On my way down to Scoobysport yesterday (to get my mid-cat removed, most excellent) I had to travel a hundred or so miles of motorway.. all good fun you'd think..

However, it was rainy and I had no radio (lost the front panel for it )

Most of my driving is usually on A-roads, so I'd forgotten how annoying M-way driving is..

Scenario.. it's wet, I'm in the 2nd overtaking lane (aka fast lane) and following another car at a safe distance.. a dweeb in the 1st overtaking lane (middle lane) sees the gap I've created between me and the car infront (created for safety) and thinks "ooh, a gap!" and swings out into it.. Humph.. so I ease off to create another safe gap between me and the car in front and THE SAME THING happened again..

I swear (mentally) at these people, thinking "NO !!! Thats not a space for you, that's my braking space !!"

Is it just me that this happens to ?

I guess it's what I get for not tailgating.

I reckon I'll have to go to Scoobysport by B-road next time

 

No, it's not just you - it always happens to me too. My respect for a safe braking distance was reinforced on Christmas Eve 1987 when I became the meat in an M25 sandwich - the guy behind used my Golf GTI and the cars in front of me to stop him. He was later seen blowing into a bag and being driven away in the back of a squad car.
I think that eventually the authorities will have to consider allowing undertaking (or some form of it) - nowadays it's usually quicker/less crowded using the nearside lane.

 

It not just you.
Tuesday A14 it happened five times to me!! What ever happen to the two second rule???

Mark

 

Yep, it's the same with me - after an 'education' on the M4 several years ago. Trying to drive properly on Motorways these days, like leaving sufficient distance to the car in front, just seems to end up with you going backwards.

Nowadays - (when the STUPID gits sit in the middle lane, with nothing on the inside, pottering along at 70mph, wondering why the outside lane is absolutely chocker and doing 71!) - I sit on the inside lane, without undertaking (except where permitted in the Highway Code) and with my 'half mile' or so braking gap & wait for the enevitable!

Then the wall of brake lights comes backwards down the line of 'cars with magnetic bumpers'. This causes them to brake violently, often hitting each other or having to swerve, whereas I can, legally, proceed at 'normal' speed.

As soon as the queue clears (some wish I know on most Motorways these days) I can p***-off into the distance leaving the Emergency Services to clear up the mess left behind

I know I must be getting old, but my patience seems to be much better these days

Chris
P.S. Keep off the Motorways if you want a stress free life, particularly the M1 Southbound on a Sunday evening - Deadly!

 

yeah this happens wherever you are.

had a bad scare before xmas when doing around 90 in the fast lane one minute, and then having to slam on the brakes the next to a total halt - and seeing the people behind struggling to stop !

luckily everyone managed to stop but if there had been someone tailgating or not paying attention it would have been one tremendous pileup !

reason ? ½ a mile further on there was a new coach stopped in the slow lane ? not the hard shoulder !

so although it feels like your not getting very far when people constantly pull into your ' braking space' i think its worth keeping a good gap in front of me at all times now, esp in the wet.


big problem are these wonderful people who sit in the middle lane for no apparent reason ? forcing other people to have to suddenly pull into the 'fast' lane.

steve

 

On the SIDC driving course Dick explained how in heavyish traffic a series of brake lights causing cars to slow and then accelerate again can cause traffic a couple of miles behind to come to a complete stop. Then eventually you carry on again but never see any reason for the stoppage along the road you are travelling on.

Yex

 

There was an article in New Scientist about this years ago. You can apparantly stop it happening much further back by counting to 7 slowly before pulling away from the standstill. This apparantly "damps" out the "wave" that travels backwards...

Or something...

Scientists eh ?

Cheers

Ian

 

Being an ex 'M25 regular' I have studied this science for years! If you notice how the truckers do it. Just set your speed to say 40-50 and don't go chasing off.
There is a 'system model' they use in trafic analysis which predicts this sort of behaiviour by programming 'simple' rules for each driver. The effect with 'Mondeo Man' mentality is that you get a sort of long spring effect.
As some parts of the spring compress other parts spread out. This causes waves to travel along the spring, which can become 'chaotic' - This is when the 'Crunch' happens!
Plod uses the Truck method to reduce the effect after an accident etc. slowing all the traffic to a medium speed. It's also the reason for the variable speed limits on the Heathrow section!

Sorry to be so technical at this time in a morning

Chris

 

It's nice to know some others recognise the effects and how to lessen it. The trouble is, is that for it to work more than one person has to do it. Typical Mondeo or flat cap man won't do it because they can't see the benefits themselves. When you are on the road you not only have a personal responsibilty but a public one too. I wish this was taught more.

Felt good yesterday. I actually got a wave from a biker who i'd made extra space for when he wanted to come between me an a lorry. I do this as routine but this was the first time i'd been thanked for it.

 

Yep, agree with all this. It's nice to know it's not just me. It was wet coming from Milton Keynes to Leeds (Friday evening on the M1 - niiiice), so I normally end up in the inside lane where lorries are fairly sensible. 9 times out of 10 it moves fastest as well, probably because of the smoothing effect that X tonnes has on acceleration

Blimey, we're a good breed us Scooby drivers

 

just to put my two pennneth in- there are no slow, middle or fast lanes !!! lane one should be used unless overtaking in which case lane two then three etc. The standard of motorway driving is crap and there is nothing more infuriating than a middle laner doing 60 mph with nothing else on the road!!! continuing my rant- two days ago an xr3 stopped in lane 3 with a puncture!!! it seems he couldn't make the hard shoulder so caused chaos behind him!!!