Current standards of driving

[Thumbbass 324]

I don't know if I've just been an unlucky idiot magnet over the last couple of weeks but some of the driving I've witnessed recently and the safety on the roads is about as bad as I've ever known. I've been driving since the mid 90s and never known it as bad.

Over the last couple of weeks:

- Run off road in my car in peak-time traffic doing around 40mph by a builders/van who was in the middle of the road, in evading the collision I hit a curb and lost a tyre. Could have been a lot worse.

- Heading into city on Wroxham road in broad-daylight car in front of me stopped dead, no signals, then reversed towards me, then u-turned and headed the other way. Didn't turn into a junction, just stopped dead in the flow of traffic. The driver was, I'm assuming, a mother, and her young child was sat in the front seat.

- Following a car driving erratically at around 1am through Beccles, they stopped at a roundabout, then stayed there blocking the entrance to the roundabout for around 3-4 minutes with no other traffic on the road. Most likely drunk as a skunk.

- On my bike crossing a roundabout, a car with a driver who did not even look,  pulled out and saw me at the last moment as I braced to be hit. She stopped around a foot away from me, she was on the phone (handsfree). The guy on the other end I could hear was saying 'what's the matter, have you hit someone?' in the most matter of fact way possible, like she'd done it yesterday too.

There have been other minor things but these stick out, just wondered if anyone else was experiencing a similar deterioration in road safety or whether I just need to buy full body armour and suck it up!

[Van wink 2,994]

There really is some **** driving out there, its the little things that really wind me up like not indicating when using roundabouts.....****ing idiots!!!

[The Raptor 1,259]

My pet hate at the moment is cyclists who ride on the road slowing everything up until the lights are red then they just go on the path to avoid stopping.

Also cyclists/scooter wearing headphones. If they're doing this surely they're not paying enough attention to the road. it should be the same offense as driving while using a phone. And also a free hit. Sames as joggers if they just cross the road in front of you

[Yellow Fever 3,848]

1 hour ago, The Raptor said:

My pet hate at the moment is cyclists who ride on the road slowing everything up until the lights are red then they just go on the path to avoid stopping.

Also cyclists/scooter wearing headphones. If they're doing this surely they're not paying enough attention to the road. it should be the same offense as driving while using a phone. And also a free hit. Sames as joggers if they just cross the road in front of you

I might concur with you - but these cyclists and others grow up to be the same car drivers as TB notes.

Its the view that the rules of the road or considerate behaviour doesn't apply to them attitude, that we are frankly encouraging with a blind eye to errant cyclists.

Are driving standards less - actually I think they've always been much the same - TB has been unfortunate. I am pretty there are a lot less drunken drivers that there used to be!

[Herman 9,853]

2 hours ago, Van wink said:

There really is some **** driving out there, its the little things that really wind me up like not indicating when using roundabouts.....****ing idiots!!!

Mostly the taxi drivers around my way. Professional drivers, my eye.

[KernowCanary 214]

- Once had a bloke taking maybe his son out on a driving lesson on Christmas Day last year. Stopped at the end of the road at a junction, did nothing and had to use the left lane to turn right.

- Driving along a road in Truro, the car in front just stopped randomly, put on its hazard flashers and confused everybody, just a minute later the car in front worked out what was going on.

- People leaving their cars abandoned in the middle of the road during the “cold snap”, before they couldn’t go any further. Should have moved them to the side of the road when there was plenty of space.

- A DPD van I generously waved on to go in front of me turning into the road in front of me from the right, but just sat there doing nothing, so I just drove on and shouted “Shall I send you a postcard!?”

[Thumbbass 324]

4 hours ago, The Raptor said:

My pet hate at the moment is cyclists who ride on the road slowing everything up until the lights are red then they just go on the path to avoid stopping.

Also cyclists/scooter wearing headphones. If they're doing this surely they're not paying enough attention to the road. it should be the same offense as driving while using a phone. And also a free hit. Sames as joggers if they just cross the road in front of you

Problem is that as a cyclist you're so much more vulnerable at junctions and lights than other road users. People changing their minds or attempting to overtake on blind corners, happens a lot. 

