Reduction of National Speed Limit to 50mph.

56G80S · Post by **56G80S** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:18 pm

-By the time you've heard the sound of the horn and worked out what it means to you, you will have already seen the approaching vehicle and taken appropriate action.-

Perhaps your area has stacks of narrow hump back bridges where you are unsighted. Hard lines.

But using the horn appropriately has twice saved me from certain hospitalisation and probable death.

I certainly don't use it all the time.

But glad I did, and for any local people nearby, sorry I saved you from the wailing sirens and complete blockage of the road for some following the accident that would've occurred.

But that Text what it's for. Not to express displeasure at other road users actions after the event. It's in the Highway Code, or was last time I looked.

Beep, beep.

Johnny B

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:03 pm

I see it to rural lanes which are at present subject to 70mph limit.
Think it it is 60 itma

Don Madden · Post by **Don Madden** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:11 pm

Ahhh! reminds me of my days in the 50s, residing in Puerto Rico. Apparently, there was some rule of the road that said that in case of an accident, the last driver to toot his horn had right-of-way. The streets were a coccophany of toots, air horn blasts & everything else, especially from the taxis.

Cheers, Don.

itma · Post by **itma** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:30 pm

quote: Think it it is 60 itma

Thats why I have to go on bad boys lecture class from time to time

Don Madden · Post by **Don Madden** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:03 pm

Can I blame the current world crisis on ITMA? He gets the blame for almost everything else, & it would take the heat off the colonies.

Cheers, Don, who is finishing up the last bottle of Guiness in the house.

thomthom · Post by **thomthom** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:22 pm

50GS80 (john),

Rather than blast your horn at every bend or hump back bridge it would be better to drive at a speed such that you can stop within the distance that you can see.

I still think that you are wasting your time, if you're parping your pooper so that others will hear you and stop. At 30mph the distance that the other vehicle will travel before they apply the brakes (reaction time) will be approx 66ft. Never mind what the Highway Code says what thinking/reaction distance is (0.67sec) The people who pull bodies out of crushed cars say it is more like 1.5secs. Now add on braking distance at 30mph with brakes applied fully for an emergency stop, not just slowing down (44ft). You have 110feet. With windows wound up I doubt that the other driver would hear your parp parp at that distance.

Good luck to you while you parp round the bend

CR · Post by CR » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:08 pm

quote: Rather than blast your horn at every bend or hump back bridge it would be better to drive at a speed such that you can stop within the distance that you can see.

Given that all the lanes around me are narrow, with high unforgiving Cornish hedgerows (read stone walls filled with earth), blind bends, small hump-back bridges and more, you really need to assume there WILL be another vehicle just around the corner. To do otherwise would be suicide because the guy in the tractor towing 10 tons of freshly dug turnips, with his stereo on and mobile phone to one ear is simply NOT going to hear your horn blasts.

You're far more likely to be maimed or killed on a rural road than on an 'A' road, dual carriageway or motorway (the latter being the safest). Despite the fact that I drive a very peacock blue Range Rover, with elevated visibility and the knowledge that it is dramatically overbraked by design, I'm still shocked daily by the reckless speed of smaller vehicles on the lanes, come rain or shine, fog or snow. They usually come around the bend far too fast to even think about braking and so are forced to try and squirt themselves through any gap that I can create in order to avoid collision. Clearly, if they hit me hard it'll hurt the Rangie, but it'll kill them stone dead before their airbags can even begin to save them.

When I'm on the bike I hug the hedgerow on bends, slow right down and always look for an escape route. The established idea of riding near the crown of the road to give maximum visibility on blind bends goes out the window when the road is less than 8 foot wide and the cars come from the other direction in the sure and certain knowledge that there can't possibly be anyone else around for at least a hundred miles.

It's not a horn that you need where I live, it's luck, good judgement and common sense. And anyway, if you keep on sounding your horn around here, sooner or later some local will probably take a side-by-side to it!

thomthom · Post by **thomthom** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:42 pm

I'm probably showing more than my age here, but what's a side-by-side

CR · Post by CR » Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:03 am

quote: I'm probably showing more than my age here, but what's a side-by-side

Shotgun!

kernow kid · Post by **kernow kid** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:23 am

Even though hes still a 'UCB' down these parts (Up Country Bugger), CR is right. Bearing in mind that Cornwall doesnt have a single mile of motorway, the 50mph limit on minor roads is self imposing on the majority of smaller roads. Im certain the current limit for 'B' roads is 60mph. As usual with any of these brainwaves, its entirely subjective..we have a few great B roads and lanes that you can safely amble along at 60 or 70.. there are also lots where 25 is plenty enough. I bet that applies all over the UK. The whole road safety issue has been approached from completely the wrong direction. Dont fit cars with 12 airbags, belt tensioners, side impact bars, crumple zones etc... you want someone to think about their speed? Swop the drivers airbag for a springloaded 6 inch steel spike that shoots out in case of an accident - that should focus their mind.
Anyway, if you really want to open a debate on safety, try looking at the annual figures for injuries whilst on horseback..I dont see any age limits, training courses or compulsory hi-tech safety kit requirements before 12 year old Jemima takes Black Beauty for a canter up the road..maybe thats because her daddy is the local Tory MP??

Regards KK