Your bad driving encounters

Reckless driving with a happy ending, at least for me and others, not so for the reckless driver.

Tonight driving my bus down the motorway, heading off the M18 onto the M1 Northbound, 2 lanes. Gantry lit up with L1 closed (red X) and L2 40mph limit due to workforce in road. Dutifully myself and others slow to 40 and leave L1 empty.

Then comes Mr Impatient in a Ford Kuga, straight down L1 undertaking everyone in L2 at approximately 70mph.

Unfortunately, for Mr Impatient, the 8.5ft width of my bus plus the curvature of the road completely hid the marked X5 traffic unit in front of me until it was WAY too late and instant he was lit up and stopped.

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry: < Me for the next few miles
 
Not bad driving exactly but got behind someone for about a mile through 30s and 40s who was doing 20-25MPH - so when we came to traffic lights where the road turns into a dual-carriageway I took the right hand lane, for some reason the speed limit continues at 40 for the first ~200 yards but most people just instantly go to whatever speed they are going to do on the dual-carriageway once through the lights. So I'm doing a "good" 40 - get past the guy who was doing 20MPH and move back over as there was a big black Range Rover tailgating me pretty badly - only a few moments later for the guy who was doing 20MPH to suddenly be right on my arse waving at me to get a move on... once past the NSL signs he sits there at 60MPH, the Range Rover is doing ~65 and there is me taking off at a a good 70 facepalming mentally at the stupidity of it.
 
Sorry, not a funny story, but a rather nasty one, so don't read on if you are looking for comedy.
When I was twelve, I was cycling down a country road and a car went past me. Just at that instant a guy on a motorbike came round the corner. The road was too narrow, and the bike was way, way too fast. He was right in the middle of the road doing sixty. There was no time to brake or even react. He slammed in to the car, cartwheeled over the top. His bike exploded in mid air like a napalm, and took the car out. Miraculously the car driver survived, alas the bike rider did not. I lost my coat that day, covering the poor man up.
 
SpellowHouse said:
Sorry, not a funny story, but a rather nasty one, so don't read on if you are looking for comedy.
When I was twelve, I was cycling down a country road and a car went past me. Just at that instant a guy on a motorbike came round the corner. The road was too narrow, and the bike was way, way too fast. He was right in the middle of the road doing sixty. There was no time to brake or even react. He slammed in to the car, cartwheeled over the top. His bike exploded in mid air like a napalm, and took the car out. Miraculously the car driver survived, alas the bike rider did not. I lost my coat that day, covering the poor man up.
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Seen similar as a kid - we got behind a big horsebox thing as it slowed to let a car out from a side road on the left at the same moment a motorcycle pulled out from a few cars back and went warp speed to overtake straight into the car which was turning out into its path hidden by the horsebox (needless to say horrible outcome).

A scenario which scares me a lot even as a car driver to be honest and I try to be aware of those red triangle signs indicating a side road which are often put up at ones where serious incidents have happened in the past - but easy to not take into account when building up to an overtake.
 
Just bringing my daught home from gymnastics tonight around 7 (so dark). Saw a guy and his 2 kids (around 9 at a guess) all cycling, no lights or helmets. Was tempted to help them on their Darwin way, utter morons.
 
theone8181 said:
Just bringing my daught home from gymnastics tonight around 7 (so dark). Saw a guy and his 2 kids (around 9 at a guess) all cycling, no lights or helmets. Was tempted to help them on their Darwin way, utter morons.
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Ah yeah but if you suggest they wear high vis you are the victim blaming bad guy.
 
Cut up by a small angry man in a BMW at a roundabout who then following me beeping and having to avoid his car winds his window down (for a moment I thought he was going to get out of the car that would have amused me even more) to insist he was in the correct lane (he wasn’t). I’d post the video, but there are lots of swearies. Made the commute more entertaining at least :p
 
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Rroff said:
Seen similar as a kid - we got behind a big horsebox thing as it slowed to let a car out from a side road on the left at the same moment a motorcycle pulled out from a few cars back and went warp speed to overtake straight into the car which was turning out into its path hidden by the horsebox (needless to say horrible outcome).

