Anyone contemplating riding/driving through the West Midlands be advised that at J10 the M6 is closed, avoid travelling or at the very least avoid that area. Closed until Monday morning. Mrs is upset as she can’t get to bloody IKEA. https://www.expressandstar.com/news...qaP6an0SaF9jK5RoxAvTM2iVhxO-baf6u0LZeRAbNMDzU
I always avoid the 70mph procession and Ikea. I don't like being tailgated and there are far more amusing puzzles than flat pack furniture.
70 mph!!!!! Only very early am or very late pm all other times 50 or less. Mrs has never complained of being tailgated in IKEA.
not sure if this is on topic, but re: tailgating, has anyone else noticed a general rise in this? Have had 3 occasions on "A" roads in the last month where i've had to put hazards on, brake repeatedly to let following car know they are way too close, ending up with a brake test on two occasions. Each time i'm behind a queue of cars with a safe gap. Often as not, following driver will then undertake and try and slot in in front of you, or cars further in front.
I think lockdown resulted in many drivers taking break from the roads. Some have returned having forgotten rudimentary skills...
Not sure on the tailgating, I find a very sudden application of brakes cures this habit I fire no warning shots. But then I drive a White van so the usual standards and norms are not always if ever followed, us vannies have our own set of rules. Lane discipline has got poorer as has driving skills in general, 4 lane motorways may just as well be dual carriageways with the inner 2 barely used at all. Whoever decided that trucks could use the 3 inner lanes needs cooking slowly in a hog roast style, it’s like a race of the speed limiter, weight carried and engine size for truckers FFS.
Yes I have and lorries in the mornings egging on to move (give me a chance to accelerate and I will give you plenty of space The standard of driving is appalling I went for a drive Friday and the amount of cars I encountered on my side of the road was scary
A local ish bloke was killed because someone brake tested him the other week. Not worth it mate. Imho stupid thing to do. Worst are HGV. They sit 1 car behind and moan about everyone else!
disagree Paul - there are brake tests and there are brake tests, are you saying I don't have the right to decide to slow down when a vehicle is almost touching the boot of my car?? - the driver following is putting my life at risk, would be interested to know how you would deal with this..
My understanding is potentially you can be prosecuted for brake testing. Chap up our way got prosecuted for braking sharply on a dual carriage to avoid a family of Ducks crossing resulting in 1 death and 2 serious injuries. Tailgaters don’t really bother me as such it’s on them should an unwanted collision occur, it’s just the general poor road raft by every other driver than me that boils my piss.
hmm that’s not a brake test in the way I see a brake test, my understanding is that you actually brake hard to signal your unhappiness. To be honest and not just fatuous these days I get out on their way if I can, I have no idea why other drivers are in such a rush and I give them the benefit of doubt. It may well be they’re in such a rush as they have a genuine need to be pushing on to their destination.
Any brake test is stupid chris. Period. Amazed you do it tbh Rolling off the gas is/can be just as dangerous depending on speed etc. Imagine a 1098r shutting the throttle at 50 with a R6 up his chuff? Cars are similar. I had a big diesel but as a auto you had to brake not roll off. Whereas my wife’s little 1.5 mini is manual and I rarely touch the brakes. Add to that the frustration that is created if you start doing 30 in a 50…. Just ignore them. Or leave them behind
I won't be changing mate, fully legal and your definition and mine are obviously different. Can you hand-on-heart say you've never done this, even lifting off?? hmmm.. (can't leave them behind - this is in a car and would mean undertaking even if other lanes weren't full/already congested..)
Shirley the answer is to leave a much larger gap in front of you so that if there is an ‘emergency stop’ you have greater time to deal with it and slow down at Slower pace minimising the risk of the closely following car. Alternative is to pull in and let said car past -not. Victory per se but is safety about winning?
Leaving a bigger gap ahead inspires the manic tailgaters to try to burst & past and pull into the space. Results can be worse as they now ram you at a higher speed than when they were behind..,
