The dangers of coasting downhill not in gear

On Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 9:37:18 PM UTC+1, Bret Cahill wrote:

Put an automatic in drive on ice on even a slight incline and it's obvious why it's safer to be in neutral.


Why, what will happen?


Heavy vehicles deliberately enhance engine braking because the brakes were never designed to dissipate enough heat going down long grades.

What about Telma electric retarders?

"MrCheerful" wrote in message
...

the steering will not lock unless the key is actually removed.

I do wonder whether he may have done this as a bit of extra bravado...

PS or non PS will often have the same lock to lock. If a PS system has no
power input it will always be very heavy, draining all the fluid will make
it much lighter.

Ah, that's two opposing explanations I've heard for heavy steering on PS
with no power input: higher gearing (ie fewer lock-to-lock turns) and fact
that you are compressing fluid you as you turn the wheels. Some people in
this group have said that PS cars have fewer turns of the wheel lock to
lock, and other say it's usually the same (or very similar). My experience
with the two versions of Golf Mark II that I test drove were that the
gearing was very similar.

On Thu, 18 Aug 2016 07:47:42 -0700 (PDT), Alycidon wrote:

Terrible tragedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cDonald-s.html


Where was the cyclist - and what did he do?

On Sat, 20 Aug 2016 09:02:16 -0700 (PDT), Alycidon wrote:

On Saturday, 20 August 2016 16:13:13 UTC+1, Recliner wrote:


Let's not forget that the driver was a 21 year old bloke in a car full of
his (younger) mates. That's not the demographic which typically exhibits
the best example of skilled driving.

Which is why my insurance at age 57 is £150 for a 2.2l car.

Crikey - half the value of the car - who is that with?

On Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 5:16:02 AM UTC+1, Bret Cahill wrote:

The vehicle slides sideways into a ditch.

By what mechanism does this only affect vehicles with an automatic gearbox?

This happens in slimy Colorado River mud about once a year here, whenever it rains.


Why does this only affect one automatic car per year given that you claim it happens to all automatics?

On Sat, 20 Aug 2016 18:18:54 +0100, MrCheerful wrote:

On 20/08/2016 16:13, Recliner wrote:
AnthonyL wrote:
On Thu, 18 Aug 2016 16:09:06 +0100, JNugent
wrote:

On 18/08/2016 15:47, Alycidon wrote:

Terrible tragedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cDonald-s.html


Whether or not coasting saves fuel I am very sceptical that any modern
car cannot negotiate a downhill run with its brakes. I certainly
remember it being essential to put my Dad's old Austin 12 into the
right gear and I'm fairly sure my early Morris Minor suffered brake
fade on steep slopes - but a Seat Ibiza? Even fully laden.

Now if the guy was trying to see how the car would go out of gear and
without touching the brakes on a nice hill - I might believe that - or
else Seat brakes are crap.

Let's not forget that the driver was a 21 year old bloke in a car full of
his (younger) mates. That's not the demographic which typically exhibits
the best example of skilled driving.


He hit a kerb, whether he was in gear or not would make no difference to
the car that would cause him to hit a kerb, UNLESS he had also turned
the engine off. I can remember hitting a kerb through inattention/beer
at about the same age, I got away with it, he didn't.

Indeed. Engine braking isn't used to avoid an accident, it takes too long to arrange it. Engine braking is used for a long steep slope where you would overheat the brakes. I've done it ONCE, in the French Alps. I always coast up to a junction, saves the bother of changing gear. The footbrake can achieve as much braking force as the wheels can manage anyway - any car without ABS will skid if you stand on the brake.

--
My car is a hybrid. It burns petrol AND oil.

On 20/08/2016 20:38, AnthonyL wrote:
On Sat, 20 Aug 2016 20:06:06 +0100, JNugent
wrote:

On 20/08/2016 16:13, Recliner wrote:
AnthonyL wrote:
On Thu, 18 Aug 2016 16:09:06 +0100, JNugent
wrote:

On 18/08/2016 15:47, Alycidon wrote:

Terrible tragedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cDonald-s.html


Whether or not coasting saves fuel I am very sceptical that any modern
car cannot negotiate a downhill run with its brakes. I certainly
remember it being essential to put my Dad's old Austin 12 into the
right gear and I'm fairly sure my early Morris Minor suffered brake
fade on steep slopes - but a Seat Ibiza? Even fully laden.

Now if the guy was trying to see how the car would go out of gear and
without touching the brakes on a nice hill - I might believe that - or
else Seat brakes are crap.

Let's not forget that the driver was a 21 year old bloke in a car full of
his (younger) mates. That's not the demographic which typically exhibits
the best example of skilled driving.

Exactly.

I agree and that is my point, but all the blame and subsequent
discussion here seems to be directed to the 'coasting' issue downhill
in a fully laden car. The coasting is a red-herring in my view.

I tend to agree.

One marvels that the OP has not stood his ground, particularly as his
posting the story in the first place can only have been his attempt at
some sort of exposé on how poor driving skills are among the population
in general (which would include himself).

On 21/08/2016 12:01, Judith wrote:

On Thu, 18 Aug 2016 07:47:42 -0700 (PDT), Alycidon wrote:

Terrible tragedy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cDonald-s.html

Where was the cyclist - and what did he do?

No cyclist involved, apparently.

I assunmed that SM had meant to post to uk.transport (the only place it
could really be relevant, other than uk.rec.driving) and so assisted him
with a helpful cross-post.

On Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 5:55:29 PM UTC+1, JNugent wrote:


One marvels that the OP has not stood his ground, particularly as his
posting the story in the first place can only have been his attempt at
some sort of exposé on how poor driving skills are among the population
in general (which would include himself).

Most drivers consider themselves to be above average and rate other drivers as below average.

The difference is below average cyclists will only hurt themselves , below average motorists will hurt others.

On Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 5:57:55 PM UTC+1, JNugent wrote:

No cyclist involved, apparently.

I assunmed that SM had meant to post to uk.transport (the only place it
could really be relevant, other than uk.rec.driving) and so assisted him
with a helpful cross-post.

This from the person who kept snipping UK.RAILWAY from a discussion about level crossings on UK.TRANSPORT because it was a 'train spotters group'.