A scenario which scares me a lot even as a car driver to be honest and I try to be aware of those red triangle signs indicating a side road which are often put up at ones where serious incidents have happened in the past - but easy to not take into account when building up to an overtake.
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Most motorcycle riders kinda bring it on themselves.

I remember when I had a bike. The biggest thing with a bike is that it doesn't matter who's fault it is, the motorcyclist always dies. You always assume the other guy is going to do the wrong thing and you make allowance for that. You always assume they don't see you. You always assume there is something around the corner. You always assume there is something in any place you can't see. You assume there is oil on the road, or gravel.
I know that sounds boring, but it's fine to speed about when when there is no one around, but when there are other cars about, you have to assume they are all driven by idiots.
 
SpellowHouse said:
Most motorcycle riders kinda bring it on themselves.

I remember when I had a bike. The biggest thing with a bike is that it doesn't matter who's fault it is, the motorcyclist always dies. You always assume the other guy is going to do the wrong thing and you make allowance for that. You always assume they don't see you. You always assume there is something around the corner. You always assume there is something in any place you can't see. You assume there is oil on the road, or gravel.
I know that sounds boring, but it's fine to speed about when when there is no one around, but when there are other cars about, you have to assume they are all driven by idiots.
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Something a guy I used to work with told me when I first got a CBT that is always in my mind when I ride. "Assume everyone is trying to kill you", served me well so far :o
 
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tom_e said:
Something a guy I used to work with told me when I first got a CBT that is always in my mind when I ride. "Assume everyone is trying to kill you", served me well so far :o
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Yes. I lived through many years of it and saw a lot of friends die. You actually need to be more constrained and sensible on a bike than driving a car. Just let rip when you know you are completely alone.
 
Cyclist coming the other way decides to squeeze between me and a lorry parked on their side of the road - bet if I overtook them with similar speed and distance margins they'd be flailing their arms at me.

The way they were acting not sure they didn't think I should have stopped to let them past.
 
Resident said:
Reckless driving with a happy ending, at least for me and others, not so for the reckless driver.

Tonight driving my bus down the motorway, heading off the M18 onto the M1 Northbound, 2 lanes. Gantry lit up with L1 closed (red X) and L2 40mph limit due to workforce in road. Dutifully myself and others slow to 40 and leave L1 empty.

Then comes Mr Impatient in a Ford Kuga, straight down L1 undertaking everyone in L2 at approximately 70mph.

Unfortunately, for Mr Impatient, the 8.5ft width of my bus plus the curvature of the road completely hid the marked X5 traffic unit in front of me until it was WAY too late and instant he was lit up and stopped.

:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry: < Me for the next few miles
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Don’t you just love a happy ending, I’m presuming he’s not only been done for speeding but also careless driving
 
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Argument with oncoming tesla modelx driver who decided he had priority to encroach on other side of road around parked cars with the intention of pushing myself, cycling, into the gutter -
just expected me to cede road position , I had moved to make it clear, so I thought, that I expected him to wait.
I dont know if his car auto braked too, but I went past about 2ft from his mirror, he then said I have a dashcam and a 2tonne car.
 
Using those rentable e-Scooters is a real eye opener for someone who doesn't cycle, and really puts into perspective the poor attitude of drivers to other road users who aren't on four wheels.

I rented one today in order to get to work after dropping my car off for all four wheels to be refurbished. In fairness the first stretch wasn't too bad, started off on an industrial estate and had HGV who were passing safely. Got to a mini roundabout where the entry lanes are tight, and I positioned myself safely behind a white van because he was positioned as to turn right but no indicator - obviously he turned left where I was also turning. As soon as we both turned left, we had to give way due to their being a refuse truck collecting the bins and a constant queue of traffic coming the opposite direction. I jumped off the scooter, pushed it along the pavement and re-joined the road in front of the refuse truck. This road is on a steep hill so the e-Scooter is going faster than it can with its motor, and the road is narrow especially with cars at a standstill going up the hill due to the roundabout at the top.

I'm more than aware this white van will eventually be behind me again, and I just know he'll attempt a close pass. Only he attempted it as we were approaching a divider in the road, so I hear his brakes squealing so he can pull back in behind me. The amount and the nature of the close passes I experienced was just shocking.
 
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