Rants: driver standards / road layout & construction
Discussion
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
I see this regularly on the middle lane of the M40, especially at night with the screen in bright 'day' mode. Do these people have special infrared vision or something? I just don't understand why you wouldn't think it's a REALLY BAD IDEA that might cause you to CRASH INTO SOMETHING AND DIE.
Do the police ever have a word/ prosecute for driving like an idiot?
Middle lane idiots
As above... why is the middle lane seen as the correct lane to be in? Or even more inexplicably, lane 3 of 4?!
Is there some kind of modern driver training that says the middle lane is safest?
Suggestion: use the matrix signs to say "Keep left unless overtaking" as they used to do in Scotland (and hopefully still do).
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
This seems to be increasing in popularity and baffles me... is a car likely to be accelerating or decelerating on the exit of a roundabout?
Lane markings and layouts
What are they using nowadays? Dulux emulsion? It seems to wear away very quickly leaving a mass of faded confusion that can be downright misleading under the right conditions of wetness and lighting. Disasters waiting to happen. Not helped by the modern trend of squeezing in extra lanes which are inevitably narrower than before and require more precision from a driver.
while I'm on a roll Parking spaces that are way too small
Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
/VictorMeldrew mode off
I see this regularly on the middle lane of the M40, especially at night with the screen in bright 'day' mode. Do these people have special infrared vision or something? I just don't understand why you wouldn't think it's a REALLY BAD IDEA that might cause you to CRASH INTO SOMETHING AND DIE.
Do the police ever have a word/ prosecute for driving like an idiot?
Middle lane idiots
As above... why is the middle lane seen as the correct lane to be in? Or even more inexplicably, lane 3 of 4?!
Is there some kind of modern driver training that says the middle lane is safest?
Suggestion: use the matrix signs to say "Keep left unless overtaking" as they used to do in Scotland (and hopefully still do).
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
This seems to be increasing in popularity and baffles me... is a car likely to be accelerating or decelerating on the exit of a roundabout?
Lane markings and layouts
What are they using nowadays? Dulux emulsion? It seems to wear away very quickly leaving a mass of faded confusion that can be downright misleading under the right conditions of wetness and lighting. Disasters waiting to happen. Not helped by the modern trend of squeezing in extra lanes which are inevitably narrower than before and require more precision from a driver.
while I'm on a roll Parking spaces that are way too small
Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
/VictorMeldrew mode off
Dingu said:
I would bet a lot of the Phones/Nav you think you see in the middle of the screen are in fact dash cams which from the drivers perspective are tucked behind the mirror.
No I just followed one of these special creatures tonight. Pug 108, mirror visible (in traffic) phone mounted directly below mirror floating above the dash... occupying basically the entire vertical space between dash and mirror!No one will be trained to drive that way.
Siting of pedestrian crossings will be based on pedestrian behaviour. Better to have the crossing rather than remove it and have people still crossing in the same place.
Parking spaces are probably historically set at specified measurements. Doesn't help that cars are getting bigger.
Siting of pedestrian crossings will be based on pedestrian behaviour. Better to have the crossing rather than remove it and have people still crossing in the same place.
Parking spaces are probably historically set at specified measurements. Doesn't help that cars are getting bigger.
Driversmatter said:
Obstructing the driver view. Can't put anything in the sweep of the wipers. Do that in an MOT and the tester will remove it.
The tester won't remove it, they will mention it on the test they aren't allowed to remove it, in the same way if you have a child seat fitted they can't remove it to test the belt for that seat.Drivers who leave their rear wiper on, even in good weather. When did the driver last look in their rear view mirror?
The drivers of cars whose instruments illuminate the moment you start the engine, meaning the driver doesn't notice it's dark and doesn't switch their lights on (surprisingly, this is not such a new thing - I can remember the Citroen AX in the late eighties having this feature).
The drivers of cars whose instruments illuminate the moment you start the engine, meaning the driver doesn't notice it's dark and doesn't switch their lights on (surprisingly, this is not such a new thing - I can remember the Citroen AX in the late eighties having this feature).
E-bmw said:
Driversmatter said:
Obstructing the driver view. Can't put anything in the sweep of the wipers. Do that in an MOT and the tester will remove it.
The tester won't remove it, they will mention it on the test they aren't allowed to remove it, in the same way if you have a child seat fitted they can't remove it to test the belt for that seat.
[quote]
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
I see this regularly on the middle lane of the M40, especially at night with the screen in bright 'day' mode. Do these people have special infrared vision or something? I just don't understand why you wouldn't think it's a REALLY BAD IDEA that might cause you to CRASH INTO SOMETHING AND DIE.
Do the police ever have a word/ prosecute for driving like an idiot?
[/quote]
Ha I do this. I have a damn good reason though. I used to mount it to the left next to the a-pilar but one day I hit a massive pothole on the ground and since my roof is down, my phone decided to take the express route to the landfill. That being said my phone has auto dimming, and is fairly small, so it's not blocking my view at all.
