Safe Speed Forums

So after we had all made complete idiots of ourselves in the previous lesson We then got some further information.

COAST skills are continuous and we dod them all the time we are driving, riding and cycling. (Or at least I hope so! )

But then we got a series of lectures about "Specific Driving Plans" in the course.

We were told that any plan has to flexible - and that we do not do any of the planning techniques in a prescribed order, that things overlap or even continue throught the process of the "PLAN" whatever it is!

But the PLAN whatever it is should contain some key elements - and I have mentioned them when I placed the layers on the COAST words in the past.

But I think shall deal with each element separately.

But for the purpose of debate - think of anything you think you do when deciding how to react to a situation. Post any elements you think I might have missed in the batch of related posts!

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Each manoeuvre means we take account of some essential pre-conditions (and I have deliberately missed a couple so that people can debate and add!)

safety
legality
consideration of your effect on other road users.

This is part of the C of COAST!

Safety is our first consideration. If the planned action is unsafe or something happens to make it unsafe or illegal - then you abort it!

For example - you are on the A66 and you plan an overtake. Just as you get into position you see that you will not return to lane before the double white starts - so you abort and wait until another legal and safe opportunity appears.

You should also aware of how you may affect another person . Is the person in front nervous?

Why? Are you too close?

Are you dazzling with fog lamps and high beams? Are you considering the needs of the cyclist, horse rider, tractor driver, milkfloat?

There are plenty of pre-conditions to consider.

So what other things would you take into account when assessing pre-conditions?


(This is linked to Information! -as everything in "PLAN" is related to something else!)

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

I think the first element really is knowing the space and knowing the danger. Then we plan...

Planning is then the process of plotting the optimal path - this takes place both in terms of speed and in terms of position.

If there's more danger on the left we plan to go to the right and so on.

But we make our plans with three main priorities in the following order:

First. Safety. We ensure that our speed isn't too high for the hazards and that we're passing as far away from any hazards as possible. Sometimes we balance the danger by planning to drive close to a lower risk hazard on the right and further from a higher risk hazard on the left.

Second. Vision. We plan a path that tells us more about hazards ahead, always assuming that we can do so safely. This means entering a left hand bend well to the right (as far to the right as safety allows actually) in order to gain greater vision around the bend.

Third. Stress. (I'm not certain that stress is the best term, but I'm thinking of smoothness and traction.) In our bend example, and if the bend is deserted and truly open (open= full visibility through and across the bend) then we;ll probably take a "racing line" to maximise the turn radius and minimise the vehicle stress.

I'd always give up stress advantages for vision advantages and always give up vision advantages for safety advantages.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

And as with any plan - we have to keep it flexible. The prime concern is safety and abiltity to react qucikly to a situation - and this Planning which we all do - is done surprisingly quickly and effectively by the majority.

We do not do any of these things in a prescribed way. Most of it acquired by experience and most very experienced drivers do size up the situation almost automatically.

We learn by trial and error - most BiBs have made "howlers" in the safety of the training area as well. That simulator thingy is

We should be encouraging people not to be embarrassed by odd mistakes - but encourage them to learn from them.

Driving is a continuous learning process and thus can never be "boring"

Er ... same applies to cycling as well as they meet new challengin drivers all the time!

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.