Bad driving in the UK - What is the solution?
- Thread starter AshD93
- Start date
It's alright until someone rams you from behind
I see this almost happen everyday.
M6 to M55 junction.
2 Lanes to join M55 which are invariably queued.
3 lanes straight on for M6 North.
People drive to within 50 yards of the turn off in lane 1 M6 northbound then stick their indicator on and in some cases stop and expect to be let in - madness.
Cyclists dressed in dark colours and no lights scare me
Yes, what is that about??
I DO actually see them, (Well, sometimes anyway) but really what is the attraction for, supposedly "Vulnerable Road Users", to go around in Ninja outfits at night??
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The only way to truly stop bad driving on the roads is to take the driving away from the drivers. Until then you will always see idiots on the roads no matter how much education you give them or what laws you put in place, some people just think that their 'skill' level means that the laws dont apply to them
I think there is etiquette and ability and they are two different things. Etiquette can and should be taught to a far greater extent and punished harder. Things like lane control, right of way, merging, manners are where most issues occurre. However many people when driving are doing 5 other things before driving, listening to radio, daydreaming, looking at the fit bird, thinking about cake etc and that is bad driving as is banging a wheel because you misjudge a gap, misjudging an overtake because you're crap, using the wrong gear or not being committed because you lack confidence and ability.
One can be taught, the other cant really.
One can be taught, the other cant really.
...to add most of the instruction we have seems to focus on teaching the basics of car control and little on etiquette, which is part of the problem. Spend less time on 3 point turns, something I suspect I do 2 or 3 times a year and more on getting back into the left lane.
I was following a van the other day, owned by a company called Kone and on the back was a phone number with the classic "how's my driving, call...". I can't remember calling one of those numbers previously, but this time I did. It never went anywhere as I got stuck in a hold system for 3 minutes and frankly got bored but it was a classic example of bad, non attentive driving.
On a main A road with a 60mph limit (some slower areas too) he was between 30 and 40mph and at every bend on came the brakes. Now I am talking bends you could take over 100mph in a Fiat 500 so no need for braking at all, wide, open, dry, sunny etc but for some reason I never understood this guy was braking. He was also weaving all over the road and frankly was a block to traffic in rush hour doing such slow speeds on a major A road.
I eventually overtook him an all could see was him smiling at something. So he was either in a phone call or listening to something on his radio but the important point was driving was the 3rd or 4th thing he was doing, he was totally unconnected from the important thing.
THIS is what most peoples problem is....I even took a photo of his van just in case I forgot the reg plate (I struggle with numbers, names for some reason).
On a main A road with a 60mph limit (some slower areas too) he was between 30 and 40mph and at every bend on came the brakes. Now I am talking bends you could take over 100mph in a Fiat 500 so no need for braking at all, wide, open, dry, sunny etc but for some reason I never understood this guy was braking. He was also weaving all over the road and frankly was a block to traffic in rush hour doing such slow speeds on a major A road.
I eventually overtook him an all could see was him smiling at something. So he was either in a phone call or listening to something on his radio but the important point was driving was the 3rd or 4th thing he was doing, he was totally unconnected from the important thing.
THIS is what most peoples problem is....I even took a photo of his van just in case I forgot the reg plate (I struggle with numbers, names for some reason).
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I have a particular problem with ******** Lorry drivers at the moment.
The majority of them simply just cannot judge speed, or space, or have any respect for other road users.
My morning commute is spent stamping on the brakes because they pull out into the outside lane on a whim, with no thought to braking distances, closing speeds or anything else.
Pro tip Lorry drivers, if there isn't enough space for you to pull out to over take, there isn't enough space, learn that and you won't cause so many accidents and kill so many people.
As someone who holds an HGV license, I am truly baffled how must have these dozy plebs managed to get theirs.
The majority of them simply just cannot judge speed, or space, or have any respect for other road users.
My morning commute is spent stamping on the brakes because they pull out into the outside lane on a whim, with no thought to braking distances, closing speeds or anything else.
