who was it - part 2
Discussion
taken from a biking site:
I had a weird one last night on the M25. Was in the car in the 'overtaking' lane doing about 70-80 when I came up behind a TVR doing about 55. In front of it, holding it up was a new Mini. Sat for a while with both inside lanes overtaking us and then flashed. The TVR pulled over and gave me a 'You have a go' gesture. I was now behind the Mini which was now doing about 50 and being overtaken by everything on the inside. I flashed the mini for a while and then it slammed it's brakes on. I backed off until about a mile later it pulled over. When I went past there was what looked like a teenage girl driving it who appeared to be gripping the steering wheel like her life depended on it and staring manically straight ahead.
I had a weird one last night on the M25. Was in the car in the 'overtaking' lane doing about 70-80 when I came up behind a TVR doing about 55. In front of it, holding it up was a new Mini. Sat for a while with both inside lanes overtaking us and then flashed. The TVR pulled over and gave me a 'You have a go' gesture. I was now behind the Mini which was now doing about 50 and being overtaken by everything on the inside. I flashed the mini for a while and then it slammed it's brakes on. I backed off until about a mile later it pulled over. When I went past there was what looked like a teenage girl driving it who appeared to be gripping the steering wheel like her life depended on it and staring manically straight ahead.
There seems to be a lot of these on the motorway. However, if you poke your left indicator to move to the middle lane, they tend to move over 
That said, every one's perception of safe stopping distances is different.
At 70, from memory the highway code says 315 feet. However, if you drive more than a car's length from the vehicle in front, you tend to be classed as a lane hogger, and someone normally undertakes and takes the gap
The only way of stopping "all" undertakers is to leave less than a smart car's length between you and the car in front, bit nerve racking for your passenger though
Or let the tyres down on their hearse
That said, every one's perception of safe stopping distances is different.
At 70, from memory the highway code says 315 feet. However, if you drive more than a car's length from the vehicle in front, you tend to be classed as a lane hogger, and someone normally undertakes and takes the gap
The only way of stopping "all" undertakers is to leave less than a smart car's length between you and the car in front, bit nerve racking for your passenger though
Or let the tyres down on their hearse
My dad drives way too close to the car in front. I find myself dabbing the imaginary brake pedal in the passenger footwell. Even at 20 mph, five foot behind the car in front is very nerve wracking.
I've actually added myself to the insurance on his cars, as I'm fed up of the fair ground ride experience.
I refuse to be a passenger now.
I've actually added myself to the insurance on his cars, as I'm fed up of the fair ground ride experience.
I refuse to be a passenger now.
I can't be alone in believing that it's this ridiculous keep right to overtake 'lane dicipline' that causes all the congestion.
If we had the ability to pass on all sides then we wouldn't have the ridiculous situation, that we've all seen of nothing in the inside lane, a few in the middle lane and a solid line of arrogance in the outside lane.
The attitude of it's dangerous to 'undertake' no longer washes as all cars now have N/S mirrors and if you're driving properly you should be aware of everything that's around you.
In the US (not a country known for the intelligence of it's natives at times) they have six lanes of mayhem in cities like Los Angeles and I've driven enough miles on those roads for both business and pleasure to know that accidents caused by lane change collisions are pretty rare.
Either that or the Police and their new friends 'Traffic Officers' start to enforce a 'keep left' policy and book people for not moving over left when a gap appears.
Discuss
If we had the ability to pass on all sides then we wouldn't have the ridiculous situation, that we've all seen of nothing in the inside lane, a few in the middle lane and a solid line of arrogance in the outside lane.
The attitude of it's dangerous to 'undertake' no longer washes as all cars now have N/S mirrors and if you're driving properly you should be aware of everything that's around you.
In the US (not a country known for the intelligence of it's natives at times) they have six lanes of mayhem in cities like Los Angeles and I've driven enough miles on those roads for both business and pleasure to know that accidents caused by lane change collisions are pretty rare.
Either that or the Police and their new friends 'Traffic Officers' start to enforce a 'keep left' policy and book people for not moving over left when a gap appears.
Discuss
I agree.
I think there's a worse one though. You're driving along the inside lane of a two lane road, that you don't know. Ten yards from the junction in front of you, you spot the "this is a turn left only lane". You want to go straight on, and you can imagine what the queue of people you've just undertook think of you, when you slap on the right indicator.
Sometimes they don't even bother with the sign, they just put it on the road, waiting for that once in a lifetime occurrence where there isn't another vehicle for miles in front of you, and you can actually read the writing from three foot off the ground.
Do they leave these signs as late as possible to cause road rage ? I wonder if the people who site the signs, couple up as paramedics to keep themselves busy.
I think there's a worse one though. You're driving along the inside lane of a two lane road, that you don't know. Ten yards from the junction in front of you, you spot the "this is a turn left only lane". You want to go straight on, and you can imagine what the queue of people you've just undertook think of you, when you slap on the right indicator.
Sometimes they don't even bother with the sign, they just put it on the road, waiting for that once in a lifetime occurrence where there isn't another vehicle for miles in front of you, and you can actually read the writing from three foot off the ground.
