Just a reminder
12 February 2001, 12:01 AM
#1
Scooby Senior
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: North Wales
Posts: 5,826
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is not possible to drive within stopping distance, simply because you don't know what is going to come out onto the road.
If you are going along a road at 60MPH with no visible exits or bends for hundres of yards, you will, by your reckoning, be driving within your stopping distances. If a fox bolts out of the hedgerow, you ain't gonna be able to stop.
Now who cares about a fox, I hear you say? Well not me, but it's just trying to make a point. We own high performance cars because we like to drive fast. I know I do, but it's all about acceptable risk, not about ensuring you can avoid every eventuality.
If you truly drove to avaoid all accidents, then you wouldn't bother starting the engine.
Geezer
If you are going along a road at 60MPH with no visible exits or bends for hundres of yards, you will, by your reckoning, be driving within your stopping distances. If a fox bolts out of the hedgerow, you ain't gonna be able to stop.
Now who cares about a fox, I hear you say? Well not me, but it's just trying to make a point. We own high performance cars because we like to drive fast. I know I do, but it's all about acceptable risk, not about ensuring you can avoid every eventuality.
If you truly drove to avaoid all accidents, then you wouldn't bother starting the engine.
Geezer
12 February 2001, 09:57 AM
#3
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most of you guys and girls on here are good drivers and I don't want to preach but I thought I'd just tell what could have happened to me this morning on the way to work to act as a reminder.
I had been stuck in slow moving traffic on busy A roads for quite a while. Then i turned off on to a nice winding country road. I was extremely tempted to open her up a little. The first bend is not too severe and could be taken quite quickly. There is a little field entrance just round the bend. I have driven this road for many months at the same time and there has never ever been anything coming in and out of this turning. I was very close to putting my foot down a little and then the thought came that it just is not worth the slim risk. Then as I got round the bend, low and behold there was a tractor pulling out of this small entrance very slowly and I was so thankful that I decided not to take the risk because I certainly would have hit it.
I am not a big risk taker and it didn't seem like a big risk to take because of the amount of times I have driven the piece of road with it being so quiet. So it just goes to show that that little added excitement, even if you think the danger is very low, really is not worth it your car or your health. Glad I didn't have to learn the hard way.
I had been stuck in slow moving traffic on busy A roads for quite a while. Then i turned off on to a nice winding country road. I was extremely tempted to open her up a little. The first bend is not too severe and could be taken quite quickly. There is a little field entrance just round the bend. I have driven this road for many months at the same time and there has never ever been anything coming in and out of this turning. I was very close to putting my foot down a little and then the thought came that it just is not worth the slim risk. Then as I got round the bend, low and behold there was a tractor pulling out of this small entrance very slowly and I was so thankful that I decided not to take the risk because I certainly would have hit it.
I am not a big risk taker and it didn't seem like a big risk to take because of the amount of times I have driven the piece of road with it being so quiet. So it just goes to show that that little added excitement, even if you think the danger is very low, really is not worth it your car or your health. Glad I didn't have to learn the hard way.
12 February 2001, 10:22 AM
#4
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Disco, Disco!
Posts: 21,825
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good point well made
Having read your post i have put my car up for sale and i never plan to leave the house again (once the surveyors have confirmed it's structural integrety. The gas and electric has bee disconnected. and corks put on all the forks - No point in taking any risks!
I have had a few experiences like this, it leaves you older, wiser and aware of your own mortality. I still intend to get the most out of life and taking a calculated risk from time to time suits me just fine.
Having read your post i have put my car up for sale and i never plan to leave the house again (once the surveyors have confirmed it's structural integrety. The gas and electric has bee disconnected. and corks put on all the forks - No point in taking any risks!
I have had a few experiences like this, it leaves you older, wiser and aware of your own mortality. I still intend to get the most out of life and taking a calculated risk from time to time suits me just fine.
12 February 2001, 10:48 AM
#5
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Agree 100%. I love to take and get a buzz from calculated risks but in this case it wasn't and I am glad I didn't take it.
We all have to take risks but it is up to each's own judgement to decide what is safe or 'calculated'. I thought mine was pretty close to being calculated because the amount of times the road had been empty i.e. nearly always, but it turned out the one time I thought about taking the risks it wasn't empty or calculated but with the wrong answer!
We all have to take risks but it is up to each's own judgement to decide what is safe or 'calculated'. I thought mine was pretty close to being calculated because the amount of times the road had been empty i.e. nearly always, but it turned out the one time I thought about taking the risks it wasn't empty or calculated but with the wrong answer!
12 February 2001, 11:15 AM
#6
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 882
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello,
I ALLWAYS drive so that I can pull up in the distance I can see to be clear.
Anyone who doesn't is living on borrowed time.
Loads of accidents are casue by people who think that there is nothing round the bend because there wasn't anything there last time they drove down that road. Its silly and arrogant (I am the only person on the road syndrome)
So well done for not being daft.
I ALLWAYS drive so that I can pull up in the distance I can see to be clear.
Anyone who doesn't is living on borrowed time.
Loads of accidents are casue by people who think that there is nothing round the bend because there wasn't anything there last time they drove down that road. Its silly and arrogant (I am the only person on the road syndrome)
So well done for not being daft.
Trending Topics
12 February 2001, 11:52 AM
#8
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
drive hard, drive fast, but drive within your (perceived) stopping distance !!
I think most of us have all had a near call where with hindsight we would have or should have thought twice !!
I think most of us have all had a near call where with hindsight we would have or should have thought twice !!
12 February 2001, 05:30 PM
#11
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Geezer I take your point and often use it when arguing 'pro speed' but to play devil's advocate I guess you could say if you were doing 40 instead of that 60 and the fox/child ran out at the same place you would have more chance/time to stop at the lower speed. But as has beem said we could not possibly drive accounting for all possibilites or we would get no where.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post