 |
| Ink and watercolour - by me |
Now there's a word to get you all going!
I find the ride is more comfortable, and less damage is done to the wheels and suspension if you don't drive in to them.
Sounds obvious, really, but having been a passenger with some friends, recently, apparently not.
First, don't follow too close behind other vehicles, keep at least the 'two seconds' gap. This will allow you to observe the road ahead and plan your route around many potholes.
Second, along with the first, keep your speed down. Again allowing you more time to observe and avoid.
Third, concentrate on your driving and observe the road ahead. Together with 1 and 2, it will help. On roads you use often - remember where you last saw them, unless your memory is failing.
Fourth, take extra care at night. Main beam is useful, as long as you can manage to find the dip switch when required, which seems to be an issue on newer cars.
Let's face it, most of you are not interested in driving you just want to get from A to B with the least effort, as fast as you can. No amount of advice will help you, you will just whinge when you bend your rims, and blame anyone except your own incompetence. I appreciate many of you have been further de-skilled by buying cars that do it all for you, but hey ho, that's progress. The standards of your driving can only get worse ... unless you do something about it.
Happy potholing!
I first posted this in 2011 - after 14 years, nothing has changed. Although not one of what a current campaign calls "The Fatal Five", following too close is a significant cause of accidents, and woud be classed as careless driving. (The Fatal Five are listed as: drink/drug driving, careless driving, speeding, using a mobile phone or other distraction, not wearing a seat belt).
"Only a fool breaks the two second rule." Read on ...
Of all road accidents, around 97% are caused by driver error - following too close is one of the errors most often cited.
Unfortunately, there are drivers out there who; are not concentrating on their driving, don't care about their driving, whose confidence exceeds their ability, whose vehicle is in an unsafe condition, are drunk or drugged, using a cell phone, who are just bad drivers.
This German registered Tesla driver fell in to one, or more, of the above considering, too, that he is in a foreign (to him) country, for example: driving too fast for the conditions, overtaking in an unsafe manner, failing to observe the junction ahead, driving too close to the vehicle ahead.
Having done all that, he found that some of the lanes in Devon are, shall we say, constricted. We watched as he had to reverse and send his passenger go guide him through the gap - then rushed off, in an embarrassed huff, once he had cleared the parapet.
So, the simple advice regarding road safety, when you have to choice of being a Tom, Dick, or Harry - don't be a dick!
Well. there's a thing, as my old gran used to say! I haven't posted here for two years. I've been so busy!
The previous post was a moan about cyclists abandoning their vivid yellow clothing in favour of camouflage greens, browns, and blacks. Nothing's changed there. They still don't want to be seen, yet whinge when you don't.
I'm still driving the Dacia, now with 146,000 on the clock, and still doing 60mpg (on summer grade diesel).
Electric cars continue to improve, especially range-wise, but are still not a really viable alternative for high mileage rural dwellers - yet.
But what does the future hold? Who knows - except I will soon have to renew my driving licence, as us old farts have to do that more often. There are supposed to have been some rule changes to cater for the diminishing abilities of older drivers. When the reminder arrives I'll see what is required. I still have my original licence with entries dated 1972, but I don't think they'll accept that.
Until then I'll keep burning rubber! Keep it shiny side up, folks!
Gosh! It was 11 years ago that I wrote about how evolution had provided certain species with protective colouration, either to protect themselves (usually from being eaten), or to warn others that they are a danger. (See: Black and Yellow means Danger)
The post was about wasps and cyclists both wearing black and yellow so that they could be easily seen and avoided.
What has happened since is proof that evolution is a continuing process - nothing to do with wasps, which continue to dress in their bright, fear inducing, warning colours - but cyclists. When I wrote the earlier post I lived in urbania, streetlights, wide footpaths, and traffic at 30mph or less. I now live in deepest, darkest Devon.
The cycling clones who either live in, or visit the countryside for their holidays, have, by and large, evolved from the conspicuous, brightly coloured pestilence that you could see from afar, your heart sinking with dismay at joining a queue of slow moving traffic unable to pass with the compulsory 1.5 metre gap, to a covert, secretive, and almost invisible camouflaged shape lurking in the shadows and hedgerows.
What has happened to the gaudy, hi-viz, eye-screechingly yellow tops? They have been replaced with, grey, green, brown, and black - and not on their own, sometimes in combination.
Now, the lanes of north Devon are lined with banks, bushes, walls, and trees. These, in turn, cast shadows so the standard colour-scheme is ... grey, green, brown, and black, usually in combination.
I've tried to understand this change. Has being visible caused them to become targets? Is there some fashion where yellow is no longer de rigueur and wearing it is an embarrassment? Have cyclists, like lemmings, some kind of death-wish? As a keen motorcyclist I was more than happy to wear bright reflective gear to avoid the SMIDSY effect (Sorry Mate I Didn't See You|).
I shall continue to give them a wide berth - assuming I see them, of course - because; I have no desire to hear their inane drivel if they think I'm too close, pathetic whinging should I bounce them into the bushes, or have to polish off the nasty marks they leave on the paintwork.
I can't envisage that being camouflaged will do their cause any good, and will be interested to see if any court cases are decided against them on the grounds of failing to ensure their own safety.
I'll revisit the matter in another 11 years.
Continuing the theme of economy, the Dacia has been serviced recently, including a new timing belt. So she is running rather well at the moment. Add, that the pumps are now serving 'summer grade' diesel, driving like an old duffer and a new record, for me, mpg figure ... 71 mpg.
This was achieved in dry, favourable weather conditions on a run between Netley Marsh, Hampshire and Gosport, Hampshire. Most of the distance was on the M27 with a speed restriction of 60mph, with light, free flowing traffic. A 30 mile trip.
By the time I had got back home to Devon it was down to 61mpg.
No bad, eh!
