Standard of driving

[hotrodjacko]

Hi all,

At an attempt to feel like I'm more involved here (I'm on everyday looking through threads but never post) I thought I'd share a rant.

Has anyone else noticed the standard of driving seems to have declined a lot in the last 6-12 months? Maybe it's just me getting older, less naive and more cynical, but I swear some of the people on the road I honestly question where their licence came from. 

Not too long ago I was driving up the M40 late(ish) on a Sunday eve, in the 2nd lane with a few lorries and slower cars in the first lane, when a randomer in the outside (fourth) lane was trundling along. Rather than undertake, I thought I'd move right out in an attempt to move them over/not undertake, so over into the third lane they went, I returned to the second lane, FOR THEM TO MOVE BACK TO THE FOURTH LANE! Makes my blood boil.

I've also found 'professional' drivers (for a living; cabbies, bus drivers etc) to be some of the worst.

Anyone else noticed this?

Ross

PS: I'm still here floating around, just don't post much! I know a few of you wanted to make sure the DT I bought from Curt stays on the forum; it is, I'm here and do browse through the threads every day more or less! Has had an engine change since mind... 

[cully]

I swear some of the people on the road I honestly question where their licence came from. 

a good few drivers have got their licences from other country members of the European union and are now driving on the UK roads with these

so yes are the testing for licence issuing across Europe stricter or more lenient than the UK?

[procta]

Hi all,

At an attempt to feel like I'm more involved here (I'm on everyday looking through threads but never post) I thought I'd share a rant.

Has anyone else noticed the standard of driving seems to have declined a lot in the last 6-12 months? Maybe it's just me getting older, less naive and more cynical, but I swear some of the people on the road I honestly question where their licence came from. 

Not too long ago I was driving up the M40 late(ish) on a Sunday eve, in the 2nd lane with a few lorries and slower cars in the first lane, when a randomer in the outside (fourth) lane was trundling along. Rather than undertake, I thought I'd move right out in an attempt to move them over/not undertake, so over into the third lane they went, I returned to the second lane, FOR THEM TO MOVE BACK TO THE FOURTH LANE! Makes my blood boil.

I've also found 'professional' drivers (for a living; cabbies, bus drivers etc) to be some of the worst.

Anyone else noticed this?

Ross

PS: I'm still here floating around, just don't post much! I know a few of you wanted to make sure the DT I bought from Curt stays on the forum; it is, I'm here and do browse through the threads every day more or less! Has had an engine change since mind... 

Me and my dad were nearly killed, with some one playing funny f*ckers, on the motorway, coming home from sliverstone, The fool was pissing about with his radio, changing a CD! I was over taking at the time as it was a 3 laner, and I tell you his f*cking car must have been an inch with the passenger door of my car! if we had made contact I wouldn't have been here to tell the tail! A few gestures were exchanged and that was it. 

 

[Dum-Dum]

I wouldn't say its just the last 6-12 months, the last 6-12 years more like.

[Eeyore]

Driving the saab is a different experience to the 306. Still getting the hang of barely moving traffic jams. Felt a bit of a tool when I stalled it at the lights! lol

Ive found that lorries are being terrible. Several have just pulled out into my lane and others have pulled out without looking. So many people just sitting in lane 3 and 4. I drove a few miles down an empty lane one whilst the others were all stuck at 50.

[Mattcheese31]

Hardly any good drivers about Imo lol, I haven't noticed any decline in last year particularly, there is so many people who should no way be on the road, if you're young, old ir female you shouldn't be allowed to drive an automobile imho

[Toms306]

If you can't beat them, join them!

I had to slam on the anchors today as someone the other way decided to overtake cyclists 2 a breast on a blind bend in the national limit, I make plenty of minor mistakes myself, mainly lack of concentration, but things like that really make me question other peoples thought process.

[Niall]

Driving standards in this country are shite. Just today, i was driving home, 40mph dual carriage way. The right hand lane was solid to turn right and the left hand lane was flowing nicely to go straight on. I was in the left hand lane doing about 25-30 when i saw some old boy in a renault captur in the right hand lane start indicating into mine. He indicated far to late for me to sensibly stop (not that i would of done anyway. Was just bad planning on his behalf) and he starts to pull out! So i slowed right down fairly sharply to about 10 at which point he pulled back in then immediately pulled back out right in front of me. How he didnt take the front of my car off i don't know. Cue lots of swearing, horn (sad to say the horn on the kia is rather pathetic) and gestures. He then sits in the left lane doing about 30 when everyone else is doing 40 (now past the right hand turn and back to a DC) and at the next set of red lights, pulled into the right just as he's stopping so I'm next to him. Wound his window down and says you want to learn how to drive mate. You could of killed me. I won't repeat what i said to him

[WiNgNuTz]

If you can't beat them, join them!

I had to slam on the anchors today as someone the other way decided to overtake cyclists 2 a breast on a blind bend in the national limit, I make plenty of minor mistakes myself, mainly lack of concentration, but things like that really make me question other peoples thought process.

Lets not mention the last time I was involved in a convoy with you then, eh?

I quite agree though, I always try to be as considerate to other drivers as possible, but there are SO many drivers out there that either firmly believe they have right of way at all times, regardless of situation, or alternatively just drive around in a complete state of ignorance. 

Don't even get me started on the foglight/headlight/brakelight bulbs arguement either.

[Kezzieboy]

Pfft, after Cairo I feel blessed in this country

[7057sam]

The fuse on the interior lights and rear lights blow today at 5 ish on a very busy a14 obviously I had noway of knowing
that but thanks the lovely British public I was informed/shouted at pulled over and robbed a 10 amp fuse from somthing not important and away I went

[Dum-Dum]

If you can't beat them, join them!

I had to slam on the anchors today as someone the other way decided to overtake cyclists 2 a breast on a blind bend in the national limit, I make plenty of minor mistakes myself, mainly lack of concentration, but things like that really make me question other peoples thought process.

Lets not mention the last time I was involved in a convoy with you then, eh?

Haha, I've been driven into the back of by 2 other members on separate occasions, fortunately no damage done and I wont be naming them.

[Toms306]

If you can't beat them, join them!

I had to slam on the anchors today as someone the other way decided to overtake cyclists 2 a breast on a blind bend in the national limit, I make plenty of minor mistakes myself, mainly lack of concentration, but things like that really make me question other peoples thought process.

Lets not mention the last time I was involved in a convoy with you then, eh?

Haha, I've been driven into the back of by 2 other members on separate occasions, fortunately no damage done and I wont be naming them.

Haha, Id forgotten that.   Fortunately Steve was on the ball, but it could've ended in a Go06...

[Jonny81191]

Pfft, after Cairo I feel blessed in this country

Doesn't excuse it though.. The problem IMHO is that it's these days considered a right to drive, not a privilege. And therefore people see driving as you would see getting on a bus. Get in metal box, hang brain on a hook, move along.. 

I'd say that well over 50% of the bad driving I see is down to a complete lack of concentration and more worryingly, a severe lack of common sense.

[adam b]

And a vast majority do not take the size, weight, visibility and stopping distance of larger vehicles into account.

I drive about 1000 miles a week (often to central London) towing a BJ race transporter 6 behind an Isuzu DMax Utah. Very rarely ever have issues with buses, trucks or proper cabbies. Mini cabs, scooters and cyclists tend not to appreciate how much space a 9'3" wide trailer takes up. Closest calls have been people undertaking me - just don't ever do it...

It's amazing how much you concentrate with a car worth 10x your house on board, even still I have a couple of near misses by other people pretty much every trip. All recorded on camera as sooner or later I'm likely to collect someone doing 120mph up my inside when they are joining a motorway and MUST get out in front of me.

[bigcheez2k3]

And a vast majority do not take the size, weight, visibility and stopping distance of larger vehicles into account.

I drive about 1000 miles a week (often to central London) towing a BJ race transporter 6 behind an Isuzu DMax Utah. Very rarely ever have issues with buses, trucks or proper cabbies. Mini cabs, scooters and cyclists tend not to appreciate how much space a 9'3" wide trailer takes up. Closest calls have been people undertaking me - just don't ever do it...

It's amazing how much you concentrate with a car worth 10x your house on board, even still I have a couple of near misses by other people pretty much every trip. All recorded on camera as sooner or later I'm likely to collect someone doing 120mph up my inside when they are joining a motorway and MUST get out in front of me.

Are you delivering expensive cars in Lonodn with that trailer?

If so, were you delivering a Ferrari on Pont St near Lowndes Sq a couple weeks ago? Because whoever it was parked in an awful place causing the traffic to mess up.

