Traumatized

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cyberknight

cyberknight

As long as I breathe, I attack.
last few times we have been east mablethorpe/ yarmouth way the traffic is so much better as its "only" dual carriageway at most the driving standard is ok , already said to the family i doubt we will be going sooth again .
We did set off later than i wanted as it was a last minute choice to come home a day early as the weather had been uniformly meh all week and didnt get on the beach at all.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
In heavy/holiday traffic you could just stay in Lane 1 with the heavy stuff/BEV's as no one else uses L1 so it really is nice and easy, trucks might tailgate each other lots but I've found that recently they don't seem to do it so much with cars, though they damn well do when I'm towing (!?).
The definition of a good driver back in the day, was to get from Edinburgh to London without using brakes (NOTE driver - not a motorist). Sadly that challenge is probably not possible now even for the best drivers due to too many variables (knobbers/motorists) and most certainly not in the school holidays as that is when the worst of the motorists AKA sunday drivers venture out.
I used to tow a caravan to Weymouth, id do 60 mph, mostly in lane 1 as you say.
Roundabouts, youd see rocket off....and meet them at the next R/A or TLs. Over and over again you'd see the same cars 1 mile up the road, they were probably gulping fuel...getting nowhere faster than me.
Its actually remarkably relaxing to do long journeys at a sensible speed, your brain can relax. Its constant decision making thats tiring.
 
In heavy/holiday traffic you could just stay in Lane 1 with the heavy stuff/BEV's as no one else uses L1 so it really is nice and easy, trucks might tailgate each other lots but I've found that recently they don't seem to do it so much with cars, though they damn well do when I'm towing (!?).
The definition of a good driver back in the day, was to get from Edinburgh to London without using brakes (NOTE driver - not a motorist). Sadly that challenge is probably not possible now even for the best drivers due to too many variables (knobbers/motorists) and most certainly not in the school holidays as that is when the worst of the motorists AKA sunday drivers venture out.
Might just be able to do that on a very lucky day with an EV and one foot driving...
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
I gave up motorcycling as i started to feel like a spitfire pilot every time i went....ie might come back might not. Last time i was taken out the driver in court said " i thought i could make it" ....that she could clear a junction before i arrived. Obviously not as imbedded my bike into her Citroen Saxo. Anyhow if i get crunched again it'll be a horrible mess of twisted titanium and re-breaking past breakages. Driving standards are worse than ever and i dont feel lucky anymore..
Starting to have that "spitfire pilot" feeling myself these days. Every time I read the BBC Scotland news pages, another biker (usually middle aged) has come a cropper. Most recent being the A82 at Balloch on Sunday. Had a half hearted attempt at selling my Honda VFR earlier this year but no takers. It's probably worth more broken up for parts, that could be the next option, but seems a waste of a very good bike.
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
I'm not sure what has happened in the last few years, maybe I'm just getting older, but I've gone from someone who loved driving (even doing it for a living on HGV's for 10 years) and motorcycling, to someone who avoids it like the plague. Far too much aggression, incompetence, stupidity, ignorance, selfishness*, and downright disregard for the road traffic laws going on now - and seemingly no-one to enforce the laws.

*selfishness, that might be the root cause of it all. Driving has just followed the trend of everything else in society, i.e. "me, me, me".
 
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alicat

Legendary Member
Location
Staffs
I heard about the phrase 'Space, speed and surprise'. This article explains that every crash needs three things to happen before a crash occurs:
  • something is moving
  • something unexpected happens and
  • someone runs out of room.
If someone is up close behind me, then I leave enough room in front for both of us to brake or I change lanes and get out of the way. That has been a game-changer.

I used to find I was getting sucked into behaving like the drivers around me and then I prepared for the Advanced Driving Test and that also helped. I'm constantly watching the road and wondering if a car is about to do something unexpected and what I would do if e.g. they pulled into my safe braking space.

I'm realistic enough to know that every trip could result in a crash but at least I've reduced the odds.
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
Does Top Gear ever address poor driving skills on the road ?
Why would they? It's not their place to address poor driving skills. That should be a matter for the DSA, Police, and the courts. If they did their job as they should, the roads would be much safer and driving would be a less unpleasant experience.
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
Peer pressure. The kind of people who pull into your braking space dont seek out Dept of Transport safety advice. They do peruse one the the countries most popular car media brands in tv and magazine.
Maybe they could address it on the 9 o'clock news then. Or Eastenders, Love Island, or whatever. Why Top Gear in particular? A large proportion of bad driving I witness comes from a section of society who I would guess have zero interest in Top Gear. In fact they have zero interest in cars or driving. To them it's just the fastest and most convenient way of getting from A to B and back again, while still being able to chat on their phone and update FB..
 
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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
A large proportion of bad driving I witness comes from a section of society who I would guess have zero interest in Top Gear.

Not being thanked/acknowledged when I let an oncoming car through frustrates me.

I've noticed that ignorant habit is universal in terms of age and gender, although I always think 'you are old enough to know better' when an older person does it.
 
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