Egg Centric
Established Member
...if the overtakee notices and does what they're supposed to do and maintains speed. If you're relying on this (am not saying that you are) then the overtake isn't on.
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Driving well below the speed limit
- Thread starter Bald Rick
- Start date
...if the overtakee notices and does what they're supposed to do and maintains speed. If you're relying on this (am not saying that you are) then the overtake isn't on.
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R
RailUK Forums
Drivers that I would be overtaking would be ones who would accelerate gently at the end of a speed limit. If I'm overtaking, I will have dropped back a few car lengths, so I get a better view of the road in front, and changed into a lower gear so the turbo is spinning, so that I am ready for flat out acceleration if I decide to go through with the manoeuvre. If they also accelerate hard as I start to overtake, then I will drop back and follow them.
Egg Centric
Established Member
Good thing I caveated then
Although I also wouldn't be afraid of being on the "wrong side of the road" - classic roadcraft overtaking maneuver expects chilling there for a while. (To repeat my previous caveat am not saying you aren't doing that
)
ABB125
Established Member
I drove from Fort William to Skye yesterday evening. There was a very erratic and slow driver in front, who was randomly braking on perfectly straight sections of road with good visibility. Rarely going above 40, except on the bits of road more suitable for overtaking, where they sped up to around 50. Randomly crossing over to the other side of the road on straight sections* and braking every time a vehicle passed in the other direction.
I think we were stuck behind for about half an hour before finally finding a suitable place to overtake - it's not easy when you're driving a large, underpowered, very heavily laden vehicle! In that time, several cars overtook me in preparation for overtaking the slow car, which is fine, no problems from me. We then got front seat views of the absolutely appalling driving from slow car: when a car tried to overtake, the slow car was doing a very good impression of someone trying to sideswipe the overtaker. Quite possibly the worst, most dangerous driving I've seen...
*And nothing to do with potholes etc
I think we were stuck behind for about half an hour before finally finding a suitable place to overtake - it's not easy when you're driving a large, underpowered, very heavily laden vehicle! In that time, several cars overtook me in preparation for overtaking the slow car, which is fine, no problems from me. We then got front seat views of the absolutely appalling driving from slow car: when a car tried to overtake, the slow car was doing a very good impression of someone trying to sideswipe the overtaker. Quite possibly the worst, most dangerous driving I've seen...
*And nothing to do with potholes etc
Egg Centric
Established Member
Incidentally (not to keep banging on about my Tesla but it's growing on me heh) was it electric/hybrid? Something I'm still getting used to is the brake lights coming on for relatively light amounts of regen (which is always on), less deceleration that you'd get in an normal manual transmission ICE lifting off the throttle.
I'm sure it won't take me that long to get better at consciously controlling the brake lights, but could certainly imagine those thinking about it less appearing to be randomly braking when actually they're not.
I certainly must look like a muppet overtaking and then apparently braking, when in fact all I'm doing is letting the car settle back to cruising speed and I haven't touched the brakes at all.
ABB125
Established Member
Didn't look like it, just a nearly new petrol car
MatthewHutton
Member
Could be a hybrid though, maybe those do the same these days?
Maybe even petrol cars now put the brake lights on when you take your foot off the accelerator?
ABB125
Established Member
Maybe, but that seems a bit silly and pointless in my opinion.
Llanigraham
On Moderation
I followed an MG EV the other week and everytime that slowed down the brake lights came on. Must have been bad as even my wife commented on it.
Thankfully on my Niro the brake lights only come on when I'm using the level 3 regeneration and then only below 40 miles an hour, and they will continue to operate if I drop down to level 2 from 3. In level 1, which I use all the time for general driving, they only work if I've actually pressed the brake pedal.
GusB
Established Member
I don't always drive at the speed limit, even if conditions dictate that I could. If I'm just out for a drive rather than making a specific journey I'm quite happy to pootle along at 50mph, but it very much depends on the type of road and the quantity of traffic using the road. If it's a trunk road I'll stick to the speed limit but if I'm driving on a secondary A road, or more likely a B road in my part of the world, I don't see a problem with driving a bit more slowly. If it's busy I'll keep up with the traffic or if it's a bit quieter and someone suddenly appears in my rear-view mirror, I'll allow them to overtake at the earliest opportunity. Even if I am driving at the speed limit, there's always someone who wants to go a bit quicker and I'd rather let them by - I just think that's good road manners.
That's certainly not good road manners and I made my feelings known about the "40 everywhere" brigage (your 38 is with the margin of error)!
I'm aware that not everyone will agree with my views but please do bear in mind that I inhabit part of the country that has no motorways and the nearest bit of 2-lane dual carriageaway is about 40 miles away. It gets very busy at rush hour and I often have to deal with traffic congestion in town but my local motoring issues are probably quite minor compared to those living further south.
I suppose it's all relative, really.
