I managed to stop, shame about the driver behind me!

[Extreme_One]

I've had two quotes; one from a damage repair centre at £9000 plus change and the other from a main dealer (not sure if I'm allowed to name) at £12300

Sent the quotes to the insurance company ...

The main dealer said it's likely it'll take around 12 days to complete her repairs.

[TonyHSD]

Likely to be scrapped. 😶

[forkingabout]

27 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Likely to be scrapped. 😶

Likely to appear at a Copart near you then to be bought as salvage, poorly repaired & put back on the road.

[TonyHSD]

Just now, forkingabout said:

Likely to appear at a Copart near you then to be bought as salvage, poorly repaired & put back on the road.

It might be repaired to the standards, however it’s bit worrying for the other Corolla owners as the repairer may decides  to search for parts from the streets 🫢 , like the Yaris case we had recently. 

[Cyker]

Ah, I got taught the Tarmac and Tyres thing too!

I do tend to do it, just because so often I've had cases where the car in front just wouldn't move (Not paying attention, broke down, talking/arguing to/with someone in the street/car, looking/waiting for a parking space etc.), and having enough space to just quickly go around them smoothly to continue with my journey without having to reverse first is very advantageous!

(Esp. as the Mk4 has such incredible launch from a stand-still; Makes it very easy to get around such knob heads while minimizing the time I have to be on the other side of the road!

[Kental]

The Yaris mk4 has such a short rear overhang that the tyres and tarmac safety zone is so much less than a Corolla from the rear view.

[Cyker]

I think that's true of all the Yarisusuesiesusises, deffo the Mk1 and Mk2!!

One of the design features of the Yaris has always been that they push the wheels as far out as they can to maximize interior space.

 

[TonyHSD]

The larger gap left between you and leading car the better is for everything. When moving off standstill at traffic lights for example best practice is not to release brake and crawl forward before the leading vehicle has moved, just keep the same distance you had and move smoothly after the car on the front drives off first, like a train carriages - one after the other. 👌👍 Same technique apply for high speed motorway driving, however everyone break that golden rule and that’s why we have traffic jams and accidents often. 👍

[Rhymes with Paris]

Is it just me that finds it odd driving behaviour when in a queue,say at a red light,or level crossing, the cars that have come to a complete stop,then start to creep forward.

This being while the closed gates or red light not changing at all.

This then leaves the drivers behind with the choice of either creeping up with the rest pointlessly,or leaving increasingly large gaps which can annoy some drivers behind who are in such a hurry to go nowhere.

It's probably me that's odd though,as this happens in nearly all queues.

[Cyker]

Yes!!!! Why do people do that?!??! It annoys me so much!

And then when the lights change they don't move! After creeping so far they're across the line anyway!

It's more fun on multi-lane roads - I get this a lot on the A10, with them creeping forward like they're going to try and get ahead of me, to the point they're over half a car length ahead with the lights still red, but as soon as the amber light goes on I'm away and across the other side of the junction before the creeper has even started to move  

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

Why do people do that, Cyker you ask.

My theory is based on genesis, although not overly religious myself.

You see in the beginning when the brains were being handed out, about half joined the queue and duly received a reasonably functioning brain.

The other half could not be bothered, and just walked off.

I refer to them as "walk offs"

[Extreme_One]

18 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Likely to be scrapped. 😶

I dunno. It's a 71 plate with about 17k - surely there's value in repairing it?

I have no experience in a car being written off so I don't know the criteria. 

[Gerhard_Corolla]

On 10/1/2022 at 12:31 PM, Rhymes with Paris said:

Why do people do that, Cyker you ask.

My theory is based on genesis, although not overly religious myself.

You see in the beginning when the brains were being handed out, about half joined the queue and duly received a reasonably functioning brain.

The other half could not be bothered, and just walked off.

I refer to them as "walk offs"

Mammals, strange animals indeed...

[Parts-King]

On 10/1/2022 at 12:58 PM, Extreme_One said:

I dunno. It's a 71 plate with about 17k - surely there's value in repairing it?

I have no experience in a car being written off so I don't know the criteria. 

The criteria differs between insurance companies, but if it costs more than 50-60% of the value to repair it, then it will be written off, so if it costs more than £8,500 to repair, it will be written off. That figure is VERY easy to reach on a modern car, mine was worth 20K, repair costs £12K, went in the bin and it looked very minor, underneath though there was a lot of floor damage. I have no doubt that car will be sold on as a damage repairable and be back on the road 

[Extreme_One]

26 minutes ago, Parts-King said:

The criteria differs between insurance companies, but if it costs more than 50-60% of the value to repair it, then it will be written off, so if it costs more than £8,500 to repair, it will be written off.

A 71 plate 2.0 TS Excel with 17k mileage, is worth significantly more than £17,000 (double the £8,500 figure)

I'm pretty sure they'll pay out for the repairs. 🤞

[Parts-King]

Sorry I took the 17K as your perceived value, I presume thats miles then? 

