Had a bit of a downer on holiday this weekend. As the Debryshire countryside is only an hour from us we spend a lot of time there. The roads especially in the past 2 years have been littered with road safety signs simply because everyone from the cities go there in their sports cars and high performance bikes. I was glad to see no reckless driving - this is improving year on year but a message needs to go to the normal everyday drivers to take car on the narrow and twisty roads.
Too many drivers dont drive with care on these roads, e.g. they dont break the limits but the real killer literally is going too fast around blind bends.
It hits reality when 2 days ago i arrived 30 sec's after someone got knocked off their push bike and 2 other drivers were performing CPR on the road. The road was closed the next day so it didn't look promising. Its a really crap thing to happen, i understand these things happen but for the rest of that day and even now i thought about every corner i went around on these minor roads, B roads especially.
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Funny you should mention that.
I wnt for a longish walk this afternoon, and a couple of miles were on the road (no footpath available). I walked on the right hand side, facing into traffic (as recommended by Highway code), but rounding a bend was a bit nerve shredding as if cars were travelling at the leagal limit it didn't give them long to spot me!
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get an os map AlastairW
much safer up the side of a field than any road walk
i hate walking on these type of roads these days,people dont even slow down when passing you lots of times
(goodjob i dont have a ray-gun)
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We went to Malham on Friday and were presented with a biker heading straight for us overtaking on a blind corner wrong side of double white lines. Aygo brakes are excellent, but I wish I had been driving a truck.
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We went to Malham on Friday and were presented with a biker heading straight for us overtaking on a blind corner wrong side of double white lines. Aygo brakes are excellent, but I wish I had been driving a truck.
Wow, we're having the death penalty for making a mistake on the road now (where the only casualty was ½mm of brake pad)? I certainly hope you never make a single mistake while driving.
What's the penalty for something like shoplifting?
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The road has double white lines as a danger sign and as a symbol not to overtake - it was not a mistake it was a deliberate act. The death penalty could easily have been served on me, my wife and our (almost) 1 year old and we were all innocent of any offence.
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The road has double white lines as a danger sign and as a symbol not to overtake - it was not a mistake it was a deliberate act.
You think that the rider deliberately put himself in danger? I think running out of ability and misreading the sharpness of the corner is more likely.
The death penalty could easily have been served on me, my wife and our (almost) 1 year old and we were all innocent of any offence.
I agree. However I wonder if the rider wished he was driving a truck and wiped you all out?
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> Aygo brakes are excellent, but I wish I had been driving a truck.
Wow -now that what I call a good salesman " I wanted a truck and he sold me an Aygo"
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I agree! I used to drive along some challenging country roads on the way to work, and I'm amazed that I'm still alive. There were a couple of cases where I really don't know how the other drivers missed me.
On one occassion I was actually stationary well before the other driver reached me, and it was on a straight (soon after a bed), I thought I was going to be dead. The other drive moved over right at the last minute both me and my passenger was amazed by how close it was. It was also a very big van traveling at 30-40mph, he didn't even slow up. If he hit us the car would have been written off, and I would have been supprised if I lived.
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Sometimes i think its only when we have near misses or face the reality of how dangerous driving is in certain situations that people maybe think about how they do drive.
I will be the first to admit that i should take more care sometimes, its not hard to admit that after what i saw.
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Just come back fro walking the dogs, we need to cross a main road twice on the circuit, totally bonkers tonight with cars from away (you get to know the locals) tanking along the road as if it was a well lit empty Motorway not a badly repaired country A class with here and there lighting and a complex staggered junction of minor lanes........I await the bumps that happen here from now on and hopefully don't involve anybody I know..
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Sometimes i think its only when we have near misses or face the reality of how dangerous driving is in certain situations that people maybe think about how they do drive.
I think the real problem is that the majority of people don't know how to drive on these roads. I know somebody who is a 'sensible' driver, they stick to the speed limits, don't cut people up, and don't do stupid things etc. On country roads though, this person flys around blind bends, braking during the bend. The driver really doesn't know what to do. With these same bends I (an advanced driver) can drive at sensible speeds (but maintain maximum progress) even when I don't know the roads.
An advanced driving course will teach people how to make maximum progress on these roads while remaining safe. The standard driving test really doesn't prepare you for these roads. If you are comming into difficulties on these roads, or find you have to brake a lot during blind bends, then I would recommend doing an advanced driving course before it's too late. btw, advanced driving tuition costs virtually nothing!
I will be the first to admit that i should take more care sometimes, its not hard to admit that after what i saw.
You only need to do it once!
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or instead of P3t3r"s good advice get yourself an old jallopy with saggy suspension crappy brakes and a steering wheel the same size as in an old london bus
go round the country roads in a vehicle like this in your youth and you will understand vehicle dynamics and will never ever feel the need for the "car" to get you round a corner with sophisticated electronics
no offence meant to anyone
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Having driven various cars around Devon roads I've had a fair share of near misses, but primarily with motorcyclists overtaking recklessly and putting themselves in my path. I have twice jumped on the brake pedal as hard as I possibly can and only just avoided them.
Devon has already had one motorbike casualty this weekend after he struck oncoming traffic on a blind rise. I suspect the only reasonable solution would be to make it so unpleasant for motorbikes to come to Devon that they won't come. Eg, compulsory vehicle checks as they cross the border which examines all their paperwork and bike to make sure it's in good condition, have it take 2 or 3 hours and it might serve as a discouragement.
I have no objection if a motorcyclist wants to kill themselves. I feel sorry for whoever they hit who will probably be traumatised for life. I know someone with a bike and he simply goes to track days to enjoy riding it at speed, where he can learn on good surfaces and with minimum risk to himself or other people.
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The best 'wisdom' I've heard for those tempted to drive fast on winding country roads is to imagine meeting themselves coming the other way first!
In terms of the Highway Code, the best general piece of advice is to always drive so that you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear.
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Is part of this problem not the fact that the country roads are now being seen as the real places to drive your car? It used to be the motorways, put your foot down and feel the speed.
However,, nowadays, if you read any journalists review on a semi "hot" car , most of the time it will include phrases like "its only when you get it out into the twisty A and B roads that you appreciate the handling " blah blah blah.
Consequently there are a lot of people out there on 2 and 4 wheels testing their cars capabilities on the windies. Unfortunately on many occasions, the drivers capability does not match that of the car.
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I think the main problem driving on roads like this is visibility. You really can't see very far when there are tall hedges either side of the road so the distance you can see down the road is often very short.
However the roads themselves are probably quite easy to drive at 40-50mph even if they're only wide enough for one car.
I suppose this is conflicting information going into the driver's brain, so often one bit of info gets ignored. And we know which bit of info that is.....
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In terms of the Highway Code, the best general piece of advice is to always drive so that you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear.
Sadly, this truly excellent advice is seldom heeded on any type of road.
The only way some drivers would be able to stop in the distance they can see to be clear is by hitting something immobile...
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I agree with all of this. I have seen some shocking driving on country roads. I am amazed how drivers keep getting away with it. They are leaving no margin for error. Even the '"sensible drivers" often believe they can stop in the distance seen to be clear but this is probably not true.
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