Safe Speed Forums

A good driver ist one who always drives in such a manner thant .. no matter what conditions he ist confronted with und from whatever source, whether acting from the unsafe behaviour of others or from the state of the road, weather or vehicle, no action or lack of action on his part will contribute to any degree to the development of an accident situation

UM... continued from page 3 on vehicle safety/maintenance...

Tyre pressures
Lighting system
Petrol, Oil and Water levels
Windscreen wiper working
Windscreen and rear window clean
Indicators working, if fitted
Horn working
Dynamo charging
Mirrors clean

BRAKES At the first opportunity on the move, check
brakes-does the footbrake come into operation with
slight movement of the pedal? Does the vehicle brake
evenly without shudder or jerk or pull to the side?

STEERING Check for excessive slackness or stiffness.

[f you are not satisfied with any of the above, attend or
have it attended to at once. Tomorrow may be too late.


Yourself

Are you alert, free from undue strain from any CUU8e
and able to give full concentration to the job of driving?

If not, don't drive.

Driving Position


The driving seat should be so adjusted that, with the
control pedals fully depressed, the knee is slightly bent.
This gives maximum control and greater confidence.
It also ensures that, with the driver of average build, the
hands fall comfortably into the correct driving grip, which
is evenly balanced on either side of the wheel, i.e., the
'ten-to-two' position.

Use of Mirrors

The mirror is your third eye. Having adjusted your seat,
adjust your mirror or mirrors so that you have maximum
rear vision at a glance. Remember that, with an interior
4
mirror alone, you will certainly have one or more blind
spots which can only be overcome by fitting off and near
side exterior mirrors. Make it a habit to glance into your
mirror before starting off or making any alteration in
course or speed. Incidentally, avoid obstructing your
vision through windscreen or rear window with stickers,
mascots or pareels.

Use of Handbrake
The handbrake is often inadequately referred to as the
parking brake. It has, however, other equally important
uses, i.e., it should be used to hold the vehicle stationary
whenever necessary, even for temporary stops such as at
traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, etc., independently of the
foot controls.
When starting off, you should be in gear before you
release the handbrake. When stopping you should apply
your handbrake before putting your gear lever to neutral.
(For full drill see page 19)

Steering
The 'ten-to-two' position has already been described as the
position of maximum control, but, to retain this control,
both hands should be kept on the wheel at all times, except
when it is necessary to remove one for the purpose of
signalling, gear changing, etc., which a good driver does
when on a straight course.
When changing direction, the wheel should be turned
with a push and pull movement. Don't be caught in an
emergency with your arms crossed over the wheel!

MY FAVE BIT! Cannot think why

Concentration, Observation and
Anticipation


Under modern traffic conditions, whether in a built-up area
or in the country, it is vitally necessary for drivers to be
drivers, and in no circumstances

... continued on pages 6-7..


concentration with any other activity such as:

Turning to talk to passengers in the rear
Allowing your attention to be distracted by a passenger
Allowing your mind to wander
Looking for something in pocket or handbag
Reading a map
Lighting a: cigarette or pipe
Nursing a pet animal


If you find it difficult to concentrate-stop or let someone
else drive.


When giving hand signals, remember that a bad signal
is worse than none at all and might be entirely misleading
to other road users. Hand signals should be
supplemented by indicators, where fitted, so that when
actually carrying out a manoeuvre both hands are
firmly on the wheel.
.


[i] If you really concentrate on the road ahead you will often
observe movements or situations far ahead which will give
you adequate warning of possible danger, and thus more
time to cope with it. One such warning may be the feet of
pedestrians about to cross the road, seen from under the
chassis of a parked lorry. Or a ball rolling into the road
from a side street. Another may be the sudden sweep of
telegraph poles or trees, indicating a sharp bend not otherwise
obvious. III fact, the road ahead should be to the
driver like an open book, there for him to read and
interpret in readiness for any necessary action. It is such
anticipation which is the hallmark of the experienced
driver.

(HMMMM! CHECK OUT 2004's post on COAST via Hendon Notes Sounds jolly familiar!

Control of Speed
.
Speed is comparative and what might be thought a crawling
pace on a clear, straight, open road, might well be a
dangerous speed in a congested built-up area, or in narrow
winding lanes, but again it depends on the skill of the
driver and the condition of the vehicle. In judging what is a
safe speed, it is therefore necessary to consider these factors:
REACTION TIME. This is the time required for the brain
to register the need to take action and to convey its
command to the hand or foot. It varies with an individual's
physical capabilities, state of health and mind,
and consequently degree of concentration. Under
normal conditions an average driver's reaction time is
7/lOths of a second and in that time, from a speed of
30 m.p.h., a vehicle would travel 30 feet before any
braking movement actually commenced. Any momentary
distraction might easily double or treble this timeand
distance.

