Good driving thread...

[rottenegg]

Lots of chilled drivers giving me a very wide berth on my bike this morning, which is great.

I do 25,000 miles a year in the car and 2000+ on my bike and I've definitely noticed an improvement in attitude towards cyclists.

[Ultra Sound Guy]

Last year I moved from fairly rural Hampshire to extremely rural (my neighbours are sheep).
Many of my local roads are single track, gated roads.
I’m just blown away by the courteous driving from the locals and farm-workers who all make it easier for everyone to keep moving, and always give a happy wave!
The farm-workers driving larger, slower vehicles will always pull in at the earliest opportunity to let, even one, car pass.

I won’t mention the Chelsea tractor drivers who, like everywhere else, don’t want to get their pride and joy dirty, and don’t have tyres suited for anything but totally smooth tarmac!

[biggbn]

Was delayed a few minutes on way to the gym this moring, which is bang in the middle of an industrial estate, by an HGV driver reversing into a small yard and up to a loading bay. Not a moments hesitation, inches clearance each way, incredible control of such a big machine. Yes, I know its their job but I find it difficult reversing a small trailer at times! These guys and girls are incredible drivers, aren't they?

[dontlookdown]

biggbn said:

Was delayed a few minutes on way to the gym this moring, which is bang in the middle of an industrial estate, by an HGV driver reversing into a small yard and up to a loading bay. Not a moments hesitation, inches clearance each way, incredible control of such a big machine. Yes, I know its their job but I find it difficult reversing a small trailer at times! These guys and girls are incredible drivers, aren't they?

Yup I agree that watching a well driven artic execute a tricky reverse is impressive.

Saw quite a few nicely ridden big bikes in Lincolnshire countryside last weekend. Making progress as the PH phrase has it, but aware and considerate of others. It is always grood to see properly skilful fast road riding or driving.

[vikingaero]

Joined the M20 at J7, and alongside me was a Nissan Puke, who indicated and made a decisive but close manoeuvre into my lane. They then raised their hand to say thank you. I just thought that we were both confident commuters getting along with our journeys. If this was the weekend there would be emergency braking, use of the horn, shouting maniac, pointing to the dashcam and mouthing "Cam-ruh" and lots of "Where did you get your driving licence? Out of a cornflakes packet? Hur. Hur. Hur."

Negative points: Having to endure the sight of a Nissan Puke in front of me.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

I had a bit of an epiphany about this on a foggy wet motorway a few years ago. It was a week day morning so heavy traffic but still moving at 50-70 in bursts. I thought this is actually a minor miracle. Hundreds of people who don't know each other, who are all thinking about their own problems and lives, all in a hurry, each in charge of a big lump of metal powered by 10 gallons of explosives. Some are in charge of 40 ton trucks or coaches full of school kids. Some have been up all night driving. Some probably didn't get enough sleep. None of them planned or coordinated any of this and total carnage is a couple of wrong moves away. Yet here we all are gliding along listening to the radio and thinking nothing of it.

[biggbn]

Fella tanking along in an older Focus tonight, knew where all the 'hidden' openings were as he slowed for them judging by his brake points and he still let traffic out, including me, by flashing them out to pass slower drivers. Good, aware fast driving. Must have left the stove on or something!!

[MBVitoria]

Recent drive back from Betws-y-Coed and had the pleasure of seeing a very well driven M4 making progress through fairly dense traffic.

Taking advantage of every safe overtake that was on, road positioning and following distance was spot on - was basically a copy of our very own Reg's "how to overtake" youtube series. Great to see in the wild.

Although later on the same drive I saw the total antithesis when some aggressive knob in a Golf R was tailgating everything and attempting overtakes that simply were not safe, braking hard when he realised his mistakes. fking tt!

[biggbn]

On way to work this morning, Dual carriageway with a few roads joining it, black Audi suv of some flavour comes round bend onto slip road, I can't move over so flash him out as there is time and zero hesitation they are out and up to nsl, quick flash of indicators to give thanks. Attentive, polite and assertive driving, well done.

[vikingaero]

biggbn said:

On way to work this morning, Dual carriageway with a few roads joining it, black Audi suv of some flavour comes round bend onto slip road, I can't move over so flash him out as there is time and zero hesitation they are out and up to nsl, quick flash of indicators to give thanks. Attentive, polite and assertive driving, well done.

That's the risk with flashing someone out. Have you made a mistake of letting the dodderiest driver in the Universe out, or does the person surprise you and make reasonable progress by getting up to speed promptly?

