RE: PH Blog: rain stops play
Discussion
pSyCoSiS said:
Totally agree with what Mr Harris is saying.
A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
On 'normally' wet roads very possibly but not in the conditions we've all seen over the last few weeks. Lowtimer's post (above yours) has it right I think.A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
MC Bodge said:
I disagree.
In the main, I'm more concerned by the people who drive far too close to each other and brake harshly & late in the wet.
Given that a lot (most?) drivers don't know what happens when grip is lost, have under-inflated tyres of dubious condition, greasy windscreens and knackered wiper blades, I'd prefer them to slow down and drive smoothly, leaving good distances between themselves and other cars.
Personally, I enjoy driving in the wet (on quiet roads) and feeling for the grip. Even on a motorbike.
I'm also an evangelist for Uniroyal car tyres.
Completely agree. I can adjust my driving to accommodate the 'slowcoaches' but can't do much about the guy who drives too fast for his (or his car's abilities) and slams into the back of me or slides wide coming the other way.In the main, I'm more concerned by the people who drive far too close to each other and brake harshly & late in the wet.
Given that a lot (most?) drivers don't know what happens when grip is lost, have under-inflated tyres of dubious condition, greasy windscreens and knackered wiper blades, I'd prefer them to slow down and drive smoothly, leaving good distances between themselves and other cars.
Personally, I enjoy driving in the wet (on quiet roads) and feeling for the grip. Even on a motorbike.
I'm also an evangelist for Uniroyal car tyres.
Pugsey said:
pSyCoSiS said:
Totally agree with what Mr Harris is saying.
A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
On 'normally' wet roads very possibly but not in the conditions we've all seen over the last few weeks. Lowtimer's post (above yours) has it right I think.A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
pSyCoSiS said:
Pugsey said:
pSyCoSiS said:
Totally agree with what Mr Harris is saying.
A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
On 'normally' wet roads very possibly but not in the conditions we've all seen over the last few weeks. Lowtimer's post (above yours) has it right I think.A decent set of rubber and good driver control means you can drive in a similar fashion to what you would in the dry.
I drove up to midwales on New Years Eve. It was raining VERY heavily, and there were frequent streams of water going across the carriageway - some several inches deep.
I've driven plenty of wet trackdays myself, so know where the limits of the car are, and I knew the road. I actually found the standard of driving pretty good on the day. People keeping at around 50mph which seemed reasonable given the conditions and visibility (and the possibility of hitting standing water around the next bend).
There was one Fiesta behind me who felt the need to tailgate me. He promptly stopped after I spotted a 5" deep stream ahead and braked to slow down before hitting it. After that he doubled his distance, and rightly so. No matter how good your tires and car are, if you hit standing water you're not going to be in full control, and on country lanes it can be pretty deadly.
I've driven plenty of wet trackdays myself, so know where the limits of the car are, and I knew the road. I actually found the standard of driving pretty good on the day. People keeping at around 50mph which seemed reasonable given the conditions and visibility (and the possibility of hitting standing water around the next bend).
There was one Fiesta behind me who felt the need to tailgate me. He promptly stopped after I spotted a 5" deep stream ahead and braked to slow down before hitting it. After that he doubled his distance, and rightly so. No matter how good your tires and car are, if you hit standing water you're not going to be in full control, and on country lanes it can be pretty deadly.
People go slowly in rain and ice, simply because they have never taken their cars to the limits, and are afraid. They need to do some performance driving schools to get over it. They will then probably discover that summer tyres don't work on snow and ice, and even standing water.
You don't need to be a car enthusiast to learn what your car does at its limits, and become a better road driver.
You don't need to be a car enthusiast to learn what your car does at its limits, and become a better road driver.
Chris Harris said:
But no need to get too depressed about all this. Right now I'm dreaming of summer time. Blue skies, dry roads and something fast.
Going abroad are you?We Brits have this faith(a good thing for our mental health...) in the myth of long, dry, warm summers, but this phenomenon rarely materialises.
glm1977 said:
i think the biggest factor that makes people reduce their speed in the wet is actually not the car or the lack of performance but rather the reduction in visibility.
I think a lot of people don't realise the benefit of having decent/new wiper blades and the difference it makes.
