Discussion
I do a lot of driving and like to get from A to B with the minimum amount of fuss. I'm not a lunatic driver but I do exceed the speed limit when I think it's safe to do so. One thing guaranteed to wind me up (apart from stealth tax cameras) is slow driving.
The people who insist on hovering at or way under the legal speed limit for the road do this, in my opinion, because they are not confident enough to step on the gas. Inevitably, on roads where safe overtaking places are few and far between, this leads to a bloody great queue of cars driven by increasingly more impatient drivers (people like me) who end up taking chances in a bid to crack on with their journey.
I think a new section of the driving test should be introduced that is based on time. The driver under test should be made to complete a circuit, off the main roads, say a test track, with hazards, eg traffic lights, chicanes, parked vehicles etc. This circuit should have an acceptable time associated with it that requires the driver to drive at motorway speeds in parts to be able to actually complete the circuit in the required time. The people who are afraid of putting the toe down will be weeded out and in time we should have less incompetent and under confident drivers on our roads.
Anyone agree / disagree ?
>>> Edited by meaculpa on Thursday 25th October 16:43
The people who insist on hovering at or way under the legal speed limit for the road do this, in my opinion, because they are not confident enough to step on the gas. Inevitably, on roads where safe overtaking places are few and far between, this leads to a bloody great queue of cars driven by increasingly more impatient drivers (people like me) who end up taking chances in a bid to crack on with their journey.
I think a new section of the driving test should be introduced that is based on time. The driver under test should be made to complete a circuit, off the main roads, say a test track, with hazards, eg traffic lights, chicanes, parked vehicles etc. This circuit should have an acceptable time associated with it that requires the driver to drive at motorway speeds in parts to be able to actually complete the circuit in the required time. The people who are afraid of putting the toe down will be weeded out and in time we should have less incompetent and under confident drivers on our roads.
Anyone agree / disagree ?
>>> Edited by meaculpa on Thursday 25th October 16:43
You can be done for driving without due consideration for other road users if you are grossly slow.
I think there was a case on the A30 in Devon/Cornwall a few years ago of a driver (with a caravan, no surprises there) doing 18 mph with a half mile of traffic behind them.
There have also been cases on the single track roads in the north of Scotland where a driver has driven slowly and persistently failed to let following traffic past by pulling into a passing place (they're for traffic passing in the same direction as well as oncoming!).
Bit hard to enforce in town though - although had a classic
at the front of the queue at traffic lights this week, quick peep of the horn, and they woke up and drove through - just as the light went back to red for the rest of the queue 
I think there was a case on the A30 in Devon/Cornwall a few years ago of a driver (with a caravan, no surprises there) doing 18 mph with a half mile of traffic behind them.
There have also been cases on the single track roads in the north of Scotland where a driver has driven slowly and persistently failed to let following traffic past by pulling into a passing place (they're for traffic passing in the same direction as well as oncoming!).
Bit hard to enforce in town though - although had a classic
at the front of the queue at traffic lights this week, quick peep of the horn, and they woke up and drove through - just as the light went back to red for the rest of the queue If you do the IAM stuff you are expected to make reasonable progress. This means achieving the speed limit where it is safe to do so. I can't comment about travelling faster than the limit where it is safe to do so 
Slow drivers - i.e. those that drive along at way under the speed limit where there is NO justification for doing so are irritating I agree. Especially on the A5 heading north through Wales causing people to become frustrated and make lunatic overtaking manouvers.
Remember though that there ARE justifications for driving well under posted limits: e.g. poor conditions, pedestrians by the side of the road, children playing near the road etc.
And the frustrated overtaking driver will be the one 'at fault' in the event of an accident.
Slow drivers - i.e. those that drive along at way under the speed limit where there is NO justification for doing so are irritating I agree. Especially on the A5 heading north through Wales causing people to become frustrated and make lunatic overtaking manouvers.
Remember though that there ARE justifications for driving well under posted limits: e.g. poor conditions, pedestrians by the side of the road, children playing near the road etc.
And the frustrated overtaking driver will be the one 'at fault' in the event of an accident.
I know someone who is a very timid driver (drives like an old woman - 45mph max, won't go on motorways unless forced, then sits in the slow lane at the speed of whatever is in front, will not pull out)), and I really pisses me off if I'm in the car with her, but I daren't say anything in case she gets scared (when she does she just drives even slower!), and I often wonder if I should just tell her:
'Look love, you can't drive, and shouldn't be on the roads, give it up'
Apart from the fact that this would cause major grief, it might not work
, does anyone know a better way of dealing with it?
'Look love, you can't drive, and shouldn't be on the roads, give it up'
Apart from the fact that this would cause major grief, it might not work
, does anyone know a better way of dealing with it?
What about making a video highlighting these problems and trying to get it show on one of these amteur points of view slots on the BBC.
This will be a bit controversial I know but here goes........pensioners. Why oh why do they go on the roads at weekends when the have Monday to Friday to themselves. Take their licences away on medical grounds of being terminally slow and losing the concept of what times is.
There. I said it.
There. I said it.
Its not that they drive at the weekend its the fact that they get their bleeding pension on Thursday and instead of waiting until say 10 am Friday before going to walk slowly round the supermarket. They get up at 0630 make breakfast shower put on fresh inconinence pants and head off full of the joys of spring into the rush hour and make me late for work the b******S.
Ouch! I suppose I should withdraw from Pistonheads because I am very very old indeed. Have to say I've enjoyed it though - kept me going while recovering from heavy surgery.
My thanks to you all for some good laughs and some very interesting threads! And, for what it's worth, a bit of advice:
They say you should grow old gracefully, but I beg to differ. It is much much more fun to grow old DISGRACEFULLY. When your turn comes, try it. That way you won't lose more than 10% of your driving skills, and you should still be pretty quick, just as long as you recognize your limitations.
Good luck!
McNab.
My thanks to you all for some good laughs and some very interesting threads! And, for what it's worth, a bit of advice:
They say you should grow old gracefully, but I beg to differ. It is much much more fun to grow old DISGRACEFULLY. When your turn comes, try it. That way you won't lose more than 10% of your driving skills, and you should still be pretty quick, just as long as you recognize your limitations.
Good luck!
McNab.
My driving instructor always taught me to be at the posted speed where safe to promote confidence when I passed my test; eg- in a 30 limit, do 30, in a 60 limit, get up to 60 quickly, don't p15s about a lower speeds like some learners.
All instructors should have the same attitude.
Slow vehicle causing queues?
There would be less of a snake if folk would learn to overtake with confidence. On the A702 I frequently join the back of snakes and get by the obstacle before the car that is directly behind said obstacle using the many safe overtakeing straights that are available (assuming the rest of the muppets leave gaps - I fecking hate tailgaitor snakes
)
Edited by VTECDave on Tuesday 30th October 13:27
All instructors should have the same attitude.
Slow vehicle causing queues?
There would be less of a snake if folk would learn to overtake with confidence. On the A702 I frequently join the back of snakes and get by the obstacle before the car that is directly behind said obstacle using the many safe overtakeing straights that are available (assuming the rest of the muppets leave gaps - I fecking hate tailgaitor snakes
) Edited by VTECDave on Tuesday 30th October 13:27
Although I live in London I know the A702 very well (grew up in that area). Couldn't agree more about the snakes. What really gets me though is the B'rds who drive at 45 ALL the time, even in the 30 limits. That way, I slow down incase there are children/pedestrians about having caught the slow b's who then go pulling away through villages and the likes. You then catch them up again just before a lot of corners. Who's more dangerous, me doing 30 in the 30's and "more than 60" at other times (where appropriate) or them?
Rant mode off !
Rant mode off !
It may be a pain, but it is better that they drive slowly rather than crash and kill themselves becoz of their incompetence. ("oh, yes it is", "oh, no it isn't", ....)
It would help if they were a bit more cooperative and aware of what was going on around them, e.g. actively help people to overtake by staying close to the verge on straights, don't accelerate (albeit feebly) out of corners, leave gaps between cars if they aren't trying to overtake.
I'm sure most of us do this if a biker is trying to get past.
It would help if they were a bit more cooperative and aware of what was going on around them, e.g. actively help people to overtake by staying close to the verge on straights, don't accelerate (albeit feebly) out of corners, leave gaps between cars if they aren't trying to overtake.
