Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial

General => General => Topic started by: DILLIGAFF on 28 February 2018, 11:17:09 am

Title: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: DILLIGAFF on 28 February 2018, 11:17:09 am
Why is it in this country that as soon as there is a few millimetres of snow there is a sudden rash of accidents, especially on motorways.??

Back when I learnt to drive cars did not have power steering or anti-skid brakes and I drove literally by the seat of my pants. I could feel a skid or loss of traction and dealt with it.

How about compulsory retests for all drivers causing accidents in the snow??
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: robbo on 28 February 2018, 11:30:12 am
Also this must be the first occasion that hundreds of new drivers have driven on snow. A skid-pan lesson could be incorporated leading up to the test. I think they do this in one or some Scandinavian countries. Mind you there's God knows how many people driving about on licences where someone else took the test for them, so that would be a non starter.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: steve 10562cc on 28 February 2018, 11:39:05 am
They should be made to learn to control a MK1 Ford Capri 2ltr on snow they were bad enough in the dry. Seen a couple of Chelsea tractors parked in hedges thick t**ts forget about the couple of tons of steel they have got to get stopped.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: agricola on 28 February 2018, 11:46:22 am
Millions out there on the roads without either licence/tax/insurance/mot. Too many without sufficient gumption as to how to drive in the present conditions, to adapt. Numerous alterations to the motorcycle test regime over ecent years to try to reduce casualties/improve riding skills etc, but a 17 year can still go out and buy a car without restrictions, or modify one for enhanced perfomance
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: fazersharp on 28 February 2018, 01:11:52 pm
Also this must be the first occasion that hundreds of new drivers have driven on snow. A skid-pan lesson could be incorporated leading up to the test. I think they do this in one or some Scandinavian countries.
Could not agree more - skid pan lesson added to the test. A few years ago when my daughter got her first and it snowed I took her to an empty car park and skidded around in the snow to get a bit of a feel for it. She now lives on a brand new build estate up a crappy inappropriate back road for the size of the build the houses are full of first young time buyers who most likely have never driven in snow.

Bugs me at the best of times people travelling too close to me but then they do it on compacted snow -aaahhh. But my trick is to yank on the handbrake around a corner and do a very nice drift around it and to the twat behind it looks like I am out of control and then they hang back  :thumbup
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: DILLIGAFF on 01 March 2018, 11:22:44 am
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: darrsi on 01 March 2018, 11:24:53 am
Got sent this yesterday......who needs motorways or snow?
Just shocking, and should be immediately banned from using any vehicle.


Sorry, address doesn't work, i'll try and find the video.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: darrsi on 01 March 2018, 11:41:05 am
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.


Cars were flying down my side road yesterday about 30mph, but the whole road is black ice. Due to positioning of the road it stays in the shade until mid afternoon then a couple of hours later it's dark so unless the temperature rises it just stays put, but gets topped up by any more snow.

Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: YamFazFan on 01 March 2018, 07:09:50 pm
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.


Cars were flying down my side road yesterday about 30mph, but the whole road is black ice. Due to positioning of the road it stays in the shade until mid afternoon then a couple of hours later it's dark so unless the temperature rises it just stays put, but gets topped up by any more snow.

BMW's?.

Most of the occasions where I see this sort of thing it's BMW drivers.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: darrsi on 01 March 2018, 08:08:31 pm
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.


Cars were flying down my side road yesterday about 30mph, but the whole road is black ice. Due to positioning of the road it stays in the shade until mid afternoon then a couple of hours later it's dark so unless the temperature rises it just stays put, but gets topped up by any more snow.

BMW's?.

Most of the occasions where I see this sort of thing it's BMW drivers.


No matter what the occasion or weather, if bad driving is involved a BMW will pop up somewhere.  :lol
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: YamFazFan on 01 March 2018, 09:32:43 pm
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.


