Re: Advice about speeding ticket please

On Sat, 7 Apr 2007 09:41:38 +0100, Norman Wells
<norman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In message <bqgd13tmuouvvpkl7lsebmhnfmmh0vma2f@xxxxxxx>, Alex Heney
<me8@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes
On Fri, 6 Apr 2007 22:48:02 +0100, Norman Wells
<norman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In message <69bd1394c84umdsng5fav25g9h1hovgcqb@xxxxxxx>, Alex Heney
<me8@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes
On Fri, 6 Apr 2007 16:36:58 +0100, Norman Wells
<norman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

According to the Highway Code:

"105: Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the
distance you can see to be clear. You should leave enough space between
you and the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it
suddenly slows down or stops. The safe rule is never to get closer than
the overall stopping distance."

They missed "but stupid" after "safe".

Yes, that is indeed "the safe rule", but it is also a ridiculous
distance to keep as a gap in normal motorway traffic.

It's the rule because it's obviously sensible.

Wrong on both counts.

It isn't "the rule" and it isn't sensible.

Well, the Highway Code calls it the rule.

No it doesn't. It calls it "the safe rule", which is not the same as
"the rule".

If it were "the rule", then it would not also include the "2 second
rule".


And whether it is sensible or
not can perhaps be seen from the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELGdHfgUc2s

That shows nothing whatsoever about safe distances.

It just shows a lot of idiots apparently taking no notice whatsoever
of what has happened in front of them.

Several were shown coming from a hundred plus yards at speed, with no
braking until fairly close.

It is not possible to get any idea of what the distance between them
is, since the only ones following each other in the picture together
actually managed to miss the carnage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K3laXJqy8w

That is the same video as the first one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZejRfz639Y

That one shows a *lot* of vehicles all driving at well under a 2
second gap, in wet conditions.

I'm not sure what you think any of these show, in terms of our
discussion.


True, but it is so incredibly rare for a vehicle to hit something else
without any braking first that allowing for that is seriously OTT.

Watch the above again.

I only saw one such incident. (the one which started the first mess).
I can only imagine that the idiot involved was doing something
completely unrelated to driving.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
You, you, and you, panic. Everyone else, come with me.
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Advice about speeding ticket please
    ... "Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. ... You should leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it suddenly slows down or stops. ... If you are travelling closer to that vehicle than your overall stopping distance, ... It also says the safe rule is never to get closer than the overall stopping distance. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Advice about speeding ticket please
    ... You now justify to me how 'the safe rule' of never getting closer than ... the overall stopping distance is reconcilable with the 'two second rule' ... front *cannot* come to an instant halt if the road is clear of slow or ... If the vehicle in front ploughs into something and comes to a halt, not necessarily instantaneously but anything within 110ft, you will not be able to prevent yourself ploughing into it if you are following just the two second 'rule'. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Advice about speeding ticket please
    ... "Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance ... the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it suddenly slows ... The third sentence emphasises and reiterates exactly the same speed/distance relationship, but adds that 'the safe rule is never' to drive otherwise. ... It cannot possibly be reconciled with 'the safe rule' of never getting closer than the overall stopping distance, except at speeds below 40mph. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Advice about speeding ticket please
    ... "The safe rule is never to get closer than the overall ... clearly NOT the *only* safe rule - another would obviously be to leave ... at least twice the distance you can see to be clear. ... The original rule includes that, so you'd necessarily be obeying it if ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: Advice about speeding ticket please
    ... "The safe rule is never to get closer than the overall ... clearly NOT the *only* safe rule - another would obviously be to leave ... at least twice the distance you can see to be clear. ... Alex Heney, Global Villager ...
    (uk.legal)