Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Anything that doesn't fit elsewhere - doesn't have to be AD related.
User avatar
dvenman
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 5:28 am

Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Postby dvenman » Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:21 pm

This article is quite interesting in some regards, but wholly misleading (IMO) in others. Who on earth is only looking 4 cars ahead...?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/highway-code-car-stopping-distances-wrong-drivers-thinking-time-brake-rac-a7859061.html

User avatar
akirk
Posts: 1657
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 6:58 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Postby akirk » Wed Apr 04, 2018 2:37 pm

Typical Brake mis-information...
conveniently ignores the other facts:
- cars stop much much faster now than when distances were set so even if thinking distance / time should be greater, the stopping distance should be very much shorter and overall that would reduce figures...
- increasingly cars have systems which will do that stopping for you and their reaction times are much faster than humans
- no-one takes any notice of the distances or times anyway, so changing them is probably pointless...

and agree - who is looking 4 cars ahead - most drivers aren't even seeing one car ahead! :D

Alasdair

User avatar
jont-
Posts: 1521
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 7:12 am
Location: Herefordshire

Re: Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Postby jont- » Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:28 pm

I think stressed Dave previously said that in his experience of accident investigation 1.5s was doing fairly well (allowing for the fact it's the dozy drivers who will be the ones needing that sort of service), but it was somewhat compensated for by brakes being better than h.c. says.

User avatar
Horse
Posts: 3540
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 9:20 am

Re: Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Postby Horse » Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:54 pm

jont- wrote:I think stressed Dave previously said that in his experience of accident investigation 1.5s was doing fairly well


1.5s? That's quite good, really, considering that the article is dated Tuesday 25 July 2017 . . . :oops: :lol: :bash: :drums:
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

fungus
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:26 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: Highway Code stopping distances ‘woefully short’ as drivers’ thinking time underestimated

Postby fungus » Wed Apr 04, 2018 8:02 pm

It's all accademic. There are far too many variables to state what a stopping distance is at a given speed.

1. Braking and suspension systems are far better than in the early 1960s

2. Vehicle condition

3. I agree that the reaction time of .75 of a second is for most too short, especially with the distractions available today.

4. How many people could tell you where a point 75ft or 315ft or whatever lies.

Learning a set of arbitary stopping distances there for becomes pointless unless you go out and measure the distance noting what cars, pedestrians, cylists, trees etc. look like from the chosen distance. :roll:

A few years ago I tested the stopping distance at 30mph with one of my pupils giving the instruction STOP at a point (lamp post) and then counting kerb stones back to the lamp post. The distance was approximately 51ft (17 kerb stones). I know this is not representative of real driving as the pupil knew that the instruction was iminant.

Nigel.


Return to “General Chat”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests