View Full Version : Driving standards these days..
InThe Sticks
10-07-2019, 19:17
This isn’t a rant, but more an observation brought on by my experience over the last 3 years.
I’ve been riding motorcycles for 30 years now and whilst it’s safe to say that obviously the roads are now overloaded to breaking point, it seems that driving standards are at an all time low with people who are tired, frustrated and have less patients than a bad doctor (bad joke, i know). Which considering how hard it is now to obtain a full license now is surprising.
Everyone seems to be in a rush all the time, with little regard to other road users.
So, in the last 3 years i’ve had a delightful women reverse over my bike whilst i was filling up with petrol, who then proceeded to blame me for “just” appearing out of no where.
After viewing the CCTV she soon changed her story.
Bike number 1 written off.
Not so long after that a white van man pulled out of junction in front of me and i went into the side of it.
As i was laying on my back in the road he came over laughing and joking, that was until i grabbed his throat with both hands and watched him turn every colour of the rainbow before a witness intervened.
Bike number 2 written off.
And last night after leaving work i was in the front of a queue waiting to cross a roundabout when a lady clipped the side of my bike and when i turned round to say WTF she proceeded to accelerate full on into the back of my bike and guess what…
Bike number 3 written off.
Not only that, but it was all my fault for being there, in fact she went so mental at me that the policeman had to lock her in his car until she cooled off.
I was glad to be in the ambulance just to get away from the nutter. Luckily there were witnesses who backed me up, so at least i’ll get a payout for my bike, broken shoulder and crushed leg and the police said they will look to prosecute.
Pic of my bike (doesn’t look that bad, but the swing arm/frame is bent as well as the obvious damage to exhaust, mud guard, rear lamp etc).
https://i.imgur.com/BFDs3X4h.jpg
I would say that it’s time to give up riding, but why should i forfeit something i love because of other idiot drivers.
Also i’m hopped up to eyeballs on pain killers and Adnams Copper house gin to combat the pain, so probably ignore this rambling post :)
hifinutt
10-07-2019, 20:08
sorry to hear of your experiences Gary , when i see motorbikers accelearing to lunatic speeds , driving on the wrong side of the road and many other crazy things , i wonder how any survive at all !!! My best man and his wife were both amputees from bike accidents before they were 20 , they met at a limb fitting hospital !! I used a drive a motorbike in London but would not have the bottle now i am much older
Big bikes kinda frighten me nowadays, especially since I've got older.
Driving standards have definitely fallen over years , as have road manners.
Vehicles have also steadily got easier to drive which may be partly to blame.
It used to be a sort of club with rules, but now it's a careless free for all.
Pigmy Pony
11-07-2019, 07:01
Bloody hell Gary, that's a run of misfortune!
I notice you live in the south. I have noted a decline in driving standards up here, though probably not nearly as bad as That London :D Don't know where you live. However, mental women who will lose it at the drop of a hat (or bike) is nothing new and is a nationwide problem.
Sorry about your accident Gary, at least you should cop for a load of compo. I bet the daft bint gets off with a caution though.
More people than ever seem to be fuckwitted nowadays. Not just the women. I blame the schools and the nanny state.
Bigman80
11-07-2019, 07:54
Gravel in the road dislodged me from the seat of my Honda 900 in January.
Broken shoulder, dislodged clavicle, Bennett break to left thumb, broken wrist and multiple shattered bones in my hand.
Been in constant pain since the wipe out but finally got my shoulder done yesterday. That's another 6-8 weeks off work and months of weekly physio
They still need to operate on my thumb too so I have to go through all that again. One tallied up I reckon one crash will cost over a year putting it right.
Keep the crash money and spend on HiFi it's far safer.
I wish you a speedy recovery
Oliver
dave2010
11-07-2019, 17:34
Sorry to hear about your problems Gary. I agree in general, particularly with drivers in the south. I'm not a bike rider, but I know two people who have lost legs (a long while back) riding motor bikes. I think one of them actually still rides a bike for fun. Having damage to your bike isn't fun, but better than losing a limb I think. I hope your leg and shoulder don't get worse, and you make a full and quick recovery.
It's not only bike drivers who have problems. Around London and into Surrey there are some appalling drivers. Also, cars which have been sold in the last few years are definitely faster and have more acceleration than most cars a decade ago. Some drivers are hell bent on exploiting this, and whereas it would have been fairly straightforward to pull into a stream of moving traffic then, now it's all too often that the gaps are closed up by these maniacs, making it all but impossible to pull out. Other drivers use "techniques", such as overtaking on the inside and generaly cutting others up on motorways and fast roads, while too many others are "happy" to tailgate in fast moving traffic when most of the traffic is already moving at or above the speed limit. At times I wish I had a tank to flatten them or crash into!
Too many roads in the south are now appalling and also too congested. Try getting on to the A3 near Wisley even at 7am in the morning! Alternatively driving round the M25 almost any time now - even as late as 10pm.
Regarding motor bike riders, some really do take risks. For example, driving along the A3 into London/Kingston in the morning many bike drivers squeeze between cars and lorries, and it's not always easy to see whether they are coming along the outside or the inside. Fortunately I've never had a problem with this, but it would be very easy to make a mistake. If I see a bike trying to squeeze through I will normally take action - such as trying to create more space, though perhaps sometimes reducing the gap to deter a potentially dangerous move might be more appropriate.
Last year I saw a bike driver come off in Scotland, and I think it was just bad luck, though his bike was damaged somewhat. Most of the cars following stopped, and tried to help, and blocked the road to prevent further accidents. I think he just tried to take a bend too fast, and no other vehicle was involved. Car drivers aren't always bad.
thingfish
11-07-2019, 17:45
I know Gary me heart bleeds truly it does.......bring back the 60s 70s when a bike was a bike and all other road users used to fukin salute or run.
Alas no more......roads choc o blok full of volvos in England.....not so bad here in Jockland.
Stick on a bit of Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll; Too Young to Die
Stick on a bit of Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
And smile.
Beobloke
11-07-2019, 18:11
One of our engineering apprentices, a smashing lad of 22, was killed in a motorcycle accident last weekend - not his fault as far as we can tell. I'd stick to four wheels if I were you, Gary.
nonuffin
11-07-2019, 22:11
Where I live on rural Cornwall we have countless single track roads with, if you are lucky, small passing places just large enough for two cars to pass. Some of these roads have quite a distance between passing places and this is where you very frequently encounter appalling driving skills. It seems most drivers (especially women and that is not a sexist remark) were off sick the day they did "reversing" and blatantly expect YOU to do any kind of reversing, even just a few measly feet on their part. Some weave left, right, then forward and back, it is a total pantomime. Driving during the school run through the village each day is only for the brave, as mums in their 4x4s race around blind bends in the centre of the road and it never once occurs to them that other traffic may be coming the other way.
