Defensive driving techniques are excellent to learn ,but I feel just as important is taking driving (especially driving fast) seriously.
We are all probably guilty of taking driving for granted indeed many times in the past I would cover several miles and then suddenly realise where I was having been on auto pilot.
I now concentrate on my driving a lot and never allow myself to be distracted.
I have also found that driving very swiftly makes you concentrate a lot more.
If it was totally down to how safe a car was we would all be driving Hummers..
C5? ZX?
Moderator: RichardW
I'd argue about the older Cits not up to the mark as regards safety in the first place, in fact I reckon by comparison with some of the crap we get from Asia over here these days, it would be safe to say they're far superior.
Here's a story of a CX that hit a new Merc...interesting read.[;)]
http://www.algonet.se/~frenchie/cx/CXcrash.html
I've also seen a pic of a BX that was hit (in Ireland?) head on with a semi-trailer (articulated truck) and the driver walked away unscathed and heard of several others in similar situations with similar results. Even the car mentioned above that the Triumph hit head on says heaps for the BX's ability to absorb shock if everything folded in which is the way it was designed.
I am somewhat sceptical of tests & standards used to gain these safety ratings and have seen it suggested that the tests as applied to Volvo & Merc are at best designed to meet the manufacturers requirements rather than the cars designed to meet the safety criteria mainly due to the aforesaid makers arranging their long term marketing strategies around this perceived "Safety" phobia. As a result, other makers now are following the same course and this is not always in the intersts of the motoring public. As a similarity, I have a son who is a good driver but who failed his licence test due to bumping the kerb lightly on his licence test. A mate of his went through first go but went via a driving school and hence did most of his driver training over the course used by the testers. His mate was (according to the system) a competant driver but managed to have 3 serious accidents in the first 2 months of getting his licence, so whilst he was a "safe" driver on the test course, he was a disaster out in the real world.
The other point to consider is that if these so called new safety features are so effective, then why is it that Worldwide there is an ever increasing road fatality rate? They can't all be driving older cars.
Before I'd go into debt for a new car if my present chariot was doing the job, I'd be taking a look at my driving style & habits & if you are feeling vulnerable, take an advanced driving course. Cheaper & more effective.
I find that normally I drive defensively, yet the other week I did a high speed run (that I mentioned offlist to you) which necessitated me having to put my "race face" on again, something I haven't done for many years and was being followed by one of my sons who competes in sprints. Later I heard him comment to one of his mates "Ya shoulda seen the old man the other night;.......geeeez I didn't know he could drive like <b>that!!</b>" (but they do forget I was a driving instructor for a while) and driving where I do surrounded by posers, bimbos and menopausal matrons driving hulking great 4WDs and displaying an air of indestructability I feel that driving the World's safest car would still leave me vulnerable if I couldn't competantly handle the perils they constantly throw at me every day of the week.
Alan S [}:)]
Here's a story of a CX that hit a new Merc...interesting read.[;)]
http://www.algonet.se/~frenchie/cx/CXcrash.html
I've also seen a pic of a BX that was hit (in Ireland?) head on with a semi-trailer (articulated truck) and the driver walked away unscathed and heard of several others in similar situations with similar results. Even the car mentioned above that the Triumph hit head on says heaps for the BX's ability to absorb shock if everything folded in which is the way it was designed.
I am somewhat sceptical of tests & standards used to gain these safety ratings and have seen it suggested that the tests as applied to Volvo & Merc are at best designed to meet the manufacturers requirements rather than the cars designed to meet the safety criteria mainly due to the aforesaid makers arranging their long term marketing strategies around this perceived "Safety" phobia. As a result, other makers now are following the same course and this is not always in the intersts of the motoring public. As a similarity, I have a son who is a good driver but who failed his licence test due to bumping the kerb lightly on his licence test. A mate of his went through first go but went via a driving school and hence did most of his driver training over the course used by the testers. His mate was (according to the system) a competant driver but managed to have 3 serious accidents in the first 2 months of getting his licence, so whilst he was a "safe" driver on the test course, he was a disaster out in the real world.
The other point to consider is that if these so called new safety features are so effective, then why is it that Worldwide there is an ever increasing road fatality rate? They can't all be driving older cars.
Before I'd go into debt for a new car if my present chariot was doing the job, I'd be taking a look at my driving style & habits & if you are feeling vulnerable, take an advanced driving course. Cheaper & more effective.
I find that normally I drive defensively, yet the other week I did a high speed run (that I mentioned offlist to you) which necessitated me having to put my "race face" on again, something I haven't done for many years and was being followed by one of my sons who competes in sprints. Later I heard him comment to one of his mates "Ya shoulda seen the old man the other night;.......geeeez I didn't know he could drive like <b>that!!</b>" (but they do forget I was a driving instructor for a while) and driving where I do surrounded by posers, bimbos and menopausal matrons driving hulking great 4WDs and displaying an air of indestructability I feel that driving the World's safest car would still leave me vulnerable if I couldn't competantly handle the perils they constantly throw at me every day of the week.
Alan S [}:)]
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uhn113x
- Posts: 1161
- Joined: 06 Jan 2004, 22:06
- Location: Near Leeds, United Kingdom
- My Cars: 1981 Dyane - on road all year round.
1982 GSA Pallas - on road April - September.
1997 ZX 1.9D Dimension. - x 1
James and Paulee are spot-on.
I have recently sold my BX to a chap that was hit in the rear at 70 mph when stationary (in a Xantia) and survived, albeit with a spinal injury. He is convinced that in anything else, he would not be here to tell the tale.
We regularly do long European trips in my wife's Dyane, and that has included Italy and the infamous Etoile Charles de Gaulle in Paris on a Friday afternoon. No scratches yet, touch wood. [:)]
To paraphrase the late, great Spike Milligan's comments on air travel:
'Driving's not dangerous; crashing is dangerous!' [;)]
I have recently sold my BX to a chap that was hit in the rear at 70 mph when stationary (in a Xantia) and survived, albeit with a spinal injury. He is convinced that in anything else, he would not be here to tell the tale.
We regularly do long European trips in my wife's Dyane, and that has included Italy and the infamous Etoile Charles de Gaulle in Paris on a Friday afternoon. No scratches yet, touch wood. [:)]
To paraphrase the late, great Spike Milligan's comments on air travel:
'Driving's not dangerous; crashing is dangerous!' [;)]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by ralph</i>
Another idea to stop yourself getting pushed about by other drivers - buy a clapped out Ford Orion, Sierra or Mk 1 Mondeo.
Then never wash it.
You just wouldn't mess, would you?.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Or a battle scarred L reg Maestro TD ?
My neighbour owns one, an ex-minicab with 145k on the clock (probably done more) and I drive it occasionally because I do the routine servicing on it for her.
She's not a very confident driver, and has a minor collision roughly every six months or so. eg, She ran into back of her own house, "I didn't realise it was still in gear!" A few months later, she backs over a low brick wall and bursts both rear tyres "I didn't expect a wall to be there!" - you get the idea.
After three years you can imagine what it looks like, crumpled front bumper, boot lid distorted so badly it hardly shuts, wheelarch crushed flat, numerous scrapes and scratches, back light repaired with tape, panels touched up with black hammerite etc.
Anyway, the point is, when I drive this car I've never known anything like the repect it gets in traffic! Nothing ever pulls out in front of it, they wouldn't dare [:D]
Nick
Another idea to stop yourself getting pushed about by other drivers - buy a clapped out Ford Orion, Sierra or Mk 1 Mondeo.
Then never wash it.
You just wouldn't mess, would you?.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Or a battle scarred L reg Maestro TD ?
My neighbour owns one, an ex-minicab with 145k on the clock (probably done more) and I drive it occasionally because I do the routine servicing on it for her.
She's not a very confident driver, and has a minor collision roughly every six months or so. eg, She ran into back of her own house, "I didn't realise it was still in gear!" A few months later, she backs over a low brick wall and bursts both rear tyres "I didn't expect a wall to be there!" - you get the idea.
After three years you can imagine what it looks like, crumpled front bumper, boot lid distorted so badly it hardly shuts, wheelarch crushed flat, numerous scrapes and scratches, back light repaired with tape, panels touched up with black hammerite etc.
Anyway, the point is, when I drive this car I've never known anything like the repect it gets in traffic! Nothing ever pulls out in front of it, they wouldn't dare [:D]
Nick
Jon
Perhaps there are some other options you could try before the expense changing your car. Could you flex the times at which you travel, start an hour earlier finish an hour earlier. If its Swindon to Brum keep off the 2 lane part of the motorway, alot of the A roads around south Brum are now dual carrageways so there is not that much travel time difference but at least you havent got the motorway drivers that have a passion for tailgating and lane hopping.
Some vehicle manufacturers have studied vehicle colours finding cars painted in high visability colours like bright yellow, flourescent lime green, etc are given more room by other drivers mainly because you stand out and are seen.
Nobody can use the excuse 'I didnt see him'!
A friend tells the story of a sales man at his firm had a 'near miss' whilst driving which left him a bit apprenhensive about going back out on the road. So they fitted his car out with a roll cage, a bucket seat with a 4 point harness. A bit extreme but the sales man felt secure and as it turns out did actually save him from severe injury when somebody T boned the side of his car and flipped it onto its roof.
Failing that you could always make a couple of Private hire taxi plates and stick them on your motor, nobody will come near you for miles!
Jono
Perhaps there are some other options you could try before the expense changing your car. Could you flex the times at which you travel, start an hour earlier finish an hour earlier. If its Swindon to Brum keep off the 2 lane part of the motorway, alot of the A roads around south Brum are now dual carrageways so there is not that much travel time difference but at least you havent got the motorway drivers that have a passion for tailgating and lane hopping.
Some vehicle manufacturers have studied vehicle colours finding cars painted in high visability colours like bright yellow, flourescent lime green, etc are given more room by other drivers mainly because you stand out and are seen.
Nobody can use the excuse 'I didnt see him'!
A friend tells the story of a sales man at his firm had a 'near miss' whilst driving which left him a bit apprenhensive about going back out on the road. So they fitted his car out with a roll cage, a bucket seat with a 4 point harness. A bit extreme but the sales man felt secure and as it turns out did actually save him from severe injury when somebody T boned the side of his car and flipped it onto its roof.
Failing that you could always make a couple of Private hire taxi plates and stick them on your motor, nobody will come near you for miles!
Jono
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nick</i>
[br
She's not a very confident driver, and has a minor collision roughly every six months or so. eg, She ran into back of her own house, "I didn't realise it was still in gear!" A few months later, she backs over a low brick wall and bursts both rear tyres "I didn't expect a wall to be there!" - you get the idea.
After three years you can imagine what it looks like, crumpled front bumper, boot lid distorted so badly it hardly shuts, wheelarch crushed flat, numerous scrapes and scratches, back light repaired with tape, panels touched up with black hammerite etc.
Nothing ever pulls out in front of it, they wouldn't dare [:D]
Nick
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Nick,
Out our way, that kind of driving is referred to as "Driving by ear"[:D][}:)][:0]
Alan S [;)]
[br
She's not a very confident driver, and has a minor collision roughly every six months or so. eg, She ran into back of her own house, "I didn't realise it was still in gear!" A few months later, she backs over a low brick wall and bursts both rear tyres "I didn't expect a wall to be there!" - you get the idea.
After three years you can imagine what it looks like, crumpled front bumper, boot lid distorted so badly it hardly shuts, wheelarch crushed flat, numerous scrapes and scratches, back light repaired with tape, panels touched up with black hammerite etc.
Nothing ever pulls out in front of it, they wouldn't dare [:D]
Nick
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Nick,
Out our way, that kind of driving is referred to as "Driving by ear"[:D][}:)][:0]
Alan S [;)]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by alans</i>
Nick,
Out our way, that kind of driving is referred to as "Driving by ear"[:D][}:)][:0]
Alan S [;)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
LOL
To give her credit, she's never hit another vehicle,
just numerous posts, kerbs, walls, fences, and garage doors......
It's perhaps testament to the durability of the Maestro, its still starts every time, passes its MOT no problem, uses no oil or water and does about 50 mpg.
Nick
Nick,
Out our way, that kind of driving is referred to as "Driving by ear"[:D][}:)][:0]
Alan S [;)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
LOL
To give her credit, she's never hit another vehicle,
just numerous posts, kerbs, walls, fences, and garage doors......
It's perhaps testament to the durability of the Maestro, its still starts every time, passes its MOT no problem, uses no oil or water and does about 50 mpg.
Nick
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DoubleChevron
- Posts: 622
- Joined: 22 Sep 2003, 18:06
- Location: Australia
- My Cars:
- Contact:
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Get a good signwriter to decorate the outside of your ZX with "SWINDON KICKBOXING CLUB" or similar in really BIG letters and colour pictures of psycopathic types in karate robes. I'm sure you'll be treated with the respect you deserve 
Ron<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
[:D] My brother is the Sensai at the local Ninjitsu Dojo and has "Ninjustsu" and his phone number in big letters across his car (to attract new members[:o)]). You know he has never had a problem and as far as I know has NEVER been road raged [:o)]
BTW: If my neighbour had a car like that I'd threaten to bloody break her legs so she couldn't drive if she parked near my cars (I certainly don't let my mother in law park in my yard [}:)] ). After all where in Australia would I get a new bumper for a CX GTi Turbo or a 2cv [?]
seeya,
Shane L.
Ron<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
[:D] My brother is the Sensai at the local Ninjitsu Dojo and has "Ninjustsu" and his phone number in big letters across his car (to attract new members[:o)]). You know he has never had a problem and as far as I know has NEVER been road raged [:o)]
BTW: If my neighbour had a car like that I'd threaten to bloody break her legs so she couldn't drive if she parked near my cars (I certainly don't let my mother in law park in my yard [}:)] ). After all where in Australia would I get a new bumper for a CX GTi Turbo or a 2cv [?]
seeya,
Shane L.