Driving standards

[leopardml2341]

I'm sure my car at times has either:

 

An invisibility cloak

Invisible (to me at least) writing inviting people to pull out at junctions

 

5 times one day on a 7.5 mile journey to work.

Edited August 7, 2015 by leopardml2341

[runs as required]

What could be nicer than an old deep buttoned three aside compartment with (pull down) armrests and  watercolour pictures of  Sandsend, Whitby; Rhum from Arrisaig and Maldon above the seats.

i'd just pull down the blind and go back to the crossword if anyone made a rude gesture thru the window.

my ideal go anywhere new car.

dh

 

Why have I just wasted an hour concocting this?

(my old mum always used to say "never trust a man in a hat driving a car")

dh

[Reorte]

All these complaints pouring into this thread about dangerous driving surely helps the case for automated cars.

Not really; I'm pretty convinced that avoiding bad behaviour like that is unhelpful in the long term, and if automated cars were compulsory (which they'd need to be to deal with a lot of the drivers that are a problem) that would be another nail in the coffin for a world to live in that doesn't feel increasingly unpleasantly controlling and restrictive. All assuming that they work fine of course. The bad drivers are a price worth paying to avoid that IMO.

 

Moving on there's a lot of bad driving mentioned on this thread but I also see a fair amount of considerate, helpful driving. Considering how hopeless society often seems it's good to see how often people manage to co-operate and organise themselves in driving, fairly often I see small examples such as a side road being left unblocked even without a "keep clear" or box junction, and people seem generally good at letting others into queues, it's only when someone tries to barge in that the door will usually be shut.

[Gwiwer]

It's been a couple of years now but I was travelling "with the traffic flow" to work one morning at around 105kph (limit 100 but unsafe to obey it in the circumstances) when overtaken by none other than a brightly-coloured and very distinctive vehicle.

 

The yellow / blue of the RACV (= RAC / AA) stands out a mile.  So does the large "RACV Drive School" lettering on the sides, bonnet and boot.

 

The driver was very obviously on his hand-held mobile phone and cruising at around 120 - 125 kph judging by the rapidity with which he sailed past us all - in the emergency lane!!!

 

Let's just say a phone call was made later, embarrassed apologies were proffered by the operator at their call centre and someone no doubt had some serious explaining to do.

[Chris116]

I gave up driving and sold my car in 2005 as I live in London and use trains all the time.

 

Perhaps someone who still drives can tell me when it became part of the Highway Code to accelerate hard when the lights turn Yellow at junctions and when did it become legal for cyclists to just keep going when the Green Man for pedestians is lit?

[newbryford]

I gave up driving and sold my car in 2005 as I live in London and use trains all the time.

 

Perhaps someone who still drives can tell me when it became part of the Highway Code to accelerate hard when the lights turn Yellow at junctions and when did it become legal for cyclists to just keep going when the Green Man for pedestians is lit?

 

Hang on. Surely this thread is about driving standards and not cycling standards?

 

(Looks for hook & line smiley....)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Gwiwer]

A bicycle is a vehicle within the meaning of road traffic legislation.  Just not a "motor vehicle".

 

A seldom-understood difference which is also marked by different prohibition signs.  The "flying motorcycle" in a red ring means all motor vehicles prohibited while the plain white circle in a red ring means all vehicles prohibited.  

 

I was once stopped by a traffic warden and admonished for cycling through a "pedestrianised" street; he pointed to the sign which I politely advised him meant, as per Highway Code, "All motor vehicles prohibited" and I was not astride a motor vehicle.  Exit one slightly miffed warden to the sounds of harrumphing.

[Black Sheep]

I have noticed a great variation in the standard of M/C riding in different parts of the country which may colour people's opinion of them.

 

Around here (Worcestershire & Birmingham) generally the motorcyclists are well behaved and don't do stupid things or speed excessively however in Cumbria...

 

Keith

Rider behaviour varies depending on the twisty remote nature of the roads, especially higher limit roads, areas such as Cumbria, snake pass, wood head pass, cat and fiddle and the like attract bikers who want to give their bike a good run out, some of us are happy to pootle others ought to head to brands hatch for the day

[Re6/6]

...whilst in rant mode....!

