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Bob Peasant can happily save that £50 and buy all the twizzlers he wants with it by simply not breaking the law in the first place
I don't like speaking on behalf of others but I think this misses the point. The issue is that an on-the-spot fine will not discourage the rich from breaking the law.
However, I'd be interested to hear how you think this will be resourced?
Well it won't be. Obviously. It is mainly just pandering for votes and nothing measurable will come of it.
Fining people based on their income is nonsense and impossible to be consistent, anything that means treating people differently for the same offence is manifestly unfair.
But fixed fines means that you ARE treating people differently - taking 50% of one offender's weekly income and 0.0001% of anothers. That seems more unfair to me.
Coffeeking - are you serious? In that when driving quickly you dont know the colour or type of vehicles that are around you? If you are indeed serious then it suggests that you are driving way way beyond your ability levels. Golden rule is that if it feels fast then it is bad driving. I know that when I drive fast I know exactly where everything is, its speed, whether it is accelerating or slowing down and more often than not where the driver is looking and how they've been driving.
But fixed fines means that you ARE treating people differently - taking 50% of one offender's weekly income and 0.0001% of anothers. That seems more unfair to me
Agreed.
SBZ presumably your driving is a bit like TJ and his virtual bike... 🙂
more often than not where the driver is looking and how they've been driving
Agreed - it is often very easy to see when someone isn't concentrating just because of their road position, something seemingly very minor like the angle of their head, their speed etc.
Boblo - no, my driving is just at the level it should be.
Boblo - no, my driving is just at the level it should be.
Best in the world.
Difficult leaving people in your dust without a car to demonstrate your state of the art driving skills in ne pas? 😆
Coffeeking - are you serious? In that when driving quickly you dont know the colour or type of vehicles that are around you? If you are indeed serious then it suggests that you are driving way way beyond your ability levels. Golden rule is that if it feels fast then it is bad driving. I know that when I drive fast I know exactly where everything is, its speed, whether it is accelerating or slowing down and more often than not where the driver is looking and how they've been driving.
re-read my post, I was talking about on track, and assuming anyone driving like a nut on public roads is going to be in a similar frame of mind.
I know that when I drive fast I know exactly where everything is, its speed, whether it is accelerating or slowing down and more often than not where the driver is looking and how they've been driving.
Regardless of how fast I'm driving I see all of those things (except where the person is looking as generally I've found it to provide no useful info at all unless they're looking away from me), I just don't care what vehicle colour and type it is when going faster. If I'm cruising around slowly and enjoying the day I'll notice the car with stripes for sure, but I'm not sure I would if I was hoofing it.
Much the same as speed cameras - if you're concentrating on the surface/traffic conditions as much as you should be when driving at speed, keeping an eye out for cameras is distracting.
You are clearly not concentrating properly if you don't know what is around you.
No, the point being colour is not important when driving fast (assuming you were going to on the roads), nor is the detail of whether a car has a roofrack or a set of lights. What's important is where they all are, how fast theyre moving, their recent history and likely future positions and to some extent their size (truck/van/car/bike etc). When motorway driving I could tell you where about 3 cars back and forward in each lane is, where it seems to be headed and which will pass next and usually the colour too. When driving faster the colour becomes less important, it seems to automatically get dropped from my senses. Much the same as when karting - I often race with 6 or 7 other people, of course I could recognise the colour of their helmet when tootling round but when going for it that goes out of the window, they're an object to be avoided and passed, only later do I identify who they were.
Like I said though, I'm only assuming that's how people who're driving like nuts on the road react, so I can see how they would not spot a police car. I'd rather they avoided me than spotted a police car.
Nonsense. Naive unskilled nonsense at that.
I was talking about on track
Not many police cars there are there?
if you're concentrating on the surface/traffic conditions as much as you should be when driving at speed, keeping an eye out for cameras is distracting
Now there I disagree. You need to concentrate on what's at the roadside just as much as what's on the road. So speed cameras, police cars, people about to pull out, cyclists, dogs, children with balls etc etc.
Good drivers are few and far between, like Dodos
I'm an excellent driver.
that's why I can drive waaaay beyond the speed limit, pished, texting/yakking on a mobile and stuffing a bigmac into my face. No need to look where I'm going, the car does that for me. Fixed penalties = the government says it's doing something about the roads, so no need for as many cops in cars = fewer of them. woohoo.
