How to slow down - brakes or down change gears?

Steve_66_2

The brakes are the most effective way to slow a vehicle - that's what they're for! Using the gears to slow will cause premature wear to the clutch as well as being slightly counter-productive (there will no engine braking at all whilst the clutch is depressed).

My observation is that there's a declining standard in driving tuition these days. How many young drivers slow down into roundabouts coasting with their foot firmly on their clutch pedal? (Or bother to indicate their intention on the roundabout!?)

darich

Brakes are designed and meant to slow the car down and should be used for that purpose.
If I used my gears to slow then I'd be "braking" only on my rear wheels since my car is a rear wheel drive. That's never a good thing.
My brother had a really bad habit of braking using his engine only - on his first 3 cars, he needed a new gearbox on every one of them.
I agree with the other posters about no brake lights - that's a danger to other road users aswell as the driver.
It could also be argued that using the engine to brake, you're not in full control - the car slows down as it pleases - not as the driver pleases.

darich

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

It's definitely worth knowing how to use gears to slow down though - even with modern brakes, it's a good idea to use a low gear when going down a long hill, and also when driving on ice or any other slippery surface you need to be very very careful how you use the brakes. Using the gears will help to stop the wheels locking, and give you better control.

Not necessarily true.
In snow and ice it's often advisable to select as high a gear as possible to reduce the chance of wheelspin. Also, going down hill in snow in a low gear is more likely to lock the wheels than modern ABS systems.

darich

vikingaero wrote: »

In a hire car I use the gears. When I brake I use the brakes hard.

In our own cars I drive with the gentle touch.

why drive the hire car differently to your own?
Strikes me as very immature and the type of thing a boy racer would do.

aqueoushumour01

Barneysmom wrote: »

True true Pew pew

There are 2 different species of driver IMO.

second that. you're either good or very poor!!! (45mph on the M6 - seriously, stop driving!)

alastairq

second that. you're either good or very poor!!!

I wouldn't second that at all.

the two species are simply, those that know what its all about, and the ignorant.

(45mph on the M6 - seriously, stop driving!)

stop driving? now, who should that apply to?

the driver doing 45 mph?

or those too much up themselves to be able to cope with that vehicle? {which might well be the majority of other drivers,if a 'slow is dangerous' idea is predominant.]

For the information of those who ''don't know''.............the lowest statutory speed limit for a vehicle on a ''road under motorway regulations'' is 40 mph!

This speed limit applies to a LGV vehicle/trailer combination [an artic, to those that don't know] whose total weight at that time, exceeds 46 tonnes..ie it falls under STGO category 2 regulations.

Now, the current maximum permitted weight for a goods vehicle/trailer combination in this country is 44 tonnes. [this is coming under review].......so if one is driving along a motorway, one may well come across an artic..and it may well weigh, in total, 44 tonnes.

Another artic, of similar shape, colour, and size, but which is operating under STGO cat.2 regulations, may weigh 47 tonnes, for example......but how on earth are YOU going to know the difference? [until you get in front, look behind at his front, and see the STGO cat 2 board?]

there wont be any fancy flashy lights, outriders or anything......just a wagon, moving more slowly than most of the others.


but.....what about those thousands of vehicles, legally able to use motorways , which cannot sustain either high speeds [70mph] or even achieve relatively high speeds, due to factors like, gearing, age, shape, power, etc?

How are you poor car drivers going to cope with THEM on a motorway??

What about that car towing a heavy trailer?

Although such a combination may have a speed limit on a motorway of 60mph....the driver may not consider it advisable to maintain anything like that speed..out of consideration [sympathy is the technical term] for their vehicle...or respect for their wallet [fuel consumption]?

All the above are in fact, better off being on a motorway, where at least every body else who wants to go faster, has the opportunity to overtake using one or two overtaking lanes??

Then, what about those vehicles which are more adversely affected by weather?

Crosswinds seriously affect some vehicle shapes more than others..and motorways, by their nature are often more exposed to such weather.....crosswinds may not affect your vehicle one iota.....lucky you...but they may well have a serious affect on another's......and a competent driver would slow their speed considerably, to reduce the effect of crosswinds.....maybe down below 40mph!

Deal with it, don't complain about it!

Motorways aren't about 'speed'..they're about getting from A to B with minimal delays....achieved by their very design and regulation.

The fact that delays do occur on motorways is more likley down to excessive speed.

aqueoushumour01

alastairq wrote: »

I wouldn't second that at all.

the two species are simply, those that know what its all about, and the ignorant.




stop driving? now, who should that apply to?

the driver doing 45 mph?

or those too much up themselves to be able to cope with that vehicle? {which might well be the majority of other drivers,if a 'slow is dangerous' idea is predominant.]

For the information of those who ''don't know''.............the lowest statutory speed limit for a vehicle on a ''road under motorway regulations'' is 40 mph!

This speed limit applies to a LGV vehicle/trailer combination [an artic, to those that don't know] whose total weight at that time, exceeds 46 tonnes..ie it falls under STGO category 2 regulations.

Now, the current maximum permitted weight for a goods vehicle/trailer combination in this country is 44 tonnes. [this is coming under review].......so if one is driving along a motorway, one may well come across an artic..and it may well weigh, in total, 44 tonnes.