Pro tip Lorry drivers, if there isn't enough space for you to pull out to over take, there isn't enough space, learn that and you won't cause so many accidents and kill so many people.
As someone who holds an HGV license, I am truly baffled how must have these dozy plebs managed to get theirs.
The standards of driving I see every day are atrocious. My current favourite is a 2 lane roundabout where the car in the left hand lane wants to go straight ahead and does literally that, driving in a straight line through the right hand lane of the roundabout. And then wonders when it either causes a crash (saw that happen twice this week) or ends up with someone (normally me) beeping their horn and making vigorous hand gestures.
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Cyclists dressed in dark colours and no lights scare me
Only 22 posts to turn a thread about bad drivers into having a go at dirty non road tax paying devil worshipping cyclists however they are my biggest hate on the roads.
Yes I know that road tax doesn't exist
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Drivers doing things they shouldn't fall into two categories. Those who are doing "it" knowingly and those who, frankly, haven't a clue and drive around in a perpetual state of blissful ignorance.
Both groups require a different solution.
The first groups is simple. Greater risk of being caught is enough to force compliant behaviour in most people.
The second group needs a two-pronged solution. Increase the difficulty of the driving test and introduce a regular reassessment. Every fire years or so we all spend 20 mins or suchlike in our own car being observed by an instructor. You drive normally and any bad habits would be discussed with you. This approach only works for the blissfully ignorant who dont know what they're doing wrong as the rest already know they just don't care, so option one would catch them.
Both groups require a different solution.
The first groups is simple. Greater risk of being caught is enough to force compliant behaviour in most people.
The second group needs a two-pronged solution. Increase the difficulty of the driving test and introduce a regular reassessment. Every fire years or so we all spend 20 mins or suchlike in our own car being observed by an instructor. You drive normally and any bad habits would be discussed with you. This approach only works for the blissfully ignorant who dont know what they're doing wrong as the rest already know they just don't care, so option one would catch them.
If I ran an insurance company I'd be scouring youtube for dashcam footage of bad drivers and note their registration plates. Then scan our database to see we insure them and if we did, raise their premium accordingly or refuse to insure them any longer.
Don't like the increase? Then go to another insurer you high risk inept moron.
Insurance companies are always looking for an angle to make more money or reduce the risk of payouts. This will become another tool for them in their assessment of risk.
It could become a form of retribution for those who come in to contact with bad drivers, posting footage for insurance companies to gouge upon. Ultimately ending up as driver's self regulation as they wouldn't know if their bad behaviour has been captured - as I imagine even now that the number of dashcams fitted to vehicles outweighs 1000 to 1 the number of police cars patrolling the roads.
Don't like the increase? Then go to another insurer you high risk inept moron.
Insurance companies are always looking for an angle to make more money or reduce the risk of payouts. This will become another tool for them in their assessment of risk.
It could become a form of retribution for those who come in to contact with bad drivers, posting footage for insurance companies to gouge upon. Ultimately ending up as driver's self regulation as they wouldn't know if their bad behaviour has been captured - as I imagine even now that the number of dashcams fitted to vehicles outweighs 1000 to 1 the number of police cars patrolling the roads.
If there are two open checkouts in a supermarket do you expect everyone to use checkout 1 and just ignore the fact the checkout 2 exists?
Clearly you have some issues/agenda so please don't complain if I knock you over when you don't have any lights on
why do you not want to be seen? You're not superman!![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
[TW]Fox;28932330 said:
Take something like this, its common occurrence over there. No indication, no looking where they are going, no seeing someone they are about to drive into, no concept of staying on their side of the road, blows through a stop sign.
They have turn on red which is kinda cool and wish was over here, but the above is pretty representative of the standard of driving over there.
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One thing I think that ALL drivers should be tested on is when driving on country lanes and they meet farm machinery! It drives me nuts when they just stop dead thinking I'm going to back up when I have a 16 tonne silage trailer on behind