Is it me or what?

[StickyWicket]

Is it me or is the driving on our roads getting worse - so many people now seem to be going through traffic lights once they are well and truly red and is indicating no longer required on motorways? It just seems to be common practice not to indicate whether changing lanes or leaving the motorway.

 

[magicsurfbus]

There certainly seems to be a major quality control problem with indicator bulb manufacturers at present.

 

[WAG2CRU]

short answer is yes, there is also the habit of cutting the corner when turning right and failure to treat mini roundabouts correctly.

 

[chaser]

Cyclists must be getting in motor vehicles somehow

 

[34127]

I find the biggest problem is when others are joining a motorway. Instead of matching their speed to fit in with the traffic on the motorway they start moving across to the inside lane and start blasting their horn if you don't get out of the way.
Also, why do a lot of drivers use front fog lights when it is not foggy.

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[normanandsue]

No! It's you! Drivers have been doing this for years, it's just that you are noticing it more

 

[Kool Kroozer]

drivers who do 20/25 in 30 zones and then 30 in a 40 zone - slow down from 25 in a 30 to 20 as they go past a speed camera do my friggin head in, they must think they can score some brownie points

 

[Popeye]

I find the biggest problem is when others are joining a motorway. Instead of matching their speed to fit in with the traffic on the motorway they start moving across to the inside lane and start blasting their horn if you don't get out of the way.
Also, why do a lot of drivers use front fog lights when it is not foggy.

Because most of these Women don't know they're switched on!

 

[normanandsue]

I find the biggest problem is when others are joining a motorway. Instead of matching their speed to fit in with the traffic on the motorway they start moving across to the inside lane and start blasting their horn if you don't get out of the way.
Also, why do a lot of drivers use front fog lights when its not foggy.

Source of heated discussion (We don't argue) between myself and SWMBO it is of course my fault as I should slow down to let them in. No says I there is a give way marking so they slow down to slot in behind me. If there is no room for me to pull over to let them in I am supposed to brake and slow down ?
Like most road rules - do we insist on what is right and risk an accident or drive safely and let them in? For me I would rather avoid an accident and try and control my own road rage.

 

[keith]

drivers who do 20/25 in 30 zones and then 30 in a 40 zone - slow down from 25 in a 30 to 20 as they go past a speed camera do my friggin head in, they must think they can score some brownie points

They are speed LIMITS not targets.

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[Linda and Steph]

drivers who do 20/25 in 30 zones and then 30 in a 40 zone - slow down from 25 in a 30 to 20 as they go past a speed camera do my friggin head in, they must think they can score some brownie points

This might have something to do with badly calibrated speedometers, have you noticed the difference between the speed shown on the dash and that shown on your satnav?

In my experience the satnav is the more accurate indicator of speed and the speedo is usually indicating around 15% faster meaning that if you think you're doing, say, 28 mph in a 30 zone you're actually doing 23 / 24 mph.

 

[funflair]

The trouble with indicators is that WHEN people bother to switch them on they don't give any thought to what they are actually saying with the indicator, switch on two junctions before turning, don't cancell on roundabouts, use them on motorways to say I'm coming over like it or not.

 

[simbadog]

I presumed that new cars did not have indicators! Don't get me started on red lights

Driving standards round here are ****** *********

As for cyclists.............

 

[Tootles]

Using the motorbike quite a lot, and riding to the conditions, and road surface, this habit of cars who think that the centre white line is something to line their bonnet emblem up with, is proving to be bl**dy dangerous!
Taking a left hand bend on a bike means moving over to your side of the centre line, in order to get the maximum view, only to be confronted with a large 4x4, two feet into my side of the carriageway.........

 

[Jaws]

Oddly, we have noticed that even in countries that are well known for some iffy driving habits, folk seem to be able ( 90% of the time ) to join motorways correctly, getting up to the speed of the traffic flow before joining.. In the UK in the past 10 years or so that ability seems to be getting rarer and rarer..
And do not get me started on bloody fog lights !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[34127]

Source of heated discussion (We don't argue) between myself and SWMBO it is of course my fault as I should slow down to let them in. No says I there is a give way marking so they slow down to slot in behind me. If there is no room for me to pull over to let them in I am supposed to brake and slow down ?
Like most road rules - do we insist on what is right and risk an accident or drive safely and let them in? For me I would rather avoid an accident and try and control my own road rage.

For same reasons as you and out of courtesy I would pull over to other lane, if safe to do s0, or slow down and let them move over. What I often find is that they approach the motorway relatively slowly which means having to slow down to let them in and then they suddenly accelerate to a speed much faster than I am travelling. Why can't they adjust their road speed on the slip road so they can slot in to a gap without hindering others.

 

[TerryL]

Regretfully it's all a part of our "must go/get it done faster" attitude that now pervades all of society. You see it on the pavements, in shopping queues, mobile phones (we used to have to wait to find a phone box - remember that?). As I get older I'm starting to take a more relaxed view of these folk, rushing towards their end. But at the same time I take great care not to hold anyone up if I can help it, whether it be maintaining the correct/ safe speed - they've obviously got something more important to do than me, although I'm quite capable of speeding too. That's what the 3 points and £60 fine got me!

