Tailgate and speed

Joe_Horner

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

How many car drivers do you know of who have been killed by cyclists???

One. Well, didn't know party personally but it hit the local news way back in my teens.

The inconsiderate cyclist got in the way of the car (who was speeding, as it happened) and the bike went throught the non-laminated screen. Driver lost control completely at that point and hit a drystone wall. Back then, seat belts were still optional and the steering wheel was your airbag

Oddly, the cyclist survived by being thrown over the car and getting a (relatively) soft landing through a farm gate!

See, if that cyclist had only been licenced and insured.......

Joe_Horner

Cycrow wrote: »

I personally dont think licensing will help at all.
those that cycle alot will continue to do so, just with a licence. And most likly continue to cycle the same way, as many have had proper training always

The cyclists that just break all the rules on the road, will continue to do so, they will just add another rule to break (ie no licence).

It'll only effect the children who might want to cycle, and the people who dont really cycle that often.

The thing is, all those points can also be made about driving. If having / not having a licence reallly made a difference to those who want to drive anyway we wouldn't have unlicenced drivers on the road!

As a driver (who has been known to cycle occasionally as well) my big problem is, as mentioned briefly soewhere above, the virtual impossibility of tracing or punishing a cyclist who rides dangerously. As with drivers, those people are in the minority, but they know as well as anyone that (provided they survive) the chances of them being held to account for their riding is basically zero.

interstellaflyer

Lum wrote: »

There is a fine line between giving advice and victim-blaming, especially on a topic like this, however the way I look at things is:

1) You can't stop the tailgaters tailgating, only the police have any hope of this and there aren't enough of those to go around.

2) You can modify your own driving. Note that this doesn't necessarily mean you should, e.g. I would never recommend that someone exceed the speed limit just to appease a tailgater.

3) Your own driving, and observation, are the only things you have any control over while out on the road, if you wish to have fewer incidences of tailgating then this is the only area where you can make a difference.

4) Motoring forums tend to be male-dominated and so posts like the OPs will be met with practical advice rather than a sympathetic response, as well as the usual trolls of course. While I do have sympathy for the OP - nobody should be bullied, whether on the road or elsewhere - sympathy, from a complete stranger from miles away probably doesn't help much, so I respond with suggestions as to why it may happen and what can be done to prevent it.

5) If it really is a wildly inaccurate speedo, think of how much of the OPs time has been wasted during the course of owning this particular car, as well as all the people who have gotten wound up and unnecessarily delayed by it. One fix and the OP will suddenly find themselves with more free hours in the day, isn't that worth something?

Is that really such a bad thing to do?

I think you might have missed my first post in this thread, I was in no way supporting the OP, just commenting on my daily experience on a 50mph limit stretch of busy dual carriageway, whilst I can't comment on the OP's car, my car is a well spec'd, modern (13 plate) car, I doubt very much that the speedo is far out.

Dimey

What a lot of time spent on a picky little point the OP made as a throw away line to illustrate he was annoyed at being tailgated so often.

OP may or may not have had the odd lorry tailgate at 70 but whether he actually did or not, it doesn't matter. He was just letting off steam, not claiming all lorries could go 70mph as fact. There's no need to pick up on an exaggeration to illustrate a point instead of the real thrux of the post.

The point is that tailgating is dangerous and those on the receiving end don't deserve to be included in the perpetrator's willingness to risk life & limb for a moments intolerance or a cheap thrill.

Lum

Tailgating is indeed dangerous and you really shouldn't have to be involved in danger created by someone else.

But what do you do about it? You can't just politely ask them to stop. So do you ignore it and remain in danger? Do you do something to encourage the tailgater to pass, getting you out of danger (at least until the next one turns up)? Or do you do something to wind them up and make the danger worse (e.g. brake tests)?

If the sole reason is due to trying to stick to 70 while having a wildly inaccurate speedo and if, apart from the fear of breaking the law you'd be happier at a higher speed, then fixing the speedo (or just being aware of it) seems like an obvious choice to get rid of the danger and have a slightly less stressful drive while remaining safe and legal.

@interstellaflyer
On a single carriageway my advice would be to let the idiot past at the next safe opportunity, so they can go and have a crash somewhere far away from you, on a motorway in L1 (as per the OP) there isn't really much you can do.

50 limit single carriageways are the worst for this sort of thing, especially if you happen to be in the home counties. A lot of people have a real disdain for the plague of pointless 50 limits that are cropping up everywhere these days and ignore them. Not justifying their behaviour just explaining the thinking. They still have no right to harass anyone else, especially not when the reason for the "slow" driver is that driver wishes to comply with the law.

Also don't let the fact that you have a 13 plate car fool you into thinking that the speedo is accurate. They are never accurate and given that the allowable inaccuracies are 0 - 10%+6.25 manufacturers are likely going to be aiming for 5%+3.125 and fitting any speedo that comes off the production range within that tolerance. Even then it won't stay the same, having worn tyres will make your speedo read slightly higher compared to fresh ones.

Dimey

On single carriageways I always indicate and pull over to let them pass. No anger, absolutely routine.

On a motorway I just push on in the 1st lane at whatever speed I'm doing and try to ignore. If the tailgater is persistent and I feel threatened, I'll either speed up out of the way or slow down gradually till they overtake, depending on how close I am to the speed limit.

smashingyour...

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Stop being lazy, and go and find it yourself.

It seems that you are arrogant enough to think that just because you don't know something, that it must be wrong. You have proved this in many threads where all you do is troll.

I'd like to know where you found this non existent law.

smashingyour...

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

The operators license holder must compile the records, and check for compliance. Their operators license is at risk if they don't do this. All records must also be available for inspection by VOSA at any time.

With digital tachos, all records must be stored on a database. And the vehicle tacho will also store information for up to a year.

I think you'll find the legislation says inspection at a reasonable time and not any time.
You can also tell vosa to do one and they have to leave and get a warrant if they wish to return.

smashingyour...

Guest101 wrote: »

Shouldnt be cycling on the road anyway.

You you gonna ban kids playing out on their bikes now?

Lum

Dimey wrote: »

On single carriageways I always indicate and pull over to let them pass. No anger, absolutely routine.

On a motorway I just push on in the 1st lane at whatever speed I'm doing and try to ignore. If the tailgater is persistent and I feel threatened, I'll either speed up out of the way or slow down gradually till they overtake, depending on how close I am to the speed limit.

Only thing I'd add to that is be aware of if they actually can overtake. e.g. if it's a lorry and they're currently being overtaken by another lorry going at 0.1mph faster, or a constant stream of 70mph cars who themselves are being overtaken at 90 then no matter what you do you aren't going to get them to move over, save it for when there is a suitable opportunity to overtake else you risk just winding the idiot up some more and causing them to do something even more stupid/dangerous.