Emercency braking whilst at speed

[Tony_374409434]

I know we all drive trying to pre-empt what's around the next corner. Has anyone though, had the misfortune of having to stamp on the brakes and do an emergency stop doing over and above 45mph and if so, what happened?

I am curious as I dread having to think about having to do it

 

[emmitdb]

Hi,

A couple of years ago we were towing the 'van down the A7 just outside Figueres near Roses in Spain.

The 'On'ramps in that part of the world are almost non existant and as we we approaching one such ramp a car came to a halt at the junction.

We were about fifty yards away when suddenly the said vehicle moved forward quickly about a yard.

I hit the brake of our Audi with sufficient force to engage the ABS (something I haven't done since)

I said words to the effect of 'Goodness. I wonder if they perform sexual intercourse in Hades.'

My good lady screamed, I discovered a good remedy for constipation and, as a result of the sight of a large unit bearing down on him, said Spanish car didn't move again.

Fairly uneventful really. At least the reaction of the car and caravan was but I don't wish to repeat the exercise. Thankyou.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Del,

As for the sexual activities in Hades, I certainly hope they do because when I get there this would be one thing I would miss, along with caravanning of course,

best regards, Martin

 

[602]

Hi Martin,

They don't do it in the other place!

602

 

[Jon_5078314]

Yes. Lost concentration briefly on the road alongside Loch Lomond (blame the scenery). Next thing I knew he car in front had stopped dead so applied brakes with maximum force. Tyres screeched and fully expected to see the caravan coming alongside. Happy ending - stopped before hitting the car in front and the unit was in a perfect straight line. That was an 07 Kia Sportage towing Swift Charisma 555. Follow the 85% rule, load the van correctly and use modern kit serviced regularly you shouldn't have a problem. Better still, though, ignore the scenery and anticipate!

 

[Lutz]

Following the 85% recommendation or not has little or no effect on braking distance in a straight line. The recommendation is primarily to ensure stability when changes of direction occur, whether imposed by steering or extraneous forces like gusts of sidewind.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

Hi Martin,

They don't do it in the other place!

602

Oh well, I'll have to remember to sell the Caravan before I die, as there will be no point in taking it with me if they don't go caravanning down there

 

[Carl-GreyhoundsrUs]

Due to an accident which occured immediately in front of me whilst travelling on the A5 at 50mph, I had to jump all over my brakes and swerve to the right. I would not like a repeat of this episode, but considering the size of my unit and that my tow car is less than sophisticated, I was very pleased at how controlled and how well behaved it all was. (Fleetwood Heritage 640CB towed by a Nissan Patrol)

 

[Douglas_374404558]

Yes. Lost concentration briefly on the road alongside Loch Lomond (blame the scenery). Next thing I knew he car in front had stopped dead so applied brakes with maximum force. Tyres screeched and fully expected to see the caravan coming alongside. Happy ending - stopped before hitting the car in front and the unit was in a perfect straight line. That was an 07 Kia Sportage towing Swift Charisma 555. Follow the 85% rule, load the van correctly and use modern kit serviced regularly you shouldn't have a problem. Better still, though, ignore the scenery and anticipate!

jon nothing 2do with this topic i have same setup as yourself. ie Sportage & swift charisma 555 how do u find them . I have had no problems except the Sportage ,if i put in T--co diesel it misses/caughs like hell on low down revs.otherwise great tow/solo motor

cheers Duggie

 

[BillD.]

How are stopping distances affected by towing. The van is obviously braked as well as the car but presumably there is a difference.

Bill D.

 

[Glenn_5132962]

Yep - came over the brow of a hill on a dual carriageway to find the traffic stopped on the other side. Emergency stop from about 55mph - no real drama it all pulled up in a straight line. Jag X-type / Bailey pageant S7 Betagne. Was dreading the next car coming over the hill & running in the back of my 3 week old van but he stopped safely as well.

 

[Lutz]

Here are some results out of a test to determine stopping distance from 100km/h of a car (BMW 530xd Touring) towing an 1800kg caravan:

Car, solo, half laden (2080kg): 39.0m (dry); 42.5m (wet)

Car, towing, both car and caravan half laden (train weight 3280kg): 41.0m (dry); 51.0m (wet)

Car, towing, car fully laden, caravan half laden (train weight 3480kg): 42.5m (dry); 50.0m (wet)

Car, towing, car half laden, caravan fully laden (train weight 3880kg): 42.5m (dry); 54.6m (wet)

Car, towing, both fully laden (train weight 4080kg): 43.0m (dry); 60.0m (wet)

The conclusions that you make out of those results are up to you.

 

[Steve L]

Hi Tony.

I've posted a thread on this before.

I have had to do an emergencey stop at speed and there is realy nothing to be too concerned about when doing this in a straight line, but should you be cornering at the time, then you do have to resist temptation just slap the anchors on (brake sharply)and hope for the best.

As an advanced driver, I've learned to be much more aware of the traffic in my surroundings and be antcipative of what they are likely to do. Also having a plan "B" up your sleeve also helps.

Common sense tells us all that braking in a corner causes the car to slide off coarse, but put a caravan/trailer on the back and that inertia effect multiplies ten fold. Anti lock brakes help a lot of people out, but again that is not necessarily the solution to the situation. Having a good quality pair of tyres on the front axle again has a very positive benifit as thye will grip the tarmac better and for longer, giving you a few vital seconds to think and react.

But being observant in the first place is by far the best tool in you box. Looking further ahead when evaluating the road conditions and traffic, coupled with adjusting you driving to a more steady level, will all avoid the situation before it happens.

Now add plan "B" to the equasion. Look for alternative escape routes should you not be able to stop in time, rather than wait for the bang! Grass verge comes to mind, or even as a last resort use the opposite sideof the road, but only do that if you can CATAGORICALLY SE NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ! You must not risk the lives of others to save your own skin, after all if you are driving sensibly in the first place you will not need to perform an emergencey stop.

I'm no slow poke on the roads by any means, but I get around 35'000 miles to a set of front brake pads and triple that on the rear pads. I usually go well past 100'000 miles on a clutch too.

What I will say though is find an empty large carpark and have a go at emergency stopping so that you get a preview of what happens. Don't get too adventurous with stopping while cornering, do that one slowly at first and you will soon find out how un-nerving that manouver can be.

Regards

Steve L.

 

[Tony_374409434]

Thanks Steve, some very useful info there. I do agree though that prevention is better than cure

Tony