Would we all fit?
Discussion
If everybody drove as they should, would we all fit?
For instance if everybody left a two second gap on a busy M25, would there be queues to get on at every junction? If in London all drivers left sufficient gap between them and the car in front at traffic lights (i.e. able to see it's wheels), would there be gridlock?
Perhaps it's in the government's interests not to encourage good driving practice, as our roads don't have the capacity for it and they'd be forced to spend more on public transport, road widening etc...?
For instance if everybody left a two second gap on a busy M25, would there be queues to get on at every junction? If in London all drivers left sufficient gap between them and the car in front at traffic lights (i.e. able to see it's wheels), would there be gridlock?
Perhaps it's in the government's interests not to encourage good driving practice, as our roads don't have the capacity for it and they'd be forced to spend more on public transport, road widening etc...?
Similarly, I went on a RoSPA observed drive and was told in stationary traffic I should leave a gap between me and the car in front sufficient for me to see "tyres and tarmac" in case the car in front stalled (how often will that happen?)
If everybody did this then I believe queues would be 30-40% longer than they already are!
If everybody did this then I believe queues would be 30-40% longer than they already are!
regmolehusband said:Also taught in E&E driving skills - Streaky
Similarly, I went on a RoSPA observed drive and was told in stationary traffic I should leave a gap between me and the car in front sufficient for me to see "tyres and tarmac" in case the car in front stalled (how often will that happen?)
If everybody did this then I believe queues would be 30-40% longer than they already are!
regmolehusband said:
Similarly, I went on a RoSPA observed drive and was told in stationary traffic I should leave a gap between me and the car in front sufficient for me to see "tyres and tarmac" in case the car in front stalled (how often will that happen?)
If everybody did this then I believe queues would be 30-40% longer than they already are!
Your RoSPA guy only gave half the story!
It is advisable to leave this gap in case some nutter drives into your rear! You have sufficient space not to hit the car in front - and thus have claim on your insurance! (Or it may prevent you from being totally squashed - and I speak from experience!)
I've always left this kind of gap in any case - and if I have caused longer traffic jams behind me - I do so apologise! But then - this driving style did contribute to saving my life some time ago - when the person taken suddenly and fatally ill rammed into my stationary in traffic jam car at an unfortunate speed!
Had I been sitting on his bumper - would not be here now!
And as for the gridlock caused by leaving "text book type gaps" gaps at traffic lights in City centre Manchester, Liverpool, Chester, Preston, London, Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, Milan, Turin, Basle, Zurich, Berne and wherever else I have driven - cannot say that I have noticed it. More like more people got through lights because they were abe to accelerate away more safely and thus more efficiently!
Nowt wrong with common sense!
WildCat said:
Had I been sitting on his bumper - would not be here now!
I've always wondered if this is correct - if you were more or less touching the bumper of the car in front then when you were hit from behind (at speed) you'd be pushed into the car front, rather than being catapulted into it.
Maybe it all evens out and doesn't make any difference?
Of course it's better to leave a gap so you've a chance of avoiding a collision altogether if hit gently.
Bob
A big gap will eliminate the "Lemming Effect" or stop starting.
Bunching dramatically reduces the average speed on the road. Leave a big enough gap(and sometimes a very big gap) and you don't have to adjust your speed at all.
Most passengers of mine find the gap in front far too big until I point out the stationary traffic 20 cars in front. Sure enough by the time we catch up the car in front is moving again.
You can do this even on the M6 or M25 & I can often do the whole route without stopping once. Other drivers will have stop started over 100 times by the looks of it.
I would like to know what the roads would be like if everyone did this.
On my trip across Germany this last week big gaps were far more in evidence (some BMW drivers excepted) anticipation is something that is taught properly over there, it's not exactly rocket science is it?.
Bunching dramatically reduces the average speed on the road. Leave a big enough gap(and sometimes a very big gap) and you don't have to adjust your speed at all.
Most passengers of mine find the gap in front far too big until I point out the stationary traffic 20 cars in front. Sure enough by the time we catch up the car in front is moving again.
You can do this even on the M6 or M25 & I can often do the whole route without stopping once. Other drivers will have stop started over 100 times by the looks of it.
I would like to know what the roads would be like if everyone did this.
On my trip across Germany this last week big gaps were far more in evidence (some BMW drivers excepted) anticipation is something that is taught properly over there, it's not exactly rocket science is it?.
Bobbins said:
Had I been sitting on his bumper - would not be here now!
I've always wondered if this is correct - if you were more or less touching the bumper of the car in front then when you were hit from behind (at speed) you'd be pushed into the car front, rather than being catapulted into it.
Maybe it all evens out and doesn't make any difference?
Of course it's better to leave a gap so you've a chance of avoiding a collision altogether if hit gently.
Bob
Um! That was no gentle shunt up the backside!!
Was one of those freak clear road - sudden jam scenes! Particular point of that M/way always (still is) subject to sudden traffic build ups - major motorway merge beyond bridge plus carriageway narrowing. The real freak of nature that day was that unusually clear straight road behind me!
Guy had stroke followed by coronary at wheel - hit throttle hard and had a clear run at fast acceleration into me (who was stationary). The shunt at ca 80mph (according to the subsequent investigation) pushed me into car in front - and the car in front of me shunted into the car in front of him! One of the cars in L3 was hit by my car as well from sheer force of this! The guy behind me went through his windscreen and through my rear window! The investigation did say that in their opinion - would have been far worse if sat on bumper! Maybe the space slowed down my car's shunts into the other cars, and minimised injuries to other people? Maybe I would have been squashed to a pulp without the space?
May have had very different outcome with different cars even! I was in a small Pug hatch at time (not good in any crunch) - Escort hit me!
Took huge gamble when I saw it coming as well - no way out! I was definitely looking at joining "Jack the Demon Stoker's" labour force that morning! - I deliberately removed my seatbelt, grabbed and piled everything to hand on top of me - the travel rugs and and cushion plus all the maps and my briefcase as reasoned in car pre-airbag days - could be really "messy" if pinned through the steering column, and took up a "crash position" Gamble paid off! Probably would not have made it if stayed put sat upright and belted in behind steering wheel. (Survival instinct? - Amazing what you can do in fractions of a second! Memory is clear presumably because of long insurance claim - whereby the guy's insurance company tried to pull a fast one - an unbelievable "died before impact so ceased to be insured" type scam!)
Still - "speed" does not always kill!
The only death was the guy who started it all! The only "Serious Injury" was ME!! Though I did have a lot of broken bones, did require a long hospital stay, was wheelchair bound for two years, and had to learn how to walk again before I could learn how to drive again!
Did have full medical and did redo the RoSPA tests before I let myself loose on all unsuspecting drivers, cyclists and pedestrians!
So you are all perfectly safe if I am tootling along behind you!
Nine lives eh!
hertsbiker said:
Wildcat.. Why'd you take your seatbelt off?
C
Dunno! Just saw the guy coming and gathering speed(as did BiB on hard shoulder!) Just looked at cars in front - still stationary! Simply thought I might head forwards into windscreen or be cut in two by steering column despite being belted up! Had impact sent me backwards in seat - could have collided with incoming driver! (His belt had probably unbuckled during his fatal attack - or so they thought!)
Was VERY lucky that BiB was there as he got the emergency services there quickly and managed to provide some help to me!
Was only 26 at time and had no prior experience of any smash!
zcacogp said:
Wildcat - good yarn.
Space issue? It may cause a problem, but if the powers that be would also remove all the uninsured/untaxed/unlicenced pondlife from the road then this would allow more space all round!
Oli.
Askin' for the moon there - Liebchen! That would mean cop presence on road! Much more lucrative and, less "taxing" to prat@arse about in a talivan!
Why does leaving a decent space seem to cause you such a problem? Mutterin "Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule" (which apparently takes you two seconds to mutter!) cause you all to think "big traffic jam"?
As 'cptsideways' pointed out - bunching reduces average speed and gives less time to anticipate what numpty ahead will do next! Space does not mean delays - as the chap experienced in Germany.
Course, am German trained driver - need I say more?
You Englaender!
PS - So glad you enjoyed reading my "recent life history"! Can honestly tell you that it was one extremely frightening experience!
regmolehusband said:
..and was told in stationary traffic I should leave a gap between me and the car in front sufficient for me to see "tyres and tarmac" in case the car in front stalled (how often will that happen?)
once a week on average I see it. I, with a big gap, overtake the car stuck behind, too close to manouvre, and the stalled guy in one go, moving me ever forward through the traffic.
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