I'm sure most of us do this if a biker is trying to get past.
quote:
Although I live in London I know the A702 very well (grew up in that area). Couldn't agree more about the snakes. What really gets me though is the B'rds who drive at 45 ALL the time, even in the 30 limits. That way, I slow down incase there are children/pedestrians about having caught the slow b's who then go pulling away through villages and the likes. You then catch them up again just before a lot of corners. Who's more dangerous, me doing 30 in the 30's and "more than 60" at other times (where appropriate) or them?
Rant mode off !
Someone else feels the way I do!
AAAARGH!
Hey Nonegreen, I like your idea of videoing crappy drivers. I had a similarish idea a few months back. I live in Ipswich and my daily commute to work was a mere 6 miles but those 6 miles were feckin' desperate. It got to a point where I started noting down make model and licence plate (sad but true)to be included in a name and shame website I was going to build detailing what they had done to piss me off. I didn't do it in the end because there wouldn't have been any point, other than to give myself some sort of twisted satisfaction.
For my sins I now find myself working away from Ipswich and my weekly commute takes me via two of the country's most coronary inducing highways, namely the A12 and the M25. I'm not sure which road sucks the most (well it's not the road that sucks it's the knob heads who cause the tailbacks by crashing or driving the whole journey with one foot on the brakes). THER'S NO NEED TO BRAKE, JUST DROP A GEAR YOU TWATS.
For my sins I now find myself working away from Ipswich and my weekly commute takes me via two of the country's most coronary inducing highways, namely the A12 and the M25. I'm not sure which road sucks the most (well it's not the road that sucks it's the knob heads who cause the tailbacks by crashing or driving the whole journey with one foot on the brakes). THER'S NO NEED TO BRAKE, JUST DROP A GEAR YOU TWATS.
Some people have the idea of photographing the reckless driver..
For example, I was dangerously doing 30mph in the Chimaera in a 30 limit, when some doddering old git got so close I couldn`t see his license plate. He then proceeded to spend the next 2 minutes or so attempting to get his camera, and take a shot of me, all while tailgaiting (sp?) me.....
I must admit I spent an awful lot of time looking at him in the mirror wondering what the hell he was doing... And whether when he presented his 'evidence' to plod, would they wonder how he took this shot while tailing me ?!?!?
For example, I was dangerously doing 30mph in the Chimaera in a 30 limit, when some doddering old git got so close I couldn`t see his license plate. He then proceeded to spend the next 2 minutes or so attempting to get his camera, and take a shot of me, all while tailgaiting (sp?) me.....
I must admit I spent an awful lot of time looking at him in the mirror wondering what the hell he was doing... And whether when he presented his 'evidence' to plod, would they wonder how he took this shot while tailing me ?!?!?
quote:
It would help if they were a bit more cooperative and aware of what was going on around them, e.g. actively help people to overtake by staying close to the verge on straights, don't accelerate (albeit feebly) out of corners, leave gaps between cars if they aren't trying to overtake.
i think that is the point.
the reason that they drive soooo poorly is that they do not have a clue about what is going on around them.
As the spokesman for a new road organisation, Safe Handling In Town Situations, together with our sister group, Together Our Streets Shall Remain Safe, I would like to say we are not opposed to you youngsters and your hot wheels. We were young once, at least my doctor said I was, and I always wear my brown trilby at a jaunty angle. But it can be difficult, trying to decide wich exit to take on a roundabout, so it's much better to crawl round, so I can see the signs through the mist of cataracts. Sainsburys is open till 10 p.m. anyway, so why all the rush from you speed demons. The motorways (new-fangled death traps, they are!) must be safe for all users, and so I travel at a sensible speed in the middle lane, so I get plenty of chance to sleep before I hit the rumble strips. It stops hooligans with caravans from hurtling up behind me at 40mph, they can just slip by on the inside. Everyone knows, that travelling too fast thins the air as it rushes past, so you can black out through lack of oxygen. Mind you, I'd love one of those sporty cars, a Hillman Minx, or even a racy Ford Anglia. But my dream car, one that would give me so much more "street crab", as you youngsters say, is the Reliant Kitten! Oh, four wheels on one car!! I bet you can get them in beige, as well, to match my liver spots. OOh, lovely, where's a lay-by, I need to empty my leg bag! ....zzzzzzz...
Edited by nubbin on Saturday 3rd November 10:05
Edited by nubbin on Saturday 3rd November 10:05
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