[quote]
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
This seems to be increasing in popularity and baffles me... is a car likely to be accelerating or decelerating on the exit of a roundabout?
[/quote]
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
I see this regularly on the middle lane of the M40, especially at night with the screen in bright 'day' mode. Do these people have special infrared vision or something? I just don't understand why you wouldn't think it's a REALLY BAD IDEA that might cause you to CRASH INTO SOMETHING AND DIE.
Do the police ever have a word/ prosecute for driving like an idiot?
[/quote]
Ha I do this. I have a damn good reason though. I used to mount it to the left next to the a-pilar but one day I hit a massive pothole on the ground and since my roof is down, my phone decided to take the express route to the landfill. That being said my phone has auto dimming, and is fairly small, so it's not blocking my view at all.
[quote]
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
This seems to be increasing in popularity and baffles me... is a car likely to be accelerating or decelerating on the exit of a roundabout?
[/quote]
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
Edited by TheLoraxxZeus on Friday 20th January 09:03
Dingu said:
I would bet a lot of the Phones/Nav you think you see in the middle of the screen are in fact dash cams which from the drivers perspective are tucked behind the mirror.
Not as good as the absolute weapon I saw last week. The sat nav was (I sh*t you not) placed above the steering wheel. 
It must have been like driving a car whilst looking through a letter box!
Nav / phone in the MIDDLE of the windscreen
Intuitively, obstructing your field of view does not appear to be a great idea on the face of it, but then I think back to the introduction of the halo into Formula 1/single seaters. Whilst these drivers are expert they seem unaffected, so maybe the obstruction has much less of an affect than you think.
Middle lane idiots
Absolutely! I don't know what the answer is - education, enforcement, vigilante (flashing them to move over).
But the plague seems to get worse.
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
As said above, these are placed where convenient for the pedestrians not the drivers.
If there wasn't a crossing placed where I want it, I'd cross there anyway.
Lane markings and layouts
I hadn't noticed this issue. Of course, white lines fade over time.
Parking spaces that are way too small Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
Land is expensive, We should stop buying huge (expensive) SUVs. (And learn to park!)
Intuitively, obstructing your field of view does not appear to be a great idea on the face of it, but then I think back to the introduction of the halo into Formula 1/single seaters. Whilst these drivers are expert they seem unaffected, so maybe the obstruction has much less of an affect than you think.
Middle lane idiots
Absolutely! I don't know what the answer is - education, enforcement, vigilante (flashing them to move over).
But the plague seems to get worse.
Pedestrian crossings on the exit of roundabouts / junctions
As said above, these are placed where convenient for the pedestrians not the drivers.
If there wasn't a crossing placed where I want it, I'd cross there anyway.
Lane markings and layouts
I hadn't noticed this issue. Of course, white lines fade over time.
Parking spaces that are way too small Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
Land is expensive, We should stop buying huge (expensive) SUVs. (And learn to park!)
TheLoraxxZeus said:
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
One of the single most ridiculous things ever to come into legislation. Edited by TheLoraxxZeus on Friday 20th January 09:03
Bennet said:
CA said:
Parking spaces that are way too small
Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
I'm more inclined to blame the people who buy cars that don't fit into normal spaces.Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
Length 4.27 m
Width 1.59 m
Ford Mondeo 2020 model
Length 4.87 m
Width 1.85 m
That's a like for like comparison, the width is the killer
Move to an SUV
VW Touareg
Length 4.87m (like the Mondeo)
Width 1.98m
The standard public car park space was designed in 1964, IMHO
Heaveho said:
TheLoraxxZeus said:
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
One of the single most ridiculous things ever to come into legislation. Edited by TheLoraxxZeus on Friday 20th January 09:03
king idiot and the cars behind you get pissy and do dangerous stuff, like encroach into the incoming lane to get around you.Heaveho said:
TheLoraxxZeus said:
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
One of the single most ridiculous things ever to come into legislation. Heaveho said:
TheLoraxxZeus said:
New rules were introduced in 2022 that give pedestrians total authority over junctions. So if you approach a junction and someone is approaching to cross (even if you're minor to major, or major to minor) you have to stop and give them way. I imagine this probably extends to roundabout exists even if the rules aren't entirely clear.
One of the single most ridiculous things ever to come into legislation. Edited by TheLoraxxZeus on Friday 20th January 09:03
Bennet said:
CA said:
Parking spaces that are way too small
Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
I'm more inclined to blame the people who buy cars that don't fit into normal spaces.Has anyone seen the size of new cars now?
Re parking spaces, I used to work for the big blue retailer, I carried out a store and car park refurb for their big store in Perth Scotland. Whilst finishing the car park one day I had a conversation with a local, he asked me to take a look at the amount of 4x4 vehicles in the car park, I had to admit that of all the vehicles parked at least 40% were much bigger than a standard car, however our parking space size was universal across the UK so could see his point that the spaces were just not big enough for vehicles that used the stores that were in farming or agricultural areas. BTW the big retailers target cash through the tills per parking space, that's why some new builds get loads and others fewer.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff