Best... post... EVER. I can't disagree with that post in the slightest.
We mainly stay in the overtaking lane because obviously we are overtaking, my Dad can go past police cars at about 80 but they must no pull him because he is not driving the an idiot, yes he may be going a little to fast but he drives at that speed safely.
You may not agree with it but I am very comfortable in the car with my Dad at those speeds, there are more dangerous people on the roads apart from those ones who speed, this includes the people who pull out on you to overtake and nearly take the front of your car off or when the come into the lane again to overtake but they nearly take the rear of your car off, IMO this is more dangerous then speeding, if you are driving careful and not like an idiot at speeds around 90, I don't see anything wrong with.
My Dad and his partner are very good drivers, my Step Mum was driving at 80 and she took her eyes of the road for 1 second and my dad need to slam on his brakes because of a quick pile of traffic came up, as my step mum took her eyes of the road if she couldn't slow down she would of hit my dad who was infront of us and sent him into someone else, but the way we stopped it my dad moved over towards the crash barrier and my step mum went from 80 to 0mph in about 50-70metres, a lot less then the stopping distance that people say it takes to slow down at 70 what is something like 200metres or something similar. As I said if you drive carefully and those speeds and have the reactions I don't see anything wrong with it. I actually think 70mph on the motorway is to slow for the motorway.
Anyway can't we get back on-topic?
Also my dad hates tailgaters, he keeps a safe distance away and wait for them to move out the way, my Dad also don't like people who drive to close, my dad has never been in a motorway accident, infact he has never been in a accident what was his fault, the only incident on the motorway he has had was a blow out when he was in his 20's and he just slowed down and repaired it, no one crashed because of the results of the blow out, so he must be doing something right if he has never had an accident on the motorway or been in one.
The problem with driving isn't your own skill, it's the totally retarded things that other people do you can't control.
I was always an ardent map-user, maps were my thing since I was at school, but earlier this year decided to take up a special offer on a Tom Tom ONE as I had a lot of solo driving to unfamiliar places coming up. I have to say I don't regret getting one, although I still keep a paper map handy just in case, I rarely need to pull over to read it, I just go where John Cleese tells me. I found a better route locally using a "B" road to somewhere I go regularly that I hadn't even considered; the Tom Tom said it was quickest and it certainly beat my original just using "A" roads by several minutes. I also have the traffic receiver which can be useful if it finds a valid delay on your route, and the speed camera add-on which is pretty much a must-have, along with the "nag" sound for when you are going faster than the speed limit. My only gripes are that it only remembers favourite destinations, not routes, it would be quicker if you could ask it do give you the same route it gave you last week rather than recalculating. A lot of the road speed limits are wrong so you get nagged over 30 in a 60 limit for example. And I'd like to see a "most economical" route option in these days of costly petrol. Some of the Tom Toms now have this "smart routes" feature that will give you a different route at different times of day to avoid traffic though, which is a step in the right direction. All in all pretty good.
80mph to zero in 70 meters is about 0.75g braking, which is normal and easily achievable in the dry by virtually all road cars.
The official highway code stopping distance is 96 meters, but that includes a 21m thinking time (or reaction time, which is 0.6 seconds, which is about right). I would question how you got your 50 - 70m figure, but I also wouldn't be that shocked.
So what your step-mum did was brake hard. And most people can do that.
And finally, the old adage "I've not had an accident so I must be okay" isn't a very clever way of defining who is good and who isn't.
The official highway code stopping distance is 96 meters, but that includes a 21m thinking time (or reaction time, which is 0.6 seconds, which is about right). I would question how you got your 50 - 70m figure, but I also wouldn't be that shocked.
So what your step-mum did was brake hard. And most people can do that.
And finally, the old adage "I've not had an accident so I must be okay" isn't a very clever way of defining who is good and who isn't.
Well she stopped very quick, I have never seen someone stop as quick before, one thing I must say Audi's have good brakes lol. I don't know how long it was but it was only a couple of cars lengths.
My dad don't say because he has never had an accident, plus you are a lot younger then him, my dad is 43, 44 this year. He didn't even do his fall driving test and passed, he was reverse parking and stopped before being in the space, the instuctor asked why he stopped, my Dad just said there is a bottle 6" away from his rear wheel and the instructor said go back to the base and passed him, only been on his test for about 10minutes before that happened, I know this wouldn't be able to get away with these days and doens't mean much. Although he is a bloody good driver also a good at parking aswell, gets into spaces with about 1cm at the front and back, he is generally a good driver but you Tristian is good at everything aren't you.
Two car lengths? How long are your cars? 30m?!!!!
