Safe Speed Forums

What the hell did I say? He was NO WHERE NEAR ME WHEN I PULLED OUT. Can you seriously tell me that YOU can judge closing speed that well AT NIGHT on an UNLIT MOTORWAY? I DID NOT pull out infront of him - I wouldn't, I don't drive like a twat.

Secondary to that, lets just say I did move over when he was slightly too close to me? That's still no excuse for driving into the back of me.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Jonsher - since neither driver is quite legal here, why should the person further ahead slow down to let the faster car in L3 past first?

Why is that better than the car in L3 slowing down to wait for the other vehicle to complete a manouver it is entitled to do. Also, the distance given would have been perfectly ample had the other car been travelling at a more appropriate speed.

I think it's fair to say that most people would have been caught out by someone going twice as fast as they're supposed to be.

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Well, even if he was doing 150mph he can't have been more than 100 metres behind and closing rapidly when you pulled out unless you're one of these people that pulls out with half an hour to spare.


yes, it's not that hard. In fact it's probably easier than during the day. You just watch how fast those headlights behind are growing.


no it's not, but the point is we should try to avoid putting ourselves in these situations in the first place.

and I'm trying to say that I didn't put myself into that situation johnsher. This was quite frankly the single scariest incident I've ever had on the roads and you know what, I wish I'd never fucking mentioned it. You weren't there so give it a rest.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Johnsher, I think you're being a bit of a prat now TBH. There are a lot of if's, but's and maybe's. His headlight alignment for one. If they're too high you wont judge anything. Also, when approaching a big vehicle in front it's natural to want to spend less time studying the view behind.

A quick range check of the following vehicle seems fair making the reasonable assumption that it's doing a reasonable speed.

In short, I think you're being far too judgemental, basing your rather antagonistic comments on your own assumptions.

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And your point?


Besides that if I'd pulled out on him forcing him to brake hard then why do you suppose he was that close to me for a good 20 feet?

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

yep you're right, nobody ever makes any mistakes while driving. We're all perfect. Can't possibly have done anything different.
Some, however, would choose to learn from the experience.

If I was riding at that speed (not that I ever would, of course! ), I would see it as MY responsibility to be aware that someone in front of me may pull out to overtake and the responsibility was mine to allow it. Otherwise, perhaps I was travelling too fast for the conditions?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Oh fuck off Johnsher. I can't even be bothered now.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

no, it's not fair. You should always check CLOSING speeds. Just how many accidents do you think are caused by people who only do range checks? "but he was speeding officer" doesn't help when you've been wiped out.

Of course it makes no difference whether the closing vehicle is exceeding the speed limit or not. The fact of closing at a high speed differential to another vehicle makes caution necessary. Usually, it's quite easy to anticipate that a vehicle ahead may pull out and closing speed can be adjusted in good time. The speed is inappropriate if the (possibly itself inappropriate) behaviour of the vehicle ahead is not anticipated and that leads to a 'close encounter' with its rear end, whether deliberate or not.

I also agree that the driver of a car that is comfortably exceeeding the posted limit should expect to be impeded from time to time by drivers who wish to overtake at lesser speed. At the same time, the slower driver should be aware that he is impeding the progress of a vehicle behind and seek to minimise the time spent obstructiing that progress.

I sympathise with Sixy. I don't suppose there are many drivers who have never underestimated the speed of a vehicle approaching from behind, and it's certainly more difficult to judge at night.

I'm not in any way condoning his actions, I'm merely pointing out that you could have easily avoided his unwanted advances.
That and that it would be nice if more people did the same.

That's pretty much where I'm coming from.

Jonsher is quite right for "normal" driving, but in this instance the other driver is well in excess of "normal" speeds, so should be prepared to sacrifice the extra speed if needbe around other roadusers.

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Exactly. Unfortuantely its the high-speed drivers who aren't prepared to accept the slower progress of vehicles they may come up behind who personify the classic image people have of the 'tailgater'.

Hmmm, do I detect an element of 'jumping to conclusions' here. I'm sure by 'use your mirrors' you were speaking in the general sense weren't you?

Higher speed drivers are at fault if they tailgate someone they come across or who they consider to have pulled out into the lane ahead of them inappropriately. In this sense we get back to our old friends 'should', and 'do'. The high speed driver may think the guy ahead 'should not' be in their way, but that person is there so they must deal with the situation appropriately.

if that's the case then, whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, isn't it safer for yourself to stay out of their way and let them hurry along to and accident with someone else?

Myself?

We'd hardly ever move into L3 then by that logic, just in case we slow someone down.

I think that mentality is part of many driver's reluctance to use L3 correctly, and hence why so many end up either bunched up in L2 or hogging L3, incase they can't get back out.

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yourself, myself, anyone.



we're not talking about super busy roads though, are we? This is a situation where quite clearly the traffic is free flowing.
If even I can manage to overtake, not to get surprised by people hooning up behind me - yes, occassionally I have to wait for a few seconds before commencing an overtake - and not get aggressively tailgated, then surely anyone can manage it?