Van driver drove across Europe before killing a man on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire.
The court heard that Garcia had driven almost 1,500 miles across Europe in fewer than two days with virtually no sleep.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-12255501
How long would you take to do this journey?
Last edited by: Iffy on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 20:01
|
|
I used to drive up to 500 miles a day when I was younger, I now consider 300 to be a maximum. I always stop for a coffee and wander about every two hours.
|
>> The court heard that Garcia had driven almost 1,500 miles across Europe in fewer than
>> two days with virtually no sleep.
>>
He must have been driving very slowly to take 2 days with no sleep to drive 1500 miles.
I tend to limit it to 3 hours before stopping if only to stretch my legs, and get some fresh air, but sooner if I feel it is necessary.
I wonder when tachographs will become compulsory in cars?
|
When we used to go tro Benllech (125 miles from Manchester, M56, A55 then some country roads) after two hours the driver always needed a rest. We always tended to stop in Conwy.
125 miles might not seem a long way, on a busy warm weekend it can take an hour and a half just to cross the M56 because of all the mancs desperate to get into Wales.
I personaly haven't driven any longer than an hour and a quarter in one go. I think it depends on the journey too, if it is a familier route you can probably go on for longer but if it is all new roads it is a lot more tiring. Although boredom itself is tiring.
I think two hours is very sensible.
|
>> I personaly haven't driven any longer than an hour and a quarter in one go.
>> I think it depends on the journey too, if it is a familier route you
>> can probably go on for longer but if it is all new roads it is
>> a lot more tiring. Although boredom itself is tiring.
>>
>> I think two hours is very sensible.
>>
How can you not have driven for more than an hour and a quarter Rattle - my driving lessons (albeit 24 years ago) were 2 hours long!!
As a student I almost always did the run from Bristol back home (Yorkshire) without stopping, though I wouldn't generally do that now... My car does nag me to take a break after 2 hours, but I usually ignore it - I'll decide when to take a break :-)
Peter
|
Done 8 hours with two wee breaks but that was when i was working
These days, Its 3 hours max with a walkabout and fresh air. 8 hours max in a day.
|
I am not really a driver :). I drive very local routes, I have done 130 miles this week without actually going any further than 10 miles from home.
My driving lessons were an hour long and I found even after 50 minutes I was getting very tired and flustered.
I hate driving on motorways too many incidents as a kid in the Lada.
Hoping to the Benllech trip this year though if my mates don't pull out.
The ironic thing is when I was driving in Wales I loved it, I loved driving in Anglesey and experienced some quite dangerious roads (the one from Benllech to Beaumaris (Bohmaris in manc)) I just hated the bit inbetween so got my mate to that bit of the journey.
To be fair at the time I was in fear of the six point = ban rule but now that is gone so if I did some how get 3 points it would not be the end of the world - apart from to my pride. I am finding I am driving more and more though and 500 miles a month will be normal soon. Just using public transport much less now as the fear of driving eases and messing about with trains and trams seems like a lot of hassle.
My dad does the Manchester to Scunthorpe trip quite regularly but can no longer do the round trip in a day and he insists on leaving at 4:30am to avoid the traffic but then the M62 is hell in a 13 year old 60bhp Fiesta.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Fri 21 Jan 11 at 21:23
|
>> ...but then the M62 is hell in a 13 year old 60bhp Fiesta.
Part of my journey home as a student was the M62 - in a 55bhp Uno!! I don't remember the lack of horsepower being an impediment to making good progress... ;-)
Peter
|
The Uno probably didn't have airbags, electric seats, heated front windscreen, PAS, rear headrests and got knows what to weight it down though. I was talking about the over the Saddleworth Moor, Pat in her manaul Scania (or what ever she prefers) is probably often over taking it!.
I have a 54bhp Panda (1108cc FIRE, probably the same engine as your Uno had) but the Panda is probably bit heavier than the Uno but it feels more sprightly than the Fiesta.
