Changes to Highway Code

[SanteFe RMK]

On 30/11/2018 at 22:07, Mr Plodd said:

 

Holding and using a mobile for ANYTHING when “driving” is an offence, it doesn’t just cover using it as a phone.   

 

If it’s sat in a cradle and acting as a sat nav you are clearly not holding it, but if you take it out of the cradle to use it to pay for a toll or similar then as far as the law is concerned you are “using” it as Stevan has already said.

 

Absolute offence pay your money and take the points!

 

Andy

Mr Plodd, I believe, if you have a licence for short wave radio, you are allowed to use a hand held radio device in a vehicle, ie  mobile phone. It's a strange rule.  

[Guest]

Just now, SanteFe RMK said:

Mr Plodd, I believe, if you have a licence for short wave radio, you are allowed to use a hand held radio device in a vehicle, ie  mobile phone. It's a strange rule.  

The law on mobiles phones is very specific, even specifying the relevent frequecy bands. Other radios may be used, but mobile phone may not.

[Mr Plodd]

On my car (auto) once stop/start has kicked in handbrake/neutral maintains the engine stopped, once I either release the handbrake OR shift into D the engine restarts. Most, if not all, manuals with stop start will do the same IF the driver applies the handbrake and selects neutral, but many are either ignorant of that option OR are simply too idle/inconsiderate.  

 

I now await the inevitable barrage of “Well my car doesn’t do that!!” (Like I said, MOST do. Try it if you think yours doesn’t, you may be surprised)

 

Andy

[Black Grouse]

13 hours ago, mark68 said:

But what about vehicles with eco stop/start, which is activated by the foot brake when stationary. I don't mind the vehicle doing this itself, but would not be faffing about turning the engine off by the key, see signs all over at junctions requesting you to turn your engine off when stationary.

 

Mark

Stop-start should continue to operate if you apply parking brake after you've stopped and release the footbrake.

[mark68]

2 hours ago, Black Grouse said:

Stop-start should continue to operate if you apply parking brake after you've stopped and release the footbrake.

Not on a Merc or BMW it doesn't, interested if any vehicle actually does this.

 

Mark

[Guest]

On 20/12/2018 at 09:05, The road toad said:

Unfortunately with the rise in numbers of automatic cars and those fitted with electric handbrakes more and more cars sit there with brake lights ablaze.

Yes, in case you did not realise it, apply your electric handbrake and your brake lights are on till it is released!

I agree that sitting in a queue with your foot on the brake pedal will keep the brake lights on and can annoy the driver behind BUT use of the electric parking brake WILL NOT illuminate the brake lights on my auto Volvo. The electric brake works in exactly the same way as a mechanical parking brake with the one exception that if in "Drive", a light touch on the accelerator will release the brakes making hill starts easy. 

Gordon. 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Gordon said:

I agree that sitting in a queue with your foot on the brake pedal will keep the brake lights on and can annoy the driver behind BUT use of the electric parking brake WILL NOT illuminate the brake lights on my auto Volvo. The electric brake works in exactly the same way as a mechanical parking brake with the one exception that if in "Drive", a light touch on the accelerator will release the brakes making hill starts easy.  

Gordon.  

Works exactly the same in manual Kuga, don't bother to release HB, engage 1st, drive away. .

[Mr Plodd]

42 minutes ago, mark68 said:

Not on a Merc or BMW it doesn't, interested if any vehicle actually does this.

 

Mark

 

Try selecting neutral then setting the handbrake (or the other way around) JUST setting the handbrake wont do it.

My Mazda auto will retain engine stop if I stop on footbrake, then select N and then set the handbrake. Any other sequence doesn’t work. The manual version of the identical car I had before worked exactly the same way.

Another handy safety feature is if it goes into stop/start and the drivers door is opened and closed the engine will NOT automatically restart, You must use the starter button.  

 

I would be VERY surprised if a Merc or Beemer doesn’t have a similar system to the Mazda, but you may have to experiment with the exact sequence of footbrake/neutral/handbrake (and clutch pedal if manual) 

 

Andy

[Black Grouse]

1 hour ago, mark68 said:

Not on a Merc or BMW it doesn't, interested if any vehicle actually does this.

 

Mark

 

It did on my VW - until I defaulted it off.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, mark68 said:

Not on a Merc or BMW it doesn't, interested if any vehicle actually does this.

 

Mark

 

It does on mine (2016 520D).

[Guest]

A couple of years back we had one of the H&S motoring organisations in to conduct training for anyone driving on company business. They said that statistically you are less likely to be rear ended if you drive an automatic simply due to a lot being left in drive while stationary with the brakes applied. Brake lights applied don’t “dazzle” anyone, they just give some folks something to moan about when they can’t find anything else ?

 

I checked my car earlier and contradicting my previous post, if the auto-stop kicks in with hill-hold applied, the brake lights remain on. However, if I then apply the (electronic) handbrake, the hill-hold disengages and the brake lights go out.

[Stevan]

2 hours ago, GaryB1969 said:

 

 

I checked my car earlier and contradicting my previous post, if the auto-stop kicks in with hill-hold applied, the brake lights remain on. However, if I then apply the (electronic) handbrake, the hill-hold disengages and the brake lights go out.

A bit illogical!

Hill holder activates on the presumption that you will be moving off in only a few seconds but stop-start activates on the assumption that you will be stationary for several seconds or longer.

[Paul_B]

12 hours ago, GaryB1969 said:

A couple of years back we had one of the H&S motoring organisations in to conduct training for anyone driving on company business. They said that statistically you are less likely to be rear ended if you drive an automatic simply due to a lot being left in drive while stationary with the brakes applied. Brake lights applied don’t “dazzle” anyone, they just give some folks something to moan about when they can’t find anything else ?

 

I checked my car earlier and contradicting my previous post, if the auto-stop kicks in with hill-hold applied, the brake lights remain on. However, if I then apply the (electronic) handbrake, the hill-hold disengages and the brake lights go out.

 

If they said that, your company should get a more competent H&S training organisation 

 

114
You MUST NOT

use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders

use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226).

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.
Law RVLR reg 27

 

 

[Guest]

I will write a stern letter to our CEO forthwith