Cars were flying down my side road yesterday about 30mph, but the whole road is black ice. Due to positioning of the road it stays in the shade until mid afternoon then a couple of hours later it's dark so unless the temperature rises it just stays put, but gets topped up by any more snow.

BMW's?.

Most of the occasions where I see this sort of thing it's BMW drivers.


No matter what the occasion or weather, if bad driving is involved a BMW will pop up somewhere.  :lol

Are they still all rear wheel drive?.

Not such a superior driving machine on these icy roads lol
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: focced_off on 02 March 2018, 02:43:08 pm
Carnage on the M66 - note the video is NOT speeded up!
Just when you thought you'd seen it all - it kicks off again from 1 minute... Amazingly no fatals. UK cant drive / too fast? Never!  :eek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lpWqHjuAWM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lpWqHjuAWM)

Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: robbo on 02 March 2018, 02:55:32 pm
Driving on the wrong side of the road is maybe the problem :rollin :rollin .
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: YamFazFan on 02 March 2018, 03:48:12 pm
Can't see the link to that video :rolleyes
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: YamFazFan on 02 March 2018, 03:54:03 pm
Can't see the link to that video :rolleyes


...but I can see it on my phone :rolleyes

Another mystery.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: slappy on 02 March 2018, 04:57:33 pm
Not UK, and definitely speeded up, you can tell easily from the people walking about.
Still it shows people just don't know how to drive in adverse conditions.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: fazerscotty on 02 March 2018, 06:03:23 pm
BBC news outside broadcast today showed convoys of vehicles all travelling too close and none with lights on even though it was blizzard conditions.

All too busy prodding their satnavs and checking their mobiles.


Cars were flying down my side road yesterday about 30mph, but the whole road is black ice. Due to positioning of the road it stays in the shade until mid afternoon then a couple of hours later it's dark so unless the temperature rises it just stays put, but gets topped up by any more snow.

BMW's?.

Most of the occasions where I see this sort of thing it's BMW drivers.


No matter what the occasion or weather, if bad driving is involved a BMW will pop up somewhere.  :lol

Are they still all rear wheel drive?.

Not such a superior driving machine on these icy roads lol

It's not the rear wheel drive thing trust me - I drive a 2003 2.5 V6 Jag - rear wheel drive automatic. Today I watched in my mirror as a '67' plated front wheel drive Merc struggled to get away from the lights behind me  :rollin :rollin
It's not what you've got - but what you do with it!
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: robbo on 02 March 2018, 06:36:17 pm
Not UK, and definitely speeded up, you can tell easily from the people walking about.
Still it shows people just don't know how to drive in adverse conditions.
That's a news item on the I-35 in Iowa last month. Still madness wherever it was.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Billy Balthorpe on 06 March 2018, 06:02:12 pm
Hang on, had a new 520 D delivered last September,  the first rear wheel drive car I've had in about 30 years. It's better in the snow and ice that my 3 year old Passat. More grip and better roadholding in the snow. The traction control is fantastic. But that doesn't mean I drive inappropriately in the prevailing weather conditions,  driving so fast that you can't stop is not an exclusively BMW preserve. So there!
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Wharfe on 11 March 2018, 06:11:04 pm
I was delayed by three hours leaving work after a night shift the other day because most of my colleagues either couldn't make it in or had to stay home because every school in West Yorkshire closed. once i finally got out I really couldn't see what the fuss was. Yeah, some snow, and a bit of a blizzard but christ really?
What really tickled me was at the bottom of Hollins Hill out of Bradford there was the inevitable slow up of traffic as everyone either creeps up or does a 3 point turn and bales out - the cars baling out were exclusively "Ilkley Tractors" - Range Rovers... Er guys, 4wd yeah?  If you're afraid to use it then just buy a foccin' car?
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Millietant on 11 March 2018, 08:29:09 pm
Agreed - biggest problem is not the snow itself, but drivers who don't know how to "drive" in it.

