General driving standards going to pot and angry people. WHY
Discussion
Right, I have been meaning to make this post for a while.
Have you all noticed a general demise of driving standards in the last few years, let's say post covid.
I live in a green quiet(ish) part of North London. The birds tweet, I have squirrels in my garden, it's a very pleasant cul-de-sac. You don't feel like you are in London. I digress.
Upon leaving said green oasis of calm in a motor vehicle, I am suddenly accosted and assaulted by a wave of s
t driving. Daily.
In the last month, I have had to slam on the brakes at least 5 times mid roundabout to stop ploughing into the side of a driver who should have given way to me who is:
a) not paying attention at all and didn't even look right when approaching the roundabout
b) paying attention and gives zero f*cks
c) paying attention, gives zero f*cks and then feels it's ok to then either swear at me or beep me (ffs)
Now I know the average PH user that lives in the green countryside will ask me to move out to Wales where everyone is nice and gives way to BMW M4s at junctions. Also the myriad of foreigners in London are all angry and brown and don't know how to drive (I am brown also and from a sanctioned country from my family roots - don't transfer me any money). I was however born in Wales, and grew up in the countryside so I am well aware of that. Also, driving standards in and around London seemed to just be higher pre covid, and pre inflation, and pre cost of living crisis, and pre Liz Truss (I blame her really).
Why is everyone so angry? People have become so impatient. Yesterday I was beeped at by a middle aged woman in her car attempting to pull out of a busy junction into my path because I didn't give her way (I was waiting to drive down the road she was pulling out of). Why are you beeping at me and waving your arms around? What has changed so much?
Now I appreciate people are under more pressure, and the average Londoner with a mortgage is under the kosh financially. Why does this mean that driving standards have to fall?
Shall I start a campaign or petition? How do we get morons to just drive calmly and stop trying to get me to crash into them?
I feel rant is now over, please share your stories of single brain cell driving incidents so it makes me feel slightly better.
Thanks
Have you all noticed a general demise of driving standards in the last few years, let's say post covid.
I live in a green quiet(ish) part of North London. The birds tweet, I have squirrels in my garden, it's a very pleasant cul-de-sac. You don't feel like you are in London. I digress.
Upon leaving said green oasis of calm in a motor vehicle, I am suddenly accosted and assaulted by a wave of s
t driving. Daily.In the last month, I have had to slam on the brakes at least 5 times mid roundabout to stop ploughing into the side of a driver who should have given way to me who is:
a) not paying attention at all and didn't even look right when approaching the roundabout
b) paying attention and gives zero f*cks
c) paying attention, gives zero f*cks and then feels it's ok to then either swear at me or beep me (ffs)
Now I know the average PH user that lives in the green countryside will ask me to move out to Wales where everyone is nice and gives way to BMW M4s at junctions. Also the myriad of foreigners in London are all angry and brown and don't know how to drive (I am brown also and from a sanctioned country from my family roots - don't transfer me any money). I was however born in Wales, and grew up in the countryside so I am well aware of that. Also, driving standards in and around London seemed to just be higher pre covid, and pre inflation, and pre cost of living crisis, and pre Liz Truss (I blame her really).
Why is everyone so angry? People have become so impatient. Yesterday I was beeped at by a middle aged woman in her car attempting to pull out of a busy junction into my path because I didn't give her way (I was waiting to drive down the road she was pulling out of). Why are you beeping at me and waving your arms around? What has changed so much?
Now I appreciate people are under more pressure, and the average Londoner with a mortgage is under the kosh financially. Why does this mean that driving standards have to fall?
Shall I start a campaign or petition? How do we get morons to just drive calmly and stop trying to get me to crash into them?
I feel rant is now over, please share your stories of single brain cell driving incidents so it makes me feel slightly better.
Thanks
mickk said:
I blame the 20 mph limits. Should I say I'm not brown?
Where I live (other side of North Circular) we have 30mph limits still in place apart from outside schools and a few other zones. So it can't be that?I actually am finding it better in the more central 20mph limit areas to be honest, maybe it's the answer not the problem!
The simple answer is more distraction (mobile phones) and drivers being less engaged in the act of driving.
Modern cars seem intent on disconnecting the driver from any sensation involved in driving. Automatic transmissions, lane assist, cruise control. Drivers have been reduced to steering wheel attendants and don't seem to be taking that seriously at the best of times
As they're not driving any more, they've taken to.uaing their phone to keep themselves occupied.
As it's near to impossible to get pulled over there isn't much of a downside.
Modern cars seem intent on disconnecting the driver from any sensation involved in driving. Automatic transmissions, lane assist, cruise control. Drivers have been reduced to steering wheel attendants and don't seem to be taking that seriously at the best of times
As they're not driving any more, they've taken to.uaing their phone to keep themselves occupied.
As it's near to impossible to get pulled over there isn't much of a downside.
Edited by captain_cynic on Tuesday 26th September 12:17
In my experience people turn into bullies when they get behind the wheel of an SUV. The increasing popularity of SUVs means an increasing number of selfish and arrogant road users. When I was growing up the stereotype of the thrusting male executive in a powerful German saloon car pretty much rang true, but these days it's all ages and all genders who drive like assholes - the one common denominator being that they're usually driving an SUV. Even the most benign of people seem to be transformed into weapons grade tossers.
captain_cynic said:
The simple answer is more distraction (mobile phones) and drivers being less engaged in the act of driving.
