Following Distance - Free Stuff That Just Keeps Giving

[russd7]

I came across a well nasty crash at the McLaren Falls turnoff about 25 years ago.

Car had pulled left to let traffic clear from behind prior to turning right. When the driver was clear had turned out and got hit side on by a motorcycle coming through from behind.

Any right turn is a risk.

that scenario was one of my first big scares on a bike, only difference being that i skimmed past the front of the right turning car and stopped in the ditch on the other side of the road, just as well i was on a trailee

[rastuscat]

I came across a well nasty crash at the McLaren Falls turnoff about 25 years ago.

Car had pulled left to let traffic clear from behind prior to turning right. When the driver was clear had turned out and got hit side on by a motorcycle coming through from behind.

Any right turn is a risk.

Victim was an Irish tourist. I was cradling his head and reassuring him as fire cut him out of the side of the car.

[pritch]

But even better, if you keep a decent following distance, more people will see you, as you are out of the blind spot behind the vehicle ahead.

Spoken like a traffic cop. On your work bike that would work. In the real world, on your own bike, that will just have people passing you and jamming themselves into the space ahead of you causing you to have to take evasive action.

A better system is to be going fast enough that nobody overtakes you.

[rastuscat]

Spoken like a traffic cop. On your work bike that would work. In the real world, on your own bike, that will just have people passing you and jamming themselves into the space ahead of you causing you to have to take evasive action.

A better system is to be going fast enough that nobody overtakes you.

I'm a fairly mild mannered person. But I find your comment to be totally wrong.

In the real world, where I ride my own bike, following distance is easy and makes my rides safer and more stress-free.

[rastuscat]

The perception is that if you leave a decent following distance some tosser will just fill your gap up.

I challenge people to count the number of times that avtually happens. Then decide if its worth sacrificing safety and comfort to stop those few tossers gettingvshead of you.

Exactly what do you gain by making sure nobody gets into "your" gap? How much time do you actually lose when someone takes "your" gap?

It's a pissing contest, competing with people you don't know in a race they dont know is happening.

[pritch]

The perception is that if you leave a decent following distance some tosser will just fill your gap up.

I challenge people to count the number of times that avtually happens. Then decide if its worth sacrificing safety and comfort to stop those few tossers gettingvshead of you.

Exactly what do you gain by making sure nobody gets into "your" gap? How much time do you actually lose when someone takes "your" gap?

It's a pissing contest, competing with people you don't know in a race they dont know is happening.

You're missing the point. Again.

If you are on a motorcycle there is no excuse for just following. You have superior manouverability, visibility and acceleration.
Start using them.

You need to start thinking like a motorcyclist. That's somewhat different to what you are accustomed to.

[rastuscat]

You need to start thinking like a motorcyclist. That's somewhat different to what you are accustomed to.

Indeed. I thought I was a motorcyclist but because I'm not a self centred twat, clearly I was wrong.

[pritch]

Indeed. I thought I was a motorcyclist but because I'm not a self centred twat, clearly I was wrong.

I don't know whether you are a self centred twat or not, but sometimes your comments indicate you don't really understand motorcycling. As you were.

[awayatc]

I'm with Mr rastuscat on this topic.

Gaps are good....

Don't mind somebody using the space it creates...
Improves overall traffic flow.

[rastuscat]

I'm with Mr rastuscat on this topic.

Gaps are good....

Don't mind somebody using the space it creates...
Improves overall traffic flow.

https://youtu.be/gLVSnKuFmGU

[release_the_bees]

Re enforcement. I did a search of the ticket data in about 2013 for Canterbury District.

Approx 0.01% of tickets werevisdued for following too closely.

Trouble is, most of those arose from nose to tail crashes.

Perhaps that's why there is such a prevalence of that poor driving habit.

I've never understood why this isn't enforced more. Surely, it's not that hard to fit a camera and measuring device to the back of an unmarked car and drive around for a bit. It really does my head in considering that 90% of the driving population drive way too close to the vehicle in front and nothing seems to be done to improve that habit.

In my opinion, tailgating is much more likely to cause an accident than some 'nutter' doing 10 km/h over the speed limit but otherwise driving safety, yet the former is barely enforced, whilst the latter is enforced religiously.





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[HEsch]

WRT to following distance, I'm probably as bad as the next person (following too close), so pot/kettle blah blah.

Wrt to losing time... have you ever tried to catch up to someone who sets off only one minute before you? It is quite difficult to make up the gap, without driving recklessly. Losing 10 seconds here and 10 seconds there, because someone takes your gap - probably would have elapsed at the next intersection anyway.

IMO it's not worth the stress. I'd rather enjoy the ride/drive. I had someone aggressively brake in front of me the other day. I am sure he gestured at me as he did it, to tell me to back off. I was watching and following in a way that meant I was still well behind him after he braked (like an idiot), I realised what he was doing and slowed to maintain my distance... He was far more aggravated than I. If he'd merely slowed down a tiny bit I would have been able to pass him on one of the straight bits, but he was travelling a good 95 and I didn't deem it safe in the limited space. So because I was cruising along, I caught up to him on every single corner.

[caspernz]

The perception is that if you leave a decent following distance some tosser will just fill your gap up.

I challenge people to count the number of times that avtually happens. Then decide if its worth sacrificing safety and comfort to stop those few tossers gettingvshead of you.

Exactly what do you gain by making sure nobody gets into "your" gap? How much time do you actually lose when someone takes "your" gap?

It's a pissing contest, competing with people you don't know in a race they dont know is happening.

It's an ongoing debate. At my place of work I had a most amusing trip taking a chap for a ride. Now he's known as a pushy speedy kind of trucker. So as soon as we hit the motorway and I was demonstrating the correct driving techniques, without saying a word mind you, he mumbled something along the lines of: "Damn, this is gonna take all night." Asked him what his normal trip time was from depot to depot. Funnily enough, even with my relaxed way of driving, trip time was the same. Lower stress, lower fuel burn, more professional in how it looked to Joe Public and all...so yeah, not fussing over a stranger taking a bit of "my road" is no bother to me. Side effect is that majority of traffic mirrors my behavior, so if I chill out, that's mostly what I get in response. Works on 2, 4, or more wheels

I'm with Mr rastuscat on this topic.

Gaps are good....

Don't mind somebody using the space it creates...
Improves overall traffic flow.

Leaving a gap gives you an option, and yes it improves the flow.

I've never understood why this isn't enforced more. Surely, it's not that hard to fit a camera and measuring device to the back of an unmarked car and drive around for a bit. It really does my head in considering that 90% of the driving population drive way too close to the vehicle in front and nothing seems to be done to improve that habit.

In my opinion, tailgating is much more likely to cause an accident than some 'nutter' doing 10 km/h over the speed limit but otherwise driving safety, yet the former is barely enforced, whilst the latter is enforced religiously.

Tailgating may be permitted, as in not enforced, because it's perceived to get more traffic thru a certain bottleneck? But yep, I hate tailgating. On the bike it's not usually a problem, unless I can't get away from some dipstick...then I just grow my own following distance to incorporate the gap the tailgater behind me should have. Would love to see tailgating be targeted with the same enthusiasm as speed, that's for sure

WRT to following distance, I'm probably as bad as the next person (following too close), so pot/kettle blah blah.

Wrt to losing time... have you ever tried to catch up to someone who sets off only one minute before you? It is quite difficult to make up the gap, without driving recklessly. Losing 10 seconds here and 10 seconds there, because someone takes your gap - probably would have elapsed at the next intersection anyway.

IMO it's not worth the stress. I'd rather enjoy the ride/drive. I had someone aggressively brake in front of me the other day. I am sure he gestured at me as he did it, to tell me to back off. I was watching and following in a way that meant I was still well behind him after he braked (like an idiot), I realised what he was doing and slowed to maintain my distance... He was far more aggravated than I. If he'd merely slowed down a tiny bit I would have been able to pass him on one of the straight bits, but he was travelling a good 95 and I didn't deem it safe in the limited space. So because I was cruising along, I caught up to him on every single corner.

As far as the perception of losing time, by allowing someone into the gap in front of you, it's largely perception. In urban situations it's a moot point, one traffic light and you're bunched up two vehicles behind the one who "stole" your spot. Even on the open road, so what if an impatient driver hustles thru at the end of a passing lane, next township this same vehicle will still be in the same slot in the row of traffic anyway. On the bike I favour to scoot past someone coming out of a right hand bend, a tried and proven technique from the Roadcraft manual

[rastuscat]

I've never understood why this isn't enforced more. Surely, it's not that hard to fit a camera and measuring device to the back of an unmarked car and drive around for a bit. It really does my head in considering that 90% of the driving population drive way too close to the vehicle in front and nothing seems to be done to improve that habit.

I had a bit of fun with one of my oppos in a plain car on the Shore a few years ago. Around 2001, I think.

The lasers we had at the time were ProLaser II. They measured distance, speed and time.

My oppo drove the plain car, and I sat in the back seat, pointing the laser out the rear window, measuring the distance in metres to the car behind.

It was a great way to draw a punters attention to the road rules.

Some plonker wrote to the Police Minister and complained about entrapment (which it wasn't), and the amount of paper we had to write to explain the situation basically caused us to give it up as an idea.

Worked a treat though.

[Moi]

There must be something to this following distance thing... even an Aussie thinks it's a good idea...