How would an experienced driver have handled this?
in [Drive]
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From: True Blue on 18 Jul 2010 17:13 On 18 July, 14:39, Jo <joanna.hamilto...(a)gmail.com> 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 Have you considered changing your vehicle for an automatic? For new drivers an auto 'box gives confidence, whilst the ways and conventions of moving through traffic are learned. You could go back to a manual 'box later, should you wish.
From: Dave Head on 18 Jul 2010 17:25 On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:50:01 +0000 (UTC), "steve robinson" <steve(a)colevalleyinteriors.co.uk> wrote: >Dave Head wrote: >> Yes, a following car blocking the area behind the horsetrailer is >> following too close. At 20 mph, that's 58 ft following distance for >> the recommended 2 seconds following distance, and should be >> available to pull into. > >Was this the very same gap the op pulled out of , whilst its stupid >to drive so close its not an offence It is in Virginia - its called tailgating. It can be charged as reckless driving and can get you up to a year in jail. But that's Virginia, one of the more repressive states in the union. Most other places, its a fine. >> Again, do you have a muffler problem? The critter isn't going to >> know if you have the throttle wide open otherwise, and passing is a >> full throttle proposition on a 2 lane road. >> >No i dont , however high revving engines emit far more noise , You have a muffler problem. My WRX under full throttle is still quiet. I can't hear it well enough to know when to shift. I just can't hear it. Have to use the tach. >will >often frighten horses and cause them to bolt or behave irratically >not a wise thing on a two lane road . Yeah, I guess, if you're making a bunch of noise. >The highway code even refers specifically how to pass horses Haven't seen that one for a while.
From: Dave Head on 18 Jul 2010 17:27 On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:49:01 -0400, Mike Ross <mike(a)corestore.org> wrote: >On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:03:37 -0400, Dave Head <rally2xs(a)att.net> wrote: > >>On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:25:58 -0400, Mike Ross <mike(a)corestore.org> >>wrote: >> >>>>If you were in that situation what would you have done? I couldn't >>>>have gone back >>> >>>Yes you bloody well could and should. >>> >>>Mike >> >>That's a really tricky thing to do. You don't have much time, you >>have to decelerate sharply to get the nose of your vehicle behind the >>horsetrailer AND not be going so slow that you're going to crash the >>vehicle behind when you pull over to get behind the horsetrailer. You >>have to downshift quickly to do this and hit the throttle to match the >>horstrailer's speed as much as possible, and, well, its really tricky. > >It's not THAT tricky but I take your point. But if you're in that place it's >usually the least-worst option; the OP is very lucky in that the road >configuration permitted the three-abreast without collision. If the road >configuration were a little different, the choice could easily be between your >'really tricky' move, and a likely-fatal head-on collision at speed. > >As as had been repeatedly said, the answer of course is not to get into that >position in the first place. But given that it happened, and will happen again >to other road users, it's worth discussing. > >Mike Yeah, the only really good way to handle that is, "Don't do that!"
From: Alex Heney on 18 Jul 2010 17:43 On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:10:53 +0100, %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote: <snip> >[snip] >> 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. > >With any decent car or even with an average car on a damp road that >would see you facing the other direction after colliding with the >scenery and other road users several times. Even on a shopping trolley >full throttle overtakes are rarely necessary and not at all desirable >when passing horses. Nobody who drives could possibly believe that piece of absolute rubbish. So please don't give advice on what happens when driving until you have learned to do so. What you say *might* just possibly be true of a very high powered rear wheel drive car. But that is not what most cars are, and it is most certainly NOT true of any modern front wheel drive car. >> 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. > >See previous comment about not wanting to be near you when you are on >the road. > Since you know nothing about how cars behave under acceleration, that desire is meaningless. >> >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. > ><sigh> Did I say door mirror? No, I didn't. Did anybody suggest you might have done? No. -- Alex Heney, Global Villager Locked coathanger in car. Good thing I had a key. To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom
From: Alex Heney on 18 Jul 2010 17:49
On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:56:29 -0400, Dave Head <rally2xs(a)att.net> wrote: <snip> >><shrug> You're allowed to have the wrong idea, I just hope I'm not >>around when you practice your brainwave of overtaking "as a surprise". >>Nothing you do should come as a surprise to anyone else on the road. > >If you let everyone know what you're up to, a lot of times they use it >against you. If people "use it against you", then said people shouldn't be on the road. That is no excuse for driving like a pillock yourself by giving people no idea what you might be going to do. > And, there's absolutely no value to those in the rear of >knowing you're going to pass. What are they gonna do about it, eh? > I have on a number of occasions had fats powerful cars pull out from behind me to overtake both me and vehicles in front. If I had been pulling out to overate without warning, that would have resulted in my trying 6to occupy the same piece of road as them. Which doesn't work. If I am going to overtake, and there is somebody behind me, I indicate, to make sure that doesn't happen. -- Alex Heney, Global Villager Diplomacy is saying "nice doggy" until you find a rock. To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom |