Soldato
Your bad driving encounters
- Thread starter Stu999
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Soldato
IMO if you're still nervous after passing your test then maybe you shouldn't be driving at all.
Associate
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Of xourse you'll be nervous - it's probably the first time you've ever driven by yourself for starters.
Driving lessons teach you how to pass your test - learning to drive takes years and never really stops. After I managed to make a simple unforced error a month ago and wrote off my car, I still find myself being amazed at how blasé I was being behind the wheel after driving for over 20 years.
Soldato
I disagree. Nervous drivers are an unpredictable nightmare. I've seen it a few times, drivers just sat with a terrified look on their face and white knuckles wrapped at 10 & 2. Something will overtake them because they're doing 10 or more under the limit and then Nervous Nelly hits the brakes despite being in no danger from the legitimate and safe overtake causing everyone else behind to take avoiding action
I wasn't nervous.
Associate
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Apologies, I meant a generic 'you', not YOU in particular!
Yeah took me a good year to be fully comfortable behind the wheel and I've never stopped learning. It is something I try to take into account, but not always remember to do, with my driving and patience towards other drivers but I do get frustrated with people at times for being indecisive in normal situations and one of the reasons I always try to stay back more like 2.5x the recommended minimum distance as putting pressure on drivers who are nervous just makes it worse for everyone when that leads to them making even worse decisions.
Driving the same route(s) on a near or daily basis is a real struggle to maintain a decent level of reading the road ahead though, I find I drive so automatically on my main routes if I'm not careful.
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Associate
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This was me last month - at 01:30 after a night shift on the road home. Arm on the centre console, leaning a little toward the centre and just turned into a road without thinking - met a car coming the other way which I suspect may have been partially hidden by my A pillar as we both approached the junction in darkness. Easy way to write off both cars at 15mph...
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AI cameras catch 297 drivers in three days in Cornwall
Drivers using phones or not wearing seatbelts have been identified by the AI camera system.
www.bbc.co.uk
Seen a massive rise in the last year or so in the number of people using phones behind the wheel, especially the sneaky holding it in their lap or against the steering wheel even if that is more often in queues or low speed situations. Personally just don't see the need for it - if you can't stay off your phone for a bit while driving you've got massive problems which need sorting IMO.
I wouldn't say complacency in this case, I'm still looking around for hazards, etc., but without the novelty factor your brain tends to just kind of gloss over things you regularly encounter.
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Associate
Agreed. I met a learner driver today at a mini roundabout when one of those deadlock situations occur when three cars reach the roundabout at the same time. The learner unfortunately stalled half way onto the roundabout so I decided to wait for her to get the car started up again and let her go on her way. Some **** faced woman behind me started blasting her horn, presumably at me for not moving. I really do think a majority of people are just ****'s.
I had a few other "confident drivers" share the road with me on the way home tonight. A van driver decided me and the car behind doing 30mph in a 30mph zone was too slow and he confidently passed both of us. Then another two confident drivers, who looked like they were racing each other, decided me doing 40mph in a 40mph zone was too slow and overtook.
I wish everyone was a nervous driver. The roads would be much safer.
I don't have a problem with people overtaking, if it is safe to do so, in a 40, though personally drive to the speed limit more or less in 30s and 40s as they are often there for a good reason but if other people want to do a little over the limit that is their business and I'd rather they were in front of me than behind especially if tailgating. Though when them doing a bit over the limit makes things difficult for people around them abiding by the limit that is another story again.
Associate
For balance...
cocksure versus nervous?
Where does "idiot" enter the conversation?
I'd rather drive alongside cocksure idiots than nervous idiots... and to be honest and fair it's a measure of competence that normally engenders a cocksure attitude, so I guess I'm not entirely sure of the point you're trying to make.
Those that think they are gods gift to driving are the cocksure idiots I am referring to. The ones who are nervous won't take unnecessary chances, race other drivers, drive like they are the only ones who should be on the road, overtake on blind bends, drive to fast for the conditions in bad weather. Shall I go on?
Associate
You're conflating nervous with competent and conflating confident with being a bad driver. This tells its own story. Yes, I agree with you that there are many many idiots on the road, but I probably disagree with you about many things driving.
I'm may even be one of the drivers that you might see and lambast as "confident". My golden rules are that 30 and 40 limits are sacrosanct, and I share your view on anyone overtaking another driver who is stickling to that limit. However, come the open road, and where it is safe to do so, I'll be the one overtaking in a confident and SAFE manner. I was in Germany last week and drove a hire car at 185km/hr on the autobahn completely SAFELY and also legally. Speed limits are not as measure of "safety" when it comes to the *open* road.
You are confused I think as we are saying about drivers who are driving badly as compared to the majority of drivers who obey the laws of the road.
Nowhere did any of us say a nervous driver was competent.
Autobahn's are not in this country so irrelevant to this discussion unless there are bad drivers on them.
Nowhere did any of us say a nervous driver was competent.
Autobahn's are not in this country so irrelevant to this discussion unless there are bad drivers on them.
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