If I did a lot of motorway driving I would find 54bhp very tiring though as I would be into 4th and 5th every time the speed varies.
Small petrol engines are brilliant round town, but if you do a lot of motorway driving I think I would much prefer a torquay diesel, although the only diesel I have ever driven was a lorry (if you can call it driven).
|
Hence the ;-) Rattle
I'll have you know my Uno had tinted windows, a sunroof, goodmans radio cassette and a five speed gearbox!! All weighed down by an Amstrad PCW1512 and dot matrix printer :-)
|
>> although the only diesel I
>> have ever driven was a lorry (if you can call it driven).
>>
You moved it Rattle. :-)
|
After a long, long time driving all over the country and Europe in all sorts of vehicles, the only longish trips I do are to friends and rellys in Appleby and Rugby. 100/120 ish miles.
I try to break half way or near to. Milnthorpe heading North, there's a nice cafe and I can stay on the A6 until Shap.
Going South, I usually take the toll road or the A5 through Cannock and stop at the first opportunity. Never in a rush, no deadlines to make now !
It's a different matter on the bike, Did 650 miles plus the channel crossing to Dover in one hit a couple of years ago. Plenty of drink stops on the other side 'cos it was hot.
Throwing it down from Dover onwards so stayed at cousins in Huntingdon. I'd have done the 140 home if I hadn't been soaked and cold !
Threw it down all the way home the day after !
Ted
|
|
I rode home from Le Tourquet de Paris home to Wales last summer in one hit - stopping only for fuel and a snack and the crossing. According to Google it's a smidgen over 400 miles. It too just under 9 hours and I enjoyed every mile of it and would have ridden another couple of hundred miles if required....it was that dry and sunny day in July otherwise I might have been tempted to break the journey....
|
|
Longest in one go is three hours. That said I (and my youngest son) seem to have very small bladders, so natures call usually ensures a stop well before that.
|
For me two hours and a half, plus a bit for contingency; bit less for Mrs B who gets fatigued and suffers from restless legs. Irrespective of stops/changes we're both all in after 12-14 hours.
I have the good fortune to start from somewhere close to the geographic centre of England so my 180 minute isochrone covers most of England's population.
Northwards it gets me past Leeds or Manchester. Bound for Scotland or the Lakes I'd make a first stop at Charnock Richard to change drivers. Family friends in Wrexham or Lydney are non stop as is the New Forest. The Channel is a bit too far and I'd usually stop for a PNB/driver change at the services by the M1/A1 interchange.
Long distance in france or heading for the Western Isles ferry its alternating stints of 2hrs plus (me) and 90 mins (SWMBO). Those put Ullapool or Uig around 12hrs from home and give us the time to get to Grenoble/Chambery, Valence or Clermont Ferrand from Calais.
Good enough for me!!!!!
|
I reckon it depends on the roads/conditions, and secondly the, ahem, youthfulness of the driver.
I used to cruise across France from one end to the other in about 10 hours, which included 2 short fuel/coffee/pee stops. Roads were good and traffic very light. A breeze. Now, here in NZ, it's about a 7 hour run to Wellington, but no motorway. More work required of the driver and it's a lot more tiring. Or is it because I'm not young any more? ;-)
|
I do the Sweden/England trip quite often. Because I have the dogs, and the crazy UK pet passport regulations whereby you have to be at calais within 24-48 hours after the wormer and tick treatment, then you don't have a lot of choice other than to do it in one hit. It's about 1100 miles, and usually takes about 22 hours. Obviously there are regular stops for food/drink/toilet etc. It takes it out of you though, especially with all the crazys in Germany. Sometimes I take a shortish kip in the car though.
Last time I booked a short night in a german hotel, but when I got there at the dead of night, it was one of those keyless places. So I duly entered my booking number into the computer, which spat out my room key number. Of course, the room key number didn't work and I had no way of contacting them. So I had to find another hotel in Holland because I would be too early for the 24/48 hour rule at Calais.
|
I think lots of people have done long drives that were probably too long for safety's sake. I've done Bordeaux to Calais in one go alone a few times and never would again; I can't have been safe towards the end. I've also done 500 miles plus a ferry crossing in one day in an Acadiane (602 cc Citroen van) - that was hard work and very unpleasant!
