Roads getting safer or more dangerous ?

Personally I'd say it's not number of cara but people being very naughty.
I'm by no means a Saint (I will drive in the short queue to a roundabout and cut in if I can) but I always do it safely

This morning the slow Lane of the a1 had a queue in it and the fast lane was getting clogged as cars were driving to the end in the fast lane and forcing their way in causing unnecessary issues. I would never do this.

Yeah car volume indirectly causes it. But it's drivers incorrect decisions based on the volume increase

I'd say phones too. Saw someone bounce off curb due to phone last weekend
 
this_is_gav said:
Everyone should be forced to ride a motorbike for a year or two before they are allowed to drive, as you soon develop a respect and level of awareness that car-only drivers seldom seem to have.

Of course I'm not entirely serious, but I'd bet it would reduce the number of accidents if it was implemented.
.
Click to expand...

Why is it then that motorcyclists always seems to be incredibly reckless?
 
Squark said:
Why is it then that motorcyclists always seems to be incredibly reckless?
Click to expand...

As an ex biker, it makes you far more aware of your surroundings, weather conditions, pot holes. Even white lines on roads present potential hazards on a bike. I feel it has made me a far better, more aware and safer driver.
 
Zatoichi.uK said:
As an ex biker, it makes you far more aware of your surroundings, weather conditions, pot holes. Even white lines on roads present potential hazards on a bike. I feel it has made me a far better, more aware and safer driver.
Click to expand...

Indeed, on the cycling front I won't cycle on the road if I can help it since I was pushed off into a field by the turbulence from a HGV passing too close to me around 20 years ago.

I drive considerately and defensively, so many people drive with no consideration for others these days. Yesterday I was driving down a long straight, it's a long gentle descent, bus lane on my left, double white lines to the right 40 limit. Approaching me was a HGV behind a cyclist, the HGV overtook the cyclist by crossing the double whites so much that he was fully in my lane. Only hard braking and moving into the bus lane saved me from being hit head-on.
 
I've been driving for 20 years and driving standards have definitely dropped. People in a mad rush to get places, influx of Europeans bringing thier driving standards with them, has added to make the roads feel more unsafe than ever.

A motorbike overtook me on the outside the other week and only just managed to cut back in from an oncoming truck, I thought to myself one day that guy is going to get seriously injured, not 30 seconds later he's down having hit a car head on at about 30mph.
 
Driving standards have declined and traffic volumes have increased.

Luckily, modern cars are very safe indeed and will keep you alive in crashes which would have killed you 10-15 years ago.

As a London pedestrian, I'm more at risk from our cycling chums mounting the pavement and ignoring zebra crossings than I am from motorists.
 
Congested roads have made people impatient and selfishly reckless. It seems that now people develop their own techniques into forcing others give way, rather than actually waiting for their right of way. Risky moments happen when neither is willing to give or one is not paying attention. Every day i see people trying to force their way out onto a quick and busy main road, blocking the lane so people stop to give way and people just speed up to discourage them or move onto the opposite lane to overtake them.
 
When doing my motorcycle test the motorcycle instructor was speaking to the car instructor, I mentioned how important it is to look over your shoulder whilst changing lanes and turning into a corner to make sure no one is in your blind spot, The motorcycle instructor agreed and car instructor mentioned that car drivers are NOT taught to look over your shoulder (blind spot) at all.

They then decided to have a argument over it, the motorcycle instructor could not understand why you wouldn't teach this maneuver as it would save a lot of accidents and lives, I couldn't believe it either.

If you ride a motorcycle then you will know how much of a impact mobile phones have on other road users and the fact that you can see people "hiding" there phones next to the door so that no one else can see them texting or checking facebook, Motorcyclists see ALL.

The roads have got worse, People jumping red lights and cutting in in front of me makes me want to smack them round the head for endangering me.
 
Last edited:
swinchester said:
When doing my motorcycle test the motorcycle instructor was speaking to the car instructor, I mentioned how important it is to look over your shoulder whilst changing lanes and turning into a corner to make sure no one is in your blind spot, The motorcycle instructor agreed and car instructor mentioned that car drivers are NOT taught to look over your shoulder (blind spot) at all.
Click to expand...

That's odd, I'm pretty sure when I was being taught to drive a car that the instructor always mentioned checking over your shoulder when doing any kind of manoeuvre. In fact he told me to even overexaggerate the checking of mirrors and blind spots because these were always picked up on by the final examiners :confused:
 
I see the cycling insurance went where i thought it would, im still standing by it though. There needs to be some form of accountability for when your weaving throughout traffic and clip someones wing mirror off.

As for compulsory motorcycle use, not such a stupid idea, i'll admit of all the denominations on the road motorcyclists are up there with lorry drivers as the least amount of stupidity ive seen. And at least when the chavs pass their tests and go flying around on the backroads they wont have a car full of people to take with them through the tree. (Reference i have never driven a motorbike, but i can still see the validity of the idea)
 
Crpwned said:
That's odd, I'm pretty sure when I was being taught to drive a car that the instructor always mentioned checking over your shoulder when doing any kind of manoeuvre. In fact he told me to even overexaggerate the checking of mirrors and blind spots because these were always picked up on by the final examiners :confused:
Click to expand...

Same here. Mine was constantly telling me to check my blind spot in I think every manoeuvre. I'm struggling to think of a manoeuvre where he didn't tell me anyway.
 
Last edited:
Crpwned said:
That's odd, I'm pretty sure when I was being taught to drive a car that the instructor always mentioned checking over your shoulder when doing any kind of manoeuvre. In fact he told me to even overexaggerate the checking of mirrors and blind spots because these were always picked up on by the final examiners :confused:
Click to expand...

Don't just move your eyes, move your head! (as I was taught)

Zatoichi.uK said:
Looking over my shoulder was literally called a 'life saver' when I learnt to ride. I still do it in my car out of habit.
Click to expand...

Indeed, much more emphasis on this with a motorcycle, car drives should be taught the same, they should rename it "lifesaver" to emphasize it's importance.
 
Liefrich said:
Yes because it's cyclists with their 10kg bikes that are causing all the significant injuries and not the motorist in charge of a 1.5 tonne chunk of metal. :rolleyes:

We should be encouraging cycling but unfortunately the general attitude of the UK public is stuck in the 1960s when car was king.
Click to expand...

But the cycalists having those simple additions would save thier lives
 
adolf hamster said:
I see the cycling insurance went where i thought it would, im still standing by it though. There needs to be some form of accountability for when your weaving throughout traffic and clip someones wing mirror off.

As for compulsory motorcycle use, not such a stupid idea, i'll admit of all the denominations on the road motorcyclists are up there with lorry drivers as the least amount of stupidity ive seen. And at least when the chavs pass their tests and go flying around on the backroads they wont have a car full of people to take with them through the tree. (Reference i have never driven a motorbike, but i can still see the validity of the idea)
Click to expand...

It's not a bad idea in theory but there are significant problems. Firstly cars can cause millions of pounds of damage so compulsory insurance is obviously necessary. It is extremely rare for a cyclist to cause much damage to individuals or property so the requirement of insurance is not as important. It's also just as likely for a pedestrian to clip a wing mirror than it is a cyclist. So do you want all pedestrians compulsory insured?

In any event this type of damage may be covered by household insurance and you are of course entitled to bring a claim against the cyclist personally.
 
its becoming more and more dangerous.
Been driving for 9 years now, passed at 17, 9 years no claims, not a single accident had.

But the amount of close calls I have had that would be my fault I can count on one hand, close calls with the fault laying elsewhere, I experience about one a week currently!

Unsure on why its becoming so bad but my guesses are:

- too many cars on the roads
- roads not being taken care of enough (pot holes galore, damaged roads everywhere!)
- the rise of mobile and smart phones
- lack of police on the road (I traveled from essex to harrogate, to manchester and back over this weekend, I did not see a single police car across the entire journey, everyone including my self is more prone to speeding if there is absolutely no chance to see a cop, average speed checks do nothing for people apart from give them an excuse to "make up time" once the average check area has passed.)
 
As has been mentioned. Car's are safer these days with better protection, although there are more cars on the road.

I'd personally say the risk of having an accident/incident has gone up though, just not many of them will end up getting reported.
 
The driving test should include some element of motorway driving and you should be required to pass a "safe enough to drive" course at 60 years old, IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom