Driving Standards

[onesea]

Now this may raise s discussion.

Unusually for me I have not ventured far in the UK the last few years. In the last 2 weeks I have been from my home in the New Forest.

Up passed London, venturing into Norfolk, and exploring that area up to Buckingham and down. 500 odd miles without caravan and near enough the same without. Once passed London driving became a pleasure again, the urgency in most had gone the cut throat arrogance gone.

Having just ventured back down here I remember how to get through a priority system when you have priority you just have to drive at the on coming car and then expect to have abuse given to you for it.

If you want to turn right against a no right turn sign you just so the whole of the high streets traffic and cause grid lock and give others abuse for not letting you.

If you let one car out you at a junction you can expect to let EVERY CAR out.

This is all in a 20 minutes drive after leaving caravan in storage.

So I am nominating Hampshire and will defend my point.

[Bender]

Standards of most drivers is bad and getting worse, people's selfish attitudes in life are carried over to the roads, basically I will do what I want fcuck you.

[dynax]

I think people should have to do some kind of refresher course when their licence is up for renewel, if they don't pass no licence

[rennie]

I agree that the general standard seems to have gone down recently!

lane discipline is Non-existent!

courtesy is Non-existent!

There seems to be very little care or attention anywhere

[manxie49]

Standard of driving on this island has got a lot worse over the past few years, rude, arrogant behaviour, road rage incidents and generally poor standards. A lot of people calling for all island speed limits, when in actual fact most of the accidents are in 30mph zones, and caused by piss poor pathetic driving ability and lack of attention. I agree with Dynax, and this is something I said some time ago, drivers should have to do some sort of refresher training. Just today, older couple in a big 4WD come around a blind bend on the wrong side of the road, this has become typical driving on the country lanes. Thankfully I wasn't going fast, tucked the bike right over, I did blast the horn, more out of annoyance I suppose, and was acknowledged not with a wave of apology, but with a "F--- Off" through their open window as they drove past .... And don't even get me started on the standard of cycling!!

[Mr Fro]

The country wide driving standard is always going to drop so long as the Lahndaners continue to leave the capital.

I had to suffer the M25 the other week and the amount of driver who clearly had no idea how driving works was staggering. I was forced to flick through the complimentary "How to drive like a c*nt" handbook in the BMW's glove box in order to make any decent progress.

Either Londoners should not be allowed past the M25. Ever (preferable). Or they should have to undergo an advanced driving test with an examiner who discriminates against people from London.

[rennie]

Trouble is bad driving breeds bad driving!

If everyone else on the road is driving like a knob then you end up driving like a knob yourself to get anywhere

[The Hitcher]

I had to drive a Model X into London last week for work, the M4 part was absolute bliss, I chickened out and turned off auto pilot when I got to the end of it though.

[S-Westerly]

Personally I think driving in Glasgow city is even worse than in London. The only advantage is it's a hell of a lot smaller so the death zone is easier to get out of.

[bonio]

Trouble is bad driving breeds bad driving!

If everyone else on the road is driving like a knob then you end up driving like a knob yourself to get anywhere

 

This is spot on.

I learned to drive in London. And although I quit the place 30 years ago, I still revert to type and drive like a nob unless I keep my mind focussed. Doesn't help that I've a nob's car too.

[onesea]

lane discipline is Non-existent!

courtesy is Non-existent!

 

Norfolk way was so different, got my misses to drive as I wanted a pint, her verbal of driving was funny....

They did not pull out on me!

They let me in...

They pulled in.

Buckinghamshire way there was the odd idiot, although they soon realised we could be a bigger dick and backed off.... Was wondering where I got those skills then I came home and I realised I am an amateur...

PS London holds no fear your in the wrong lane a bit of argy, bargy and your in the right lane maybe a waved fist or beep of horn.

Try doing the same on Southampton rush hour, it's not a shake off the fist is a cut to the throat. Its not a beep of the horn its a break test and a challenge to fisticuffs....

Then you have the pleasure of "local" traditions. I can expand if you want but it ended with me saying to my mum "crash into the car beside us not the bin lorry coming head on. According to the signs she was in the right lane....

[125cc]

Too many distractions - phones, social media, radio/music, farting about with the various toys, controls and buttons that festoon too many cars these days, admiring scenery, etc. Too many folk driving about with their heads full of s**t!

The problem is, once you've passed your driving test that's it. You go and do as you please until you have an accident or get caught doing something illegal. That's no good and doesn't proactively manage safety. Most folk don't seem to really think and pay attention to their driving. Most just jump in, start and go, as if walking down the street or jumping on a cycle bike. There's no roadcraft or roadsense. Bikers are different as we are much more in-tune with our surroundings as we are exposed and vulnerable, so we are very aware and proactive about it.

Pilots have to have a check with an instructor biannually. To me there should be something similar for drivers. Like a car CBT? Most probably wouldn't pass

[fastbob]

Standards of most drivers is bad and getting worse, people's selfish attitudes in life are carried over to the roads, basically I will do what I want fcuck you.

 

That's the best explanation in a nutshell . The Driving Test is as rigorous as ever so the decline in standards must be linked to attitude .

[SometimesSansEngine]

Indeed, the ones who say "I wouldn't pass my driving test if I took it now" worry me. It's hardly something to be proud of. At the time you're taking it the car test is some horrendous monstrosity to pass, after some solid driving experience you should look back on it and wonder what all the fuss is about (there's vids of youtube of people taking mock tests and feedback on the faults they get, have a watch and you'll see what I mean).

[daveinlim]

Driving standards are dropping. I'm in the car and on my bike in central London a lot. The amount of people that have no concept of how lanes work. They cut through 3 or 4 lanes on a bend in the road and then back again. Cars transfixed on oncoming traffic so end up driving right on the dividing line leaving 4ft of empty lane to the left of them.

I've seen people reverse on motorways and also reverse back up the slip road. And I'm sure we have all had the car driver intentionally cut us off from filtering in stopped traffic.

I think a resit of your test every 10 years should be mandatory. People become complacent and are distracted by hectic lifestyles and phones when driving.

[Marino]

Nothing with test and retest. Just human nature, in Mediterranean countries that is normal. Italy, Croatia, Greece all of them driving like that. It was just question of time when it will spread all over the Europe.

I am on some Croatian forums where you can see that every day one motorcyclist die in traffic accidents. Fortunately there MOTO season last 5 to 6 months, otherwise will remain without population.

Not to talk about car crashes, more people die in a year than during the war.

[bonio]

Fortunately there MOTO season last 5 to 6 months, otherwise will remain without population.

[SometimesSansEngine]

That actually is a reasonably serious point - in 2018 nearly five people died daily on the roads, and 68 people seriously injured every day (and this is something that has actually gotten better through the years and if I recall correctly the UK has one of the best records in Europe...!)

Some will use the term "accident" but it does point to some serious issues with standards and/or the state people drive in. Many roads have been engineered again and again where there are so-called "accident black spots", think how many bends you arrive at on a motorcycle where even though you haven't ridden it before you just know it's going to be a pig because of the advanced warning signs, road paint, chevrons etc let you know all you need to know. All these things cost money, each one tells you that before you came along a few unfortunate buggers made a mistake there.

Lane discipline, save a few poorly marked out roundabouts, shouldn't be hard, following the lane spirals on roundabouts make it a doddle... but seemingly not to many people. This roundabout in Bristol https://goo.gl/maps/dM5Sv9yNQFQ52L2K9, I was in the right hand lane to take the M32S on Friday. Followed the lane markings and spirals, only to get honked at by two separate cars that were in the middle lane for Fishponds and Easton and wanted the M32. But obviously it was my fault.

You realise you're in the wrong lane? See if you can move across, if not just follow the direction you've accidentally pointed yourself towards and sort it out in a bit. It's all the people who don't realise that if you're stuck in the right hand lane of a roundabout and missed your turn off you can just go around again and nail it on the next revolution! Instead they swerve across in a panic

[dynax]

Years ago when i was working with a crew i was a designated driver for the week ( we took it in turns to drive ) anyway on roundabouts while the left hand lane had queues i would use the right hand lane and go all the way round and took the exit i wanted, i saved hours of queueing obviously this tactic was only used on the way home

[SometimesSansEngine]

Magic roundabout in Swindon makes this a fully legit method. You can go left or right around it to reach your intended exit, varying depending on the traffic across it that day. Once you get used it it it works really well.

[exportmanuk]

Pilots have to have a check with an instructor biannually. To me there should be something similar for drivers. Like a car CBT? Most probably wouldn't pass

 

It would not make any difference pass or not they would still drive. The number of vehicles that are driven by unlicensed drivers with un-roadworthy vehicles and no insurance is staggering. Compulsory retests are not going to bother them, they will drive anyway. Totally self-centered individuals with contempt for the law and the rest of the population.

Unfortunately the only way to stop this is for more traffic patrols stopping and confiscating vehicles.

[125cc]

Working at an airport, I see lots of cars getting hired out and driven away, clearly by people from abroad who aren't used to driving on the left or in the UK. It amazes me seeing how many are driven away on the wrong side of the road, stopping in the middle of roundabouts, trying to drive in to exits, and how many cars come back with all sorts of damage.

Last year I saw a French lady destroy a hired Merc outside our workshop after dragging it against a barrier, having tried and failed to drive into an exit. The metalwork on both passenger side doors was peeled away down to the internals, as if a giant tin-opener had munched its way through it. She then stopped in the middle of the road, causing utter calamity, lots of horns getting sounded etc. and got in a hysterical state.

Also last year, I saw a hired Skoda mount the kerb on a corner at 40mph+. Goodness knows what damage the suspension, steering and wheel suffered...

On Monday a Belgian-registered Audi stopped across the roundabout exit I was about to pull out of, in order to drop off passengers for a flight

Just a few examples. These people are not fit and competent to drive, are a danger and should NOT be allowed to drive until proved competent.

[S-Westerly]

Magic roundabout in Swindon makes this a fully legit method. You can go left or right around it to reach your intended exit, varying depending on the traffic across it that day. Once you get used it it it works really well.

 

You mean there's actually a way to negotiate that rather than just closing your eyes and hoping for the best? Well I never!

[S-Westerly]

Most deranged I've seen was a few years back where the A1M splits just north of Washington services. I was heading towards the Team Valley in lane 3 when a few hundred yards in front of me a car slammed on its brakes and started reversing up lane 3 for about 50 yards so he could take the road to the Tyne tunnel! This was in peak morning traffic and caused chaos. Car's plates? Irish.

[SometimesSansEngine]

You mean there's actually a way to negotiate that rather than just closing your eyes and hoping for the best? Well I never!

 

Like I said, you get used to it