Standard of driving in the UK going downhill.

[cheesefest]

People that cut the corner turning right at a road full of shops, restaurants onto the road that connects to a major roundabout. I turn right at the road from the roundabout to go home.

Why do drivers do this? The lines are well painted. I’m worried that if there’s a crash at the junction that will gridlock where I live for many hours.

 

[builder22]

cars that catch up to HGVs on the motorway but then sit right behind for miles on end...passing many junctions, why?? Really there's nothing wrong with it but why?

 

[adam cool dude]

cars that catch up to HGVs on the motorway but then sit right behind for miles on end...passing many junctions, why?? Really there's nothing wrong with it but why?

Mpg's!

 

[Rroff]

Im going to admit to being a child killing maniac today.

Sat on M42, come up to a group of 15 or so cars.


Lane 1 - Empty. Literally empty.
Lane 2 - 5 cars in convy doing 55-60mph sat on each others bumpers.
Lane 3 - 10 cars waiting to pass the 5 cars in convoy but the person at the front of the overtake queue doing 61mph.


Downshifted into second to make my presence very heard, moved into lane 1 and undertook them all at 70mph. Pulled out infront of them the other side blasting the horn. Not a single person moved into lane 1.

Shook my head in a mix of disbelief and anger and drove off.

Had someone today at the junction at the start of a dual carriageway move to lane 2 and just sit there at ~38 MPH (70 limit), pretty sure they were going to take a right hand exit from the dual carriageway about 1.3 miles further along as it seems more and more people are doing that these days - cue everyone having to undertake them as it just got silly as they held their lane. Looked like an old couple.

I kind of understand moving over early especially these days but people driving like that need to hand in their license.

People that cut the corner turning right at a road full of shops, restaurants onto the road that connects to a major roundabout. I turn right at the road from the roundabout to go home.

Why do drivers do this? The lines are well painted. I’m worried that if there’s a crash at the junction that will gridlock where I live for many hours.

There is a sharp bend at the end of my road - I see the same people cut the corner, **** themselves when they inevitably encounter a large vehicle coming the other way, narrow miss... then they repeat the same thing a few days later... before we moved here apparently there were bad accidents happening due to it every few weeks but for some reason since they've put hazard markings on the corner it hasn't happened... so far... I guess people go just slow enough in reaction to the markings they can just about avoid a collision.

 

[cheesefest]

About half a mile from my home, there’s a crossroads. One of the roads, if want to go straight, you stay in the right lane. The number of cars that go straight ahead in the left lane is unbelievable. Saw SIX cars in a row doing this! The left lane has a filter and cars going straight ahead in the opposite are doing this whilst turn left filter of the part in question.

Again if there’s a crash it will gridlock the area for hours

 

[b0rn2sk8]

The inconsistencies and often poor junction markings contribute greatly to this issue.

The ‘default’ in the U.K. is that a junction with 2 lanes, the left is left and straight and the right is right and straight if there are 2 lanes on the other side. Most junctions and roundabouts conform to this.

The problems come with that those that don’t. The markings/signs are often non-existent, obscured by other traffic or just far to close to the junction so that it’s too late to do anything about it. When you change lanes at the last moment you are almost always ‘that person’ described here.

This could be easily fixed with better and more consistent road marking, particularly being further back from the junction. Markings and signs need to be well before the point which traffic typically queues from, generally it just isn’t and an arrow on the floor which is almost always obscured by traffic isn’t really good enough. Likewise if you want a left hand filter, really that need to be a 3rd lane at a cross roads to bring more consistency to the network.

 

[LuckyBenski]

The problems come with that those that don’t. The markings/signs are often non-existent, obscured by other traffic or just far to close to the junction so that it’s too late to do anything about it.

I dunno about this, I always check the road/lane markings while approaching a junction as that's my reference for "correctness". Albeit 90% of my driving is in London, but I do find they're reliably marked. Often have to look between the leading car and my bonnet closely, but I manage it.

Am I just trying too hard? Not a sarcastic question - In general getting in the car puts me into a more alert state, but it seems other drivers are much more relaxed and so paying less attention.

I kind of understand moving over early especially these days but people driving like that need to hand in their license.

Default behaviour in London is to use the right-most lane first at all times, and if someone is ahead of you, inch over as far right as possible in the lane to see past them Often find if the road has intermittent single and double lane sections, everyone just follows single file down the right edge of the road.

 

[dlockers]

They're few and far between but there is definitely one by me. When I first moved in, I stuck by the rule of left and straight, but almost nobody followed that for this particular junction. The only way to know right is straight is by living here and doing it a handful of times.

The road markings only indicate left or right, so straight on is anyone's guess.

 

[ianh]

20mins of driving around Kings Lynn with some of the interesting folks living there has convinced me that driving in Iraq was safer!

