What I don't get is why they let learners straight onto the road? With a bike you have to do your cbt first. In Singapore they have to go to a test centre that has corners, traffic lights, parking bays etc to prove they have control before they're let out on the roads with L plates. Something I think should be done here

Sent from my Galaxy S2 not a Crapple!

Going a bit OT, but Why? If the instructor is decent he'll know if someone should be sticking to empty car parks for the first few hours or not. I was on a duel carriageway within 20min, I didn't need to learn clutch control or lines for taking corners, why should people who can pick things up quickly be held back?

dare I post my German top speed run yet without being flamed and trolled?

Do it! It's legal

Do it, 357 kmh is best I know, and driven safely. Will You beat it?

I've done certain journeys point to point where the time I've done it in has been less than half the time Google Maps have predicted. I'm not saying where but was very early morning

Standard timing driving in Poland is half of time navigation says ;-). It's nothing unusual... You can also change predicted time by defining better car in options (check viamichelin.com maps).

Ok, this doesn't come over clearly, but my use of mirrors tends to be a fairly direct function of road complexity, traffic density, and number of possible hazards. So (3) assumes a quiet NSL, and your scenario requires them to be doing over 90mph!

Oh dear Ken! The Police car doing 140plus? The car they're chasing? The 2 Saxo's racing each other at 120? Approx 30% of the people on a free flowing Motorway?

Unless it's very empty, I would probably be glancing in the mirrors behind me around a minimum of 10% of the time? Much more if it was busy & I wasn't in lane one?

Standard timing driving in Poland is half of time navigation says ;-). It's nothing unusual... You can also change predicted time by defining better car in options (check viamichelin.com maps).

Google maps accounts now for traffic and time of day. Speed limits included

I genuinely don't think I could shuffle the wheel like you're supposed too. I've gotten so used to one hand on the wheel and slipping it through my hands that I'd have to consciously think really hard to avoid it, probably resulting in a crash from not thinking about anything else

Driving a big vehicle like a bus or lorry is much easier if you steer in that way.

I have earned my living doing both and the habit has transferred to my day to day driving without issue.

I always "wheel shuffle" when in my car or van even to this day. No different when driving on a track either.

But despite my experience over the years in all sorts of vehicles, things can take you by surprise.

A week and a half ago I was driving a brand new mustang convertible along highway 1 in California after dark.

Within the speed limit, unlit road, sheer drop off of cliff to my right.

Oncoming vehicle came whizzing round a blind bend towards me straddling the centre line,

full beams blazing,completely dazzling me. I had to put two wheels up on the 6inch verge before the drop

whilst halfway around a bend. Cheek clenching stuff caused by an over zealous American driver driving too

fast for the conditions so much so that he couldn't get around the bend on his own side of the road.

The mustang took a bit of reining in to get it back on course but I got it all 4 wheels back safely onto

full tarmac and thanked my lucky stars. I was only able to get the car under control because I didn't panic in

a sudden crisis event. I made a small course alteration along with a small amount of braking and with both

hands on the wheel managed to miss the oncoming nutter. My point is you can be 1 second from death

however much experience you have and a surprise can be just around the next corner.

My wife said she would have just jammed on the brakes. This would have send us ass first straight over a cliff.

Good job I was driving at the time. I honestly believe my extra training contributed to me keeping a calm

head and not over reacting to this situation. Potentially saving both our lives. Apart from that the 4500 miles

I've driven over this holiday have been pretty uneventful.

Sometimes some people perceive the way you are going to drive by what car or vehicle you are in. Some people overtake me on my bike even though I am going down a steep hill and promptly brake and go slower than I was traveling, the would not do it if I was in my vRS. Same goes if I am in my daughters car they want to get past even though in a a line of traffic, but will not push in lanes as they realise it is a ten year old car. I enjoy driving and never am blase about any journey and read the road ahead. My wife thinks I drive fast on the motorway but I leave more than a stopping distance gap and use lane discipline. In built up areas I never exceed the limit and 20 is my limit past schools, I was told by my Dad when I started out on Motorbikes, imagine an Elephant round the blind bend, I always do, and am aware that nowadays many pedestrians take crossing the road lightly, the are on the phone or headphones on and just step out , especially if you are on a bike, and think if they are near a crossing that is good enough, most pedestrians are injured within 175 yards of a crossing .I like to think I am a good road user but gain experience with every journey .

