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Safety advice / tips sought

bighly

Jedi Knight
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An occurance over the weekend has me thinking about safety in our old cars.

I am planning a safety article in the next Mag issue. I am looking for your top few safety advice tips.

Some things come into mind in a few broad catagories:

- General Driving habits/behaviour
- Maintainance
- Safety enhancements

The floor is your guys

Tracy
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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#1 Have and use religously seat belts and shoulder harness.

#2 Assume that there will be an idiot running the red light or stop sign controlling the intersection you are about to enter, until you know for sure otherwise.

#3 Minimize playing in traffic with 18 wheelers. We are harder to see, and the likelihood of surviving an unfortunate encounter with the big boys is slim.

#4 Make sure all your lights and turn signals are working properly. Be sure you are visible to others.

#5 Stay off the cell phone.

#6 Obey all those pesky traffic laws. There are not just there for the bad drivers or to finance the local police. We can enjoy our cars with reasonable safety, and don't have to drive like nuts to do so.
 

Editor_Reid

Moderator
Staff member
Platinum
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While far from fool-proof, I think that one of the very best safety practices is "situational awarenesses" - a heightened sense of what is around you and what it/they is/are doing - and adjusting your driving based on what you observe. It's a matter of being both a "defensive driver" and a "pro-active driver" at once; something like playing offense and defense at the same time.

While you can always still get hit by lightning (figuratively speaking), if you treat all other vehicles as "threats," you can take action to minimize the dangers before they develop.
 

Bob McElwee

Jedi Warrior
Gold
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Having just completed a 2,606 mile round trip to the Texas Healey Round-up I will second both Reid's and Shorn's observations. I think Reid has hit the nail on the head on how to drive, especially on the interstate. Unfortunatley not many drivers practice it in my opinion.
About half was two lane, AR 9 is a great highway, and half was interstate. Since we have stopped driving at night unless absolutely necessary, I am not as worried about 18 wheelers. When my OD is working I'm usually running around the same speed and find on the whole they are very courteous. I'm going to lose to an 18 wheeler regardless of which family car I'm driving.
As far as maintenance goes, we drive a lot and I try to fix things as required. I basically have the same confidence in the Healey as I do in either of my other daily drivers that are 36 years newer. The things I'm worried about going out are in the boot and have been used occasionally.
Drive them and they will be nice to you!
 

healeynut

Jedi Knight
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Guys -

This is a great reminder, thanks for bringing the subject up and reminding me to play it safe.

The other thing I would add is:

If any car chooses to tailgate you on the freeway, change lanes immediately. If that is not an option, you should either speed up and create space or pull over on the shoulder and let the offender pass.

Regarding the intersection - this is sage advice. I had the front of my shroud ripped off by a accordian double length MUNI bus in San Francisco when he ran a red light. Thankfully I was paying attention and hit the brakes. If I hadn't I would have been T-boned and killed.
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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Well if you want a bit of help playing offense and defense at the same time, I suggest you fit a high visibility tail/stop light and a Ski Boat mirror to the top of the wind screen. These mirrors give you a panoramic view of the freeway or road and aid in avoiding trouble. OH! got some /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cool.gif shades be sure and wear them too!.--Fwiw--Keoke
 

62BT7

Senior Member
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I second (third...?) all of the previous posts about safe driving and awareness. As for equipment changes:
1) There's a kit that converts the existing rear reflectors to functioning lights. That's been mentioned.
2) The front turn signal lenses can be converted from white to amber (I have an older BT7). I think modern drivers probably expect to see a flashing yellow signal, I suppose this may stand out more at night. Speculation...
3) The BJ8 rear bumper mount reflectors can be added on other cars. Looks OK. I'm a bit paranoid about night driving because I have a black car, teeny rear lights, etc.
4) Obviously, seat/shoulder belts.
 

Randy Harris

Jedi Warrior
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Because of my many years of riding motorcycles in a constant state of paranoia, I have trained my eyes to scan ahead looking for potential problems, before they actually become disasters. I look for the slightest indication that things aren't as they should be: a brake light 5 cars up, a flock of birds moving rapidly across my horizon, a car going too slow in the left lane, which almost always means a cell phone user, any late model Buick is a potential lane change without warning, I give gardeners with tools in the bed of their pickup truck a huge wide berth, etc...

Driving our cars isn't all that different than riding bikes. You have very much the same exposure should you be hit at speed. My wife is always commenting how odd it seems that my eyes are scanning left to right, even when it seems calm, a block down the road no matter where we are. It's force of habit but it has saved my ass more than once.

Randy
'66 BJ8
 

MarkA

Jedi Trainee
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I drive my BJ8 daily to work and to run errands.

I believe situational awareness is number one!

Treat everyone around you as if you are sure they can't see you (same as you would on a motorcycle). Never stay in people's blind spots.

Tailgating is thing that happens to me the most, whether on the freeway or on city streets. Either people are in a hurry or they want to get a better look. I am sure they think that tailgating me will make the guy in front of me speed up! When I can, I just move over; I am not part of their race. I always leave extra room in front of me so that an emergency stop in front doesn't make me stop fast and let the guy behind me run me over.

I don't mind driving at night. I have halogens in front. The car is quite visible (according to friends).

The only change I need to make is a mechanical brake light switch. I want something that comes on when my foot hits the pedal and not when I exceed 5 (?) psi in the master cylinder.
 

