From: murrayk@alf.pec.co.nz (Murray Knox)
Subject: Re: Holiday Road Period
Organization: Production Engineering (NZ) Ltd.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 19:14:04 GMT

In article <1993Jan13.195750.4012@nezsdc.icl.co.nz> derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>In article <1993Jan13.014806.8036@cs.aukuni.ac.nz> jeremy@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (Jeremy Gibbons) writes:
>>In <1993Jan12.202734.3837@nezsdc.icl.co.nz> derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>>
>>>Imagine you have just smoothed that curve 'to make it safer'
>>>and are driving a shallower curve.  You have overstepped your (or your 
>>>vehicles) limits and suddenly there is an obstacle in the oncoming lane.
>>>Be it that low sports car, motorbike, cyclist, dog, small child, goat etc.
>>
>>Smoothing out the curve makes it easier to take. Now, this extra ease means
>>you can either take the curve faster with the same effort, or take it the
>>same speed with less effort. The latter option does not mean you are any
>>closer to your or your vehicle's limits.
>
>>Disclaimer: before you criticise *my* driving, read the message again and
>>observe that I say nothing about my own driving. Criticise my argument, by
>>all means, but leave my driving out of it. Thank you.
>
>In your previous post you definately did say something about your driving.
>
>In fact this...
>
>>> I do this, but only if there is no other traffic in either direction,
>   __________
>>>  and only if I have a clear view for miles. I know it's illegal,
>>>  but if there's no other cars around at all, it smooves out all those
>>>  curves and makes the curve safer.
>
>Smoothing out the curve because you can see for miles and are lazy is fair 
>enough.  I feel sure most of us have done this at one time or another.
>Trying to claim that this is _safer_ is not a good argument.  
>
>Let us explore smoothing and safety as a logical argument.
>
>If you really can see for miles then smoothing the curve does not affect 
>the safety one little bit.  
>
>If there is a hazard in the oncoming lane then you have _reduced_ the safety 
>margins by being partly in that lane.  You now have to do an emergency 
>manouver you would otherwise have avoided.  This also applies if the hazard is
>someone smoothing the curve coming towards you.
>smoothing the curve 
>
>If the hazard is someone erroneously in your lane - usually overtaking another
>vehicle - then your avoidance manouver is made much more complex thus reducing
>your level of safety.  In this situation the only solution is to brake hard
>and try and get onto the verge to your left - which is further from you if 
>you have been smoothing the curve.
>
>If you have been smoothing the curve to allow yourself to go faster then 
>the above still applies with the margins reduced still further.
>
>I would also argue that the situations where you really can see for miles 
>usually occur on flat plains (Canterbury, Matamata et al.) where the road
>has precious few curves to smooth.
>
>I can see no logical argument which can state that smoothing out the curves
>is _safer_.  
>
>


Actually, both the British Police and the Advanced Motorists
Association teach the following for going around curves in roads (this is
not an exact quote) :-

" ... when approaching a curve that you can not clearly see around slow
down and approach from as far to the outside of the bend as possible
(note: this may involve crossing the centre line on left-hand bends).
When you can see clearly around the corner move as close to the inside
of the curve as possible (around right-hand bends this again involves
crossing the centre line)..."


Both the police and AMA also teach proper observation methods and state
that if you can't see far enough ahead don't cross the centre line

The reasons behind this method is to allow you travel "as quickly and as
safely as possible"

Approaching blind corners from the outside allows you to see further
around the curve and thus spot potential hazzards more easily and sooner.
Thus, this improves safety and allows you to move in and take the bend
more tightly when you can see it is saafe to do so.

The reason for cutting corners when you can see safely around them is
that it reduces the distance your vehicle travels and,
thus, reduces the amount of time required to travel to your destination
without having to increase the speed you travel at. This, therefore,
does improve your safety.

If you dispute these arguments, then I suggest you take it up with
the British Police force who average in excess of 100000 miles/year
each and probably with a lower accident rate than anybody arguing
in this thread.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Murray Knox	Production Engineering (NZ) Ltd		Tel: +64 652 8189
mails: murrayk@pec.co.nz  Station Rd, Marton NZ		Fax: +64 652 6724
"God invented Harleys to keep w****rs off real bikes"
Newsgroups: nz.general