During the cold snap  I took my bike to pick up my car from the garage. In the middle of the road ready to turn right, hi vizzed up, some pillock overtook me as I was about to turn. Honestly until you experience it on a daily basis reserve judgement on cyclists using paths. I've changed my mind and happy to have the conversation with anyone who fancies it. 

[Naturalcynic 682]

At risk of accusations of ageism and sexism, I’m usually wary of elderly drivers  (frequently oblivious to other traffic and insufficient confidence to drive safely), parents with small children in the car (frequently distracted), anyone in a white van (usually on their mobiles and driving like idiots), and young males in BMWs and Audis (aggressive and arrogant drivers).

Edited December 23, 2022 by Naturalcynic

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,458]

Young women seem to have taken over the mantel of boy racers in my experience.

[Herman 9,853]

7 hours ago, The Raptor said:

My pet hate at the moment is cyclists who ride on the road slowing everything up until the lights are red then they just go on the path to avoid stopping.

Also cyclists/scooter wearing headphones. If they're doing this surely they're not paying enough attention to the road. it should be the same offense as driving while using a phone. And also a free hit. Sames as joggers if they just cross the road in front of you

The road near my work it is not the cyclists holding people up (technically it is..) but the nervous driver behind that won't pass them until there is nobody on t'other side for a very good distance. It's not even a narrow lane.

[TheGunnShow 6,080]

Can't comment with much authority as I don't drive - but maybe some people are crashing for cash off the insurance? The Deane district of Bolton was pretty infamous for it for quite some time.

[Aggy 766]

Not sure it’s any worse. Driving round a city, I spend half of my time suppressing (or trying to suppress) road rage and have for as long as I can remember.

Main pet hate is people who block junctions at traffic lights. The traffic’s bad, yeah you’ve queued for ages we get it, but if you sneak through and block the junction it causes more problems because everywhere ends up in a gridlock. There’s one piece of road near me in particular where there are two sets of lights not far apart, each with three possible exits, and then three (!) sets of pedestrian lights on the same stretch of road and it culminates in two main roads at either end which are difficult to get on to - slow moving at the best of times, but if one exit gets blocked everywhere backs up and everywhere else gets blocked - you’d be better off getting out and walking.

Cyclists - the ones who cycle about three feet from the edge of the road so you can’t pass them, and usually wobble around a bit too. Also cyclists undertaking, especially near junctions - happens all the time in the city and when roads are busy, you’ve got cars coming from all directions, it’s not always the easiest to see a random bike undertaking you at speed just as you’re about to turn left.

[Foxy2600 306]

I saw some woman in Wales got arrested and a suspended sentence for taking at least 25 driving tests for other people! 
 

Have they found them all? Asked them to sit a retest? If not,  I’ve found one of them in the central reservation on the A34 - still on her phone 🙄 ….

[KiwiScot 1,491]

Slip roads and drivers who think they don't have to adjust or stop for traffic on the road.

[Sheva 125]

Cyclists with no  lights, no helmet, headphones-death wish.

[Yellow Fever 3,848]

On 26/12/2022 at 14:06, Sheva said:

Cyclists with no  lights, no helmet, headphones-death wish.

And cycling the wrong way up a one way street!

Edited December 28, 2022 by Yellow Fever

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,450]

On 23/12/2022 at 18:22, Thumbbass said:

Problem is that as a cyclist you're so much more vulnerable at junctions and lights than other road users. People changing their minds or attempting to overtake on blind corners, happens a lot. 

During the cold snap  I took my bike to pick up my car from the garage. In the middle of the road ready to turn right, hi vizzed up, some pillock overtook me as I was about to turn. Honestly until you experience it on a daily basis reserve judgement on cyclists using paths. I've changed my mind and happy to have the conversation with anyone who fancies it. 

Absolutely this...

