Safe Speed Forums

Drive on the left. Make sure you can see and be seen. Keep a constant look out all around. Be aware of signs and regulations and why they are there. Be predictable.

Recognise and anticipate danger and keep clear space from it. Always ensure that you can stop within the distance that you know is clear. Develop your skills.

Give courtesy, co-operation and space to others. Don't obstruct them.

Never take risks, drive unfit or compete with others.

Safety is paramount and far more important than priority. Take personal responsibility for your safety and the safety of those nearby.

Enjoy.

copyright Safe Speed 2009

There is a lot that we can tell you but what are you most concerned about ?

Can I assume that you have been told to stick to the speed limits?

Do you think that makes you 'safe'?

Have you been told a LOT about potential hazards and trying to anticipate as much as possible?

While you were learning were there areas that you felt less sure about ?

I can recommend that you obtain more training (many sources - depends what you want to learn) ... and within a year I would strongly recommend going on a skid pan - it is a lot of fun, while you can learn a whole life-times worth of skidding in one day ... however just about everyone is very nervous on the first visit.

I would say keep the music off until you are more confident and listen to the car and the traffic.
Keep a GOOD minimum 2 second gap between you and the car in front, and in queues open up the 2 sec gap again as soon as you can. Tat gap gives you an essential safety gap for your mistakes and others' mistakes.

The Safe Speed - 100 Word Highway Code is a brilliant place to start, but it is not a replacement to The Highway Code, but an addition as the Highway Code is becoming so big and unwieldy, Paul & I thought it a great idea to do a smaller drivers guide. Paul created it.

... just some tips or advice on being a safer driver. I know this is vast, so many things I could do. But I could do with advice from more experienced drivers...(I hope that makes sense)

Can I assume that you have been told to stick to the speed limits?Do you think that makes you 'safe'?

Have you been told a LOT about potential hazards and trying to anticipate as much as possible?

While you were learning were there areas that you felt less sure about ?

I can recommend that you obtain more training.

Lol, I couldn't concentrate with the music on the first week or so I was driving on my own so I had to keep it off. Now I keep it on but I switch it off when I get to town.

I normally leave more than a 2 second gap between me and the car in front, but I read somewhere else (I think, might be confused about something else) that this can be dangerous because of overtaking or something?

Yep, I've heard this a lot. And I do agree with it, apart from the obvious of looking at my speedometer constantly. And I do stick to it.

Always ensure that you can stop within the distance that you know is clear.

Er:http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=19.353594,39.331055&ie=UTF8&ll=51.492166,-0.284218&spn=0.00031,0.0006&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=51.492166,-0.284218&panoid=FmglGJpryVMz6t6a70U0VQ&cbp=12,297.6,,0,5

And your point is ? The cars visible are too close sure ... but why quote Steve's phrase (from elsewhere) and then show the google map ? As in 'not like this' ?

Hi, I'm new to this forum.

I've been driving for 5 months total, from learning to passing (passed 2 months ago) and could do with some tips on being a safer driver. Sorry if this has been done before, I did search but couldn't find anything. Thank you.

When you say that you 'stick to it' - are you saying that you try to keep UP to the max limit ? As in say a 40 you try to drive at 39/40 ?I do not believe in purely sticking to the limit and it certainly does not make you as 'safe as you can be'. If you can drive along, so that you can STOP (on your side of the road), in the distance that you can see to be CLEAR in. Now clear means totally free of all hazards.
You slow when you see potential hazards and stop if necessary or perhaps drop your speed to 3 - 5 mph even, if things are really busy or great danger, stopping available in the clear distance in front of your car.

Have you been told a LOT about potential hazards and trying to anticipate as much as possible?
darren wrote:Yep, heard this a lot too. And I try to follow it.
Yep, heard this a lot too. And I try to follow it.

To recap & continue; check far distance of road and work back towards your car, check your mirrors, left and right of your car, then about every 5th of these, scans check your instruments, fuel, speed, revs, temp. As you drive to check your speed rapidly try and learn where your needle sits on certain speed so that you can learn to see it out of the corner of your eye. (you can try this while sitting still in neutral and have a go with the revometer - if you have one of course & of course if you still have 'needles' than a digital panel).

