How would an experienced driver have handled this?
in [Drive]
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From: Dave Head on 18 Jul 2010 11:19 On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:43:47 +0100, "Farmer Giles" <Giles(a)nospam.com> wrote: > >"Phil L" <neverchecked(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message >news:OfE0o.205120$vB5.85452(a)hurricane... >> Jo wrote: >>> Hello all, >>> >>> I'm quite shaken as I had a brush with the grim reaper today :( >>> >>> Coming off a roundabout, I was driving along an A-road immediately >>> behind a horse carriage doing 20 mph in a 60 mph road. I was about 150 >>> yards past the roundabout and a queue of cars had built up behind me. >>> >>> I felt pressured into overtaking the horse carriage. It was too slow >>> for 3rd gear and I was in 2nd gear. The horse carriage seemed to speed >>> up as I was overtaking them (but can't be sure). I sped up to about >>> 30mph and was now astride the rear wheels of the vehicle. I fumbled >>> the 2-3rd gear change (seemed stuck and cost me a few seconds to try >>> again) and oncoming traffic lead by a truck was now too close. There >>> was enough space if I didn't fumble the 2-3rd gear change and didn't >>> expect my spot behind the horse trailer to be closed up so quickly >>> >>> So having no choice I floored the accelerator to 60mph on 3rd gear. >>> The oncoming traffic went to the left of their lane to make way for me >>> and three vehicles were astride at one point. >>> >>> If you were in that situation what would you have done? I couldn't >>> have gone back and it seems the only way was to get past and in front >>> of the horse trailer. >>> >>> Thanks for any advice. Please don't flame me I'm a new driver and my >>> confidence has been badly shaken today already :( >>> >>> Jo >> >> Coupled with your non existant grasp of basic car maintenance, don't you >> think it's time you got rid of the car until you've managed to grow a >> brain? - I'm being serious, you ae either going to kill yourself or >> someone else in the not-too-distant future unless you start using public >> transport. > >Further evidence that usenet is largely populated by the obnoxious, and the >inadequate. > Yep, this guy is one of those that love to diminish people. Ignore.
From: Terry on 18 Jul 2010 11:37 Brimstone wrote: >>> Thanks for any advice. Please don't flame me I'm a new driver and my >>> confidence has been badly shaken today already :( >>> >>> Jo >> >> Coupled with your non existant grasp of basic car maintenance, don't >> you think it's time you got rid of the car until you've managed to >> grow a brain? - I'm being serious, you ae either going to kill >> yourself or someone else in the not-too-distant future unless you >> start using public transport. >> > If he stops driving until he's learnt, how is he going to learn? > > Can't newly passed ddrivers get a 'P' for prat plate to stick on their cars?
From: Dave Head on 18 Jul 2010 11:43 On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:54:27 +0100, %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote: >Jo <joanna.hamilton90(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Coming off a roundabout, I was driving along an A-road immediately >> behind a horse carriage doing 20 mph in a 60 mph road. I was about 150 >> yards past the roundabout and a queue of cars had built up behind me. > >1. You should not have been "immediately" behind the horse and carriage. >Being too close can cause the horse to shy or bolt, not good in either >case. I think it was a horse TRAILER, not a horse-drawn carriage. Still, another reason to hang back from the trailer is to get a good piece of speed up before even pulling out into the other lane to pass. By the time you're ready to do that, you can either see that it is clear or hit the brakes if it is not. >2. You should hang back and take a commanding position on the road, that >is positioned to overtake, ready to move left if something comes the >other way but clearly letting vehicles behind be aware of your intention >to overtake when possible. I don't agee with that. I think if you hang back and start your maneuver as a surprise, then you're less likely to get a hanger-on that wants to do it on your rear bumper as well, and thus limits your options to quit the maneuver if things aren't going well. > >3. There is no pressure. The worst that can happen is that some >impatient sod behind overtakes you and the carriage. So what? He's the >prat and you are the sensible driver. Well, its not completely without risk, either. If he screws up, you are likely to become part of his accident. But its true that you shouldn't feel pressure to pass. >4. Doing as you describe, racing the engine, fumbling the gear changes >and generally making a hash of it must have been worrying for horse and >carriage driver. I think it was a horsetrailer, drawn by a truck. No horse-drawn vehicle is going to be going 20 mph, let alone be suspected of speeding up much. >You should pass all horses wide and slow, if there's >not enough room to do so don't attempt the overtake. > >5. Make sure you have plenty of room ahead, check mirror and if >necessary do a life-saver (look over your right shoulder) before the >overtake. Indicate before you even start to think about moving the >steering wheel - it's an indication before you change course, not after >as most drivers seem to think - then accelerate smoothly and >progressively keeping your revs down. Passing on 2-lane roads is a full throttle situation until you get to the speed you're absolutely sure is sufficient to make the pass. I _always_ absolutely floorboard the throttle unless I can see absolutely to the horizon and know there are zero oncoming cars. Optical illusions can make a car you can see but think is far away to be closer than you think. >6. Once past the vehicle allow plenty of room before dropping back, you >should be able to see the horses face in the rear view mirror before >dropping back. Or the headlights of the truck pulling the horsetrailer, and that would be the _inside_ rear-view mirror, not the door-mounted one. >7. If there's no room to do this safely and slowly don't even think >about trying an overtake. Right. >Your failure was because you were panicked into doing something that you >should not do. The cause of that panic was something happening in your >head. Yep.
From: steve robinson on 18 Jul 2010 11:44 Terry wrote: > Brimstone wrote: > > > > > Thanks for any advice. Please don't flame me I'm a new driver > > > > and my confidence has been badly shaken today already :( > > > > > > > > Jo > > > > > > Coupled with your non existant grasp of basic car maintenance, > > > don't you think it's time you got rid of the car until you've > > > managed to grow a brain? - I'm being serious, you ae either > > > going to kill yourself or someone else in the not-too-distant > > > future unless you start using public transport. > > > > > If he stops driving until he's learnt, how is he going to learn? > > > > > > Can't newly passed ddrivers get a 'P' for prat plate to stick on > their cars? Yes , they should be mandatory for the first two years driving (as opposed to holding a licence)
From: steve robinson on 18 Jul 2010 11:48
Dave Head wrote: > On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:54:27 +0100, %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve > Firth) wrote: > > >Jo <joanna.hamilton90(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> Coming off a roundabout, I was driving along an A-road > immediately >> behind a horse carriage doing 20 mph in a 60 mph > road. I was about 150 >> yards past the roundabout and a queue of > cars had built up behind me. > > > > 1. You should not have been "immediately" behind the horse and > > carriage. Being too close can cause the horse to shy or bolt, > > not good in either case. > > I think it was a horse TRAILER, not a horse-drawn carriage. > > Still, another reason to hang back from the trailer is to get a good > piece of speed up before even pulling out into the other lane to > pass. By the time you're ready to do that, you can either see that > it is clear or hit the brakes if it is not. > > > 2. You should hang back and take a commanding position on the > > road, that is positioned to overtake, ready to move left if > > something comes the other way but clearly letting vehicles behind > > be aware of your intention to overtake when possible. > > I don't agee with that. I think if you hang back and start your > maneuver as a surprise, then you're less likely to get a hanger-on > that wants to do it on your rear bumper as well, and thus limits > your options to quit the maneuver if things aren't going well. > > > > 3. There is no pressure. The worst that can happen is that some > > impatient sod behind overtakes you and the carriage. So what? > > He's the prat and you are the sensible driver. > > Well, its not completely without risk, either. If he screws up, you > are likely to become part of his accident. But its true that you > shouldn't feel pressure to pass. > > > 4. Doing as you describe, racing the engine, fumbling the gear > > changes and generally making a hash of it must have been worrying > > for horse and carriage driver. > > I think it was a horsetrailer, drawn by a truck. No horse-drawn > vehicle is going to be going 20 mph, let alone be suspected of > speeding up much. Possibly although the op as a new driver might not be that good at judgeing speed , at a trot its feasable for neddy to reach 15 mph > > > You should pass all horses wide and slow, if there's > > not enough room to do so don't attempt the overtake. > > > > 5. Make sure you have plenty of room ahead, check mirror and if > > necessary do a life-saver (look over your right shoulder) before > > the overtake. Indicate before you even start to think about > > moving the steering wheel - it's an indication before you change > > course, not after as most drivers seem to think - then accelerate > > smoothly and progressively keeping your revs down. > > Passing on 2-lane roads is a full throttle situation until you get > to the speed you're absolutely sure is sufficient to make the pass. > I always absolutely floorboard the throttle unless I can see > absolutely to the horizon and know there are zero oncoming cars. > Optical illusions can make a car you can see but think is far away > to be closer than you think. > > > 6. Once past the vehicle allow plenty of room before dropping > > back, you should be able to see the horses face in the rear view > > mirror before dropping back. > > Or the headlights of the truck pulling the horsetrailer, and that > would be the inside rear-view mirror, not the door-mounted one. > > > 7. If there's no room to do this safely and slowly don't even > > think about trying an overtake. > > Right. > > > Your failure was because you were panicked into doing something > > that you should not do. The cause of that panic was something > > happening in your head. > > Yep. |