Braking for Ghosts. WHY???????

[CarZee]

Whether this is a growing phenomenon or I've only just become conscious of it, I don't know, but motorways have become full of people braking for ghosts.

Just ambling along, usually in the middle lane at somewhat below the speed limit... no traffic either side or ahead for some considerable distance.. suddenly, anchors go on.. WTF???

At first I thought it was just women who do it, but that hard fought prejudice was whittled away yesterday when I saw two blokes do it on the M3.

What is going on in these people's heads??

[billb]

aaaah that'll be the magic car thats always going round and round roundabouts that forces people to stop dead before entering even though theres NOTHING COMING AT ALL

[PetrolTed]

It's similar to the elastic band that some cars have attached to the rear of other cars. You're cruising along the motorway and traffic's heavy. The guy in the outside lane has to keep braking to stop himself from going up the chuff of the car in front. Can't these idiots even drive in a straight line at a constant speed!?

[cotty]

Maybe these people who keep braking think they are speeding and are so scared of getting another fine/points that they brake out of instinct without looking at the speedo

[MajorClanger]

Never mind all the safety cameras and red light cameras, I reckon they should charge you for using your brakes on a motorway. Increase the cost exponentially will force the braking numpties either off the motorways or into bankruptcy

The other day, driving south on the M1 we were caught behind a Merc 4X4 with someone who obviously had no idea how to control speed. Every 10 seconds (and I am not exaggerating) the brake lights came on. May also have had something to do with driving 20 feet behind the car in front.

I know you can't be short of a few pennies if you drive a Merc 4X4 but it's no excuse for deliberately trying to increase the fuel consumption and wear out your car by driving with the brakes on all the time!!

MC

[Fatboy]

quote:What is going on in these people's heads??

Very little

[pdv6]

And what about the 'magic reappearing car'?
I'm sure you've all seen it.
You pass it on the motorway with maybe a 5-10mph speed differential and 10 seconds later its racing past you.
10 minutes later (still at constant speed) you pass it again (5-10mph difference) and guess what? Off they go!
10 mins later...

etc

etc

etc

aaaaaaaaaargh!

[AJLintern]

My mate tends to drive somewhat over the speed limit on motorways - but I have to tell him off occasionally for using his brakes to slow down when someone ahead pulls into the right hand lane (at a legitimate speed). He should have read the situation and eased off well before having to apply the brakes and scare everyone behind! People in ordinary cars don't have the power to pass someone in the middle lane very quickly - you have to make allowances for these people (the majority) without it affecting others, just because you've got a flash car!

[Marshy]

quote:
aaaah that'll be the magic car thats always going round and round roundabouts that forces people to stop dead before entering even though theres NOTHING COMING AT ALL

Warning: IT joke...

That's because it's a token-ring roundabout.

I'll get me sandals...

[JohnL]

quote:
And what about the 'magic reappearing car'?
I'm sure you've all seen it.
You pass it on the motorway with maybe a 5-10mph speed differential and 10 seconds later its racing past you.
10 minutes later (still at constant speed) you pass it again (5-10mph difference) and guess what? Off they go!
10 mins later...

Some people keep their foot at a constant position on the accelerator, out of sheer idleness. So when the road goes uphill they slow down and when it goes downhill they speed up.

A friend of mine admitted to doing this when I was moaning about how annoying it is.

[spnracing]

A good reason for all cars to have cruise control.

The mnotorways would definitely flow more smoothly.

If we could trust people to use it safely...

[mondeoman]

What about the ones who brake when you're overtaking someone and want to pull in behind them - have they no idea at all or are they trying to cause an accident???

And the ones who flash you when you overtake them cos they're doing 40 in a 60....... idiots.

[bikerkeith]

Far too many people have no anticipation or bother to look further ahead than the vehicle in front. Consequently, as soon as next vehicle slows down slightly, they have to hit the brakes. Same sort of people brake whenever they approach a slight bend, even though just easing off the gas will slow them down enough (so-called "comfort braking"). Whenever I go through the southbound Blackwall, (which is more modern and not so twisty as the northbound), there is a constant flashing of brakelights even though the traffic is moving at a constant pace, mainly because they are too damn close to the vehicle in front.

[roop]

I get that every morning on the way into work. There is a brilliant country road from Tewkesbury to Bishops Cleeve and you can get some speed up, well you could if there wasn't some prat doing 30 mph and the only place to overtake is the straight outside a school, which is a nono.

I normally see a dark blue Chim in a morning on that road so Hello ,
and yesterday as I came out of Sainsbos in Cheltenham a 350i with C100 *LL was parked next to me (green Jeep). Typical I didn't have my PH sticker in the window.

Claire

>> Edited by roop on Wednesday 31st July 12:38

[Getrag]

Or what's even worse is when you are driving behind a car with the brake lights on CONSTANTLY....even pulling away from red lights??????

I figured it out when I caught someone in my family doing it. They were driving an automatic with their left foot just resting on the brake lightly enough to cause the light. I made sure they didnt do it again

[elanturbo]

Maybe these folk are just keeping their brakes discs and pads warm, which is when they perform best.
These types should be congratulated for their conscientious approach. I would also advise swerving from side to side to check the steering wheel still works.

[Fatboy]

quote:These types should be congratulated for their conscientious approach. I would also advise swerving from side to side to check the steering wheel still works.

Not to mention keeping the tyres in their optimum temperature range

[dougclayton]

The one that really gets to me is lane discipline. If you want to go at 65 on the motorway that's fine - after all there are plenty of lorries going even slower than that - but please please please, if there is a 2 mile gap between traffic in the slow lane, pull over. That means that cars in the overtaking lane can move over to the middle lane and the overtaking lane can actually overtake!

I've just got back from Italy (drove down there through France and back through Germany) and even on 2 lane motorways (fair enough there is less traffic) everyoneonly gets out of the inside lane if they are actually overtaking. Result being that (in Grmany especially) anyone wishing to tank along at over 100mph can do so.

Whinge over.