A couple of weeks ago I had just left home and three cars were immediately behind me on one of these single track roads, when a Mini pulled around a bend around 100 yards ahead. The road at that bend is double width, so all this shit-for-brains had to do was stop and reverse around 20 feet at most. but this moron carried on down until he was bumper to bumper with me. Then he starts gesticulating that I should reverse with of course three more cars behind me that were probably just as useless at backing up nearly 300 yards. I got out and threatened to ram his car back up to the bend but he switched his engine off, wound up the window and folded his arms. Got out some pen and paper, wrote down his reg number and called the rozzers to book him for obstruction if nothing else. Meanwhile, a very big beefy guy got out of one of the cars behind with a wheel brace and old shit-for-brains didn't hesistate at all then in backing up to the bend. It makes you wonder how they survive in life with an attitude like that.
walpurgis
11-07-2019, 22:20
It's quite good fun following a huge tractor with trailer or a big tipper lorry down those little lanes. They reverse for nobody! :)
mad-moon
11-07-2019, 22:40
Some people are though, just plain stupid..I was on the A194 overtaking a row of vehicles, when a young woman decided she would pull out in front of me, no indication..I had to brake extremely hard not to ram her up the backside of her Vauxhall Astra...I put my main beam on as to say are you blind!...she pulled back into the inside lane and motioned to me with her hand that I was a wanker :wanker: I was a bit upset to say the least...I pulled in further on and waited for her to pass...and I followed her into a shopping ctr car park in Hebburn, where I live...she proceded to say I was trying to intimidate her by putting on my lights, then said I was speeding..not to mention saying I was crazy and she had her baby in the back seat of the car, and her burly boyfriend in the passenger seat, so wasn't bothered about putting the rest of her family at risk either....I had just stopped to tell her the error of her ways, when her boyfriend became violent...and told me to get back in my car and go away...in not so many words....I then explained OK...I have it all on dash cam and will hand the footage to the police...he got his mobile phone out and started to take pictures of my car, parked up in the supermarket car park....Hmmmmmm...
Pigmy Pony
12-07-2019, 07:04
A zero tolerance to shithead driving, less fixed penalty notices and more court appearances, and all the associated costs passed to the offender, that should shake things up a bit. Also more coppers who are willing to actually get out of their car and deal with them.
A few weeks ago I was driving to Preston when I noticed this nutjob behind me (about 10 feet behind in a 50 limit). When he realised I wasn't going to go faster for him he lost patience and tore up the inside, across the front of me and to the right hand lane, which is reserved for vehicles turning right at the next traffic light. This left him stranded at the lights, as he (and the rest of us) we all going straight on.
He was now about ten cars further back than when he was initially behind me, but not to worry... Coming into town, the road narrowed considerably, and a car up ahead trying to turn right, managed, by poor road positioning, to halt all of us behind him. I heard this screaming engine behind me and turned to see moron A flying past us all on the inside with half of his car on the pavement. Saw him again a little further on at a cash machine. So that's what the rush was about! He passed me again a little later (on the inside again, of course).
When I got to my friend's house I decided to phone the police (on hold for a couple of minutes), and gave them all the necessary details of this driver, even told them that my dash cam will have recorded it. Said they would 'look into it', and that's the last I heard :( I'd done half their job for them, but what's the point?
People try to do too much these days, that's the problem I think. My father would get in from work and then sit in his chair and watch TV until bedtime. He'd go to the footy every other Saturday and that was it.
Now there seems to be this expectation that you have to be doing stuff all the time or your life is somehow not valid so people are stressed all the time. Driving like a dick is just one manifestation of that.
People try to do too much these days, that's the problem I think. My father would get in from work and then sit in his chair and watch TV until bedtime. He'd go to the footy every other Saturday and that was it.
Sounds exactly like my father, apart from the footy bit. (To be fair, his home team was several hundred miles away). Sitting on your arse doing nothing is vastly under-rated. Of course, these days you have to call it 'just chilling'.
willbewill
12-07-2019, 07:59
Probably the safest course of actions is to drive defensively as if everyone else on the road is gonna do something crazy and don't get wound up when they do. Keep yourself calm and safe.
I know that's easy to say and I don't always manage it either.
Pieoftheday
12-07-2019, 09:25
Sitting on your arse doing nothing is vastly under-rated.]
I wholeheartedly agree, I'm a great fan of doing very little when I've finished work, and a day off is just that, a day OFF!;)
Sounds exactly like my father, apart from the footy bit. (To be fair, his home team was several hundred miles away). Sitting on your arse doing nothing is vastly under-rated. Of course, these days you have to call it 'just chilling'.
when i was able i couldnt just sit. had to go to pub and sit with a few jugs:eyebrows:
Sounds exactly like my father, apart from the footy bit. (To be fair, his home team was several hundred miles away). Sitting on your arse doing nothing is vastly under-rated. Of course, these days you have to call it 'just chilling'.
When I was young I had mates whose parents were constantly pushing them to do stuff, they'd go nuts if they were just sat round watching telly at the weekend. Made them do Scottish dancing classes, horse riding and all sorts of equally unpalatable shit. They never had five minutes to themselves. I used to feel really sorry for them. Although nowadays they do earn a lot more than me....
Pigmy Pony
12-07-2019, 16:45
People try to do too much these days, that's the problem I think. My father would get in from work and then sit in his chair and watch TV until bedtime. He'd go to the footy every other Saturday and that was it.
Now there seems to be this expectation that you have to be doing stuff all the time or your life is somehow not valid so people are stressed all the time. Driving like a dick is just one manifestation of that.
Yep, that sounds about right. Nowt wrong with doing nowt, as long as things that need done get done. Whenever I can get away with it, I can be lazy for England. In fact I have done, and got a medal for it. Didn't go to the awards, got someone to collect it on my behalf :)
, got someone to collect it on my behalf :)
You actually went to all the effort of arranging that? Blimey, Mr Active or what?
Arrogance is the biggest blight to driving on the road IMO. I am just about to give up driving special needs and life limited children to a special school that keeps me on the road for 6-7 hours a day as the stress of driving a fairly large minibus has got too much. I could write a book about the antics of some, but those that signal once they have started their manoeuvre and are on on a roundabout/junction etc deserve something that hurts....quite a lot. Why should I tell you where I am going or what I am about to do, what business is it of your's...don't you know who I am! Yes....I really do know who you are. Most other arseholes on the road are of the same arrogant self entitled twats school.