[Extreme_One]

14 minutes ago, Parts-King said:

I presume thats miles then? 

Yes 17k miles. Sorry I should have been clearer.

[AndrueC]

On 9/30/2022 at 1:47 PM, Dylanfan said:

Years ago the advance driving recommendation was “TT” which stood for Tyre & Tarmac when stopping behind a stationary car. So when you stop you were supposed to be able to see the tyres on the tarmac of the car in front. This is easier said than done, it feels like miles away and if everyone did it just imagine the length added to a queue.

Yup. I had a discussion about this with my observer. At the time I was driving a Honda Jazz and because of its sharply raked and short bonnet that would leave you a bit too far away. The bonnet was so short that you couldn't see it even if you leaned forward right up against the steering wheel.

[Rambler56]

On 9/30/2022 at 1:47 PM, Dylanfan said:

Years ago the advance driving recommendation was “TT” which stood for Tyre & Tarmac when stopping behind a stationary car. So when you stop you were supposed to be able to see the tyres on the tarmac of the car in front. This is easier said than done, it feels like miles away and if everyone did it just imagine the length added to a queue.

Standard defensive driving technique which also leaves you with an escape option (CIVT vehicle drivers have this drummed into them so they never get boxed in).

[TonyHSD]

The longer the distance between the cars the better is for everyone! 
The queue length doesn’t matter at all because in reality it’s indefinite, it will never stop. , it will be like a serpentine belt, just keep rotating around its pulleys.
What matter here is the flow rate, this is what makes quick or slow moving traffic. This can only be properly maintained with good constant distance between all road users, simply like a conveyor belt., or train carriages, one after the other and never overtake or shorten the distance. 
One car to shorten the distance and triggers a chain reaction and all is coming to a complete stop. No one goes anywhere. 
When some or many cars shorten the distance between, tailgating, what basically happens is the traffic flow rate gets reduced and bam all stops again. To understand easily, is like water flows through certain diameter pipe at certain speed. If you reduce the pipe diameter you want get higher flow rate, but only higher pressure, less water. 
I hope those who write self driving cars software will take this into account. The roads will be safer, cleaner and not as congested. 🏁👌

[AndrueC]

Or better yet don't ever stop. Try and preserve at least some momentum and if you can match the average speed of the queue you'll rarely need to actually halt. One of the great things about an automatic car is that creeping in a queue is a lot more comfortable than feathering the clutch.

Mind you I remember many years ago using the manual choke on my Mini and Metro to control engine speed in queues. As long as you didn't pull it out too far it was fine 😄

[Baytree]

On 9/30/2022 at 1:47 PM, Dylanfan said:

Tyre & Tarmac when stopping behind a stationary car

I remember that, although more for being able to move out of the way if the car in front breaks down. Leaving a gap for protection in the event of a rear ender wasn't mentioned but I'm always mindful of the fateful lorry that didn't stop, hit a Peugeot and pushed it under the flatbed in front. I try not to join a lane if there would be HGVs behind me when approaching congestion. Despite what he said, that VW driver could have been on his mobile and I would expect that to be checked by the non-fault insurers.

[Rhymes with Paris]

This won't be popular with those who do not see the necessity of road or lane closures for roadworks, however on a dual carriageway for instance,the traffic management is very carefully designed.

So that if there is a lane closure the warnings that it is closed are well in advance, and in advance of the merging lanes where say it goes from 70 limit to 50 limit .

Unfortunately, the ones who rant and rave the most at the poor road workers,or indeed anyone within shouting range when they are stuck in a jam are always the very ones who cause it.

The merging is designed so that if all traffic read the advance warnings and did not stay on the offside lane until forced to move to the inside lane by the tapering cones, but merged when told to ,all the traffic could go through the works at 50 mph, instead of jamming and delaying themselves and everyone else.

Not to mention the drivers who go straight through a road closed sign into roadworks because they want a particular sausage sandwich from sam and Ella's burger bar in the next lay bye.

[Roy124]

Quote

The merging is designed so that if all traffic read the advance warnings and did not stay on the offside lane until forced to move to the inside lane by the tapering cones, but merged when told to ,all the traffic could go through the works at 50 mph, instead of jamming and delaying themselves and everyone else.

I disagree.  I believe you are supposed to use both lanes until the lanes start to narrow and then zip into the single lane.

The cutter in to which you object certainly slows the traffic but if both lanes were full in parallel and zipped things would move more smoothly.

[Roy124]

I started this some hours ago and got diverted.

I remember many years ago (M5 was dual carriage way) there was a TV programme, probably OU. It showed how the driver reaction time in stop start traffic led to the lead car braking with the nth car accelerating hard.  They showed a crash was inevitable. 

Well I was cruising down lane 1, undertaking all the traffic nose to tail in lane 2.  I was keeping a sharp eye out for lane crossers.

Traffic was moving like an accordion.  Then right alongside me a car accelerated hard into the one in front.  There was an impressive amount of dust and rust thrown into the air accompanied by steam. 

I didn't stop and just continued sedately on my way.