Night Descent in the Gorge: Hazard Priorities and Brake Use
Kostas is driving a 12-metre coach with 40 passengers on a two-lane national road in Epirus at 21:30. It is raining, the temperature is 2 °C and the road climbs through a gorge. He sees a yellow temporary sign with a rock-fall symbol, then a bend marked '50' with a convex mirror. On the bend an oncoming lorry is straddling the centre line to avoid a pothole. Behind Kostas a car is tailgating with main beam on, dazzling him through the mirrors. Ahead, a herd of goats is moving across the road near a lay-by. The coach's retarder is switched off because a warning lamp came on earlier, and the service brakes are hot from the descent. He is 20 minutes behind schedule and the passengers are restless.
1. List the hazards in order of priority and explain the speed and positioning decisions you would make.
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Priority: (1) the oncoming lorry straddling the centre line - it may force him towards the edge; (2) the goats, which are unpredictable and may move into his path; (3) the wet, near-freezing road and hot brakes, which lengthen stopping distance; (4) the tailgater, which limits his ability to brake gently; (5) the rock-fall sign and the dark gorge, which reduce the time to react.
He should reduce speed well before the bend, to a speed at which he can stop within the distance he can see to be clear - certainly below the signed 50 km/h, perhaps 30–40 km/h given the wet road and the lorry. The '50' in a red circle is a mandatory maximum, not a target. He should keep to the right but leave room for the lorry, avoid braking hard on the bend, and use the convex mirror to check for oncoming traffic. He should not overtake. To deal with the dazzle he should adjust the mirrors, use the anti-glare position if fitted, and look towards the left edge of his lane rather than at the lights.
2. How should Kostas use the brakes, gears and retarder on the remaining descent, and how should he deal with the tailgater?
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With the retarder off and the brakes hot, he should descend in a low gear and let engine braking do most of the work, using the service brakes in short, firm applications rather than continuous light pressure. If he smells hot brakes or the pedal becomes long, he should stop in a safe place and let them cool; do not pour water on them. He should not switch the retarder back on if it has a fault warning; that could cause a further problem.
For the tailgater: do not brake-check. Increase the gap ahead so he can brake progressively, signal early, and if there is a safe lay-by, pull in and let the car pass - but only with a proper signal and without endangering passengers. He should not speed up to create a gap; that would increase the risk on the wet road. If the dazzling continues and he cannot see, he should slow down and, if necessary, stop in a safe place until the car passes.
3. What should he do about the goats, the oncoming lorry and the rock-fall sign?
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For the goats: slow down, be ready to stop, use the horn only if necessary and avoid revving or sudden movements; animals may bolt. For the lorry: hold his line, reduce speed, and if the lorry does not return to its side, stop rather than squeeze past; do not flash main beam repeatedly, which may dazzle the lorry driver. For the rock-fall sign: treat it as a warning to reduce speed and watch the rock face and the road surface; do not stop under an overhang. If rocks are on the road, stop clear and report.
The yellow temporary sign is a warning, not an instruction, but it should change his speed and observation. The combined effect of the wet road, the lorry and the animals may justify stopping briefly in a safe place until the immediate hazards clear; a 20-minute delay is preferable to a collision.