Driving standards

[ejstubbs]

it's been reported via Nextbase's handy web site.

 

https://www.nextbase.com/en-gb/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/

 

Hmm, according to that we don't have police in Scotland.  Could explain a lot about some of the behaviour you see on the roads round here...

 

(Actually we do have police here, and I did once report an incident of illegal driving to them of which I had dashcam footage.  They had to send two officers round to my house to view it.  Presumably then, although we have police here, they don't have computers...)

Edited July 20, 2018 by ejstubbs

[ejstubbs]

Totally illogical manouver, I would not do it

 

Is it also now required to teach remaining stationary at the lights after they have been green for several seconds, with your head down apparently staring at something in your lap, then suddenly looking up and moving off with a guilty, slightly furtive air?  Difficult to find a logical explanation for this* but it seems to be increasingly popular.

 

Actually, the manoeuvre described by Tim Hall sounds like it might be meant to simulate parking on the opposite side of the road.  (Although Highway Code Rule 239 does advise against this, albeit not in very strong terms.)

 

* Actually it's not.

Edited July 20, 2018 by ejstubbs

[Tim Hall]

Totally illogical manouver, I would not do it

 

I don't do it myself, and it seems most unnatural to teach it. I only do it on quiet, straight roads in daylight, however, once the idea has been sown in people's minds, who knows where they might do it after passing their Tests....

You could always email your concerns to the DVSA.....

[Jonboy]

I dunno, parking outside a parade of shops that are only on one side of the road (which is common round here) with on road parking, with parked cars on that side, do you create a random slalom or park on the right?

[TheQ]

Hmm, according to that we don't have police in Scotland.  Could explain a lot about some of the behaviour you see on the roads round here...

 

(Actually we do have police here, and I did once report an incident of illegal driving to them of which I had dashcam footage.  They had to send two officers round to my house to view it.  Presumably then, although we have police here, they don't have computers...)

They would be the ones that didn't turn up to a road accident off the motorway near Falkirk for 3 days leading to the deaths of the two occupants then..

[Tim Hall]

Is it also now required to teach remaining stationary at the lights after they have been green for several seconds, with your head down apparently staring at something in your lap, then suddenly looking up and moving off with a guilty, slightly furtive air?  Difficult to find a logical explanation for this* but it seems to be increasingly popular.

 

Actually, the manoeuvre described by Tim Hall sounds like it might be meant to simulate parking on the opposite side of the road.  (Although Highway Code Rule 239 does advise against this, albeit not in very strong terms.)

 

* Actually it's not.

 

Correct, to simulate parking on that side of the road., the reverse element is to enable you to reverse away from any vehicle that is blocking your view. 

[Nick C]

Is it also now required to teach remaining stationary at the lights after they have been green for several seconds, with your head down apparently staring at something in your lap, then suddenly looking up and moving off with a guilty, slightly furtive air?  Difficult to find a logical explanation for this* but it seems to be increasingly popular.

 

Actually, the manoeuvre described by Tim Hall sounds like it might be meant to simulate parking on the opposite side of the road.  (Although Highway Code Rule 239 does advise against this, albeit not in very strong terms.)

 

* Actually it's not.

 

My journey home from work involves walking along the side of a fairly major road that often has quite a queue for a roundabout. I've taken to counting the number of cars I pass in which the driver is texting - it's usually around 3-4 out of 15-20 cars in the queue...

[chris p bacon]

My journey home from work involves walking along the side of a fairly major road that often has quite a queue for a roundabout. I've taken to counting the number of cars I pass in which the driver is texting - it's usually around 3-4 out of 15-20 cars in the queue...

 

Working upstairs in a bedsit a couple of weeks ago I had the window open and was watching the cars pass while having a cuppa, after noticing a few of the drivers with phones in their hands I started counting and out of 33 cars there were 18 either holding the phone or actively texting, this was in just over a minute. and at the same time the infant school  20 metres away was kicking out.

It was 2/3rds women, 1/3rd men.

[Titan]

I dunno, parking outside a parade of shops that are only on one side of the road (which is common round here) with on road parking, with parked cars on that side, do you create a random slalom or park on the right?

 

I thought the correct procedure was to drive past, find a suitable place to turn around, then come back and park from the correct side.

[ejstubbs]

 

I dunno, parking outside a parade of shops that are only on one side of the road (which is common round here) with on road parking, with parked cars on that side, do you create a random slalom or park on the right?

 

I thought the correct procedure was to drive past, find a suitable place to turn around, then come back and park from the correct side.

 

Another option might be to find somewhere safe to park on their side of the road, and walk back.

 

Oops, silly me: I forgot that certain types of motorist seem to regard it as their God-given right to be able to park within 20ft of their ultimate destination.  After all, what's the point of owning a car if you have to actually use your legs?  (A similar aversion to muscular exertion probably explains the oft-observed reluctance to use indicators, or even to turn the steering wheel sufficiently to avoid egregious corner-cutting.  Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps it's another more cerebral organ of the body that such individuals struggle to use?)

