About Speed Cameras ?

[Tiwaz]

Alden, your wife was wrong. And so are you.

Logic behind how to act is that everyone uses proper safety distance. (fat chance of that)

When you are going to join motorway, you have acceleration lane to ACCELERATE to speed of rest of traffic. This, if everyone kept their distance, would result in you being able to slip into hole in the flow.

Why slowing down on motorways is bad is that it causes traffic jams. Guy who builds the jam never notices it, because they speed up again, but cars behind that car have to slow down, and ones behind that have to slow down more until you get solid block where cars have to stop or snailpace forward until they reach the opposite edge.

[Pursuivant]

Yeah, its the pedal on the right.

[Karhunkoski]

Why slowing down on motorways is bad is that it causes traffic jams.

Understand your logic, but I don't think the chaps mean a full-on braking session to allow someone to join from the ramp. I think what they mean is slightly easing off the throttle, perhaps reducing speed by 5-8 Km/h, in order that someone can join the flow easily. If you don't let them in, the cars behind get nervous about whether the joiner will try and muscle in anyway, so to avoid this they brake themselves, thus causing the jam that you describe above.

But to underline the facts about driving in Finland:

1. There is lack of courtesy and consideration for other drivers in Finland, sometimes even a lack of awareness.

2. Point "1" above does not help traffic flow.

3. Anyone who has driven extensively in the UK (Brit, Finn or otherwise) will likely have noticed this fact.


On the subject of consideration for others, manners, etc, I read something the other day which expressed my own view rather well. It went something like this:

Manners are something which grease the rails of life in a civilised society. They ease social interaction, smooth negotiation and generally increase everyone's quality of life. In some societies the system falls down when showing consideration for others is seen as a weakness, rather than a strength.

[Upphew]

On the subject of consideration for others, manners, etc, I read something the other day which expressed my own view rather well. It went something like this:

Manners are something which grease the rails of life in a civilised society. They ease social interaction, smooth negotiation and generally increase everyone's quality of life. In some societies the system falls down when showing consideration for others is seen as a weakness, rather than a strength.

Finland was sparsely populated country with small population. One could always be courteous and give enough space for fellow on the road (trail, whatever) and meetings with strangers weren't common. Cars, cities, motorways and anonymity are not for forest people

[Tiwaz]

Why slowing down on motorways is bad is that it causes traffic jams.

Understand your logic, but I don't think the chaps mean a full-on braking session to allow someone to join from the ramp. I think what they mean is slightly easing off the throttle, perhaps reducing speed by 5-8 Km/h, in order that someone can join the flow easily. If you don't let them in, the cars behind get nervous about whether the joiner will try and muscle in anyway, so to avoid this they brake themselves, thus causing the jam that you describe above.

You forget that slowing down in dense traffic multiplies with each car if there is no sufficient distance between vehicles.

First car slows down 5-8km/h, next has to slow down 8-12km/h, one behind it has to slow down 12-15km/h and so forth until either safety distance has managed to eat the loss of speed, you run out of cars or total jam is created.

But to underline the facts about driving in Finland:

1. There is lack of courtesy and consideration for other drivers in Finland, sometimes even a lack of awareness.

2. Point "1" above does not help traffic flow.

3. Anyone who has driven extensively in the UK (Brit, Finn or otherwise) will likely have noticed this fact.

I partially blame for this low amount of traffic overall. Finns rarely have to contend with situation where traffic density would demand such things. So there is little practice on it.

Manners are something which grease the rails of life in a civilised society. They ease social interaction, smooth negotiation and generally increase everyone's quality of life. In some societies the system falls down when showing consideration for others is seen as a weakness, rather than a strength.

It should have addendum. "Manners, and more specifically good manners, are dependent on code of conduct of host society, trying to judge society by code of conduct which are not native to it is not productive nor going to prove useful."

