nearly got very nasty... public service announcement

presumably you looked over your shoulder to check your blindspot before moving out. bikes are buggers they appear from nowhere and fit very neatly in the smallest of blindspots.

i dont hold much truck with this advanced motorist thing, its just things that should be taught to all drivers for the normal driving test and it can give those who have done it a false sense of security. passing a test doesnt make anyone an advanced driver. my hgv training made me a better driver but the 12 years experiance since i passed that test is way more important.

i have a friend who did it and ive lost count of the accidents she has had

i did my test in '92 but my gf who did hers in '97 has a totally different driving style i was taught to brake gradually and change down through the box, she was taught to brake at the last minute then put it into 1st when stationary

the way you are taught to drive a truck seems to be close to the advanced drivers thingy, awareness of the road and potential hazards are a big element of driving a truck, why isnt this taught to all car drivers?

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

the way you are taught to drive a truck seems to be close to the advanced drivers thingy, awareness of the road and potential hazards are a big element of driving a truck, why isnt this taught to all car drivers?

Originally Posted by SHare

Too many these days just teach to pass, not teach to drive.

I agree with SHare and think this answers your question!

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

i have a friend who did it and ive lost count of the accidents she has had

There you go.

A year on a bike before your aloud to drive a car would do wonders for most peoples driving in my opinion.

But sometimes accidents happen, that's why they're called accidents.

Glad no one was hurt.

Originally Posted by PEd

Whats the point of this? Well i pay damn good attention to my mirrors and i still missed him.

stick on blind spot mirrors cost 99p and are easily fitted in less than 1minute.

i dont have any but they work and they're a good idea.

About an hour after reading this thread i was on my way to work and on joining the A19 sliproad found myself in the middle of a convoy of about 40 or 50 bikes of all types. They all wore hi-vis vests with a logo of some sort on the back. They then headed up the A184 towards Gateshead with me amongst them for about 3 miles..............talk about coincidence.............needless to say i was driving very carefully!!!

Originally Posted by rafe005

Kudos to you for stopping and apologising. Being a biker myself there is nothing more annoying than people cutting you up and then pretending you are not there when you do go past (blinker syndrome). Well done for owning up and bringing things like this to light!

Ditto, good on yer.

[quote=alfageordie;1873900]Having ridden bikes myself I always look over my shoulder as well as checking my mirrors before pulling out.


me to, glad no one was hurt, its a shock when that happens.

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

i was taught to brake gradually and change down through the box, she was taught to brake at the last minute then put it into 1st when stationary

Yeah, for some reason they don't teach engine braking anymore. I don't know why I always thought it was safest to do that. I go through the gears and slow right down planning to stop behind a stationary car with at least about 10 feet inbetween, then I can dawdle forward once there until we start moving again.

However, my other half plans to brake 6 inches behind stationary cars and we always come to a very abrupt halt that rocks the suspension. I keep having a go at her saying that if there was a bit of diesel or the road was greasy she would go straight into the back of the car in front.

My opinion, better to plan to stop well behind the car and roll on, rather than stop in the other guy's boot.

I learnt an invaluable lesson when training for my HGV test.The instructor would suddenly ask"whats behind you",and you HAD to know,without checking your mirrors.Taught me that you should ALWAYS be aware of traffic behind you ,not just when you are about to make a manouver!Only time it didn't quite work was one night on the M13(I think it is)Checked my mirrors-nothing behind except faint lights a couple of miles in the distance.As I was doing 65ish I thought nothing of it-even if he was doing 80 it would be a while before he came past.Suddenly I heard a ROAaarrr and a Countach shot past at full pelt-must have been doing close to 200mph!I thought I was stopped!Just shows you can't be too aware of whats going on around you.

To be fair bikers ride like nutters, yesterday I was happily cruising along country lanes route at about 50mph, it was very bendy, a bike arrives in rear view mirror, right up my chuff! Then on a blind bend over the crest of a hill, he swerves out from behind me, overtakes wildly, sees the corner, brakes hard and swerves in just in front of my bumper. Then shoots off into the distance.

Bikers are mad!

Never liked bikers as a race since one knocked my wing mirror off before vanishing at a set of traffic lights some years ago. Annoying thing was his number plate was so tiny I couldn't read it!!!!

As (another!!!) ex-biker, I always do a quick "life saver" before overtaking or changing lanes on the motorway, also I use my mirrors ALOT (it's almost OCD), I always like to be aware of what's going on around me (driving on the M25 teaches you not to take anything for granted), so I'm usually pretty sure that I'm not going to pull out on someone ...

... however riding a bike you have to accept that if you are riding significantly quicker than the traffic that an accident (although not technically) will be your fault ... in the same way that if you have an accident on the autobahns and you're doing 155+ then it is automatically your fault

Originally Posted by AndyMac

To be fair bikers ride like nutters, yesterday I was happily cruising along country lanes route at about 50mph, it was very bendy, a bike arrives in rear view mirror, right up my chuff! Then on a blind bend over the crest of a hill, he swerves out from behind me, overtakes wildly, sees the corner, brakes hard and swerves in just in front of my bumper. Then shoots off into the distance.

Bikers are mad!

Are all car drivers idiots? After All, I saw a fella in a 147 undertaking, tailgating and swerving around like an eedjit on my way home today.

Originally Posted by HSTDriver

Are all car drivers idiots? After All, I saw a fella in a 147 undertaking, tailgating and swerving around like an eedjit on my way home today.

come on let's attack the bikers ... just like the BMW's recently ... NOT!!

I agree with HST completely (did I say that?) it is very easy to polarise opinion on a particualar "group", the vast majority of bikers are actually very safe and considerate ... otherwise they'd all be dead

Originally Posted by JimmerUK

Yeah, for some reason they don't teach engine braking anymore. I don't know why I always thought it was safest to do that. I go through the gears and slow right down planning to stop behind a stationary car with at least about 10 feet inbetween, then I can dawdle forward once there until we start moving again. However, my other half plans to brake 6 inches behind stationary cars and we always come to a very abrupt halt that rocks the suspension. I keep having a go at her saying that if there was a bit of diesel or the road was greasy she would go straight into the back of the car in front. My opinion, better to plan to stop well behind the car and roll on, rather than stop in the other guy's boot.

I totally agree with you.* IIRC the thinking behind using the the brakes only is that its cheaper and easier to change discs and pads than it is clutch and gearbox.* I was taught to go down through the box, and anyway - don't you just lurv the sound of an Alfa on the over run?

I've got a stick on blind spot mirror.
It's circular so sits nicely in the right hand edge of the oval wing mirror.

It does improve things a lot.

I've used them on my previous 2 cars (146 and Cinq. Sporting). I bought a real cheapie for the cinq., and it tarnished inside a year. The better 'branded' ones last years.