 

I've had it on North walsham road biking to work (I work nights 10pm-6am so I always wear a hi-vis top or hoodie or coat and multiple lights (even have a battery powered indicator attached to the back of my bike for turning as in the dark I think my arm isn't enough)  

Was in the lane to go straight over and the left lane to go left was completely clear, and I had some **** in a white works van hold his hand on his horn (I guess I wasn't going fast enough for him) he then proceeded to overtake me, FROM THE RIGHT, SO INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE and then about a foot away from the lights, cut right across me to turn down the left road. He was close enough to me that I managed to kick the back corner of the van as I swerved away!! 

 

I've also had a woman pull out of a road abit further down near the woodman while my light was Green and hers was clearly red, pulled right out to the point where I HAD to either swerve onto the path or into oncoming traffic or else I have gone over her bonnet,  after a few choice words were thrown her way and trying to get into her skull how if I was motorbike not a cycle she'd have probably killed me, she didn't even apologize, just told me I should learn to drive then I wouldn't be on a bike... ( I can drive, I choose not to as I live about 10 minutes from work on a bike so why drive it?) 

 

Add in the buses that get so close they're inches away from me. 

Obviously have a few other examples but these stick out. 

I would also fully accept that's there is ALOT of Dìck head cyclists out there though (They tend to give the decent ones a bad name and we all get put into the same box) 

[Yellow Fever 3,848]

20 minutes ago, GodlyOtsemobor said:

I would also fully accept that's there is ALOT of Dìck head cyclists out there though (They tend to give the decent ones a bad name and we all get put into the same box) 

This is actually the main problem - what we need is a few days of the police focussing on bad cyclists to get the message out. I often these days walk in/out of city (via golden triangle) and about 30% or so of cyclists at night have none or insufficient lights! Stop them, lecture them and if necessary fine them. 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Yellow Fever

[nevermind, neoliberalism has had it 159]

what we should focus on is that all transport user have the right to be on the road. In the absence of roads being build with a separate cycle path next to it, we have managed to be the county with some of the highest Co2 transport pollution. We have not many long distance cycle path and the attitudes of might is right are being cherished by toads who would/could not cycle ever.

I drive a small 1.2ltr. car and I have a folding bike which gets me around, as has the missus, but with increasing animosity against cyclists, cycling itself is being held back when so many could commute by bike but are too scared to even try.

Add to that the fanatics such as Cllr, Wilby who are hell bent to carry on increasing transport pollution by spreading it out into the countryside, unwilling and unable to plan for a Norwich/Norfolk wide tram system, when most of Norwich people would love to have them back. Sadly I can't see these die in the wolds toads at NCC do anything else than to carry on with their un-mandated environmental destruction of woodlands and protected areas.

They failed at planting the trees as announced and in time allocated, they are set to increase pollution in the county. Vote them out ffs. ( for futures sake)

[Thumbbass 324]

So yesterday's dice with death on the roads of Norwich, yet another vehicle not looking and pulling onto the roundabout at the bottom of Kett's Hill. This time it was a guy in his 50s-60s, I always look for eye contact and if it doesn't happen I approach with extreme caution, had I not he would have ploughed straight through the side of me, he didn't even look. As I approached him he noticed me at the last moment (I was at his driver side window and he was in the spotlight of my front light), anchored on his brakes blocking the exit to the roundabout and causing even more problems than if he'd just continued. Cyclists don't have brake lights, if we stop, people in control 2 ton metal boxes are often unaware. The only advantage of being that close was that I could make my feelings on his driving abundantly clear.

Saturday's drive, driving past the Red Lion in Coltishall, another guy in his 50s-60s in a Focus estate completely on the wrong side of the road, his head was down not looking at the road at all, and speeding. Had I not stopped, or at least been paying full attention it would have been a head on collision.

I am genuinely becoming anxious in every trip I take now, the % of oxygen thieves on the roads is definitely increasing.

[Foxy2600 306]

So you'd like cycle tracks along the edge of the road - this will take at least 8 foot each side of the carriageway of what was once pristine grassy verge and is now basically thick crude oil to replace it. Same with the Smart Motorway mob, have another 25 foot of concrete on the side of the 'road' which is used about 0.005% of the time. All because the 'agenda' is a populist safety issue which gets plenty of air time on the Beeb. 

