Family nearly killed today

[Mr Pig]

Terrible. I hate these people. What gets me is all the bleating about 'speed kills' and the erection of cameras on every corner. Speed dosn't kill, morons kill! And all these camers are not going to catch clowns like this. We need more cops on the road, and cops that are not lazy like so many seem to be these days.

 

[John the Monkey]

We need more cops on the road, and cops that are not lazy like so many seem to be these days.

We need a society where it's considered unacceptable to chance someone else's life because they've slightly annoyed you, rather than this seeming appropriate simply because you are both in motor vehicles, imho. There's an acceptance of bad behaviour from drivers in this country that utterly baffles me - I can't think of any other area of behaviour in public where the sort of twattery indulged in by far too many drivers would be considered acceptable.

More police would be very nice, but there will never be enough to make a dent in this without some sort of change in attitude in society itself.

 

[domtyler]

This is what I was talking about on the "20mph zones" thread when I said that cameras will eventually evolve from mere speed cameras to more intelligent ones that can recognise this form of behaviour. It will probably be quite a few years away though unless anyone wants to lend me several hundreds of millions of pounds to get the ball rolling? Anyone?

 

[gambatte]

Twickenham Police are talking out of their arse. You can report the offence at any station.

I would ask them to consider a Section 3 offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 - driving without due consideration. You are the only witness required and the punishments can be quite steep.

Another case of a civilian police contact acting like a doctors receptionist?

If you can't report it, the figures stay low....

 

[LLB]

Ideally with tailgaters, you want to have a more powerful car than the tailgater - which is rarely a problem as the most frequent tailgaters, in my experience, are White Van Men.

What I do is gradually reduce speed, then accelerate rapidly away. If they do it again, repeat. I don't think I've ever had to do it more than twice before they realise that they will make faster progress by staying a decent distance behind me.

Ben

My m/cycle does 0-60 in a shave over 3 seconds with a top end of over 160mph so putting a distance between me and idiots like this with brute force is never an issue, however I'm not going to engage in a game of cat and mouse with them as for one, I risk putting others in danger making me no better than these idiots, and if they are already tailgating me, the likelihood is they wouldn't give a shoot if they knocked my off.

Funny thing is the only time I have ever had hassle in the 4x4 is from a 7.5 tonne lorry.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Twickenham Police are talking out of their arse. You can report the offence at any station.

I would ask them to consider a Section 3 offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 - driving without due consideration. You are the only witness required and the punishments can be quite steep.

I would have dialled 999 immediately, if there was a patrol car sat bored within a few Miles distance they probably be pleased with the excitement.

 

[beancounter]

My m/cycle does 0-60 in a shave over 3 seconds with a top end of over 160mph

[off topic]

So why didn't you reply to my "Any bikers here" thread?

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12701

bc

[back on topic]

 

[LLB]

[off topic]

So why didn't you reply to my "Any bikers here" thread?

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12701

bc

[back on topic]

I did

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=272945&postcount=11

 

[beancounter]

I did

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=272945&postcount=11

D'oh!!!!!

Sorry.

bc

 

[domd1979]

Cameras are a second best option. The whole problem is "political acceptability", and gutless politicians. As a nation, we seem to express outrage at anything that is seen to take away from an individual's ability to exercise choice - quite why politicians think it is OK for a driver to be able to choose to break the limit is beyond me.

Ideally all vehicles should be fitted with limiters, and then cameras could be done away with. HGVs and PCVs are because, no doubt, its seen as OK to regulate these in the context of commercial activities. Cars could quite easily be fitted with limiters, and the technology isn't beyond us to add GPS so the limiter knows what the speed is. Go a bit further, and bung a basic bit of radar kit could be added in, which could be used with the limiter to tackle tailgating. All of the technology is already there, but we're just too scared to adopt it despite the obvious benefits.

At the very least all vehicles should have a 70mph limiter for both safety and environmental reasons (prevent excessive fuel consumption).

This is what I was talking about on the "20mph zones" thread when I said that cameras will eventually evolve from mere speed cameras to more intelligent ones that can recognise this form of behaviour. It will probably be quite a few years away though unless anyone wants to lend me several hundreds of millions of pounds to get the ball rolling? Anyone?

 

[skwerl]

Cameras are a second best option. The whole problem is "political acceptability", and gutless politicians. As a nation, we seem to express outrage at anything that is seen to take away from an individual's ability to exercise choice - quite why politicians think it is OK for a driver to be able to choose to break the limit is beyond me.

Ideally all vehicles should be fitted with limiters, and then cameras could be done away with. HGVs and PCVs are because, no doubt, its seen as OK to regulate these in the context of commercial activities. Cars could quite easily be fitted with limiters, and the technology isn't beyond us to add GPS so the limiter knows what the speed is. Go a bit further, and bung a basic bit of radar kit could be added in, which could be used with the limiter to tackle tailgating. All of the technology is already there, but we're just too scared to adopt it despite the obvious benefits.

At the very least all vehicles should have a 70mph limiter for both safety and environmental reasons (prevent excessive fuel consumption).

So, another suggestion for removing personal responsibility and placing it in the hands of technology and the State. No wonder so many people now have no concept of taking responsibility for their own actions.

 

[Nigeyy]

Oh, bad news. Tailgaters are some of my least favourite folks out there.

I can't remember how many times I've been going a speed limit on a suburban road and have some idiot (and I'm sorry here, but usually in a big stonking 4x4 too) drive a metre off your rear bumper.

I don't think cat and mouse games are a good idea, and I do think if you are in a multi-lane highway the best thing to do is just get out of the way -saves you aggravation and working them up as well...... the problem I often have is when I'm in the slow travel lane and this happens! I just slow down -usually at least 5 mph below the speed limit. Hey, if you want to be that close, I want to be going slower in case I have to brake quickly.

Clearly some people are:
i. just in sooooo much of a hurry, nobody else matters except them
ii. don't think and don't care to and sod the rest of us
iii. are just plain idiots

 

[domd1979]

In some ways I agree - but doesn't there come a point?

The alternative is that any kind of bad driving must be seen as socially unacceptable - which would most probably involve an element of state intervention.

Even with speed limiters on vehicles, bad driving isn't prevented, but its certainly a start. Limiters could have a positive influence on behaviour, because the "get out of my way" attitude on the motorway would be entirely futile since everyone has the same maximum speed.

There isn't any one answer to the problem of generally worsening standards of driving.

So, another suggestion for removing personal responsibility and placing it in the hands of technology and the State. No wonder so many people now have no concept of taking responsibility for their own actions.

 

[Mr Pig]

I always think it's quite amusing when cyclists, who pay not tax, need no insurance and pass no test, start bemoaning the traffic laws. ;0)

You can't 'make' people better, how are you going to do that? How can you educate the terminally stupid? You need to hammer them. The laws against such behaviour already exist, the problem is enforcing it. Not enough cops and the ones there are are too busy filling in forms or picking drunks out of the A&E.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Not that I think that this is a goo idea, but........I've been in cars with my brother in the past and when someone is tailgating or generally driving aggressively, and he will "box"them in. He lets them start to overtake and then matches their speed. Once they come up behind the next car, they've nowhere to go. On one occassion the guy in the car was foaming at the mouth, shouting out of the window, it was clear that he was going to miss his turn off (which he did!!). Like I mentioned, I don't think is the best way to handle as_hole drivers but it's amusing seeing them almost having a stroke from rage.