dickyc2 Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 >:-( Is it just me, or do all car drivers risk life and limb, not only to pass you, but also pull out in front of you, cut you up and cause general caos to us motor home drivers, now not to sound rude, but they must think that all motorhome drivers are retired and drive around at 25mph, now speaking for myself, i have a nasty habit of not letting these idiots pull in or cut me up, and if they pull out in front of me and then slow me down, i'm affraid i'll go past them in a 24ft of menacing motorhome flash, the reason being, the speed limit is there to be used, not abused, and definitly not for people who drive well below it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjphillips Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Sorry to dissagree with you Dickyc2 but the gap that we should all leave in front of us is for our own safety & to ensure that in the event of the guy in front of us having to break sharply that we can avoid running into the back of him ,its also there to enable overtaking drivers to pull in ,all you have to do is relax your foot on the gas pedal for a moment or 2 to enable them to do just that!!!!!What do you think they should do ? Try to overtake the whole line of traffic in 1 go ?If you hit the rear of him you'll probably find you,d be held partly to blame anyway.Its all about reading the road & anticipating other drivers actions. A good rule of thumb is always leave a gap of 1 yard per mph ,double that if its wet & a bit more still to allow for the fact we are driving very heavy motors!!!!! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Suggest you read his personality profile. He has more tounge in cheek that me - and thats saying something!! C. Just one further thought, a fact brought to our attention from a presentation given by the Police. The stopping distance for a fully loaded articulated lorry is the same as that for a normal car. Something to do with coeficient of friction between rubber and road being the same. All vehicles (if they don't have ABS) should be able to lock their wheels if the brake pedal is pushed hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Hi Richard, You get alot of that type of driving in France, they pass you and then slow down to below your speed. I think that might be due to their motoring law, which allows a 10kph higher speed for overtaking, then when they slow down in front of you they misjudge their speed and you wind up breaking to maintain a safe distance. I now try to decelerate whenever I am aware that a vehicle is overtaking me into a small gap in front of the camper, it never use to be like that 20 years ago, I would close the gap so they couldn't get in. Do you think I ought to see a doctor to have a new aggressive streak implanted? Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 We used to have a Daewoo Matiz which we towed behind our motorhome (no longer, thank heavens!). It always amazed me when I drove it how drivers in 'normal' sized cars used to cut me up. They seemed to think that, because it was a small car, it was limited to 10 mph or thereabouts. The number of times cars chopped onto a roundabout or pulled out of a side turning in front of me causing me to brake hard was legion - and I live in M ilton Keynes, roundabout town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madguy4 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Have you ever noticed that drivers that go to slow in front of us are morons that should retake there test cause when they learnt to drive there wasnt a test...and people that speed past us are complete idiots and should be made to retake there test's and learn to drive properly???? I often wonder what they think of us?? Have a good day and drive safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twooks Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I've come to the conclusion that I'm invisible when in the 'van, it's the only sensible explanation for their behaviour that I can think of. One day I could test the theory against speed cameras, or is there something on the film that makes you magically appear again ????? B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 [QUOTE]Clive - 2006-10-29 11:07 PM Just one further thought, a fact brought to our attention from a presentation given by the Police. The stopping distance for a fully loaded articulated lorry is the same as that for a normal car. Something to do with coeficient of friction between rubber and road being the same. All vehicles (if they don't have ABS) should be able to lock their wheels if the brake pedal is pushed hard.[/QUOTE] Hi Clive, I don't understand!? :-S I drive the fully laden articulated lorry the police told you about, obviously I'm a perfect driver, :-D always considerate to all other road users and have never made a mistake behind the wheel!!! However the police have neglegted to tell me or my truck that we can stop in the same distance as a normal car needs to stop. It would have saved me and many other truck drivers untold stress had this been mentioned during our driver training.(lol) I feel qualified to mention meanwhile, that despite the coefficient of friction malarkey, I am, despite being perfect, unable to stop a fully laden (44 tonnes) truck doing 55mph in the same distance as I am able to stop my car (1.5 Tonnes) at similar speed. :'( Cheers M'dears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maninahat Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Twooks - I think your van may be like ours. There's a 'cloak of invisibility' switch under the dashboard. Its very easy to knock it on with your knee when you climb in the cab. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Unfortunately with many drivers these days, it's into gear, radio on and brain in neutral 8-) 8-) 8-) Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Unfortunately with many drivers these days, it's into gear, radio on and brain in neutral 8-) 8-) 8-) Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Hi Kel, Well, I have also ran a coach of my own for 8 years and driven trucks with my HGV class 1. It was a senior copper who was giving a presentation to the Thames Valley Truckers Club who met at a room in a Pub in Aldermaston where the technical point was made. (I was the Club treasurer) But the basis of the technical arguement is that all vehicles must be able to lock the wheels when the ABS is turned off. The other variable is the commercial tyre rubber mix does not have the same adhesion to the road as most car tyres, but it does have a lower rolling resistance. to save fuel. I remember once while I was driving a test vehicle around the 2 mile course at MVEE Chobham when one particular truck company were testing a new Artic tractor unit. They were doing the course at increasing speed each lap and doing an emergency stop at the same place on the course. There was a fully laden trailer (cement ballast) on the back. The rig had just past me (in an electrically powered MINI) at 50 MPH then slapped the brakes on. The front axle of the tractor unit snapped off its mountings, ripped the bottom off the sump and the whole lot came to a halt in the gravel on the side of the track. Its amazing how many people apeared with cameras. Not me, I was on a 5 hour test so couldn,t stop, The MINI had special tyres made by Michelin using a commercial rubber mix to reduce the rolling resistance. Test results for the Mini? 50 MPH 50 miles 40 MPH 60 miles 30 MPH 80 miles 20 MPH 100 miles. (This was the test I was doing!) Good init? