Offsiding and straightlining - cut from 'Tailgating' thread

[WhoseGeneration]

That said, I've seen someone fall off at a standstill . . .

!

Where you there in winter 1965, when I did such, on a BSA Bantam at traffic lights?
Was sheet ice, so that's my excuse.

[Horse]

That said, I've seen someone fall off at a standstill . . .

!

Where you there in winter 1965, when I did such, on a BSA Bantam at traffic lights?
Was sheet ice, so that's my excuse.

Yes! I heard what you said: "It wasn't my fault, it was that sh*t ice!"

[fungus]

https://maps.google.com/?ll=50.983141,-2.132356&spn=0.000027,0.017381&t=h&ecpose=50.98371761,-2.14551663,1130.61,90.973,44.274,0&z=16&layer=c&cbll=50.982963,-2.136057&panoid=2und8jJLGpMnEA7Xm1Kkpg&cbp=12,107.76,,0,4.23

If you mean heading East here, I'd happily go to the offside because I'd gain stability not view - it's possible to see all through the bend. That's straighlining as I said earlier:
Straightlining: moving beyond the centre line when a clear view of the full road width is available.

Now build a high wall on the left. Then that would be offsiding for view.

Yes, that's the bend. Very fast bit of road, but tightens up just past the lay by into a right hander.

[WhoseGeneration]

That said, I've seen someone fall off at a standstill . . .

!

Where you there in winter 1965, when I did such, on a BSA Bantam at traffic lights?
Was sheet ice, so that's my excuse.

Yes! I heard what you said: "It wasn't my fault, it was that sh*t ice!"

Truth, didn't get feet down early enough.
Hey ho, Bantam, easy to pick up and so agricultural no damage done.
At least back then, we rode whatever the conditions.

[TripleS]

That said, I've seen someone fall off at a standstill . . .

!

Were you there in winter 1965, when I did such, on a BSA Bantam at traffic lights?
Was sheet ice, so that's my excuse.

Pah, you ought to have been around Fylingdales in January 1963. Then you'd know what it's all about. Huh, namby pamby southerners.

[Ancient]

Winter 81/82, as a learner rider on a Matchless G2 CSR I rode from Nottingham to London through what BBC described as a blizzard. A sheet of ice fell of me as I got in home ... had walked the bike across the car park to the transport cafe half-way but otherwise only off once - checked a hole through the ice which was 3 - 4" deep. In London there was black ice but by that time I was used to sliding the thing and staying on .
Lovely machine - very low CoG

[Ancient]

Meanwhile, back on topic:
What do those who say 'No offsiding to gain a view" do about a wall/hedge/side of a building coming close to the road edge and potentially hiding someone/something from view? Slow right down in case something appears? Ignore it and get past as quick as poss (I'm guessing not)? Or offside if the view if the road ahead can be seen to be safe?
I'm guessing the last - so that's one situation where offsiding to gain a view is acceptable, no?

[revian]

TripleS "Pah, you ought to have been around Fylingdales in January 1963. Then you'd know what it's all about. Huh, namby pamby southerners.

I remember it..

.....riding my push bike from Redcar via Guisborough to Whitby across the moors and back on the coast road... the snow was up to the top of the road signs... my parents were not best pleased... but then I was 12

I know it's off topic but nostalgia is powerful....

[daz6215]

Meanwhile, back on topic:
What do those who say 'No offsiding to gain a view" do about a wall/hedge/side of a building coming close to the road edge and potentially hiding someone/something from view? Slow right down in case something appears? Ignore it and get past as quick as poss (I'm guessing not)? Or offside if the view if the road ahead can be seen to be safe?
I'm guessing the last - so that's one situation where offsiding to gain a view is acceptable, no?

What would you say is the safest option?

[Horse]

I'm guessing the last - so that's one situation where offsiding to gain a view is acceptable, no?

Or offsiding for safety?

I doubt moving a few feet across to the right will substantially improve view around a blind bend flanked by a wall (above that which a right-of-lane would give anyway) or into a blind entrance, at least not enough that you wouldn't need to slow anyway.

[MGF]

I think I might be slowing right down even if maintaining an offside position.

[waremark]

I'm guessing the last - so that's one situation where offsiding to gain a view is acceptable, no?

Or offsiding for safety?

I doubt moving a few feet across to the right will substantially improve view around a blind bend flanked by a wall (above that which a right-of-lane would give anyway) or into a blind entrance, at least not enough that you wouldn't need to slow anyway.

Accepting that the safe speed will be low either way, it will be significantly higher if positioned offside to maximise vision into and out of the nearside hazard.

[Ancient]

I'm guessing the last - so that's one situation where offsiding to gain a view is acceptable, no?

Or offsiding for safety?

I doubt moving a few feet across to the right will substantially improve view around a blind bend flanked by a wall (above that which a right-of-lane would give anyway) or into a blind entrance, at least not enough that you wouldn't need to slow anyway.

Accepting that the safe speed will be low either way, it will be significantly higher if positioned offside to maximise vision into and out of the nearside hazard.

This is my choice (several instances that I regularly drive past around here - there is a tendency for older houses to be built right down to the roadside and gateways in sunken lanes can be surprisingly large) - I will offside as much as possible to gain a view in and adjust speed according to the resulting view. Sometimes this results in a complete view of what would otherwise have hidden areas (and speed can be maintained), sometimes not (and I need to slow).

So if offsiding is useful in these situations, what about a simple bend on a single carriageway (two lanes) road where the other lane is fully in view but my nearside lane is (at least partially) hidden? Again we know there is no oncoming but are not clear about what may be hidden around the corner. Do we accept offsideing here?

[waremark]

So if offsiding is useful in these situations, what about a simple bend on a single carriageway (two lanes) road where the other lane is fully in view but my nearside lane is (at least partially) hidden? Again we know there is no oncoming but are not clear about what may be hidden around the corner. Do we accept offsideing here?

What we know is that this has been officially declared by senior IAM personnel as not acceptable on an IAM test. They have taken this stance for defensive reasons to avoid being blamed for inappropriate use of positioning over the centre line.

Personally I would expect most individual examiners would be pleased to see sensible use of positioning regardless of what the official policy now says.

[Horse]

So if offsiding is useful in these situations, what about a simple bend on a single carriageway (two lanes) road where the other lane is fully in view but my nearside lane is (at least partially) hidden? Again we know there is no oncoming but are not clear about what may be hidden around the corner. Do we accept offsideing here?

-ish

Presumably at some point slightly 'earlier' along the road, the offside (oncoming) lane will not have been in view?

In which case, again, the example you give would, again, (IMHO) be offsiding for safety, not view.

Although, in these 'junction' examples, it's worth considering the encroaching driver: where they will look and what action they might take?

http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/confere ... abbett.pdf
Have a look at the red 'experienced driver' boxes are aligned - on the approaching driver's nearside lane; potentially, an encroaching driver might not even look for you where you are!

Then, if as the encroaching driver enters the main carriageway (and, given that you've moved offside because it's a blind junction they will have an even more restricted view as their vehicle bonnet will have to emerge first before the driver even gets a view of the roadway), what's their likely action if they catch a brief glimpse of a vehicle? Actually probably two possibilities: stop where they are, obstructing lane 1 or, if turning right, accelerate across to the far lane ie yours.