english one, as you obviously never have read the Highway Code...
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