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 At least you can see the idiots as they go by, its the 'Klingons' on the rear end that drive me nuts, always bobbing in and out trying to get past when they haven't got a chance, but it is fun to occasionally tap the brake lights and see them suddenly brake and back off for a few seconds (when safe to do so I hasten to add m'Lord!). ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I have a simple solution to tailgaters... I just gently slow down, nothing sudden, just ease your foot off the loud pedal gradually. This has a couple of results. First of all it annoys the hell out of them. Second it usually persuades them to overtake at the first opportunity they can then go and have their accident with someone else. Thirdly if they do decide to run into you the lower speed means less damage and less chance of injury. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docted Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 The easy solution to this is to treat every other driver as a madman, they probably are and give them plenty of room to avoid you and vice versa. Docted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Very sage advice. When I passed my test in '79 my father gave me some advice. He told me to treat every other vehicle I saw as if its driver was trying to kill me and drive defensively. He then reminded me that the best form of defence is ATTACK!!!!! D. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I learnt to drive at the RAF Driving school at near Blackpool and we used Blackpool as the test/training area. I was following a car and the driver was giving a hand signal (they did things like that in those days) to turn left. I pointed out to the instructor the car was turning left and he replied all that signal tells you is that the window was open. I've never forgotten that remark. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 [quote]I learnt to drive at the RAF Driving school at near Blackpool and we used Blackpool as the test/training area.[/quote] Showing your age there Don *-) wasn't it Weeton in those days? Passed my RAF Test at St Athan in a Moggy Thou estate, followed by my HGV3 in a Bedford TK, then my HGV1 in an AEC Mercury/25 ft trlr with crash box and NO power steering. Apologies for the trip down memory lane and into off topic ;-) pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinners Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 As a bus driver, I am cut up and have cars and white vans pull out in front of me all day. Volvo buses have the horn buttons on the steering wheel that move around as you turn, so if jou need to sound the horn you have to look for the button!! I don't bother, so just let it go. One day recently I saw a car enter a large roundabout the wrong way and head towards me. Plenty of time to find the horn and prepare a dramatic stop! This is one occasion when the passengers woke up and as each one left they praised my quick thinking in avoiding an accident. It's the same in our motorhome, but again I just let it go, stay calm and hope; a, that I don't wake the wife. b, that I don't interrupt the car or van drivers phone call. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bill h Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 dickyc2 If you get ratty driving then you should not drive at all, it does nothing except annoy others and is the first step in causing a crash. bill h Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Hi, RAF Weeton? Yeah, happy days. Used to wake up with frost on our blankets. I was there in 1958/9, servicing the driving school trucks. Hence my user name, and "last three" signature. So you are driving down the road, maintaining the approved distance from the vehicle in front, when a car overtakes you and pulls into your gap. In doing so, he has probably halved that gap, and you are too close to his rear. So you slow down to increase the gap....and the next driver does the same thing, so you slow down again. Frankly, you might as well have stayed at home. ;-) Alternatively, I could argue that the closer you drive to his bumper, the less hard you are going to hit him....tho you will be more likely to hit him. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 [QUOTE]peejay - 2006-10-31 8:13 PM [quote]I learnt to drive at the RAF Driving school at near Blackpool and we used Blackpool as the test/training area.[/quote] Showing your age there Don *-) wasn't it Weeton in those days? Passed my RAF Test at St Athan in a Moggy Thou estate, followed by my HGV3 in a Bedford TK, then my HGV1 in an AEC Mercury/25 ft trlr with crash box and NO power steering. Apologies for the trip down memory lane and into off topic ;-) pete[/QUOTE] Pete, I was at the "Driving School" when you went through in 74, got demobbed in 76, those were the days, there were no ID cards in those days we all knew each other. :-D :-D Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 [QUOTE]bill h - 2006-11-01 12:00 AM dickyc2 If you get ratty driving then you should not drive at all, it does nothing except annoy others and is the first step in causing a crash. bill h [/QUOTE] Well said, bill h. I agree absolutely. It is those people that react agressively to bad driving that are likley to cause accidents and do nothing for their own blood pressure. Some of the replies on this post are a bit scary, and show a lack of responsibility or understanding of consequence. Remember we all drive larger than average vehicles and should show more consideration. Oh dear, I better shut up and get off the self righteous soap box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 Motorhomers v Car Drivers, Motorhomers v Caravans, Mtorhomers v Caravan Club, Car Drivers v Cyclists, Cyclists v Walkers - where have I heard all this nonsence before? The truth is that there is good and bad in almost anything you care to mention and unless you recognise this simple fact you will only add to the sum total of agro. Keep a level head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted November 1, 2006 Share Posted November 1, 2006 That is probably the most intelligent posting on this thread Ron. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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