Arrogance is the biggest blight to driving on the road IMO. ............ but those that signal once they have started their manoeuvre and are on on a roundabout/junction etc deserve something that hurts....quite a lot. Why should I tell you where I am going or what I am about to do, what business is it of your's...don't you know who I am! Yes....I really do know who you are. Most other arseholes on the road are of the same arrogant self entitled twats school.
Couldn't agree more!! The standard of driving these days is appalling.
Isn't it funny how all of us are bemoaning the standard of driving of others, yet surely statistically we must all be someone else's "other driver"? I know I'm perfect, can't be me that drives badly! ;)
walpurgis
12-07-2019, 18:22
The inadequacies of other drivers are easily addressed, just carry a .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat! :guns:
I think it was Clarkson that suggested a giant spike on the steering wheel instead of an airbag...
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Isn't it funny how all of us are bemoaning the standard of driving of others, yet surely statistically we must all be someone else's "other driver"? I know I'm perfect, can't be me that drives badly! ;)
Yes Alex that is a very good point. I am not perfect...sadly, but I can't equate the driving ways and manners of those that would have passed their test many years after me with how I was taught. So many seem to have no road sense or feel for driving. What happened to the "do not effect any manoeuvre that would cause another driver to brake/swerve/change course or impede their progress on the road" (or words to that effect). Joining dual carriageways or motorways is for some a keep going and barge your way on exercise, anyone on the road will have to take avoiding action. Some have no idea how to match speed/slow or accelerate to join either behind or in front of a car, and to actually have to stop (it is their give way) What! Stop? Do you have a few months for me to add more:lol:
Minstrel SE
12-07-2019, 19:38
I think driving standards have always been pretty bad but if you pile more cars onto the road people will get cheekier and more desperate to get on with their journey.
We cant go on increasing the number of vehicles so something has got to give. Therefore I dont think its an automatic right to own a motor vehicle.
I would also force the transition to hybrids and all electric vehicles.
I too am a motorcycle rider, but here in the States it may be a bit better? Not a lot mind you, there are reports of bikes down on a daily basis in a 30 mile radius. Mostly in town traffic. My fellow riders and I try our best to ride toward the emptiest roads we can find, head out toward the county and try to get lost. And, I have adopted the biggest bike I could find! A full dressed Harley with crash bars and extra lights, and full open exhaust! When I first started riding on the road I thought this bike is too loud! I’ll need to put new mufflers on. But then as a woman was inching out in front of me, a quick rap of the throttle caught her attention! I decided the loud pipes stay.
I’ve had my close calls, to be sure, and you truly have to be defensive, you can never assume you have the right of way, no matter how green your light is. You must drive like everyone else is actively trying to kill you! Which, is more fun than it sounds once you get used to it.
And driving a bike or car, I am a far more calm driver since I’m retired. I’m never in a hurry to get anywhere, if someone wants to speed on ahead, I’ll let them on by. I saw an article not long ago saying that riding a dirt bike in no way prepares you for riding a bike on the road, and many readers and myself quickly informed the author of his err in logic. I’ve ridden motorized bikes since I was 6 years old! And as a teenager, if we didn’t wreck 3 times a day, we weren’t having any fun! (That May be why I’m so busted up now?) but I know how easy it is to wreck, how hard I can push it without wrecking. And hopefully it’s honed my reflexes to some degree?
Riding a bike every day as your usual means of transportation is a dangerous proposition, but riding as a luxury past time, when you can go where cars are scarce, enjoy the countryside, and not have to deal with hectic traffic, is a lot safer in the long run. A few years ago I dated a girl who loved to ride, but she could never get here until 9pm! So, we rode at night. We’d ride until 3am, no traffic, no where! We owned the road! And on a full moon on a cool Summer night, it was quite special. I do realize that it’s not as easy to get away from traffic in the UK as it is here, but I’m of the same mind as the OP, I love riding too much to let other ass hats scare me away from it.
Russell
I too am a motorcycle rider, but here in the States it may be a bit better? Not a lot mind you, there are reports of bikes down on a daily basis in a 30 mile radius. Mostly in town traffic. My fellow riders and I try our best to ride toward the emptiest roads we can find, head out toward the county and try to get lost. And, I have adopted the biggest bike I could find! A full dressed Harley with crash bars and extra lights, and full open exhaust! When I first started riding on the road I thought this bike is too loud! I’ll need to put new mufflers on. But then as a woman was inching out in front of me, a quick rap of the throttle caught her attention! I decided the loud pipes stay.
I’ve had my close calls, to be sure, and you truly have to be defensive, you can never assume you have the right of way, no matter how green your light is. You must drive like everyone else is actively trying to kill you! Which, is more fun than it sounds once you get used to it.
And driving a bike or car, I am a far more calm driver since I’m retired. I’m never in a hurry to get anywhere, if someone wants to speed on ahead, I’ll let them on by. I saw an article not long ago saying that riding a dirt bike in no way prepares you for riding a bike on the road, and many readers and myself quickly informed the author of his err in logic. I’ve ridden motorized bikes since I was 6 years old! And as a teenager, if we didn’t wreck 3 times a day, we weren’t having any fun! (That May be why I’m so busted up now?) but I know how easy it is to wreck, how hard I can push it without wrecking. And hopefully it’s honed my reflexes to some degree?
Riding a bike every day as your usual means of transportation is a dangerous proposition, but riding as a luxury past time, when you can go where cars are scarce, enjoy the countryside, and not have to deal with hectic traffic, is a lot safer in the long run. A few years ago I dated a girl who loved to ride, but she could never get here until 9pm! So, we rode at night. We’d ride until 3am, no traffic, no where! We owned the road! And on a full moon on a cool Summer night, it was quite special. I do realize that it’s not as easy to get away from traffic in the UK as it is here, but I’m of the same mind as the OP, I love riding too much to let other ass hats scare me away from it.
Russell
Great post, Russell!
The thing is, if biking is in your blood, nothing will stop you. When I was 17 I encouraged my best mate who I'd grown up with to get a bike as I had got one (just 100cc learner bikes) and within two weeks he was killed. Mum begged me to give up riding but I wouldn't. A couple of years later my uncle was also killed, and my cousin seriously injured. It still didn't stop me. Another close friend took up racing, had a serious accident and broke his neck, paralysed from the neck down. I just wanted a bigger bike.
I've not ridden in several years - agreed to hang up my boots in view of the kids, but I never sold the bike and am currently having it recommissioned. I'll be returning to two wheels, well aware that I'm not invincible like I thought I was in my teens and twenties and seeking those empty roads you've so eloquently described - though perhaps not at 3am!