[v9]

I like the sentiments being expressed in this thread. It’s nice to see some good attentive and positive driving. There is a lot of flashing going on though, this can cause some significant issues. I always remember being the passenger in a loaded artic coming down a hill on a fast dual carriageway when a car moved to cross in front of us, far too late to safely complete the manoeuvre. Artic driver flashed his lights to alert car driver of his presence (the correct use of a flash) and only afterwards realised this could have been misinterpreted as ‘you’re OK to cross in front of me’. Thankfully the driver did the right thing and stopped, but it could have gone horribly wrong.
I have not flashed people since to indicate they can pull out etc. simply back off a little and almost everyone will still take the opportunity when the see the gap widen. Much safer I think.

[Monkeylegend]

v9 said:

I like the sentiments being expressed in this thread. It’s nice to see some good attentive and positive driving.

That's because the vast majority of journeys are uneventful and pass without incident due to that attentive, positive driving.

Those who continually report about bad driving all around them should maybe ask the question "what or who is the common denominator?"

[v9]

Monkeylegend said:

That's because the vast majority of journeys are uneventful and pass without incident due to that attentive, positive driving.

Those who continually report about bad driving all around them should maybe ask the question "what or who is the common denominator?"

This is, of course, very true. I remember a police instructor I did a course with a few years ago (Rapid Training I think) saying the best road drivers get from A to B quickly and safely and with nobody noticing their journey.

[biggbn]

v9 said:

Monkeylegend said:

That's because the vast majority of journeys are uneventful and pass without incident due to that attentive, positive driving.

Those who continually report about bad driving all around them should maybe ask the question "what or who is the common denominator?"

This is, of course, very true. I remember a police instructor I did a course with a few years ago (Rapid Training I think) saying the best road drivers get from A to B quickly and safely and with nobody noticing their journey.

Both good posts, and yes, like many places positive, constructive behaviour goes unnoticed, unrewarded and unremarked. Just trying to bring some positivity to this forum which, sometimes when I'm reading it, I hear the Darth Vader 'death march' music in my head. So many angry, negative people fuming about anything and everything from the vantage point of their own precieved perfection.

There, that'll go down well.....

[v9]

I think the better a driver becomes, the less bad driving by others they encounter. Not saying awful driving isn’t out there, just that if you’re encountering it regularly it does pay to have a little look at your own practice. (Unless you’re driving in India, obvs!)

[JuanCarlosFandango]

v9 said:

I think the better a driver becomes, the less bad driving by others they encounter. Not saying awful driving isn’t out there, just that if you’re encountering it regularly it does pay to have a little look at your own practice. (Unless you’re driving in India, obvs!)

This is very true! Hammered home by riding (and crashing) motorbikes. If a car is coming out of a side road they haven't seen me. If the car in front is about to overtake a lorry they haven't seen me. If it's a single file road and someone's coming the other way they aren't stopping or giving an inch, regardless of who's right of way it is. Etc etc.

Every other driver on the road is a drunken psychopath who has just murdered his wife and is driving like a maniac to his chosen suicide spot before the armed police catch him. I'm more often pleasantly surprised than angrily disappointed.

[nickfrog]

I had to do a mile or so on the road in the middle of my MTB ride. Narrowish A road in Sussex at rush hour this evening (Long Furlong in Findon).

Quite impressed by how much space I was given by cars passing me and how patient that Merc Coupe was on the roundabout. Made sure he got a clear thumbs up for his troubles.

Only one close(ish) pass by a Golf Convertible as he gambled just before a corner with a lorry coming the other way. But not too bad all told.

Still not a pleasant experience though. I still don't understand road riding...

[Mr Tidy]

JuanCarlosFandango said:

Every other driver on the road is a drunken psychopath who has just murdered his wife and is driving like a maniac to his chosen suicide spot before the armed police catch him. I'm more often pleasantly surprised than angrily disappointed.

I got my moped at 16 and first motorbike at 17 and that approach has always worked well for me, even after I started using 4 wheels!.

[biggbn]

Thanks to the driver of the council van who flashed and let me out of a parking space outside my work today. Thanks also to the person this morning who was coming up behind me rather quickly but slowed and flashed me out because they saw a tractor pull out a good bit further up the road. They'd have easily been past before I had to pull out. Very courteous

[mac96]

Well done to various drivers I saw earlier today avoiding pedestrian soaking puddles. Including an artic which almost stopped from 40mph when he saw oncoming traffic would force him to go through a small lake.