Drivers, what is going on?

[alicat]

Cars are much more automated than they used to be so drivers think they can multi-task.

The increase in automation in cars (lights/windscreen wipers, straying out of lane, getting to close to a car in front) coupled with a smart phone obsession is reducing some people's attention spans and also encouraging them to multitask to the detriment of their driving. Even if they are not actually on their phones when driving, they are not really present and concentrating on the job in hand any more.

 

[gbb]

I drive a section of the A1M/A14 every workday and it's just a free for all.
Lane two drivers...thats normal.
Lane 3 of 4 drivers...steadfastly oblivious to everything around them aren't a surprise anymore...steadfastly sitting there when there's absolutely no need. That's laziness or selfishness,
Launch control drivers entering the motorway. Accelerate like a F1 start and into lane 4 ASAP.
Last second exiters, dive across multiple lanes to exit or duck in far too close to the car behind and create a stream of brake lights as everyone then has to suddenly slow down.
Off the motorway...red light jumpers are now so common you'd be suicidal NOT to assume because the lights have turned green in your favour that at least one, often two cars will still blunder on through the just turned red.
Everywhere is like a race track. I never saw it as bad as it is nowadays. Considering they've beefed up the driving test immensely over the last 20 or so years...i wonder why they bothered.

 

[screenman]

Everyday standards are dropping, not just driving.

 

[mustang1]

I leave for work way earlier then needed so I can take a slow drive in, I think much of the issue is people rushing.

The other issue is people really don’t seem to care at the moment.

I leave early when possible too. But so do others. So I have to leave even earlier. As more people get clued on to the benefits of leaving early, more will do so. The current early-leavers will have to leave even earlier. Some time in the future, rush hour may start at 3AM.

So why are people in a rush? Bottom line: dollars, fear of losing job, not organized enough, too many things to do. That saying "not enough hours in the day". If there were more hours in the day, we wouldn't have free hours because that would eventually be taken up by the norm eventually becoming "working more hours". There is always more to do than there are hours in the day. Maybe it eats into people's sleep patterns which further augments the problem.

 

[mustang1]

Cars are much more automated than they used to be so drivers think they can multi-task.

The increase in automation in cars (lights/windscreen wipers, straying out of lane, getting to close to a car in front) coupled with a smart phone obsession is reducing some people's attention spans and also encouraging them to multitask to the detriment of their driving. Even if they are not actually on their phones when driving, they are not really present and concentrating on the job in hand any more.

The vast majority of cars do not have such automation (re lane-keeping assist). It's just lower standards, more people on the road, more of a rush. If more cars had those auto-brakes that stop you getting too close, that would be useful. In fact, just a fully-automated car would be great, but that's many years into the future for them to become widespread, maybe 50-100 years before 90% of road traffic is fully-automated.

 

[Drago]

It's not just lack of attention, it's downright lunacy in many cases. Remember the craze of the 90s where a roundabout wasn't a device to send you in the desired direction, but a chance to use the wrong lane as an overtaking opportunity? Well it's back with a vengeance.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I do a 10 mile drive to work if im not cycling " only 7 on the bike"
As i do the same journey every day i see the same 4 things every morning .

Why cant people do the Merge in turn thing?
Use a roundabout?
Stop at red lights?
Enter a duel carriageway properly?.

Its easy enough but the " its my road mentality " seems strong once people get in a car.

I wouldn't ride a motorcycle to work .

 

[NorthernDave]

It's not just lack of attention, it's downright lunacy in many cases. Remember the craze of the 90s where a roundabout wasn't a device to send you in the desired direction, but a chance to use the wrong lane as an overtaking opportunity? Well it's back with a vengeance.

Without a doubt, a significant minority now feel entitled to use any lane to go round a roundabout if it's quicker for them. I see this virtually every day now.

 

[Drago]

I know the very stretch or road where that happened - lack of experience can hardly be blamed for her being on the wrong side of the carriageway - day 1 , lesson one, sentence one, "OK, we drive on the left here in the UK..."

 

[kingrollo]

More white van drivers - who sometimes get 30p per parcel - they need to drive fast to make a living.
Like wise the growth of DIY taxis - and more worryingly the growth of Fake taxis.

We have created a society where everyone is encouraged to live life at 100mph - 24/7

The first question my colleagues ask when I cycle to and from work 'But how long does that take you' - I tell them they are missing the point.

 

[mjr]

Off the motorway...red light jumpers are now so common you'd be suicidal NOT to assume because the lights have turned green in your favour that at least one, often two cars will still blunder on through the just turned red.

That's been the situation in King's Lynn pretty much forever. Lots of traffic lights here (used to be 13 sets in the 2 miles before my old home) and few traffic police, so it would be surprising if I ever drove through on just-amber and didn't have at least two cars follow me. As I mentioned elsewhere, the last year or so, I've seen some motorists treating red lights as a sort of give-way where they merely slow right down, creep across the stop line (usually blocking any pelican/toucan/puffin crossing), check if another motorist can hit them before they clear the junction and then boot the accelerator if not. RLJ and yellow box cameras would be very profitable but we don't have any AFAIK.

For now, when cycling through traffic lights, please check that either all conflicting lanes are blocked by vehicles or that nothing's approaching fast enough to hit you before you ride out, even on green. It probably annoys following drivers but the ones who queue behind you seem less likely to hit you than RLJers.

 

[mjr]

Without a doubt, a significant minority now feel entitled to use any lane to go round a roundabout if it's quicker for them. I see this virtually every day now.

One of the few IMO-dodgy bits of advice one of my driving instructors gave me was that the lane markings are advisory and to use any lane I thought best. There's a grain of truth in there, not to rely on them and especially not to rely on other road users following the markings, but it's not solid good advice.

Norfolk is currently reeling from the shock of the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NDR aka Not Driving Round aka Broadland Northway aka A1270 or so) being among the first roads built here having only current standard roundabout shapes, more or less (I've read accusations about minor errors in the road markings), instead of the usual roundabouts with too-small islands that you can easily cut lanes on, and the result seems to be quite a few drivers crashing into the central islands from what looks like excessive speed on entry. Most drivers seem to be blaming the roundabout designs...

 

[mjr]

Enter a duel carriageway properly?.

Duel, eh? Paging Dr Freud...

 

[mjr]

The first question my colleagues ask when I cycle to and from work 'But how long does that take you' - I tell them they are missing the point.

About the same time as a car around here. Quicker if your car would be on the road with today's crash of the day.

 

[groundy74]

I was hit by a car on a roundabout when I had right of way, pulled out in front of me and despite my best efforts I hit the back of his car and was thrown from the bike. He was the other side of the roundabout before he stopped. Luckily I only had minor injuries but was pretty shook up.

Best advice I had from the lad in the bike shop who looked over my bike for me was treat everything on the road as if its trying to kill you!!

Even when I have right of way I now slow slightly just to be certain there's nothing coming. It shouldn't be that way but things are only going to get worse with poor road systems, shocking public transport and more than ever cars on the road.

Wont stop me cycling though