Signals
The purpose of your signal is to tell other road users what
you propose to do. Having given it, you are still responsible
for seeing that the way is clear to carry out your intention.
Give only the signals prescribed in the Highway Code; give
them clearly and in good time. Never omit signals which
may contribute to the Safely of other road users,
It is always best to give signals by hand in daylight for
these reasons:
A hand signal alters tile outline of a vehicle from an
observer's point of view to the maximum extent and is
thus much more readily seen.
It requires a certain amount of self-discipline to give
hand signals correctly and,in driving, self-discipline is a
very desirable virtue. '
CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE and particularly the
brakes. Under good conditions, from 30 m.p.h. a
vehicle will travel 45 feet from the point where the
brakes have been applied. This distance increases
rapidly at greater speeds.
STATE OF THE WEATHER as regards visibility.
STATE OF THE ROAD as regards structure, texture and
surface condition.
A good driver automatically takes these factors into consideration
whether by day or night and adjusts his speed
as the situation requires, but there is one general over-all
injunction which sums it up, that is-never drive at a speed

which will prevent you from stopping well within your range
of vision. At night, remember that under ideal conditions
your range of perception will limit you to a maximum safe
speed of 50 m.p.h. and, on the dipped beam, 38 m.p.h.
These maximum safe speeds will be greatly reduced by any
adverse conditions or for heavier vehicles.



Planning the Course Ahead (IN OTHER WORDS [SPACE AND TIME >. ummmmm:scratchchin: C O A S T! :bounce:

This enables the driver to position his vehicle for the next
manoeuvre in good time and thus avoid last minute
decisions, changes of course, and consequently inconvenience
and possible danger to other road users. Normally
the best and safest position on the road is well to the left,
but leaving sufficient room to manoeuvre in emergency,
and to allow overtaking traffic to pass comfortably and in
safety on the right.
Think of others. Hugging the centre of the road is selfish
and may tempt those behind to overtake dangerously.

Keeping Distance
You cannot, however, plan your course unless you can see
the road ahead. For instance, you would not dream of
driving with one-third of your windscreen blacked out, yet
that in effect is what many otherwise skilful drivers do when
they follow closely behind the vehicle in front. By doing so,
they not only obscure their view of the road ahead and lose
many opportunities or legitimate passing, but tbey leave
nothing in hand in any emergency .
They also help to form those appalling queues which,
though perhaps only three or four vehicles in length, hold
up traffic and fray tempers quite unnecessarily.
It is best to allow at least one vehicle's length for every
10 m.p.h. of speed between you and the vehicle in front.
At Cross Roads and Road Junctions
Where these are marked with a 'Halt at Major Road
Ahead' sign, yott must stop at the stop line, until you are
8
sure that the way is clear. If necessary, move very slowly
forward to open your line of vision. At 'Slow Major Road
Ahead' signs, carry out the same drill; you need not
actually stop, but be ready to do so.
In the absence of such signs, if in any doubt as to
whether you are on a major road, approach all cross roads
and junctions with caution, looking well to right, left and
right again before proceeding. Such places call particularly
for application of the advice given under 'Control of
Speed'. (See page 7)
At Traffic Lights
Always approach traffic lights with caution; the fact that
they are there indicates the presence of crossing or converging
streams of traffic.
If the lights change from green to amber, you must stop
at the stop line unless the amber signal appears when you
have already passed the stop line or are so close to it that
to pull up might cause an accident.
If the lights are red, you will, of course, have stopped
behind the stop line and, in accordance with the advice
given for 'Use of Handbrake', be in neutral with your
handbrake on.
When the lights change to red and amber, select your
gear and be prepared to start when the green light shows
but not before. The green light gives you permission to
proceed-if the road is clear. Be particularly careful not to
overtake if you arrive as the lights change to green.

Strict adherence to the above drill will save many accidents-
do not be an Amber Gambler!



Turning Right
Turning to the right is the manoeuvre most often abused
and which most often leads to accidents. So it is well worth
giving some thought as to how it should be done and how
it is done by expert drivers. (See illustration alongside.)

Position
If you have planned your course as advised in preceding... etc..

The first requirement in overtaking is patience; hte second, judgement

IF, after surveyng the road ahead carefully, YOU judge that there is ample room for you to overtake and regain your normal position with plenty of margin to spare, then proceed as follows:

Consult your mirror

Give a clear signal of your intention to pull out.

If necessary for optimum acceleration .. change down

Give a light tap on the horn to warn the driver in front not to "Get out of your way" but to "Please allow me to pass you"

Overtake ans, as quicky as possible, regain your position clsoe to the nearside, taking care not to cut in on the overtaken vehicle.

Particular care in overtaking is necessary on three lane roads

If your have been given an indication that a driver in front is ready to be overtaken, do not assume that is is safe to overtake: the repsonsibilty for overtaking safely is YOURS if, on the other hand, you are being overtaken, give way readily as it is to your advantage if the overtaking vehicle gets clear quickly