What does my age have to do with his driving ability? And I don't believe your story about the driving test (not that I understood half of it because of your illiteracy).
And when did I say I was a good driver or a better driver? And in what position are you to judge if someone is a good driver or not? You think an Audi can stop from 80mph in two car lengths, but also claim in 70 metres. You say he's a good driver, but goes too fast everywhere? You say he is the world's best at parking, and use that to explain your step-mum's car's braking ability (which is merely average anyway).
What does my age have to do with his driving ability? And I don't believe your story about the driving test (not that I understood half of it because of your illiteracy).
And when did I say I was a good driver or a better driver? And in what position are you to judge if someone is a good driver or not? You think an Audi can stop from 80mph in two car lengths, but also claim in 70 metres. You say he's a good driver, but goes too fast everywhere? You say he is the world's best at parking, and use that to explain your step-mum's car's braking ability (which is merely average anyway).
Very interesting post
I still love ye olde paper maps too. Wanted to be a cartographer 400yrs ago when i left school, but was utterly hopeless at maths and didn't pass the entrance exam
. But, i'm busy house hunting at the moment in a part of the country i'm not overly familiar with so something like this sat nav would be ideal. Sure beats trying to follow directions like "At the 3rd telegraph pole turn left and then hang a right at the first sheep then another right at the old farmers barn that isn't there anymore" 
Anyway, I've heard really mixed reviews of Tom Toms traffic re-routing service. It seems as though it's pot luck as to if you'll get the service at all. The coverage seems really patchy at the moment, and largely depends on which part of the country you're in. It sounds as though it's great in Western Europe and North America. But quite pathetic in dear old Blighty...typical.
Had a look for extra voices on the website and the John Cleese one does sound funny, and it really is him too, not some jumped up half arsed impersonator. Quite fancy the Dennis Hopper one, although i'd give my right leg for a Suzy Perry voice over
I've had an accident, and it bloody well hurt too. As a result i rarely speed these days (not entirely sure my car can actually reach 90 tbh) Sometimes it's easy to get sucked along by the speed of the traffic on the motorway and find yourself in the 80's. But as Becky and Tristan have said, it's not the speed that's at fault it's inattentive, poorly skilled drivers.
But as Dajmin has said, sometimes you're at the mercy of the idiots who don't seem to have any concept that other people use the roods too. Just a couple of weeks ago a bloke was driving up the motorway near Durham in his Peugeot, not speeding, just minding his own business. When some pillock in a stolen 4x4 trying to get away from the police crashed into the central reservation, was flipped over it, and landed right on top of the this guy in the Pug, he stood no chance and died instantly (apparently). The jerk in the stolen car has uninjured.
Just wait till you're old enough to drive Sam, you'll soon find out (hopefully) that Britain's roads arn't your personal race track. And there's a heck of a lot more to learn about driving in the real world that a computer simulator will never teach you.
I didn't mean actual 2 car lengths, I just said a couple because I was more intrested in what was on the TV so I was just writing it as I was going along, all I know she stopped very quickly, I didn't say my dad was the worlds best parker I was just saying he is a very good driver, my step mum is also a good driver.
It is true about the driving test, he done his test a long time ago, around the 80's so it was as strict as it is now. A lot of people don't believe me about things my dad has done, he is skilled in many area's, there is nothing wrong with that. The one thing people don't believe about my dad is that he was British Champion for 5 years in freestyle wrestling, in the weight of 59kg's and 62kg's, he was also asked to go into the olympics for the british team, wrestling for them but he turned it down because he retired, bet you don't believe this either do you.
To me Tristian you seem to be one of those people who don't like to be wrong, you may be clever in some area's but some are better in others, I was just saying my dad is generally a good driver as people was saying he drives dangerously and he would never put the people in his car at risk, he may drive quickly but he makes sure he drives safely at those speeds.
I know the public roads aren't a race track, did I say a simulator would teach me how to drive even though I can drive a car already in real life, I know this isn't the same as driving on the roads but soon I will be then I will know what it's like, there are mupits on the road who make stupid manovours and cause accidents.
I'm so glad you live in Devon. That way the only interaction I'll have with you on the road is reading about your accidents in the national press: "Chav crashes 4000hp Corsa".
I have a lot to learn. You have a LOT more.
I have a lot to learn. You have a LOT more.
I know I have a lot to learn, but I am no chav trust me, I dress nothing like a chav, or act like one.
I am also glad I live in Devon, nice place to live even though Plymouth is crap really.
No big reply, makes a change.
Maybe if you approached at a safe speed differential you wouldn't be suprising so many other drivers?
