Just had a near miss on m40

[kenp]

The Highway Code's Typical Stopping Distances show that even at 'only' 70mph the average thinking distance is 21 metres, so at 100mph, if the bloke in front slams his brakes on at only 5 metres in front of you, you will have hit him long before you could have reacted and started braking yourself. In fact you'd have trouble doing that at 20mph! Why would you want to attempt that anyway?

Its part of the VIP driving school here in denmark, where the "teacheres" is actually the Police and there you practise only 5 meters in between (and alot of other stuff..). But yes if you are not 100% concentrated its impossible

[Ollie]

And that's not on a simulator - it's in real cars?! Either the standard of driving is very high and reactions are superhuman (just look at the average reaction times chart I posted) or you guys are going to get through a lot of vehicles!

[kenp]

No simulator... but made on a aerofield run way, so its possible to break away.. with the cars

We did it in "normal" cars... Mercedes E 250 CDI, BMW 520D and Volvo S80 FT (and with Mercedes sprinter with 20 meters between).

Its actually made it part of the course because of trafic, and how people are driving when a lot of trafic... Another part was also to break on "ice" wettrack better than normal i think its 116 meters at 50 MPH (normal described i think its the distance.. we had to do it in less than 86 meters (impossible with the Volvo with its worn out tyres). The mercedes it was possible to do it in 46 meters.

[kenp]

Quick question can you Turn and break full you learn NO.. thats tru... but you can Break and Turn (theres a big differnce)

[DNS]

I've had a couple of situations like that in the past 5 years, since I had my Vec B and now the C.

It's scary to think that if I'd been in my previous car, there's no way it would have stopped in time.

One of the things that winds me up about learning to drive, is the way they try to ram "stopping distances" and the "2 second rule" into your head. Makes people think they're safe when driving their hatchback behind a 911....

[67688c]

Going back from Coventry near Handy Cross (High Wycombe) on M40 I had a near miss. Ufff... outside lane pail up of cars brakes on to the limit, abs and all that just stoped and the bloke behind me tried to brake and he had to change a lane in last sec to avoid ma booty. Lucky as hell I'm telling you missed me about 3 inches, but he hit another car from the middle lane. Funny thing he hit lads from my work. They are fine so do I uffff... still shaking...
I will go and have a look on my Veccy if shes fine

While I am genuinely pleased that it was nothing more than a frightening experience, and fortunately nothing more serious.

This is a typical everyday occurance on motoways where drivers do not leave plenty of room between vehicles, had you have done so your brakes would not have needed to have been applied to their limit. (Your words)

Also the bloke behind you who was obviously too close to you also when you braked extremely hard, would not have needed to save his own kneck and risk someone elses by changing lane in order to avoid you. I doubt he had time to check his nearside mirror before braking and switching lanes because he could not stop in time. He should have stopped in his lane and accepted the consecuences.

The whole scenerio is typical of everyday serious motorway accidents, Hopefully we can all learn something from it.

Leaving plenty of room to stop is lesson number 1, having done that if you still cannot stop safely and with ease then one has to ask if we are travelling too fast.

[67688c]

agreed its one of those - pop to the toilet and check your pants for debris moments

not nice but shows soo easily how these things can happen "out of the blue" and why you always need to leave a safe stopping distance between you and the car in front so you can react/take an alterative course of action- and hopefully the driver behind gives you the same courtesy

Dam.. you put it much better than me...lol but fully agree.

The thing is, we have all done it at one time or another, I know I certainly have many times in my younger days, but it's a lesson I learned many years ago and one I strictly adhere too, especially when travelling at motorway speeds, its saved my bacon so many times when I've seen cars in the other lanes smash into the back of vehicles because they simply failed to leave sufficient room to stop easily. (The 1st lesson they should have learned)
On motorways, it's always better being a observer, than a participent.

[mickg]

While I am genuinely pleased that it was nothing more than a frightening experience, and fortunately nothing more serious.

This is a typical everyday occurance on motoways where drivers do not leave plenty of room between vehicles, had you have done so your brakes would not have needed to have been applied to their limit. (Your words)

Also the bloke behind you who was obviously too close to you also when you braked extremely hard, would not have needed to save his own kneck and risk someone elses by changing lane in order to avoid you. I doubt he had time to check his nearside mirror before braking and switching lanes because he could not stop in time. He should have stopped in his lane and accepted the consecuences.

The whole scenerio is typical of everyday serious motorway accidents, Hopefully we can all learn something from it.

Leaving plenty of room to stop is lesson number 1, having done that if you still cannot stop safely and with ease then one has to ask if we are travelling too fast.

Yeah learn from lessons thats how it has to be.
Glad everybody ok.
Just few scratches on vans.

[maurauth]

glad all ok, definitely scarey when something like that happens. Having big brakes and ABS isn't always a good thing, you stop no problem, and the guy behind you with crappy 15 year old Escort brakes runs into the back of you

still not just insurance but safety wise I'd rather have someone hit me up the arse than hit someone else.