Driving standards

[Horsetan]

In most, if not all, cars the speedometer should be within the peripheral vision of a driver with satisfactory eyesight, sitting in a comfortable driving position, the centre console not necessarily so. In my car, I can see the speedometer and dials without taking my eyes off the road, I have to glance to the left to see the screen clearly.

 

I keep forgetting to ask, but what are the driving standards like in Spain?

[Enterprisingwestern]

I keep forgetting to ask, but what are the driving standards like in Spain?

 

Optimistic bordering on interesting with a dash of suicidal.

Don't even start me on about rotundas!!

 

Mike.

[Reorte]

Satnavs - why do you need to press anything when on the move?

 

My car has a built-in one, but it's not got a touchscreen, thankfully. Touchscreens should be a big no-no in cars full stop. Voice activation, perhaps, if it works reliably enough in the noisy environment of a car, but again why do you need to do anything with it on the move? The only exception I've ever had with mine is when it offers a diversion thanks to traffic and I need to hit a rather large physical button (so easy enough without distraction) to accept the changed route.

[newbryford]

I keep forgetting to ask, but what are the driving standards like in Spain?

 

Same as Portugal.

Edited June 6, 2017 by newbryford

[newbryford]

 

I suspect we'll see a rise in 'gesture control'

 

I've tried gesture control on other drivers.

 

 

It doesn't usually work.

[Tony_S]

I've tried gesture control on other drivers.

 

 

It doesn't usually work.

Do not gesture in Germany. Unless you want to pay a significant fine.

[SM42]

I do agree that they can be distracting, although I think standalone sat navs can be worse, there should be significant fines for being with the brightness turned up in the dark and/or right in their field of vision. 

 

they all ready are you can be fined for having anything (satnav airfreshener carparkpass ) within the area swept by the wipers its also an MOT failure 

 

That's a bit awkward for the factory fitted rear view mirror.

 

I think you are allowed up to 40mm incursion but not in the bit directly in front of driver, which seems to be a popular place for the sat nav to go. 

[stewartingram]

The rear view mirror is excluded. Also the tax disc which used to be required down in the bottom left corner. But like everything else, it is not the rules, but the implimentation of them. 

 

Stewart

[Reorte]

The rear view mirror is excluded. Also the tax disc which used to be required down in the bottom left corner. But like everything else, it is not the rules, but the implimentation of them.

Is the tax disc space still excluded then, now that there aren't any? I've got a tax-disc sized parking permit in mine.

[antrobuscp]

I don't know what more modern Sat-Nav equipment is like, but my 10 year old built in kit gives a green/yellow/red notification for problems on my route, or in my vicinity without a route set. You then have to press various parts of the touch screen to get any detail. I hate it, it's far too distracting. I much preferred the old Trafficmaster Freeway system which gave you, an admittedly limited, audio notice of problems on the road ahead up to about 10 miles distance. I would certainly prefer an option to switch on audio rather having to push buttons on the screen to find out what the problem is. Generally, because of this, I don't take too much notice unless the sat-nav starts asking me if I want to divert and/or if someone is in the car with me to push the buttons.

 

Colin

 

Edited to add - I should also say that I don't really use the sat-nav for directions, but I do set it up on long journeys to cover the very rare occasion when, as a result of diversions or re-directions, I end up leaving my intended route. My son, on the other hand, can hardly leave the house without it's assistance.

Edited June 7, 2017 by antrobuscp

[Adrian Wintle]

 

 

I think you are allowed up to 40mm incursion but not in the bit directly in front of driver, which seems to be a popular place for the sat nav to go. 

 

Mine sits slightly offset, but ahead of me. The area it obscures is mostly my view of the bonnet and of bits of road that I shouldn't ever need to look at when I'm driving. It's position means that I don't need to turn my head to look at it and it is at the same distance from me as the dashboard instruments. I use it as a moving map most of the time (and a MPH speedometer when I am in the US) so I almost never touch it.

 

Adrian

[PhilJ W]

I don't have any problems with sat navs, I don't have one and I don't want one.

[njee20]

Good for you, I find them fantastically useful. Just not necessary to stick them right in your line of sight!

[chris p bacon]

I don't have any problems with sat navs, I don't have one and I don't want one.

 

When heading somewhere new, they are actually quite useful for the last 200yards 

[Rivercider]

Hi

 

Looking at the screen next to the speedo is no more distracting than looking at the speedo.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Except that I have never been in a car where the driver disagrees with the speedo reading, and then starts pressing buttons angrily to get it to change its mind!

 

cheers

[PatB]

I keep forgetting to ask, but what are the driving standards like in Spain?

 

Having, many years ago, had a very "interesting" trip from Bilbao to Oviedo on the eve of the Easter weekend, they seem to be quite exciting. We had our first (fortunately minor) bingle within a couple of hundred meters of leaving the relative safety of the airport car park and it didn't really get much better from there on.

