RE: Enjoying a fast car slowly
Discussion
Clem Fandango said:
Its just my opinion that average peddlers should generally keep to their side of the road and everybody will be safer. What would happen if everybody started doing it, those that think they are better drivers than they actually are ?
I dont think anyone could argue against that. By the same token we would all be safer if there was a blanket 20mph limit. But you cant run the roads with safety as the only criterion. We have to take into account other factors such as the economic loss of people taking longer over their journeys. That inevitably means some risk taking and some deaths and injuries.IMO the number of casualties on british roads is acceptable and the speed / safety compromise is correct. And before anyone takes me to task on that, I write as someone who has been helicoptered into A&E after an RTA when a young woman "just lost concentration for a moment" and hit my bike side on. s
t happens.bordseye said:
Clem Fandango said:
Its just my opinion that average peddlers should generally keep to their side of the road and everybody will be safer. What would happen if everybody started doing it, those that think they are better drivers than they actually are ?
I dont think anyone could argue against that. By the same token we would all be safer if there was a blanket 20mph limit. But you cant run the roads with safety as the only criterion. We have to take into account other factors such as the economic loss of people taking longer over their journeys. That inevitably means some risk taking and some deaths and injuries.IMO the number of casualties on british roads is acceptable and the speed / safety compromise is correct. And before anyone takes me to task on that, I write as someone who has been helicoptered into A&E after an RTA when a young woman "just lost concentration for a moment" and hit my bike side on. s
t happens.1. There is a roundabout at which you go straight across every work day. 99 times out of a hundred there is nothing coming from the right and you can't see approaching cars because of buildings, so you become complacent about slowing for that roundabout. Then one day something comes straight onto the roundabout from your right (before you reach the roundabout, so they have right of way) and you have to brake hard!
2. There is a blind bend on a route you use regularly. It isn't a sharp bend, but visibility is restricted by a tall hedge. The first time you ever go round the bend you probably go round at about 30 mph, because then you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear, but you could easily go through the bend at 50 mph and that is the speed that you gradually creep up to. Then one day, there is a broken down car just round the bend and something else coming the other way.
Perhaps the young woman wasn't used to seeing a motorbike, or, because it is said that most accidents happen on short journeys, because her mind was on what she was going to do when she got there and not on her driving. Many people pay as much attention to their driving as they do to how they are walking, i.e. not a lot, but the consequences of getting it wrong can be much worse.
"...those that think they are better drivers than they actually are"
I suspect most people think they are better drivers than they actually are (which includes me having had some training). Training is rarely a waste of time. Just because many people don't drive well, it doesn't mean that the rest of us shouldn't try.
Rick101 said:
If I remember rightly, it refers to holding the revs at the expected level for the gear you are going into rather than blipping and trying to catch the revs whilst they are changing.
I think I do the latter, i.e. re-engage the clutch at the point where the engine speed is right for the gear we've going to use. It seems to give a smooth result anyhow.I was lucky enough to win the Win on Wednesday prize of a day out with Reg Local. I had a quick look at some of his videos beforehand and from those it is apparent that Reg thinks very deeply about all aspects of driving.
When Reg says a day he means a day - we were out from 9 until nearly 6! Even if you think you are a good driver (don't we all) you will learn something - in my case many things - from Reg. I have been driving for over 40 years, I passed my IAM test about 20 years ago and I have recently done a defensive driving course. I have done track days and a rally day with instructors, but Reg takes things to a different level. I won't say much about the day because Dan Trent covered that in his article and Reg wants to sell his books, but my experience was similar to Dan's (although my car, a Ferrari 355, doesn't have traction control or any of the other driver aids, except ABS). The first day I could manage was a Saturday in the school holidays and I was concerned the roads would be busy, but Reg has worked out a superb route on interesting, challenging and generally quiet roads. Is it possible for an experience to be relaxed and intense at the same time? Reg has a relaxed manner so you never feel under pressure, but there is always a lot going on.
I thought I anticipated the road ahead reasonably well but Reg's ability to anticipate bordered on the uncanny! Ok, I could see the roof of a car above a dry stone wall moving towards the crossroads ahead once Reg pointed it out, but I have no idea how he predicted that a sheep would cross the road just before we rounded a blind bend and a sheep stepped into the road in front of us, nor how within half a mile of Reg asking me what I did when passing horses, we came across one.