Yes Alex that is a very good point. I am not perfect...sadly, but I can't equate the driving ways and manners of those that would have passed their test many years after me with how I was taught. So many seem to have no road sense or feel for driving. What happened to the "do not effect any manoeuvre that would cause another driver to brake/swerve/change course or impede their progress on the road" (or words to that effect). Joining dual carriageways or motorways is for some a keep going and barge your way on exercise, anyone on the road will have to take avoiding action. Some have no idea how to match speed/slow or accelerate to join either behind or in front of a car, and to actually have to stop (it is their give way) What! Stop? Do you have a few months for me to add more:lol:
T'was tongue in cheek, Rob, but you get my point. :) Totally agree with not causing others to have to take evading action - my pet hate especially those that pull out in front of you but don't accelerate up to speed causing me to have to brake. Grrrrrr!
Pigmy Pony
12-07-2019, 22:06
You actually went to all the effort of arranging that? Blimey, Mr Active or what?
Not really - when I told my shoelace fastener that he wouldn't be needed that day, he got the message and went for me. Worked out well for him, he now has "medal pinner" added to his duties :)
Pigmy Pony
12-07-2019, 22:11
Isn't it funny how all of us are bemoaning the standard of driving of others, yet surely statistically we must all be someone else's "other driver"? I know I'm perfect, can't be me that drives badly! ;)
Dunno Alex, my brother (whom you married, remember?) doesn't have a nice thing to say about your driving, And she's never wrong, as you know.
Lawrence001
12-07-2019, 23:34
Dunno Alex, my brother (whom you married, remember?) doesn't have a nice thing to say about your driving, And she's never wrong, as you know.You been drinking??
Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk
You been drinking??
Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk
Ask a silly question......
Russ
Great post, Russell!
The thing is, if biking is in your blood, nothing will stop you. When I was 17 I encouraged my best mate who I'd grown up with to get a bike as I had got one (just 100cc learner bikes) and within two weeks he was killed. Mum begged me to give up riding but I wouldn't. A couple of years later my uncle was also killed, and my cousin seriously injured. It still didn't stop me. Another close friend took up racing, had a serious accident and broke his neck, paralysed from the neck down. I just wanted a bigger bike.
I've not ridden in several years - agreed to hang up my boots in view of the kids, but I never sold the bike and am currently having it recommissioned. I'll be returning to two wheels, well aware that I'm not invincible like I thought I was in my teens and twenties and seeking those empty roads you've so eloquently described - though perhaps not at 3am!
I know how you feel, to some degree. I have music friends, and biker friends. So I got this big, loud Harley that looking back was pretty tough! One of my best friends had preached against riding on the road previously, but I’m thinking his wife coaxed him into it. I let him use my bike, while I borrowed another friend’s bike, and taught him to ride on the road. He got his license, and bought a brand new Harley, all black and shiny. It took a few years, but someone cut him off in traffic and came an inch from killing him. He broke his legs in 14 places, his pelvis was shattered into dust. He literally has an all metal pelvis, it looks like a jigsaw puzzle. He suffered like a dog, and was bed ridden for a year, in a wheelchair for 3 years, and walked on crutches for another year. He now stands up and plays guitar, hardly a full recovery.
But I felt awful for being the one who encouraged him to get a bike, for being the one who helped him get a license, I feel like I was a bad influence on him. A woman I know recently asked me to teach her to ride, and get her license, and I flatly refused. She scares me riding in the car with her, there’s no way I want anything to do with her being on a bike in traffic. She thinks I’m being an ass, oh well, I won’t have her death on my conscious. If I die on a bike, at least everyone will know I died doing something I love. But I also have a reasonable amount of confidence that I can avoid death. As much as I can in a car, at least.
But don’t knock riding at 3am on a moonlit night! It’s a strange feeling, cool enough to wear your leathers, the night air is quite refreshing, and when you come to a stop sign and there is no one, no where! That kind of feeling like you’re the last man on earth. Almost eerie, a feeling of solitude. And if you have a rider, it’s kind of romantic, to experience that solitude together. But I never go fast, got to watch for the little animals, I did have a close call with a deer once, a story for another time.
Russell
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190713/6f8c9d48ebc5ed823c6dea582d0877b7.jpg
My first road bike
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190713/f4381148147b1d18fbd2241840df1ae5.jpg
My present bike
Pigmy Pony
13-07-2019, 06:11
Mum! Dad! Father Christmas has been!
No, it's just Russell from Central Virginia, but you can always count on him leaving something nice under the tree. And that 2nd Harley is nice. Road King is it? Hope the brakes are better than my mate's Heritage Softail, which when on my only ever go on it let me down in a big way, causing me to 'overtake' a stationary queue of traffic on the wrong side of the road by 3 or 4 car lengths. Luckily nothing was coming the other way.
When I got back I didn't tell my mate about the close call, I just mentioned that the brakes were a bit shit. He replied that the four pot billet brakes he'd fitted were a considerable improvement over the stock items. Well all I can say is :eek:
When I inherited some money a few years ago, it was a choice between a Harley (probably a Fat Boy) or a big hi fi spend. I chose the hi fi option, and lived to tell the tale :D
Pigmy Pony
13-07-2019, 06:32
You been drinking??
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Well yes, maybe, but may I refer you to post #2126 of Car (or bike) chat? Just for once my memory hasn't let me down!
mad-moon
13-07-2019, 06:58
in my early 20's I pulled out infront of a Honda CB360....who had right of way...I was turning left at a junction and I just didn't see the bike...Luckily the driver of the bike swerved out right into the middle of the road and there was no collision....The bike pulled in and I pulled in behind it...I got out of the car absolutely mortified, that I had nearly knocked a rider from a motorbike....I was full of apologies and was just repeating, I'm really really sorry Lad I just didn't see you...The helmet came off and the long curls of auburn hair fell down and she said I'm a girl.....and a very pretty one too...she was extremely shaken by the incident, to state the obvious, but she soon calmed down. I was expecting a bloody harsh telling off from her, but she was exceptionally nice..I was beside myself and calling myself a bloody idiot, I couldn't apologise enough...she put her helmet on got on her bike and said goodbye....ever since that day...I have always thought bike, when I'm out in the car....I have never had any problems with motorbikes since that day..It scared the shit out of me, nearly knocking that girl from her bike...I could have killed her....Al..
Lawrence001
13-07-2019, 09:23
Well yes, maybe, but may I refer you to post #2126 of Car (or bike) chat? Just for once my memory hasn't let me down!All makes sense now!
