Your bad driving encounters

Had one that I just couldn't get my head around this morning.

Coming up to a merge point just after some traffic lights they'd been on red so we were all just getting up to speed. I was in the right hand lane.
Cars in front of me merging nicely I'd held my speed to slot in behind the 2 cars that had ended up in front of me without issue.

Lorry to my left managed to stay rolling through the lights, I'd clocked him coming up but speed still looked nice for him to slot in behind me. Instead as I was maybe half a car from the merge point he started creeping the front of his cab about level with my rear wheels.

Nothing I could do a that point other than merge as planned or dead stop (probably not in time to avoid him catching me) and let him slowly roll past. So I maintained speed nicely slotted in and he starts loosing his **** banging on the horn, flashing his lights, sticking his hazards on and me just sat there completely confused by what he expected me to do. I was that confused I couldn't even get annoyed at him for being a prat :o
 
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I was walking at the time. ANC Courier van parked on opposite side of road to direction. Dropped off parcel at a shop. Drove off without looking and car driving on the correct direction had to swerve around him.
 
tom_e said:
Had one that I just couldn't get my head around this morning.

Coming up to a merge point just after some traffic lights they'd been on red so we were all just getting up to speed. I was in the right hand lane.
Cars in front of me merging nicely I'd held my speed to slot in behind the 2 cars that had ended up in front of me without issue.

Lorry to my left managed to stay rolling through the lights, I'd clocked him coming up but speed still looked nice for him to slot in behind me. Instead as I was maybe half a car from the merge point he started creeping the front of his cab about level with my rear wheels.

Nothing I could do a that point other than merge as planned or dead stop (probably not in time to avoid him catching me) and let him slowly roll past. So I maintained speed nicely slotted in and he starts loosing his **** banging on the horn, flashing his lights, sticking his hazards on and me just sat there completely confused by what he expected me to do. I was that confused I couldn't even get annoyed at him for being a prat :o
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Sounds like typical tipper driver behaviour.
 
tom_e said:
Had one that I just couldn't get my head around this morning.

Coming up to a merge point just after some traffic lights they'd been on red so we were all just getting up to speed. I was in the right hand lane.
Cars in front of me merging nicely I'd held my speed to slot in behind the 2 cars that had ended up in front of me without issue.

Lorry to my left managed to stay rolling through the lights, I'd clocked him coming up but speed still looked nice for him to slot in behind me. Instead as I was maybe half a car from the merge point he started creeping the front of his cab about level with my rear wheels.

Nothing I could do a that point other than merge as planned or dead stop (probably not in time to avoid him catching me) and let him slowly roll past. So I maintained speed nicely slotted in and he starts loosing his **** banging on the horn, flashing his lights, sticking his hazards on and me just sat there completely confused by what he expected me to do. I was that confused I couldn't even get annoyed at him for being a prat :o
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I would wager you were likely in his blindspot, or at least were at some point before he started merging. Like us they are not focused on one single spot at all times. His wing mirror(s) would not show the area you were in and your car is low enough to potentially be well below his window/bonnet line and will cause problems for his front quarter visibility. If it was a left hand drive HGV it would have an even worse blind spot exactly were you were situated.

If you place a largish carboard box (that is a lot lower than your bonnet/window line) at your front quarter right beside the wheel, can you see it?


I see people all the time drifting into a truck blind spot when they come off a slip road. The front left quarter of a HGV is a total blindspot and the front right is only marginally better.
 
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ICDP said:
I would wager you were likely in his blindspot, or at least were at some point before he started merging. Like us they are not focused on one single spot at all times. His wing mirror(s) would not show the area you were in and your car is low enough to potentially be well below his window/bonnet line and will cause problems for him not see it easily (or at all) in his front quarter view. If it was a left hand drive HGV it would have an eve worse blind spot exactly were you were situated.

If you place a largish carboard box (that is a lot lower than your bonnet/window line) at your front quarter right beside the wheel, can you see it?


I see people all the time drifting into a truck blind spot when they come off a slip road. The front left qaurter of a HGV is a total blindspot and the front right is only marginally better.
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RHD drive lorry and unless he had his eyes closed all the way up the line he should have been well aware I was there. He definitely wouldn't have seen me in his mirrors as I was still in front of him at all times.
 
tom_e said:
RHD drive lorry and unless he had his eyes closed all the way up the line he should have been well aware I was there. He definitely wouldn't have seen me in his mirrors as I was still in front of him at all times.
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You can either assume he was being a dick, or that he was angry because you were potentially in his blindspot and as far as he could tell, came out of nowhere. Either way never assume a truck driver knows you are there, especially in their front quarter positions (where you were in this case). As you say, you would not be visible in his mirrors and he would most likely be focused on them as he merged, so would quite possibly not have seen you.

