Keeping your distance:

We all know that you SHOULD keep your distance from the vehicle in front in order to:

Improve your view of the road ahead; be able to brake safely should the vehicle in front stop or slow suddenly; provide a safe braking distance for you to extend YOUR braking so that the ar*sehole behind doesn't rear end shunt you....

But, I was out for a ride the other day was following a BMW car driver who was right up behind a truck in front, sticking his right side out every now and then trying to get a view because he was far too close to see properly.....when ......the truck's wheels run aside of an empty pallet.....the BMW doesn't see it in time.......bang, swerve, screech, thump.


Could've been very nasty but damage only. And I bet he'll do the same the next time he's behind a truck.

Next time your out on a bike and find yourself getting too close to the vehicle in front, if your not interested in improving your view and having a safe braking distance, then just think about debris on the road and drop back a bit.

exhornet900 said:

BMW car driver who was right up behind a truck in front, sticking his right side out every now and then trying to get a view because he was far too close to see properly...

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The infamous 'jock-strap' position (as referred to us by our traffic unit instructor)...

Keep your distance

The I.A.M. course I was on was very hot on this, and prompted us all to remember; "Only a fool breaks the two second rule" (Pick a marker, as the car in front passes it recite the above mantra, if you pass the marker before you complete the saying you're too close).

When it's raining you sould double the distance. So "when there is rain, add two more seconds again". Poor gramma, but it takes two seconds to say.

And Then: " When there is snow and ice, Stay at home where it's warm and nice" LOL.

Some months ago I got really angry cos the car in front was going so slow. I demonstrated my anger by driving really close to the car in front ( you don't have to say it I know I am). The car drove over one of those springiy things that hold your wheel trims on. My front wheel caught the springy thing and stuffed it up under the mudguard, breaking it in two.

Instead of mocking my mentors I should have heeded their advice.

Yeeeeaaaaassss, the mantra I was taught took the same amount of time.....


Only a c*%^ has a rear end shunt!

Keep yer distance??Nah..just accelerate past the bastards..sorry can't resist that ram air whooshhhman8um .....

Mushroom Pete said:

When it's raining you sould double the distance.

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Maybe you have read my two threads on this subject.

When I took my IAM test I was failed the first time (passed at second attempt) for lack of confidence in the wet. To cut a long story short I asked the examiner why I had to double my braking distance in the wet when he was forever telling me that a 'bike tyre retains 85-90% of it's grip in the wet. If that was correct why was I wrong to be more cautious in my general riding and also wrong if I didn't double my baking distance? If the tyre retains it's grip then surely I don't have to make such a large increase in braking distance? He couldn't give me a straight answer.

BTW I do increase my braking distance substantially when it's wet, and I am also very cautious (maybe too much so) when negotiating bends in the wet.

http://www.bikersoracle.com/blackbird/forum/showthread.php?t=15248

http://www.bikersoracle.com/blackbird/forum/showthread.php?t=15217

A tyre retains 85-90% of it's grip in the wet? I dunno if thats true or not but it's not a something I'll be saying to myself as I ride along.

There are far too many variables to consider such as road surfaces, surface water, tyre wear and worst of all, unseen diesil and oil on the road. (Biggest problem with diesil is unless you see the rainbow effect, often you don't know it's there till you smell it....and then you are already on it).

Regardless of whether the tyre retains so much grip I also think about extending my braking for the vehicle behind, not having to brake quite as hard because of possible problems with road surfaces, oils etc and also because of factors such as thicker gloves (less feel), less visibility & slower reactions if cold.

And I bet he'll do the same the next time he's behind a truck

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Sadly, I doubt it.

Only a c*%^ has a rear end shunt

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This has more of a 'ring' than "Only a Fool Breaks the Two Second Rule" :-:

this is an interesting article regarding the 2 second rule


http://www.survivalskills.clara.net/riding_skills_32.htm

Very Good..........But..............

I would suggest the average person's response time to be at least 0.7, if not 1 second - dependent upon circumstances.

the second set of stats deal with a "dopey" rider - response times at 1 second. and it goes onto agree with you that the average drivers response time is 0.7 secs.:beer:

2 sec rule,

i passed mi iam test over 10 years ago, i still ride to that standard, or try to, quite regular practice ( on deserted roads ) progressive braking, initial pressure to compress forks to full on braking, 2 year ago following a line of cars, straight road, all bunched up as car drivers do, at more than the 2 second distance, glanced over cars for overtake chance not even 2 secs, looked down again to see cars brake lights on, at 60 mph i had ample distance to stop but sometimes practice goes out the window, braked too hard, locked front wheel, never hit anything exept the road, wrote bike off, broke 4 ribs, punctured lung, pride killed,
moral is no matter how careful you are shit happens,

Shit does indeed happen. Especially when replying on 10 year old threads.;-0))

10 year old thread or not, the subject is still relevant today, and saying that I really wish the arseholes that pull into the braking space a lorry driver leaves and then BRAKES realise that "the big gap" was not left for him/her to fill, it's left so I don't drive OVER the vehicle in front, or was until some prick took it all away!!:dunno:

Hmmm
Lorries leaving a braking distance in front of them.
Some don't know what they are!

Quiney said:

Hmmm
Lorries leaving a braking distance in front of them.
Some don't know what they are!

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Especially as I've got a Nissan Leaf at the moment and when needing to max range I keep to 60 on motorway, very often my mirror is filled with lorry grill :rant:.

If your being overtaken or "pushed" by a wagon limited to 56/60 mph your going to slow,:wank: just up the speed by a mile or two an hour and you wont have that problem, or slow a bit more if your that bad a driver you need it pointing out to you, trucks end up bunched together due to the limiters "and bad driving" and simply cant get past these clowns that sit at half a mile an hour slower than the trucks top speed!! and whilst I'm at it FFS why do pricks slow down going down hill and speed up going UP hill?? often heavy trucks need to get a bit of steam up going down hill so they can get up the next one without holding everyone else up!! :rant: