View Full Version : Driving me (you?) mad.
I am on the road for about 7 hours a day at the moment, using a mix of A and B roads. One of those is a very busy A road where, I kid you not there is a pile-up most days. Yesterday there was a 4 car shunt. The road has many joining points and this is where I seek others experience of the cuntishness of today's motorist.
I was taught when I was learning to drive that you should not do anything that would make another motorist, brake harshly, change direction or impede their progress. Hah! it is now the norm (or at least as far I can see) that when they join from a slip road that they just barrel along at warp speed and hope that they don't hit anything already passing the slip road, or that those passing are so shit scared that they veer into the lane to their right and risk getting hit by a car in the "fast" lane. The alternative is that you hit the anchors and risk a rear-ender,
The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency in their Safe Driving for Life say :-
"Use the slip road to accelerate until your speed matches that of the traffic on the motorway.
Check there’s a suitable gap in the left-hand lane.
Use the Mirrors – Signal – Manoeuvre/Position – Speed – Look (MSM/PSL) routine before you merge onto the motorway.
You must give priority to traffic already on the motorway: don’t force your way into the traffic stream.
Avoid stopping at the end of the slip road unless you’re queuing to join slow-moving traffic".
I was told that if there is not a safe gap that you must stop and not plough on as this is likely to cause a collision. Any one think differently?
walpurgis
09-05-2018, 18:49
Yeah. Too many ignorant, crap, pushy drivers about. I've had that done to me many times.
Primalsea
09-05-2018, 21:16
People not merging with motorway traffic from the slip road properly winds me up too. It’s not just inconsiderate drivers going too fast with no regard for others but also people who don’t speed up to match the other traffic too. The times I have been stuck behind some twat trying to merge with 70 mph traffic while doing only 40 mph.
One of the things that really pisses me of are drivers who don't give way to traffic on the right when entering a roundabout. This especially happens when the entry from the right is a minor road. I've lost count the number of times I have had to give way (by braking hard) to a car coming from the left when I was first into the roundabout.
And yes people coming off a slip road into the main traffic can be very scary. Especially boy racers who need to get into the fast lane in one go.
People not merging with motorway traffic from the slip road properly winds me up too. It’s not just inconsiderate drivers going too fast with no regard for others but also people who don’t speed up to match the other traffic too. The times I have been stuck behind some twat trying to merge with 70 mph traffic while doing only 40 mph.
I have had to come to a near complete halt on a slip road because there was a convoy of three or four trucks doing 60 - 70 mph with very little room between them. Sometimes the slip roads from motorway services are quite short and if any traffic doesn't see you and if clear moves into the centre lane, you don't necessarily have the distance to match speed.
I agree that there are a certain class of drivers who think that the outer line is their natural domain and will just sit there doing 75mph.
The standard of driving these days seems to me to be inversely proportional to the amount of vehicles now on on our roads.
walpurgis
09-05-2018, 22:17
The standard of driving these days seems to me to be inversely proportional to the amount of vehicles now on on our roads.
Very true.
Pigmy Pony
10-05-2018, 06:39
A common problem I see is on the A6 going north out of Preston, but it is by no means unique. At various points along this stretch are minor roads on the left, and box junctions are put here so that there are spaces for emerging traffic.
Some cars, and they're usually the larger prestige motors, (yes Range Rover and Audi, I mean you) who barrel along on the outside, then rejoin the queue on one of these junctions, defeating the whole point of them. But then I tell myself that these drivers must be important people if they can afford a car like that, therefore their journey must be more important than mine, and this seems to calm me.
As long as traffic policing continues to rely on technology like Gatso and SPECS cameras, this kind of driving will only get worse.
My solution is threefold:
A lot of these moronic drivers are increasingly relying on drivers safety aids like airbags, lane assist, improved crumple zones etc. encouraging a "fuck you lot, I'm safe in here" attitude. The safer the car, the bigger the moron. The steering wheel airbag should be replaced with a giant steel spike. That should slow 'em down a bit.