I'm not appointing blame, just advising that you should not make assumptions that the driver of a vehicle at least 6 times your size and 10 times your weight and with a lot worse visibility has seen you.
 
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ICDP said:
You can either assume he was being a dick, or that he was angry because you were potentially in his blindspot and as far as he could tell, came out of nowhere. Either way never assume a truck driver knows you are there, especially in their front quarter positions (where you were in this case). I'm not appointing blame, just advising that you should not make assumptions that the driver of a vehicle at least 6 times your size and 10 times your weight and with a lot worse visibility has seen you.
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I get what you're saying but when he was still well behind me coming up to the merge and it wasn't until the very last point that he started to encroach up my inside all I can assume is he was a dick or was not paying any attention what so ever in the time preceding reaching the merge point.

To be fair now you've pointed it out I'd probably lean towards them being half asleep and not paying proper attention in the run up therefore like you say assuming I'd then raced up the right lane to cut him up.
 
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tom_e said:
I get what you're saying but when he was still well behind me coming up to the merge and it wasn't until the very last point that he started to encroach up my inside all I can assume is he was a dick or was not paying any attention what so ever in the time preceding reaching the merge point.

To be fair now you've pointed it out I'd probably lean towards them being half asleep and not paying proper attention in the run up therefore like you say assuming I'd then raced up the right lane to cut him up.
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That's what it seems like to me to be fair. It certainly makes you more aware of these big things that will crush you like a bug if you aren't careful. Even when you are in the right, it's best to err on the side of caution and assume "this truck driver does not see me".

That front left quarter blind spot (not applicable in your case of course) is especially dangerous when merging from a slip road. They literally cannot see a car sized object in a massive arc to the side and front of them. Never merge less than a couple of car lengths in front of a truck, because you just don't exist as far as they can tell.

I watched two muppets drive up the inside of a truck that was aiming to turn left. The truck had positioned wide to take the turn and I could instantly see what was going to happen, then watched it happen. It was both metaphorically and physically the very epitome of a slow motion car crash. I remember one of the drivers was in a Micra and he was livid that I was siding with the truck driver and offering to go witness with my dashcam footage proving that both the cars were behind the truck and had subsequently driven into the truck drivers blind spot. The truck driver had his own dashcam much to my annoyance, because of all the years I have insisted on fitting a front dashcam I've never had cause to use the footage ;)
 
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Why have I come across many idiots on the road today?

I was approaching a stretch of road which had a sign give way to oncoming vehicles. There were two cars down this stretch so I stayed at the line and gave way. Idiot behind me decides to approach the road - overtaking me. I sounded my horn. Told me to Foxtrot Oscar and he had to reverse to let the 2 cars through.

What an absolute dead brained idiot he was. Wonder what would have happened if I wasn't there or alerted him?
 
cheesefest said:
Why have I come across many idiots on the road today?

I was approaching a stretch of road which had a sign give way to oncoming vehicles. There were two cars down this stretch so I stayed at the line and gave way. Idiot behind me decides to approach the road - overtaking me. I sounded my horn. Told me to Foxtrot Oscar and he had to reverse to let the 2 cars through.

What an absolute dead brained idiot he was. Wonder what would have happened if I wasn't there or alerted him?
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Too engrossed with their own self importance no doubt
 
cheesefest said:
Why have I come across many idiots on the road today?

I was approaching a stretch of road which had a sign give way to oncoming vehicles. There were two cars down this stretch so I stayed at the line and gave way. Idiot behind me decides to approach the road - overtaking me. I sounded my horn. Told me to Foxtrot Oscar and he had to reverse to let the 2 cars through.

What an absolute dead brained idiot he was. Wonder what would have happened if I wasn't there or alerted him?
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Had someting similar last Saturday morning but this was a set of temporary traffic lights. The lights were already red as I approached but an impatient moron in a Range Rover Discovery behind me edged out like they were just going to go for it. They realised just in time that the oncoming traffic (I know shock horror) obvioulsy meant the road was not clear. I thought they would go for it when the oncoming traffic cleared but they must have had some sense scared into them.
 
ICDP said:
Had someting similar last Saturday morning but this was a set of temporary traffic lights. The lights were already red as I approached but an impatient moron in a Range Rover Discovery behind me edged out like they were just going to go for it. They realised just in time that the oncoming traffic (I know shock horror) obvioulsy meant the road was not clear. I thought they would go for it when the oncoming traffic cleared but they must have had some sense scared into them.
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Or distracted by their phone
 
tom_e said:
Had one that I just couldn't get my head around this morning.

