http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/mot ... 01757.htmlAgain.. |I could have put this on samandben's long running thread as it's related . but do not want to take the thread into umpteen different directions
We have come across several photos in the press about folk aout there failing to clear windscreens/windows before setting off
One article claimed the local plod simply gave one daft woman a scraper. If pulled here .. she would have been prosecuted as well as we just do not tolerate blatant fools
We believe that there is more to road safety than speed enforced by a camera and that's why Claire and the late Paul won our support as they think likewise. No one advocates driving at high speed for the sake of it .. nor should one campaign for no speed limits/"free for all"
either
.. but common sense has to apply and far too many out there drive within the speed limit . but are still, quite frankly, too ruddy dangerous by far and we would do better to prosecute - without mercy and certainly with zero tolerance - those folk who fail to clear windscreens/maintain vehicles/drive completely without due care and consideration.
indy wrote:
By Eddie Cunningham
Wednesday January 06 2010
ONE in every three motorists drives off on a frosty morning without being able to see properly because he or she has failed to clear the ice and snow out of the windscreen, a new survey has revealed.
Such is their hurry that they choose instead to clear the screen by letting the car warm up – and this can take some time. But, as several studies on the use of seatbelts have shown, a large proportion of accidents happen near the home and within a short time of starting out on a journey.
According to the survey, carried out by Continental Tyres, most motorists said they were “in too much of a rush” to fully defrost their windows before heading off to work. And men were more guilty than women at revving off into the frosty yonder while peering through a tiny patch of clear glass.
The company polled 4,000 drivers in Ireland and the UK, and found that more than 10pc of respondents had had a nearmiss within the last year because they hadn't cleared their windscreen.
General manager Paddy Murphy said: “Preparation is key when setting out in your car. It is essential to be able to see and to be seen. An astonishing 52pc of people know it is wrong to drive without a fully clear windscreen but fail to do anything about it.”
Common sense is, as they say, not so common, so perhaps a few basic points on driving in treacherous conditions are worth repeating. Stopping distances increase significantly on icy roads, and motorists are six times as likely to be involved in an accident in these conditions.
So check your lights, make sure your windscreen and windows are cleared properly, that your brakes are in good working order and that your tyres have a minimum of 3mm of tread. But above all leave plenty of distance between you and the car in front. This means you will avoid having to slam on the brakes if the driver ahead of you starts to skid. Keeping a good distance allows you to slow down safely and reduces your chances of getting involved in an accident with the driver ahead of you.
One startling statistic that emerged from the survey is that 40pc of respondents said they don’t bother to clean either their mirrors or their rear window before setting off in winter. And, believe it or not, 20pc of respondents admitted they used a credit card to clear the ice from their windscreens. Other findings include:
? 70pc never check tyre tread depth and fail to make sure tyres are roadworthy.
? 25pc don't check to see if their lights are working.
? One in four drivers admit they are not fully awake when they get behind the wheel, and that it takes them at least four minutes of driving time to wake up properly
- Eddie Cunningham
Most of the above cause most of the carnage out there. No one will deny that speed does affect overall outcome all the same .. but we'd rather target the seriously dangerous than the odd muppet who drives - safety conscious enough - at 10%+1 or 2
above the lolly on an empty road in fair conditions all the same.
Now more later .. next time I get some spare minutes as dcb loves
as much as I do
The Mad Cats were kind enough to invite me to spend part of their weekend with them at some show for petrolheads like us .. and I plan to tell Jenson that he was on the telly "before he was famous" as a Karting champ as a boy! He said then he'd be an F1 champ Shall take me autograph book as I am just as much a "wet anorak" as the rest of the bunch of hooligans..
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. The council ended up shutting the road, but I had to use it for access. It was ok was I had got used to it, just go steady and no sudden movements. You certainly learn about grip when you have non.