Single track roads - stopping

899cc · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Berkshire

I've been driving on some of these roads recently, and want to ask what you guys think.

We should all know that you need to be able to stop in half the distance you would on a normal road on single track roads. When there is not a passing place nearby, you've also got to hope that any oncomming vehicle will be able to stop in time. I find that when I meet on comming vehicles they are often not too worried about being able to stop, dispite a closing speed of 60mph when doing just 30mph each. It scares me and I usually brake firmly whenever I see an oncomming vehicle just to be sure.

I always try my best to get in a passing place ASAP, but how hard would you brake to get into a passing place? I was in a situation recently where I could brake to get in a passing place, but I needed to brake very hard. A vehicle had just come around a bend that I was approaching, and was doing quite a fast speed. I slammed the brakes on, and went into the passing place, but with a bit of skidding. It was all comepletely safe (nothing behind me), but what if I had braked a bit less? I would have been stuck in the path of the oncomming vehicle, and my life would have been in his hands, but there would have been less skiding and a more gentle ride.

I don't like taking chances on these roads, what do you guys think, did I do the correct thing?

ScoobyChris · Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 969 Location: Andover, Hants

Just a thought, but if you were going fast enough to lock the wheels and skid, maybe the chosen speed for the road was too high? I suppose in these situations you have to decide if being able to stop in half the distance you can see to be clear is enough, especially when there is a chance the oncoming car won't be expecting to come into conflict and there are limited escape routes available...

IIRC, the Cadence commentary DVD has a good section on driving these roads and some advice on how to approach them Very Happy

Chris

899cc · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Berkshire

waremark · Joined: 15 Apr 2006 Posts: 573

Whether I braked uncomfortably hard would probably depend on the distance and speed of the car coming towards me. Unless I felt threatened I would not brake harder than comfortably, even if that meant reversing - which by the way you should be ready to do promptly if the car towards you keeps on coming! I cannot judge what I would have done in this particular situation without seeing the picture.

As someone else has said, you should choose your speed on a single track road to be able to stop in a bit less than half the distance you can see to be clear.

Interestingly, I think a similar question arises when stopping for an amber traffic light. I think the law says you should stop if safe to do so, but like most I implement this as stop if safe and reasonably comfortable to do so, not doing an emergency stop.

Red Herring · Joined: 20 Oct 2007 Posts: 478

An emergency stop to me suggests an element of "unexpected or unplanned", neither of which should apply to an advanced driver.

If I'm approaching a set of traffic lights I'm expecting them to change, especially if they have been on green for a while, so I'm already checking behind me and adjusting my speed so i can stop comfortably if they do so. There will come a point when to stop would require fairly firm braking but generally by then you will be close enough to comfortably get through before they display red.

On a country lane then your speed with also vary according to the view. I love single track because you are always adjusting your speed and it is always a fine judgement call as to what is an appropriate pace. Again you always drive expecting to have to stop, but your plan can only include what may reasonably be expected to happen. Yes it is fair to say that there is always the possibility that a driver coming the other way is driving at a dangerously inappropriate speed, but if you were to base your approach to every view on this principal you wouldn't get very far. Take a blind brow on a straight for example, it is quite possible to go over that at very high speed without crashing into the hedges, however should you find a cow (maximum speed 2 mph) in the middle of the road you wouldn't be able to stop would you. So when you are next approaching a blind brow how are you going to do so if you allow for the possibility that an oncoming driver could hit you even if you were stationery?

vonhosen · Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 1518 Location: Behind you !

ScoobyChris · Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 969 Location: Andover, Hants

SLine · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 57 Location: London (SE)

The traffic light could be a good analogy to the passing place.

When I first learnt to drive I was taught to think "stop, stop, stop, go" as I approachaed a green traffic light - without adjusting speed. If it went to amber while saying stop, you stopped, if it changed while you were saying go, you kept going. This was to remove the hesitation some drivers have when faced with a changing light. When you choose to say "go" depends on speed, what's behind, required braking, etc.

To answer the OP, why not treat each passing place as a green light, the change to amber being an oncoming vehicle coming into view.
And if firm braking into a passing spot is required to avoid a head situation then so be it - better than having to reverse into it.

Just my 2p.

MGF · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 700 Location: Warwickshire

Horse · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 459 Location: Darkest Berkshoire

Horse · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 459 Location: Darkest Berkshoire

899cc · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Berkshire

Why_Aye · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject:

This is a very interesting discussion to me, as I've just had an almost argument about the very subject. The argument on the side of my counterpart is essentially that during the day-time, headlights-on is more effective, desirable and 'better' than using the horn on a blind bend/steep bridge where "ten miles per hour" is "too fast".

I would very much welcome your comments on this. The counterpart in this argument has also mis-quoted the road traffic act to me, and has admitted to having not read the highway code in "a long time". Unfortunately, his comments have indicated to me that he is ridiculing any form of organised 'advanced motoring' and has left me pretty much speechless.

Advice is most welcome!
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David

Advanced driver of 2008?

ScoobyChris · Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 969 Location: Andover, Hants

Why_Aye · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:10 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your reply, which makes me happy that I am not going mad (or at least not yet madder than previous levels of madness!).

I forgot to mention that this scenario was in broad daylight as opposed to overcast, heavy rain etc....
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David

Advanced driver of 2008?