Don't be silly. The peasants must make way!
Your bad driving encounters
- Thread starter Stu999
- Start date
I've not really seen a correlation between how expensive a car is and standard of driving, there are a few make/model combinations that seem to have a high chance of being a problem though - silver Honda Jazz and white Range Rover Evoque (or just about any RR in white) being ones I see particularly often.
I find the expensive car theory to be ludicrous. The fact is an expensive car is far more noticeable than yet another 5 year old Ford/Renault/VW four door hatch. So when the driver of an expensive car does an idiotic thing, you take note.
Watch any number of dashcam videos and expensive cars are no more likely to be the cause of accidents, or be driven poorly than any other car.
I have the same experience in my day to day driving and the vast majority of idiots drive typical cars or vans. Obviously this is because there are far more of them. But when I see expensive cars they are not any more or less likely than usual to be poorly driven.
How many times have you saw an expensive car and decided not to yield or be courteous? Or cut them up or beat them at the lights, just because “typical BMW/Audi/Mercedes/JLR” driver think they own the road.
Watch any number of dashcam videos and expensive cars are no more likely to be the cause of accidents, or be driven poorly than any other car.
I have the same experience in my day to day driving and the vast majority of idiots drive typical cars or vans. Obviously this is because there are far more of them. But when I see expensive cars they are not any more or less likely than usual to be poorly driven.
How many times have you saw an expensive car and decided not to yield or be courteous? Or cut them up or beat them at the lights, just because “typical BMW/Audi/Mercedes/JLR” driver think they own the road.
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What you're failing to realise is that they're not oblivious, they're just better than you, which means the highway code doesn't apply to them.
Depends what you class as "an expensive car". Something like a Lambo or Ferrari then sure - but these don't tend to be the noticeably bad drivers. Suggesting that a 3/5 series BMW, Audi A4 or Merc C class is "far more noticeable" on the road is laughable. There are more than enough of them to be just as forgettable as the 5 year old Fords/Renaults/VWs you refer to above, and yet they do tend to fit the stereotype (certainly round here!).
Funny you say that, because in the dashcam videos I watch it is noticeable how many incidents are caused by certain makes of car.
Stereotypes exist for a reason - yes of course they're a massive generalisation and certainly don't apply to everyone who drives that particular car, but that doesn't mean there isn't an element of truth to them.
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Associate
- Joined
- 4 Jun 2007
- Posts
- 2,283
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- South Wales
Reported suspected drink driver this morning. Was weaving all over the place, nearly hit 2 cars coming the opposite way and also nearly hit a row of parked cars, shortly after that bounced off the kerb on the right hand side. Speaking to handler and she confirmed that as the car is Romanian registered not a huge amount can be done but they will alert units nearby.
Picked my mate up and carried on my way, saw he'd been pulled over a bit further up. Police rang back and said that he passed dink ad drug tests and had told them he was avoiding drain covers. Asked if I had dashcam footage as they may have been able to go down the route of due care and attention. Unfortunately no dashcam so no further action unless anyone else reports it who has a dashcan
Picked my mate up and carried on my way, saw he'd been pulled over a bit further up. Police rang back and said that he passed dink ad drug tests and had told them he was avoiding drain covers. Asked if I had dashcam footage as they may have been able to go down the route of due care and attention. Unfortunately no dashcam so no further action unless anyone else reports it who has a dashcan
Maybe he was getting a blowy?
I mentioned earlier on this thread that I have noticed the following Trifecta of Twatness:
1. German marque car (VW, BMW, Merc, Audi etc)
2. Private Plate (extra points if spaced wrongly)
3. "4D" Style plate.
When you have all 3 together, you can be be very confident that the person inside drives like a **** and to steer clear.
I mean the idea is ludicrous for the exact same reasons you do because as you quite rightly noticed, such "expensive" cars are exceptionally common. I agree on the certain types drivers and road users who are idiots. From my experience it tends to be van drivers and cyclists, but that is my personal bias showing.
When I see a Range Rover with personal plates I tend to expect a lot of arrogance that they own the road. But your typical Audi A3, A4, 3 Series etc not so much. It's only when you get to very expensive SUV types such as Q7, Range Rover and X5s that the self importance starts to shine through. Especially on school runs where they feel they can park where they want and even ignore one way school parking systems.
That seems to be an "urban SUV" (what an oxymoron
) thing in general rather than a "price of car" thing to be honest, I see just as many Juke, Rav4, Kuga etc. drivers behaving in the same way. Maybe something to do with the higher driving position making them feel like they're above everyone else metaphorically as well as literally? 
Additional warning flags include:
- Illegal tints - front windows/number plates/both
- Baby on board (or other "family oriented" stickers)
- Literal flags
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Don't want to start a new thread for this and it may be bad driving, I'm not sure.
We have a lot of roadworks going on around here which has caused the dual carriageway to now be 1 lane with average speed cameras for a few miles. Problem is this road is also the main route to the hospital so gets a lot of emergency vehicles but I'm not sure how you can help them get past?
