See that pedal near your left foot?

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~Sam~

~Sam~

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That's the BRAKE pedal. It's there so that you can indicate to other drivers that you are going to decrease your speed from (for example) 50 MPH to 30 MPH. It's there to be used so that you can be a safer driver, not to be ignored because you think you are so frigging clever that you can just take your foot off the pedal under your right foot and slow down anyway. :bang::bang::bang:

Why do people not understand that? :shake:

(Sorry - happened on the WAY to work and the WAY BACK from work, so I am little peeved by this today. A little like how peeved I get that people don't understand what indicators are for.)

It might just be me, so feel free to reprimand me for not liking it! :p
 
So I take it that your views on downshifting aren't great then?
 
Gosh I thought it was the clutch! Lesson learned! :D

In all seriousness though, engine braking isn't such (unless they're in lower gears) that they'll go from 50-30 in no time at all, were you maybe too close if you're having such a reaction to it?
 
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~Sam~ said:
That's the BRAKE pedal. It's there so that you can indicate to other drivers that you are going to decrease your speed from (for example) 50 MPH to 30 MPH. It's there to be used so that you can be a safer driver, not to be ignored because you think you are so frigging clever that you can just take your foot off the pedal under your right foot and slow down anyway. :bang::bang::bang:
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Utter *******s!
 
Sorry Sam but, if you're concentrating and keep the correct distance between yourself and the car in front, you should be able to judge their speed and maintain that distance without needing to see brake lights.
 
I'd also like to point out that the pedal on the right is the accelerator - press that and the car will go faster , and frankly if you can't drive at more than 10mph because you are frightened of the narrow lanes then you should be driving in them (or at all) [/rant]
 
Automatic cars, two pedals, left one being brake? Apparently some advanced driving frowns upon down-shifting as it is best to indicate you are braking by using the brake pedal. My dad was a policeman many many years ago and did his advanced driving and never mentioned it but did always say keep your eye on the car in front and the car in front of that, and as long as you think for them and don't tail gate you should normally be able to anticipate.

How close do you drive to the car in front? Must be too close if engine braking continually causes you problems?

EDIT: Can't we talk about something really annoying like motorway middle lane drivers?
 
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Even if someone has some heavy engine braking happening you should be at a large enough distance and be conentrating enough to realise you are gaining upon them and slow down yourself.

It is good for economy and general awareness to read the road ahead and predict when you will need to slow down and gradually slow down using engine braking rather than reaching said obstactle/corner etc and hitting the brakes.
 
I've always been taught that using the gears to slow the car down is better for the car. Don't mean to sound harsh but if you can't notice that the car in front is getting slower then you can't blame it on the car in front.
 
In my defense, the reason I am not posting that I went into the back of a driver who doesn't bother to at least tap the brakes on their car is that I Do maintain a safe speed/distance from other drivers. :p

I didn't realise that so many drivers don't even seem to tap the brake pedal as a courtesy to others that they are slowing down.

Oh, and I did say 'near' your left foot - had trouble wording the position and thought that most would understand, which most did, but some had to be pedantic about! :D

I stand by my opinion (even though I invited criticism, so can't be mad at that) that a brake light is to be used as an indication of slowing down and as a courtesy to others as much as something that comes on when you need to slow faster.
 
As above, keep your distance and pay attention, also the brake pedal is for slowing down, not indicating your intention to slow down.
 
Of course, the opposite is far worse. Those that believe their car's functionality should be tested on a regular basis...................................by checking that their brake pedal works every 50 yards!!!
 
Mmmm me gets the impression you are driving too darned close.....I ride 2 wheels and have been near dead before now because I have had to pull up sharply and the car behind has struggled to avoid taking me out simply because he/she has been too darned close ......How I love throttle control ...saves so much maintenance of the braking system! .....By sharp contrast I hate suppositories!!!
 
May be car manufacturers should wire brake light to come on when you change down gears or use clutch. Her hee
 
big soft moose said:
I'd also like to point out that the pedal on the right is the accelerator - press that and the car will go faster , and frankly if you can't drive at more than 10mph because you are frightened of the narrow lanes then you should be driving in them (or at all) [/rant]
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A-frigging-Men, seems people from the East cannot manage this (By east I mean anywhere east of the river Dee, Severn or Avon)
 
Guilty!

So long as you're reading the road properly and at the correct driving distance, you shouldn't need to rely on the person in front to brake in order to know that you have to slow down.

Unnecessary braking...that drives me nuts!
 
~Sam~ said:
I stand by my opinion (even though I invited criticism, so can't be mad at that) that a brake light is to be used as an indication of slowing down and as a courtesy to others as much as something that comes on when you need to slow faster.
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Perhaps you require drivers infront of you to have their hazards going in addition to the brake lights when they slow down just show that they can be sure that they have gained your attention and to avoid a possible rear end collision??!!
 
To be fair, I've done it, rear ended someone because my attention wandered at the wrong time, luckily fairly slowly and almost managed to stop but not quite. Held my hand up and said sorry m8, my fault entirely. No damage and no injuries, except for my arms when the airbag smacked them, could have been much worse though.
 
Sorry,don't see anywhere in the highway code that says I must touch my brakes as soon as I take my foot of the accelerator.
 
Is you blonde? :D
 
fabs said:
Of course, the opposite is far worse. Those that believe their car's functionality should be tested on a regular basis...................................by checking that their brake pedal works every 50 yards!!!
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Yup, i understand that as well.

I should take a time machine back and explain the type of journey and roads I drive on, I guess, but I can't be bothered to do that tonight and am not a fan of people who 'change' the story in the OP as and when it suits, so I won't!