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Pigmy Pony
13-07-2019, 13:55
in my early 20's I pulled out infront of a Honda CB360....who had right of way...I was turning left at a junction and I just didn't see the bike...Luckily the driver of the bike swerved out right into the middle of the road and there was no collision....The bike pulled in and I pulled in behind it...I got out of the car absolutely mortified, that I had nearly knocked a rider from a motorbike....I was full of apologies and was just repeating, I'm really really sorry Lad I just didn't see you...The helmet came off and the long curls of auburn hair fell down and she said I'm a girl.....and a very pretty one too...she was extremely shaken by the incident, to state the obvious, but she soon calmed down. I was expecting a bloody harsh telling off from her, but she was exceptionally nice..I was beside myself and calling myself a bloody idiot, I couldn't apologise enough...she put her helmet on got on her bike and said goodbye....ever since that day...I have always thought bike, when I'm out in the car....I have never had any problems with motorbikes since that day..It scared the shit out of me, nearly knocking that girl from her bike...I could have killed her....Al..
That's a nice story Alan, and ended well, although I thought you were going to say "We ended up swapping phone numbers, and now we're married with three smashing auburn-haired kiddies". Good that you stopped to apologise, showed the biker that car drivers are human beings too.
Probably stating the obvious, but I think spring/early summer is the most hazardous time of year for bikes, because (a) most bikers these days are 'fair weather riders' and after leaving the bike in the garage, riding skills are a bit rusty, and (b) car drivers have had several months of seeing next to no bikes on the road, and you are less likely to see something you're not expecting to see.
That’s how it is here, you see no bikes all Winter, then on the first warm day of Spring, the roads are lousy with them! My arm gets tired of waving. It’s a custom here, that when you pass a bike going the other way you wave, in some capacity. I usually just wag a finger, to not be rude, but it does get tiresome. And while the road is full of bikes on those first few Spring days, after a time, it slacks off, and the number of bikes becomes moderate.
I subconsciously am watching the speed of oncoming traffic, if an oncoming car is slowing down, chances are he’s going to turn. So occasionally I’m mashing my brakes for no reason but better safe than sorry.
Big Harley’s are heavy! So it’s easy to misjudge the brakes if you’re used to a lighter, or sportier bike. It is quite popular to replace the brakes with aftermarket 4 piston brakes, but many don’t know how to do it proper, once mounted you’ve got to burn the new pads in, or they’ll glaze and loose stopping power. My brakes are stock on the red Road King, but they stop to my satisfaction. After all, I’m not racing around like I did when I was younger. I didn’t buy a road bike until I was 32, a good thing, I’d have run up a tree if I had one in my 20’s. When I was young, dumb, and full of, err, testosterone.
Russell
Yes Alex that is a very good point. I am not perfect...sadly, but I can't equate the driving ways and manners of those that would have passed their test many years after me with how I was taught. So many seem to have no road sense or feel for driving. What happened to the "do not effect any manoeuvre that would cause another driver to brake/swerve/change course or impede their progress on the road" (or words to that effect). Joining dual carriageways or motorways is for some a keep going and barge your way on exercise, anyone on the road will have to take avoiding action. Some have no idea how to match speed/slow or accelerate to join either behind or in front of a car, and to actually have to stop (it is their give way) What! Stop? Do you have a few months for me to add more:lol:
Good post Rob - my thoughts exactly.
I'm by no means a 'perfect driver', but I always try to think of other road users when I'm driving. Apropos stopping on a slip road when joining a motorway: I have had to do this a couple of times on a short slip approach when there has been a convoy of three, four or five trucks barrelling along at 60mph with little space between them to join.
In general the aspect I find most alarming is the lack of indication stating intention when overtaking and lane changing and when on a roundabout, and sheer lack of courtesy when giving way.
With increasing numbers on the road, the situation can only get worse.
Good post Rob - my thoughts exactly.
I'm by no means a 'perfect driver', but I always try to think of other road users when I'm driving. Apropos stopping on a slip road when joining a motorway: I have had to do this a couple of times on a short slip approach when there has been a convoy of three, four or five trucks barrelling along at 60mph with little space between them to join.
In general the aspect I find most alarming is the lack of indication stating intention when overtaking and lane changing and when on a roundabout, and sheer lack of courtesy when giving way.
With increasing numbers on the road, the situation can only get worse.
Those roundabouts! Those things are dangerous to bikers. I know you guys are used to them, but they are relatively new where I live, and nobody knows what to do! Nobody.
Russell
dave2010
14-07-2019, 12:08
Those roundabouts! Those things are dangerous to bikers. I know you guys are used to them, but they are relatively new where I live, and nobody knows what to do! Nobody.
Russell
Ah - they are indeed rare in your neck of the woods I believe. OTOH manoeuvres such as U turns are legal and perhaps common. Hardly legal at all in the UK, as also turn on red.
There was one roundabout in Fresno near the road with all the auto agents.
Doesn’t your State have a DMV booklet explaining what to do on the roundabouts?
In the UK I figure one problem is that many of us don’t know what the speed limits actually are, and that includes me sometimes. I think many people think the national limit is 70mph - but it’s not quite as simple as that, and depends on the road. If it’s a single carriageway road I think the limit is 60mph, but then some roads are very poor and even that speed can be too much, whereas other roads are very good and 60mph feels too slow.
Ah - they are indeed rare in your neck of the woods I believe. OTOH manoeuvres such as U turns are legal and perhaps common. Hardly legal at all in the UK, as also turn on red.
There was one roundabout in Fresno near the road with all the auto agents.
Doesn’t your State have a DMV booklet explaining what to do on the roundabouts?
In the UK I figure one problem is that many of us don’t know what the speed limits actually are, and that includes me sometimes. I think many people think the national limit is 70mph - but it’s not quite as simple as that, and depends on the road. If it’s a single carriageway road I think the limit is 60mph, but then some roads are very poor and even that speed can be too much, whereas other roads are very good and 60mph feels too slow.
There very well may be info on how to maneuver a roundabout in the driver’s manual, but I took my driver’s test in 1977, so I wouldn’t know.
We do have U turns, except where posted, “No U Turn”. And right turn on red, except where posted, “No Right Turn on Red”. So, always a state of confusion, and gives cops plenty of reasons to write tickets.
The thing we do have, and luckily they are rare, are 4 way stops. Yes, an intersection where all 4 roads have a stop sign. The rules for who gets to go first are sketchy. The car on the right goes first, providing they both arrived at the same time. Of course, if all 4 arrived at the same time, who is on the right? Most drivers blow the horn and run the intersection.