Its 1 lane with no room to move over.
No hard shoulder or emergency bays.
Average speed cameras 40mph (was 70).
I hate holding up emergency vehicles but if the roadworks have you closed in what can you do, so frustrating.
We have a lot of roadworks going on around here which has caused the dual carriageway to now be 1 lane with average speed cameras for a few miles. Problem is this road is also the main route to the hospital so gets a lot of emergency vehicles but I'm not sure how you can help them get past?
Its 1 lane with no room to move over.
No hard shoulder or emergency bays.
Average speed cameras 40mph (was 70).
I hate holding up emergency vehicles but if the roadworks have you closed in what can you do, so frustrating.
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You can't is the answer. You are not allowed to break the law even if you are holding up an emergecny vehicle.
No, you can't speed
No, you can't break a red light
No you can't go in to the wrong lane or up a one way street.
Only move over if safe to do so and do so in a way that does not endanger other motorists.
I posted in this thread away back about me tail ending someone and them getting the blame. Basically I was on the outside lane of a dual carriageway and an ambulance came with the sirens and lights going. There was a very safe gap for me to pull in to the left lane, so I did so after checking my mirrors (as you do). After I had pulled in to the left lane the car in front did a full emergency stop, despite having no reason to do so. I was a split second late reacting (I had been checking my mirrors for the ambulance) and drove in to the back of them. I thought I was going to get 100% blame but thankfully (for me) the person driving the car in front gave a statment admitting there was no obstacles in their way and the ambulance in the totally different lane had spooked them, so they slammed on their brakes. Basically they ended up 100% at fault for doing what amounted to a brake check.
No, you can't speed
No, you can't break a red light
No you can't go in to the wrong lane or up a one way street.
Only move over if safe to do so and do so in a way that does not endanger other motorists.
I posted in this thread away back about me tail ending someone and them getting the blame. Basically I was on the outside lane of a dual carriageway and an ambulance came with the sirens and lights going. There was a very safe gap for me to pull in to the left lane, so I did so after checking my mirrors (as you do). After I had pulled in to the left lane the car in front did a full emergency stop, despite having no reason to do so. I was a split second late reacting (I had been checking my mirrors for the ambulance) and drove in to the back of them. I thought I was going to get 100% blame but thankfully (for me) the person driving the car in front gave a statment admitting there was no obstacles in their way and the ambulance in the totally different lane had spooked them, so they slammed on their brakes. Basically they ended up 100% at fault for doing what amounted to a brake check.
I see it a lot where people's response to an emergency vehicle is to panic brake, a typical one is to pull out of a junction into their path then slam on the brakes as it gets close probably because it is the first time they noticed somehow the bright coloured vehicle with lights and siren. I'm guessing people generally driving without due attention.
Also far too many people who don't notice them for a good minute or so...
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Don't ambulances have dashcams , like the aforementioned buses,
yes, most of the people who panic brake weren't paying attention, you see people kerbing onto pavements/verges to get out of the way,
just need to indicate when they are a couple of 100M behind, to say you've seen them, and brake/pull-over to give them a slot to overtake.
It's more worrying for regular cars following you, when they have turned off, and you realise you didn't know when.
Ambulances do seem to go around roundabouts well, though, not sure if they have superior suspension/arb's
yes, most of the people who panic brake weren't paying attention, you see people kerbing onto pavements/verges to get out of the way,
just need to indicate when they are a couple of 100M behind, to say you've seen them, and brake/pull-over to give them a slot to overtake.
It's more worrying for regular cars following you, when they have turned off, and you realise you didn't know when.
Ambulances do seem to go around roundabouts well, though, not sure if they have superior suspension/arb's
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Jun 2012
- Posts
- 9,898
- Location
- South Wales
That seems to be an "urban SUV" (what an oxymoron
Additional warning flags include:
- Illegal tints - front windows/number plates/both
- Baby on board (or other "family oriented" stickers)
- Literal flags
Oddest flag I've seen is the a printed piece of paper on a windshield with the Confederate flag on in South Wales............
Doesn't stop them trying to make you do so in some cases.
Had an unmarked car come tearing up behind me whilst driving along the A45 a year or 2 ago whilst it was reduced to one lane with a 30mph limit, and average speed cameras. I was sat at 33 on the cruise control (bang on 30 on the satnav) and he was beeping, flashing waving out the window, all sorts for me to get out of the way - the only place to go was into the closed lane through a row of cones
.Doesn't stop them trying to make you do so in some cases.
Had an unmarked car come tearing up behind me whilst driving along the A45 a year or 2 ago whilst it was reduced to one lane with a 30mph limit, and average speed cameras. I was sat at 33 on the cruise control (bang on 30 on the satnav) and he was beeping, flashing waving out the window, all sorts for me to get out of the way - the only place to go was into the closed lane through a row of cones
As above, I know someone in the fire service and he told me the same as tonys. Apart from the 3rd hand info, it also states as such on the official Govt web sites on the subject.