We have the perfect storm of people who drive too fast, and too close, for the conditions, but EQUALLY, the people who are too timid and drive too slowly for the conditions. I've seen countless "drivers" going down a dip in the road (on a straight road) and braking in snow, then not having enough momentum to get up the other (up) side of the dip and then spinning the wheels because they start to slow down.

Most of the issues where I live (at the bottom of a hill) are people who approach the hill too slowly, with no momentum and then wonder why they can't get up the hill. So far, I've never gotten stuck - I approach with a decent speed and then run up on minimal throttle/accelerator, with basically no wheelspin.

On the motorway, I'm as careful as the next driver - some might say I drive too fast (but I don't) but I always leave enough room between myself and the Vehicle ahead. I also practice smooth steering input, minimal braking and light acceleration, using the gears by matching rpms to the engines speed & my road speed - something which recent drivers seem not to be taught about. Both our sons were "taught" that it's more fuel efficient to depress the clutch and use the brakes to lose speed (especially a low speeds), which goes against everything I was taught about accelerator control - apparently it's part of the "environmentally friendly" approach to driving that's taught these days.

The Safety crowd and their "slower is better" mantra have won the day and are preventing newer drivers from learning to use, and using, APPROPRIATE speed (neither too fast, nor too slow). - hence likely causing more accid nuts than they prevent !!!!
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: tommyardin on 12 March 2018, 12:28:07 am
Agreed - biggest problem is not the snow itself, but drivers who don't know how to "drive" in it.

We have the perfect storm of people who drive too fast, and too close, for the conditions, but EQUALLY, the people who are too timid and drive too slowly for the conditions. I've seen countless "drivers" going down a dip in the road (on a straight road) and braking in snow, then not having enough momentum to get up the other (up) side of the dip and then spinning the wheels because they start to slow down.

Most of the issues where I live (at the bottom of a hill) are people who approach the hill too slowly, with no momentum and then wonder why they can't get up the hill. So far, I've never gotten stuck - I approach with a decent speed and then run up on minimal throttle/accelerator, with basically no wheelspin.

On the motorway, I'm as careful as the next driver - some might say I drive too fast (but I don't) but I always leave enough room between myself and the Vehicle ahead. I also practice smooth steering input, minimal braking and light acceleration, using the gears by matching rpms to the engines speed & my road speed - something which recent drivers seem not to be taught about. Both our sons were "taught" that it's more fuel efficient to depress the clutch and use the brakes to lose speed (especially a low speeds), which goes against everything I was taught about accelerator control - apparently it's part of the "environmentally friendly" approach to driving that's taught these days.

The Safety crowd and their "slower is better" mantra have won the day and are preventing newer drivers from learning to use, and using, APPROPRIATE speed (neither too fast, nor too slow). - hence likely causing more accid nuts than they prevent !!!!


I agree wholeheartedly with what you say about being in the right gear to match road speeds conditions.


It seems new drivers are now being taught not to change down and use the braking effect of the engine to slow down, but to dip the clutch and slow to a stop using breaks alone, madness, firstly your brakes are going to want relining or new pads in a quarter of the time and should something happen and you need to get out of the way rapidly you are now in top gear clutch dipped and no hope in hell of powering out of there.
the only thing I don't agree with is the accid nuts I have never liked them.
lol  :thumbup


 
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: BBROWN1664 on 12 March 2018, 08:13:59 am
[It seems new drivers are now being taught not to change down and use the braking effect of the engine to slow down, but to dip the clutch and slow to a stop using breaks alone,
 

Completely agree. When I learnt I had been riding bike for years. No option but to use the brakes and gears to slow down (The brakes alone were crap) so you were always in the right gear for the speed.
When my eldest learnt about 6 years ago he learnt to block change in the car but also rode a bike so knows both ways. My youngest is learning now and hasn't ridden geared bikes. He slows down to the point of stalling then dips the clutch and brakes only. Doesn't change down till he is stationary. Wrong. But I cant teach him the real way properly till he passes his test.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: DILLIGAFF on 12 March 2018, 10:58:52 am
IMHO a major cause of accidents these days are the "Brake dabbers" who, mainly because they follow too closely, constantly speed up to the vehicle in front then brake to move back. Following vehicles are likely to either over react and slam on the brakes or ignore the constant brake lights ahead then get caught out by some real braking.
I followed a typical vehicle yesterday which in 30 mph traffic on a straight road with no hazards I counted over 20 brake dabs in about 1.5 miles.
I did not need to brake once.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: BBROWN1664 on 12 March 2018, 11:21:12 am