The issue is cars are getting safer at the cost of the occupant being less aware and remote from the actual feel of the road conditions. I'd add that most motorcyclists are better car drivers because of this - more spatially aware, in touch with road conditions etc. 

I remember a work colleague who usually came to work on his Honda 90, hit a Volvo pulling out from a side junction. The accident happened at 30 mph so not really any major injury to him. His words when he came back to work? 'Volvo Drivers doors should be made from paper'. If there is a whiff of vulnerability on the part of the driver, then they'd start looking twice pulling out of junctions.

[Thumbbass 324]

1 hour ago, Foxy2600 said:

So you'd like cycle tracks along the edge of the road - this will take at least 8 foot each side of the carriageway of what was once pristine grassy verge and is now basically thick crude oil to replace it. Same with the Smart Motorway mob, have another 25 foot of concrete on the side of the 'road' which is used about 0.005% of the time. All because the 'agenda' is a populist safety issue which gets plenty of air time on the Beeb. 

I've stated two instances in my last post where car drivers (of which I'm one, and for one I was in a car) have only avoided an accident with me because I was paying attention, and you've gone on some tangent where a cycle lane (which in your scenario would be next to a road) is somehow not sustainable and would damage the earth. BTW, most of the issues I have on my bike are at roundabouts and junctions - stick a cycle lane on a roundabout?! 

Unfortunately, the majority of cycle lanes are poorly conceived - for example - add a cycle lane to a path and the rider has to stop every 30 metres for each junction, avoid pedestrians and dog walkers, piles of leaves/branches, bins etc etc, in which case they will use the road. Add a cycle lane to the side of a road, then you are faced with surface drain covers sunk into the road 2/3", cars parked across the lane etc etc. 

If cycling was safer and easier with better connections, not just cobbled onto existing road networks, it would be accessible for more people. It's cheaper, keeps you fit and doesn't damage the planet. The anti-cyclist rhetoric is just such nonsense , we should be encouraging people to cycle, not whine because the only way they can do it safely is to use a path. I tell my kids to use the path, people in cars just cannot be trusted, I'm happy to have the conversation should the police wish to do so.

I have also ridden a motorcycle on an everyday commute, I have seen almost the full gamut of selfish driving from those in 4 wheel metal boxes, and I have a car and do drive it when necessary. Maybe those who have rarely headed out since COVID are now back in full circulation and the lack of practice has meant they have seriously deskilled in their hazard awareness.

[king canary 7,701]

2 hours ago, Thumbbass said:

I've stated two instances in my last post where car drivers (of which I'm one, and for one I was in a car) have only avoided an accident with me because I was paying attention, and you've gone on some tangent where a cycle lane (which in your scenario would be next to a road) is somehow not sustainable and would damage the earth. BTW, most of the issues I have on my bike are at roundabouts and junctions - stick a cycle lane on a roundabout?! 

Unfortunately, the majority of cycle lanes are poorly conceived - for example - add a cycle lane to a path and the rider has to stop every 30 metres for each junction, avoid pedestrians and dog walkers, piles of leaves/branches, bins etc etc, in which case they will use the road. Add a cycle lane to the side of a road, then you are faced with surface drain covers sunk into the road 2/3", cars parked across the lane etc etc. 

If cycling was safer and easier with better connections, not just cobbled onto existing road networks, it would be accessible for more people. It's cheaper, keeps you fit and doesn't damage the planet. The anti-cyclist rhetoric is just such nonsense , we should be encouraging people to cycle, not whine because the only way they can do it safely is to use a path. I tell my kids to use the path, people in cars just cannot be trusted, I'm happy to have the conversation should the police wish to do so.

I have also ridden a motorcycle on an everyday commute, I have seen almost the full gamut of selfish driving from those in 4 wheel metal boxes, and I have a car and do drive it when necessary. Maybe those who have rarely headed out since COVID are now back in full circulation and the lack of practice has meant they have seriously deskilled in their hazard awareness.

I'm not a cyclist but I did find it funny that as soon as someone posted about bad drivers you immediately get a bunch of people complaining about cyclists, rather than considering their own actions.

