Guys...Following distance I say it again...

[rick540]

Thursday morning 6.45Am, me sitting at an intersection right in front waiting for the light to change it unfolds before my very eyes.

Just left for work I'm sleepily looking at the traffic going through wondering where the hell they all come from so early and wondering why they are all driving so fast and noticing (as usual) everybody driving up everybody else's ass.

Light changes and because it's a long intersection a white Polo doesn't want to risk it and does an abrupt but perfectly acceptable stop like he is supposed to. Unfortunately for him there is a chick in an Opel driving up his ass whilst yakking away on her phone driving well over the speed limit.

KA BLAM! she was lucky if her tires squeeled for 1/10th of a second after she hit the brakes her tiny following distance fscked her over fair and square, knocked the other (innocent) guy's poor polo halfway through the intersection. The guy behind her had a good following distance and stopped no fuss whatsoever.

Nobody was hurt and I just shook my head and did a small lol at the stupid people and thanked God it wasn't me or one of my family....... So preventable.

Before you bitch that somebody always takes your gap.... I tried it, yes they do 10 people took the gap over 90km in rush hour traffic, but so what. 10 cars is under 50 meters I had to fall back to gaurantee my safety.

 

[Philip Foglar]

I base my following distance on the road and traffic conditions - and I also keep an eye on my rear view mirror so that I know when there is someone trying to park in my car's boot, rather let them go passed than have them hit me from behind when I have to throw anchors for someone else in front. That's something that scares me a bit with my car - brakes are super-good, but pointless if you end up being rear-ended! So I ultimately try and keep as much space around me whilst in traffic! Too many stupid and inexperienced drivers on the road these days!! :shocked:

 

[rick540]

I hate it sometimes, S*^t myself when there is an 18 ton truck a meter away from my bumper at 120kmh and I have nowhere to go.

Every driver should know about E=mc2 "ZA road version", with mc2 being the stupidity of the driver and E the magnitude of the resulting accident!

Common sense is dead on our roads

If you don't get it by now look for the weight of your car on the license disk and then go read this ------->>>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity

And this ---------> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy

 

[Spy007]

Funny I saw this happen in front of me on Wednesday. Double cab other car me. Person skipped the robot and the bakkie stopped. They guy behind him didn't. I left enough space to stop and swerve into the turn lane as they guy behind me was up my ass. he stopped just in time but filled the space where I would have been.

 

[P1000]

Rick, I agree completely with you on this one.

 

[Nic_s]

You won't believe how many times someone has said to me that their car is so light an nimble. There are very few cars that weigh in under 1 ton. I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a "light and nimble" car. All car's are heavy machinery and should be treated as such.

BTW rick, I saw drive past last week (I think it was last week). I was at the light where Victoria Road meets the R44. I came from the mall and was on Victoria Road while you drove towards the mall on the R44. To be honest I only noticed just after you passed, but I recognized the colour and body kit instantly.

 

[rick540]

You won't believe how many times someone has said to me that their car is so light an nimble. There are very few cars that weigh in under 1 ton. I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a "light and nimble" car. All car's are heavy machinery and should be treated as such.

BTW rick, I saw drive past last week (I think it was last week). I was at the light where Victoria Road meets the R44. I came from the mall and was on Victoria Road while you drove towards the mall on the R44. To be honest I only noticed just after you passed, but I recognized the colour and body kit instantly.

Yep that was me should have hooted :thumbsup:

 

[MikeR]

I hate it sometimes, S*^t myself when there is an 18 ton truck a meter away from my bumper at 120kmh and I have nowhere to go.

Every driver should know about E=mc2 "ZA road version", with mc2 being the stupidity of the driver and E the magnitude of the resulting accident!

Common sense is dead on our roads

If you don't get it by now look for the weight of your car on the license disk and then go read this ------->>>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity

And this ---------> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy

should try that in the Zed....
I have issue with this as well, I learnt that you should be able to see the rear tires on the car in front of you. But thats not going to happen here. I have not resorted to slowing down when somone is right up my ass - they then go into the next lane and Im happy

 

[Coisman]

imp:
Rick, did you at least offer a statement to the guy in the polo as an eyewitness??
Cause what happens is , she goes to the doctor and say he reversed into her, and put in a claim for injuries, I've seen it happen.
It would only help him if there was an independant eyewitness account.

 

[Nic_s]

You won't believe how many times someone has said to me that their car is so light an nimble. There are very few cars that weigh in under 1 ton. I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a "light and nimble" car. All car's are heavy machinery and should be treated as such.

BTW rick, I saw drive past last week (I think it was last week). I was at the light where Victoria Road meets the R44. I came from the mall and was on Victoria Road while you drove towards the mall on the R44. To be honest I only noticed just after you passed, but I recognized the colour and body kit instantly.

Yep that was me should have hooted :thumbsup:

I was already behind you when I noticed it was you. I turned left also. Next time I'll hang out the sun roof and wave

 

[MikeR]

another issue I have - texting pls dont watch if you dont handle bloody scenes very disturbing ! I wish it would hit home to evryone who thinks they are in control while on the cell phone.

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[netercol]

another issue I have - texting pls dont watch if you dont handle bloody scenes very disturbing ! I wish it would hit home to evryone who thinks they are in control while on the cell phone.

+1000

one of my pet hates the way people drive while on the cell.. much more dangerous imho than most traffic offences..

 

[Roundal]

I watched a near miss the other day. I was traveling along Marine Dr, Milnerton, towards town in the right lane, approaching the intersection with Boundary Rd. Robot red and 2 cars stopped in the left lane, no one in the right lane. Traveling next to me in the left lane was a container truck, luckily with no container on it, but suddenly the trailer brakes start to lock up.

Then I only realise that the truck driver is hitting the brakes, because he is not going to stop in time. He suddenly swerves to the right lane towards me. I think hier kom kak and duck into the right turning lane. He avoids hitting the 2 cars in the left lane, avoids me and carried on into the intersection in the right lane with his brakes locked up, all in the face of a red robot. He narrowly avoids a car in the intersection which had been coming down Boundary Rd and ends up stopping halfway in the intersection! Twit, not keeping a proper following distance. Imagine if he had hit the 2 cars in the left lane or there was a line of cars in the right lane!

 

[XMAX]

Ive noticed this a few times.

When going to warmbaths a few months back, i was almost rear ended by an idiot in a nissan almera trying to keep up with me.

my 325i is decently quick, but there was an accident ahead of me, so i applied my brakes and came to a comfortable and safe stop, then this idiot in the almera slams his brake and comes sliding at me. good thing i saw this and moved off the road onto the grass cos he stopped at my back door. My wife and baby would have been badly damaged.


Why dont people keep a safe following distance. Reminds me of the N1 between Pretoria and New Road. a few years ago there used to be these arrows painted on the road, and a sign saying that we should see 3 arrows between ourselves and the car in the front. That was cool.


Also, when stopping on a hill, i advise stopping far enough behind a car to see his rear wheels whilst youre seated in your correct position. This may allow for sufficient roll back space.

just my R0.02

 

[CocoPops]

Recently was driving the Merc S500..

It has a little warning symbol on the display as soon as you are too close to the car infront of you, calculated the distance according to the speed you are driving at.

You will be surprised how far you have to be!

Great thread, cant say i always obey this rule myself.

 

[Philip Foglar]

All you need to do is calculate how many metres per second you are traveling at certain speeds to realise "what" it actually means! 120km/h = 33.3333 metres per second! So average response time of 2 seconds, you need at least 70 metres following distance at that speed!!! And for most that is still not enough! :shocked: