OTish: Thoughts on Speed

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 18:40:02 +0000, Mother made me spill my meths by writing:

I was driving the 101 through several small Dutch villages last week and I can tell you they are nutters. I was being cut up by cars in Amsterdam, and this time I had the advantage of being in a left hooker on the correct side of the road :)

Pulled up at some lights and saw a bike with it's wheel in the gutter, it had been run over and the wheel followed the stepped profile of the kerb.

At least no chance of tramlines affecting the steering in a 101.

Ah, you made the mistake of thinking that Amsterdam is anything like the rest of the Netherlands... ;-)

My experience - having lived there, is that yes, the Dutch are totally bonkers - but not necessarily 'dangerous' per se. HOWEVER, in Amsterdam they're suicidal, dangerous, psychotic, malicious, arrogant sh*t for brains w*nkers. And that's just the cyclists...

IMHO any Dutch cyclist is a fair target - especially for tram drivers (who have a smile as wide as the Volendam when they see a wheel stuck in a tran track...). Only worse are Dam Taxi drivers who know only two speeds: 'flat out' and 'stopped'... :-(

Martyn

I heard the story of a Honda NSX (I think) driver who was followed by police (until they realised they weren't going to catch him) on the M4. My contact was a witness in court to say that his data collection system proved that the police Volvo was doing >150mph at the time the police testified that the Honda was going away from it.

They tried him for dangerous driving. Not guilty (road was clear, police never got close enough to be endangered). They couldn't then try him for a lesser speeding offence and he drove away from court.

A fair result possibly. If he'd lost it and launched himself over the central reservation into oncoming traffic the opinions would no doubt change.

Tim Hobbs

'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i

I couldn't help passing your observations on to my sister who has liven in Holland for the past 25 years. I'll let you know what she thinks ;-)

LOL Steve G

Visiting Amsterdam a few years ago, I observed that all taxi drivers were quite young, and all taxis were quite new.

It took a couple of days to understand why, but sitting in a taxi going well over 100KM/h, in fairly busy city traffic, and then reading the following text, written i the middle of the road:

SUB

The S and the B were mirrored, though. It dawned on me that we were going in the wrong direction, in a bus lane, with a hard shoulder separating this lane from the lane we were supposed to be in. This is when I realized that there was a perfectly natural explanation for the age of the taxis and their drivers.

---Ketil (1969 109" PU, 1997 110" CSW)

Which is exacty the point - if! My first job ofter leaving school was in a motorbike shop, and, as apart from the rather elderly senior machanic, as I was the only one with a full licence I used to get to do the MOTs. In those days (1979) it consisted, unofficailly, in part of going for a ride to see if things were ok. After my favourite ever ride (a Norton 850 Commando Interstate, if that matters!) the old chap took me to one side a gave me a piece of advice that, I'm sure, has certainly saved me from serious injury, and possibly death - it was this: "Sure, you can get round that bend at 60 - no problem. But what about the broken down lorry hidden round it". I thought about that a lot, especially with two mates being kiled shortly afterwards on bikes, and it still strikes me as by far the most sensible thing I've ever heard said regarding driving.

Richard

In a similar vein, police drivers are taught that if you can't stop in the distance ahead that you can see to be clear on your own side of the road then you're going too fast.

The Commando was (and still is) my favourite road bike too ... drool ...

LOL Steve G

-snip-

They also tried it in Montana - removed most speed limits. The results were less accidents and a lower speed overall. My view that if you take away the nanny state people are forced to be accountable for the risks they take. One of the results of the Montana experiment was that people weren't so aggressive and selfish on the roads (protecting their little space from any intruders) - they could easily make the journey time up later, so were more happy to allow other vehicles to join the road etc.

Well having met a drunk farmer driving his tractor home at 4.30 one morning - on the wrong side of the already too narrow country road, whilst doing 50mph(ish) on my Honda twin 400 I can kind of agree - however, it isn't the best advice I've had.

The best advice I've had was simply; "Treat every other road user as if their sole mission in life is to kill you".

Martyn

I try to think, if there is a horse round this corner, will I either hit it or frighten the daylights out of it by braking hard. If the answer is yes, then I slow down.

On a single track road, the question is "if some twot cames round this bend like a maniac, will I be stationary by the time he hits me."

David

Go to Goa if you wish to see complete nutters. Over there they can get whole families on scooters - Dad steering, Mum, who is pregnant, sitting side saddle, two under 5's standing on the footplate in between Dad and the handlebars and a baby perched on Mum's knee. They have to contend with the mad lunatics who drive what they call buses, but they could just as easily be trucks with the odd seat nailed down in the back. They are covered in all sorts of decorations, some dragging chains and they love it if they can rig a set of fairy lights up. The roads are mainly dirt tracks, with the biggest potholes I have ever seen in my life, and you know when there is a bus coming as it sounds it horn constantly(a warning to get out of the way) and they don't stop to let people on or off as they sort of slow down, just enough for people to jump on and off.

Its pretty much the same driving round Leicester some days:-)

Not just police drivers. This is a basic theory of 'Roadcraft'.

An old pal of mine, also a police driver for a while, once failed his IAM test for leaving too big a gap between him and the vehicle in front, and also for going too slow.

With the Festive Season nearly upon us, I can heartily commend Roadcraft - the book, as a stocking filler, along with:

Very Advanced Driving by: A Tom Topper ISBN: 0-7160-2127-7

Martyn

Thank you Mother, it's now on my Amazon wish list. Following a conversation with AndyC, I'm also looking at joining the Institute for Advanced Motorists

I recall driving in Utah and being overtaken by Semis doing upwards of

When you say "tried", do you mean they abandoned the idea? If so, why?

Also, I'd be interested to know how they managed to work around the 'general' maximum US speed limit of 55mph? Having driven from LA to San Francisco I don't think I saw anyone going 'under' 55mph - and we took the scenic coast route - not the highway :-)

Martyn

Umm. M23. Any 40 footer with Irish plates. Late for the ferry.

The prosecution rests.

P.

That's the spirit!

Many insurance companies used to offer a discount for showing a red triangle - but the best part is getting to think about who you are when you're behind the wheel, and what others are trying to do to you (the running commentary is something you'll end up doing as a matter of course, much to the amusement of any passengers...) :-)

Martyn

Ferry, Irish plates, M23???

Must be heading for Newhaven - not really the right port for Ireland. (I think I may wish I hadn't mentioned that...) :-)

Martyn

One of my fave 'rat runs' on my way home from Brighton to Sheffield is to come off the M23 at Gatwich and take the local roads, through Reigate, and join the M25 one junction on from where it meets the M23. This, I've noticed, is now a fave for truckers who, as you observe, like to have a heavy right foot...

The frightening bit is in Reigate, by Safeway, just where the road narrows...

Martyn