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Manners are something which grease the rails of life in a civilised society. They ease social interaction, smooth negotiation and generally increase everyone's quality of life. In some societies the system falls down when showing consideration for others is seen as a weakness, rather than a strength.

You wanna come to one of my classes one day and even try and explain that?

[Bubba Elvis XIV]

Common sense, innit.

Totally and a lot safer.

I think it's these:

http://www.freefoto.com/tag/straight+ro ... hite+lines

Yes, which do not exist in Finland, or are you people legally colorblind? DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, like your sherbet snow you eat in the winter.

not coloUr blind....just plain blind.

Yeah - I was showing the picture to see if Penelope meant those in the UK or those that divide one lane into two cos there's different rules.

[sinikala]

Alden, your wife was wrong. And so are you.

Logic behind how to act is that everyone uses proper safety distance. (fat chance of that)

When you are going to join motorway, you have acceleration lane to ACCELERATE to speed of rest of traffic. This, if everyone kept their distance, would result in you being able to slip into hole in the flow.

That only works when the roads are empty enough for drivers to keep twice the safe distance.

Otherwise, slipping into the "safe distance" hole in the flow automatically means that the person joining the flow is now at half the safe distance, as is the driver following him. So in order for both drivers to restore their safe distances ... what must they do?

Answers on a postcard to

The "yes, they'll have to slow down anyway" Competition
BBC Television Centre
Wood Lane
London
W12 8..

I bet several people know that the last 2 letters are QT

[micky-in-helsinki]

I didn't read all comments so somebody might have mentioned before, speedo metres in cars show around 10% higher speed than the actual speed. If you are going at 105km/h (according to car's metre) on a road with a speed limit of 100km/h, police can't stop you.

If you use navigator, it shows you your actual speed. You can check the difference between your car's metre reading and your actual speed and then adjust your speed accordingly in future even if you are not using navigator.

[AldenG]

My Toyota Camry doesn't show 10% above, it shows right on. It's easy to check by timing marked miles on the highway. Now I DO have a pickup truck with larger wheels than it came with. As coincidence would have it, they are 10% larger and so the speedometer shows 10% lower mileage and speed.

[AldenG]

I think it's these:

http://www.freefoto.com/tag/straight+ro ... hite+lines

Yes, which do not exist in Finland, or are you people legally colorblind? DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, like your sherbet snow you eat in the winter.

Yeah, people. Double yellow lines, like sherbet snow and possum soup.

[Karhunkoski]

Finland was sparsely populated country with small population. One could always be courteous and give enough space for fellow on the road (trail, whatever) and meetings with strangers weren't common. Cars, cities, motorways and anonymity are not for forest people

No need to apologise, I understand why things are as they are.... well mostly...

[Karhunkoski]

You forget that slowing down in dense traffic multiplies with each car if there is no sufficient distance between vehicles.

First car slows down 5-8km/h, next has to slow down 8-12km/h, one behind it has to slow down 12-15km/h and so forth until either safety distance has managed to eat the loss of speed, you run out of cars or total jam is created.

I'm aware of that, but you missed my point. Either I'm too thick for not explaining it clearer, or you're too thick for not getting the pouint. Wanna toss a mark?

[AldenG]

Come to think of it, I don't know how to make double lines in the snow.

Maybe my striper is an older model. Or maybe it just doesn't have the right attachments.

[Karhunkoski]

I partially blame for this low amount of traffic overall. Finns rarely have to contend with situation where traffic density would demand such things. So there is little practice on it.

Yup, the partial blame lies with there being little traffic. The rest of the blame lies with most Finns lacking manners/courtesy/awareness of others in certain situations. It doesn't make any difference whether it's moving in traffic in a car or moving in traffic as a pedestrian, most Finns just don't quite get how to do it. Perhaps one has to have lived outside of Finland for a couple of decades to understand. No excuses needed from anyone, but it's just a fact of life here. The other aspects of life are mostly great, moving in traffic is one exception.