 

[Puddleduck]

For same reasons as you and out of courtesy I would pull over to other lane, if safe to do s0, or slow down and let them move over. What I often find is that they approach the motorway relatively slowly which means having to slow down to let them in and then they suddenly accelerate to a speed much faster than I am travelling. Why can't they adjust their road speed on the slip road so they can slot in to a gap without hindering others.

I was taught that on the slip road you matched your speed to that of the traffic you were joining so you could join the traffic correctly if there was a space. The joining traffic has to give way not the other way round.

I quite like the system on some busy freeways in the US where the joining traffic was controlled by lights at the top of the on ramp.

 

[34127]

I was taught that on the slip road you matched your speed to that of the traffic you were joining so you could join the traffic correctly if there was a space. The joining traffic has to give way not the other way round.

I quite like the system on some busy freeways in the US where the joining traffic was controlled by lights at the top of the on ramp.

Quite right.
The highway code says give priority to traffic already on the motorway. If on a motorway I am quite happy to give way to others joining the motorway (out of safety and courtesy) it is when they demand right of way and sound horns and make gestures to get out of the way that annoys me.

 

[chaser]

I was taught that on the slip road you matched your speed to that of the traffic you were joining so you could join the traffic correctly if there was a space. The joining traffic has to give way not the other way round.

I quite like the system on some busy freeways in the US where the joining traffic was controlled by lights at the top of the on ramp.

Some of them on the m6 near wednesbury

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[Reallyretired]

I have always found that traffic joining a motorway in France tends to slow down rather than speed up . This is annoying especially in the motor home, as I end up slowing considerably just to let them in front. It seems to be a lack of confidence on their part. At least in the UK some do it right

 

[bungy]

I was taught that on the slip road you matched your speed to that of the traffic you were joining so you could join the traffic correctly if there was a space. The joining traffic has to give way not the other way round.

I quite like the system on some busy freeways in the US where the joining traffic was controlled by lights at the top of the on ramp.

that's in place on a number of junctions on the M42 during peak times - works in some cases but 2 junctions in particular when you are heading north east cause major tail backs...some numpty thought it would be great idea to introduce an HGV to a motorway from a standing start going up hill...

 

[pappajohn]

On the approach to a motorway slip why would the following driver need to know you intend leaving the motorway ?

It has no relevance to what they intend doing unless they intended overtaking on your near side of course.

Nobody is joining the motorway so nobody in front needs to know your intended action.

 

[pappajohn]

Quite right.
The highway code says give priority to traffic already on the motorway. If on a motorway I am quite happy to give way to others joining the motorway (out of safety and courtesy) it is when they demand right of way and sound horns and make gestures to get out of the way that annoys me.

More than once i have seen the direct opposite.....a car at a standsill at the end of a slip road wanting to enter the traffic.

now that is lack of confidence

 

[hilldweller]

Is it me or is the driving on our roads getting worse - so many people now seem to be going through traffic lights once they are well and truly red and is indicating no longer required on motorways? It just seems to be common practice not to indicate whether changing lanes or leaving the motorway.

Seems about what I see. Plus the usual mobile phone use. I can't understand really expensive cars which no doubt have hands free built in and the driver has a phone clamped to his/her ear. Hands free is still legal isn't it ?

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[tonyidle]

They are speed LIMITS not targets.

.............. but when circumstances allow speed should be kept close to the limit.

 

[JJ]

In all of my years and years of driving I have only ever come across one perfect driver and that, of course, is me.

A few others are just about ok...

with the rest being rubbish.


JJ

 

[Chris]

In all of my years and years of driving I have only ever come across one perfect driver and that, of course, is me.

A few others are just about ok...

with the rest being rubbish.


JJ

Same here - I have even got a clean driving licence













at the moment.

 

[2657]

On the approach to a motorway slip why would the following driver need to know you intend leaving the motorway ?

It has no relevance to what they intend doing unless they intended overtaking on your near side of course.

Nobody is joining the motorway so nobody in front needs to know your intended action.

I think to indicate your intentions is common courtesy, there could be obstructions on the slip road not visible to the car behind that would necessitate braking whilst still on the carriageway.

On many occasions when catching up with another vehicle slowly,especially when in the truck,I have pulled out to overtake someone when if they had indicated to exit I would have waited until they had exited.

Apart from entering and exiting motorways, changing lane is the most dangerous manoeuvre.

More than once i have seen the direct opposite.....a car at a standsill at the end of a slip road wanting to enter the traffic.

now that is lack of confidence

On the continent it is quite normal to see vehicles stationary at the sometimes shorter slip roads, perhaps because they realise that that they have to give way.

I would agree that quite often in the UK it does boil down to lack of confidence, when my kids had passed their tests and were just starting to use motorways I told them to aim at around 55mph on the slip road as that is the speed the trucks will be going at and then adjust as neccessary.

A lot of people seem to forget that a car will accelerate as well as decelerate to fit into a gap.

 

[davidbaldam]

This all started a few years ago when leaner drivers were taught that they don't need to indicate if there is no other traffic about so when they pass their test they carry on not indicating.

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