[Dum-Dum]

You say about cyclists undertaking and I completely agree. On a bike in London traffic I feel safest keeping up with the motorbikes up the middle of the road as most people tend to look for bikes there these days.

[procta]

I tell you a story on what my dad did to a driver of a sports car, many moons a go.

my dad had a long wheel base series 3 petrol land rover. He had the thing kitted up with a front bull bar.
anyway he was going on hols with his little caravan at the time, On the motorway a driver of this sports car, decided to show off to his bit bird. He kept slowing my dad down, which is a pain in the arse if your towing. This went on for a bit, Then my dad decided enough is enough, and dropped the landy down a gear and put his toe down. when the driver decided to take the piss out of him again, and slow down. My dad said the bull bar was with in centre meters, from the sports car. The driver got such a shock as his rear view mirror was full of bull bar, he tried to get away but couldn't do anything. My dad eased off and the lad took off with his tail between his legs.
I did the same trick to an astra that under cut me on the motorway at the last min, just to be behind his mate.
I sat the car right off his arse end and the spots I have the car were with in inchs from his arse! His mate also tried to on, before hand. Once the two decided to pull over, I was a way and they even tried again, but I had the run and weight was in my favour, laugh was I didn't drop the car down a gear at all. If I had done that would have been it!

[ginge191]

I approached a roundabout, in a 30 zone, no traffic from ahead or to the right, and an elderly lady decides to pull out as i move onto the small roundabout. I end up chucking the brakes on and literally stopping and inch from her door..

I find elderly drivers to be some of the most unaware

[Ruan]

Do not even get me started on this... There's about 6 different types of drivers on the road:

1. Young girls/lads - usually with mates in the car, totally oblivious, feel that they've just passed their test so are invincible... Usually more interested in changing tracks on their ipod or texting their mates.

2. Old people - oblivious as f*ck, usually driving slow, has an AA/AIM badge on the front which simply says that they substitute being aware with simply driving slowly.

3. Middle aged cocks - Usually just bought an A4 or 3 series on finance, or it's a company car. Think that the world owes them a favour and that they are above you. If you're driving sensibly, they will hurl abuse at you and flash their lights at you until you move out the way as they're on their way to sell storage heaters to someone. Obviously more important than you.

4. Blokes called Barry - Usually driving a Mk2 Mondeo, Ford C-Max or Rover 75, wear a gold chain round their neck and have tattoos - regularly talk about how they've "been driving for 25 years" and that they know far better than you, regularly shun anyone in a remotely modified car and are up their own arses about it. Anyone using a merge in must be stopped by me driving 4mm from the car in front because they're "pushing in" and that's not allowed. I'm British and you're pushing in and I'm going to then probably get out of my car and lecture you about how you're young and I know better than you.

5. Ditzy Women - putting makeup on in rear view is the most important thing, driving their Audi Q7/BMW X5 isn't. The sort that will have a flat tyre in a carpark and then ring the AA and say they're a woman with children at the side of the M25 and they're going to die if they don't get there soon. No love, man the f*ck up and at least give changing it a go yourself - I can guarantee about 20 minutes ago you were whinging about how women aren't treated equally... So I'm sure you can give changing a tyre yourself a go - it's really not difficult.

6. Car enthusiasts - some may be alert, good drivers, but normally driving a bit fast anyway and one of the people above will have done something wrong, and they'll have a crash - that's just life.

You can't win.

[Tom]

Perfect!

[Shiny]

Yeah, it's definitely not a recent thing. I'm an advocate for retaking your test, say every 15 years, or age specific. Road regs change and people should be stopped from getting lazy and developing dangerous habits.

I have to say, I don't endorse Procta's driving style. If someone's being a d*ck, let them be. It's their car that's gonna get totalled. Go in to the back of someone and 90% of the time the insurance company will favour on the side with the damaged rear. Not to mention surrounding cars that could get caught up in the incident, perhaps with vulnerable minors on board.

[Dum-Dum]

3. Middle aged cocks - Usually just bought an A4 or 3 series on finance, or it's a company car. Think that the world owes them a favour and that they are above you. If you're driving sensibly, they will hurl abuse at you and flash their lights at you until you move out the way as they're on their way to sell storage heaters to someone. Obviously more important than you.