3 incidents in under 30 seconds where 3 drivers intentionally drove at me has convinced me of this. So I'm at a T-Junction on a trading estate waiting to pull onto the main road with 3 people turning into the state from my right (one after another about 10 secs apart) and all 3 took the corner so wide that all 3 had come to a stop to avoid hitting me whilst I sat in the middle of my lane. All 3 could see me well before the junction, the junction wasn't narrow or too sharp, all 3 were 50+ white women and all 3 gesticulated that me being stationary in my lane whilst they drove 1/2 way into my lane was somehow my fault.

Awesome!

 

[theone8181]

20mins of driving around Kings Lynn with some of the interesting folks living there has convinced me that driving in Iraq was safer!

3 incidents in under 30 seconds where 3 drivers intentionally drove at me has convinced me of this. So I'm at a T-Junction on a trading estate waiting to pull onto the main road with 3 people turning into the state from my right (one after another about 10 secs apart) and all 3 took the corner so wide that all 3 had come to a stop to avoid hitting me whilst I sat in the middle of my lane. All 3 could see me well before the junction, the junction wasn't narrow or too sharp, all 3 were 50+ white women and all 3 gesticulated that me being stationary in my lane whilst they drove 1/2 way into my lane was somehow my fault.

Awesome!

Were they all driving suvs.

 

[ianh]

@theone8181 - 2 normal sized cars and 1 "mini-sized" SUV (Nissan Juke IIRC). I don't know if maybe it used to be a one way thats since been changed or similar but all three were turning as if being in the middle of the road (rather than their lane) was the "correct" place to be.

 

[cheesefest]

20mins of driving around Kings Lynn with some of the interesting folks living there has convinced me that driving in Iraq was safer!

3 incidents in under 30 seconds where 3 drivers intentionally drove at me has convinced me of this. So I'm at a T-Junction on a trading estate waiting to pull onto the main road with 3 people turning into the state from my right (one after another about 10 secs apart) and all 3 took the corner so wide that all 3 had come to a stop to avoid hitting me whilst I sat in the middle of my lane. All 3 could see me well before the junction, the junction wasn't narrow or too sharp, all 3 were 50+ white women and all 3 gesticulated that me being stationary in my lane whilst they drove 1/2 way into my lane was somehow my fault.

Awesome!

I have to endure this when I go home but the cars turn right and cut the corner. I have to sound my horn. Where you have the arrow above you, there’s a KEEP CLEAR painted on the road and often get cars stuck there. So blocking me turning right. I shout “what part of keep clear don’t you understand?”

 

[jpaul]

Police suggesting post-covid driving's worse in yorkshire -
they don't seem to say what the penalties were for those specific drivers - the camper should loose a license ?

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/n...riving-across-north-yorkshire-shocking-video/

 

[Sarge2255]

Police suggesting post-covid driving's worse in yorkshire -
they don't seem to say what the penalties were for those specific drivers - the camper should loose a license ?

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/n...riving-across-north-yorkshire-shocking-video/

If you drive in London, you will see this sort of driving every couple of days.

 

[Dis86]

Police suggesting post-covid driving's worse in yorkshire -
they don't seem to say what the penalties were for those specific drivers - the camper should loose a license ?

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/n...riving-across-north-yorkshire-shocking-video/

They don't say what it was for? It literally tells you in the video. Camper was without due care.

 

[jpaul]

They don't say what it was for? It literally tells you in the video. Camper was without due care.

I took them as illustrative ... and not what they specifically got given - if indeed they were found because reg plates looked as though they would have been indistinct (ie not blurred intentionally)

 

[theone8181]

That last one while a bit dodgy didn't seem illegal? Also lol at the guy that jncriminated himself with that dodgy overtake . I did have a question about solid white lines, if there was an obstacle, say a parked car I assume you're allowed to cross them otherwise you'd be waiting a long time.

Edit had a look to check as I had to overtake a cyclist so I'm safe.

 

[LuckyBenski]

That last one while a bit dodgy didn't seem illegal? Also lol at the guy that jncriminated himself with that dodgy overtake . I did have a question about solid white lines, if there was an obstacle, say a parked car I assume you're allowed to cross them otherwise you'd be waiting a long time.

Edit had a look to check as I had to overtake a cyclist so I'm safe.

129
Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road. You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26

 

[tom_e]

That last one while a bit dodgy didn't seem illegal? Also lol at the guy that jncriminated himself with that dodgy overtake . I did have a question about solid white lines, if there was an obstacle, say a parked car I assume you're allowed to cross them otherwise you'd be waiting a long time.

Edit had a look to check as I had to overtake a cyclist so I'm safe.

If there's an obstacle you've got to reverse back and find a new route...

 

[Rroff]

Whelp had someone coming the opposite way overtaking cyclists on a corner - bit of a fail slow reaction on my part but in near but not quite dark light conditions and catching the other vehicles headlights at a bad angle it was difficult to see what was going on initially. Very close call.