S.O..problems with tailgaters

[Bill Wright]

Nightjar In which case the speed limit has been wrongly set. The DfT recommends

That's a daft way of looking at it.

Bill

[Tim+]

Have I said any different?

I've already said that it's inexcusable, I'm just pointing out that it *is* more likely to happen if you drive slower than the prevailing traffic.

Tim

[Bob Martin]

Maybe the fact that she is obeying the speed limits?

[Bob Martin]

Not true, some drivers just habitually drive much too close to the vehicle in front. Lack of imagination.

[Bob Martin]

Was it wise to ask this in a group that is full of white van men? I find that they are the worst offenders.

[Brian Gaff]

Remember there is a limit to how much that tint reduces the light through it, several folk have been prosecuted, usually the boy racer types who pimp up their rides.

The camera sounds like a good idea,, maybe an ultrasonic distance detector as well. Brian

[Nightjar]

It is based upon an investigation of speed limits that the Road Research Laboratory published in 1962 and that was the basis for introducing the national speed limit. The results have been confirmed by several later investigations. As an example, imposing a 20mph limit on a previously

30mph road without any other measures, produces a speed reduction of 1-2mph. Essentially, for a speed limit to work, it must match the speed that most drivers perceive as the 'right' speed for the road. A limit by itself does not work.

OTOH, on a stretch of 40mph urban single carriageway I use regularly, which had quite wide lanes, the LA painted advisory cycle lanes on both sides and the consequent narrower main lanes resulted in the free traffic speed reducing by 5-6mph.

There is a prime example near me ATM. A 70mph dual carriageway is having a pedestrian bridge built and temporary pedestrian lights have been installed meanwhile. The limit is reduced to 50mph on the approach to the works, which most traffic obeys. It is reduced to 30mph on the approach to the lights. As there is nothing different about this stretch of road, apart from the lights, traffic still does 50mph. Had the lanes been narrowed and marked with lots of road cones, the traffic would undoubtedly slow much more.

[Nightjar]

That does not make my statement untrue. It is an additional reason, but one that is outside the control of the driver in front.

[Nightjar]

I routinely set the speed limiter on my car to suit the speed limits (I haven't used the speedo for speed control for around a dozen years). I don't get tailgated.

[Dave Liquorice]

I think you'll find that illuminated motorways have the small repeater boards.

[Nightjar]

Only a problem on windscreens and front side windows. There is no requirement to be able to look through anything behind the driver, if the vehicle has side mirrors, which all modern cars have. Many vans don't have any rear windows.

You would need radar. Although tailgaters may look close, that is only relative. They are almost certainly beyond the range of ultrasonic parking sensors.

[philipuk]

If she's being tailgated then the first course of action is to slowly reduc e her speed (slowly so that she doesn't get rammed) and increase the distan ce between her and the car in front. That usually gets the message across o r causes the tailgater to overtake, in which case just let them go past.

The second course of action is to find a safe place to pull in such as a la yby and just let them past.

The main point is to try to avoid letting them crash into you, as you will have to declare the accident to your insurer even though it isn't your faul t and your premium will rise. They will have their accident eventually.

Phil.

[Capitol]

That's where the US has it right. The person joining has priority.

[Nightjar]

Not if the limit is 70mph. Special Roads are specifically excluded from the speed limit signing requirements of the Road Traffic Regulation Act

1984.

[Tim+]

No, BOTH are true.

Tim

[Robin]

Is that true now generally? Last time I drove there (admittedly several years ago) just about every ramp had a yield sign (ie yield to traffic already on the freeway); and the States I drove in had laws which, in the absence of signs, would still have given priority to people already on the freeway etc. Drivers may be adviused to move over to make room for vehicles joining but it's not a law - and it certainly weren't the practice on LA freeways during peak hours.

I heard that some places (eg Texas) had more complicated rules but I've not driven there.

[Capitol]

It was true the last time I read their highway code, about 10 yrs ago.

[damduck-egg]

Roof bars covered with pipe insulation used have a similar effect if it was the coloured stuff .Blue length in the middle and a couple red off cuts on the ends.

G.Harman

[dennis]

I've driven hundreds of thousands of motorway miles and I don't believe anywhere near that many drivers exceed the speed limit. When I drive at a *real* 70 mph virtually nothing overtakes.

[David]

On Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:42:58 +0000, Nightjar

Well, I have this theory that some people are mindless bigots.

We could, of course, both be correct.

Cheers

Dave R