Be able to stop...
Discussion
...in the distance you can see to be clear and reasonably expect to remain so.
Was driving up the A5 last evening around Maida Vale. I was stopped behind the car in front which was waiting to turn right across the traffic into a side road.
Coming towards us is a Panda with blues and twos doing about 40, 45ish. The All fine until at the last moment the dozy bint in front of me decides to pull across.
The panda hits the brakes and the horn at the same time, and just avoids the said D.B and me. I was a reasonable way back so there was a bit of wriggle room! It would have been a very nasty t-bone.
Question is, did plod do the right thing in carrying on his speed unchecked when he could see the stopped car waiting to pull across?
It looked to me that if the panda had been going at a normal mid-evening A5 speed like the rest of the traffic of 25mph, then there was enough room for the D.B. to pull across. So she saw the gap, didn't register what was going on and decided to go. Fortunately she carried on going and didn't freeze when she realized all was not well!
Bert
PS only interested in the driving technique perspective, not intersted in any potential plod-bashing.
Was driving up the A5 last evening around Maida Vale. I was stopped behind the car in front which was waiting to turn right across the traffic into a side road.
Coming towards us is a Panda with blues and twos doing about 40, 45ish. The All fine until at the last moment the dozy bint in front of me decides to pull across.
The panda hits the brakes and the horn at the same time, and just avoids the said D.B and me. I was a reasonable way back so there was a bit of wriggle room! It would have been a very nasty t-bone.
Question is, did plod do the right thing in carrying on his speed unchecked when he could see the stopped car waiting to pull across?
It looked to me that if the panda had been going at a normal mid-evening A5 speed like the rest of the traffic of 25mph, then there was enough room for the D.B. to pull across. So she saw the gap, didn't register what was going on and decided to go. Fortunately she carried on going and didn't freeze when she realized all was not well!
Bert
PS only interested in the driving technique perspective, not intersted in any potential plod-bashing.
Back in the day, I saw plenty of these where they didn't manage to stop in time... short answer is that yes they should have checked speed so as to be able to stop in the distance to be seen to be clear (and likely to remain so), but it's quite common for this sort of accident to occur, partly due to lack of experience and the belief that the blue lights and noise-makers actually ensure that people see you and don't do anything dopey.
In another topic somebody recently said something about playing the percentages - or words to that effect - and I think this is such a case, and we encounter lots of examples in our daily driving.
I think what happens (if, as we should be, we're evaluating these changing situations properly) is that you constantly monitor your own speed, and your ability to stop, and weigh it against the likelihood of somebody suddenly doing something illogical and fouling things up.
It would be foolish to press on completely without restraint and fully trust the other person, but on the other hand you can't always confine yourself to speeds that would enable you to stop if the other person seems to be taking the right action, and then suddenly does something stupid.
It requires a judgement every time, and you try to get them right. I don't suppose that's much help, but there you go.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I think what happens (if, as we should be, we're evaluating these changing situations properly) is that you constantly monitor your own speed, and your ability to stop, and weigh it against the likelihood of somebody suddenly doing something illogical and fouling things up.
It would be foolish to press on completely without restraint and fully trust the other person, but on the other hand you can't always confine yourself to speeds that would enable you to stop if the other person seems to be taking the right action, and then suddenly does something stupid.
It requires a judgement every time, and you try to get them right. I don't suppose that's much help, but there you go.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Edited by p1esk on Thursday 21st May 15:50
It is a game of statistics. The definition includes it actually "...likely to remain..." The question is what's the measure of likeliness? 95%, 99%, 99.999%
Of course one cannot know what the driver actually did in planning for the hazard. He did brake and did avoid the collision, albeit with the smallest of margins!
Bert
Of course one cannot know what the driver actually did in planning for the hazard. He did brake and did avoid the collision, albeit with the smallest of margins!
Bert
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