That's your opinion, but you already confessed to being a dangerous driver who shows total disregard for the lives of other road users whether they be young and sprightly, old and infirm, or babies, you dont care - your not modulating your speed to compensate for the idiocy or capacity of those about you - you are blasting past them at 100+mph - how can you be the judge of anybody elses driving when you yourself drive like a 17 year old kid? No wait, that's not fair on all 17 year olds, but jeez, grow the hell up!
Jeez! FFS! OK i'm going to say something here. With the way your family drives the only reason you aren't dead is because other people have been avoiding you. You're that bad.
Like I said it's speed differential and tail gating that cause accidents, speed just makes it worse. If every driver on the roads and every vehicle on them was capable of travelling safely over 70mph then i'd be all for it, but sadly that's not the case - the roads kill a lot of people each year, indescriminitely from idiots to their victims.
Or he's driving so badly people stay out of his way, and yes I meen that seriously. When I see somebody driving badly I give them a lot of leeway because I dont want to get tangled up with them. When it goes wrong is when I dont have time to give them the leeway they need because the speed differential is too high.
We ALL make mistakes, we ALL have momentary lapses in concentration, we ALL make the ocassional bad judgement call when driving. Accidents happen when these things occur in combination with
1) We did not leave any margin for error
2) Other people did not allow for us making an error
Not having an accident does not prove you are a good driver. I had an accident that got blamed on me once, I used to drive like you back then, well a lot faster actually, the accident happened at a junction when I was stationary and a guy coming the other way lost control because he was going so fast he couldnt slow down for me, and my car although stationary was in his lane a little because I was trying to see up the road to get across it. I took the rap on that, though really - I was in the wrong, but he hadnt left room for error - in other words he wasnt trying hard enough to avoid the bad driver...
Driving like a prick is not a right you are born with or given a licence for. I'm out there too, and these days I use a bicycle which means if you come up on me now and one of us makes an error and the other hasnt allowed for that, i'm going to die. If i've borrowed a car when that happens though, I assure you that the odds will be in my favour.
It's as simple as that really.
He is 15, he doesn't drive, which is why all of his stories are about family members.
Ignoring that, that whole post is pure win, in fact where is the tip jar?
You will never know how my Dad drives will you, he will never go 100mph+, he does have respect for other road users, on the motorway he will drive about 90 but on the roads around town etc... he keeps to the speed limit, you will never know how he is drives.
He wont put others life at risk, on the motorway he keeps a good distant away from drivers. There are people who do drive over 100mph but my dad isn't one of those, he mainly stays at 90.
I don't really care anymore because I know how my dad drives and he doesnt drive like a 17 year old, I don't need to grow up, I know how he drives and how safe he drives and he dont drive like an idiot maybe fast but doesn't drive idiotically stupid, he will drive fast when need be and when he needs to slow down he will slow down.
When are people going to get back on-topic this thread is about sat navs not about me and my family.
He wont put others life at risk, on the motorway he keeps a good distant away from drivers. There are people who do drive over 100mph but my dad isn't one of those, he mainly stays at 90.
I don't really care anymore because I know how my dad drives and he doesnt drive like a 17 year old, I don't need to grow up, I know how he drives and how safe he drives and he dont drive like an idiot maybe fast but doesn't drive idiotically stupid, he will drive fast when need be and when he needs to slow down he will slow down.
When are people going to get back on-topic this thread is about sat navs not about me and my family.
Sam, I suggest you just stop replying now, I'm not saying that I don't value your opinion. You're just going to end up getting totally rinsed like you have in countless other threads. 
I am going to stop replying now, I know the truth others don't need to.
I will just let this thread flow now.
Just to chip on the speeding thing, I recently did a long drive (13 hour round trip) in my car, sitting at 80-85mph most of the time. I was one of the faster cars on the motorway, which did surprise me tbh (I'm still a fairly 'new' driver), and I was rarely in the inside lane for more than a couple of minutes.
The few cars that were driving faster often drove like nutters though, were right up my arse from out of nowhere, and then have their foot back to the floor when I'm only half way back into the middle lane. I don't see how you can be so impatient about someone else slowing you down when they're speeding already.
The few cars that were driving faster often drove like nutters though, were right up my arse from out of nowhere, and then have their foot back to the floor when I'm only half way back into the middle lane. I don't see how you can be so impatient about someone else slowing you down when they're speeding already.
Speeding in Britain rarely gets you anywhere much faster anyway, 9 times out of 10, tail-gate charlie will only ever end up at his destination a few mins quicker than if he had slowed down.
I rarely drive above 70 (in the car, bike is a different kettle of fish all together), and take great pleasure in smiling at the muppet who just flew past me at 100mph when I catch him up at the next set of traffic lights / junction / roundabout.
I rarely drive above 70 (in the car, bike is a different kettle of fish all together), and take great pleasure in smiling at the muppet who just flew past me at 100mph when I catch him up at the next set of traffic lights / junction / roundabout.
One thing thats really annoying on the motorway (even as a passenger, because I'm not old enough to drive) is that the majority of the traffic is in the 'fast' lane. Quite a lot of the time, they're travelling slower than the traffic in the lanes to the left.
It just really frustrates me that they don't just pull over into lane 1/2/(3). Its fine if they're going significantly faster than the other traffic, but the simple fact of the matter is that they aren't, and it just clogs up the whole flaming motorway.
Its seems that a large number of people on the roads today are too stupid to use the fast lane just for overtaking. When we drove through Belgium, it was heaven. Completely idiot free, and an almost 100% clear fast lane, which was only used for overtaking.
It just really frustrates me that they don't just pull over into lane 1/2/(3). Its fine if they're going significantly faster than the other traffic, but the simple fact of the matter is that they aren't, and it just clogs up the whole flaming motorway.
Its seems that a large number of people on the roads today are too stupid to use the fast lane just for overtaking. When we drove through Belgium, it was heaven. Completely idiot free, and an almost 100% clear fast lane, which was only used for overtaking.
Well if people are in the fast lane and going slower then the others this means that people could be overtaking them in the middle lane and outside lane(Slow lane, lorries etc...) means the people in those lanes may be undertaking the people in the fast lane what is illegal, some people do go to slow in the fast lane what could also cause an accident, the fast lane is basically for overtaking the other two lanes and the middle land in for overtaking people in the slow lane really, isn't that correct?
Anyway I am going to keep myself away from this thread now lol.
I want people to realise that when one lane is closed the traffic has to drive FASTER to avoid causing conjection. Mass flow rate and all that. 
Edit: Oh dear Sam... <face>+<palm>
Edit: Oh dear Sam... <face>+<palm>
But some people can cause traffic by shotting up where the lanes filter in, mainly lorries stop this by putting half of the lorry into the other lane so they cant do this, I think you should know what I mean, if not I will make a little diagram.
Just to buck the trend here slightly. The key phrase in that sentence is "i'm still a fairly new driver" If we're all being honest, when we all jump into a car or on bike for the first time it's such an adrenaline rush, it's all to easy and perhaps a little understandable we wanna gun it a bit. If you don't drive that often, or the bike's just a Sunday thrill, the same applies. You can get a real kick out of driving quickly, especially on a country road that you know well. (slight aside directed at Bob, you've got some of the best roads in the UK not a stones throw away bud. Go take a drive in Northumberland. Especially between Warkworth and Alnwick, a personal favourite of mine, and also between Alnwick and Rothbury. The A697 is pretty special too
)Anyway, i reckon i must have driven something approaching half a million miles since passing my test (yeah, i'm that old
) And after a while that need for speed usually goes, and you actually start to enjoy the journey even more when you're not in such a rush. You feel less stressed out and are able too make better judgement calls on any given situation. Yeah accidents still happen, but you certainly lessen the risk when driving slower and it gives you just a few more vital seconds to read the road. However there are always exceptions to the rule..Probably sales reps or delivery drivers trying to meet a deadline. Just do what Becky suggests and give them a wide birth.
A few years ago i was driving back from London late one night and came across a guy in a Mondeo who was obviously falling asleep, he was all over the road. I then thought, well, i could just slip past him and be on my way and not try to worry how many people he might kill, or try to do something to help. So, being such a nice chap
, i held back, put my hazards on till some cars behind drew up and sussed what was going on. Then slowly moved up beside him and give a few short blasts of my horn then a few long ones until he woke up, which he did, thankfully. Realising he was a danger he moved to the inside lane and gave me the thumbs up and a thank you. Luckily there was a service station only a mile or so up the road, so i tailed him to the slip road just incase he needed waking up again. But managed to get there without any problems. Then just carried on my way home. Wasn't looking for a medal or anything, just perhaps if i was in that same situation another driver might do the same for me. Roads filled with big heavy metal cars are bloody dangerous places, and if drivers treat each other with a bit of courtesy and respect i'm sure the accidents and deaths tolls wouldn't be so high.
In this example, I just didn't want to drive at 70mph and have the journey take 16 hours. That's more likely to get me tired at the wheel, which is much worse than an extra 10-15mph IMO.
Perhaps when I've got something more exciting than a clapped out MkI Mondeo that handles like a boat to drive around, I'll give them go. For now, all it does is get me from A to B and consume bloody expensive fluids. I still try to cycle whenever I can, which makes for better value for money too, seeing as my car cost less than my bike.
Sat Nav
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