Excessive braking.....
- Thread starter Scania
- Start date
I don't really understand a lot of peoples view points here.
If I see someone in fronts brake lights go on, the very least I'm going to be doing is moving from accelerator to covering brake pedal.
Unless they have a car with brake lights that display differently based on the degree of braking (which I wouldn't even know how to read if they did) all I know is they're braking.
I don't know if its light breaking or if they've just slammed on the anchors for some reason.
If its anything more than a flicker of the brake light then I'm going to also apply my brakes as if I do nothing and they *are* braking hard then I'm going to be in the back of them before I can re-evaluate, react / reach a stop.
And at 70+ mph on the motorway you'd need to have a very good gap between you and the car in front to cover reaction times in that scenario.
Maybe that makes me part of the problem? or a poor driver? but to me if someone in front of you start braking you need to read ahead and also apply caution.
This is a seperate issue than someone randomly braking on the motorway for no reason but I'm not sure thats what actually happens. I'm sure the 'ground zero' braker (tm) does it for a good reason.
Now waiting for the demands that I should turn in my license
Kev
If I see someone in fronts brake lights go on, the very least I'm going to be doing is moving from accelerator to covering brake pedal.
Unless they have a car with brake lights that display differently based on the degree of braking (which I wouldn't even know how to read if they did) all I know is they're braking.
I don't know if its light breaking or if they've just slammed on the anchors for some reason.
If its anything more than a flicker of the brake light then I'm going to also apply my brakes as if I do nothing and they *are* braking hard then I'm going to be in the back of them before I can re-evaluate, react / reach a stop.
And at 70+ mph on the motorway you'd need to have a very good gap between you and the car in front to cover reaction times in that scenario.
Maybe that makes me part of the problem? or a poor driver? but to me if someone in front of you start braking you need to read ahead and also apply caution.
This is a seperate issue than someone randomly braking on the motorway for no reason but I'm not sure thats what actually happens. I'm sure the 'ground zero' braker (tm) does it for a good reason.
Now waiting for the demands that I should turn in my license
Kev
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Caporegime
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You clearly haven't witnessed the driving styles adopted by HGVs on the junctions 5 - 8 stretch of the M74 then. They'll often just pull out within milliseconds of indicating (if they indicate at all), forcing some pretty strong braking at times. I've had two HGV's on two separate occassions on the inside lane indicate to come into my space (where my car actually is, not an available space) and then begin to cross into the lane while I've been unable to accelerate due to the car in front. Result : I have to slam on the brakes and the poor sod behind me almost collides into the back of me.
I don't object to them overtaking per se but I do object when they do it to the possible danger of other road users.
I do this, then slow down and do it again when the motorway's relatively empty. Usually takes two or three goes before they notice a Honda circling them
I don't really understand a lot of peoples view points here.
If I see someone in fronts brake lights go on, the very least I'm going to be doing is moving from accelerator to covering brake pedal.
Unless they have a car with brake lights that display differently based on the degree of braking (which I wouldn't even know how to read if they did) all I know is they're braking.
I don't know if its light breaking or if they've just slammed on the anchors for some reason.
If its anything more than a flicker of the brake light then I'm going to also apply my brakes as if I do nothing and they *are* braking hard then I'm going to be in the back of them before I can re-evaluate, react / reach a stop.
And at 70+ mph on the motorway you'd need to have a very good gap between you and the car in front to cover reaction times in that scenario.
Maybe that makes me part of the problem? or a poor driver? but to me if someone in front of you start braking you need to read ahead and also apply caution.
This is a seperate issue than someone randomly braking on the motorway for no reason but I'm not sure thats what actually happens. I'm sure the 'ground zero' braker (tm) does it for a good reason.
Now waiting for the demands that I should turn in my license
Kev
You should be looking further ahead than the car in front though? It should then be obvious what the car in front is going to do. 99.99% it's a slight brake to drop speed by 5-10mph. If they're slamming on trust me you'll know!
And you should also have a nice big gap between you anyway.
why drive so close that you need to brake (just incase they brake hard) in the first place?
I'm not really keen on basing my driving decisions based on what cars further ahead are doing over the fact the car directly in front of me is braking. In that scenario (to an extent) what the cars ahead of that are doing is irrelevant. If traffic is free flowing ahead you can make an assumption that the car in front isn't slamming on its anchors however them braking might be nothing to do with the cars in front or how the cars in front are behaving.
Off the top of my head - obstruction on the road, driver panicking for some reason, them seeing something ahead you haven't because you're behind them and they're directly between you and it..
Net result is the same, I'll take some speed off to make sure I'm covered for either eventuality.
99.99% of the time you're probably right but I don't want to be around for that last margin of error
As discussed you'd need a very big gap at motorway speeds - which is also something that seems to wind people up.
Pretty sure I explained that in my post? braking distances at 70mph+ are huge. You'd need to be a very good way back from the car in front. I don't drive bumper to bumper but you certainly need more than 2 or 3 car lengths to identify, react and then come to a halt if the car in front is doing something nuts on the brakes. I'm just not willing to take that chance.
