It was a malady that also afflicted many motorcyclists when safety helmets and thick leather clothing came to the fore and a feeling of invincibility often arose.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Sorry gents but I think thats a Myth. Folklore.
Everyone who rides a bike knows that if you come off it hurts - a lot. If you come off and hit things it hurts more and you break things. Every biker knows this - helmet or not, leathers or no. You dont become more blase due to protective clothing.
A risky rider is a risky rider.
The same is true of cars.
Do you honestly think that people drive down the road thinking "its ok if I hit that car/bus/wall, I have a crumple zone/airbag/seatbelt"
I dont, you dont, most people dont. To be frank most drivers (not those on here) are probably not even aware how much a crumple zone will protect them.
As with bikes, a careless accident prone driver is a careless accident prone driver - crumple zones or no.
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"Do you honestly think
people drive down the road .....
.....?"
No, which I why I didn't say that.
Nobody in their right mind wants to hit anything ever do they but I think is that some people may tend to push their cars to (or even beyond) the limit on, say, braking or cornering on windy roads because they feel they can always rely on their safety gizmos prevent disaster if they get it wrong (which of course they think they never will).
Agree with your last sentence though.
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The rot set in when they introduced 'disc' brakes and radial-ply tyres! Anyone for a de-coke?
Cheers, SS
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It's pretty well established that when perceived risk is reduced, human behaviour adjusts to narrow the gap again -- that's risk compensation theory:
* If you know that your newly acquired vehicle has better braking than your old one, do you ignore that fact or bear it in mind when pushing it hard?
* It has been observed that improved visibility at junctions has been followed by an increase in accidents. Don't forget: most accidents happen at junctions.
* It has been suggested that the most effective car safety measure would be to stick a steel spike in the steering wheel, pointing at the driver's chest.
What's the sensible answer? Better education in roadcraft, more rigorous testing, more effective policing. There's an old saying about waiting until the cows come home . . .
As for LJKS, as the fly-leaf on his book says, he's "closer on the scale of human potential to Isaiah Berlin than to Jeremy Clarkson". Isaiah Berlin? Brain the size of a planet.
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I'd always prefer to have good visibility and roads laid out clearly so I know what to do / where to go.
cheers, SS
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As for LJKS, as the fly-leaf on his book says, he's "closer on the scale of human potential to Isaiah Berlin than to Jeremy Clarkson". Isaiah Berlin? Brain the size of a planet.
>>
If anyone is passing by Greenwich station, you can purchase said book, as I did today,
"Drive On! A social history of the motor car" brand new for £2.00. yes £2.00 rather than £25.00. Now there is a bargain.
Sorry I do not know the name of the bookshop and I guess as stocks last.
Also picked up a spiral bound Collins M25 London Drivers atlas 120 pages of maps. ALL books etc. £2.00.
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