My M3 rant at peoples utter ignorance and stupidity!

Oracle

Oracle

Oracle

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Haskins
Coming home last night on the M3, I'm sat in the outside lane bunched up, approaching the M27 Interchange. Suddenly the van behind me dives in and I notice a Volvo police car, sirens on, lights on, speeding up my bottom.

I duefully pull into the middle lane (which is not that busy and is moving along quite nicely at 65-70mph).

The Volvo hares past and I pull back out to overtake the car I fell in behind, and I find myself just cruising along with the Volvo. Why? Because every other idiot in front of me can't see this Police car flashing its lights or hear its siren.

Eventually, as i'm sat behind the police car (who by now is weaving from side to side to get the people in front attention), the guy in front of the cop car pulls over......................only for the exact same thing to happen again with the next idiot!

At one point, we're sat doing 58mph because people (IMO) do not check their mirrors enough!

I know we probably all wouldnt be so stupid, and I dont know about you guys, but I thought 'how often do i check my mirrors', so for the rest of the way home I 'acknowledged' it when I found myself looking. I did it at least every 10 seconds in one mirror or another (no, i'm not a woman! :o ).

I also think that my rear view mirror is positioned well enough that it 'catches my eye' if something unusual is or happens behind me (like the van diving over to the middle lane, etc)

What are your thoughts on this? Do you check your mirrors enough?
 
Yeah, I know what you mean - i've seen it through towns before where a police car has got tear-arsing up behind people in their 'family estates' then had to make silly overtaking manouvers because the people infront just wont budge. It really pee's me off.

I do check my mirrors quite regularly....usually because i'm watching out for police that'll do me for speeding, but at least i'd spot them...right? :p
 
I always know exactly what is going on around me. I could pull out without ever having to look because I know exactly what is and what isn't around me.

I never do, but I could :)

It really, really grates on my nerves when people don't have a clue whats happening around them.
 
I tend to check mine fairly often :/ usually looking for 2 guys in uniform in some unmarked BMW / Audi that Ive seen pull people over on my daily route :P but thats mostly cos im usually going a bit faster than I should

That and Ive got my music up loud so I wouldnt hear crap anyway >.<
 
This is the thing. In modern day cars at 70 or 80mph you cant hear the sirens really until they are NEXT to you!

I too could safely say that I could pull out with out checking. I never have, 'just in case' but I also like to know where (and what type) of car sits in my blind spots, it appears that I dont have any, even motorbikes, if I cant see them in my passenger mirror I can see them out of the corner of my eye through the rear side window.
 
We can but hope that the police car is being held up whilst trying to catch the burglars who've just raided the dummies home.
 
I thought I didn't check them at all enough until I filled the boot with crap and covered them up. Then you realise how much you miss them.
 
I think owing to riding my bike and having limited rear view ability added to the fact that you're somewhat more vulnerable I have developped a much better sense of observation when on my bike and so when I'm in my car I have this same awareness too. I check my mirrors enough to know what's around me - however I always check my blind spots when changing lane.

I have never failed to notice a police car or a vehicle behind me or around me that may cause me a hazard or that I may be causing them an obstruction.
 
My driving instructor always said if I couldn't reel off the colour and type of the vehicle behind at any time (without having to look again), I wasn't paying enough attention - he used to test me on that....
 
Freefaller said:
I think owing to riding my bike and having limited rear view ability added to the fact that you're somewhat more vulnerable I have developped a much better sense of observation when on my bike and so when I'm in my car I have this same awareness too. I check my mirrors enough to know what's around me - however I always check my blind spots when changing lane.

I have never failed to notice a police car or a vehicle behind me or around me that may cause me a hazard or that I may be causing them an obstruction.
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Very true - when learning on a bike checking over your shoulder is oft referred to as 'the lifesaver' - so regular mirror checking is very normal. It's also intersting to see who sees a bike behind them filtering, I spent years on the M25 in car and bike and it was common for at least 30-50 cars not to move for the bike
 
Freefaller said:
I think owing to riding my bike and having limited rear view ability added to the fact that you're somewhat more vulnerable I have developped a much better sense of observation when on my bike and so when I'm in my car I have this same awareness too. I check my mirrors enough to know what's around me - however I always check my blind spots when changing lane.

I have never failed to notice a police car or a vehicle behind me or around me that may cause me a hazard or that I may be causing them an obstruction.
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Ditto
 
Gilly said:
I always know exactly what is going on around me. I could pull out without ever having to look because I know exactly what is and what isn't around me.

I never do, but I could :)

It really, really grates on my nerves when people don't have a clue whats happening around them.
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So how exactly do your mirrors tell you what's going on in your blindspot? I say that because this daft woman nearly clipped me when I was in her blindspot. I saw her peer into her mirrors but still pulled out... Then at the lights acted like she was the victim :mad:

And mirrors, I also have mine positioned so if anything strange happens it grabs your attention anyway, it's a shame the plonkers with the ill adjusted headlights also blind you when they are behind you.
 
Gilly said:
It really, really grates on my nerves when people don't have a clue whats happening around them.
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You sound like my Dad :o :p I don't even drive, but I can already understand how damn annoying it is that people have no perception or prediction, it's as if they never look more than 5 metres infront of them :mad:
 
I only ever check my blindspot when I'm pulling away and some right turns, hardly ever when changing lanes on a motorway / dual carrageway. Its purely for the reason that I can see stuff coming in my wing / rear view mirrors. If you're looking at them enough, you should know when things are about to come past u :)

Looking in your mirrors cant tell you whats going on in your blindspot, but it can give you a good indication.

Car was behind u, it moved out to overtake, ooh its dissappeared :)
 
cloudy said:
My driving instructor always said if I couldn't reel off the colour and type of the vehicle behind at any time (without having to look again), I wasn't paying enough attention - he used to test me on that....
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Thats just daft IMO, you only need to know the position of the car(s) the colour etc is irrelevant. Infact concentrating on remembering the type of car it was and it's colour will just detract from you paying attention on more important things.
 
it only takes a second for a car to move up in your blindspot when you wasn't looking at your mirror. Why risk it it? Especially on the motorway, it only takes a second to look..
 
I hope most of you check your blindspots before changing lanes. If you don't then frankly I don't want you to be on the road, or anywhere near me. I've had far too many people nearly side swipe me as I was passing them - needless to say they got a piece of my mind. It's bloody scary I can assure you.
 
Freefaller said:
I hope most of you check your blindspots before changing lanes. If you don't then frankly I don't want you to be on the road, or anywhere near me. I've had far too many people nearly side swipe me as I was passing them - needless to say they got a piece of my mind. It's bloody scary I can assure you.
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Exactly, it is scary when a coach pulls out on you and you are forced to swerve onto the fast last with a split second to check.. :eek:
 
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