I'm off to France in March; East Anglia to the Dordogne. I'm doing a slightly longer sea route and going to make sure the driving is shared.
|
"I rode home from Le Tourquet...."
All that petrol v. diesel argument is getting to some.... :-)
|
"I think I would much prefer a torquay diesel......"
:-)
|
|
I did try the Newquay ones but they I found them to be a bit chavy.
|
It depends on many factors.
Age of driver, physical fitness, amount of rest before the drive (good night sleep etc), fitness as in got a cold coming?, as well as the vehicle itself, the type, ie Corsa or Omega, engine type, power output, and general condition of the vehicle.
For example, when I had a 1.1 Mk3 Fiesta, a trip to say Manchester would take a lot longer, with more stops, than in a 2.5 Omega... in fact I did do the run in the Omega in one hit, and got out feeling relaxed, and feeling I could have done the same again, straight away.....
In the Fiesta by 50 miles I was feeling knackered.
|
The bloke who dropped my Panda off kept going on about that, saying it is a small car but very comfortable so not at all tiring providing you cruise. I'm 6ft and have been in the back of one for 2.5 a half hours. Was a little squashed but was a lot less tired than I would have been in the back of my mates old 1.1 Fiesta.
Mind you we had to stop in the 1.1 Fiesta because after 100 miles it would need another 1 litre of oil!.
If I was doing a lot of long distances I would want a bigger more powerful car though. There is more room to put things and the extra power will make it much easier to overtake etc.
|
|
I always try to start a long journey early in the day, the idea being that I am fresh, rested and don't start tired.
|
I can't match the distances driven by some of the road warriors on here.
The killer van driver did 1,500 miles in two days, which to me is far too much.
It's the equivalent of Land's End to John O'Groats one day and back down to Bristol the next.
Madness - as he proved at some cost.
|
ive driven from leicester to andorra onto perpignan and back to leicester again in 48hrs.
only stopping to refuel.
long weekend but ok
|
>> ive driven from leicester to andorra onto perpignan and back to leicester again in 48hrs.
>> only stopping to refuel.
>> long weekend but ok
>>
You may think you were OK.
|
|
I see the professional drivers are keeping out of this one.
|
>> I see the professional drivers are keeping out of this one.
>>
Don't know about pro Navy.;)
I can drive long distances without any problems at work in a truck, common sense as in everything over breaks.
Lot more to see from the height of a truck, so plenty to keep one interested.
Once out of work mode i switch off and couldn't possibly cover the same time or distances in a car, SWM usually takes over on very long journeys.
Agree about starting the journey when fresh.
Don't know if anyone feels the same, i keep vehicle windows spotlessly clean, apart from i find dirty windows annoying and negligent for a pro, they make the job of driving more of a pleasure and far easier whatever the vehicle, maybe silly pride in keeping the vehicle clean and smart bears on this.
|
|
I had to make a 600 mile round trip last from Kent to N.Wales last Saturday as my FIL had very cleverly bought a used mobility scooter on ebay without first finding out where Abergele was ! That was as far as i would want to drive in one day now.
|
>> ive driven from leicester to andorra onto perpignan and back to leicester again in 48hrs.
>> only stopping to refuel.
>> long weekend but ok
>>
But if, god forbid, you have an accident near to your home on the return trip, would you feel confodent standing in an inquest court saying that tiredness was not a factor?
|
I think it would depend on the drivers experience too. I would get more tired driving 100 miles than most people on here I would suspect because I would be learning the entire way.
|
|
But there are still ultimate limits Rattle. I think 8 hours in a day with breaks is pretty much the safe maximum for almost any car/driver/circumstance combination.
|
I think 8 hours in a day with
>> breaks is pretty much the safe maximum for almost any car/driver/circumstance combination.
