Ok another car driver rant

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:15

Just needed to get this off my chest, so apologies for another rant; the choice words uttered in my helmet did nothing to ease the frustration.

Anyway....

I am livid, whoever said that over 50s should have a compulsory re-test is 100% right!

I have just had the closest almost-accident in my life, I was so close to coming off it wasn't even funny, not that any close call is but hey.

Obligatory drawing to illustrate:

So, I am the red line, the first cross is the point I'm at when the green car decides to join the round-about, they came on at speed so obviously didn't stop at the Give Way lines, which made me think "inconsiderate idiot".

I'm pootling along around at 35mph (it's a 50 zone still), getting ready to do some loops of this baby (practicing cornering), when I reach the second cross, mr blue car literally comes racing in front of me, probably still carrying 50-60mph from the dual carriageway :eek:

I was mid-tip into the right hand turn when I had to pile the brakes on, and by the time I reached the white van in the photo, I was probably down to 10-15mph, and this guy's car was crossing no more than a few feet in front of me.

Flabbergasted was the word, then that turned into a bit of anger (how dare this person show flagrant disregard for my life), so I decided to follow the guy to give him a piece of my mind - he probably only heard mumbles though my helmet (still on a dual).

As I recall, the slip-road he had come from has a shed load of speed reduction signs, rumble strips, big give way signs, a set of traffic lights and give way markings on the road - all along with signs to say it is no longer NSL.

:mad:

Scort.

paradigm · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:23

Yes, blast the green guy for coming out when their entrance was clear :/

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:33

paradigm said:
Yes, blast the green guy for coming out when their entrance was clear :/

Maybe you're right, seemed to me at the time that they joined a little too fast, maybe not slowing as much as I would have in the car, but hey ho.

Scort.

Lopéz · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:35

So you were dawdling along at 15mph below the speed limit and 2 cars took advantage of it? If they pulled out in front of you at 50-60 I can't see how they can have caused you to slam on either - surely they'd have just whizzed out in front of you and been clear and on their way?

paradigm · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:40

Thats how I see it too, perhaps "scort" doesn't understand roundabouts? (wouldn't be the first OcUK member

)

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:44

Lopéz said:
So you were dawdling along at 15mph below the speed limit and 2 cars took advantage of it? If they pulled out in front of you at 50-60 I can't see how they can have caused you to slam on either - surely they'd have just whizzed out in front of you and been clear and on their way?

It's hard to explain it really, and re-reading I don't make my speed clear, so apologies for that one.

I had just joined that round-a-bout, so was getting up to speed, bear in mind I'm on a motorcycle and have only been riding 3 months; so I am hardly going to join, thrash up to the speed limit and then take a corner full pelt - the limit isn't a target anyway.

On the slip road the cars came from you can see fairly well, look at the mud area on the picture, you are able to see the road all the way under the bridge.

Where I have drawn the 2nd red cross is the point I saw him, the blue line is where he came into my vision at that point, by the time he was on the road and coming into my path, there was maybe 2-3 car lengths; natural reaction was to bring my speed down to avert a collision.

Scort.

Berger · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:44

Looks like you were miles away from the car in green and the blue one had a fair bit of room, as for "practicing" cornering, find a quieter roundabout if your going to do that sort of thing!

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:47

paradigm said:
Thats how I see it too, perhaps "scort" doesn't understand roundabouts? (wouldn't be the first OcUK member )

I live in Swindon, one of the worst places for them, so I have quite a lot of chances to use them

I'm fairly sure that the Highway Code states "give way to the right", I would have also assumed that anyone approaching give way signs/marking would naturally think "I better slow down and give way"?

Scort.

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:49

Berger said:
Looks like you were miles away from the car in green and the blue one had a fair bit of room, as for "practicing" cornering, find a quieter roundabout if your going to do that sort of thing!

Yeah the green one was fine, don't know why I mentioned it to be honest.

I guess that my picture skills and powers of description fail me, it certainly wasn't roomy on the road, and I cannot see it being anything but the fault of the other driver.

I fail to see how two cars can make a huge round-a-bout busy?

Scort.

Glaucus · 4 Nov 2007 at 14:58

if you can see the roundabout and entrances, then you don't have to slow down. As long as it's not a stop sign.

Green one was def fine, the blue one sounds like he was carrying more speed than you and so shouldn't of been anywhere near you on the roundabout.

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:01

By the time I had slowed, I could have leant forward on my tank and touched his car - well not exactly that close, but it was close I can assure you; might have to start filming my rides now.

Scort.

Glaucus · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:03

Scort said:
By the time I had slowed, I could have leant forward on my tank and touched his car - well not exactly that close, but it was close I can assure you; might have to start filming my rides now.

Scort.

in that case he didn't look pure and simple, happens a lot. Just get on with life. road range and get wound up achieve nothing. You'll have a lot more close encounters and see a lot more idiots on the road. isn't even worth pressing the horn for.

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:07

AcidHell2 said:
in that case he didn't look pure and simple, happens a lot. Just get on with life. road range and get wound up achieve nothing. You'll have a lot more close encounters and see a lot more idiots on the road. isn't even worth pressing the horn for.

Never bothered with road rage until today, been driving for 6 years now, 3 months riding.

The bike is like a completely different world though, people just seem dead set on doing stupid things around you - SMIDSY I guess :confused:

Scort.

Glaucus · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:10

Scort said:
The bike is like a completely different world though, people just seem dead set on doing stupid things around you - SMIDSY I guess

Scort.

That's why you have to have so much more awareness on a bike, use to ride for a few years.
I don't think it's any diffrent to a car, but when you do almost crash, you feel so much more vulnerable.

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:13

Well I'm slowly learning the 6th sense on the bike, most of the time I can predict someone is going to do something silly, and usually they do, but this old bloke just took the biscuit.

Scort.

BigglesPiP · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:16

so let me get this straight, you were practising cornering by doing laps of a junction at 35mph and had to brake for a car which isn't doing anything wrong, and someone in front of you travelling faster than you?

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:58

BigglesPiP said:
so let me get this straight, you were practising cornering by doing laps of a junction at 35mph and had to brake for a car which isn't doing anything wrong, and someone in front of you travelling faster than you?

Nope.

I was planning on doing a few laps of this massive round-a-bout, which is only unsuitable if really busy, which it wasn't.

The first car I saw was just my own observation and opinion, they didn't cause me any problems, only a moments thought that I would have driven differently, but that doesn't matter.

I wasn't going to ride at 35mph around the entire round-a-bout, I had just joined it at less than 20 mph and accelerated up to 35+, infact, from past rides on the same bit I usually corner at 38-40 and ride the straights at close to the posted limit (don't forget that bit, it is a limit and not a target).

The reason for my post was just an additional way of 'letting off steam' after a very close call, the car (blue line) pulled out when I would have clearly been in their view, so did so without due care and attention. Maybe verging on dangerous driving, given the speed the car joined.

Scort.

Shimmy · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:25

What surprises me the most is, the old geezer actually going at 50-60.

All the nearly accidents I've had with them, are them suddenly pulling out or doing something stupid at slow speeds.

Scort · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:27

The car was three up with them, maybe he was showing off.

Scort.