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I am starting to notice drivers turning right onto a main road nudging out and blocking their near lane until someone in their intended lane stops to let them out, and those turning left simply driving out where no gap exists.
Have I missed an update to the Highway Code?
That's London driving style init ,push push force a move.
I was shocked at a newly qualified friend who only used her mirrors at roundabouts. Apparently, that the way she was taught?? Bloody terrifying!
rachel
It's like the proliferation of motorway joiners pulling out into Lane 1 assuming those on the motorway can/will move into lane 2 or adjust their speed. They seem to forget that if you're joining the motorway, you need to give way to motorway traffic. I think is a dangerous mentality.
Ive seen its been heavily pioneered in India and Vietnam too, where right of way belongs to everyone and no one all at the same time
I was shocked at a newly qualified friend
You need to take a test to be your friend?
That's harsh.
The Rachel friend test,hardest test eva 😉
I do this sometimes. You can either wait 15 mins with every bastard ignoring you, or nudge your way out and essentially ask to be let out by reminding the selfish bastards that there is actually another human being needing a couple of seconds of your precious time.
I've noticed that too although sometimes you need to else you'll be sat there all day, I think it's people in general just thinking they are more important than everyone else on the road.
A couple more to add to the list, indicating just after changing lane on the motorway, and people thinking that when approaching an obstruction on their side of the road they have the right of way over oncoming traffic!
My favourites are:
People cutting the apex on roundabouts (e.g. not staying in the left lane if going straight across)
People doing 30mph on motorway on-slips, wtf it's more dangerous joining doing less than 50mph you muppet
People queuing on roundabouts and blocking you from entering it (even though your way off would be clear), I don't even know why they bother painting yellow hatch markings if they're not enforced with cameras.
Most of these fall under the "better to ask forgiveness than permission" banner don't they?
You’ve just highlighted all my faults.
I’m off to cry, I feel ashamed.
I am starting to notice drivers turning right onto a main road nudging out and blocking their near lane until someone in their intended lane stops to let them out, and those turning left simply driving out where no gap exists.
See my comment about the A9 a couple of weeks ago and a car that just pulled out across southbound lane and had to stop - cue me doing full on emergency stop and hitchiker passenger sh*tt*ng themselves and screaming...
I do this sometimes. You can either wait 15 mins with every bastard ignoring you, or nudge your way out and essentially ask to be let out by reminding the selfish bastards that there is actually another human being needing a couple of seconds of your precious time.
100% this - I do it, not through selfishness or bad driving, but it's getting to the point where it is necessary. Especially in Harrogate, which is filled with self-important Leisure Wives in their Range Rovers dashing from the hairdressers to the Pilates lessons.
Just spend some time in China, you'll stop worrying about trivial stuff like edging into traffic.
Yes the pulling out really bugs me; I'm only too happy to slow and allow somebody out especially a truck, bus or van if I can see lots of traffic behind me meaning they've little chance. But when drivers race up to a junction and brake late assuming I will stop for them I cover the horn, high beam and brakes and keep on driving at the same speed on the same trajectory.
It’s like the proliferation of motorway joiners pulling out into Lane 1 assuming those on the motorway can/will move into lane 2 or adjust their speed. They seem to forget that if you’re joining the motorway, you need to give way to motorway traffic. I think is a dangerous mentality.
I dunno, I've spent a lot of time driving up and down the motorways this summer, I think the number of dickish "no you [s]shall not pass[/s] will give way to me" 1st lane drivers has definitely gone up. There is a circle of hell shaped like the m25 waiting for people who suddenly realise they're doing 60 and accelerate to cut you off despite having two clear lanes on their right (or could just have sat dawdling at 60 like they were).
its the "its not my fault" mentality of people today.
Most of these fall under the “better to ask forgiveness than permission” banner don’t they
No that's called best phone your insurers mate
its the “its not my fault” mentality of people today.
It's never their fault. I beeped at a bloke who was quite openly texting whilst driving. The stream of abuse that came out of him was shocking. Of course he's doing nothing wrong. How dare I say he is?
I was shocked at a newly qualified friend who only used her mirrors at roundabouts.
They should defnly encourage use of indicators too.
On motorways is does seem to be fashionable for people driving in the 2nd lane to ignore someone in the 1st lane indicating to overtake a slower vehicle and to just slowly rollover the top, particularly when there's no one at all in the 3rd lane.