Brakelights flashing every few seconds are an irritant I will steer clear of as I don't want to have a while other set of 'you are such a crap driver'posts - i'll stick to the ones I invited! :D

Asha, as I explained earlier, I don't drive 'too close' to other vehicles whether they have two or four tyres. I never stated that I had had a collision or close collision with another vehicle. Please re-read my orignal post because that did not indicate in any way that I am mad at peopke who do not use their brake lights because I am causing accidents all over the place (or at least all over the East Midlands!!)
 
An advanced riding instructor advised that in built up areas like London you should use 2nd gear and if you ride correctly, you would not have to touch the brakes much.
 
Asha said:
Perhaps you require drivers infront of you to have their hazards going in addition to the brake lights when they slow down just show that they can be sure that they have gained your attention and to avoid a possible rear end collision??!!
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I don't believe I said that - BUT, if you are going to slow your speed relatively quickly, I do believe using your brake lights is a way to indicate to drivers who aren't as safe as I am that you are slowing down.

munch said:
Sorry,don't see anywhere in the highway code that says I must touch my brakes as soon as I take my foot of the accelerator.
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Absolutely not, but that was also not what I said in my initial post.

admirable said:
Is you blonde? :D
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No, I am not, but I am certainly seeing some blonde moments on my journey to work.:p
 
TheNissanMan said:
I've always been taught that using the gears to slow the car down is better for the car. Don't mean to sound harsh but if you can't notice that the car in front is getting slower then you can't blame it on the car in front.
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surely brake pads are cheaper?
 
This looks like one of those threads which is heading towards being closed....tbh I'm wondering if it wasn't opened in the first place purely because the OP wanted some attention ......
 
TheNissanMan said:
I've always been taught that using the gears to slow the car down is better for the car.
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Who on earth taught you that? It's gears to go, brakes to slow. Slowing down by using the gears puts far more stress on the transmission.
 
Wow! So far off the mark, I think you need another round of driving lessons. If you are relying on the brake lights of the vehicle in front then you shouldn't be on the road.

If I use the brake pedal at anything below 10 mph, it's because I've misjudged something or have been caught out by a bad driver.

Regenerative braking, however, is bril :)
 
nickshek said:
Guilty!

So long as you're reading the road properly and at the correct driving distance, you shouldn't need to rely on the person in front to brake in order to know that you have to slow down.

Unnecessary braking...that drives me nuts!
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Oh god yeah that infuriates me along with those people who sit in stationary traffic with their foot on the brake - just put the handbrake on and give my eyes a break! If there's a god there will be a special place in hell for these people!
 
I doubt you'd get a mark for using engine braking instead of the brakes to slowly reduce speed. If you dropped a gear to get more engine braking that'd be different I suppose. There's the sop for examiners available in the public domain for evaluating faults and as long as you are safe and don't make a huge deviation from the expected norm there will be no fault worthy of marking.

My friend wasn't even taught engine braking and he rattled down the Avon gorge in 5th using the brakes to hold the speed down. As his passenger I suggested dropping to third to maintain a steady speed without cooking the brakes. He wasn't to pleased to be getting that advice for some reason!
 
rssmrry said:
Oh god yeah that infuriates me along with those people who sit in stationary traffic with their foot on the brake - just put the handbrake on and give my eyes a break! If there's a god there will be a special place in hell for these people!
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Would that be the same place as the t****r's who use their FOG lights in the rain? (especially if I am on the bike with a wet visor.....)

Fog lights are for use in HEAVY fog and preferably turned off as soon as there is another vehicle behind you that has seen you!

Heather
 
Usually if the car in front is slowing down but not braking it only requires taking your foot off the accelerator and your car will also slow down keeping roughly the same distance.

But are we talking about someone just letting the car slow down or are we talking about someone who is thrashing his gears to try and slow down? If the latter then i'd be more able to understand - going down a gear into very high revs can cause quite quick deceleration which could catch out the driver behind.

I was taught to come off the accelerator when you see an obstacle or something to slow for ahead before you need to slow down, no need to tap the brake for those behind. I was also taught that when changing to a lower speed you brake to appropriate speed THEN change the gear.
 
Tigger.ufo said:
Would that be the same place as the t****r's who use their FOG lights in the rain? (especially if I am on the bike with a wet visor.....)

Fog lights are for use in HEAVY fog and preferably turned off as soon as there is another vehicle behind you that has seen you!

Heather
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A big +1 to this!
 
Asha said:
This looks like one of those threads which is heading towards being closed....tbh I'm wondering if it wasn't opened in the first place purely because the OP wanted some attention ......
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Really? If I wanted attention, I'd head over to Forum Discussion and ask how many posts I need to post in classified, or what I need to do to delete my somewhat boring posts affiliated to my user name. :D

So, guys, the vote has come in and I have learned that I don't need to use my brakes unless I am going at under 10 MPH.That's good to know, and I will adjust my driving accordingly - thank you for the advice and feedback, it's much appreciated! :)
 
It must be almost every other car i drive past that has their front fog lights on, whatever the weather - is there something i am missing or does no one know how to use fog lights?
 
The biggest clue, and the one I rely on the most, is that when the thing in front starts getting bigger, and the space between me and it starts getting smaller, it's slowing down. The red lights, if they appear, are a bonus and I'd rather only see them when braking is needed and not at every single corner - habitually squeezing the brake like a teddy bear.
 
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hglossop said:
It must be almost every other car i drive past that has their front fog lights on, whatever the weather - is there something i am missing or does no one know how to use fog lights?
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They're not fog lights, they're "my car looks cool" lights or, as a work colleague once said to me' "they're running lights". :cautious:
 
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