I quite agree and I frequently will trundle along below the limit if there's no one around and I'm not in a hurry - but as soon as someone appears in my rear view I push it up to whatever is safe and legal, rather than whatever I feel like just because I can. There's some rubbish drivers out there and adding frustrating them to the mix is not desirable. I drive a 1 litre tiny little shoe box of a car (by choice, I've always liked small carsI don't always drive at the speed limit, even if conditions dictate that I could. If I'm just out for a drive rather than making a specific journey I'm quite happy to pootle along at 50mph, but it very much depends on the type of road and the quantity of traffic using the road. If it's a trunk road I'll stick to the speed limit but if I'm driving on a secondary A road, or more likely a B road in my part of the world, I don't see a problem with driving a bit more slowly. If it's busy I'll keep up with the traffic or if it's a bit quieter and someone suddenly appears in my rear-view mirror, I'll allow them to overtake at the earliest opportunity. Even if I am driving at the speed limit, there's always someone who wants to go a bit quicker and I'd rather let them by - I just think that's good road manners.
That's certainly not good road manners and I made my feelings known about the "40 everywhere" brigage (your 38 is with the margin of error)!
I'm aware that not everyone will agree with my views but please do bear in mind that I inhabit part of the country that has no motorways and the nearest bit of 2-lane dual carriageaway is about 40 miles away. It gets very busy at rush hour and I often have to deal with traffic congestion in town but my local motoring issues are probably quite minor compared to those living further south.
I suppose it's all relative, really.
) but I still progress when required.Would have been a tourist, not used to left hand running and possibly not used to a manual. Probably American.
Meanwhile, back to my old hobby horse the A1081 Harpenden - St Albans. Around midnight last night, a car tootling along at 40 with 5 vehicles behind (with me in 5th). Then 40 in the 30 area too.
Conditions were perfect, clear and dry, although the driver of the vehicle concerned must have thought visibility was restricted as the rear fog light was on.
DarloRich
Veteran Member
The inappropriate use of fog lights should be punished by a birching. Drives me MAD!
Agreed - I cannot remember the last time I used fog lights locally. I do remember using them a few years ago when travelling home from deepest Herefordshire after going to a Wedding. In the end I turned them off as I found visibility better at 11pm in November better without them than with on the country roads I was driving down. Full beam seemed to work best.
I have a vague recollection from when I was younger (i.e. a child at school) that the guidance for using them in build up areas was slightly dependent on how many street lamps you could see and if you could see 3 lamps in the distance, then they weren't needed (but that could be me making things up).
Sun Chariot
Established Member
I agree. My current car (2017 Hyundai i40) has hideous main beam - unlike my previous 2 cars, this one's not got xenons. Seriously, for a car of this age, it's near criminal.
So I use the DRLs and the front fog LEDs in "dimmer" mode - together with those barely-main beam lights - at night, so I can safely drive on unlit roads.
I can’t even remember which button is which.
I would get people turning their rear ones on in front of me - if I’m trundling along right behind you I’m not going to lose sight of you!
On all the cars I’ve had for the last 25 years it has been the same ‘button’. Pull out one stop for front only, two stops for both.
I’ve got two buttons, and they are hidden behind the steering wheel such that I can’t see them whilst driving!
Peter Sarf
Established Member
There is always a risk with little used features that they are a little used distraction. In this case you might spend so much time being distracted by how to turn on the fog lights that you miss something on the road and so the extra visibility is not worth it !.
My car has two switches for fog lights. I always had to wonder which was front and which was rear !. I used them so little - most important for me was checking the warning lights in case they were inadvertently on !.
For me driving slower in poor visibility means wanting to be sure the rear of my car is well lit which is hard to detect from the driving seat !. I found one car I had came with rather poor headlights I improved it reasonably with better / expensive bulbs. For that car I found I could drive faster if I could follow someone who was braver, fool hardy or had good headlights. If they turned off - damn !. I also did not want to get too close in case they let me pass !.
I would say I drive a lot less nowadays. Many long journeys are cheaper by coach and it means my journey times are not tied down to the whims of the missus regardless of how tired I might be. I want a car as its a "basic human right" - well I need one occasionally. I vaguely enjoy driving but not being an unpaid "taxi service".
It's a dial isn't it for the fog lights? On the same stick as the indicators and headlights?
One twist away from me for the front and 2 for the rear. You can only turn them on if your headlights are already on as well.
Lewisham2221
Established Member
Depends on the car. I've got a twisty bit on the indicator stalk and a button - to the right and slightly below the steering wheel, just above knee height - from the comfort of my sofa I couldn't tell you which controls the front/rear fogs.
Two buttons next to the headlights switch, just above my right knee, somewhere out of sight behind the steering wheel
On a 2012 Mondeo, there is a dial on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel to turn on side lights and dipped lights, and a stalk for main beam. There are buttons either side of the dial that you press to turn on the front and rear fog lights. You can also twist those buttons to adjust the brightness of the dashboard and the vertical direction of the headlights.
If fog lights are truly merited by the conditions and you can see the car in front which hasn’t got them on, you’re probably too close!
If they can see me in their mirror I really don’t need them to put rear fogs on!
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
On my vehicle (2011 VAG subsidiary) the fog lights are controlled by the main headlight switch being pulled (once for front, twice for rear) but you can only do this if the lights are on "manually" and the switch spends about 99.9% of the time in the "Auto" position. Additionally if you only have side lights on you can only activate the front fog lights, you need dipped or full beams on to be able to pull the switch out to the second "click" and turn the rear fogs on.