Uneducated,ignorant or downright dangerous car drivers!

Mr Joshua · 19 Feb 2008 at 18:02

R124/LA420 said:
The standard of driving does seem to be falling. Don't get me wrong - I know there are plenty of truck drivers that shouldn't be on the road as well. No one's perfect.

Ben M · 19 Feb 2008 at 18:10

I was surprised how little was on the driving theory test about driving near HGVs and motorbikes, compared to other things. There definately needs to be more on the theory test about them, as this will at least go some way into improving the level of competence when it comes to dealing with such road users.

Housey · 19 Feb 2008 at 18:29

I have probably covered close to 750K ish miles in my life as a driver and in that time I have seen bad drivers in and on many different cars, lorries and bikes. The often used "professional driver" to imply that Mr Rep, Mr HGV or Mr Taxi driver, as such examples, are good road drivers with good road craft simply because they do lots of miles every day is one of the biggest misconceptions out there in my experience.

Scania · 19 Feb 2008 at 18:57

housemaster said:
I have seen bad drivers in and on many different cars, lorries and bikes. The often used "professional driver" to imply that Mr Rep, Mr HGV or Mr Taxi driver, as such examples, are good road drivers with good road craft simply because they do lots of miles every day is one of the biggest misconceptions out there in my experience.

Absolutely.

The more I drive, the better I am mentality - it afflicts many.

scratch · 19 Feb 2008 at 19:04

Funny you should post this tonight, as I was witness to a dangerous move by a truck driver on the M27 a couple of hours ago.

Artic in the left lane, VW Bora right next to the artic's cab in the centre lane matching his speed, and me passing in the right-hand lane. Mr Artic decides to pull a lane change, right into the rear passenger side of the Bora, almost sending him spinning out of control. Luckily the guy was able to keep his car in a straight line and prevent a messy rush-hour pile up on the M27.

Yes there are plenty of idiotic car drivers on the roads, but also plenty of truck drivers to match.

AtreuS · 19 Feb 2008 at 19:29

jamief said:
What absolutely amazes me is when people try and squeeze past an HGV on the inside lane of a roundabout, when it is on the outside lane. To me it's quite obvious that it'll need both lanes, but I've seen cars have to slam on the their brakes and drivers go nuts when the inevitable happens and the HGV swings back.

One time I even had some guy go nuts at me because I kept well back from a lorry at a roundabout (slowed down to a stop until it had cleared the roundabout, going in the same direction as me) - he was blaring his horn and flashing his lights; don't think he realised I had stopped to prevent my imminent crushing!

I tend to see this a lot and i totally agree. I always let an artic have plenty of space on a round about which seems to really infuriate the morons behind me. Oh no we may get to the next set of lights 10 seconds later than we would have done before!! WHAT WILL WE DO!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!

alexakasloth · 19 Feb 2008 at 20:23

I've heard my dad (a truck driver) curse about enough drivers over the years to know what you mean. Now I know i'm not a driver, but I think that some people can't understand about blind spots from a truck drivers position, it's bloody high up.

Though driving across europe made up for it :cool:

Teki187 · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:36

Ed said:
I'd say it's the BMW's.

4x4 drivers personally.

Nathan · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:43

I have noted how a lot of BAD driving is done by Eastern Euro's, especially where I work. They have no idea how to drive at traffic lights and no idea of solid white lines :/

West · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:47

Teki187 said:
4x4 drivers personally.

Yeh X3/X5 Drivers

Lopéz · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:47

God damn Lithuanian RH Frieght truckers did my head in the other day, treating streets on Queens Drive Industrial Estate as their own personal car park.
Someone needs to explain to them that whilst queuing is part and parcel of the job, they aren't allowed to do it on both sides of a single carriageway....

atpbx · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:57

R124/LA420 said:
)

Truckers are taught "Defensive Driving" but, Defensive driving etc can only get you so far.