Haha this one came flying up behind me earlier just past Aylesbury Police Station as I was heading home. I was doing 20-25mph behind a learner driver and was a good distance back wasn't going to overtake as the road is on a curve and then the approach to a roundabout and cockend in his 64 plate insignia repmobile comes flying up behind me at somewhere near twice the speed limit flashing his headlights. I let off the throttle for the roundabout and laughed as he pooped when my car started slowing down without giving him the brake lights as a warning.

He followed me through the roundabout and as the road is then wide and arrow straight I overtook the learner while he was still accelerating expecting cockend to follow suit and then use Rallye power to make him look like a right lady garden however he didn't follow.

Cockend in the insignia then sat behind the learner half a car length off his back bumper flashing his headlights and still doing 20-25mph even though there was plenty of time and space to overtake.

Certainly made me chuckle but I really just don't understand these people.







I suppose thats one of my biggest bug bears, people who try and bully learners. We were all learners once, we were all shit, we all regularly drove at below the speed limit and took ages accelerating and braking, just use their slowness to make it easy to overtake them FFS.

[Toms306]

[quote pid='506842' dateline='1421507425']

I suppose thats one of my biggest bug bears, people who try and bully learners. We were all learners once, we were all shit, we all regularly drove at below the speed limit and took ages accelerating and braking, just use their slowness to make it easy to overtake them FFS.

[/quote]

You might've done...  I kept getting told off for speeding on my first lesson.    And the second...and third... 

I don't think its fair that they put obviously nervous learners in rush hour traffic though, who does that help?  I just scares the learner even more and annoys everyone else!  Same as when farmers decide to move tractors at 8.30am...  Why not just wait half an hour or go earlier!  And lorries that are going to overtake another lorry because they're limited 1mph more!

Inconcideracy is my biggest annoyance I suppose. But that goes for walking as well, general public seem to be mostly selfish bastards tbh. 

[toseland]

I did see someone brake check a BMW the other day... unmarked blue 5 series, he was driving swiftly and the car was in the outside lane (the one in front) doing below 70 on a relatively clear road..


it made me smile in side when the blue lights popped on in the BMW and he got pulled over haha

[Toms306]

Lol, just reminded me I pulled out on a cop van the other day. Tonnes of traffic so booted it with a tyre chirp into the first gap I saw after several minutes waiting and got up to speed quickly (he didn't have to brake as I'm not an inconsiderate arse), all I noticed was a small white van behind the gap, could've been anything...until I glanced into the mirror again and noticed it had police written on the bonnet and 2 of them sat in there with uniforms haha. Wasn't fully marked up obviously, and I didn't do anything illegal, good job I didn't though!

[procta]

what tom? you took a car over 2k rpm and made the tyres screech! what happened to the frightened lad?

[Toms306]

You don't need to rev much to screech the tyres on a modern diesel lol, all the torque is at the bottom!

I actually drive faster and harder when I'm wound up though lol, MPG drops when anxiety rises.

[procta]

You don't need to rev much to screech the tyres on a modern diesel lol, all the torque is at the bottom!

I actually drive faster and harder when I'm wound up though lol, MPG drops when anxiety rises.

bad practice that tom, driving when wound up! I used to be like that, span the wheels before on my Dturbo when it got damaged by a faggot who was building next doors extension. Wasn't clever at all,  but made sure they knew they had well pissed me off!  

[adam b]

And a vast majority do not take the size, weight, visibility and stopping distance of larger vehicles into account.

I drive about 1000 miles a week (often to central London) towing a BJ race transporter 6 behind an Isuzu DMax Utah. Very rarely ever have issues with buses, trucks or proper cabbies. Mini cabs, scooters and cyclists tend not to appreciate how much space a 9'3" wide trailer takes up. Closest calls have been people undertaking me - just don't ever do it...

It's amazing how much you concentrate with a car worth 10x your house on board, even still I have a couple of near misses by other people pretty much every trip. All recorded on camera as sooner or later I'm likely to collect someone doing 120mph up my inside when they are joining a motorway and MUST get out in front of me.

Are you delivering expensive cars in Lonodn with that trailer?

If so, were you delivering a Ferrari on Pont St near Lowndes Sq a couple weeks ago? Because whoever it was parked in an awful place causing the traffic to mess up.

Sometimes and no, I'm very careful where I park