Edited July 20, 2018 by ejstubbs

[Tim Hall]

I thought the correct procedure was to drive past, find a suitable place to turn around, then come back and park from the correct side.

 

DVSA "logic" is that it might be a one way street with parking bays on the right, and they had a link to a film of such a situation......so why they then insist on testing it on two way roads is debatable. As I say, please feel free to contact DVSA with your concerns. It won't change anything though.

[ejstubbs]

Working upstairs in a bedsit a couple of weeks ago I had the window open and was watching the cars pass while having a cuppa, after noticing a few of the drivers with phones in their hands I started counting and out of 33 cars there were 18 either holding the phone or actively texting, this was in just over a minute. and at the same time the infant school  20 metres away was kicking out.

It was 2/3rds women, 1/3rd men.

 

You'd think this sort of thing would be easy pickings for those employed to enforce the law, especially since there would be a ready-made response to anyone claiming that it represents an escalation of the "war on motorists*":

 

 

Similar levels of offending are easily observed from the top deck of a bus.

 

* A war the motorists appear to be winning, based on the levels of casualties inflicted by each 'side'.

[shortliner]

 

 

 

 

Similar levels of offending are easily observed from the top deck of a bus.

 

 

TBH it hadn't occurred to me before, but perhaps that is why we are getting mobile traffic cams with the camera mounted on top of an extendible pole, which have started to appear in this area (North Highlands covered by Police Scotland) in the last 6 months or so?

[TheQ]

TBH it hadn't occurred to me before, but perhaps that is why we are getting mobile traffic cams with the camera mounted on top of an extendible pole, which have started to appear in this area (North Highlands covered by Police Scotland) in the last 6 months or so?

It could also be ANPR, automatic number plate recognition, I've seen similar around the country. A cheap way of looking out for untaxed cars.. The last registered owner get the fine...

[shortliner]

It could also be ANPR, automatic number plate recognition, I've seen similar around the country. A cheap way of looking out for untaxed cars.. The last registered owner get the fine...

I thought the ANPR ones are on fixed sites, rather than mobile - but that does make sense

[Andrew F]

Didn't a "hands free" mobile telephone kit for vehicles get invented some time ago?

[shortliner]

Didn't a "hands free" mobile telephone kit for vehicles get invented some time ago?

Yes , but many users are too cheap to buy and fit it, and anyway you can't text on it, which is how most of the female population seem to work them  - remember "That's what your thumbs are for!"

Edited July 20, 2018 by shortliner

[TheQ]

I thought the ANPR ones are on fixed sites, rather than mobile - but that does make sense

Most Mobile anpr vans can look just like speed camera vans and I believe some are combined..

[peanuts]

Most Mobile anpr vans can look just like speed camera vans and I believe some are combined..

lots of the little smart cars with cameras on an extendable pole around manchester .favourite is to park close to a major junction with said pole fully extended catching all thr texters fiddli g on thier phones without belts way down the que usualy dont spot them till they have been caught

[newbryford]

Totally illogical manouver, I would not do it

 

But driving on the verge is OK..........?

[newbryford]

My journey home from work involves walking along the side of a fairly major road that often has quite a queue for a roundabout. I've taken to counting the number of cars I pass in which the driver is texting - it's usually around 3-4 out of 15-20 cars in the queue...

 

In Blackburn it seem like it's 3-4 out of 15-20 that aren't on the phone/texting

[ejstubbs]

Yes , but many users are too cheap to buy and fit it, and anyway you can't text on it

 

These days it's often not even a case having to buy and fit anything.  Many (I'd even suggest the vast majority) of new cars come with bluetooth connectivity: this allows you to play music on the phone or streamed to the phone through the car's audio system, and to make calls without having to hold the phone.

 

As for texting, the more recent Apple and high-end Google phones allow you to have incoming texts read to you, and to send texts by voice.  But then far too many people seem to more than happy to pay extortionate amounts every month for the latest smartphone without using even 1% of its available functionality - so long as it's got a tricksy camera and whatstwitfaceagram they're content.  (And having spent the money there's a subconscious urge to make use of the thing, even when it's far from appropriate to do so.  Much like driving, in all too many cases, in fact.)

 

Going one better, my car has a software add-on to the ICE which will connect to a phone with the Android Auto or Apple CarPlay app installed.  Amongst other things, that gives you hands-free texting through the audio system just like hands-free calling, all voice controlled.  (It also gives me hands-free sat nav on the audio head unit via Google Maps, which can be handy.)

Edited July 21, 2018 by ejstubbs

[Baby Deltic]

But driving on the verge is OK..........?

I thought you'd say that!

[Enterprisingwestern]

In Blackburn it seem like it's 3-4 out of 15-20 that aren't on the phone/texting

 

That must be a reflection on the poor quality of driving instructors in the area!

 

Mike.

[Happy Hippo]

Was it someone on this thread a while ago mentioning how they neatly reversed in to a parking space against a wall, then got back to the car (or van?) to load the planks of wood they'd just bought...?

It was me!

 

In a badged driving school car as well.