Couldn't agree more. I changed mine just before Xmas and the difference (aside from the juddering and random smears) has been amazingI think a lot of people don't realise the benefit of having decent/new wiper blades and the difference it makes.
MC Bodge said:
I disagree.
I'm also an evangelist for Uniroyal car tyres.
Uniroyal have done some really good tyres over the years for "typical UK conditions". For the last year I've been running a set of Uniroyal Rainsport 2 on my 944 Turbo and they've been absolutely excellent. I'm sure other tyres could find me a bit more grip on a bone dry road in the middle of summer, but the car is never exactly short of grip, and is extremely sure-footed in poor conditions. I've been particularly impressed by the wet weather traction given that I am running around 320 lb ft of torque through what by modern standards would be regarded as a 'skinny' 225/50 16 section at the back.I'm also an evangelist for Uniroyal car tyres.
ayseven said:
People go slowly in rain and ice, simply because they have never taken their cars to the limits, and are afraid. They need to do some performance driving schools to get over it. They will then probably discover that summer tyres don't work on snow and ice, and even standing water.
You don't need to be a car enthusiast to learn what your car does at its limits, and become a better road driver.
No, they are usually into self preservation and are worried about coming across a deep puddle/flood/ice (often invisible) and being sensible. Knowing how a car handles at its limit is different to rounding a corner and finding you have no grip due to ice.You don't need to be a car enthusiast to learn what your car does at its limits, and become a better road driver.
toppstuff said:
When the weather is bad, I would rather be sharing the road with someone who is not "making progress" but taking it easy, rather than someone who is closer to the limits of their car's adhesion.
Driving standards in bad weather are'nt great. People do not leave sufficient gaps between cars even in good weather, so in the rain there is all too often an accident waiting to happen.
I've been rear-ended twice by people whose talent and attention levels were found wanting in wet conditions. And only last week I had to brake to avoid an understeering youth in his 05 model Fiesta understeering into my side of the road on a country lane.
I really don't have a problem with a Driving Miss Daisy type when it is lashing down. Rather that, than being taken out by the clown in the Fiesta as described above..
Too many drivers ( especially young men ) are not driving gods. They are morons. Why am I certain of this? Because I was one, once. One of the benefits of getting older is the ability to reflect on past misdemeanours. I'm just happy I am alive to turn grumpy about it.
So true!Driving standards in bad weather are'nt great. People do not leave sufficient gaps between cars even in good weather, so in the rain there is all too often an accident waiting to happen.
I've been rear-ended twice by people whose talent and attention levels were found wanting in wet conditions. And only last week I had to brake to avoid an understeering youth in his 05 model Fiesta understeering into my side of the road on a country lane.
I really don't have a problem with a Driving Miss Daisy type when it is lashing down. Rather that, than being taken out by the clown in the Fiesta as described above..
Too many drivers ( especially young men ) are not driving gods. They are morons. Why am I certain of this? Because I was one, once. One of the benefits of getting older is the ability to reflect on past misdemeanours. I'm just happy I am alive to turn grumpy about it.
I do have some empathy towards monkey. Its just that we humans have a massive spread of dexterity, visual processing, and intelligence abilities. The percentage of Uk drivers able to drive in the wet consistently to even 10% of the cars limits and not fall off the road I bet is vanishingly small.
Should we be that worried? Probably not.. Those skills are much less relevant for the modern numpty with nanny electronics keeping them all on the road in blissful ignorance.
So yeah i do wish they would go a bit faster..
Hub said:
I have driven down quite a few A/B roads in the last few days where the sides of the road are often wet with water running down them, and the sides of these roads are actually disintegrating, with massive potholes etc. You don't want to drive through a puddle that is a huge pothole, so sometimes a wet road in poor light conditions means you need to be a bit more careful!
all i drive is a/b roads. the nearest motorway is a good hour away. the roads are shocking. so far i have managed to slalom around the huge holes in the ground which are only getting bigger due to the half arsed fixes by the local highways agency. my brother wasnt so luck a cracked rim and damaged michelin which was replaced only a couple weeks ago. amazed this was missed out of the story as this is the only problem i have been coming across.The tyre/chassis characteristics has something to do with it. Modern car has lot of grip, the average drivers doesnt where the grip end, with electronics driving aid getting in the way. And the modern car tend to be snappy on the limits due to large wheels, low profile tyres coupled with stiff suspesion.
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