Communication

A bit of a gap since my last entry but I have been away, albeit only for one week!
Continuing with the theme of communication, drivers are not totally reliant on signals – and just as well, with so many ignoring the basic courtesy of letting others know their intentions.

Brake lights inform the following vehicles you are slowing down, or could it be you are too close to the car in front and have to keep braking as an overreaction to closing in on the car ahead of you. An automatic vehicle requires more use of the brakes, as there is less control. The driver is unable to use engine braking to slow the car down. By coming off the gas in a manual car the gearbox will hold the car back, but this is less so in an automatic and I was surprised to find the life of the front brakes was reduced by 50% comparing automatic to manual. The automatic will eventually slow without gas being applied (not travelling downhill though), but braking will be the more likely way of holding the car back. Watch out for the driver continually applying the footbrake. This is somebody who is not planning ahead, is an anxious driver and possibly elderly with limited concentration.

Whether it’s manual or automatic, leave space between you and the vehicle in front, especially following a larger vehicle because your view ahead is blocked and you cannot see what is developing ahead. Leaving space does make driving safer. You can plan further ahead and have plenty of time to respond to an ever-changing situation. And if a car takes the space, so what, hold back and recreate the same following distance. What have you lost? In fact, if they were an aggressive driver I would rather have them in front than following too close behind.

Leaving space can allow vehicles to emerge from sideroads, thus helping them and the general flow of traffic. What's wrong with that? I like helping others out and it could be me in a sideroad in the future waiting to join the main traffic flow. Seeing it from both points of view can reduce selfish driving. Don't let too many out though, you will upset the driver behind you!

Oncoming vehicles can’t see your brakelights (obviously), but speed and position is the key to your and their intentions. A vehicle approaching a left or right turn without slowing is unlikely to be turning, whereas a slowing vehicle probably is, so you can anticipate a situation without the added information of indicators.

Brakelights from the vehicle in front can help in a meeting situation. Imagine you are following a car around a curve in a narrow road restricted by parked cars on both sides. You can’t see beyond the curve and the vehicle in front. Their brakelights come on and they move into a gap. This will immediately suggest they are giving way to an oncoming vehicle. Now if you are too close, you may have nowhere to go. The space may not be big enough for both of you to give way. If, as I stated previously you left a bigger space between you and the car in front, you have a better opportunity to tuck into an earlier gap allowing the oncoming vehicle(s) to pass before proceeding ahead.

Another indicator apart from the courtesy of signals includes positioning. A car steering to the side of the road and brakelights coming on suggests parking. Swinging wide and sharp turn left suggests turning into a narrow access (to square up to it). Moving towards the centre of the road and slowing might indicate a right turn.

It really is a question of concentrating at all times and not being surprised. You can learn a lot just by watching and anticipating, thereby avoiding trouble ahead.