Motorists' visibility mark II

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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661-Pete
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by 661-Pete »

The idea probably came from this:
Image
I remember a guy who worked on the Bluebell Railway telling me some years ago, they would love to install one of these, but they didn't have the space or the planning permission. A lot of their locos had to run back-to-front half the time, because there was nowhere to turn them round. I don't know if this is still the case.
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TonyR
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by TonyR »

Not sure what all the fuss about which way round is about. If you reverse out you have to carefully stick your tail out until you can see. If you've reversed in you have to carefully stick your nose out until you can see. Neither seems any better than the other to me.

What I do dislike when you have to drive or reverse out in that situation is that even if you edge out very slowly, cars still try and go past even though they can see what you are trying to do. Pedestrians tend to wait but stand right next to you blocking your view even more.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Phil Fouracre wrote:Funny, not really given it much thought, I've always done it wherever I park, just because it makes sense, and much easier to get out in traffic. Upside was always, easier to get the shopping out of the boot! Best parking I see on a regular basis is at the local tip, where they have a herringbone setup. Seen people manoeuvre 135 degrees, with difficulty, to park, then unload rubbish from boot and carry it around the car, then repeat in reverse. Apparently it provides endless entertainment for the staff!

So they turn 135 degrees to park forward?!

Then have to perform magic to get out - after scraping their rubbish past the car?!

That's hilarious, youtube would love it...

Although I suppose it might e sensible for some cars
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Cyril Haearn »

661-Pete wrote:The idea probably came from this:
Image
I remember a guy who worked on the Bluebell Railway telling me some years ago, they would love to install one of these, but they didn't have the space or the planning permission. A lot of their locos had to run back-to-front half the time, because there was nowhere to turn them round. I don't know if this is still the case.

One needs a turntable at each end of the line, or a triangle as at Morfa Mawddach or Didcot
Or engines could be paired back-to-back, that would look a bit queer with two A4s for example
Fairlie introduced a good solution on the Festiniog Railway some years ago, a push-me-pull-you engine :wink:
..
Often both driving forward and reversing into a parking space are problematic
Best to park on the road
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Cugel
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Cugel »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Often both driving forward and reversing into a parking space are problematic
Best to park on the road


I have asked the authorities to send a bill for road parking, to you and all the others wot do it. Also, I am buying some special scrape-pedals, which have a 1.5M flexible extension on the LH pedal with a small pointy diamond at t'other end.

Cugel, poised to adopt defensive vandalism upon potential doorers everywhere!
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Cyril Haearn »

In my leafy suburb many roads are too wide so parking on them is good, slows the motrons
I think I should get a tax credit :wink:
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Tangled Metal »

Lance Dopestrong wrote:If her skills are such that you're incapable of reversing a car into a driveway then she shouldn't be in charge of a car in the first place. If I'd driven a vehicle nose first into a bay when I was in the army or the feds I'd have been given a right bollocking.

A lady living on a cul-de-sac terraced street off ours used to park on our street because she wasn't confident reversing. She stopped parking on our street after a registered disabled guy had words about parking in front of his house because she couldn't drive properly. She then learnt to reverse up the road. I saw her do it too. Right way to do it up that road because it's a side road and there's no turning at the top.

A pet hate of mine is reversing out of a side road or driveway into a bigger or main road. I did it when staying at my parents purely because to not do so would cause an accident the way most drivers come down that slightly bending, slightly downhill stretch of road well above the 30 or now 20mph speed limit.

Visibility at junctions and by a similar reasoning personal driveways should be maintained for safety. In sick of drivers edging out into the road where I'm cycling because there's limited visibility.

Local petrol station has those promotional flag type banners on the road side. With a narrow pavement it really reduces visibility coming out. I did think about taking step ladders and cutting a section out up to the height of van cabs. Too law abiding to do it though.
Steve
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Steve »

Reversing into a confined area increases manoeuvrability, as well as visibility on leaving. Can't explain why as beyond my understanding of physics but must be because the steering wheels have more scope.....
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tykeboy2003
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by tykeboy2003 »

It's always puzzled me that back in the 60s the railways were forced to put hi vis yellow fronts on all trains (on an inherently safer system) yet road vehicles weren't and never have been. This is all the more puzzling in the light of the various campaigns to force cyclists to wear helmets and hi vis jackets..... Discuss.
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tykeboy2003
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by tykeboy2003 »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Often both driving forward and reversing into a parking space are problematic
Best to park on the road


Or in the often conveniently located cycle lanes?
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Cugel
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Cugel »

tykeboy2003 wrote:
Cyril Haearn wrote:Often both driving forward and reversing into a parking space are problematic
Best to park on the road


Or in the often conveniently located cycle lanes?


Many car owners see no problem in distributing their tin litter anywhere they choose. So many otherwise pleasant locations are polluted by swathes of parked cars, employing public space supposedly for everyone in an annexation of facility that should be shared, not just theirs.

These parked contraptions make a place not just ugly but difficult to traverse on foot, bike or even in another car. They clog up towns, cities, urban and suburban places like plaque in the arteries! In some locations and times (e.g. outside a school at 8:45) they become menacing and dangerous swarms.

Of course, I too am a clogger on ocassion, although generally the tin chariot is hid away down my driveway to the hoose rather than blocking the pavement, road or even a cyclepath (not that the latter are much use for cycling, even without cars parked all over them).

Infected with car, we are.

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Tangled Metal »

Hi-viz cars? A while ago I read that insurance companies through the ABI reported that among the car colours most involved in accidents the high visibility yellow was at the top of the list. A low viz grey was towards the bottom. IIRC white vehicle drivers were the least likely to crash. Although I don't recall if it was adjusted to take into account number of each colour on the roads. Afterall there's so many white vehicles around but very few bright yellow ones.

Personally I believe the way you drive it ride is more important than colour of your bike or clothes.

Also trains travel a lot faster and with the prevalence of dangerous, unmanned level crossings back then I suspect the hi viz on train fronts was to make trains visible in poor light from further out and perhaps give better distance identification to help crossing users cross me safely. Plus your not going to see the train but ignore it like drivers do with cyclists at times.
slowster
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by slowster »

Tangled Metal wrote:A while ago I read that insurance companies through the ABI reported that among the car colours most involved in accidents the high visibility yellow was at the top of the list. A low viz grey was towards the bottom. IIRC white vehicle drivers were the least likely to crash. Although I don't recall if it was adjusted to take into account number of each colour on the roads. Afterall there's so many white vehicles around but very few bright yellow ones.

Unless the ABI also analysed who was at fault in those accidents, you need to be careful about what you assume the nature of the relationship is between the car colour and the accident rate.

I suspect that bright yellow cars might well be more likely to be the choice of a worse driver, and that sort of very bold ostentatious colour seems to be more common for higher powered cars than the average family car. Conversely, I suspect that grey is more likely to be the choice of dull boring (and safer) drivers.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by Tangled Metal »

Of course, colour isn't the issue is the driver. However driver chooses colour and bright yellow, orange or green probably fits the hot hatch types who could be more prone to bad driving. So I too don't assume anything from colour linked to accident rates. It's just a colourful idea that hopefully adds to the idea that hi viz doesn't make you safer in all cases.
pwa
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Re: Motorists' visibility mark II

Post by pwa »

For various reasons there will be occasions when a driver has to reverse without being able to see along the pavement either side of a driveway, and there are a few of things that can be done to reduce the risk. Firstly, avoid getting into a situation in which you need to do that reverse, if possible, by reversing in instead of out. Secondly, employing a look-out if possible. Thirdly, taking it very slowly and cautiously. And fourthly, having a car with a reversing camera. The latter takes away a lot of the hoping and crossing of fingers.
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