Modern cars with all the fancy gadgetry linked to the braking system, coupled with fine chassis steering and tyre technology are completely wasted on the vast majority of road users imo.

Utterly clueless the majority.

They have to brake at every slight deviation and curve in the road, possibly fearing that the car is going to fly off the road, sumersault 15 times before hitting a tree and bursting into a fireball p'raps? 

 

Why do the manufacturers bother crowing about their cars wonderful handling capabilities I wonder?

 

Enough forward planning and proper driving, and brakes should generally be used for merely halting or emergency use only.

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by Mr Ree

We used to drive cars that you could lift off the throttle, no need to drop gears with an Auto or Manual box and the car slowed, 

or you drove around corners, no braking required.

 

Well lots of vehicles are now designed to give economy, and you lift off the throttle and the vehicle is at the same speed.

 

So now we are in the future, and we are going to have Energy Harvesting, so unless we slow down or use the brakes,

we will have no power in the Battery to start the Stop/Start,  or power that Electric Motors Driving the wheels.

 

But you are right, many can not drive very well, and maybe that includes me.

 

Lots of new cars handling is crap now,

i remember when i was young and took corners flat out and only crashed occasionally.

Now on exactly the same roads and the same bends and i take them slower in the worse handling cars, yet do not crash.

I must have been a better driver with those better cars with no power steering or ABS when i was a less experienced & lucky driver.

 

 

george

Totally agree ! As we all know cars that drive themselves are being developed right now which will be ideal as it will remove the organic half wits input making the roads safer. This comment applies to your average motorist not car enthusiasts like us lol!

I mention this, after a wummun ....(it was believe me)... in a mobile handbag (Evoque) absolutely floored it away from me at a set of lights this morning.

She continued and granted , did keep to the 50mph speed limit, but I could see beyond her that she was rapidly catching up with an HGV doing 40mph.

I backed off as there was no chance of overtaking anywhere on this stretch, but to my amazement she drove straight up to the back of it and braked, and continued to do this, probably 10-15 times,  right on his tailgate for a good 5 minutes until we reached Chester.

 

Why?

Lack of concentration, impatience, bad driving?

Who knows.

 

Me?

 

Crowingly, :sun:  I only braked once, and that was to come to a standstill at the manic roundabout.

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by Mr Ree

We used to drive cars that you could lift off the throttle, no need to drop gears with an Auto or Manual box and the car slowed, 

or you drove around corners, no braking required.

 

Well lots of vehicles are now designed to give economy, and you lift off the throttle and the vehicle is at the same speed.

 

So now we are in the future, and we are going to have Energy Harvesting, so unless we slow down or use the brakes,

we will have no power in the Battery to start the Stop/Start,  or power that Electric Motors Driving the wheels.

 

But you are right, many can not drive very well, and maybe that includes me.

 

Lots of new cars handling is crap now,

i remember when i was young and took corners flat out and only crashed occasionally.

Now on exactly the same roads and the same bends and i take them slower in the worse handling cars, yet do not crash.

I must have been a better driver with those better cars with no power steering or ABS when i was a less experienced & lucky driver.

 

 

george

Must admit, this Superb of mine does tend to roll on further that I've been used to in the past, but I'm getting more used to it now and having to use the brakes less again.

+1

My Octavia 1.9 PD manual has very little engine braking.

There are good and bad drivers out there as with all skills but half the problem is that proper technique isn't taught, a quarter is the volume of traffic these days which leads to delays, frustration and rage and the other quarter is just down to poor ability.

That's my overly simplistic view.

Although totally automated transport will come it is just another step in the wrong direction, big brother control of your privacy and freedoms.

I don't like all the choices being made for me, it's so much like the SciFi movies of the past that portrayed the future as a state run machine where personal individuality is outlawed.

Perhaps I've said too much...

Diesels in particular seem to have little engine braking.  Probably because they lack a throttle plate.

 

In 'D' the 1.2 TSI Roomster has very little either, as the rpm are so low.