BUT the reason that you MAY be feeling uncomfortable is that you are going too fast for you brain to process all the things that are on the road ahead. Slow to a speed that gives you time to scan and process

Oh, and what does C.O.A.S.T. stand for?

Concentration ... Observation ... Anticipation ... Space ... Time ...

OK! For the new guys and for those who need a little reminder.

C

CONCENTRATION (and it also means COURTESY AND CONSIDERATION)

I reckon concentration should be a relaxed concentration. By this I mean that if you consciously try to concentrate - you may be concentrating on what you perceive to be correct behaviour and not concentrating at all. It is the sort of concentration which you use when watching a good film - looking at the points of interest and the nuances of the plot. It is a bout leaving the worries of what to have for tea or the argument with the boss or the wife or the best pal behind and focusing on the drive and the road ahead - watching the road furniture "tell you a story of what to expect ahead".


It is about not getting carried away by your CD player playing "Born to be Wild" - loudly!

It is about refraining from eating apples whilst driving, reading maps, and arguing with passengers or on the hands free set whilst driving.


Consideration is about being understanding: the person may have just passed the test or be new to the area.

It is about accepting people do make errors and not getting worked up about it. It is about dealing with it - safely.

O

OBSERVATION

This means what it says - use sight, ears and smell.

You need to scan systematically. The road paint on the road tells you about the hazards to expect (Check out "Know Your Road Signs!" (DSA publication).

It means using mirrors. and constantly adjusting your driving (and riding if on two wheels and I do include the cyclist contingent and lurkers on here in this too )

It means looking at the road layout - continuously assessing the moving point and the limit point on the road as it unfolds ahead of you.

It means observing other traffic: the ball under the parked car, the potential chap who may open the door or just set off without the life saver glance over his shoulder (and again this applies to cyclists as they are the ones who get caught the most by this numpty error )

It means positioning for view (see Ian's excellent diagram on cornering and apex in the "Cornering" thread in the "Improve Driving" forum on this site) Positioning for view depends on circumstances at the time -but you need to ensure you can observe the antics of the driver at least two cars ahead of you!

It means keeping eyes moving and using peripheral vision.

It means being aware of that line of persons at a bus stop means bus is around here somwhere.

It means using every means of observation at your disposal.

Smell of cut grass? Council workers on the loose.

A

ANTICIPATION

More time you have to react to a hazard - the better.


It is based on your observations. Their behaviour, position, head , hand and general progress all give you clues. Never assume they will behave as you do.

Once you have observed and anticpated - you then have to plan - take control of the situation. react to the hazards ahead and defend yourself. Because "PLAN" is so difficult to define we split this as follows:

S

SPACE

This is the two second rule. You give space to the tailgater and increase your space for reactions.

It means adjusting speed to the safest one for the conditions ahead. It means reacting to what might reasonably be expected to happen and you are responding to what can be seen and what cannot be seen

It is about dropping your speed so that you can see what is happening 2- 3 vehicles ahead of you.

T

TIME

Time is linked to the above. Only a fool breaks the two second rule! It is your two second gap. It is the time you allowed for your journey. It is the time you allow for other road users in your planning and decisions based on the above OAP per "ROADCRAFT"


There are lots of variations of COAST - but these are the main ones.

I cannot stress its importance enough - and this little word forms the basis of DIS and Speed Aware courses where offered. It is a part of my training as well - and we do include elements of it in our lectures to naughty-ish drivers here.

It should have more prominence on the Partnership sites - especially thos which offer Speed Awares as alternative to points. It could help improve standards after all. It appears to work here -but then it is delivered on the spot by slightly amused BiBs.

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Works for me! Works for the Mad Cats and rest of our combined families!

Works for those customers we help too!

Works for motorcyclists and pedal cyclists too. Being aware of yourself and other road users and their needs - that's real road safety!