Modern cars seem intent on disconnecting the driver from any sensation involved in driving. Automatic transmissions, lane assist, cruise control. Drivers have been reduced to steering wheel attendants and don't seem to be taking that seriously at the best of times
As they're not driving any more, they've taken to.uaing their phone to keep themselves occupied.
As it's near to impossible to get pulled over there isn't much of a downside.
yeah I'm not sure I'm convinced it's phones, although being pre-occupied is part of the problem I'd agree. Modern cars are tech fests with lots of systems and screens as you say. Can't say I'm seeing a pattern pointing to that though.Modern cars seem intent on disconnecting the driver from any sensation involved in driving. Automatic transmissions, lane assist, cruise control. Drivers have been reduced to steering wheel attendants and don't seem to be taking that seriously at the best of times
As they're not driving any more, they've taken to.uaing their phone to keep themselves occupied.
As it's near to impossible to get pulled over there isn't much of a downside.
Edited by captain_cynic on Tuesday 26th September 12:17
Agree it's impossible to get pulled over, amount of numberplate spacing bingo around London and no plod seems to care.
MitchT said:
In my experience people turn into bullies when they get behind the wheel of an SUV. The increasing popularity of SUVs means an increasing number of selfish and arrogant road users. When I was growing up the stereotype of the thrusting male executive in a powerful German saloon car pretty much rang true, but these days it's all ages and all genders who drive like assholes - the one common denominator being that they're usually driving an SUV. Even the most benign of people seem to be transformed into weapons grade tossers.
Again I'm not seeing a trend to SUVs. Just normal hatchbacks, small vans, saloons - it's more the driver than the car in question I am finding. I can't even say it's men or women, it's really a mix, everyone has suddenly decided they don't care if they get from A to B without having an accident or a fight!
vixen1700 said:
Live in East London and the st driving combined with aggressive drivers is off the scale.
Yes I know East London well, and I agree it's a sham. Some roads also seem to bring out tt driving combined with aggressive drivers is off the scale. ttery to a high level, the A406 for me is probably the worst as speeds are slightly higher and there is always multiple pricks undertaking and lane swapping like they are in a fast and furious scene. Again no cops and no control.Drive in a bus lane though and you will get a ticket.
The key point is that you live in London and driving standards in and around London are probably some of the worst in the country. Poor lane discipline and lots of aggressive drivers.
By contrast most of my driving until recently was around Wiltshire. For the most part with good lane discipline and few aggressive drivers and almost no undertaking etc.
By contrast most of my driving until recently was around Wiltshire. For the most part with good lane discipline and few aggressive drivers and almost no undertaking etc.
Edited by JagLover on Tuesday 26th September 12:42
steveo3002 said:
really seems to have taken a step for the worse here , the amount of cars i meet over the white line on corners is getting silly
I feel like I notice this more frequently - I'm sure years ago someone coming towards me with a significant part of their car on my side of the road was a rare occurrence.Debaser said:
I feel like I notice this more frequently - I'm sure years ago someone coming towards me with a significant part of their car on my side of the road was a rare occurrence.
yeah i dont remember it happening dailythey dont even register and swerve over , just carry on
another one is when approaching a T junction the turning car will just cut the corner
I’m convinced a lot of this is perception based and down to something called the “availability heuristic”- we can readily recall recent events but forget all the bad events (and bad driving) that happened a long time ago.
Explains a lot of the “it was better then” type reasoning that many of us are guilty of.
Explains a lot of the “it was better then” type reasoning that many of us are guilty of.
Picture the scene.
A joyful mother sharing her phone screen with her two daughters.
Laughter ensuing.
One leaning over her shoulder, the other looking in from her left.
It's a touching scene of two daughters bonding with their loving mother.
It's a shame that this was in stop-start London traffic and the idiot mother was driving her car.
I was tempted to knock on her window then grab her phone and throw it across the street.
A joyful mother sharing her phone screen with her two daughters.
Laughter ensuing.
One leaning over her shoulder, the other looking in from her left.
It's a touching scene of two daughters bonding with their loving mother.
It's a shame that this was in stop-start London traffic and the idiot mother was driving her car.
I was tempted to knock on her window then grab her phone and throw it across the street.
Hoofy said:
Picture the scene.
A joyful mother sharing her phone screen with her two daughters.
Laughter ensuing.
One leaning over her shoulder, the other looking in from her left.
It's a touching scene of two daughters bonding with their loving mother.
It's a shame that this was in stop-start London traffic and the idiot mother was driving her car.
I was tempted to knock on her window then grab her phone and throw it across the street.
You are Cyclingmikey aicmfpA joyful mother sharing her phone screen with her two daughters.
Laughter ensuing.
One leaning over her shoulder, the other looking in from her left.
It's a touching scene of two daughters bonding with their loving mother.
It's a shame that this was in stop-start London traffic and the idiot mother was driving her car.
I was tempted to knock on her window then grab her phone and throw it across the street.
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