On Monday coming back along the 303 I got some old gammon in a Focus in the 1st lane, take the 4th exit on a roundabout, without indicating - he very, very nearly got 2.5 tonnes of T5.1 through his driver's window.
Not necessarily new.. It's been happening the 4 years since we moved offices and I started using a particular ped crossing. Essentially a box T junction with lights (no painted yellow hatching though) and people block it as traffic backs up and then casually just start driving again when they can, when they're on red and I'm on a %^&$$%^&%&^ ing green man!! Drives me potty. Anyway because I'm a sad bastard I started taking photos every time it happens. I've managed to get one most days but yesterday's was an absolute belta:
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/929/30093230028_e2e82ca396_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/929/30093230028_e2e82ca396_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/MReERA ]InkedIMG_9622_LI[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/158768321@N04/ ]Nick Ewen[/url],
Car is moving BTW not statically blocking
I think a lot of drivers are too scared to drive properly on motorways. They sit blindly in the middle lane, unable to muster the courage to change lanes no matter what's happening around them. They have no awareness of other vehicles as demonstrated by the people who will drive up to the back of another vehicle in lane 2. They slow down and match speed until it moves out of the way. Then they accelerate back up to whatever speed they were doing before. All whilst lane 3 is perfectly clear and available for an overtake.
I do this sometimes. You can either wait 15 mins with every bastard ignoring you, or nudge your way out and essentially ask to be let out by reminding the selfish bastards that there is actually another human being needing a couple of seconds of your precious time.
Key point here is, when the shoe is on the other foot, do you 'let people out' yourself?
Similar to Nickewen, but from the opposite perspective, is it just me or have the amber flashing phase of pelican crossings grown exponentially?
There's one in Staines (5 pines roundabout) that is amber for so long that yesterday the car in front went through (all the pedestrians were clear of the crossing) then someone walked up and I stopped to let them through and they crossed before it had finished!
@matt_outandabout, A9 is pretty nasty for that though, I arrived about 5-10 mins after that had happened at the Ballinluig junction, either the central bit was already full or - possibly - foreign / unfamiliar driver. It was a pretty horrible sight to be honest. Not the only time I've arrived a short time after fatal crash on the A9 either..
I get that molgrips, some junctions are difficult/delaying, but not to the extent that I've felt the need to do this (the junctions where this happens are familiar to me).
The main thing about the 2nd one is that the drivers only get there by a rat run and jumping the queue of traffic. They know they are ****s tho as they ignore any horn-tooting.
Key point here is, when the shoe is on the other foot, do you ‘let people out’ yourself?
What do you think?
On motorways is does seem to be fashionable for people driving in the 2nd lane to ignore someone in the 1st lane indicating to overtake a slower vehicle and to just slowly rollover the top, particularly when there’s no one at all in the 3rd lane.
Most of them seem to have no clue what is going on around them to be fair. At the opposite end of the spectrum though, are those who gave way to people joining or changing lanes by just about stopping dead in the middle of the road, resulting in a tailback a mile long. Usually after they've accelerated up to the traffic they can see a mile away coming off the slip road, etc.
Driving on motorways really makes you question the intelligence of humankind.
i hate it when the lane 2 driver is about to get slowed down and moves into lane 3 and makes me slow down to his speed so he doesnt have to slow down, and then once he overtakes the vehicle in lane 2 he speeds up so i cant overtake and get back in lane 2.
and i hate it when people join from a left filter and i move into lane 2 and then they speed up so i cant get back into lane 1 where i want to turn left shortly
Key point here is, when the shoe is on the other foot, do you ‘let people out’ yourself?
In general, yes, i try to be fair. However, just arrived at a junction with free moving traffic doesn't constitute waiting to be let out into a queue, have some patience and a gap will arrive naturally.
Equally, don't gesture at me for not letting you out when a quick glance in my mirror has already told me that there's no-one behind me and once I'm past you have plenty of space.... why do i need to slow down to let you out, using extra brakes and fuel when your eyes would save you a bit of anger.
And the best one recently. I stopped and waved someone out from a side road into traffic on the approach to a roundabout where both RH lanes are clearly painted to turn right. After executing the right turn, onto the slip road to the dual carriageway, the two lane slip narrows to one before joining the main carriageway. Most of the time, the traffic just zippers together one by one, but there's occasionally one **** who is determined to drive 10mm behind the car in front so the other lane can't merge. And on this occasion, it's only Mrs Important in her beige Mini who I've just let in not 2 minutes earlier who's determined that i can't merge. Right up to angry shouting at me and flipping me the finger where moments ago she was all smiles and thank you for letting me in!