 

Nobody ever seems to 'let anyone out' these days. There was this motor that had pulled out from a junction blocking my passage today (no problem as they have to get out sometime) and at least twenty went past on the other side before somebody had the decency (courtesy) to stop for them. To make matters more irritating just down the road was a concertina slowing down for traffic lights.

 

Hat..coat...!

[Guest]

Hang on. Surely this thread is about driving standards and not cycling standards?

Man on motorbike films woman eating breakfast, using a phone and driving at the same time.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3170784/Shocking-video-female-motorist-eating-cereal-using-phone-driving-London.html

 

Half the comments on the story are about cyclists...

[Nimbus]

Man on motorbike films woman eating breakfast, using a phone and driving at the same time.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3170784/Shocking-video-female-motorist-eating-cereal-using-phone-driving-London.html

Oh look. She's in a B*W RelativelySmall

 

The Nim.

[Harry Lime]

I gave up driving and sold my car in 2005 as I live in London and use trains all the time.

 

Perhaps someone who still drives can tell me when it became part of the Highway Code to accelerate hard when the lights turn Yellow at junctions and when did it become legal for cyclists to just keep going when the Green Man for pedestians is lit?

 

Very shortly after the first set of traffic lights were installed?

[APOLLO]

Last year I did over 2000Km driving over in Thailand, Around Bangkok, and up north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (The Golden Triangle).

 

The Thais are very good drivers in that they can handle their vehicles / motorbikes / cycles very well, however abiding by "the rules" is non-existent. Size is the rule. Cyclists give way to Motorcyclists who give way to Cars who give way to Lorries who give way to Buses. That's the rule. Live by it or die.

 

EVERYBODY gives way to buses. The Buddhist religion has no God. Bus drivers are God. You give way, or die. That's the rule.

 

I saw not one incident of road rage, Thai's don't do road rage, they are all to well mannered. Crazy yes, sometimes, Rage, no, never. The roads over there are generally excellent. Once outside the craziness of Bangkok most main roads are wide dual carriageways with very wide central reservations and spaced out traffic (and some spaced out drivers too !!). Traffic lights (at most major junctions everywhere) have large LED type countdown markers that countdown time in seconds remaining to change in the appropriate colour. Pull up to a red light starting its red countdown from (at some big intersections) 360, 359, 358 etc, put the radio on and have a snooze !!. Seriously though a damn good idea that would help over here also I think.

 

Then we have (or did have) the Police (who have boxes at all major junctions) stopping you for almost any reason, asking to see your licence, you slip in 100 Baht (£2) "Coffee money".  After the recent military coup the Thai Army is now at such road checks alongside the police. The Army does people checks (ID) only, Police check car tax / insurance sticker. That's it No more requests for coffee money. Everyone is happy except the police !.

 

You quickly get used to driving Thai style, I've driven many times over there, I have family and friends there we try to go every 2 years or so. Bangkok is an ever increasing maze of motorways. Go one year and a new 6 lane motorway has been built. Go 2 years later and a new 6 laner is being built above the "old" one. They now have a superb electric overhead train from the new airport to the city, Problem is that the new stations are away from the hotel / business districts so you still end up in a Taxi in a traffic jam.

 

My Brother in Law is an engineer for a German civil engineering firm. Most of his work is in Bangkok building the supports & bridgework for the new roads. His latest job is to cut off  24 Kilometres of safety wall on a 4 lane overhead road (using ultra high pressure water jets) and attach another lane on each side, all using the existing supports whilst traffic is running !!!!. Crazy.

 

Brit15

[Black Sheep]

...whilst in rant mode....!

 

Nobody ever seems to 'let anyone out' these days. There was this motor that had pulled out from a junction blocking my passage today (no problem as they have to get out sometime) and at least twenty went past on the other side before somebody had the decency (courtesy) to stop for them. To make matters more irritating just down the road was a concertina slowing down for traffic lights.

 

Hat..coat...!

 

last time I tried to let someone out cars mounted the pavement to get round me, one of which hit the trailer being towed by the land rover I was letting out - the trailer came off better!

[New Haven Neil]

Went for a carry out this evening with Mrs H (what an old romantic I am!) whilst waiting for her to get the grub I got driven into whilst parked, by another vehicle parking.  Who insisted he hadn't hit my car - why the &^%$ does he think I got out?  Oh yes - it was a V*lvo 4x4.  Typecasting? Nah, just a posh git in too much of a hurry to take Jemima for a meal.