>>
As most of you will probably be aware, vocational drivers are limited as to driving hours.
Normal driving maximum is nine hours per working day, can be extended to ten hours twice a week. Maximum of 56 hours driving in one week, and 90 spread over two. Normal rest period is eleven hours, this can be reduced to nine three times a week.
We can drive uninterrupted for a maximum of four and a half hours before having to take a 45 minute break.
It works fine for lorry and coach drivers but then again we do it every day. I applaud the government advice to take some kind of break after two hours, even if its only a stretch and a pee.
How tired you get depends on the type of route you take, the type of vehicle you're driving, your age and your experience; most of us, I suspect , tend to find that our bladders are the final arbiters of where and when a break is taken.
|
>> most of us, I suspect , tend to find that our bladders are the final arbiters of where and when a break is taken.
>>
As a slight, but important aside, I was once told (on a speed awareness course) that one of the most common causes of death, following an RTA is a full bladder bursting upon impact.
|
>> I was once told (on a speed awareness course) that one of the most common causes of death,
>> following an RTA is a full bladder bursting upon impact.
ISTR hearing that test pilots would "Christen" an aircraft wheel prior to flight because of that problem.
|
i can honestly say that ive only got tired driving once on the m6 early morning.
the 2000 miles ish i did was in a jaguar xj8 and i never felt tired but maybe my driving was impaired to some extent but i never felt it.
i got to dover at 8pm and hit calais centre at 10pm and got to andora at 10am to collect a friend from hospital and went to perpignan in 2hrs and had a lunch and straight back to calais at 12 midnight so had 2hrs rest and then from dover back to leicester. it was prob only 36hrs but the car was great but thirsty at 25mpg average
|
|
what i find odd is people saying they get tired after an hr or two. i would never think of stopping until 3hrs into the journey
|
But as discussed it depends on the car, the journey, the driver in fact everything. Some people get tired quicker than others too.
I would need to stretch my legs after two hours anyway although I have done four and a half hour trips to London on the coach I still have to get up and walk to the toilet.
In the Pendolino which takes 2 hours I tend to just walk up and down the train into the first hour to break the journey up.
Longest I have ever been on a train was 8 hours, Berlin to Amsterdam but it was hit by delay after delay. That was hell, in the end we thought lets just get drunk - I don't think many people got off that train sober!.
I think my longest car journeys were probably when we used to go to Portmadog before the A55 used to go all the way to Hollyhead. That would take around four hours.
|
rattle. if you hate the trains then try going to australia on economy class. must be the worst journey possible by mass transport.
next time i used business class, a lot more money but so much better for your sanity
|
I love trains but this journey to Amsterdam became hell, it was good Friday and we were due in to Amsterdam at 5:30. The train was so late it was 9:00 by the time we got there, we arrived at the hotel at 10 and they had rebooked our room. We ended up with a double bed for the first night.
I just find sitting in a tin box for 8 hours quite tedius, be it a car, coach or train. Did the Manchester to Paris route by coach once, 11 hours of hell.
|
|
I use Emirates Glasgow/Dubai/Perth. I find the rear pairs of seats right at the back of economy are acceptable, There is a galley for coffee and snacks when the rest of the passengers are asleep, no one to climb over, plenty of leg and elbow room, room to walk about, the toilets are nearby and you are the last to arrive at an accident. We have these seats booked for all four legs of our next trip, You have to book them early, as half of them are designated as disabled use and you need to book the others. I find that being right at the back usually means that you have less hanging around the arrival airport, (first off, longest to wait for your luggage rule applies). Its only 5,600 miles from Dubai to Perth. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 22 Jan 11 at 13:34
|
|
You should take the Cee'ed imagine the impressive desert shots. Mind you it will probably come back with bullet holes in the doors.
|
>> You should take the Cee'ed imagine the impressive desert shots. Mind you it will probably
>> come back with bullet holes in the doors.
>>
There are times when it is best to let someone else drive. The Boeing 777 might get shot at, the route to Dubai is east from here and over Iran.
|
|
The safest place on a plane is at the back. Well done ON!
|
When I was younger, in my late twenties, I once drove from Oban to London with minimal stops (just for the loo and to eat), starting in the late morning and finishing at night. The distance is about 500 miles and actual driving time was about 10 hours.
At the end I felt ill - nauseous and headachey - and found it difficult to get to sleep; every time I shut my eyes I could see traffic coming towards me at speed. Awful.
|
i maybe got used to doing long hours when i started and ran a taxi company.
10hrs at weekends with no breaks was common most fridays and saturday.
now when i want to go somewhere a far distance i leave at 8pm and drive thru the night.
no traffic and a better drive
|
|
I still do the annual drive to the far side of Germany every year... I tend to take breaks every few hours, though this year rather than the overnighter we'll be staying in a hotel for the night... I find that come dawn at about 5am I can feel really tired so always tended to stop for a couple of hours kip and then find somewhere for breakfast... At least the German Autobahns have plenty of "rest stops" with just toilets and parking which are idea for that purpose...
|
>> When I was younger, in my late twenties, I once drove from Oban to London
>> with minimal stops (just for the loo and to eat), starting in the late morning
>> and finishing at night. The distance is about 500 miles and actual driving time was
>> about 10 hours.
I've done more or less that journey both ways, Essex to Loch Leven, same time about 10 hours. It's do-able but too much really, even with breaks. I found though that once I got to Scotland and the roads and air quality were better, I was less tired. I do it now in two days and spend the night in a b&b halfway. Much more pleasant. It helps to have a car that's good for long distances, with a good supportive seat and decent ventilation.
I drove to Ullapool in two days via Loch Lomond. That was an epic journey that just got better the further I went.
|
>>>> I drove to Ullapool in two days via Loch Lomond. That was an epic journey
>> that just got better the further I went.
>>
You missed the word "north" off the end of that sentance. :-)
|
If I have to fecth the Mrs and kids, in their home town 300 miles away, normally leave at 5am, and stop twice en route - ~100 out, where the roadside place sells lovely pies, and another hindred further on, at Leeu Ganka, wghich doesn't.
Couple of bottles of pop, a walk about, then finish the upward journey.
Load up the family, have lunch with the in-laws, and head back.
600miles a day? No problem
It is all about being rested beforehand, and planning breaks AND TAKING THM in advance.
I'll fill up and paick up then paper a mile from my house. WILL read it whilst breakfasting on my first stop. 30 min mandatory.
|
>>Load up the family, have lunch with the in-laws, and head back.
600miles a day? No problem
>>
I seem to recall that " better" cruising speeds were more easily obtained on the roads I frequented :-).
I hope to confirm my recollections later this year :-)))
|
My wife and I frequently drive from Austria, where we live, back to the UK and vice versa (SWMBO will only fly in an emergency). Total distance about 860 miles. Our preferred option is to drive just 6 hours/360 miles on day 1, meaning that the fact we always leave later than intended doesn't matter, and we each drive for just under 3 hours each. Then the second day, 6 hours/360 miles to Dunkerque, ditto just one stretch each of <3 hours, then another 2 hours/120 miles from Dover to our destination.
On the return journey back to Austria we usually stay at Lille overnight, then the 660 miles home in one stretch which we covered in 11 hours a couple of weeks ago, with each of us driving twice and short comfort/lunch breaks. That's a longish day and I wouldn't want to drive a lot further after being on the road for 11 hours. I certainly wouldn't contemplate driving that distance if it was just me driving. It's all motorway and easy to cover significant distances quickly, but driving across Germany needs a high level of concentration.
|
To journey is a wonderful experience, to make it a chore by "doing an overnighter" or a "12 hour blast" is to loose out.
If journeying to holiday, take your time, its part of the experience.