<p>
</p><p>Oh jesus not this again.</p><p>Waiting for triggered "I'll drive at 40 mph if I please!/ it's not a drag strip you know!" driver any moment.</p>People doing 30mph on motorway on-slips, wtf it’s more dangerous joining doing less than 50mph you muppet
Driving on motorways really makes you question the intelligence of humankind.
My commute from Reading to Staines is on the M4 and M25, 32 miles and typically takes 55min if there isn't really bad traffic (i.e. I'm barely averaging half the speed limit most days). If I cut through Windsor / Old Windsor it typically takes an hour but is far less likely to involve sitting at a complete standstill for another 30min (and saves about 5 miles which probably saves some petrol too)
I can cycle door to door in 90min (16mph ish, so not even going that fast).
I must have about double the average commute distance in this country, have motorways practically door to door (I live right at junction 11) and I can still beat the car on a bad day and only takes 30min longer on average days?
My point is, most of the people you see on the motorway have already failed in picking an expensive and inefficient mode of transport, expecting them to actually be any good at it is a stretch!
What do you think?
No idea :-)? Unfortunately I'm pretty sure the 'selfish bastards' you describe are quite happy to demand to be let out, but don't have the level of self awareness to even think of doing the same thing for others. What is your level of self awareness like?
Coming up to a road works controlled by traffic lights. The light turns red and the car in front stops. I stop. The van behind accelerates, overtakes us both and shoots through on red.
Ive seen its been heavily pioneered in India and Vietnam too, where right of way belongs to everyone and no one all at the same time
I heard something recently - a quote from somebody from India who drives in Britain who said that driving in Britain was far more difficult because there are so many rules. By contrast I'd imagine those of us who started driving in Britain would find India a nightmare because of the lack of rules. The M25 currently falls between the two.
Most people couldn't drive a greasy stick up a pigs a**e. So no surprises there!
PS, that policecar ^^^ blocking the pedestrian crossing, just jump up and walk (or even better, cycle if your DannyMac) over his bonnet when the light goes green!
if i am in a queue of traffic, especially if we have been queuing for ages i dont think its up to me to let someone out of a side turning and get in front of the person behind me, I kind of think my duty is to the person behind me, so i dont.
its up to him if he does.
I don`t expect people to let me out either
not sure what happened with the formatting above, sorry
think someone was trying to push in
On motorway sliproads I always follow Alan Clark's advice.
I think a lot of drivers are too scared to drive properly on motorways.
I think there's some truth in this. Plus the "if I pull in I'll never get out again" factor. Some legitimacy there.
The A9 is being dualled, not before time too.
Many many years ago my brother, who lived in Germany at the time, drove over to join me in Scotland for a few days of climbing with a pal in a German-registered Golf GTI. They arrived late at night tired out and very excited because they had done most of the A9 at massively illegal speeds. I was not impressed.
My point is, most of the people you see on the motorway have already failed in picking an expensive and inefficient mode of transport, expecting them to actually be any good at it is a stretch!
Getting a bit off-topic here but there's a railway station five minutes away from my house, and another one five minutes from work, so you might think the train is an inexpensive and efficient alternative to driving the fifteen miles (just me in a petrol car). In fact the journey time is fairly similar (if I arrive at the station bang on time), but the cost is double on the train, and thats with a gas-guzzling car. I like going by train, but not when there are disruptions to the service etc. Cycling just takes too long for a slow rider like me and I hate cycling on roads. Off-road takes forever.
i commute 20 miles each way every week day, so i see quite a lot of stuff..
young lad in a white bmw driving down lane 1 of the m5 taking selfies? check.
at the junction i come off at in the evening (m5 j22 northbbound) the traffic is often queued up the hard shoulder
pet hates are 1) 3rd/.fast lane hoggers. 2) drivers in holier than thou mode, who will aggressively show they're in the right lane... while breaking the speed limit and doing about 90... 3) same as 2 but with the added jeopardy of undertaking. i do see a fair bit of undertaking
This kind of thing has got worse in Southampton over the last ~5 years or so...
Cars approaching t-junction to turn right, going to centre of main road, blocking what would have been their nearside traffic while waiting for someone sympathetic to let them complete the right turn
Cars parking on the pavements, not just a little bit over the kerb, so far over that shopping trolley and pram users cannot get by or sometimes even a pedestrian!
Cars approaching designed pinch points where they don't have right of way, but because the car in front of them goes, they follow it through... To see me heading towards them on Moorgreen Road heading the opposite direction doing ~25mph on my road bike and waiving my fist at them!
Cars approaching parked cars on their side of the road, pulling out to pass them regardless of vehicles coming the other way who have priority
Cars waiting to pass parked vehicles on their side of the road, a vehicle with priority passes them and they start shouting because they didn't get a thanks from the vehicle user with priority! 😆
Instead of waiting a few seconds for a gap in traffic the other way to overtake cyclists with a >1.5 metres gap, vehicles will squeeze past with less than 30cm gap
Vehicles stopping in the ASL box for cyclists, when they had plenty of opportunity to stop at the correct line before, as the traffic lights were turning amber/red
This kind of stuff needs to stop, with fines and temporary (or even permanent) bans for people thinking they are above the rules of the road. On busy roads, introduce more traffic lights, make vehicle license holders re-take their practical tests every ~5 years etc.
Drivers pulling out from side roads in front of me, making you brake when there's no traffic behind me...special place in Hell waiting for them hopefully.
I do about 45K a year, mostly m-way, I see things most days that make me fear for the future of humanity.
Cycling just takes too long for a slow rider like me and I hate cycling on roads.
Problem with cycling: too many cars on the road and a slow cyclist
Solution: drive car and cycle less
Leaving aside the fallacy of driving a car because there are too many cars, I've not ridden a bike in almost 3 months due to working away from home, I'm neither fit, nor fast.
When I got back home I was determined to go 'car light' having seemingly spent 3 months constantly driving stupid distances across the country and generally being a bit fed up with cars and the cost of fuel (and repairs, and insurance, and tax, and MOT's, and tyres). Last week I managed 2.5 days commuting, and the same again this week. The other days were days when I had to move kit around (and I may as well make 45p a mile in my own car than use the company van).
So so far just in fuel I've saved enough for a meal out with the Mrs.
It genuinely takes no extra time out of my day (I reckon 30min each way, 30min I would likely just waste watching the news)
I've got 250 miles of cycling in that I wouldn't otherwise (even forced to ride busy roads it's still more fun than not cycling)
I've lost 3kg of fat.
I'm already 10% quicker than I was 3 weeks ago. OK that rate of change isn't going to continue, but I'm still looking forward to making everyone eat my dust on winter night rides rather than struggling to keep up and begging haribo off everyone! Even on my first ride back in the 'medium' night ride group I was riding people off my wheel through most flatter sections, although I could tell I'd not ridden much overall this year struggling towards the end of the 2 hours after a few hard efforts earlier on.
I'm still in the evangelical honeymoon stage of this experiment, but for the moment I'm sticking with the assertion that commuting by car is for idiots (and the disabled, elderly and those who need to transport stuff for their job).
Drivers overtaking the first person to stop at a red light.
^^^ and -
Coming up to a road works controlled by traffic lights. The light turns red and the car in front stops. I stop. The van behind accelerates, overtakes us both and shoots through on red.
Properly revs me up.
A particular favourite now the M5 is four lanes by Droitwich is that former middle lane hogs now hog lane 3, which gives a full lane of safety clearance to undertake them.
People cutting the apex on roundabouts (e.g. not staying in the left lane if going straight across)
This. Massively and constantly, on a daily basis, this.
And the one I'm increasingly seeing:
The positive angle: That message about "leave a decent gap when passing a cyclist in your car" actually might be getting through to people - lots of motorists giving me nice wide gap, thanks.
The less positive angle: We seem to need to modify the message to include "but if it will lead to you nearly having a head on collision with oncoming traffic, maybe just hang back a bit, yeah?"
I also have the "you're jumping the queue!" people not letting a merge happen as per t'otherjonv's post^ when I'm in the car, mainly in one spot - it's three lanes on the ring road, and a few hundred yards on there's a roundabout where the rightest most lane is right turn only, with the other two being left or straight on.
The traffic flows in the evening rush hour often mean the righty lane is backed way way back with traffic when the other two are still flowing.