@coffeeking - if you are driving on a track then it is an entirely different proposition as you would not be looking out for police cars or many of the other road hazards normally associated with driving on a public road such as pedestrians and traffic pulling out from side roads.
So basically you disagreed with what I said because you wouldn't spot a police car in entirely different circumstances?
if you're concentrating on the surface/traffic conditions as much as you should be when driving at speed, keeping an eye out for cameras is distracting
😯 possibly the daftest thing I think I've heard you say coffeeking.
CK - how do you spot safety cars and marshall flags and whether or not the cars around you are about to bin it?
@coffeeking, so when the red deer goes through your windscreen it won't be your fault, or when you run down some kid that runs out it won't be your fault?
If your on public roads you need to be aware of every thing, if you can't be aware you need to be going slower. so you are.
So basically you disagreed with what I said because you wouldn't spot a police car in entirely different circumstances?
No, jesus people are you lot thick this morning.
I said I assume that IF I/someone were to be driving like a nut on the roads I'd probably not spot a police car or a camera because I'd be more interested in concentrating on traffic positions and speeds and possible dangers from the side of the road than looking at boxes on sticks which 99.9% of the time don't pose any threat of moving and stepping out, and I'd not spot the colour of a car (unless it was immediately behind me, usually the police are not right behind people that they pull up from what I see on TV shows, they spot them from 3-4 cars back).
CK - how do you spot safety cars and marshall flags and whether or not the cars around you are about to bin it?
Because the flags are part of the possible dangers, much as kids running out from side roads are. Whether cars around are about to bin it has no relationship to their colour.
The overall point being that when driving quickly, or when doing any sort of high speed high risk activity, the least physically important risks get ignored first. Colours, objects you know almost never pose a risk.
I said I assume that IF I/someone were to be driving like a nut on the roads I'd probably not spot a police car or a camera because I'd be more interested in concentrating on traffic positions and speeds and possible dangers from the side of the road than looking at boxes on sticks which 99.9% of the time don't pose any threat of moving and stepping out, and I'd not spot the colour of a car (unless it was immediately behind me, usually the police are not right behind people that they pull up from what I see on TV shows, they spot them from 3-4 cars back)
So you DO agree with what I originally said then? One of us is clearly thick.
Agreed - but at least the ones that DO get caught really must deserve it because they really couldn't be concentrating if they don't spot the police car.
if you're driving sensibly why would you need to keep an eye out for police or speed cameras?
even so, they're yellow and at a similar height to most road signs so a good driver would notice them anyway.
So you DO agree with what I originally said then? One of us is clearly thick.
No, they are concentrating on keeping the car on the road, not spotting "financial" dangers.
if you're driving sensibly why would you need to keep an eye out for police or speed cameras?
Of course, I was never arguing that these people were driving sensibly, just that you can still be driving perfectly capably (in a car control and traffic watching sense) and not spot the colour of a car.
No, they are concentrating on keeping the car on the road, not spotting "financial" dangers.
You are missing your own point (which is actually the same as mine) - if you are driving so fast you are unable to see a police car then you are clearly not concentrating enough are you? Then you are exactly the sort of person that deserves to be caught because not only are you driving like an idiot, you are so beyond your ability as a driver that you are missing potential hazards - the fact it is a financial hazard is irrelevant - you are clearly not able to concentrate to the level required of you.
you can still be driving perfectly capably (in a car control and traffic watching sense) and not spot the colour of a car
I disagree completely - and we are not talking about just the colour, we are talking about a marked police car which, in all probability, will cause almost all other drivers around you to alter their driving too so it is very important to be able to distinguish one. Why do you think they are marked in the way they are? So they blend into traffic or so they are clearly visible to all road users?
Nope - you should know the colour of the car - a crucial piece of info along with sex and age and number of occupants. I do this purely reflexively. Eery car around me no matter what I am riding / driving
If you know the colour of the cars around you you know if one has changed so you know the hazard has changed. If you don't know the colour then this piece of info is missing
You are missing your own point (which is actually the same as mine) - if you are driving so fast you are unable to see a police car then you are clearly not concentrating enough are you? Then you are exactly the sort of person that deserves to be caught because not only are you driving like an idiot, you are so beyond your ability as a driver that you are missing potential hazards - the fact it is a financial hazard is irrelevant - you are clearly not able to concentrate to the level required of you.
I see where you're going, but my point was subtly different. I agree that it's too fast for a public road if you're not able to spot who's where on the road, it doesn't mean you're a bad driver (which is differnt from a public road driver).