 

My main impression was that there seemed to be no concept of the near-miss. Cars which came within an ace of being thinly concertinaed between two trucks when attempting ambitious overtaking manouvres (and there were plenty) would, a few seconds later, attempt exactly the same manouvre. Most entertaining. I'm glad I was in the passenger seat.

[rockershovel]

I mostly use mine for key junctions on long trips, and street or back roads navigation near the destination. Warning of speed cameras is useful. I usually put it bottom centre, out of the way and out of reach.

Edited June 7, 2017 by rockershovel

[PaulCheffus]

Except that I have never been in a car where the driver disagrees with the speedo reading, and then starts pressing buttons angrily to get it to change its mind!

 

cheers

Hi

 

In my case it's purely information so nothing to disagree with.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[TheQ]

As I was a field service engineer for some years from St Andrews to Salisbury and up both sides of the country, I don't need a Sat nav, but do have one. It's most useful when the road you wish to use is closed and they divert you off in to the countryside with no further information how to get back on route. I do regularly say no to her selected route though. My sat nav is combined with a car camera

[JDW]

I don't have any problems with sat navs, I don't have one and I don't want one.

 

They have their place, but I rarely use one.  I always said the same as Phil, until the time I was driving through Germany in heavy snow.  I knew my intended route, I'd planned it beforehand, and had a map and some notes to hand (easier to read a short note on a post-it than a satnav screen!) which would have been fine, had the snow not been plastering the roadsigns making them impossible to read.  THEN the satnav comes in to its own!  But otheriwse, I might stick it on on a long journey on unfamiliar roads just to keep an eye on where I'm going, if I miss a turning it will tell me for example, or to give me an idea of ETA, but it is very much an aide and "extra" information than being absolutely relied upon.  As ChrisPBacon says, it's more useful for the last few yards in a busy city for example, than for the majority of the trip to get there.

[rockershovel]

One thing I do find it very useful for, is navigating ring roads, especially older ones like Coventry and Birmingham with their very short junctions, and road plans which have evolved over time to no particular overall plan.

 

Because most of my mileage is work-related, long journeys to unfamiliar locations, or both, I also find it useful for predicting and scheduling journeys.

 

I went to a meeting in Birmingham yesterday, timed my departure to leave 15 mins in hand, and that worked out well. I also had a last-minute change of route, caused by missing a (plain dangerous!) change of lane to the exit (the reason I find older, inner-city ring roads like Birmingham problematical). Things like that aren't really a problem provided you can identify an alternative route quickly and reliably, and satnavs are really handy in that respect

Edited June 10, 2017 by rockershovel

[TheQ]

Cockwomble of the day, ( reported in the local newspaper)

First reported accident at a new roundabout at Aylsham.

The driver says " I didn't know it was there"....

 

 

You are supposed to look out of that window in front of you idiot!

Edited June 14, 2017 by TheQ

[luckymucklebackit]

One thing I do find it very useful for, is navigating ring roads, especially older ones like Coventry and Birmingham with their very short junctions, and road plans which have evolved over time to no particular overall plan.

 

Because most of my mileage is work-related, long journeys to unfamiliar locations, or both, I also find it useful for predicting and scheduling journeys.

 

I went to a meeting in Birmingham yesterday, timed my departure to leave 15 mins in hand, and that worked out well. I also had a last-minute change of route, caused by missing a (plain dangerous!) change of lane to the exit (the reason I find older, inner-city ring roads like Birmingham problematical). Things like that aren't really a problem provided you can identify an alternative route quickly and reliably, and satnavs are really handy in that respect

 

Absolutely essential in Redditch, where in pre Sat-Nav days I spent ages going round and round the ringway trying to get to the Holiday Inn Express near the station that I could clearly see from the ringway, but could not work out how the hell to get to!

 

Jim

[Wolseley]

When heading somewhere new, they are actually quite useful for the last 200yards 

 

 

I agree.  Also they can sometimes find a better way of getting to a destination than the one you had in mind.  I used to say that I never wanted to use a satnav but, when I bought a new car in 2015, I became the owner of one (it came with the car) and I have found it to be useful in areas I am unfamiliar with.  It's a bit like a dishwasher or an air-conditioner - you're certain you don't want or need one until you have one and find out that they are useful after all.

[melmerby]

I saw a piece of typical but disturbing driving this afternoon.

 

4 x 4 towing a trailer upon which was a mini-digger.

Nothing wrong with that you say but the trailer's RH tyre was completely flat and was disintegrating as it was being driven down the road with smoke pouring off it.

The driver was going about 30mph at the time. I tried to signal to him as he passed but he seemed oblivious to everything.

The way it was going I wouldn't be surprised if either the tyre caught fire or the wheel was damaged to the point of causing an accident.

If it did have an accident I hope they throw the book at the driver but highly unlikely these days.

 

Keith