Driving pet hates...

EVH said:
People on their phones.

In cars you really only see the extent if you're paying attention of the speed of the vehicle or notice them veering around from behind but it's surprising how much you notice on a bike. I particularly like filtering through traffic and looking through the driver's window at the guilty party as they sit there with the "I've been caught" face..... I must pass 3 or 4 on every commute.

The worst offenders are van drivers and women in 4x4s sat in near-stationary traffic, texting. Waiting at lights also tends to be a hot spot for it but the most dangerous; people glancing down at their handset at 70mph+, thinking they're getting away with it. The amount of times I've seen someone glance down, look up and slam on the brakes because traffic has stopped :eek::(
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On a similar note.. People actually on the phone, i.e. holding it to their ear and having a conversation with someone, in a modern car that obviously has bluetooth functionality. Are these people too dumb to configure it? Can you even buy a car without bluetooth nowadays?
 
Howard said:
On a similar note.. People actually on the phone, i.e. holding it to their ear and having a conversation with someone, in a modern car that obviously has bluetooth functionality. Are these people too dumb to configure it? Can you even buy a car without bluetooth nowadays?
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My car doesn't have Bluetooth but I've adapted it by using the aux input. As I use my phone for sat nav etc I've gone to the effort to configure my phone to remain unlocked whilst connected to my car which enables voice control.

Personally I don't think even the current threat of points and fines are enough, I genuinely don't think it's made a difference.

For me it needs to become a roadside ban, maybe 3 months, £1000 fine & seizure of the phone itself.
When people are catching the bus brandishing a 15 quid Tesco special because they're still paying off a 900 quid smartphone contract as well as the fine it might just be deterrent enough.
 
theone8181 said:
It is if they get there before you (seriously).
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Yes, if they've already started passing the parked cars then common sense says they have priority, I'm more talking about an endless stream of cars following the first car passing the parked cars on their side which causes oncoming traffic (which has priority) to slow down or stop.
 
TallPaul_S said:
Yes, if they've already started passing the parked cars then common sense says they have priority, I'm more talking about an endless stream of cars following the first car passing the parked cars on their side which causes oncoming traffic (which has priority) to slow down or stop.
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My point is that I'm not sure they do (although who hasn't let 1 car though and then had another half a dozen follow:mad:). I could be wrong I just thought the highway code said Vasily first come first serve irrespective of which side the obstacle is on?
 
theone8181 said:
My point is that I'm not sure they do (although who hasn't let 1 car though and then had another half a dozen follow:mad:). I could be wrong I just thought the highway code said Vasily first come first serve irrespective of which side the obstacle is on?
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If the obstruction is on your side of the road then the oncoming traffic has priority.

Rule 163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should

  • not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
  • use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out
  • not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle
  • move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in
  • take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance
  • give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road
  • only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so
  • stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left
  • give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215).
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It's not a law but it's just common courtesy. Too many drivers in a hurry and they'll just follow the cars in front regardless if oncoming traffic has to stop because of their actions.
 
TallPaul_S said:
If the obstruction is on your side of the road then the oncoming traffic has priority.



It's not a law but it's just common courtesy. Too many drivers in a hurry and they'll just follow the cars in front regardless if oncoming traffic has to stop because of their actions.
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I stand corrected, however i guess peoples opinion of how close cars are to be classed as oncoming will vary:p.
 
Merging.. Merging.. Merging!!
Militant anti-merging people need to be taken out of their cars and shot.
Why is it such a problem to follow the Damn rules and take your turn to zip merge. Just because you didn't want to use the other lane does not mean everyone else has to do the same.
One step deeper are the absolute twonks who decide to block both lanes to make some sort of point!
 
Trouble is a few years ago when the lanes went down to one there were signs "Get In Lane" and they should now use the signs "Use Both Lanes and Merge In Turn" to educate drivers that don't realise.
 
Folks cutting in last minute at speed, on inside lane approaching roundabouts too straight line them (if you don't hang them out too dry.)

Lorries from building site jettisoning bits of earth, pebble-dashing your just cleaned bonnet, one cut in last week with the 'might is right' strategy;
saying that tractors hauling poatoes are currently in vogue - ~sack of poatoes deposited by local roundabout, one of those could probably smash windscreen.
 
2 things .

1. Lane discipline on motorways , it stinks and I’m sorry to say it normally foreigners- no i didn’t vote Brexit.
2. People who drive to close up the backside of your on motorways. You all total idiots .
 
Ive got a theory on what goes on in peoples minds on a few levels on this :

Where its an unusual merge in turn, eg roadworks taking 3 to 2, or 2 to 1, people think its going to flow better if all traffic moved cross earlier, so you don't get the stop start taking place right in front of the obstacle creating the lane merge.
What will in their mind reinforce this, is when you do get, eg a lorry blocking, then the traffic close to the obstacle will in fact move off more quickly, so "see people pushing in makes it go slower"

Permanent merges I think people apply roughly the same thought, but you do see more people correctly using the lanes, just not enough.

Improvements I think they should make :
1) stop putting "merge in turn" signs on corners. I kid you not, I am sure they do this deliberately to confuse
2) better road markings, probably get rid of the central lane marking a bit earlier, and put arrows from both sides merging across. Not excessively far back, but a bit, So use some cones at the edge of both lanes to force people to merge in the middle. Rather than carrying on the left lane as is often the case.
3) occasionally get some "merge marshalls" to train people what to do. So where there are going to be some serious issues, get some of them temporary signs up, saying to use two lanes, and at the merge point specifically have marshalls waving people correctly through. If people start to understand how to do it correctly they will learn. Why que down the left if when you get to the hazard there could be someone enforcing correct usage. Far more people will then use the correct lanes.

Personally I am always cautious doing this correctly. There is a real risk of people suddenly trying to block. Also doing everything to block you if you get too close to the actual merge point.
 
I think is generally people having that attitude of people pushing in. If every go towards a merge in turn left a cars gap, there would be no issue. But everyone bunches up so there is no option for people to "push" in.

Road designers should design a road based on how people actually drive, not how they want people to drive or even how is best. It just doesnt work in the real world.

Case in point the recent M62/M60 slip road going from 2 lanes to 1. You had loads of people speeding along in lane 2 and 3 all wanting to move over into the slip road lane (lane1). Caused chaos.
 
Malt_Vinegar said:
Merging.. Merging.. Merging!!
Militant anti-merging people need to be taken out of their cars and shot.
Why is it such a problem to follow the Damn rules and take your turn to zip merge. Just because you didn't want to use the other lane does not mean everyone else has to do the same.
One step deeper are the absolute twonks who decide to block both lanes to make some sort of point!
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Had a few people try this to me when the I'm on my motorcycle, only to zip round them on the other side. Moron springs to mind.
Check out this amazing display, they should both be fined and given 3 points imo.
 
Bald-Eagle22 said:
2 things .

1. Lane discipline on motorways , it stinks and I’m sorry to say it normally foreigners- no i didn’t vote Brexit.
2. People who drive to close up the backside of your on motorways. You all total idiots .
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how can you tell if someone is a foreigner lol.
 
The first time I drove in France I nearly got killed to death by a car with UK plates forgetting they have to give way to the left...
 
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