Nope - you should know the colour of the car - a crucial piece of info along with sex and age and number of occupants.
Nonsense, that's too much information that's totally irrelevant. The amount of mental time used to take that in does not stack up to the benefits of knowing it.
Bloody 'ell Coffeeking... Can't drive for toffee and I bet your wife is 'dissatisfied' as well.... 😉
Well its clear you are not observation to any sort of a decent standard then. I know this always without it distracting me at all - easy to process. And it is very relevant - as you know if the car behind you has changed and you can spot the aggressive and inattentive drivers
Bloody 'ell Coffeeking... Can't drive for toffee and I bet your wife is 'dissatisfied' as well....
Errrr ok. WTF are you on about? Absolutely nothing in these posts has told you anything that you could deduct about my road driving skills.
Well its clear you are not observation to any sort of a decent standard then. I know this always without it distracting me at all - easy to process
I never said distracting, I said pointless to know. Knowing the number and sex of the occupants tells me nothing I need to know on the road.
Sorry, just trying to inject a bit of brevity... Two things you shouldn't have a go at a bloke about; his driving and his sh@gging. Off now to leave you to carry on bickering. TTFN.
Ah but it does - young male with car full of pals - likely to be agressive and fast. Young mum car full of kids - likely to be innatentive, old person - slow but dithery - etc etc.. Its all a part of the info you need to be a safe driver.
Sorry, just trying to inject a bit of brevity... Two things you shouldn't have a go at a bloke about; his driving and his sh@gging. Off now to leave you to carry on bickering. TTFN.
I'm happy to have my driving analysed, come along one day (by someone in the car, rather than an assumption making bunch morons on a forum). As for the other - well you'll have to just take my word on that, you're not my type 😆
Ah but it does - young male with car full of pals - likely to be agressive and fast. Young mum car full of kids - likely to be innatentive, old person - slow but dithery - etc etc.. Its all a part of the info you need to be a safe driver.
Making assumptions like that will get you killed. Assume all drivers are aggressive nuts and you'll be a bit safer. There are countless cases every day on my commute of each of those being wrong.
Nonsense, that's too much information that's totally irrelevant.
Again I take issue with that.
I see a Silver Rover 45 with a pair of old people in in the near distance ahead of me, I would reasonably expect the car to be driving slowly and make very hesitant manoeuvres.
If I saw a lowered, blacked out Citroen Saxo VTS with a big bore exhaust and 5 occupants I would reasonably expect it to be driving erratically as the driver will be distracted by the 14 yr old girls in the back and be half way through a McHappyMeal.
It is all about reading all the potential threats around you.
Ohh heck - not only am I in agreement with TJ, I have pretty much written exactly the same 🙂
if you're driving sensibly why would you need to keep an eye out for police or speed cameras?
...because what you think is sensible and what the copper judges to be sensible can be very different. That's the problem with "dangerous driving" as many have pointed out. There is a degree of subjectivity about it. Speed cameras have an easy job; you're either breaking the speed limit or you aren't.
Many years back I got caught doing nearly a ton on the M74 by an unmarked police car. I had no defence and accepted the points and fine. However the policeman did point out that whilst he was within his rights to do me for dangerous driving, he acknowledged the road was quiet and the conditions excellent so did not see it as dangerous. Conversely someone doing 70mph (instead of their usual 90mph) on a motorway in heavy rain/fog/whatever may think they're being sensible by slowing down when actually they are still driving dangerously.
You can educate people and you can fine people but ultimately we're all independent spirits who make our own judgement calls. I'm all for this idea but I just hope the coppers police it sensibly.
It is all about reading all the potential threats around you.
Everyone is a potential threat, treat them all the same. Keep your distance, predict they'll do something stupid when you least expect it and you'll be a bit safer. Start reading their contents and assuming how they'll drive is like seeing a black guy and assuming he's more likely to rob you, racist (or stereotyping in this case) and stupid.
Ohh heck - not only am I in agreement with TJ, I have pretty much written exactly the same
Time for a Decontamination Shower....
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Everyone is a potential threat, treat them all the same.
When you have come to a mental conclusion about the driving then yes, but what TJ and I are saying is that by building a picture as you approach other drivers you are better prepared. And the more information you have, the better prepared you are.
When you have come to a mental conclusion about the driving then yes, but what TJ and I are saying is that by building a picture as you approach other drivers you are better prepared. And the more information you have, the better prepared you are.
