[Vikings]

Originally Posted by MercMad

The simple fact is that you DO have to consider the guy behind
...
You simply cannot assume he will A. See you at all, B. Decide to slow down in time or C. Be physically able to slow down !

...

As you said, you do have to consider the guy behind, just like you have to consider every other person who gets behind a wheel at any given time.

Should everyone go by your mentality above of not assuming he will: A. See you at all, B. Decide to slow down in time or C. Be physically able to slow down then of course there would be no accidents at all as nobody would have the courage to drive on the roads at all.

Until I see otherwise, I will assume that the driver in front, behind and beside me is a competent driver. Using this assumption I will drive in a manner which I see fit and feel comfortable in doing.

Not trying to pick on your post entirely here MercMad but the amount of What Ifs? which you put forward amazed me, at any given time while driving you can think of hundreds of what if questions. There is no way to avoid any of them happening either - what if the speeding car goes out of control while you are still in the driving lane and ends up totalling both his and your vehicle? Would it not be better to have overtaken the trucks then?

Everyone will have their own opinion on this, my opinion is that as the OP put it, it would be safe to pull into the overtaking lane, which is what I would do here. Overtake the trucks, slot back into the driving lane and let the speeder go on his merry if slightly delayed way.

[Idleater]

Originally Posted by unkel

I doubt there has been a single fatal crash on motorways in this country from anyone driving at say 140-150km/h where the circumstances allowed and even if there was, it was most likely caused by someone failing to give right of way to the speeder (i.e. by moving into the path of the speeder)

While I fully agree with you and this sentiment in the thread (the opposite being the pull in in front of them - that'll show em), I would also like to say that driving at speeds you mention in this country is illegal (for the general public), and is irresponsible to other road users regardless of how stupid the idiot that tries to slow the speeder down is.

I think my point is that those trying to slow speeders down are playing a deadly game with lethal weapons, and unfortunately those doing the speeding are just playing the same game.

Doesn't make either one right - I would say it makes them both wrong.

L.

[311]

I always thought that powerful cars are quieter at high speed than say a 1.4 car.

If big cars come up behind me or approaching me quicker than I am approaching up and coming traffic ,it doesn't mean that the person in the big car is trying to speed ,they're just driving their car that cost a lot more than I spent.

Why would anyone want to drive behind trucks with the intention of passing them out ??

[Stark]

Because you don't need to pass them out when you're driving in front of them?

[311]

Originally Posted by Stark

Because you don't need to pass them out when you're driving in front of them?

I thought it was a thread about motorways ,if i was driving along side them ,I would be in the right lane ,if I was driving behind them I would be in the left lane.

[BigCon]

Originally Posted by TwoShedsJackson

Why people feel obliged to speed up and sacrafice control of their car and the situation they're in to some moron behind them, is beyond me.

Who said anything about sacrifacing control of their car and situation they're in?
Once again this even I witnessed more moronic behaviour on the way to work - I was cruising at 120 on the motorway when I approach two cars side by side driving at approx 100, one in the driving lane and the other muppet in the overtaking lane.
I indicated and pulled out into the overtaking lane to pass out the guy in front of me, but remained some distance back from the Sunday driver so as not to suprise him. After a minute or so he was still driving alongside the other car and not for budging.
I decided to flash him once to make him aware of my presence (some way back) and he accelerrated. Result, I thought, until he caught up with a lorry and slowed right down to the lorries speed of about 80 kmh, therby blocking the motorway altogether!?!
I calmly remained some distance back dispite wanting to flash him and blow the horn. He eventually overtook the lorry after a couple of minutes and pulled back into the driving lane, allowing me and the tailback that had built up past him.
06 Volvo driver, you know who you are, muppet...

[cast_iron]

I'm amazed that we are on page 4 here. It's actually quite funny. And the amount of hypothetical nonsense is even funnier.

The OP wasn't actually asking about safety (it was assumed to be safe regardless), but that's all people seem to be discussing. I'm wondering how many actually read the OP's post.

[Wishbone Ash]

Originally Posted by cast_iron

I'm wondering how many actually read the OP's post.

The fact that he/she used "Ethics" in the title didn't help matters. Ethical matters are much more serious than courtesy and manners, or the lack thereof, on our motorways.

[cast_iron]

Originally Posted by Wishbone Ash

The fact that he/she used "Ethics" in the title didn't help matters.

Perhaps not, but it was explained reasonably well in the edit at the end.

Somehow, I think he could have given an hour lecture on the what he was asking and some people would still not have understood / kept to the question

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by cast_iron

The OP wasn't actually asking about safety (it was assumed to be safe regardless), but that's all people seem to be discussing.

Isn't Ethics concerned with what is socially and morally acceptable, right and wrong, legallity and illegallity, actions and consequences? Surely it's not unreasonable to judge the ethics of an action based on it's probable consequences therefore safety cannot be totally ignored.

The OP detailed a scenario containing 3 truck drivers in convoy breaking the law, another motorist breaking the law by speeding and proposed that a third illegal act of speeding be added to the equation and asked us to the judge the ethics. Well if two wrongs don't make a right, three most certainly won't. The driver cannot change the actions of the other drivers so he must be ethically bound not to worsen an already bad situation by adding another illegal and dangerous action to the equation.

My 2c.

[Wishbone Ash]

Originally Posted by Hagar

Isn't Ethics concerned with what is socially and morally acceptable, right and wrong, legallity and illegallity, actions and consequences? Surely it's not unreasonable to judge the ethics of an action based on it's probable consequences therefore safety cannot be totally ignored.

Ethics has nothing to do with legality. Something which may be considered ethical may be illegal and something which may be considered unethical may be perfectly legal.

[cast_iron]

Hanging on 1 word in the title has lead to 4 pages of drivel. Farcical.

Read the edit - that's what the OP is asking about - not the philosophy of ethics or the legality of 3 truckers in convoy or a speeding driver or anything else.

Unless the OP can clarify that this was quite clearly what he wanted

[Hagar]

Fair point re legality. In theory though we do strive to enshrine our moral standards within our legal system, not 100% sucessfully I will admit.

I can see no moral dilemma to be answered if safety and legality are not at issue; either course of action is equally ethical.

[gingerhousewife]

I chose the second option. It will only delay me marginally (as to overtake would only delay the driver behind marginally), but as has already been stated, in the majority of situations like this, the driver behind will not reduce his/her speed until right up my arse, and will then proceed to flash, wave and beep to encourage me to move in (when it is blatantly obvious that I can't move in until I have passed the trucks) or to break the speed limit, which I have no intention of doing.

I would always rather have this type of driver ahead of me rather than behind - especially as I cling to the hope of someday passing one of them pulled over at a checkpoint a couple of miles further down the road and adding just a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise dull day

[biko]

Wait for the speeder and then turn on my blue lights and nail his a$$