|
|
|
|
|
We continue our summary of the System of Car Control by considering the third of the five phases – Speed. Roadcraft treats this phase somewhat differently from the others, in that there is no single chapter dedicated to speed. Instead, the topic is covered in Chapter 4, Acceleration, using gears, braking and steering, and Chapter 11, Speed and safety.
In the System, the Speed phase actually means getting the speed right for the existing conditions, or for the hazard you are about to negotiate. You will be able to get the speed right in most situations by considering the basic Roadcraft safety rule:
Always drive at such a speed that you are able to stop on your own side of the road in the distance you can see to be clear.
If every driver always did this, there would be little need for posted speed limits: the conditions of road, weather and other traffic would automatically determine a safe speed for the circumstances. However, that is a utopian aspiration that would apply only if every driver was always perfect (and then there would be no need for the IAM and similar organisations!).
Speed Limits
So let’s consider speed limits. The basic regulatory limits for different kinds of road and vehicle are set out on page 26 of the Highway Code. Speed limits are always sign-posted when the limit changes, and nearly all additionally have small repeater signs. The one exception to that, as advanced drivers know, is in a 30-mph limit, where repeater signs are not used (in fact, it is illegal for local councils to place them) if there are street lights.
The Highway Code has some good advice on speed limits. Rule 104 states, in part:
‘The speed limit is the absolute maximum and does not mean it is safe to drive at that speed irrespective of conditions. Driving at speeds too fast for the road and traffic conditions can be dangerous.’
Rule 124 states, in part:
‘Adapt your driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on. In particular:
· Do not treat speed limits as a target. It is often not appropriate or safe to drive at the maximum speed limit.
· Take the road and traffic conditions into account. Be prepared for unexpected or difficult situations, for example, the road being blocked beyond a blind bend. Be prepared to adjust your speed as a precaution.
Speed and the System
When using the System to approach and negotiate a hazard, we learn to get the speed right (phase 3) before selecting the appropriate gear (phase 4): ‘Brake to slow, gear to go’. But that does not necessarily mean braking: sometimes the correct speed is the one you are already travelling at, so all you have do is maintain accelerator pressure.
If you do have to reduce speed, the best way to do it, at least initially, is by easing off the accelerator. Some drivers apparently don’t realise that – how often do you see brake lights appear on a vehicle in front of you on a motorway, travelling at or near the speed limit? The only possible reason for that, apart from a wish to flash the brake lights as a signal to following traffic, is that the vehicle is travelling too close to the one in front. A similar instance is ‘comfort braking’, when a driver on a single-carriageway road applies the brakes as a vehicle approaches from the opposite direction.
Next time you approach a sign indicating a reduced speed limit, practise slowing down simply by releasing the accelerator at the appropriate point, so that you are travelling exactly at the new limit as you pass the sign. This is called acceleration sense, and Roadcraft covers it in detail. It’s quite a good discipline, and also good fun if you get it right.
Roadcraft also describes techniques for dealing with bends, particularly the skill of estimating the correct entry speed according to the limit point and then depressing the accelerator gently to increase the power in order to maintain constant speed and vehicle stability around the bend.
The final chapter of Roadcraft is a good summary of speed and safety. It warns you to:
Always drive within your competence, at a speed which is appropriate to the circumstances.
It also warns of the dangers of underestimating your speed, due to situations such as driving a vehicle that is smoother, quieter or more powerful than your normal vehicle, leaving a motorway or other wide open road, and when visibility is low. It advises you to keep an eye on your speedometer, and always to use speed safely – one of the skills of an advanced driver.