No, I just don't see it I'm afraid. Collecting all that info, using it to predict how each car will behave and possibly being wrong on every point - all a waste of time. Assume they're a threat in every way possible covers all bases and takes less concentration over all, no need for a mental picture or to profile how they'll drive then be surprised. Just drive like they're a nut and if they're not you're better off.
I agree I could be wrong on every point, but I don't alter my driving because of the perceived threat, I am just aware that there could be one. Without mentally collecting that information in the first place I have less information and therefore I am less prepared.
Your driving style sounds very unobservant - have you been driving for long? Or perhaps you are just not consciously aware of just what information your brain is actually sub-conciously gathering.
For example - think about your last car journey - can you recall any of the colours, makes, models of any of the cars that were around you, remember the colour of that car that turned right just before the turning into your drive, recall that it turned without indicating? I know I can recall much of what went on around me in my last journey.
Assume they're a threat in [u]every way possible[/u] covers all bases
I'd argue that this could take more mental processing power than making sensible conclusions about what might realistically happen as per TJ's argument. I could drive along a clear road assuming every car coming the other way is going to swerve into my lane, but realistically that's not going to happen. However I'd be more cautious if I saw a driver not paying attention, shouting at the kids in the back seat, looking at the view etc etc
a crucial piece of info along with sex and age and number of occupants.
why is the sex, age and number of occupants in a car crucial information?
For example - think about your last car journey - can you recall any of the colours, makes, models of any of the cars that were around you, remember the colour of that car that turned right just before the turning into your drive, recall that it turned without indicating? I know I can recall much of what went on around me in my last journey.
that's just bollocks, sorry, I can remember a car driving up my arse, but wtf has it's colour or make got to do with anything? I observed a car that looked like it was going to pull out in front of me, and it did, but because I was expecting it I had slowed (which might have given them the indication they had time to pull out) and so didn't charge up their arse. Can't remember what make or model of car, and because I couldn't see the driver that well I have no idea what sex they were either, it's ok though because no one died.
Hmm.. police cars doing speed checks are usually positioned in a prominent position at the side of a road, which is a very important place to spot cars as those are ones that tend to pull out.
I don't think the colour argument holds up. I don't think 'ooh there's a white car must be a police car' I think 'police car' as soon as it's seen. The colour and the car are not separate. It's hard wired into my brain just like people in hi viz vests are.
I think its a bit OTT to know the number of people, age and sex ov ervery member of every car around you on the road.
If youre driving along a motorway there are numerous cars around you at any point that could potentially affect your driving and to look for all the attributes of the people in the car would require you to take your mind off the driving youre actaully doing. Theres no way you could just glance at every car around you an know.
I do understand the rough sentiment of it though.
Do people really look out for police cars? Why?
that's just bollocks, sorry, I can remember a car driving up my arse, but wtf has it's colour or make got to do with anything?
I was merely making the point that the brain involuntarily records information and used that example to try to get my point across.
For example, this morning a white Skoda Felicia pulled away very slowly behind me at some traffic lights. It went on to turn right at the next junction. Shortly afterwards I turned right in front of a blue Audi Q5 (which had its side lights on). This information didn't help me in any way, it is just information I stored and can now recall it. Coffeeking is suggesting that he doesn't ever remember the colours of cars around him at all because he is too busy focussing on their driving as that is the only important factor. I think he is either unaware of the information he does (involuntarily) record or he is a spectacularly unobservant driver.
Mol - wasn't talking about ones parked up doing speed checks, I was talking about ones following you a few cars back, the sort that would catch you for tailgating on a motorway or driving aggressively.
The colour and the car are not separate. It's hard wired into my brain just like people in hi viz vests are.
Your head works differently to mine then. Mind you, I know this anyway - once in an interesting lecture about image processing we were all asked to look at two sequential images which were then removed and note what changed between them. Not a single person in the glass spotted what changed apart from me, who spotted a tree moved in the background. When the image was shown again it was two people in the foreground, everyone else had said they saw a young guy and a girl sat on a bench, some mentioned their clothes, I had no idea of this info, I just saw what moved. I guess I'd be no good reporting crime to the police, but probably make a good hunter lol 🙂
I think he is either unaware of the information he does (involuntarily) record or he is a spectacularly unobservant driver.
I don't think I record it, at least not that I can consciously recall. I suppose I must as I can generally know what car is about to pass me on the motorway without watching it like a hawk, but generally I think I go off shape and movement, not colour. I certainly don't distinguish between their "threat" levels by colour as it makes no difference with 99.99% of vehicles, they're all equal and even if it was a police car I'm usually not driving illegally so would have no need to have it raise any flags in my head. Hence I reckon if I were to drive like a nut I'd probably not spot the cop car some way back. I'd spot the one miles up front, I always do spot cop cars ahead before anyone else I know, but mainly because, as you say, they're often parked perpendicular to the road in a position that would be a threat.
I miss Smurfmat's awesome wisdom on these matters.
The colour is just another piece of information (although statistically aren't red cars more likely to be involved in accidents than any other?)
But there is much more than the colour to help you identify a police car anyway.
I miss Smurfmat's awesome wisdom on these matters.
LOL...He's pre-occupied spouting his AWESOME shite over on Pistonheads.
But there is much more than the colour to help you identify a police car anyway.
Not with modern low-profile LED light units and the propensity of everyone to drive around with roofracks permanently fitted through laziness. Unless they turn on the blues 😀
But there is much more than the colour to help you identify a police car anyway.
What about the traffic police patrolling the roads in their unmarked cars then? How do you spot them?
Don't get me started on roofracks please. We have had one fitted for the last 2 years (initially out of need, but we simply don't have anywhere to put it until we don't need it at all and can sell it/put it into storage).
Teh reason for knowing the colour for me is to know if the car behind me has been replaced by another.
What about the traffic police patrolling the roads in their unmarked cars then? How do you spot them?
That is an entirely different matter unfortunately.
Gary_C - MemberWhat about the traffic police patrolling the roads in their unmarked cars then? How do you spot them?
Arials, no retailers stickers, a few other visual clues
Teh reason for knowing the colour for me is to know if the car behind me has been replaced by another.
Indeed, I can see that. Since I generally appear to know on a motorway when a car has moved out and is passing without needing to check the right hand mirror, and generally can count cars passed me and know who's left behind I presume on some level I must record the colour, but it's not a conscious one.
Arials, no retailers stickers, a few other visual clues
Indeed, if you're behind them as that's where most of the items of note are. If you're in front you can often see the lights under the grille too, but it takes an inordinate amount of looking. When driving my "nippy" car on the motorway I've been tailgated by undercover cars dozens of times, to the point where I couldn't see bumper. I have friends who've been had for speeding by undercover cars that they claim goaded them into driving faster and while they shouldn't react and drive faster it can be a bit un-nerving having a car sat on your ass.
That is an entirely different matter unfortunately.
Indeed. Just thought i'd throw that into the mix.
A guy I know was a sergeant on the local traffic police, & I remember him telling me that when he was patrolling in the fully marked Vectra, he very rarely, if at all, saw any examples of bad/dangerous driving happening first hand. If he was out in one of the unmarked cars, however, he'd have a very busy shift shall we say.
Perhaps if the 'new rules' are passed we will see more unmarked cars patrolling the roads.
best thing to do if a vehicle is sat right up close to your bumber is squirt the windscreen washer for a long time, several times. They soon get the message.
PS. I was nicked for speeding by a traffic cop in a black Skoda last week. Pretty stealth he was, I first noticed the 'black' car when it was about 500yds behind me. Figured it was someone else making use of the clear road. Just a few seconds later he was ten foot off my bumper & flicked on the lights behind the grill.
Kev
I reckon the best thing is to tap the brake pedal just enough to flash the lights with one's left foot a few times.
Do people really look out for police cars? Why?
So you can predict the automatic 10 mph slowdown caused by the appearance of a police car or speed camera.
Teh reason for knowing the colour for me is to know if the car behind me has been replaced by another.
Really? So the well driven blue car behind you will never be replaced by an aggressively driven blue car, but your awesome observational abilities will leave you believing that nothing has changed because the car colour is the same? Or if the whte car driven by two white shited business gents changes to a white cop car, you won't see that happening either?
Unless you now think believing in your own omniscience while reflecting on how to phrase your next devastating STW put-down will keep you safe.
EDIT [i]two white shi[b]r[/b]ted business gents[/i]
Sorry, reading too much TJ is having a subconcious effect
..and, just as a matter of interest, if you can routinely spot all this happening, how come you can't spot your typos before hitting the POST button?
I reckon the best thing is to tap the brake pedal just enough to flash the lights with one's left foot a few times.
😆
*i raise my carton of apple juice to you sir*
I reckon the best thing is to tap the brake pedal just enough to flash the lights with one's left foot a few times.