You do obviously get the odd nobhead who deliberately sails up the flowing lanes with a view to cutting in right just before the junction, which is clearly a dick move, but the result can be that where I join the road, from the left, the right lane which I need to be in is already stacked back past where I join, and when I try and indicate to get into that lane there's often the pull-up-to-the-bumper types (usually a bit gammony looking) who WILL NOT BE LETTING ME IN under any circumstances.
Without fail if I proceed a little further up the queue, someone will let me in, which of course renders Mr Gammon (and it is invariably a Mr) a bit ragey, going by the horn beepage which can follow, and when this happens I follow the only proper course of action, which is to let as many other cars as feasibly possible into the queue in front of me. Most fun when I can still see Mr Gammon in the rear view mirror a couple of cars back.
I had a cracking 'not in a car variant' on edlong's experience.
Waiting at the departure gate for a flight, I had found a seat in the little holding pen before they herd you on and was waiting for the flight to actually start boarding.
The ground agent arrived, did her checks and stuff and then did the little announcement that the flight was ready for boarding and would club / assistance / children, etc. like to come up first, and then other passengers would be called in a short while.
'Everyone' stood up.
But I'm a seasoned traveller and realised that a short while = 3 more minutes sitting down. Once that passed, the queue started to shuffle forward. inches at a time, so i stood up and occupied the standing equivalent of the space I'd been sat in.
But the guy who'd been sat in the seat to my left, ie: one space further away from the desk than me wasn't having it. Apparently I was 'pushing in' because I hadn't stood up 3 minutes earlier. And he wanted me to go and join the end of the queue. I think I actually snorted with laughter, before going absolutely nowhere. I could sense the seethe all the way along the airbridge!!
It’s like the proliferation of motorway joiners pulling out into Lane 1 assuming those on the motorway can/will move into lane 2 or adjust their speed.
Mrs Doris was explicitly told to do this when she was learning to drive (10ish years ago) and has taken it to be gospel ever since.
I think I actually snorted with laughter, before going absolutely nowhere.
Hmmm, a bit British of me perhaps but the place to join a queue is at the back. If you actively choose not to join when it's forming, you get to **** right off if you want to go in front of me when you decide the time's right for you to get up.
I’ve stopped crying and drove home leaving everyone a gap and indicated everywhichwaybutloose as I approached junctions to turn.
And I used my headlights in the pissing torrential rain earlier.
Took me 5mins longer, but saves racing the Jaaaaag through 1ft rivers of rain on the M27 yeah.
I did - I was just in a seated position occupying exactly the same position in the queue I'd have been in if i stood up.
It's not as if I stayed seated right until my position reached the front and then demanded to be let in there.
Counter
If the moment the lady had started the announcement (bearing in mind the announcement wasn't inviting the queue to start, rather warning us that we would be boarding in a few minutes) I'd leapt to my feet, am I then entitled to overtake everyone else because they were slower than me getting up?
@doris: Chatting to a police driver the other day, he also finds the 'blind joiners' on the motorway not only dangerous but acting contrary to the HC. Suggest you rebrief your Mrs!
I do move over when I can because the moronic joiners seem hell-bent on an accident otherwise, but it's not always possible.
I'm pretty sure that contributes to the increased accident rate at junctions because 2 lanes are affected rather than just one if joined properly. Mobile phones don't help either....
And why can't people merge in turn?
And don't start me on foglights!!!!
I am starting to notice...
Well, you need to pay more attention, as it's been going on for years.
Having said that, the overall standards (or lack thereof) in driving have really nose-dived over the last few years.
It's a combination of lack of understanding of how things should be done (not helped by no requirement to take motorway lessons - unless that's changed recently), impatience, lack of consideration for others, an inflated sense of self importance, and an almost complete absence of Police.
Waiting at the departure gate for a flight...
The irony of the stupidity surrounding the 'etiquette' of queuing to board a plane, is that I guarantee that everybody will leave the ground at the same time 😉
I currently do a driving job (specialist courier) so cover loads of miles a year in addition to the 15k of personal miles I do, mainly to go biking. I'm looking to get out of the line of work for various reasons but the standard of driving by others is one of them. Everything mentioned above I have seen on more than one occasion, usually in the same day. The British general standard of driving is woeful and I would gladly vote for:
* More traffic police, funded by the fines they generate.
* More disqualifications, particularly for mobile phone use behind the wheel.
* Mandatory retests every 5 years or so.
People need to learn that a driving license is a privilege earned that can be taken away at any time if you disobey the rules. It is not a right and if you do lose it arguing that it will mean you find it hard to get to work or ferry the kids around is not reasonable grounds to keep it. A vehicle is easily capable of killing a lot of people if used incorrectly and the sooner that sinks in the safer we will all be.
Siting in the middle of a dual cariageway, after crossing from a side road, and suddenly pulling into the outside lane if a few vhicles are in the inside lane, thats until one of the vehicled doing 60 plus decides to overtake a vehicle in the inside lane, result a crash.
Also vehicle overtakes car in front, and suddenly turns left and brakes hard to cause a collision, usually on 30 mph roads
After driving around Naples recently I think the UK is more than civilised when it comes to driving.
I've never understood the rush to board a plane. Standing in a queue to sit in a confined space for a few minutes more? I sit and wait until the queue is almost gone then get on the plane. We all have an allocated seat, we all take off and land together. I'll have a few more minutes with my legs stretched out thanks.
Anyway, back to driving. I'm not sure why people wanting the third exit at a roundabout, ie crossing the on coming traffic, think they don't need to indicate.
"I’ve never understood the rush to board a plane."
It is so they can take up all the overhead storage with the bags that they should have checked in.
I do wonder if the increase in people driving in Britain who didn't pass their driving test in Britain has made the roads more chaotic. I passed my test in the UK, but have lived in other countries where I've been able to swap my uk license for a local one. However, the way the locals are taught to join roads or indicate at roundabouts (for example) are entirely different. If they drove like that in the uk I'd think they were aggressive lunatics.
I do wonder if the increase in people driving in Britain who didn’t pass their driving test in Britain has made the roads more chaotic.
You wonder incorrectly. The worst drivers on the roads are an even mix of all ethnicities and age groups. While I personally suspect that new drivers are the worst for sitting in their cars texting, the average white van man has no qualms about answering his phone or reading the paper at the wheel, and you can tell when an HGV driver is watching TV because they're using the rumble strip to guide them.
It’s like the proliferation of motorway joiners pulling out into Lane 1 assuming those on the motorway can/will move into lane 2 or adjust their speed.
Mrs Doris was explicitly told to do this when she was learning to drive (10ish years ago) and has taken it to be gospel ever since.
Well, it’s been my experience over the last two years of driving on a lot of motorways while covering tens of thousands of miles that this is the accepted practice of experienced road users, and which also uses common sense. Approaching a motorway on-ramp, you check behind and move out into lane two, allowing drivers entering to accelerate up to motorway speeds, they can then, when appropriate, move out into lane two, allowing the slower traffic, mostly trucks, the chance to move back into lane one.
This works, mostly, and I fail to see how else one could join a motorway in a simpler fashion, provided driver’s follow that procedure. Which in my admittedly limited experience they actually do. Because it works to everyone’s advantage.
It’s like the proliferation of motorway joiners pulling out into Lane 1 assuming those on the motorway can/will move into lane 2 or adjust their speed
You'd think people would think ahead and kind of plan for vehicles joining a motorway from an on ramp though. It's hardly a surprise there might be people coming on and ditch the "I was here first" attitude.
"You wonder incorrectly"
Fair enough. What you described is far worse than what I imagined. It sounds appalling.
You’d think people would think ahead and kind of plan for vehicles joining a motorway from an on ramp though. It’s hardly a surprise there might be people coming on and ditch the “I was here first” attitude.
I agree, in general however.... on a 2-lane carriageway you can't have everyone moving into the outside lane particularly when the traffic is heavy. Unless I'm mistaken an 'on ramp' or slip road is also called an acceleration lane and you're supposed to use it to get up to the speed of the traffic so you can merge safely.
So as i approach one of these junctions, if moving out isn't really an option it's obvious to me to ease speed slightly so I'm still at the speed of the lane 1 traffic but there's now a decent gap in front of me for cars to join into, at the same speed.
The number of drivers I see most weeks on the A3 at Guildford, who bimble along the slip road and then suddenly act surprised that there are cars in L1 amazes me, I assume they work in the hospital / research park and do it every day, and there's traffic every day.
Which then means do I have to slow right down to the bimble speed they're at so they can still go out in front of me (result, everything behind me in L1 has to slow down as well, and it concertinas to a stop somewhere further up the road) or do I keep my speed and they have to come to a halt at the end of the slip road (result, everyone else on the slip road has to slow or stop too, and then try to join the road at much lower speeds / with less room to accelerate. And they think I'm a ****)
I have observed this practically daily for years, and one person who doesn't know what they are doing can bring the road to a halt.