Do they leave these signs as late as possible to cause road rage ? I wonder if the people who site the signs, couple up as paramedics to keep themselves busy.
Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 3rd March 17:23
V8 GRF said:
Either that or the Police and their new friends 'Traffic Officers' start to enforce a 'keep left' policy and book people for not moving over left when a gap appears.
Discuss
I have seen this happen. Driving on a (surprisingly) quiet section of the M25, came up behind a middle lane hogger, doing approx 60, nothing on the inside lane, cars passing on lane 3, I noticed a police car coming up from behind, as I approached the hogger, I pulled into lane one and braked, stopping me from undertaking. Copper imeadiately came up behind said hogger and pulled him! Nice one.Discuss
There is not enough education for drivers. Why not put signs (permanent or big matrix signs) up urging drivers to pull to the left unless overtaking.
Its my pet hate.
As for the mini, agree that indicate to pull in, and then actually pull in does sometimes work. When in the TVR however, I do feel you get more people pulling over, more so than when in a tin top shopping car. Perhaps realising that with a little blip, you will be past them!
V8 GRF said:
In the US (not a country known for the intelligence of it's natives at times) they have six lanes of mayhem in cities like Los Angeles and I've driven enough miles on those roads for both business and pleasure to know that accidents caused by lane change collisions are pretty rare.
Yes and that works in America. In Germany you can overtake on any side if you are on a dual carriageway within a town limit, elsewhere it's drive on the right and overtake on the left. And the German lane discipline on the Autobahns is excellent (it has to be when you can get Porsches approaching at 200 kph on a two lane Autobahn). In China it's total chaos. But we're not in the UK and here the rule is left hand lane unless you're overtaking. And we are crap. I agree with previous posters that there is not enough education and enforcement on it and the lane hogging just encourages driving too close.And on that subject "only a fool breaks the two second rule". That is, there should be a two second gap between you and the car in front. If you leave this gap and anyone overtakes you on the inside, they are the ones in the wrong and if they are then too close to the car in front, it will be them involved in a collision.
By the way, I hate the term "undertaking". Undertakers deal with dead people.
On second thoughts, maybe it's not so inappropriate
Undertaking.. you could talk about it for hours..
I got undertaken on a dual lane road last night - by of all things a TVR Tuscan and I was not going slowly either and did not notice him - so he cannot have been behind me for long (as it was dark - I would have noticed)..
Nothing dangereous - just silly and impatient really.
I got undertaken on a dual lane road last night - by of all things a TVR Tuscan and I was not going slowly either and did not notice him - so he cannot have been behind me for long (as it was dark - I would have noticed)..
Nothing dangereous - just silly and impatient really.
That was me (in the TVR, not the Mini).
Was happily pootling along at 70+'a little more' (nothing that would have got me pulled over) when I came up behind the Mini.
It was doing about 60-65ish in the outside lane with nothing in the middle lane. I pulled up behind (not close) and gave it a while to move (it didn't). A guy in a Merc (I think) came up behind me and flashed me. I then flashed the Mini and indicated right. It still didn't move over, and a few people started to undertake. I am loathe to undertake as you never know what the idiot you are undertaking will do so I pulled over to give the car behind a go. He went a bit closer behind the Mini than I was and flashed a few times, eventually it moved over and off we both went.
I think there are far too many people who are scared to drive on motorways and don't use mirrors or know lane discipline. I can't believe that motorway driving is still not in the driving test.
P.s. - does this count as my first 'spotted'???
Was happily pootling along at 70+'a little more' (nothing that would have got me pulled over) when I came up behind the Mini.
It was doing about 60-65ish in the outside lane with nothing in the middle lane. I pulled up behind (not close) and gave it a while to move (it didn't). A guy in a Merc (I think) came up behind me and flashed me. I then flashed the Mini and indicated right. It still didn't move over, and a few people started to undertake. I am loathe to undertake as you never know what the idiot you are undertaking will do so I pulled over to give the car behind a go. He went a bit closer behind the Mini than I was and flashed a few times, eventually it moved over and off we both went.
I think there are far too many people who are scared to drive on motorways and don't use mirrors or know lane discipline. I can't believe that motorway driving is still not in the driving test.
P.s. - does this count as my first 'spotted'???
rev-erend said:
Undertaking.. you could talk about it for hours..
I got undertaken on a dual lane road last night - by of all things a TVR Tuscan and I was not going slowly either and did not notice him - so he cannot have been behind me for long (as it was dark - I would have noticed)..
Nothing dangereous - just silly and impatient really.
Raises the question of why you were in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway if there was nothing in the left hand lane?I got undertaken on a dual lane road last night - by of all things a TVR Tuscan and I was not going slowly either and did not notice him - so he cannot have been behind me for long (as it was dark - I would have noticed)..
Nothing dangereous - just silly and impatient really.
I live in Ashford and there's a lot of dual carriageway around the outskirts, if all the prats moved over to the left rather than using the right hand lane as a filter things would be a lot better.
Tim
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff