Death toll on the roads is virtually identical to 2019

[FJRider]

This reminded me of KBer skiddie who, if memory serves, thought he could stop from 100kph in six feet.

It can be done. But it usually HURTS.

[Jeeper]

It can be done. But it usually HURTS.

Do humans still feel pain after they die?

[roogazza]

Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule. I use it all the time, not only for my own safety and that of others but because the great PB might be watching me from above. I hate tailgaters and would in the past signal my annoyance to them via subtle hand gestures (not not pulling the finger, that just infuriates them) but this was quite ineffective. Then I read of an interesting technique, spray your windscreen washer. Coming home from the Golden Bay a week back I had a guy in a 90's Terrano trying to slip stream me at 100km/h. After the 3rd time of putting his wipers on he got the idea and backed off. He passed us as we stopped in Murchison with a very clean windshield. I like to think I not only avoided roadrage but gave him some new found clarity.

Haha cheeky story : as a very young apprentice mech in the 60's I was known to turn the washers forward on the workshop hack.... squirting ladies on the pedestrian crossing in town...

[pritch]

I have an old station wagon that has it's own reservoir in the back ... that has two jets for the rear window. One jet is directly facing backwards. A bit of red dyed window cleaner in the water ... "For effect" ... they usually back off pretty quickly.

When I bought my car one of the washer nozzles on the left side of the car fired water up and over the car. OAB just raised the possibilty that this was not entirely accidental.

[Scuba_Steve]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

I don't think it's a result of people thinking that they're "shit hot drivers/riders" more a result of being stuck behind slow people (or slower than they'd like to travel) as a result of being too scared to pass due to the police gang hanging out many places including passing lanes & it's just plain dangerous to pass at the stated speed limit, so they resort to tailgating in an misguided & futile attempt to make traffic move faster.

[rastuscat]

I don't think it's a result of people thinking that they're "shit hot drivers/riders" more a result of being stuck behind slow people (or slower than they'd like to travel) as a result of being too scared to pass due to the police gang hanging out many places including passing lanes & it's just plain dangerous to pass at the stated speed limit, so they resort to tailgating in an misguided & futile attempt to make traffic move faster.

So following too close is the fault of.......the person ahead.

I'm beginning to understand a lot of your historical positions.

[Bonez]

So following too close is the fault of.......the person ahead.

I'm beginning to understand a lot of your historical positions.

You misspelt hysterical ol bean.

[R650R]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

2 seconds only works for alert drivers paying attention. I find 4 works best on cars and bikes, gives you a margin for those unavoidable lapses in concentration we all have.
Also it means the slow fecker in front won’t suspect he’s about to be overtaken allowing you to ambush nicely at next safe spot and pass with momentum before they get a chance to speed up.

4 secs also works well for the same reason 7 secs does in a heavy truck, it allows you to just lift off the throttle to avoid dancing on the brake pedal, that way when you do light up your brakes the person behind you actually registers it as a new event they might need to pay attention too.

I’ve been hit three times from behind, bike car and truck, none of them were following to close, just not paying attention at all. If you watch latest instalment of Aussie dashcams there’s some cracker rears in there and all seem to be same not looking at all....

[R650R]

You are obviously not aware of your conditions. Desol spills are relitively easy to spot because of all those pretty colors and from a ditance it is normally darker than the tarmac.. So is pee gravel if you have slowed down enough at an intersection. Of course there is always trhe posiblity of the vehicle ahead obscuring them but then you are following far too close.

Just saying....

Diesel is only visible when lighting conditions are favourabke for diffraction, much like how a rain shower doesn’t always make a rainbow.
It’s also not the only slippery shit that gets spilled on roads...
Bitumen also sweats some of its oils out during rain after hot weather sometimes it’s visible as a light foam other times you just see the truck in front put on his hazards and lose momentum real fast...

[george formby]

Quite often you can smell hot bitumen or diesel before seeing it, if it can be seen.

We have invisible chip seal / gravel on some roads up here, a brown scoria type stuff. I'm only aware of it when I hear it pinging off the bike. Not nice when leaning into a corner..

[Bonez]

Diesel is only visible when lighting conditions are favourabke for diffraction, much like how a rain shower doesn’t always make a rainbow.
It’s also not the only slippery shit that gets spilled on roads...
Bitumen also sweats some of its oils out during rain after hot weather sometimes it’s visible as a light foam other times you just see the truck in front put on his hazards and lose momentum real fast...

My 30 plus years of riding experiance tells me other wise. Only ever come close once on desoil but managed to recover safely thank goodness.

[Bonez]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

Set times,2- 4 or what ever and car lengths behind another car at different speeds is just class room jibberish. Each scenario is different depending in the type/amount of traffic, road surface/conditions, weather conditions, the presence of live stock, falling/falllen trees etc. There is no set time or distance behind the vehicle ahead of you.

[FJRider]

sliding on a diesel spill or a heap of loose gravel on an intersection results in a loss of traction
no grip would be my reason then.

who would be correct?

My post was tongue in cheek. Locking up the back wheel actually just causes a skid. Not in itself really illegal. Intentional or otherwise.

Hit a fuel (of any kind) spill and you may skid sideways. Not often enjoyable at the time. Personally ... I try to avoid ding that. Well ... on my FJ anyway.

And you can expect to see a fuel spill on the outside of the first few corners past fuel stations and truck stops. Some forget to replace the fuel caps after refueling. They aren't always there ... but it wont hurt you to EXPECT to see one there. If you don't look for it ... you might smell it as you slide through it.

[eldog]

.. you might smell it as you slide through it.

Would only smell FEAR......

[FJRider]

... I'm beginning to understand a lot of your historical positions.

That sounds almost immoral ...