LOL...
So despite seeing this practically every day for years, you're a) still shocked and surprised and b) still sitting in L1? Why on Earth don't you move to L2 earlier - like when you see the off ramp? What generally follows and off ramp...? Yes, an ON ramp. You've got prior knowledge of the road, and the likelihood of traffic congestion. You can't change everyone else's driving habits, but you can change yours!
Apparently the red light on temporary traffic lights doesn’t mean stop, who knew?
It's not always possible to move across to L2 but it seems joiners can't be bothered to adjust speed/ give way as they should.
It might be the 'accepted' practice but it's incorrect because it involves L1 and L2. One reason for traffic jams and accidents.
A dangerous trend.
And what about L2 hoggers.....?!
Another trend I’m seeing is the oncoming right turn’ers, those that insist on turning in front and across you just meters ahead just so the can make thier exit 3seconds faster.
But...
I have to say all I see is about 30% of those instances that have been pointed out so far on here, so that leaves the 70% of us that drive sensibility and considerately.
Enjoy going to the shops you lot 🤠😜💋
I do around 35k a year for business. I could have a major accident every day that wouldn’t be my fault if I followed the highway code. The standard of driving in this country is quite frightening.
I used to adhere to the HC, but now I don’t, It’s too stressful if I do. Unfortunately I have now turned into one of them out of necessity.
I think the major factor in the shit driving is the lack of actual police on the road. They have focused on the wrong thing. Is an observant person doing 80-90 in the outside lane more of a danger than the person in lane 1 or 2 doing their makeup, on the phone and generaly not paying attention? Cameras don’t pick these up where an actual human would. I bet the standard of driving would improve if the risk of being caught doing ****ish things increased.
I used to adhere to the HC, but now I don’t, It’s too stressful if I do. Unfortunately I have now turned into one of them out of necessity.
^^ Depends on what you mean, I think. I often drive back from work late at night and it's just easier to stay comfortably in lane 1 at 74 mph than constantly flick from right to left to pass everyone rolling along at 65 in the middle lane. Safer, IMHO, and arguably not undertaking as the traffic in my lane (me) is moving faster than their lane. I try to let people change lane in traffic jams if they try - partly because it means that they don't get so pent up and mainly because the stupid car insists on letting them in unless I drive it myself.
Just the other day someone decided to do a U-turn out of a traffic jam on a 60mph A-road directly into my path. He knew I was coming; knew that I would *just about* be able to stop, and went anyway.
The generally shite driving is linked to the greater sense of entitlement and selfishness endemic in society. ("Why should you hold me up?" Speed limits are for slow cars". "Everyone cuts the corner on roundabouts". "You managed to stop, didn't you?"
I agree with others that the problem is just lack of police. I saw a video on YouTube of dash cam footage from the last month or two and the standard of driving is simply appalling.
But it’s not JUST the lack of police....
Speed is a quantifiable and easily recorded variable, hence the spread of cash raising cameras all over the network. What they don’t measure is L2 drones who have no awareness, dangerous lane crossings or HGVs pulling out simply because they’ve indicated.
I use L1 as much as poss and don’t normally go above 75. Quite often I get a clear run on L1 whilst people are effectively queuing nose to tail in the overtaking lanes. Just can’t quite understand the mentality TBH.
I also avoid motorways as much as possible!
I think the major factor in the shit driving is the lack of actual police on the road
How many police would you need on the road to make any difference. Must be in the 10,000s possible even 100,00s (there are a lot of roads).
Would the cost of that be worth it just to get the bad drivers to drive a bit better (especially bearing in mind road deaths continue to drop (accepting that may be because of better cars). Is it really a priority for the countries budget ?
The revenue raised by having police on the road would easily pay the wage of the extra officers. Then as standards improve the revenue would lessen so then you would need less police but hopefully the standards would have incresed. A bit like prey and predator. They will eventualy find an equilibrium.
Why on Earth don’t you move to L2 earlier – like when you see the off ramp
Yep, and this shit driving technique is exactly why you see so many middle lane morons. Oh there’s another off ramp in 5miles, might as well stay in this lane...
no,it not no its not im a fantastic driver!
blah blah I’m afraid you’re one of them.