I was out having some fun in narrow country lanes last night. (All within the speed limits and RTA regulations.)
Now it struck me as I was driving round a bend on a narrow single lane that I allowed myself enough stopping distance (but only for me). If another car was coming towards me then our mutual stopping distances would have been too great to actually stop and we would have collided.
It's funny, we allow ourselves a stopping distance based on how we can stop if confronted with a stationary or receeding object, but we need to take into account that the obstacle we are trying to avoid may well be coming straight towards us effectively halfing our stopping distance.
Should the High Way code include a stopping distance for 2 cars approaching each other at 60mph? I really don't think that this obvious scenario is one drivers think about.
Now it struck me as I was driving round a bend on a narrow single lane that I allowed myself enough stopping distance (but only for me). If another car was coming towards me then our mutual stopping distances would have been too great to actually stop and we would have collided.
It's funny, we allow ourselves a stopping distance based on how we can stop if confronted with a stationary or receeding object, but we need to take into account that the obstacle we are trying to avoid may well be coming straight towards us effectively halfing our stopping distance.
Should the High Way code include a stopping distance for 2 cars approaching each other at 60mph? I really don't think that this obvious scenario is one drivers think about.