state of driving

[Johnno260]

If I'm commuting in via car or bike I see almost daily complete acts of stupidity.

The standard of driving at the moment is utterly horrific.

This morning alone, I have seen someone go the wrong way up a slip road, I had to slam the brakes on twice (car)

1) one person overtook when a dual lane merged into one lane guy decided to overtake several cars behind me then cut me up badly.

2) On a roundabout I was on the roundabout and a van didn't slow, or look, just went over the mini roundabout forcing me to emergency stop, also she should've given way to me in the first place.

I have seen people go wrong way on a one way street, it's just terrible at the moment, the daily commute is actually starting to cause me anxiety.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Thing is, people are always rushing! They need to wake up ten minutes earlier! It annoys me as well..this is when dashcams should be mandatory in all cars! At least if something stupid happens, which is a genuine safety concern you have back up!

 

[DCLane]

Certainly the standard near me in West Yorkshire has got worse. Potentially because the chance of being caught unless near a camera is almost nil.

In my area we've also got a lot of young drivers in high-powered cars racing around the town centre, often in hired cars. That's caused a number of crashes and at least one death.

 

[Johnno260]

I have been toying with getting a dash cam for a while, I think it's becoming a must have almost.

 

[Johnno260]

I'm not saying I'm perfect, but common courtesy and being safe seem to have done out the window.

 

[Lavender Rose]

I have been toying with getting a dash cam for a while, I think it's becoming a must have almost.

YESS! My mum had an incident not long back when she was driving our van (Mercedes Vito - very nice, not very old either!) around the country lanes and she was following this old piece of crap car, and for no reason he slammed on the brakes and she knocked the back of his car. He then proceeded to drive off!, She was in shock but she still followed him to try and get details and he sped up and she lost him onto the main road! So she got no insurance details from him and the police made a case file - but no action was taken as there were no witnesses! So in that instance, dash cam would be great as that would have counted as a witness had the case been taken further.

 

[Milkfloat]

YESS! My mum had an incident not long back when she was driving our van (Mercedes Vito - very nice, not very old either!) around the country lanes and she was following this old piece of crap car, and for no reason he slammed on the brakes and she knocked the back of his car. He then proceeded to drive off!, She was in shock but she still followed him to try and get details and he sped up and she lost him onto the main road! So she got no insurance details from him and the police made a case file - but no action was taken as there were no witnesses! So in that instance, dash cam would be great as that would have counted as a witness had the case been taken further.

Sounds like your Mum had a lucky escape, she would have been liable.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Well yes, but he would have been at fault too because he left the scene of the crime - he also had no reason to brake so quickly in the middle of an empty road - we suspect it was a Crash for Cash bullsh*t scheme?

 

[Milkfloat]

- we suspect it was a Crash for Cash bullsh*t scheme?

He is not very good at it if he does a runner. Someone should tell him that he needs to hang around to exchange insurance details.

 

[Lavender Rose]

But anyway, yes....driving is horrendous at the moment!!

 

[Globalti]

The simple reason is that there are no Police on patrol so the fear of a random catch has gone. The Police just drive up and down the motorway using their ANPR technology to catch uninsured drivers then tweet about it to create an impression of a high success rate. Static ANPR on main roads makes it easy for them to find cars that are of interest.

If you want to drive while drunk or uninsured, stick to quiet roads and you'll be fine.

 

[Threevok]

If you want to drive while drunk or uninsured, stick to quiet roads and you'll be fine.

I agree.

I stay well away from the mountain roads here, on a Sunday, as they are busier than the main roads, I suspect for that very reason

 

[Johnno260]

I'm quite rural, late Friday on the roads is pretty much suicide due to drunk drivers.

I also refuse to cycle on Friday evenings due to the rush traffic being dangerous.

 

[Glow worm]

The simple reason is that there are no Police on patrol so the fear of a random catch has gone.

I think that has a lot to do with it. Drivers know their chances of being caught is almost zero, they can pretty much just get away with it and the boundaries get pushed further, (a good case for average speed cameras on all major roads).
Roads are busier than ever too, so a bit like shoving ever more rats into a cage, drivers (though a lot less hygienic than rats of course) will behave increasingly badly as congestion increases.
Indicating too seems to be a sign of weakness and lack of thereof is no longer the sole preserve of Volvo drivers over here!

 

[Globalti]

The concept of good manners has almost been forgotten, thanks partly to the garbage people watch on Youtube and partly to the sheer amount of traffic that is competing for space. Last night a chavved up BMW crept up behind us and sounded its horn loudly right behind us making me jump and swerve. I would love to have explained to the weapons-grade bellend of a driver that cyclists often can't hear cars thanks to wind noise in our ears and that a polite pip of the horn from 100 yards back is a far more considerate way of alerting us to his presence.