Some cyclists can be a pain no doubt but when I'm behind the wheel all of the most dangerous acts I've seen were committed by car drivers, not cyclists. 

[Foxy2600 306]

We have a 1-11 elevation out of Houghton daaarn here in Sussex 

seriously we have cyclists who will attempt to pedal up the whole 1 1/2 miles to the top at Whiteways holding back a grain or brick lorry for 15 minutes to get to the top ( because the lorry has no hope of executing an overtake) and then claim they are saving the world 

meanwhile, the thirty or forty cars, trucks and vans behind the melee are in first gear achieving 2 or maybe 4 to the gallon in first gear.

[canarydan23 4,118]

6 hours ago, king canary said:

I'm not a cyclist but I did find it funny that as soon as someone posted about bad drivers you immediately get a bunch of people complaining about cyclists, rather than considering their own actions.

Some cyclists can be a pain no doubt but when I'm behind the wheel all of the most dangerous acts I've seen were committed by car drivers, not cyclists. 

This is the crux of the issue. There is a minority of cyclists who are complete ******, but their actions very, very rarely cause anyone physical harm or danger. Even the twats that jump onto pavements to avoid red lights don't do so when there are Mums pushing prams already on the pavement (despite the anecdotes your average Daily Mail reader will regale you with).

However, the minority of car drivers who do stupid things in their heavy metal genuinely do present a hazard that regularly injures or kill people. Yet so many people, and this thread is evidence, think it would genuinely be a good use of police time to target and educate cyclists?! I don't even like the term; I commute to work twice a week on my bike, but I also own two cars, one of which is a **** to tax. And as someone who has commuted on a bike for years, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I've had the road tax argument shouted at me, often through the window of a car that costs £20 a year for its vehicle excise duty.

[hogesar 9,806]

39 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

This is the crux of the issue. There is a minority of cyclists who are complete ******, but their actions very, very rarely cause anyone physical harm or danger. Even the twats that jump onto pavements to avoid red lights don't do so when there are Mums pushing prams already on the pavement (despite the anecdotes your average Daily Mail reader will regale you with).

However, the minority of car drivers who do stupid things in their heavy metal genuinely do present a hazard that regularly injures or kill people. Yet so many people, and this thread is evidence, think it would genuinely be a good use of police time to target and educate cyclists?! I don't even like the term; I commute to work twice a week on my bike, but I also own two cars, one of which is a **** to tax. And as someone who has commuted on a bike for years, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I've had the road tax argument shouted at me, often through the window of a car that costs £20 a year for its vehicle excise duty.

There is a reality as well, where car drivers think cyclists are being complete pr*cks, but in fact they're just trying doing things to protect themselves from endless awful car drivers. I didn't really get it until I started cycling main roads in rush hour times. 

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,450]

10 hours ago, hogesar said:

There is a reality as well, where car drivers think cyclists are being complete pr*cks, but in fact they're just trying doing things to protect themselves from endless awful car drivers. I didn't really get it until I started cycling main roads in rush hour times. 

This is the problem aswell ALOT of car drivers have never experienced cycling to work on a main road etc. 

I choose to cycle, not a cycling enthusiast by any means but makes more sense to cycle when it takes so little time on my bike to get to work. 

 

Most car drivers have never experienced what it's like to be an inch away from being sent flying by an obnoxious, self important côckwomble who can't wait an extra couple of minutes to get where they 'need' to get to. 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by GodlyOtsemobor

[Thumbbass 324]

14 minutes ago, GodlyOtsemobor said:

I choose to cycle, not a cycling enthusiast by any means but makes more sense to cycle when it takes so little time on my bike to get to work. 

If more people, who were able to cycle, took this attitude the roads would be safer, congestion would be massively reduced and the air would be cleaner for the next generation. 

It's the us vs them attitude that irritates me. If you weren't sat on a bike, you'd probably be in a car, causing another 4 metre's worth of tailback at the next junction or set of lights. Pumping X amount of carbon into the atmostphere directly or by-proxy if driving an electric vehicle. Your car would be taking up another parking space in the places other's want to park.

If any road user is being selfish it's not the person on a bike.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Thumbbass