 

Mainly though I think the heavy or constant brakers just don't look far enough ahead, or if they do they ignore what they see.  At 70 on a dual carriageway, you can lift off before the 300m marker and often get away with a little touch of brake to adjust the speed at a roundabout.  Nearly a quarter of a mile for no fuel!

 

It also makes the brakes last a LOT longer.  When I sold my CRV 3 years ago it was still on the original brakes at 95,000.  The dealer said some need replacement at the first service (12,500m), otherwise usually the second.  

 

Maybe I'm taking it too far:)

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by Manatee

+1

My Octavia 1.9 PD manual has very little engine braking.

There are good and bad drivers out there as with all skills but half the problem is that proper technique isn't taught, a quarter is the volume of traffic these days which leads to delays, frustration and rage and the other quarter is just down to poor ability.

That's my overly simplistic view.

Although totally automated transport will come it is just another step in the wrong direction, big brother control of your privacy and freedoms.

I don't like all the choices being made for me, it's so much like the SciFi movies of the past that portrayed the future as a state run machine where personal individuality is outlawed.

Perhaps I've said too much...

 

 

Nah, that's my domain.

Always getting slagged off and it really concerns me. 

 

Suprised no one's had a pop at me on this 'moaning' thread yet tbqh.

 

Be careful what you say ref. not liking choices being made for you either, or you'll have the techno lovers brigade after you. 

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by Mr Ree

Ahh I do tend to put my foot down but only when I can see that it is viable and I will not have to brake too sharply! Such as coming up to the back of a lorry if I see it before hand I will just lift off and keep a safe distance because I've moved lorries around the works yard and that is enough for me to understand why it's best to keep back from a lorry so that your car can ACTUALLY BE SEEN!

Ahh I do tend to put my foot down but only when I can see that it is viable and I will not have to brake too sharply! Such as coming up to the back of a lorry if I see it before hand I will just lift off and keep a safe distance because I've moved lorries around the works yard and that is enough for me to understand why it's best to keep back from a lorry so that your car can ACTUALLY BE SEEN!

This isn't about 'wellying it' Toxi.

Thats a whole new moan....IF and where appropriate.

 

Caught those scumbags on yer new cctv yet btw?

Edited 10 July, 201411 yr by Mr Ree

Of course its about wellying it haha.

I use my brakes a lot more when I'm driving fast. Im still not hard on them, but i do use them more.

Lewis Hamilton is a pretty good driver, better than all of us. He uses his brakes a lot.

It depends what kinda driving you're doing IMO.

But this is supposed to be about general run of the mill every day commuting type driving, not blasting around for a wheeze in the countryside, only driving around in the countryside also attracts it's fair share of daydreaming Sunday driver types that constantly hover over the brake pedal.

This isn't about 'wellying it' Toxi.

Thats a whole new moan....IF and where appropriate.

Caught those scumbags on yer new cctv yet btw?

Well kind of! I've just been in my workshop and caught on camera at 22:31 someone with a very low baseball cap looking about the top of my drive! So I walked up with the breaker bar that I'd been using still in my hand and low and behold they started to run! I then hear a car so hopped in the van and managed to catch up with a blue focus that I believe they were in! The plates were covered in mud and unreadable! However I came up to a junction and had to give way and in this space of time they managed to scarper! This was only two miles up the road but I really hope that now they've seen some opposition they might sod off!

But if I'm in a hurry I'm not going to be sat up a lorrys chuff am I? I'd be 4 car legths back looking for a gap

Well kind of! I've just been in my workshop and caught on camera at 22:31 someone with a very low baseball cap looking about the top of my drive! So I walked up with the breaker bar that I'd been using still in my hand and low and behold they started to run! I then hear a car so hopped in the van and managed to catch up with a blue focus that I believe they were in! The plates were covered in mud and unreadable! However I came up to a junction and had to give way and in this space of time they managed to scarper! This was only two miles up the road but I really hope that now they've seen some opposition they might sod off!

Oh dear.

 

You informed the rozzers?

 

Don't be goading them Toxi.

I don't want to be reading about them coming back and giving you revengeful  grief matey.

But if I'm in a hurry I'm not going to be sat up a lorrys chuff am I? I'd be 4 car legths back looking for a gap

Correct. Waiting to pounce and pass like a stealth missile!  :sun:

Oh dear.