Unless of course it Sleazy Jet or Ryan Air, then kick the speedy borders up the jacksie and get the journey over asap.
|
|
1400mile in 22 hours, shared between 3 of us, 1 pit stop for fuel and one slightly longer one. Thought I'd be shattered but felt fine when we arrived in the morning, just had an afternoon nap and that was it.
|
I regularly do N.London to Fort William.
Gets done in one hit. If it's overnight which is now fairly common, i'll have a kip/nap for a few hours before leaving. Normally only one fuel stop, with another one when you're nearly there at the other end.
The overnighters have 2 cans of Red Bull available, which I find helps. First couple of overnighters I stopped the other side of Glasgow and had 40 mins worth of shut eye out the back of a petrol station near Loch Lomond, but the Red Bull now negates the need for that.
I find the faster I drive the more aware I am. Slow down = boredom and loss of concentration.
Main secret is to accept when you're too tired and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT e.g. stop for early fuel/comfort break or pull in somewhere for 40 winks. Lethal to ignore it.
For those of you who think 2 hours is enough in one hit, think about what the Old Bill or Ambulance Service do on a busy 12 hour night shift.
Last edited by: Westpig on Sat 22 Jan 11 at 22:48
|
>> >> For those of you who think 2 hours is enough in one hit, think about
>> what the Old Bill or Ambulance Service do on a busy 12 hour night shift.
>>
I doubt if that is continious driving, there must be a few dounuts in there somewhere, along with paperwork and locking people up in the nick or hospital. The variety of tasks will help but I agree you could be shattered at the end of a shift.
I have done the 12 hour shift bit, and driven 400 miles with one short break more times than I can remember, I am now older and am aware of my limitations.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 09:47
|
I daren't contribute any numbers or statistics to this thread. Couldn't be doing with the analysis which would surely follow and the warnings of impending doom. Suffice it to say what some would regard as excessive would be seen by others as normal.
For a personal view though I can honestly say I never feel tired while actually driving. Too much going on. It's maybe an hour after I get out of the car after a long one that I start to fade.
|
>> For a personal view though I can honestly say I never feel tired while actually
>> driving. Too much going on. It's maybe an hour after I get out of the
>> car after a long one that I start to fade.
This is a human response. Your body tells you that you will need to concentrate for a while, so the adrenaline kicks in. When you've finished driving, your body subconsciously relaxes, and you then feel tired. But when there is nothing left in the kitty, you fall asleep at the wheel.
|
|
Could be to do with how much sleep a given individual is used to as well. I know some who say they need their 8/9 hours or whatever. For myself, I've rarely slept or wanted to longer than 5 or 6 hours in any 24 for as long as I can remember. So what might seem a long day to one might not to another. Couple factors like that with alcohol consumption patterns, stress levels, health and general fitness levels etc and you might get a noticeable difference between what is right for one and wrong for another.
|
>> Could be to do with how much sleep a given individual is used to
And the time of year. You can keep going for longer in summer.
|
>> >> For those of you who think 2 hours is enough in one hit, think about
>> what the Old Bill or Ambulance Service do on a busy 12 hour night shift.
>>
I doubt if that is continious driving, there must be a few dounuts in there somewhere, along with paperwork and locking people up in the nick or hospital. The variety of tasks will help but I agree you could be shattered at the end of a shift.
______________________________________________________________________
______
Imagine it. Drive on blues to a job, jump out, deal with a cardiac arrest, dump patient in back, drive to hospital on blues. Dump patient at hospital, declare yourself available, get another job. Drive on blues to a job, jump out, deal with next patient etc etc etc.
Knackering!
|
> I regularly do N.London to Fort William.
Sounds like an absolutely terrible time. Not fun at all.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 10:46
|
>> Sounds like an absolutely terrible time. Not fun at all.
I have to say that sounds like hell to me.
|
>> I have to say that sounds like hell to me.
>>
>>
Only the bit south of Carlisle. :-)
|
>> >> Sounds like an absolutely terrible time. Not fun at all.
>>
>> I have to say that sounds like hell to me.
>>
I might have overplayed my hand a trifle...by regular I mean 4 or 5 times a year to visit relatives...and you're right it's a miserable journey...if it wasn't for the dogs i'd fly/ sleeper train and have a hire car at the other end.
...which is why I tend to do an overnighter, M6 has half a chance of actually being open, less middle lane morons slowing everything down, no camera vans. I tend to time it for dawn through Glen Coe, which is fantastic... (other than the deer, which is just the wrong time of day to be blatting along).
|
Having not been in a position to post for a few days and having just read this thread....I think it's time tachographs were fitted in cars pronto.
Pat
|
I think it's time tachographs were fitted in cars pronto.
Be careful what you wish for......
First we got tachos in HGV's, then it was speed limiters; need I say more?
And, as I'm sure we can both agree, observing tachograph rules does not by necessity make you a better driver.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 17:07
|
>>observing tachograph rules does not by necessity make you a better driver<<
I'm with you all the way on that one HM, but some of the journeys related would have not been undertaken had the driver been breaking the law.
It's strange that, but true.
Car drivers will drive as long as they feel able, whether they are able or not if it's within the law, but as soon as it becomes illegal, I'd like to bet a good two thirds of them would park up.
Remember Selby?
Pat
|
...Remember Selby?...
What a prat he was.
Told the jury he could drive safely with only an hour or two of sleep.
The jury, being sensible folk as most jurors are, applied their own life experience to that and found him guilty.
Some of the journeys described in this thread wouldn't look too clever when described in a court room.
Bear in mind enquiries will be made about what you were up to for at least 24 hours beforehand, if not longer.
So starting out well rested is a good tip from several points of view.
|
|
People who drive long distances/hours for work purposes don't generally do it for fun. They do it because quite a lot of those who don't want them to do that also concurrently want the things they buy to be cheap. Working drivers not working costs money. This results in increased prices. Like the slave and child labour which is necessary to achieve the prices of many of our consumer goods it's an inconvenient truth. Think of the economy as a balloon. If you squeeze it at one point it bulges at another. If you want driving hours to be restricted to some arbitrary figure, then fine, but just be prepared to pay more for it.
|
|
Did I read somewhere that there is managerial responsibility for drivers actions in law now?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 18:34
|
|
Yup, if there is managerial pressure, or a culture of, driving while unsafe. It does not need to be documented either - a perceived pressure is enough.
|
|
So how does that square with Westpig's and Dieselboy's posts re 12 hour shifts for police and ambulance drivers?
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 19:50
|
Rest break, that should not be interrupted.
|
>>
>> Rest break, that should not be interrupted.
>>
As I said in response, donuts.
|
>> Rest break, that should not be interrupted.
>>
Yeah, right. Can you tell me where that happens?
|
|
Although blue light driving is stressful I do not believe a whole shift is spent driving. In 12 hours you would be half way across Europe. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 23 Jan 11 at 22:09
|
>> Although blue light driving is stressful I do not believe a whole shift is spent
>> driving. In 12 hours you would be half way across Europe. :-)
>>
There's not 12 hours non stop driving, but there is constant 'doing something', even if it's bashing the keyboards putting reports on. There's no 'hour to oneself' put it that way.
12 hour shifts are beginning to go out the window..and rightly so, but 9 hour ones are no different to a 500 mile thrap with limited stops i.e. you're on the go constantly.
Funnily enough, I find it's the second night that's the worse, the first one you can manage...(and fortunately i've never done the 12 hour ones although had plenty of feedback from people that did).
Many cops prefer the 12 hour ones..but..because they get more days off on that sort of roster. Management are now phasing them out...and IMO rightly so..imagine picking up something urgent and time consuming into your last hour on a 12 hour shift and having to stay on 2 hours extra...then drive home for an hour..no thank you.
|
>> There's not 12 hours non stop driving, but there is constant 'doing something', even if
>> it's bashing the keyboards putting reports on. >>
Which is what I was saying in my post of Sunday @ 09:44.
|
How far without a break? - Old Navy