Coming up to a merge point just after some traffic lights they'd been on red so we were all just getting up to speed. I was in the right hand lane.
Cars in front of me merging nicely I'd held my speed to slot in behind the 2 cars that had ended up in front of me without issue.

Lorry to my left managed to stay rolling through the lights, I'd clocked him coming up but speed still looked nice for him to slot in behind me. Instead as I was maybe half a car from the merge point he started creeping the front of his cab about level with my rear wheels.

Nothing I could do a that point other than merge as planned or dead stop (probably not in time to avoid him catching me) and let him slowly roll past. So I maintained speed nicely slotted in and he starts loosing his **** banging on the horn, flashing his lights, sticking his hazards on and me just sat there completely confused by what he expected me to do. I was that confused I couldn't even get annoyed at him for being a prat :o
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I've given up trying to understand truck drivers on the roads. The professionals seem to be outweighed by the unhinged these days.
 
The roads around my house are 1 lane parking and 1 lane driving. The established rules of the road is if there are cars on your side and there is an existing on coming car, then you have to yield to the car with the free side. so why is it;

1) A SUV overtook me as I was yielding to an established car last weekend and caused a blockage as it forced the established priority car to go on the pavement
2) A SUV tried to pass the parked cars outside my house as there was a established taxi driving towards them and had the cheek to honk at the taxi! Hopefully the words of advice the taxi gave them were well put and taking in by that driver, but I do not hold out hope.

I'm sure I could say something about SUV drivers here...
 
tom_e said:
Had one that I just couldn't get my head around this morning.

Coming up to a merge point just after some traffic lights they'd been on red so we were all just getting up to speed. I was in the right hand lane.
Cars in front of me merging nicely I'd held my speed to slot in behind the 2 cars that had ended up in front of me without issue.

Lorry to my left managed to stay rolling through the lights, I'd clocked him coming up but speed still looked nice for him to slot in behind me. Instead as I was maybe half a car from the merge point he started creeping the front of his cab about level with my rear wheels.

Nothing I could do a that point other than merge as planned or dead stop (probably not in time to avoid him catching me) and let him slowly roll past. So I maintained speed nicely slotted in and he starts loosing his **** banging on the horn, flashing his lights, sticking his hazards on and me just sat there completely confused by what he expected me to do. I was that confused I couldn't even get annoyed at him for being a prat :o
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You could have just eased in behind the lorry and judged that it would have been tight to merge in safely because you cannot predict what the cars in front of you were going to do but you "had" to just get in front of him?

Whether you are in the "right" or not is irrelevant if he clips you it is your insurance that suffers as his company if a big one will just be self insured so will be no skin off his back whereas you got to add a non fault claim which will end up 50/50 anyway.

It honestly doesn't really matter if you get "passed" that slow moving lorry there will be another one in front of you half a mile up the road so progress doesn't really change at all.
 
adam cool dude said:
You could have just eased in behind the lorry and judged that it would have been tight to merge in safely because you cannot predict what the cars in front of you were going to do but you "had" to just get in front of him?

Whether you are in the "right" or not is irrelevant if he clips you it is your insurance that suffers as his company if a big one will just be self insured so will be no skin off his back whereas you got to add a non fault claim which will end up 50/50 anyway.

It honestly doesn't really matter if you get "passed" that slow moving lorry there will be another one in front of you half a mile up the road so progress doesn't really change at all.
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Nope, there was no rushing to get Infront of anything from me. I was clear to merge in turn without any issue but the lorry hadn't adjusted his speed and just "had" to ensure he was next.

I wasn't charging ahead because I was in the right. I was trundling along my only other option would have been to become a mind reader assume he was not going to adjust his speed hard brake and come to a stop to let him carry on ploughing on.

As your a trucker I know this will just end up going round in circles though, as with everything he's probably off calling me a **** to someone else. It is what it is.
 
tom_e said:
Nope, there was no rushing to get Infront of anything from me. I was clear to merge in turn without any issue but the lorry hadn't adjusted his speed and just "had" to ensure he was next.

I wasn't charging ahead because I was in the right. I was trundling along my only other option would have been to become a mind reader assume he was not going to adjust his speed hard brake and come to a stop to let him carry on ploughing on.

As your a trucker I know this will just end up going round in circles though, as with everything he's probably off calling me a **** to someone else. It is what it is.
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I just imagine it being a two lane filter that goes to 1 after a set of lights. See it all the time with a stream of cars just trying to squeeze in to get 10 yards further up the road then the inside lane ends up going quicker and then you get the net result.
 
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