My driving instructor told me that one 😯
Hmm this is interesting. What do I recall about today's (car) journey into work?
Cop car near the second motorway junction I take - they are grey with a green stripe in Germany 🙂 I thought he had pulled some dark grey BMW over for speeding but he looked like he'd hit a.. blue corsa maybe? Crumpled off-side wing.
Foreign, poss. Slovenian lorry on the A99 in front of me, noticed because he was doing 90km/h unlike everyone else
Got onto the single carriageway road behind a blue fabric sided lorry and trailer, grey BMW 5 series tourer I think behind me who didn't pass when I did.
White Audi overtaking towards me on the straight.. er.. that's about it really. Possibly a blue Audi A4 estate pulling out nearly infront of me at the roundabout by work.
I reckon the best thing is to tap the brake pedal just enough to flash the lights with one's left foot a few times.
DD is smurf-mat
I reckon the best thing is to tap the brake pedal just enough to flash the lights with one's left foot a few times.
You are smurfhat in disguise AICMFP...
EDIT: Damn, too slow!!
DD is smurf-mat
😀
Surf-Mat has wasted more awesomeness than I can ever achieve. 8)
*wonders if he lurks sometimes*
of course he lurks, and he has log-ins under different names.
he's just that god damn awesome.
Ya reckon? Nobody here even remotely sounds as awesome as him.
yeah... being as awesome as he is i know that his awesome-levels never get in the way of being supersexysmart... he knows not to mention the luminous bike light, the cars and his other signatures.
Unmarked cars, look at the roof, trend to have an extra aerial, look at the grill you can often see the lights, look for hi viz vests,
Not as easy to see but there are often signs to look out for.
I know glos pol have/had some midnight blue beemers,
Wow coffeeking - you describe classic adrenaline tunnel vision. Dangerous stuff.
So while people are stereotyping ditherers & boy racers, 19yr old Jonny who's borrowed Dad's grey Volvo S60 is about to pull out into your path while he's trying to pick his Kanye West CD off the floor........
Nice one.
most tailgaters ignore you when you dab the brake with your left foot these days.
I find slamming it down a gear and lifting off the accelerator much more effective in making them crap themselves.
and yes, it is dangerous but I get really pee'd off with them so if the dog and missus are not in the car they get the harsh response.
Had to nip out at lunch. I deliberately and very consciously looked at every car to make a mental note of make and model and indeed colour. I didn't know what half of them were. Clearly someone on here spends too much time reading What Car.
Stilltortoise - it isn't a test where you need to know makes, models, age, modifications etc - it is simply a case of being aware of what is going on around you. If I didn't know makes and models I would still be able to recall colours, body shapes etc. I am sure the vast majority of drivers can.
I do wonder what level of information an F1 driver or a rally driver takes in though - I bet they will be able to process massive amounts of stuff as they tootle along.
Schoolboy error, you forgot to memorise the contents as well... You will surely die! Mwawahahahahahahah.... 🙂
<edit> I drove past a blue Mini Metro in 1987. Blimmin good thing I can recall that or Lordy knows what the ramifications would be... 😈
I expect F1 drivers are acutely aware of the colours of the cars around them 🙂
Anyone ever see that programme about F1 drivers where they tracked their eye movements as they scanned corners far ahead of them. Quite stunning really.
Anyway, back on topic, I like the Daily Mash take on this:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/crackdown-on-drivers-who-do n't-vote-201105113797/
it isn't a test where you need to know makes, models, age, modifications etc - it is simply a case of being aware of what is going on around you. If I didn't know makes and models I would still be able to recall colours, body shapes etc. I am sure the vast majority of drivers can
Maybe some of us have a photographic memory for a certain level of detail and interpret that memory as being an important part of being observant. I watched a handful of vehicles go past me whilst I was waiting to pull out of a junction. Do I remember what those vehicles were (make, model, colour, shape, whatever)? No, although I suppose I might have been able to tell you at the time. Does that mean I wasn't observant whilst waiting to pull out? No. It just means my short term memory is more selective. Being able to remember the 432 cars I passed on my journey yesterday does not make me a better driver. An impressive feat if I could do it though
That isn't really the point that anyone was trying to make though really - it was merely that being observant about the cars around you help you make more informed decisions about your own actions. This was to counter someone's claim that driving very quickly is safe even if it means they are travelling so quickly they are [b]unable [/b]to process information enough to actually be able to recall car colours (specifically police cars).
It did get a bit silly granted.