I feel that the techniques Reg taught me have enabled me to be a smoother and generally better driver. I need to practice what I was taught - the effectiveness of my rev matching remains variable - but to get to Reg's level of anticipation requires much more work, as was brought home to me when driving to work in my daily drive a few days later. There was no incident, but I was suddenly aware that I was thinking about what I needed to do that day rather than my driving. It is then, or when we are otherwise distracted, that something unanticipated could lead to an accident. Driving is easy. Driving well requires effort and like any activity, relevant training will make you better.
I thoroughly recommend a day out with Reg or at least buying his books, or watching his videos - you will almost certainly discover that there is so much more to driving than you knew.
Thanks Reg for a great day.
When Reg says a day he means a day - we were out from 9 until nearly 6! Even if you think you are a good driver (don't we all) you will learn something - in my case many things - from Reg. I have been driving for over 40 years, I passed my IAM test about 20 years ago and I have recently done a defensive driving course. I have done track days and a rally day with instructors, but Reg takes things to a different level. I won't say much about the day because Dan Trent covered that in his article and Reg wants to sell his books, but my experience was similar to Dan's (although my car, a Ferrari 355, doesn't have traction control or any of the other driver aids, except ABS). The first day I could manage was a Saturday in the school holidays and I was concerned the roads would be busy, but Reg has worked out a superb route on interesting, challenging and generally quiet roads. Is it possible for an experience to be relaxed and intense at the same time? Reg has a relaxed manner so you never feel under pressure, but there is always a lot going on.
I thought I anticipated the road ahead reasonably well but Reg's ability to anticipate bordered on the uncanny! Ok, I could see the roof of a car above a dry stone wall moving towards the crossroads ahead once Reg pointed it out, but I have no idea how he predicted that a sheep would cross the road just before we rounded a blind bend and a sheep stepped into the road in front of us, nor how within half a mile of Reg asking me what I did when passing horses, we came across one.
I feel that the techniques Reg taught me have enabled me to be a smoother and generally better driver. I need to practice what I was taught - the effectiveness of my rev matching remains variable - but to get to Reg's level of anticipation requires much more work, as was brought home to me when driving to work in my daily drive a few days later. There was no incident, but I was suddenly aware that I was thinking about what I needed to do that day rather than my driving. It is then, or when we are otherwise distracted, that something unanticipated could lead to an accident. Driving is easy. Driving well requires effort and like any activity, relevant training will make you better.
I thoroughly recommend a day out with Reg or at least buying his books, or watching his videos - you will almost certainly discover that there is so much more to driving than you knew.
Thanks Reg for a great day.
Jex said:
... I have no idea how he predicted that a sheep would cross the road just before we rounded a blind bend and a sheep stepped into the road in front of us...
you do know that he had an assistant behind the wall to release the sheep?! 
it is fab when you start to realise the depth of anticipation that is possible - it can look like magic to others...
itcaptainslow said:
May have been posted already but linky to Reg's books? 
Always happy to oblige!https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reg-Local/e/B01E9F56KK/re...
Reg Local said:
itcaptainslow said:
May have been posted already but linky to Reg's books?
Always happy to oblige!https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reg-Local/e/B01E9F56KK/re...
itcaptainslow said:
Reg Local said:
itcaptainslow said:
May have been posted already but linky to Reg's books?
Always happy to oblige!https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reg-Local/e/B01E9F56KK/re...
The paper is a bit scratchy for wiping though...
