Loads of Miles - Seen too much?

[Ian Anderson]

Ok to start I am an account that normally drives 10 miles each way to the office so not normally a lot of miles on the roads.

So July - Le Mans Classic - crazy weather but as it transpired the cars were well driven and road rules obeyed.

2 weekends ago I took the GT40 to Liverpool for the weekend - about 230miles each way and the UK drivers needed to be reminded they are driving - not a film crew taking pictures of cars,and in one instance I was turning Right at a Green arrow turn signal and some BOZO decided he did not need to stop for the Red - Just as well the GT40 has good brakes and stops quickly. Likewise on the motorway the youngster sitting 6 foot from my tail at 80mph -me in the 40 and him in a Fiesta - sheer stupidity - he would not have stopped in time if anything happened!. I pulled over and let him past - much safer that way.

Last weekend I went to Scotland to pick up my daughter who had spent time with my parents during the school holidays. This time it was in the daily driver and about 1100 miles over the 4 days.

First off
M6 on Thursday and a Landrover coming South made a strange move - and ended up ramping up the armco and rolling onto it's roof - thank goodness there was a double armco in the central reservation at this point as the 2nd armco stopped it coming down our carrigeway on it's roof. This was 2 cars in front of me so without that barrier I doubt I would be here today! Still amazing how many people stopped and pulled the woman driver, her hubby and kids from the overturned car! No major injuries but so close.

Then Friday
North of Moffat on the way to Edinbrugh for the Tatoo and there was a car on it's roof - took a corner too fast on a damp road - wheels slid into the very soft verge dug in and over they went - again no injuries. I was 3rd car on the scene.

Sunday
Torrential rain on A1M and some people think they can still drive at 90 when the official limit is 70 and the conditions are visibility of 60 yards. I was so glad to get off that motorway and drive down the side roads.

Today
A Rear bumper blew off a truck back (Carrying car bits in opposite direction) and landed on our side of the motorway. Had to brake and steer around - the Van behind did too but 2 tons on skinny tyres do not make for good control - he missed my tail by inches - but hit the bumper still on the road (about 2 foot high by 6 foot across) - strange but he did not follow so closely after that.

Hell after these incidents I ask all to please take stock of their driving habits and check their bad ones - we all have them, be it travelling a little faster than the limit, taking a chance at traffic lights, following too closely, not indicating when changing direction etc. etc. etc.
Perhaps by being a bit more aware of the road and your surrounds you will make it home in one piece - I did but there were a few too many heart stopping moments!

Drive safely

Ian

 

[Martin]

Let us know where you intend to drive next Ian and I'll avoid that area. Sounds like you are an accident magnet. Not implying that you had anything to do with any of the incidents of coarse, only that you seem to have experienced an unusually high number of potentially fatal incidents in a very short time.
I know I sometimes slip into bad habits, especially behind the wheel of the daily driver. Too comfortable and easy to relax. It's a skill to drive safely and sensibly on the roads for hours on end as much as it is to drive fast on the track.
Martin

 

[MReid]

Ian,

The scarey part of this whole set of stories is that after living in London for 3 years and travelling to Edinburgh and London monthly, I find the Brits to be much better drivers than we Americans! Studying for and then passing the driving test in london confirms for me one of the reasons contributing to this observation. Your test and process is hard! My commute to the office in Connecticut is 45 miles each way. I see the aftermath of at least one accident every day either on interstate 95 or the Merritt Parkway.

Of course neither you or I drive poorly, it is all the other idiots out there!

 

[David Morton]

Ian,
It must be you. I drove Marlow- Edinburgh M6 Crieff, The Small Glen, Kenmore, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Perth, Edinburgh(again), then Durham, and back to Marlow (1100Miles)the weekend before I saw you at the Enthusiasts Club meeting - again in atrocious weather on the northbound route and I only saw one breakdown yjr whole weekend ( and who obligingly had a warning triangle about 100ft away on the hard shoulder and all 3 in that car were behind the armco and wearing Hi Vis tabbards [the messages seem to be getting through]) In the really bad weather on the Nothbound sector I was really impressed with just about everybody's driving except, I have to say, any truck with a Polish registration. They dont seem to have speed limiters fitted and a couple of times I was passed while at 70mph.
The quite amazing thing on the Northbound journey was the condition of the roads. The M6 from the NEC to the massive road works near the Scottish border is vitually all low noise tarmac. Not low spray but low noise. Our Volvo s80 normally does 29.6mpg using cruise control at 70mpg. On the tankfull from Brimingham to the borders we were achiving 32.3 and the conditions were moderate westerly wind and continuous rain. I am now banging on at Buckinghamshire County Council as to why they insist on usng the cheaper 'high noise' variant of tarmac on all their road repairs. Incidentally Berkshire County Council resurfaced the M4 with 5 miles of low noise either side of Junction 6 on the M4 when it had been re done only 9 months previous with high noise tarmac. Apparently Phil the Greek complained - and we paid !! Enough - this is my current favourite bandwagon. I dislike, in fact hate the royals as well.
Dave M

 

[Brian Magee]

Dave,
Shouldn't the royals have a capital 'R'?

Brian.

 

[Simon]

Dave,
Shouldn't the royals have a capital 'R'?

Brian.

Brian, David baiting is not allowed! he he he!

 

[David Morton]

They do not deserve a capital R. They have taken more than enough and if not using a capital is deemed derogatory then that suits me. They helped to kill off the only half way decent one in their midst and replaced her with this 'Norah Batty F--kwit' called Camilla. (Another pb ).

 

[Ian Anderson]

David

You mention the fuel consumption
3 tanks and per the in -car meter best was 44 mpg, worst 37.8
I drove the whole distance at similar speeds so presume it is bad fuel batches - or poor quality control - all fills on Esso - just happened to be the filling station reached oonce near empty!

IAn

 

[David Morton]

Well, I don't think Esso would agree. I also think there are considerable
variables on fuel consumption - obviously head versus tailwind is so apparent especially if you are towing as well. Temperature is another major contributor and Humidity is another major player. Have you ever checked your Tyre pressure when they are hot? Do you ever adjust the Pressure for a motorway journey? With my mercedes sprinter which tows the radar trailer, I do really prefer to move long distances at night when the Temp is optimum and if it's raining so much the better. I refuel at the first service station after 400 miles and that is usually on 1/4 tank remaining. The RPM never exceeds 2,500 and the speed never exceeds 55mph (thanks to guys on this forum who advised me that was my limit anyway). This is a direct contrast to one of the previous drivers who was achieving 270 miles for a full tank(80L I think) come hell or high water and always relying on the spare 10 litres we carry (mandatory on the Autobahns to have spare fuel) .
I asked him if he'd heard of short shifting.......
He thought it meant rapid gearshifts !
Anyway, to sum up all of my tyres are Nitrogen purged (quite a difference between just Nitrogen filled). I run on the tyre pressure cold + 2 to 4 psi (depending on the vehicle)for motorways, I use cruise control where ever I can, and 2000 rpm petrol and 2500 rpm diesel and what ever speed it gives me in that particular car I settle for. And - I love doing long trips if it's raining - especially in the Volvo S80 T6. Marlow to Edinburgh on a single tank and still had 90 miles reserve on arrival at North Queensferry.
Very occasionally I like to be a hooligan as well.
Thats what Ducatis are for.