 :agree



IMHO, they should have a mandatory recall on all cars and replace the drivers steering wheel airbag with a spike. That will ensure people leave enough space to react without hitting the brakes every few seconds.!
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: tommyardin on 12 March 2018, 10:42:09 pm

 :agree



IMHO, they should have a mandatory recall on all cars and replace the drivers steering wheel airbag with a spike. That will ensure people leave enough space to react without hitting the brakes every few seconds.!


Sound like a cool mod  :eek
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: DILLIGAFF on 13 March 2018, 10:44:34 am
Or maybe a brake light repeater on the dashboard so they can annoy themselves as well?
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Millietant on 14 March 2018, 02:07:06 am
Together with a huge, really bright, rear fog-light repeater, so big that it can't be ignored!!!!!


Totally fed up of following people in the rain who use their rear fog lights, completely dazzling anyone behind them...ggrrrrrrrrr.....
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: DILLIGAFF on 14 March 2018, 11:13:00 am
In their defence Millie, some modern cars have front and rear fog lights linked so you cannot turn off the rear if front are on.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Grahamm on 14 March 2018, 01:20:57 pm
In their defence Millie, some modern cars have front and rear fog lights linked so you cannot turn off the rear if front are on.

The fog lamps should NOT be on unless visibility is down below 100 metres. Not simply "oh, it's a little bit misty" or "hmm, it's raining, let's dazzle everyone behind me..."

They should also default to OFF as soon as the ignition is switched off, so they don't stay on the next day!
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: BBROWN1664 on 14 March 2018, 02:17:28 pm
In their defence Millie, some modern cars have front and rear fog lights linked so you cannot turn off the rear if front are on.
The fog lamps should NOT be on unless visibility is down below 100 metres. Not simply "oh, it's a little bit misty" or "hmm, it's raining, let's dazzle everyone behind me..."
They should also default to OFF as soon as the ignition is switched off, so they don't stay on the next day!

There is no defence Delboy.

:agree Mille - With Fords, and it may still be the case, you couldnt turn the fog lights on unless the headlights were on as it was on the same rotary switch. Turning he lights off also turned the fog lights off. Good design in my view.
Turnign them off with the ignition may be good but can have drawbacks until you are used to the idea. An alternative is to automatically turn them off when your speed exceeds 60MPH as visibility must be over 100m at that point for you to be able to stop safely.
In this country you rarely get fog where visability is below 100m.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: Millietant on 14 March 2018, 06:25:56 pm
I don't know any cars that have fog lights that don't revert to the off position/setting when the ignition is turned off.

I've had British, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, French and German cars in the last 10 years and every one had fog lights that switched back to off when the ignition is turned off.

People who drive with then ON these days, have turned them on - it's not been done by accident, it's been done by someone who doesn't know what they're doing and who shouldn't be driving (these are the same people, usually, who sit in the 3rd lane on the 4 lane sections of the M1 at 68mph, when there is no be ahead of them in lanes 1 or 2 - and they're oblivious to the gridlock they're causing behind them).

Rant over  :)
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: steve 10562cc on 14 March 2018, 07:55:43 pm
Or they are too busy texting or on the phone to realise the fog lights are on.
Title: Re: MOTORWAY MADNESS
Post by: tommyardin on 14 March 2018, 11:06:08 pm
Or maybe a brake light repeater on the dashboard so they can annoy themselves as well?




 :rollin :rollin :rollin :lol :thumbup