Distance between signals

[sf_giants15]

I like to drive without the HUD as much as possible. Sometimes when I get a yellow sign I either break too hard and the stop sign is further away then I expected and sometimes I break not hard enough so I see the stop sign at the last moment and have to almost emergency break. So I noticed the distance between signals could be 1km but sometimes 2km or 7km. How do I know how far away the next signal is?

[Gazz292]

I've noticed and wondered this too, 
I guess IRL the driver would have the printed timetable sheet to look at,  tho i imagine it does not give the distances between the signals? 

So is it just down to route knowledge?  or is there a system to work out that passing a certain type of signal means the next one will be 1Km away, and another signal means the next will ne 2Km away etc? 

[weezzah]

I also feel there's a lot of distance variation with the W9 and W14 speed begin and end signs. It makes the driving style more hesitant than it should be perhaps, but maybe that's just how it is? Usually I find myself able to meet speed reductions purely based on visuals because Polish railways are a little more laidback compared to for example the German ones, which makes you less on edge because there's no PZB, braking curves and what have you.

[noirceur]

Generally signals are placed around 1000-1200 meters between each other. If the distance is greater than 2 km, such signal should have its own separated distant signal again around 1000 meters ahead.

The signals that are placed in the regular 1 km interval are generally the automatic block signals, they have three lamps and white mast (pole). Classic main signals where the distance is more varying have red and white masts and they are pre-signalled by another main signal, by standalone distant signal (the one with large X in square desk), or by last post of automatic block (still white mast, but with additional desk with black-and-white circular "target" sign under the lamps).

If the distance is insufficient for braking, usually you are signalled as such in advance – in automatic block, the post before one showing caution is showing advance caution (flashing green), when in stations with multiple main signals in less than 1 km, you should be slowed to 40 km/h by the last passable signal.

I think it happened to me once that i got red in like 500 meters (emergency brake still worked with few dozen meters to spare), but that might have been a dispatcher revoking the signal. Otherwise I drive without HUD quite okay-ish, speeds are worse (they are also announced rather consistently in advance, but sometimes with really tiny signs).