This defensive driving truckers are taught, is this the course where they tell you to pull out in front of fast moving vehicles on roundabouts because you cant be bothered to wait?
Or is it the one that tells you to go hell for leather round a round about and tip your lorry over, closing a major trunk road for hours on end because you dont want to slow down?
Mabye it's the one that teaches you selective literacy "No access to vehicles over 7.5tonnes" means, you cant go there, height limit 13ft means, even if you duck, you are not going to get your lorry under that low bridge.
Oh you tried anyway and blocked off Grantham AGAIN.
Pulling in front of cars in the fast lane so you can do 56 mph and take the next 20 minutes over taking another lorry, thats always a good one.

Let he who is without sin brother.
Unfortunately for lorry drivers, they have an awful lot of sins to atone for before they can even start looking for the stones in the first place.

Scania · 19 Feb 2008 at 21:59

Nathan said:
I have noted how a lot of BAD driving is done by Eastern Euro's, especially where I work. They have no idea how to drive at traffic lights and no idea of solid white lines :/

Lopéz said:
God damn Lithuanian RH Freight truckers did my head in the other day, treating streets on Queens Drive Industrial Estate as their own personal car park.
Someone needs to explain to them that whilst queuing is part and parcel of the job, they aren't allowed to do it on both sides of a single carriageway....

Foreign HGV drivers get away with pretty much what they like, try and park a British registered HGV on the emergency layby's on the M1 overnight and see how long it is before plodd turns up yet Johhny Foreigner gets away with this night after night - I see it.

The truly scary thing is many UK companies now employ Foreign drivers, many with no concept of the Highway code never mind a basic grasp of English.

Never ceases to amaze me how many left hook HGV's have a laptop with a film playing as they thunder past me...

Mr Joshua · 19 Feb 2008 at 23:02

atpbx said:
you are not going to get your lorry under that low bridge.
Oh you tried anyway and blocked off Grantham AGAIN.

That's one I left off my last post, I think it's the most struck bridge in the country.

Luseac · 19 Feb 2008 at 23:30

Mr Joshua said:
That's one I left off my last post, I think it's the most struck bridge in the country.

It's congested enough at the best of times too

Jonny ///M · 20 Feb 2008 at 01:47

I don't think you can moan about certain drivers,it's all drivers.

Today alone i saw a smallish HGV(the type breweries use) try to reverse from a treet into a narrow alley. He was going.....was VERY close to the back an E46 convertible....i thought he would straighten up....nope...bang that was the bumper unclipped.....then he pushed the car a good one foot into the kerb! I guess you cant see under your offside window too good?

Then on a mini roundabout at sainsburys a guy got out of his brera and started shouting at an older guy,around 50 odds, about "How the **** was he meant to signal to go straight ahead!" and if he knew the '****ing' highway code....could'nt he just be like ohwell the guy made a mistake....rather than give the guy grief.

Last event of the day was travelling down a dual carriageway at about 40-45 when an A3 pulls out from the centre right infront of my mate who was in the inside lane but sort of middle of the road due to parked cars then without a signal or anything pulls right across our lane and stopped dead at the side of the road. Saw that one coming, stuck up ****s feel its ok to park on a dual carriageway at 3.30pm because they are picking kids up from a private school!

Just to add. On my lessons i had night time driving, heavy ass rain,snow and a lot of stop start rush hour traffic. Also had a great deal of B road blasting which taught me a 1.6 astra does not stop as quick as my bike lol!

atpbx · 20 Feb 2008 at 18:28

lucasade1 said:
It's congested enough at the best of times too

I know, you know what makes it worse?

Lazy lorry drivers driving through the center of town because they are too idle to follow the A1 for 5 more minutes in either direction and bypass it.
Instead they screw the town because the lanes are not wide enough for a car and lorry to go side by side in either direction and bring it to a grinding halt.
Thats if they dont hit any of the 3 low bridges, or knock over any bollards, or swing out and kill any old ladies minding their own business on the pavement with the leading edges of their trailers.