I`d agree with that, I get a fair few "boy racers" who think i`ll race them just because I have a sporty looking modded car. Soon get bored when I just chug along at 60mph lol.

I think this thread might just be a willy waving contest and a chance for Jason to brag that he's done 135mph in Germany.

I could be wrong of course. If we're telling war stories, then the fastest I've ever been was in the Proper vRS, an indicated 147mph on a slight downward gradient in 2004.

I've never driven a car that fast since, despite owning far more capable cars.

The reasons for calming down are probably due to age, a speeding conviction involving a court appearance and several other brushes with the traffic lads. Also driving at that speed, whilst thrilling at the time, takes a lot of concentration, a lot of adrenalin, and is very very uncomfortable and tiring.

When I had a 335i, the most satisfying driving was done at far lower speeds on much twistier roads. On motorways it was always pleasant to go into warp drive when some idiot in an Audi 2.0 tdi was trying to mate with the rear bumper, however sense would always prevail at higher speeds and I'd just pull over and let them past once warp drive was disengaged.

I would challenge anyone who says they stick to the speed limit at all times. You are either lying or you are an octogenarian.

Lets not forget that fatal accidents can happen at 30, 40, 50, 60 mph and counting. It's your attitude and experience that makes you safe.

I have taken a vocational advanced driving course BTW.

Well said Royston... you can have a lot of fun in something small in both size and engine!

To add to the willy waving, 165 in a Nissan GT-R, on a track. Genuinely. Not 'wink wink M25ring', an actual track...

I'd say the biggest obstacle to driving safely at speed in the UK in particular is other road users.

I was in the passenger seat in Germany at 144mph, the car was nice and stable and no issues at all. The other drivers also drive appropriately.

Spent most of the time in Germany at 120-130 mph in my opinion safely. Yet have spent the last week in the UK going oh ****, oh ****, what the ****'s he/she doing, why the **** are you putting your car there and what the **** are you going to do if I break? Simply put the people in this country are only out done in standards of crappy driving by the Belgians and they are border line suicidal.

I'd say the biggest obstacle to driving safely at speed in the UK in particular is other road users.

I was in the passenger seat in Germany at 144mph, the car was nice and stable and no issues at all. The other drivers also drive appropriately.

Spent most of the time in Germany at 120-130 mph in my opinion safely. Yet have spent the last week in the UK going oh ****, oh ****, what the ****'s he/she doing, why the **** are you putting your car there and what the **** are you going to do if I break? Simply put the people in this country are only out done in standards of crappy driving by the Belgians and they are border line suicidal.

agreed on the belgians!!!!!!

Oh dear Ken! The Police car doing 140plus? The car they're chasing? The 2 Saxo's racing each other at 120? Approx 30% of the people on a free flowing Motorway?

Unless it's very empty, I would probably be glancing in the mirrors behind me around a minimum of 10% of the time? Much more if it was busy & I wasn't in lane one?

Any chance you can read the scenario I was actually in, instead of coming up with hypotheticals on a different class of road?

I'd say the biggest obstacle to driving safely at speed in the UK in particular is other road users.

I was in the passenger seat in Germany at 144mph, the car was nice and stable and no issues at all. The other drivers also drive appropriately.

Spent most of the time in Germany at 120-130 mph in my opinion safely. Yet have spent the last week in the UK going oh ****, oh ****, what the ****'s he/she doing, why the **** are you putting your car there and what the **** are you going to do if I break? Simply put the people in this country are only out done in standards of crappy driving by the Belgians and they are border line suicidal.

Yep. That sums it up nicely.

Also oilburninnut we regularly go to Bielefeld as that's where the other half's family are from.

Phil