Interesting thread. Just had a look though some of Reg's videos and struck by how much of them are about driving on open roads. Dont know about you guys, but I find driving in town traffic to be more difficult and would be interested in his solution to some of the issues you come across. For example, when in a strange town and heavy traffic you find yourself in the wrong lane approaching a junction because all the locals know which lane to get in long before any signs indicate. And either no ***** will let you in or you get tooted and glared at
As for open roads , I reckon there is a real problem thanks to the quiet performance of modern cars, the comfort music and ventilation which combined with increasingly silly reduced speed limits results in low concentration levels. Not an issue on a bike which is far more involving even riding slowly. But a major problem, IMO of course, in a modern tin box. We can never know but my bet is that a lot of open road accidents are the result of low concentration
As for open roads , I reckon there is a real problem thanks to the quiet performance of modern cars, the comfort music and ventilation which combined with increasingly silly reduced speed limits results in low concentration levels. Not an issue on a bike which is far more involving even riding slowly. But a major problem, IMO of course, in a modern tin box. We can never know but my bet is that a lot of open road accidents are the result of low concentration
bordseye said:
As for open roads , I reckon there is a real problem thanks to the quiet performance of modern cars, the comfort music and ventilation which combined with increasingly silly reduced speed limits results in low concentration levels. Not an issue on a bike which is far more involving even riding slowly. But a major problem, IMO of course, in a modern tin box. We can never know but my bet is that a lot of open road accidents are the result of low concentration
Yes.bordseye said:
Interesting thread. Just had a look though some of Reg's videos and struck by how much of them are about driving on open roads. Dont know about you guys, but I find driving in town traffic to be more difficult and would be interested in his solution to some of the issues you come across. For example, when in a strange town and heavy traffic you find yourself in the wrong lane approaching a junction because all the locals know which lane to get in long before any signs indicate. And either no ***** will let you in or you get tooted and glared at
As for open roads , I reckon there is a real problem thanks to the quiet performance of modern cars, the comfort music and ventilation which combined with increasingly silly reduced speed limits results in low concentration levels. Not an issue on a bike which is far more involving even riding slowly. But a major problem, IMO of course, in a modern tin box. We can never know but my bet is that a lot of open road accidents are the result of low concentration
All valid points...As for open roads , I reckon there is a real problem thanks to the quiet performance of modern cars, the comfort music and ventilation which combined with increasingly silly reduced speed limits results in low concentration levels. Not an issue on a bike which is far more involving even riding slowly. But a major problem, IMO of course, in a modern tin box. We can never know but my bet is that a lot of open road accidents are the result of low concentration
I think that town is mainly a technique of go slowly / communicate well / position well - observe continually in 360 so almost entirely about observation, not car handling... - ultimately as you increase speed on an open road, you need to bring in more techniques (observational and physical) to give you the correct and timely information so that you can make the right decisions - in a town it is a different set of inputs and the answer to almost every issue is simply slow down, which is not the answer on the open road. Equally, in a town, things like your style of steering become less relevant & you don't need to trail brake or heel and toe to get around the corner into your car park space at the supermarket! However there are some changes and observation / communication is the biggest part of that - from road positioning to reading the intentions of others... however you will never totally fix bad signs / directions from the planners or road engineers - the issue there is not necessarily how you drive but simply the lack of tolerance now prevalent on the roads...
Reg Local said:
itcaptainslow said:
Reg Local said:
itcaptainslow said:
May have been posted already but linky to Reg's books?
Always happy to oblige!https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reg-Local/e/B01E9F56KK/re...
The paper is a bit scratchy for wiping though...
Hoping the read will make me a better IAM observer as well as improving me as a driver!
Only just seen this as it popped up on FB.
It seems to be the case that being caught straightening the road to improve your line of sight is not acceptable to the Police. That and being caught doing 80mph by an unmarked Police car.
I've seen people do this kind of thing on this road, cars and bikes, without a problem many times.
I'm not sure this driver is as black as painted maybe ?
I wonder if he kept to his side of the road, and just did the overtake, if he may not have been stopped ?
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/...
It seems to be the case that being caught straightening the road to improve your line of sight is not acceptable to the Police. That and being caught doing 80mph by an unmarked Police car.
I've seen people do this kind of thing on this road, cars and bikes, without a problem many times.
I'm not sure this driver is as black as painted maybe ?
I wonder if he kept to his side of the road, and just did the overtake, if he may not have been stopped ?
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/...
Clem Fandango said:
Only just seen this as it popped up on FB.
It seems to be the case that being caught straightening the road to improve your line of sight is not acceptable to the Police. That and being caught doing 80mph by an unmarked Police car.
I've seen people do this kind of thing on this road, cars and bikes, without a problem many times.
I'm not sure this driver is as black as painted maybe ?
I wonder if he kept to his side of the road, and just did the overtake, if he may not have been stopped ?
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/...
He crossed double-whites repeatedly. Regardless of line-of-sight, that's a big no-no. I see no problem with what the police did.It seems to be the case that being caught straightening the road to improve your line of sight is not acceptable to the Police. That and being caught doing 80mph by an unmarked Police car.
I've seen people do this kind of thing on this road, cars and bikes, without a problem many times.
I'm not sure this driver is as black as painted maybe ?
I wonder if he kept to his side of the road, and just did the overtake, if he may not have been stopped ?
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/...
My guess is that:-
- If there'd been dotted lines down the centre they'd have given him an FPN...they may even have had a chat, see whether he passed the attitude test first.
- He's bloody lucky not to get a ban.
not just crossing solid white lines, but doing so on right-hand bends where his action closed down his view rather than opening it up... here was on place he got it right and you can see the police car taking the same line, but immediately after he gets it wrong and you can see the police car coming further over left to avoid crossing solid whites, and following the road...
basically he was done for being an incompetent driver
basically he was done for being an incompetent driver
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff