Country lanes - no curbs

[bert]

In article , T i m writes

Factory recommended max tilt angle for Defender 90 hardtop is 40 degrees. Most drivers chicken out long before that.

[Huge]

N-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ce.

[Tim Streater]

Just paste 51 15 53N, 1 04 08E straight into Google Maps, dummkopf.

[Roger Hayter]

On the contrary, anything that discourages people from driving considerably faster than the speed that would allow them to stop in the distance they can see is an excellent thing. I just hope they hit an oil tanker round the blind bends rather than mow me down when I'm walking.

[Roger Hayter]

This is simply not true if the tank is driven at a sensible speed. The only people who will suffer will be those driving at a stupid or inconsiderate as well as stupid speed.

[Tim Streater]

Which side of the road do you walk on?

[T i m]

He may have been in an Audo TT Quatro or summat.

Ah, but this is TNP. A legend in his own lunchtime. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Roger Hayter]

Don't forget the context of this thread is single track roads. Generally both sides with the dogs, but erring to the outside of bends. This is a bit difficult to define with multiple bends though.

[Roger Hayter]

When the unexpected happens one can get all 4 wheels up the bank!

[Tim Streater]

:-)

Glad to hear that - a sensible approach. I live in dread that some pedestrian on one of the local lanes will have just read the admonition in the Highway Code about walking facing the traffic, and I'll meet them going round a left hand bend. Most of the roads round here are unsafe for pedestrians.

In Cambridge, of course, it was **** cyclists jumping red lights.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Can't be bothered, I prefer to click a link. When you're on google maps and want to share it with someone, there's a little button you can click that gives you a link to share. You learn something new every day.

[Brian Reay]

We have a Smart Car and an SUV which looks huge.

In fact, the difference in width between the two isn't that much at all.

Looks can be very misleading. Our previous SUV was a CRV, the new one is an Outlander hybrid. The latter looks far longer/larger. In fact it is about 4" longer. 4" in the length of a car- could you estimate to that?

The 'country roads' problem doesn't seen to happen in France. We drive a huge motorhome + trailer (Smart car) down country roads in France when needed. We meet other large vehicles, tractors, .... never a problem. We did loose a mirror once, on a wide road. I saw the Dutch motorhome driving in the middle of it, pulled right over on the verge, stopped, and he still hit the mirror.

[T i m]

So let's say the 'tank' is doing 30 mph and runs head-on into a small family car (filled with family) also doing 30 mph in the opposite direction, the occupants of both vehicles will suffer the same deceleration etc (all other things being equal)?

I would suggest it will be those in the 'lighter vehicle' who will come off worst, irrespective of any driving.

'Immovable object'?

How often does a motorcyclist come out better off when colliding with a car or a car with a truck, bus or train?

My point is the use of a 'bigger vehicle' as a means of making you or your family safer is only relevant when you collide with a similar size vehicle (when it just evens the odds) or when you are hit by a bigger vehicle (when it improves your odds).

It's not 'right' to use someone else's family as part of your crumple zone. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Roger Hayter]

No, sorry, the road is perfectly safe for pedestrians. It is the behaviour of car drivers that is unsafe for pedestrians. Round here, where we only have one car every ten to thirty minutes they do tend to be a bit more reasonable than in the home counties, though.

[Roger Hayter]

The point I am making is that if you drive at a sensible speed it will only ever be the other person responsible for the collision. I suspect most tank owners don't drive at 30mph round blind bends. Noblesse oblige.

[T i m]

And the point I was making it matters little who was 'responsible' for a collision if it was a conscious decision by one party to make their family safer by increasing the risk to others?

I hope you understood 'tank' = 'overlarge vehicle bought because it's 'safer' than a smaller one', not an actual tank?

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Reay]

Perhaps you drive in a way such a consideration is relevant, I certainly don't.

People, generally, don't set out to collide with other people, vehicles or objects, as you seem to be convinced those in bigger cars are mentally driven by some super strong sense of self-protection, you must believe they desire to do so even less.

Besides the most important aspect of any accident- injury or worse to people- there is also the cost. Do you seriously think just because someone has a bigger car, they are looking for opportunities to incur the costs of an accident? Even with insurance, they will face increased premiums, uninsured losses, ......

You clearly have an issue with 'bigger cars' and their owners/drives and feel the need to hide behind bogus safety concerns. I suggest you look at the dimensions, especially the width, of some SUVs and compare them to average or even small cars. Passing on narrow roads isn't really a big deal - I drive a Smart Car, a SUV, and a 3.5T motorhome + trailer on narrow roads when needed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Todger is full of all the pre programmed social myths like 'stopping in the distance they can see'.

Which fails if

- someone is caoming in the other durection at the same speed, in which case you need to stop in half the distance you can see.

- a deer leaps out of a hedge 3 feet on front of you.

He has obviously never driven in the country. Safe driving is a lot slower than that.

I am thinking of making up a handy set of gravestones engraved with the saying

"He died, obeying all the rules, and therefore thinking he was safe".

[The Natural Philosopher]

I am sure you know I drive an old Freelander these days

Anyway it was a curve to the right after swerving left...I was past the tanker well before it had a chance to start toppling.

No. The Defender - which I used to have - only ever drove OVER a large roundabout that was gridlocked.

[The Natural Philosopher]

In Cambridge **** cyclists dont have ANY lights.