Not far at all from my house is an interstate highway with a posted speed of 75mph. The local city police set up radar on a straightaway inside city limits, and bag speeders all day! And, mind you it’s not reckless driving unless you’re going 15mph over the speed limit. So they usually won’t bother you for going less than 10 miles over. They call it the, “Million Dollar Mile”, because the city makes several million dollars a year from speeding, and reckless, tickets issued on this one stretch of road! I don’t recall ever driving through without seeing a car pulled over there, they stay busy, people driving 90mph and faster!
Many years ago, there was talk of an American Autobahn, but, that would have required them to make it much tougher to get a license, so, they keep it so very easy to get a license, and no super fast lanes. Honestly, you answer 10 multiple choice questions, and drive around the parking lot. That is all that is required, they’ll even read the questions to you if you can’t read. A friend of mine who pasted away several years ago now, lived in Florida, which has a disproportionately senior population, he was legally blind! And still had his driver’s license.
Russell
Beobloke
14-07-2019, 22:09
Isn't it funny how all of us are bemoaning the standard of driving of others, yet surely statistically we must all be someone else's "other driver"? I know I'm perfect, can't be me that drives badly! ;)
I know I'm not perfect and, whilst I would never intimidate or cut anyone up deliberately, I admit I've made mistakes in the past- misjudged a situation or found myself in the wrong lane in an unfamiliar place.
However, if I do something daft and I get hooted at, or lights flashed at me, then like many people, I will stick my hand up - however it's not showing one or two fingers or making a 'wanker' sign; it's a palms-up gesture to say sorry. Amusingly, I've done this a couple of times to drivers who are clearly ready for a big argument - watching them deflate completely and acknowledge my apology in an almost disappointed way is quite funny! :D
walpurgis
14-07-2019, 22:17
:) I do the same.....................Mostly. ;)
dave2010
16-07-2019, 05:39
There very well may be info on how to maneuver a roundabout in the driver’s manual, but I took my driver’s test in 1977, so I wouldn’t know.
Here is the DMV book for CA - https://www.dmv.ca.gov/web/eng_pdf/dl600.pdf
and here is the DMV book for Virginia - https://driving-tests.org/virginia/va-dmv-drivers-handbook-manual/
The CA book does have a section on roundabouts - page 36.
Odd how one has many more pages than the other. Also, looks like the 2019 revisions for CA actually decriminalised refusing to give a blood test for DUI, though perhaps urine tests or breathalyser tests are allowed alternatives. In the UK refusing to be tested is an offence - though one is allowed a choice of tests I think.
We do have U turns, except where posted, “No U Turn”. And right turn on red, except where posted, “No Right Turn on Red”. So, always a state of confusion, and gives cops plenty of reasons to write tickets. In the UK it would often be impossible to do a U turn quickly because the roads are too narrow - even the wider ones, so generally banned.
Turn on red is not allowed in the UK, except if one has already decided to turn when there was a green light, in order to complete the movement - if safe to do so.
The thing we do have, and luckily they are rare, are 4 way stops. Yes, an intersection where all 4 roads have a stop sign. The rules for who gets to go first are sketchy. The car on the right goes first, providing they both arrived at the same time. Of course, if all 4 arrived at the same time, who is on the right? Most drivers blow the horn and run the intersection.I rather liked 4 way stops, as they are - or should be - fairly safe. They do slow the traffic down. If they are busy they work rather like a roundabout, with an important difference - everyone gets a turn - if things work as they should. In the UK it is permitted to approach a roundabout at speed, and if there's a stream of traffic it can be very hard for cars from other directions to break into that.
Maybe in some states 4-way stops are less of a problem. There might be quite a lot in some cities in CA.
One problem with 4 way stops in the US is if drivers from other countries encounter them - as indeed I did when I first started to drive in the US. Drivers from the UK or Europe will stop (OK), but not know what to do next.
Some UK towns now have something called a road table. This is a 4 way area. Nobody has a clue what to do on those.
A friend of mine who passed away several years ago now, lived in Florida, which has a disproportionately senior population, he was legally blind! And still had his driver’s license. Love that! Bureaucracy doesn't always join up - probably different departments, and privacy laws prevented data exchange. Or just simply what we would call a cock up.
I liked the sign outside the airport in Boston, which said something like "In this state pedestrians always have right of way".
The consequences if they didn't .... doh .... though on the other hand pedestrians can be a nuisance if they misbehave.
Here is the DMV book for CA - https://www.dmv.ca.gov/web/eng_pdf/dl600.pdf
and here is the DMV book for Virginia - https://driving-tests.org/virginia/va-dmv-drivers-handbook-manual/
The CA book does have a section on roundabouts - page 36.
Odd how one has many more pages than the other. Also, looks like the 2019 revisions for CA actually decriminalised refusing to give a blood test for DUI, though perhaps urine tests or breathalyser tests are allowed alternatives. In the UK refusing to be tested is an offence - though one is allowed a choice of tests I think.
In the UK it would often be impossible to do a U turn quickly because the roads are too narrow - even the wider ones, so generally banned.
Turn on red is not allowed in the UK, except if one has already decided to turn when there was a green light, in order to complete the movement - if safe to do so.
I rather liked 4 way stops, as they are - or should be - fairly safe. They do slow the traffic down. If they are busy they work rather like a roundabout, with an important difference - everyone gets a turn - if things work as they should. In the UK it is permitted to approach a roundabout at speed, and if there's a stream of traffic it can be very hard for cars from other directions to break into that.
Maybe in some states 4-way stops are less of a problem. There might be quite a lot in some cities in CA.
One problem with 4 way stops in the US is if drivers from other countries encounter them - as indeed I did when I first started to drive in the US. Drivers from the UK or Europe will stop (OK), but not know what to do next.
Some UK towns now have something called a road table. This is a 4 way area. Nobody has a clue what to do on those.
Love that! Bureaucracy doesn't always join up - probably different departments, and privacy laws prevented data exchange. Or just simply what we would call a cock up.
I liked the sign outside the airport in Boston, which said something like "In this state pedestrians always have right of way".
The consequences if they didn't .... doh .... though on the other hand pedestrians can be a nuisance if they misbehave.
The laws most everywhere claim pedestrians have right of way, to some degree. But the interpretation of, “Right of Way”, is different for some people. If pedestrians are crossing at cross walks, then they have right of way, but jay walking doesn’t give you right of way. And having right of way doesn’t mean you can step in front of a speeding car!
Back in high school, a friend had a hot rod Pinto wagon! No really! But some asinine teacher thought he was speeding in the school parking lot, so jumped into the road in front of him with his hand out as a stop signal. My friend stomped the gas and made it downshift, making that sucking sound, and the teacher dove for the sidewalk and tore the knee out of his pants.
