 Poster: A snowHead
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@pam w, there might be a lot of advice out there, but for both lorry and coach drivers there are strict rules as you know, below rules for coaches - so it's not a macho thing.
9 hours per day - can be extended to 10 hours twice in any one fixed week. 45 minutes after 4½ hours driving; can be split into 2 - the first of 15 minutes, the second of 30 minutes. Breaks must be used exclusively for "recuperation" but can be taken as a passenger in a moving coach.
Quick guide to Drivers Hours - The Guild of British Coach Operators
https://www.coach-tours.co.uk/pdf/eu-drivers-hours-quick-guide-2010.pdf
I seriously do not know any regular driver that has to stop after two hours!
And then there's always Red Bull 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I seriously do not know any regular driver that has to stop after two hours!
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I don't "have" to stop, but I do, because I know it makes sense. The standard advice is based on quite a lot of research. It's especially important between both 2 - 4 am and 2 - 4 pm which are apparently the worst hours for sleep-related crashes.
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it's not a macho thing
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According to Rospa 85% of sleep related crashes are caused by men - so let's call it a male thing, rather than a macho thing.
Breaks on French motorways are easy - on the whole the rest areas are better and less busy than the UK ones, which can often seem like some special version of Hell.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A friend who drove home yesterday tells me that the Dijon Brognon had a huge fire yesterday, so maybe give that one a miss for a few weeks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, do you mean the service station etc Troyes / Lyon side - that was like that back in September, whole area totally trashed.
PS wonder what the % split between male / female drivers is - especially HGV / PSV coaches etc
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have already booked the tunnel  now I am thinking I should have booked flights, but the good thing about the tunnel is that it gives us the flexibility for daughter who is at university to decide last minute if she is able to come with us.
I might look at changing the tunnel to an earlier one on the Friday (son only has one lesson so he can miss it) and then we can get a lot further down before we stop over - at the moment I have the stopover booked at a place betweeen Reims and Chalons en Champagne - but that can be cancelled easily.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The only long driving I do regularly is to north of Inverness from Surrey (and back). Just over 600 miles door to door. On my own I'll start with a full tank then fill up in Carlisle which is near as dammit half way, shove a sandwich down throat and press on. These days it takes between 10-11 hours depending on traffic.
Many years ago I did Aviemore which about 540 miles in 7.5 hours but traffic has increased exponentially since then and under 10 to Scottish home is impossible (especially now the A9 is all average speed cameras)
To be honest I rarely get tired and will pull over if I do but haven't had to stop other than for petrol for quite a few trips now. To be honest the only times I tend to get tired is when the weather is awful as driving in heavy rain for hours on end can be a bit wearing
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@GeorgeVII, actually after driving back early Sept in daylight, and not helped by a heavy night the evening before really felt my eyes were playing up, so much so on return to UK went for an eye test (i'm nigh on 60) and sure enough I was just about on the legal minimum.
Driving out a few days ago with new glasses and what a difference, especially around dusk.
No more squinting which does accelerate tired eyes, though what has this to do with getting to La Thuile
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Weathercam, classic Snowheads thread drift 
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@Weathercam, Yes, Ive gone from arriving in resort past midnight to now avoiding driving the last part in darkness. During my last eyetest, I asked the optician for bi focals primarily so I could see that satnav without wearing my reading glasses. Again, she said I was on the legal limit for my long vision and the glasses she prescribed have made a big difference for me driving in twilight/darkness.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@BergenBergen, I had "varifocal lenses" fitted, takes some time getting used to but can now read instruments and text messages* etc whilst driving as well as long distance - so now have no problems reading the sign posts to La Thuile should I need to
* joke
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| pam w wrote: |
Last time I drove through Luxembourg I encountered significant traffic and such appalling road surfaces I vowed never again.
As for buying fuel, when I am driving a long way on a holiday costing a small fortune I really CBA to faff around looking for a few quid savings on diesel. I pick up fuel when I need to stop and eat anyway, then fill up with cheap supermarket fuel in Sallanches before I hit the mountains. The marginal cost is equivalent to a few cups of stupidly overpriced Costa coffee. |
The only time I have ever encountered traffic going through Lux on the autoroute is at 8:30 in the morning in the weekday rush hour and as for looking for fuel there are large service stations on the autoroutes advertising cheap fuel diesel is 75% of the cost in France and the road quality was good ...maybe you should try it
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