We’re a curious breed……

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
41

stu675:

  1. I never see the driver in their mirror. I suppose It’s a bit of a nice little trick if it worked, but it wouldn’t work in this country because half or more of lorries are LHD.
    4 seconds is irrelevant without considering speed. The speed differential could mean that 4 seconds after they pass you , they’re still only 4 inches in front of you. The answer is simply don’t flash until you are happy to have them in front of you at that distance. How simple is that?
  2. I was driving up the M1 solo and trying to put your advice into practice. By the time I can see the whole of the front of the cab in my mirror I was just about happy to pull in. No way would I do it with a trailer on that early.
    You’re trying to over complicate it with rules that are mostly irrelevant or at least not interchangeable with different trucks.

  1. It doesn’t matter whether its a Right Hand Drive or Left, it works in both instances !! I drove a RHD all over Europe in a RHD Volvo and I have driven extensively all around the world and never had a problem in a left ■■■■■■.

  2. At 40 mph you’re travelling at 58.5 ft per second, Therefore 4 seconds = 234 ft
    At 60 mph your travelling at 88 ft per second = 352 ft
    Another method used to estimate a safe following distance is use the first figure of the speed you are travelling at as a time interval in seconds. Hence 40 mph = 4 seconds, 50 mph is 5 seconds, 60 mph is 6 seconds. and so on. for all speeds under 40 mph 3 seconds is recommended.
    You also have to take in to account the average Driver from recognizing a problem to doing something a out it will take 3/4 of a second reaction time ( 44 ft )to take their foot off Accelerator and move it to the brake pedal without pressing on the Brake. And if your driving an older truck or one with not so good Brakes there is also 1 second of brake lag, which is the time taken from pushing on the brake, and pushing the air out of the system for the Brakes to activate.

  3. As to your so called trial of the method, I DO NOT BELEIVE YOU TRIED IT, NOR DO I BELEIVE YOUR THEORY OF IT IS NOT INTERCHANGABLE REDARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF TRUCK, IT COMES DOWN TO TIME AND SPEED. Perhaps you should a enlist in the Military and be taught to drive correctly, plus enroll in a University Physics Course which includes RTA Statistics.

Now do try and keep the shiny side up on your ventures in the Danger Zone !!