ADUK Archive

How many of you experience thoughtless positioning from drivers using the right hand approach lane at a roundabout. What I am particularly referring to, are drivers who when using the right hand lane, go over the give way line, blocking the view of the driver in the left hand lane. This is particularly infuriating when taking a learner onto a roundabout who, although able to cope with the roundabout, is unable to move off at the same speed as experienced drivers. This problem doesn't crop up so much if the RH lane is already stationary but the LH lane is empty, as you can position for a view between the two lead cars in the RH lane.

Yes I had exactly that with a learner last week...the car to our right had actually gone well over the give-way line and blocked our view completely.

All part of life's rich tapestry...I suppose.

Easy! Don't stop at the line, stop a few feet further back - gives you room to use to your advantage. LGVs can still defeat this, but not often. A learner may have more difficulty of course.

zadocbrown wrote:Easy! Don't stop at the line, stop a few feet further back - gives you room to use to your advantage. LGVs can still defeat this, but not often. A learner may have more difficulty of course.

Aye, if 'the thoughtless one' has gone too far forward, you can hold back a bit and get a view to the right by looking across behind him. Then you might get away first with a flying start and out-drag him. Well, we want a bit of fun in our driving, don't we?

OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

It's down hill though...

revian wrote:

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

It's down hill though...

I get bored after about 2 minutes of trying to drive 'economically' and doing what some say and keeping the thing in a high number gear as much as possible never makes me feel safe.
Frankly the difference in actual fuel mileage isn't worth the aggro

revian wrote:

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

It's down hill though...

As a matter of fact it isn't downhill from Grasmere to where I live in Scarborough; and over a distance of 133 miles the slope wouldn't be enough to be of much help. Nice try though.

TripleS wrote:

revian wrote:

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

It's down hill though...

As a matter of fact it isn't downhill from Grasmere to where I live in Scarborough; and over a distance of 133 miles the slope wouldn't be enough to be of much help. Nice try though.

Well lad....Yorkshires's a magnet then

sussex2 wrote:

revian wrote:

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

It's down hill though...

I get bored after about 2 minutes of trying to drive 'economically' and doing what some say and keeping the thing in a high number gear as much as possible never makes me feel safe.
Frankly the difference in actual fuel mileage isn't worth the aggro

What aggro.?

There wasn't any aggro., and it didn't involve any inappropriate use of high gears. All it needs is reasonably smooth and intelligent driving, with a good measure of anticipation and planning. The average speed was about 34 mph, which I would say is fairly respectable for the (not particularly quick) roads through the Yorkshire Dales. Seems legit. to me.

No matter; you make your choices, and I'll make mine.

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

......

There wasn't any aggro., and it didn't involve any inappropriate use of high gears. All it needs is reasonably smooth and intelligent driving, with a good measure of anticipation and planning. The average speed was about 34 mph, which I would say is fairly respectable for the (not particularly quick) roads through the Yorkshire Dales. Seems legit. to me.

Very impressive. But even for 65 mpg I am not offering to swap your CUB for mine (and mine is the economy car in the household at mid thirties, in the latest I would have been in the mid-teens).

'There wasn't any aggro., and it didn't involve any inappropriate use of high gears. All it needs is reasonably smooth and intelligent driving, with a good measure of anticipation and planning. The average speed was about 34 mph, which I would say is fairly respectable for the (not particularly quick) roads through the Yorkshire Dales. Seems legit. to me'

It wasn't so much a criticism more a point on how some people see attempting to drive economically. Or attempt to do it themselves.
Correct observation and good anticipation which are the hallmarks of better driving are in any case more economical; and as you will know you can still drive with spirit.

Eco-driving is best achieved by not braking and not going fast (which is partly a consequence of not braking). That does require a lot of observation and anticipation, but in my view that's quite an additional constraint on top of "driving well" -- and quite different skill from safe progress. An interesting exercise. I wonder if the new beast could ever get more than 25mpg. I'm guessing not.

fungus wrote:How many of you experience thoughtless positioning from drivers using the right hand approach lane at a roundabout. What I am particularly referring to, are drivers who when using the right hand lane, go over the give way line, blocking the view of the driver in the left hand lane. This is particularly infuriating when taking a learner onto a roundabout who, although able to cope with the roundabout, is unable to move off at the same speed as experienced drivers. This problem doesn't crop up so much if the RH lane is already stationary but the LH lane is empty, as you can position for a view between the two lead cars in the RH lane.

Playing devils advocate.
Could it not be that the car in the right hand lane is 'presenting' itself and more obvious to the learner? It will be away off and gone and visible ahead of a learner who may falter on the roundabout itself.
It will not be suddenly presenting alongside the pupil when they are concentrating on negotiating the hazard.

sussex2 wrote:It wasn't so much a criticism more a point on how some people see attempting to drive economically. Or attempt to do it themselves.
Correct observation and good anticipation which are the hallmarks of better driving are in any case more economical; and as you will know you can still drive with spirit.

Agreed. Unless taken to extremes (which I wouldn't support), a bit of focus on eco-driving makes an interesting exercise at times. It doesn't have to be uniformly dull; and I am, after all, doing my bit to save the planet.

waremark wrote:

TripleS wrote:OTOH I got 65.7 mpg on my way home from the Lake District yesterday. 'Twas terribly boring; so I need a bit of frivolity now and again as compensation for that.

......

There wasn't any aggro., and it didn't involve any inappropriate use of high gears. All it needs is reasonably smooth and intelligent driving, with a good measure of anticipation and planning. The average speed was about 34 mph, which I would say is fairly respectable for the (not particularly quick) roads through the Yorkshire Dales. Seems legit. to me.

Very impressive. But even for 65 mpg I am not offering to swap your CUB for mine (and mine is the economy car in the household at mid thirties, in the latest I would have been in the mid-teens).

Even our CUB can get down to the low 30s (which rather grieves me ) if we just do a shopping trip into town and back. It's about a mile each way, so unless we have a lot to carry, we'd rather walk. Better for the environment, better for us, save a quid or two: put it towards my next skive in Lakeland. Win-win!

Y'see, ADUK isn't just about geekish/nerdish preoccupations with the minutiae of advanced driving. We can waffle about all sorts...well some of us can.