MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Each day this week I've come across a road closure due to an RTA.
Beginning to wonder what's going on, is it something to do with the time of year ?
Usually just after it starts raining.
You can guarantee that if its not rained for a few days and suddenly pours it down the M60 at rush hour becomes gridlocked in certain places.
I was driving down the motorway recently and marvelled at the Jet pilots in the fast lane even though I was reduce to having my rear fog light on and at 50mph due to the visibility/twilight conditions.
Yes, something about cold mornings, darkness or low level sun blinding people... can't think why it causes crashes...
Aye but you'd think they'd adjust their speed accordingly instead of rush rush rush.
After all. A 3hour delay getting home followed by countless calls to Insurance company and large premium increases isn't worth the 5mins you gain getting in to watch East Enders is it.
I was a lorry driver for a few years and you see loads of them. It amazed me just how many.
At least you're not in China.
[url] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8833993/Chinese-toddler-run-over-and-ignored-to-remain-in-vegetative-state.html [/url]
BTW, I wouldn't recommend following any link to youtube, it's pretty grim.
Someone told me about this yesterday. I can guarantee that if I opened a link I'd probably start crying. Not something you really want to do in an office.
Seen a few round here too. It's the time of year; sudden dark mornings (which automatically makes people feel more sleepy), the onset of bad weather, wet leaves on the road and if you get a little bit later on, the sunrise glaring off wet roads.
Horrible time of year this, commuting is noticeably more dangerous in October/November until everyone finally gets used to it.
Tip (although common sense)- in Autumn/Winter - commute BEFORE rush hour. That way you don't get late commuters rushing.
Early early- seems to be more chilled motorists. EVERYONE is tired at this time of year regardless of am commute time IMO.
I commute 100 miles a day and in my opinion its people driving too slow!
For some reason when it gets dark the M1 avg speed drops from about 80-85mph to 60. People drive about 3ft from each others bumper, they swap lanes constantly, and people constanly dab their brakes.
Its only so long before an accident happens!
In the summer when the avergae speed is higher, people tend to stick more to one lane, the gaps are bigger etc etc.
"Early early- seems to be more chilled motorists. EVERYONE is tired at this time of year regardless of am commute time IMO. "
Disagree the people up early are the ones who want to get there quickly. They are much more alert, drive quicker and have much better lane discipline, using their indicators etc etc.
When I leave at 6:30 am its fine. If I leave at 7:30 the standard of driving is shocking.
Sun glare is an issue on my commute, but bizarrely very few people seem to have sunnies on. I see them all with their visors down, blinking and squinting away. Still doing 70+ in a 50. Very odd.
The standard of driving in this country is appalling. The other day, in heavy fog, I passed dozens of motorists doing in excess of ninety miles per hour.
😆
I was driving down the motorway recently and marvelled at the Jet pilots in the fast lane even though I was reduce to having my rear fog light on and at 50mph due to the visibility/twilight conditions.
You should never have your foglight on in the rain (or snow)
Doing a silly number of motorway miles at the moment and fog lights are my pet hate, especialy people who drive arrounf with the rear one on as well, FFS. (not aimed at Hora)
[pedant]They aren't refferd to as RTA's (Road Traffic Accidents) as this implies to laymen that no one is to blame. They are more correctly known as RTC's (Road Traffic Collisions).[/pedant]
I was thinking a lot about the low sun being a cause, as I don't like riding into it, and with the clocks going back it means we all have to go through the process again.
thisisnotaspoon - I understand where you are coming from but when you can't distinguish rear lights (or even brake lights) infront of you due to the squall and water kicked up from torrential rain I hit the rear foglight on.
Usually over the Saddleworth section of the M62 where visibility drops down to well under 100m's.
You should never have your foglight on in the rain (or snow)
"Driving in adverse weather conditions (226-237)226
You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236)."
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859
Rain can severely reduce visibilty.
"Doing a silly number of motorway miles at the moment and fog lights are my pet hate, especialy people who drive arrounf with the rear one on as well, FFS. (not aimed at Hora)"
My 3 pet hates are... apart from middle lane drivers.
Fog lights on when its raining and not foggy is just stupid and dangerous.
Side lights or no lights on at all in heavy rain.
Constantly tapping the brake pedal when all in fact they need to do is look further ahead and just ease off the accelrator, really is a sign of a sh!t driver.
Pet hate Nº1, people who drive too close leaving me no option but to tap the brake pedal to make them ease off, clear sign of a shit driver.
Rain can severely reduce visibilty.
Amazed at how many people in silver and grey cars passed me with no lights on at all in the fast lane when I had my rear fog on.
Yes technically it was 'daylight hours' however you can use common sense ffs.
Defensive driving is the answer. Plan ahead and adjust speed without needing to slam on the brakes.
Also watching people move across lanes into the braking space of other vehicles makes me cringe.
"Pet hate Nº1, people who drive too close leaving me no option but to tap the brake pedal to make them ease off, clear sign of a shit driver."
Was waiting for that entirely predicatble response. 🙂
"Yes technically it was 'daylight hours' however you can use common sense ffs."
So you put your fog light on in the rain when its not foggy then?
Dez B its not so much about dazzling, more the fact that you cant tell so easily if they are braking or just stupidly put their foglights on. Some crashes are caused because people have fog lights on and then drivers cant see when the brake lights come on.