Another artic, of similar shape, colour, and size, but which is operating under STGO cat.2 regulations, may weigh 47 tonnes, for example......but how on earth are YOU going to know the difference? [until you get in front, look behind at his front, and see the STGO cat 2 board?]

there wont be any fancy flashy lights, outriders or anything......just a wagon, moving more slowly than most of the others.


but.....what about those thousands of vehicles, legally able to use motorways , which cannot sustain either high speeds [70mph] or even achieve relatively high speeds, due to factors like, gearing, age, shape, power, etc?

How are you poor car drivers going to cope with THEM on a motorway??

What about that car towing a heavy trailer?

Although such a combination may have a speed limit on a motorway of 60mph....the driver may not consider it advisable to maintain anything like that speed..out of consideration [sympathy is the technical term] for their vehicle...or respect for their wallet [fuel consumption]?

All the above are in fact, better off being on a motorway, where at least every body else who wants to go faster, has the opportunity to overtake using one or two overtaking lanes??

Then, what about those vehicles which are more adversely affected by weather?

Crosswinds seriously affect some vehicle shapes more than others..and motorways, by their nature are often more exposed to such weather.....crosswinds may not affect your vehicle one iota.....lucky you...but they may well have a serious affect on another's......and a competent driver would slow their speed considerably, to reduce the effect of crosswinds.....maybe down below 40mph!

Deal with it, don't complain about it!

Motorways aren't about 'speed'..they're about getting from A to B with minimal delays....achieved by their very design and regulation.

The fact that delays do occur on motorways is more likley down to excessive speed.

wow couldn't really be bothered to read all of that rant but doing 40mph on a motorway (assuming normal driving conditions) is just silly

alastairq

doing 40mph on a motorway (assuming normal driving conditions) is just silly

[EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com?subject=Reporting post http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=22638767"][/EMAIL]

why?

is it all about 'expectations'?

or because the average driver cannot be 'bothered?'

it wasn't a rant....

merely providing information.

if folk don't wanna know that's fine by me.

but there's a definate lack of sympathy for road users who cannot be bothered with all this legal stuff, simply because it doesn't suit..from my quarter, anyway.

darich

alastairq wrote: »

I wouldn't second that at all.

the two species are simply, those that know what its all about, and the ignorant.




stop driving? now, who should that apply to?

the driver doing 45 mph?

or those too much up themselves to be able to cope with that vehicle? {which might well be the majority of other drivers,if a 'slow is dangerous' idea is predominant.]

For the information of those who ''don't know''.............the lowest statutory speed limit for a vehicle on a ''road under motorway regulations'' is 40 mph!

This speed limit applies to a LGV vehicle/trailer combination [an artic, to those that don't know] whose total weight at that time, exceeds 46 tonnes..ie it falls under STGO category 2 regulations.

Now, the current maximum permitted weight for a goods vehicle/trailer combination in this country is 44 tonnes. [this is coming under review].......so if one is driving along a motorway, one may well come across an artic..and it may well weigh, in total, 44 tonnes.

Another artic, of similar shape, colour, and size, but which is operating under STGO cat.2 regulations, may weigh 47 tonnes, for example......but how on earth are YOU going to know the difference? [until you get in front, look behind at his front, and see the STGO cat 2 board?]

there wont be any fancy flashy lights, outriders or anything......just a wagon, moving more slowly than most of the others.


but.....what about those thousands of vehicles, legally able to use motorways , which cannot sustain either high speeds [70mph] or even achieve relatively high speeds, due to factors like, gearing, age, shape, power, etc?

How are you poor car drivers going to cope with THEM on a motorway??

What about that car towing a heavy trailer?

Although such a combination may have a speed limit on a motorway of 60mph....the driver may not consider it advisable to maintain anything like that speed..out of consideration [sympathy is the technical term] for their vehicle...or respect for their wallet [fuel consumption]?

All the above are in fact, better off being on a motorway, where at least every body else who wants to go faster, has the opportunity to overtake using one or two overtaking lanes??

Then, what about those vehicles which are more adversely affected by weather?

Crosswinds seriously affect some vehicle shapes more than others..and motorways, by their nature are often more exposed to such weather.....crosswinds may not affect your vehicle one iota.....lucky you...but they may well have a serious affect on another's......and a competent driver would slow their speed considerably, to reduce the effect of crosswinds.....maybe down below 40mph!

Deal with it, don't complain about it!

Motorways aren't about 'speed'..they're about getting from A to B with minimal delays....achieved by their very design and regulation.

The fact that delays do occur on motorways is more likley down to excessive speed.

All the above would have been quite impressive...but for the fact that there is no statutory minimum speed limit on a motorway.
I'd be interested to see a link to where you found this new rule.
I'd also be interested to know that if there is no minimum speed limit, why mopeds,motorcycles, agricultural vehicles etc are all prohibited from driving on the motorways.
Surely if there was no minimum speed limit, there would be no need to prohibit these slower vehicles??

Rolandtheroadie

aqueoushumour01 wrote: »

wow couldn't really be bothered to read all of that rant but doing 40mph on a motorway (assuming normal driving conditions) is just silly

I'll second that