Secondly, more money should be put into unmarked traffic cars. There's something very satisfying about seeing a car which has been pulled over by a VW Golf with blue flashing lights.
Thirdly, offenders should have their cars confiscated and replaced with the most bog-basic model in that range. See how important they feel then.
Primalsea
10-05-2018, 07:49
I have had to come to a near complete halt on a slip road because there was a convoy of three or four trucks doing 60 - 70 mph with very little room between them. Sometimes the slip roads from motorway services are quite short and if any traffic doesn't see you and if clear moves into the centre lane, you don't necessarily have the distance to match speed.
I agree that there are a certain class of drivers who think that the outer line is their natural domain and will just sit there doing 75mph.
The standard of driving these days seems to me to be inversely proportional to the amount of vehicles now on on our roads.
I like to make sure that there is plenty of space between me and the car in front so I have time to brake in an emergency and it gives cars merging in from slip roads room to pull onto the road. I too have been in the multiple lorry situation, there was four lorries tailgating each other.
narabdela
10-05-2018, 08:33
Another common problem on motorways these days are the drivers in the 'fast' lane who stay there until they're almost at the junction they want to use and then force their way across two lanes to make the exit!
You want to see the twats that use the A3/M25 junction in Surrey (J10) there is a dedicated lane for about 1/4m and two A3 lanes, yes they storm up the outside A3 lane and dive left at the last minute to avoid the queuing traffic in the dedicated lane. And Yes, there was another pile-up two days ago, In addition to the regular shunts on the A3 between Milford and Guildford (one last week - 4 cars involved). Is it so difficult to drive in harmony when we are all travelling in the same direction!
Don't get me started on roundabout discipline/signalling and cuntish drving!
Pigmy Pony
10-05-2018, 17:16
I like to make sure that there is plenty of space between me and the car in front so I have time to brake in an emergency and it gives cars merging in from slip roads room to pull onto the road. I too have been in the multiple lorry situation, there was four lorries tailgating each other.
You can tell the ones who tailgate, as they're riding their brakes, constantly on and off them because they haven't given themselves ample time to react.
I, like Paul, leave plenty of space, it makes for a more relaxing drive, and means I hardly ever need brakes on the m-way, except when forced to avoid a dickhead. The only problem is that others see this space as an opportunity to lane-swap, in an attempt to shave a couple of seconds off their journey. When enough people do this, I feel like I'm going backwards.
My brother is the complete opposite, and lifts from him are always er, interesting. Whenever I draw the short straw and have to give him a lift, It stresses me no end. He tries to bully me to use inappropriate lanes, never give way to anyone, deliberately obstruct other cars whom he feels are "taking the piss", and generally all the stuff we're complaining about here. When I don't comply, his favourite phrase is "We're here to make progress, not friends". I'm sure he contributed to my blood pressure problems.
He bought himself a new van in September, and already it looks like a Beirut taxi (always someone else's fault though).
You can tell the ones who tailgate, as they're riding their brakes, constantly on and off them because they haven't given themselves ample time to react.
I, like Paul, leave plenty of space, it makes for a more relaxing drive, and means I hardly ever need brakes on the m-way, except when forced to avoid a dickhead. The only problem is that others see this space as an opportunity to lane-swap, in an attempt to shave a couple of seconds off their journey. When enough people do this, I feel like I'm going backwards.
My brother is the complete opposite, and lifts from him are always er, interesting. Whenever I draw the short straw and have to give him a lift, It stresses me no end. He tries to bully me to use inappropriate lanes, never give way to anyone, deliberately obstruct other cars whom he feels are "taking the piss", and generally all the stuff we're complaining about here. When I don't comply, his favourite phrase is "We're here to make progress, not friends". I'm sure he contributed to my blood pressure problems.
He bought himself a new van in September, and already it looks like a Beirut taxi (always someone else's fault though).
He sounds like a cool dude.
"We're here to make progress, not friends" is especially good, I'm nicking that and using it myself.