Foglights dazzle in rain more than they help visibility. Anyone with common sense knows this. [u][b]FOG[/b][/u] lights. Any clues in the name?
People just like to press the little button cos they don't get to use it often enough.
I think most people should use it twice as often - once for on and then, later when it's not foggy, for offPeople just like to press the little button cos they don't get to use it often enough
I think Kilo and the Government know more on the matter than some on here 😉
TBH I've been in heavy spray and squally conditions and you can just make out sensible motorists infront also using fogs- impossible for them to dazzle when they are used in appalling conditions isn't it?
Anyway..
F1 drivers seem to handle the red lights OK
FunkyDunc in responding to my post before I posted it scenario 😉
The fact that Hora is actually driving his car at the moment means it wasn't wrapped up with clingfilm anywhere near well enough... 😉
"F1 drivers seem to handle the red lights OK"
Eh? They have rear lights just like any car. But they dont have brake lights though do they because they are not needed.
Racing drivers are all sensible and skilled and generally all braking at the same place on the circuit. So no need for brake lights.
Joe Public brake whenever they like for completely random reasons so need brake lights. Brake lights are therefore needed and need to be more visible than the rear lights. When you put fogs on you stop this happening.
Was waiting for that entirely predicatble response.
First class driver, ability to predict responses with pin point accuracy, life must be hard, no?
Amazed at how many people in silver and grey cars passed me with no lights on at all in the fast lane when I had my rear fog on.
But you saw them, so the problem is where? And if you spent more time concentrating on what you're doing rather than what others aren't maybe we'd have less accidents.
"First class driver, ability to predict responses with pin point accuracy, life must be hard, no?"
Don stop jumping to conclusions. You have no idea how far behind peolpe I drive, and obviously you have never come across this dangerous type of driving.
Constantly tapping the brake pedal when all in fact they need to do is look further ahead and just ease off the accelrator, really is a sign of a sh!t driver.
Who's jumping to conclusions?
Was waiting for that entirely predicatble response.
Pin point prediction!
and obviously you have never come across this dangerous type of driving.
Back to jumping to conclusions.
You have no idea how far behind peolpe I drive
I'd hazard a guess that you've never driven in a big city like London or Madrid with that type of ability. 😉
I have spent far too much of my life on motorways commuting, and although the commute is annoying, and sometimes harrowing, I personally hate driving any great distance on a weekend, as the quality of driving seems to hit a new depth of stupidity. When driving up from Winchester to the Swinley Love in a few weeks back, on that 29 degree scorcher day, there were no less than 7 rear end shunts, on the southbound side as everyone and their dog was heading for the beach, in 20 Miles 😯
c'mon people!
Don I was referring to M1 (as stated in my post) ooop north driving not southern arrogant/rude/dont give a hoots about anyone but themselves city drivers 🙂
My last experiences of driving oop north (W Mids up to Madchester) was 105 in the outside lane, no mixing it with the divvies in the nearside and middle, looking far enough ahead that I could do almost all my driving without touching the brake. I guess things have changed a bit now, and not for the better. 😥
Wow. I wish I could emulate such glorious roadspitfire pilotry 😆
I wish I could emulate such glorious roadspitfire pilotry
And there we have it, at least you now know your place. 😛
Joe Public brake whenever they like for completely random reasons so need brake lights. Brake lights are therefore needed and need to be more visible than the rear lights. When you put fogs on you stop this happening.
I fully agree that rear fog lights in normal visibility are a nuisance however in poor visibility they are not. You're driving in poor visibilty and see a bright red light on a vehicle in front, so you slow down thinking it may be a brake light - it turns out to be a fog light. So you've approached and identified a vehicle in poor visibility and slowed down before running into the back of it - the system has worked.
Furthermore the inability of a driver to master the basic controls of their vehicle should act as a visual prompt for your driving plan - are they concentrating, will they do something stupid such as pulling out without looking, etc
Could you see the rear lights of the people infront of you? If so, probably no need to have your fog light on. Simple.
Thats a personal call. If you can 'just' see them and mainly faintly you'd make the call that someone behind you may be travelling to fast and/or not have their eyes tested annually so rather than have an idiot approaching you at a fair whack best to announce that you are there.
Being in a pile up in horrendous conditions in the middle of a motorway in very poor conditions really isn't the place to be.
Mitigate risk.
On a general note - I've seen many many people fly past me on a straight section of motorway then lift off for the bend(s) sections.
You often get this approaching Barton Bridge on the M60 southbound- bends and elevated sections seem to freak out the majority of 'quick' drivers I find.
Your braking the law if you use fog lights when visability is > 100m
Try this for an interesting read.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/part/III/made
At visability < 100m if your travelling at any where approaching normal speeds you wont stop, hence why they are called fog lights and beleive it or not for use in fog when you really can see f all when your probably doing about 15 mph.
It's an interesting point. IME those who leave earlier also tend to drive considerably faster and have much better road sense,FunkyDunc - When I leave at 6:30 am its fine. If I leave at 7:30 the standard of driving is shocking.
I've also found the gulf between commuters and 'weekend' drivers to be just as big. There are obviously several factors to be taken into account but I think a big difference is that when people are travelling quickly and with a purpose, their concentration levels are much higher.