AUSMHLY

Obi Wan
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Make sure your break lights work.

One day while I was stopped at an intersection, the man behind me yelled at me, "your break lights don't work". I pushed harder on the break pedal, then he yelled, "now their on". Thank you I replied.

Sure enough, they never came when I was applying pressure to my pedal. Only lit up at a complete stop when I had enough pressure on the pedal to keep the car at a full stop.

We assume our break light comes on when we push the break pedal, but may find it really doesn't. Have someone follow you down the street and make sure.

To solve my problem, I installed a mechanical break switch, which you set to come on at what pressure you want. Now my break light comes on as soon as I tap the pedal.

Cheers, Roger
 

BIBBER

Jedi Knight
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Road Rage....keep your cool....you never know what the other driver may be experiencing that caused the situation....JUST KEEP YOUR COOL!!!

BTW - this would be a GREAT thread for a general forum
but not sure where it would best fit.
 

Dave Richards

Jedi Knight
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Randy Harris said:
Because of my many years of riding motorcycles in a constant state of paranoia, I have trained my eyes to scan ahead looking for potential problems, before they actually become disasters. I look for the slightest indication that things aren't as they should be: a brake light 5 cars up, a flock of birds moving rapidly across my horizon, a car going too slow in the left lane, which almost always means a cell phone user, any late model Buick is a potential lane change without warning, I give gardeners with tools in the bed of their pickup truck a huge wide berth, etc...

Driving our cars isn't all that different than riding bikes. You have very much the same exposure should you be hit at speed. My wife is always commenting how odd it seems that my eyes are scanning left to right, even when it seems calm, a block down the road no matter where we are. It's force of habit but it has saved my "butt" more than once.

Randy
'66 BJ8

I wholeheartedly concur!
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Lots of good advice here. In my 27 years of trial lawyering, and about a year and a half of traffic court judging, I've seen more ways to kill or be killed on the road than you can imagine. One of my latest cases involved my client's stopping to rescue an abandoned dog on an interstate highway. A motorist slowed down to see what was going on, and was rear-ended by another, inattentive, elderly speeding motorist. Three year old child killed. Unbelivable trajedy. For all. No winners, just broken lives. The lesson is that we all need to take our driving seriously, and assume that no one else on the road does.
 

Johnny

Darth Vader
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Okay I agree with all of the above. But, there is a situation on all our public roadways we all need to be more aware of. In the past when the speed limit was 55 you had people driving 5 mph faster or 5 mph slower. That was okay because accidents were easily avoided at those variances.
Now, unfortunately the speed limit is 70 mph everywhere and you have people driving 80 mph and 60 mph at any given time. That is a very wide variance. You just can't react fast enough at those different speeds. Be aware it may save your life someday.

Our Healeys seem to have a weak spot in that the accelarator linkage loosens up giving you less power when you just might need it the most, like in passing trucks. So please, check that you have full travel in your linkage before you start on a trip.

Good luck to all /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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You're right, Johnny. If we were all driving within five miles per hour of one another, things would be different. Here in Atlanta we have interstate highways with as many as seven lanes in each direction, with a speed limit of 55. I've seen people charged with speeding at up to 151 mph. That's right, 151 mph. 100+ mph is common. Cars and trucks traveling over 100 feet per second, all mixed up with a range of drivers from inexperienced teenagers to octogenarians with their best driving years way behind, not to mention 80,000 pound 18 wheelers who take a quarter mile to stop. And half of those folks are on their cell phone, adjusting the radio, arguing with their spouse, quelling the fight between kids in the back seat, eating fries or putting on eyeliner. And none of this even touches the question of all those folks who are impaired by alcohol or other substances. We can drive safely, and arrive intact. But make no mistake, safe driving takes attention.
 

SHG

Jedi Warrior
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Cutlass said:
The lesson is that we all need to take our driving seriously, and assume that no one else on the road does.

In my 25 years of trial lawyering, I say "amen". People are bizarre in their thought processes. I would have thought that most people would "notice" my Healey and give me a little girth. Nope. I'm just another obstacle in their doing whatever is good for them. Drivers have become unbearably selfish. I've seen them make U turns on 55 MPH highways because they missed their turn, cross 5 lanes into heavy traffic for the same reason. Anticipate the stupid.

Mentioned only once is to stay far away from pickups and light trucks carrying loose objects in their beds, and dump trucks carrying rocks/debris. It is a given that crap will be flying out and hitting you. Around me, with a ton of construction constantly happening, we are inundated with this problem and broken windshields are a daily occurrence. The drivers of these trucks either don't know, couldn't care or just too stupid to connect the dots. But flying debris can be devasting for us more than most. There's little to protect us, and in the best case scenario, our cars suffer badly from these daily occurences. Pass them quickly or drop back, but never ride behind one.
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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SHG,You mean they let you try being a lawyer in NY and if you be good enough they let you stay!.---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Another thing occurred to me. As much as we love and maintain our cars, they just simply are not as reliable as modern cars. So, when on multi-laned autobahns (aka Interstate Highways), the right lane, closest to the emergency lane, is much safer than the fast lane if that pesky SU decides to balk. I'd hate to have to cross three or four lanes of 85 mph traffic while trying to get to safety. Yeah, there's another tragedy that brings this scenario to mind.
 
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