Message Forums

Quote: Originally posted by antjt968 on 28/7/2009

---

Thanks to papa pip for all the useful info above, very professional. A friend of mine has just come within a hairs breadth of cancelling his hols to france as he only passed his test in 1989 and thought that he was towing outside the confines of the law. However, papa pip, he is now less that pleased with you as I have informed him that firstly, his towing weights are within the limits for newer licences and secondly that the newer licence category came into effect in 1997 and not 1979.  I hope this stops other from mass panic!!!!

Ant

---

Your friend didn't read on then Ant as it then says born after 1980 or passed test in the last 12 years!!!!

Geoff Milenco do seem to have made a bit of a boob eh?!  As you say, was it genuine or was it designed to promote their products?  Who knows.

Ali

Quote: Originally posted by Viggo on 28/7/2009

---

I agree about the dangers of inappropriate low speed. If the general flow of traffic is in the 55 to 75 range (across three lanes) and someone is driving much slower than that in lane one, they are little more than a moving chicane. ...

---

Pajaholic, I must be one of the lucky older generation who were made very aware that the conditions of the road are the most important factor in deciding Speed when it comes to safety. Had not actually heard of it as the word Coast but was taught to use Concentration, Observation, Anticipation, Space and Time. Will certainly have a look through the google link. Always room for improvement in anyone's driving skills.

Driving Skills are only one letter away from Driving Kills! Worth remembering when you open the door to go anywhere!

I was also taught that we should treat each new driving day as a new one despite travelling the same route several days in a row. The road makeup is fairly constant, however the vehicles, people, animals, weather and conditions change every second and that is why we must always use due care and attention. One old time trucker who I was priveliged to know told me that every time he went out he assumed that no-one else on his journey would be as attentive as they should be and that meant he had to give 110% concentration on observing the rules and laws of the road. I have never forgotten this peice of advice and to this day it has always served me in good stead. The old Trucker drove for 60 years in total and in that time covered many millions of miles, his accident record spoke for itself, no accidents in all his years behind the wheel, if we could all live to that standard and record just how much safer travelling would be for us all.

Speed kills, and the ultimate penalty for speeding is death. not a nice way to be remembered by those who are left behind. Not to mention those who you take out on with you!

Drive safe, arrive alive!

totally agree papa, good words of wisdom there

another thing my old mate boab (rip bud) told me just after i passed my test was to assume that everyone on the road is a total idiot then when they do what you least expect you wont be surprised. also to read your road behind you as well as in front

fact is on here we all know the score and have common sense it is the drivers that dont read up on the net and dont have a clue about what they are doing especially when towing that are the problem 

Quote: Originally posted by chatterdog on 29/7/2009

---

and in this day and age the biggest problem with leaving yourself a decent gap (stopping distance) is that some numpty is going to jump in it when his lane slows down a bit. I have had this happen on numerous occasions when out driving with my outfit which in turn means i have to drop back again only to have to repeat the process the next time 20mins further down the road. I have a hefty outfit to stop but can these numpties relize that - oh no its a case of i can fit in and if they hit me if we have to stop i can make a claim, thats if they are capable of joined up thoughts. Then again if they were they wouldnt be pulling in, in my saftey gap to the front of me

---

Quote: Originally posted by alan126 on 29/7/2009

---

totally agree papa, good words of wisdom there

another thing my old mate boab (rip bud) told me just after i passed my test was to assume that everyone on the road is a total idiot then when they do what you least expect you wont be surprised. also to read your road behind you as well as in front

fact is on here we all know the score and have common sense it is the drivers that dont read up on the net and dont have a clue about what they are doing especially when towing that are the problem 

---

Nothing will change until the Government realise that speed cameras and SPECs machines do not halt dangerous driving.  The only way to do that is with an increased presence of patrol cars who can evidence the numpties for themselves.

I can't ever see that happening due to funding so the current ludicrous situation we have will continue.  What are the statistics?  Is it 6% of accidents are caused by speed, think it is something like that, yet it is the only thing they home in on all the time.

We all constantly report incidents of downright dangerous driving on here, if the Police had an increased presence they too would see for themselves where the problems lie.

Ali

Quote: Originally posted by pajaholic on 29/7/2009

---

I hope this comes out OK because a bug in the forum software prevents me from previewing this:

Quote: Originally posted by Viggo on 28/7/2009

---

I agree about the dangers of inappropriate low speed. If the general flow of traffic is in the 55 to 75 range (across three lanes) and someone is driving much slower than that in lane one, they are little more than a moving chicane. ...

---

Posts like this sadden me because they suggest just how deeply ingrained is the wrong message that's being ingrained into UK motorists by the Government obsession with speed. People driving more slowly than average are only dangerous if those around them drive dangerously.

Note the use of the word "inappropriate" in my original posting and think again. You seem to have completely ignored/misunderstood what I wrote.

Quote: Originally posted by chatterdog on 29/7/2009

---

and in this day and age the biggest problem with leaving yourself a decent gap (stopping distance) is that some numpty is going to jump in it when his lane slows down a bit. I have had this happen on numerous occasions when out driving with my outfit which in turn means i have to drop back again only to have to repeat the process the next time 20mins further down the road. I have a hefty outfit to stop but can these numpties relize that - oh no its a case of i can fit in and if they hit me if we have to stop i can make a claim, thats if they are capable of joined up thoughts. Then again if they were they wouldnt be pulling in, in my saftey gap to the front of me

---

Quote: Originally posted by snowy747 on 29/7/2009

---

Nothing will change until the Government realise that speed cameras and SPECs machines do not halt dangerous driving.  The only way to do that is with an increased presence of patrol cars who can evidence the numpties for themselves.

I can't ever see that happening due to funding so the current ludicrous situation we have will continue.  What are the statistics?  Is it 6% of accidents are caused by speed, think it is something like that, yet it is the only thing they home in on all the time.

We all constantly report incidents of downright dangerous driving on here, if the Police had an increased presence they too would see for themselves where the problems lie.

Ali

---

exactly the focus si speed speed speed, now what i would like to know with accidents involving  caravans how many is speed a factor in, i would recon on a lot more than 6% and a lot on poorly loaded rigs causing instability. solo what is causing the other 94% and bad driving has to take a lot of the blame as you get no further training from passing your test, unless you choose to yourself

for me it was
1992, passed driving test
1997, did IAM training, didnt do test
2000, did race/offroad course at knockhill
2005, did assessment for driving instructor
2008, bought 18' caravan with no towing experience

havent crashed yet lol