The M mentality
Page 27
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Speed itself is relative. The sensation of travelling along a high-banked, narrow country lane at 70 mph, is far more likely to raise the adrenalin in your blood than travelling on an open three-lane motorway at the same speed, On a motorway 70 mph is unsensational and when you leave it the first few moments at 30 mph make you feel "you could walk faster".
The motorway has three 12ft lanes and a hard shoulder of at least 10ft. There is a central reservation of a few feet and then the other carriageways, all flat. Even the banking is gradual.
All this takes away normal judgement of true speed. Take away the speedometer and after a short period you would have no idea of your real speed.
Most drivers are level-headed and when they meet motorway fog usually slow down. But their judgment of speed is affected by the normal openness of the motorway, and they often take some time to become properly oriented. They may be incapable of following the advice in Paragraph 34 of the Highway Code : Never drive so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
As the phenomenon may also affect other drivers around them, some unconsciously start to increase speed and overtake. Other drivers begin to fear being rammed and also go faster.
Now all are unable to stop within the distance they can see to be clear. Collisions follow and carnage develops with frightening speed.
In addition, fog makes roads oily and slippery and increases braking distances often up to three times.
You need only one anti-social driver to get this collision situation.
Obviously, the need is to check your speedometer, know your stopping distances and relate this knowledge to how far you can really see ; training can help as long as we accept that human beings are fallible.
The West Yorkshire police have shown that motorways can be travelled in fog in safety by trained, enlightened drivers. With their two red flashing lights at the rear their convoy system is outstanding.
ALAN FLEET, Secretary, Yorkshire area,.Institute of Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving Instructors.