The new (not sure if they're actually legal?) style brake lights that flash etc under heavy braking would sort all this out. Then you know if they're tapping the brakes or smashing on the pedal.
I guess I'm a rubbish driver
Pretty sure I explained that in my post? braking distances at 70mph+ are huge. You'd need to be a very good way back from the car in front. I don't drive bumper to bumper but you certainly need more than 2 or 3 car lengths to identify, react and then come to a halt if the car in front is doing something nuts on the brakes. I'm just not willing to take that chance.
The new (not sure if they're actually legal?) style brake lights that flash etc under heavy braking would sort all this out. Then you know if they're tapping the brakes or smashing on the pedal.
I guess I'm a rubbish driver
2 second rule? anything less than that is "driving up someones bumper" at speed imo...
i think its about 8-14car lengths (or 2 lorries?) you should be keeping if you wana messure it in car lengths. thats plenty
aint a rubbish driver, everyone does it, thats why this thread is here just mr average like all of us
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Not only that but LORRIES that hog the middle lane probably having a chat over the radio waves with the LORRY driver in the inside lane next to them, prime example from today:
GRRR!
Also not long after there was an accident on the opposite side and the people on the outside lane of this side SUDDENLY braked just to see what was going on...on the OUTSIDE LANE to about 50-60mph.
GRRR!
ive seen a brit and a polish lorry argueing like that... the polish lorry was in the middle lane forcing the brit over into the hard sholder... both 44 tonners (dunno if loaded or not).
once past, the polish lorry slowed down and was covering both lanes 1 and 2 when the brit one tried to pass him
thankfully this was late, god knows what would have happend at a busyer time.
i just kept back, i wasnt gona overtake em just incase they decided to include me in there arguement lol
once past, the polish lorry slowed down and was covering both lanes 1 and 2 when the brit one tried to pass him
thankfully this was late, god knows what would have happend at a busyer time.
i just kept back, i wasnt gona overtake em just incase they decided to include me in there arguement lol
Not only that but LORRIES that hog the middle lane probably having a chat over the radio waves with the LORRY driver in the inside lane next to them, prime example from today:
GRRR!
Also not long after there was an accident on the opposite side and the people on the outside lane of this side SUDDENLY braked just to see what was going on...on the OUTSIDE LANE to about 50-60mph.
GRRR!
Id like to guage peoples opinion on that picture, in my mind, the driver of that car should be in the inside lane as its clear until he gets to the lorry, ergo using the lanes correctly.Obviously its difficult to ascertain from the picture how far awy the driver is from the lorry in the left lane.
Well the middle lane lorry is almost twice the length of the lorry on the inside lane if that helps and both lorries were still next to each other when I overtook them and looked in the rearview. The van on the right was going slow so I had to undertake him to get into the outside lane then pass the lorries and then move into the inside lane.
*shakes head*
The white Pug driver had moved into the outside lane just fine, he left enough room to move into the lane so the lorry driver could at least see him moving out into that lane (that's if the lorry driver was paying attention) and I followed shortly after.
*shakes head*
The white Pug driver had moved into the outside lane just fine, he left enough room to move into the lane so the lorry driver could at least see him moving out into that lane (that's if the lorry driver was paying attention) and I followed shortly after.
Soldato
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Well I'd rather avoid the risk of undertaking even if I am allowed, you never know if they might suddenly want to use the left hand lane when you are overtaking... plus I don't mind changing lanes that much
Well I'd rather avoid the risk of undertaking even if I am allowed, you never know if they might suddenly want to use the left hand lane when you are overtaking... plus I don't mind changing lanes that much
Yes but you are complaning about something that you can avoid
Hand on heart: I don't do this.
I don't look at the brake lights of the car in front of me.
I look at the brake lights of the car in front of that one, and in front of that one, and in front of that one... I look as far ahead as possible to see and predict what "snaking" is occuring. I then use my throttle pedal and my throttle pedal alone to smooth out the snaking for both myself and everyone behind me.
Yes there is the odd time when something is not as it seems which means I do hover my foot over the brake pedal in preperation... and more rarely actually press it. But actually pressing it means I, myself, have screwed up somewhere and as far as I'm concerned it was my fault.
I always have a braking distance large enough that means I am never worried about the guy in front "slamming on the anchors". Why cause needless stress for yourself? Leave a bigger gap which you know you will have ample time to react and brake in. Obviously it helps to have better brakes than an average car too.
Soldato
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That depends on if he just passed another vehicle on the inside or if it's been clear for half a mile I would be moving out about that distance to overtake the lorry.
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Soldato
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So when those cars don't put their brake lights on but the one in front of you does an emergency stop and you smash into the back of him what do you say?
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id say
"er excuse me, why did you stop for no reason?"
then id stab her (coz its going to be a her) and move to spain