You informed the rozzers?

Don't be goading them Toxi.

I don't want to be reading about them coming back and giving you revengeful grief matey.

Yeah don't worry Mr Ree I'm hoping that's the last of them! On a happier note I was moving the old Clio ( still sat on the drive) to block the workshop and realised for the first time in 2/3 months that it has auto lights the suprise

I mention this, after a wummun ....(it was believe me)... in a mobile handbag (Evoque) absolutely floored it away from me at a set of lights this morning.

She continued and granted , did keep to the 50mph speed limit, but I could see beyond her that she was rapidly catching up with an HGV doing 40mph.

I backed off as there was no chance of overtaking anywhere on this stretch, but to my amazement she drove straight up to the back of it and braked, and continued to do this, probably 10-15 times,  right on his tailgate for a good 5 minutes

 

 

 

 You see plenty of such folk in the middle lane of a motorway. They hurtle up to the rear of a wagon, slam on the anchors, sit behind until it moves in, drop the boot when its gone. No question of moving to overtake or adjust speed until of course that obstruction moves out of the way.

But this is supposed to be about general run of the mill every day commuting type driving, not blasting around for a wheeze in the countryside, only driving around in the countryside also attracts it's fair share of daydreaming Sunday driver types that constantly hover over the brake pedal.

Fair shout. I dont commute to work aha.

Most of my driving is done in the countryside but i shall be going to Bradford to look at a VFR tomorrow morning. (Woo!)

You're right though. Plenty tootle along in the countryside. It does my head in. Not bad on the bike cos overtakes are quick and easy, but in a 70hp fabia, by the time iv built speed up to overtake, often the opportunity has gone lol.

Well kind of! I've just been in my workshop and caught on camera at 22:31 someone with a very low baseball cap looking about the top of my drive! So I walked up with the breaker bar that I'd been using still in my hand and low and behold they started to run! I then hear a car so hopped in the van and managed to catch up with a blue focus that I believe they were in! The plates were covered in mud and unreadable! However I came up to a junction and had to give way and in this space of time they managed to scarper! This was only two miles up the road but I really hope that now they've seen some opposition they might sod off!

Id of done the same thing mate.

Its a shame you didnt catch em, but its also a good job you didnt. Itd likely be you that gets done by the police if you caught em with a breaker bar.

Just hope they dont return :(.

Atleast youve got a van to make moving the body easier when you catch em... Oh wait.. No, dont do that. Bad idea.

 You see plenty of such folk in the middle lane of a motorway. They hurtle up to the rear of a wagon, slam on the anchors, sit behind until it moves in, drop the boot when its gone. No question of moving to overtake or adjust speed until of course that obstruction moves out of the way.

But changing lanes is scary and dangerous! 

My serious comment - I've done 30 miles through Lancashire and Yorkshire without touching the brakes. Meantime the daft {censored} behind me kept almost running into my boot, because apparently she couldn't understand that I could slow down without braking!

My serious comment - I've done 30 miles through Lancashire and Yorkshire without touching the brakes. Meantime the daft {censored} behind me kept almost running into my boot, because apparently she couldn't understand that I could slow down without braking!

Sounds about right.

I can ride the bike without braking most places, because the engine braking is so strong.

However i still have to touch the brakes just enough for the brake light to come on, just so the idiot behind me slows down too.

@Octaylor38

It's as if some folks don't brake until they see brake lights on the vehicle in front...

Like they can't mentally compute there is actually something in front of them and to ease off the accelerator.

I've nearly been rammed a few times, once at a roundabout give way... I didn't see your brake light was the excuse-****.

May they meet an unlit skip one night!

But changing lanes is scary and dangerous! 

As is NOT braking unnecessarily too it seems. 

 

Brakes are like a comfort blanket to some.

 

I shout 'BRAKE?' in frustration whilst following these nutmegs on a twisty road , and usually get it right unfortunately.

 

These will be the same dumbbells that whinge and whine about the fuel consumption being higher than expected too btw.

Edited 11 July, 201411 yr by Mr Ree