The next day he arrived at school and was promptly arrested. When they finally got to court, he and his father were on their side, with no lawyer, expecting to get hammered. The judge asked the teacher what happened, and as he explained the judge stopped him, and said, “Wait a minute, you say the car was speeding, and you jumped in front of it?”, dropped his hammer and said, “case dismissed!”. My friend never even got to speak. The poor teacher who was not well liked to begin with caught hell from students and staff for that one!
I do believe in VA, they can demand a breathalyzer test, but you can refuse it and ask for a blood test instead. Many do, hoping their blood alcohol level will drop by the time they get to an emergency room for the test. But, refusing a test is an automatic revocation of your license. You basically agree to the test before you can get a license.
I’ve even heard a few years back, they tried putting a breathalyzer lock on habitual drunk driver’s cars! You had to blow into the tube to start the car. But they just brought their kids along to blow in the tube for them. Or paid someone else to blow in the lock for them. A very dumb idea from government, how stupid do you have to be to think that would work? Now they just take their license, and if caught with a revoked license, you go to jail!
Russell
dave2010
16-07-2019, 09:05
I’ve even heard a few years back, they tried putting a breathalyzer lock on habitual drunk driver’s cars! You had to blow into the tube to start the car. But they just brought their kids along to blow in the tube for them. Or paid someone else to blow in the lock for them. A very dumb idea from government, how stupid do you have to be to think that would work? Now they just take their license, and if caught with a revoked license, you go to jail!
I like that. It's a bit like having swipe cards to check whether students are in class. It's not unknown for one student to turn up with ten or so cards and swipe everyone in. Causes hell if there's a fire alarm or emergency.
I also liked a news item in the UK years ago when it was announced that there was going to be a tightening of the driving laws in, I think, Texas.
From that day it was going to be illegal to be driving, drinking, eating, and carrying a gun at the same time!
Pigmy Pony
16-07-2019, 16:23
Many years ago a friend was stopped and breathalysed. He blew positive, and was taken to the police station to provide an evidential sample. In those days you could provide a blood sample or a urine sample. He opted for urine.
When he emerged from the cubicle with his little 'pot', He was just about to hand it over to the copper when all hell broke loose - some drunks fighting in the charging area, pretty much a riot. The copper said to my mate "Wait here", and ran off to assist. Never one to miss an opportunity, my friend legged it out of the police station with his sample.
He got away with the drink driving, but was charged with taking the piss.
walpurgis
16-07-2019, 16:42
Did he negotiate to get the fine slashed?
Many years ago a friend was stopped and breathalysed. He blew positive, and was taken to the police station to provide an evidential sample. In those days you could provide a blood sample or a urine sample. He opted for urine.
When he emerged from the cubicle with his little 'pot', He was just about to hand it over to the copper when all hell broke loose - some drunks fighting in the charging area, pretty much a riot. The copper said to my mate "Wait here", and ran off to assist. Never one to miss an opportunity, my friend legged it out of the police station with his sample.
He got away with the drink driving, but was charged with taking the piss.
I guess tampering with evidence is not a traffic violation?
Russell
Pigmy Pony
16-07-2019, 22:02
Did he negotiate to get the fine slashed?
:lol: It was still a big fine, but his drinking buddies pooled their resources to help him.
Many,many years ago, I was speeding down the interstate, on my way home from work, when a State Trooper pulled me over. We sat there for a few seconds, and as he was about to get out of his car, another car damn near side swiped his police car! And went sliding down the road sideways at breakneck speeds!
The officer jumped back in his car and shot off after him! I didn’t waste any time getting back into traffic, a lucky break that doesn’t come along every day.
Russell
dave2010
17-07-2019, 22:06
In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".
Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!
In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".
Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!
Haha! Yes! I’ve been caught in fast traffic before myself. The company I used to work for was in Richmond VA, but they owned warehouses up in Pennsylvania and Maryland. So one night around 2am, coming home just South of Washington DC, a group of cars, about 30 or 40 of them, came up behind me going 100mph! I put myself smack in the middle and joined in. Wow I made good time! If I could drive that fast all the time, i could get places! We continued all the way from DC to Richmond at that speed, I’m not sure how much time it took, but it seemed like no time at all! An hour and a half I guess? I was sorry to have to exit off, and return to the regular speed limit.
Russell
Pigmy Pony
18-07-2019, 15:57
In days gone by the traffic on the 99 highway outside Fresno CA used to travel at around 55 mph. It was generally monitored by police cars and a helicopter. When there were riots in LA most of the police were sent to that city to assist. The guy in the radio helicopter who used to give traffic reports on the local radio station in the morning mentioned something to the effect that "The police are all busy elsewhere today. If you've ever felt like testing your car's top speed out, today's your day".
Almost immediately all the cars on the road accelerated way beyond their usual limits. Everyone - collectively!
Except for the poor buggers who were enjoying a bit of Michael Buble or something on CD instead of listening to the radio. It must have felt like the end of civilisation to them.
dave2010
19-07-2019, 09:41
Except for the poor buggers who were enjoying a bit of Michael Buble or something on CD instead of listening to the radio. It must have felt like the end of civilisation to them.Buble was very unlikely to have been heard on the radio at that time. I was hoping to write that he hadn’t been born, but he was in fact already alive - he’s significantly older than I knew about - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bubl%C3%A9
Nevertheless, he wasn’t very old, and was only just starting to push forward as a young talent.
CDs had been invented, but few (if any) cars had CD players. Most were still equipped for tape cassettes, as well as FM/AM radios.
PhilofCas
19-07-2019, 11:07
I’ve been doing a 64 mile round trip commute for 21+ years and I’d tend to agree that driving standards and general attitudes have fallen.
I consider myself a steady and courteous driver but have had a short fuse with others for a while now. I’ve had a series of incidents recently, all IMHO other people’s fault, like an Audi RS4 driver accelerating so fast from a slip road that he then was bearing down on me overtaking a tractor that he thought I obstructed him and was up behind me shaking his head, a complete and utter arsehole.
Anyway, i reeled off lots of these little incidents to a policeman friend of mine, and basically he said he’s not got involved for many many years (my involvement really has been to gesticulate and shout at others, not good I know), he says just don’t let them enter your world and don’t get into theirs, he says one day you’ll come across a nut job who’ll think nothing of filling me in and stoving the car in. Anyway, after a long chat with him, I’m on a mission to heed his recommendations, so far so good, told him I’ll report back in a month or so, he is after all 100% correct.