Re diving down the closed lane and forcing your way in at the end to avoid queues. I'm all for it. In a long tailback for the Runcorn bridge I failed to persuade one of my brothers to take this course of action despite having about an hour and half to do it (which was handy because he works in banking so I had to explain the concept of the 'Prisoner's Dilemma' in detail).
Anyway the point is if others are doing it then it automatically becomes your best strategy to do it too. It may be ethically wrong but it is logical. And you get home faster.
walpurgis
10-05-2018, 17:28
I sometimes feel an eighty mph bulldozer would be the thing.
Too slow. Fox armoured car would be my choice. Smash your way through the queue (using the .50 cal machine gun sparingly of course - the ammo is expensive!) then once your on clear road it'll do 70 no problem.
I try to drive at a sensible speed carefully calculated to minimise wear and tear on my car and likewise my stress levels. I start to slow down in good time when approaching junctions etc. This is tantamount to having a billboard on the back of my car which says 'overtake me immediately and give me the finger vigorously - in the unlikely event that you are unable to do this tailgate me and flash your lights repeatedly until an opportunity arises'. I often see the people who overtake me very shortly afterwards, slamming their brakes on at traffic lights or a roundabout or whatever as I pull up sedately behind them.
Firebottle
11-05-2018, 06:16
I know, it's as if people have no time to live.
Since having the motor home an keeping the speed down there is a sense of pleasure from progressing sedately.
Primalsea
11-05-2018, 06:30
I think we should have an AOS road trip. With Alan at the front in his motorhome, Martin at the back in his armoured car fitted with .50 cals and the rest of us leaving huge gaps between the vehicle in front what could possibly go wrong?
Looks like we got ourselves a convoy...
Looks like we got ourselves a convoy...
Ok rubber chicken[emoji4]
You want to see the twats that use the A3/M25 junction in Surrey (J10) there is a dedicated lane for about 1/4m and two A3 lanes, yes they storm up the outside A3 lane and dive left at the last minute to avoid the queuing traffic in the dedicated lane. And Yes, there was another pile-up two days ago, In addition to the regular shunts on the A3 between Milford and Guildford (one last week - 4 cars involved). Is it so difficult to drive in harmony when we are all travelling in the same direction!
Don't get me started on roundabout discipline/signalling and cuntish drving!
Some of my best mates are from Surrey, and I lived there too, but wow there are a lot of angry wankers in that neck of the woods. I don’t think I ever had a night out in Guildford without seeing a couple of fights. :D
Primalsea
11-05-2018, 09:12
Ok rubber chicken[emoji4]
Shouldn’t that be Cubber Rhicken?..... And you can call me Bluffy Funny.
There's a bear in the air.
Pigmy Pony
11-05-2018, 16:42
I think we should have an AOS road trip. With Alan at the front in his motorhome, Martin at the back in his armoured car fitted with .50 cals and the rest of us leaving huge gaps between the vehicle in front what could possibly go wrong?
If Martin gives a lift to my brother (Martin's new best friend) things could go very wrong very quickly, and those .50 cal bullets won't last long. And don't assume that we'll be safe because we're in the convoy, he'll use us to 'get his eye in'.
Probably no more dangerous than Geoff's 80mph bulldozer though - that shovel is what the experts would call aerodynamically shit.
If Martin gives a lift to my brother (Martin's new best friend) things could go very wrong very quickly, and those .50 cal bullets won't last long. And don't assume that we'll be safe because we're in the convoy, he'll use us to 'get his eye in'.
Probably no more dangerous than Geoff's 80mph bulldozer though - that shovel is what the experts would call aerodynamically shit.
I think the 80mph bulldozer would be great if it existed or was even possible. Maybe we should write to Clarkson on TGT and suggest the idea to him? He'd have a fair crack at it
And we could mount a .50 cal on the bulldozer - best of both worlds.
Pigmy Pony
11-05-2018, 17:14
I'm sure Clarkson could make it go faster than the new "Who wants to be a Millionaire". That was like watching grass grow.
An hour of my life I'll never get back :(
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