 

Alls is well that ends well - my boring Focus estate has a tow bar......Mr V*lvo didn't. Ha!

[runs as required]

 I got driven into whilst parked, by another vehicle parking.  Who insisted he hadn't hit my car - why the &^%$ does he think I got out?  Oh yes - it was a V*lvo 4x4.  Typecasting? Nah, just a posh git in too much of a hurry to take Jemima for a meal.

Ah yes that happened to our old Mondeo at a motorway services while I was away 'managing' my prostate.

 

I returned to SWMBO (who always sits like a dowager duchess in the back nearside seat deep in her library book) saying "we've just been hit by that big silver (BMW) car alongside.  I felt sorry for them because they were having a dreadful argument and the driver got out and swore horribly about having scraped all along our car.

But I told him it didn't matter because we have plenty more bumps and binges."

mmm...

 

dh

[coachmann]

Driving can be eventful in many ways. I asked a pedestrian where the timber yard was and she told me to park just round the corner and walk to the yard that was in the next street. She waited and the long and short of it was she had just come off nights and wasn't looking forward to spending the day in bed on her own. 

Edited August 7, 2015 by coachmann

[leopardml2341]

Eh?

[newbryford]

Driving can be eventful in many ways. I asked a pedestrian where the timber yard was and she told me to park just round the corner and walk to the yard that was in the next street. She waited and the long and short of it was she had just come off nights and wasn't looking forward to spending the day in bed on her own. 

 

And the question is:

 

Did you get Wood Larry?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Horsetan]

And the question is:

 

Did you get Wood Larry?

Worse. He got married.

[hayfield]

These are generalisations and there are exceptions to each group, but I do think that there is a difference from those who learnt to drive/pass their test 15+ years ago in this country. Where you stop to allow someone to pass where there are parked cars etc impeding you. Wave to say thank you when someone has given way to you. Close your car door when someone is passing you, what I would call considerate driving.

 

Certainly younger people seem bereft of these skills, may be they are not taught these simple actions. On the other hand they may be concentrating on other things (phones etc).  Certainly in the past those who learnt elsewhere seem  to have differing standards (southern continentals always using their car horns etc)

 

Parents ( mostly women) refusing to close their doors when you pass them, especially the rear doors. I guess they are strapping their kids in. Firstly would it not be safer for all to have the seat on the pavement side, secondly they seem not to be worried about their and their property safety. Lastly its downright inconsiderate to others. I find a quick tap on the horn tends to bump their head on the door frame.

 

The school run is another thing, they can't even be bothered to park more than s few steps away from the school gates!!  The schools seem to be clamping down on parking on the Zig Zag lines, But on road corners, double parking, blocking drives. The normal reply is "I am late" to which I reply "you should have left earlier". No wonder we have so many fat kids (and their parents) Playing whilst walking home from school is all about a healthy lifestyle/being a child letting off steam. I must admit that on odd occasions I did pick up my daughter from her senior school, the head mistress was often outside checking out that the parents had parked correctly thus not endangering her pupils (she ran a very successful grammar school and is now a dame) I don't know who were most scared of her, the parents or children

[coachmann]

And the question is:

 

Did you get Wood Larry?

I did what any red blooded male would do....

[ParkeNd]

I tend to agree with the person who posted that he finds that people sharing the same road is generally a remarkable demonstration of cooperation. However the use of smartphones at the wheel particularly by young women on the school run is potentially lethal - particularly noticeable when I am riding a bike as they drift across the road at you. This can only worsen eventually as car makers are committed to make interactive entertainment a feature of new cars which at some stage will filter down to school run usage.

 

However one bad driving trait can be an advantage. Middle lane hogging. The new law has made zero difference to the M4 between Newport and the Severn Bridge in either direction. Virtually every car uses only the middle and outside lanes. Whilst it can be very dangerous on leaving the bridge toll booths as the cars at the left two or three booths drift straight across "their" lane without looking to get into the middle lane, the middle lane hogging does leave the left hand lane virtually empty and thus ideal for 67 mph on adaptive cruise control.

[leopardml2341]

...... ideal for 67 mph on adaptive cruise control.

Cruise control?

 

I have a mk1 variable position right foot

Edited August 8, 2015 by leopardml2341

[leopardml2341]

Eh?

Shows how naive I am, but with a few extra clues I worked it out.