(Sorry, had missed a key bit of info from my original post regarding my police mate)
I’ve been doing a 64 mile round trip commute for 21+ years and I’d tend to agree that driving standards and general attitudes have fallen.
I consider myself a steady and courteous driver but have had a short fuse with others for a while now. I’ve had a series of incidents recently, all IMHO other people’s fault, like an Audi RS4 driver accelerating so fast from a slip road that he then was bearing down on me overtaking a tractor that he thought I obstructed him and was up behind me shaking his head, a complete and utter arsehole.
Anyway, i reeled off lots of these little incidents and basically he said he’s not got involved for many many years (my involvement really has been to gesticulate and shout at others, not good I know), he says just don’t let them enter your world and don’t get into theirs, he says one day you’ll come across a nut job who’ll think nothing of filling me in and stoving the car in. Anyway, after a long chat with him, I’m on a mission to heed his recommendations, so far so good, told him I’ll report back in a month or so, he is after all 100% correct.
At my last job I had a near 40 mile each way trek. All highway, only 3 miles rural at each end. So I decided to time myself. I set a stop watch, and I drove like hell! I pushed the speed limit, averaging 10 miles over, I passed everything in sight, and was basically aggressive.
The next day, I drove the speed limit, relaxed and stayed out of the fast lane, didn’t pass a soul.
The outcome was surprising, there was less than 3 minutes difference! On the day I rushed, I got to work 2:48 faster than the day I relaxed. Risking a ticket, and high blood pressure, and possibly invoking the wrath of a road rage driver, is simply not worth it for two minutes. And that’s not even considering any gas mileage I may have gained?
Russell
PhilofCas
20-07-2019, 06:20
At my last job I had a near 40 mile each way trek. All highway, only 3 miles rural at each end. So I decided to time myself. I set a stop watch, and I drove like hell! I pushed the speed limit, averaging 10 miles over, I passed everything in sight, and was basically aggressive.
The next day, I drove the speed limit, relaxed and stayed out of the fast lane, didn’t pass a soul.
The outcome was surprising, there was less than 3 minutes difference! On the day I rushed, I got to work 2:48 faster than the day I relaxed. Risking a ticket, and high blood pressure, and possibly invoking the wrath of a road rage driver, is simply not worth it for two minutes. And that’s not even considering any gas mileage I may have gained?
Russell
Seen it time and time again Russell, people doing all they can to rush along, overtaking, then you see them 5 min down the road a few cars in front at traffic lights. Yes, stress levels and MPG increase and fall respectively.
Seen it time and time again Russell, people doing all they can to rush along, overtaking, then you see them 5 min down the road a few cars in front at traffic lights. Yes, stress levels and MPG increase and fall respectively.
On the way to work the other day. Dual carriageway, and there's a bloke in a white van weaving in and out of the lanes, overtaking like a lunatic. His exhaust was broken off and was venting black smoke. He was getting right up behind other vehicles and sounding his horn until they moved over. There are so many roundabouts and traffic lights on that stretch that even with those tactics he still couldn't make any progress compared to the rest of us. Just insane. If a cop had seen him he would have had it but you never see any cops round here anymore.
Some people just need to go home, sit down, have a nice cup of tea and re-think their lives.
Pigmy Pony
20-07-2019, 07:35
At my last job I had a near 40 mile each way trek. All highway, only 3 miles rural at each end. So I decided to time myself. I set a stop watch, and I drove like hell! I pushed the speed limit, averaging 10 miles over, I passed everything in sight, and was basically aggressive.
The next day, I drove the speed limit, relaxed and stayed out of the fast lane, didn’t pass a soul.
The outcome was surprising, there was less than 3 minutes difference! On the day I rushed, I got to work 2:48 faster than the day I relaxed. Risking a ticket, and high blood pressure, and possibly invoking the wrath of a road rage driver, is simply not worth it for two minutes. And that’s not even considering any gas mileage I may have gained?
Russell
Yes, regardless of how fast you are driving, your total average speed is still dictated by the speed of the rest of the traffic. The only gains timewise you can make are when you overtake something, and then you get to go a bit faster until the next obstacle (probably only 100 yards further on).
When I last drove to Ullapool, I saw that much, if not all of the A9 had a 40mph restriction for HGVs. With the paucity of overtaking opportunities you have a choice: either stay behind that truck (which means you too are restricted to 40mph), or take your life into your hands trying to pass, only to find yourself stuck behind the next truck. Piece of piss on a bike, as long as you're mindful of car drivers 'going for it' at the same time. This speed limit for HGVs looks to me like a dangerous idea, and I'd be interested to know whether this policy has reduced overall death/casualties.
I once had a conversation with a younger work colleague, who considered himself a quick driver. I asked him "When you are travelling along the road in a convoy of traffic, are you usually at the front or the back of that queue?" "The front, I'm always at the front!" I don't think I quite made him understand that this meant he was actually a slower driver. He told me that he would make it his mission to get to the front of that queue, and he had to drive quickly to achieve that.
My mission is usually to return the highest mpg.. Much safer and probably as much fun. Certainly teaches you to be a better driver
walpurgis
20-07-2019, 08:08
Jeremy Clarkson said years ago "No matter how fast you drive on a run, everybody ends up averaging 50mph" and he was dead right! All driving fast does, is get you to the next hold-up quicker.
PhilofCas
20-07-2019, 20:48
On the way to work the other day. Dual carriageway, and there's a bloke in a white van weaving in and out of the lanes, overtaking like a lunatic. His exhaust was broken off and was venting black smoke. He was getting right up behind other vehicles and sounding his horn until they moved over. There are so many roundabouts and traffic lights on that stretch that even with those tactics he still couldn't make any progress compared to the rest of us. Just insane. If a cop had seen him he would have had it but you never see any cops round here anymore.
Some people just need to go home, sit down, have a nice cup of tea and re-think their lives.
First class dick, would be so nice to see him end up in a ditch :thumbsup:
walpurgis
20-07-2019, 20:50
First class dick, would be so nice to see him end up in a ditch :thumbsup:
A big one, like the River Severn.
First class dick, would be so nice to see him end up in a ditch :thumbsup:
The exhaust was knackered completely, it was venting from practically under the engine compartment. That was four days ago, if it is still in running order now it would be a miracle.
PhilofCas
22-07-2019, 07:57
A big one, like the River Severn.
The exhaust was knackered completely, it was venting from practically under the engine compartment. That was four days ago, if it is still in running order now it would be a miracle.
Lack of police presence isn’t helping, there’s little deterrent to put people off from acting unlawfully, sad state of affairs really.
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