The need to drive defensively.
Discussion
It doesn't seem that long ago that you would need to take remedial action because of other peoples mistakes quite rarely.
Now though, it seems that it is necessary on every journey.
The one to work this morning:-
2 minutes into journey; I'm approaching a mini-roundabout in a small village; the road is in a Y configuration.
I'm approaching and there is a woman who has just exited the roundabout coming toward me, she is "feeding" the steering off of right lock but does it so slowly and ineptly that she ends up on my side of the road and heading straight at me. I had to use main beam and brake hard to avoid a collision. A middle aged woman btw.
5 minutes into journey; I'm on the inside lane of a dual carriageway doing 70-72mph.
There is a slip road off to my left and I'm just passing it. A white transit sized van goes past me in the outer lane and then cuts straight across in front of me to take the sliproad just before the chevrons. I need to brake firmly to avoid him. A man in his mid 40's driving.
20 minutes into journey; I'm approaching a large roundabout from a dual carriageway, the left lane clearly marked as left and straight on and the right hand lane is right turn only. There is only a single lane exit for straight over and a traffic island separates the two single lanes the other side.
I've crossed the roundabout and into the single lane exit and idiot woman in a Kia cuts round me squeezing between me and the traffic island. I had to brake hard and use the horn or we would have had a coming together. She had no regard whtsoever for my presence, just closed the door on me as she cut around me. I was going at a reasonable speed for a large roundabout and had not been holding her up. A middle aged woman btw.
Most of these stupid actions appear to be born out of impatience and needing to get ahead at any cost.
What are these people thinking when they do these stupid things; "it's OK I'm insured"; "it's OK, God will look after me"; something else?
Thankfully, not everyone drives like this as it'd be carnage! But there are so many close shaves now that it appears to have beeen accepted as a normal part of driving.
Is it the pace of life, everyone in a hurry & willing to take risks?
Less regard for anyone else (OK as long as they gain from the situation)?
Ignorance and poor driving generally and a genuine lack of awareness thay have done anything wrong?
Now though, it seems that it is necessary on every journey.
The one to work this morning:-
2 minutes into journey; I'm approaching a mini-roundabout in a small village; the road is in a Y configuration.
I'm approaching and there is a woman who has just exited the roundabout coming toward me, she is "feeding" the steering off of right lock but does it so slowly and ineptly that she ends up on my side of the road and heading straight at me. I had to use main beam and brake hard to avoid a collision. A middle aged woman btw.
5 minutes into journey; I'm on the inside lane of a dual carriageway doing 70-72mph.
There is a slip road off to my left and I'm just passing it. A white transit sized van goes past me in the outer lane and then cuts straight across in front of me to take the sliproad just before the chevrons. I need to brake firmly to avoid him. A man in his mid 40's driving.
20 minutes into journey; I'm approaching a large roundabout from a dual carriageway, the left lane clearly marked as left and straight on and the right hand lane is right turn only. There is only a single lane exit for straight over and a traffic island separates the two single lanes the other side.
I've crossed the roundabout and into the single lane exit and idiot woman in a Kia cuts round me squeezing between me and the traffic island. I had to brake hard and use the horn or we would have had a coming together. She had no regard whtsoever for my presence, just closed the door on me as she cut around me. I was going at a reasonable speed for a large roundabout and had not been holding her up. A middle aged woman btw.
Most of these stupid actions appear to be born out of impatience and needing to get ahead at any cost.
What are these people thinking when they do these stupid things; "it's OK I'm insured"; "it's OK, God will look after me"; something else?
Thankfully, not everyone drives like this as it'd be carnage! But there are so many close shaves now that it appears to have beeen accepted as a normal part of driving.
Is it the pace of life, everyone in a hurry & willing to take risks?
Less regard for anyone else (OK as long as they gain from the situation)?
Ignorance and poor driving generally and a genuine lack of awareness thay have done anything wrong?
Edited by Hip2Bsquare on Monday 11th October 10:09
cmackay81 said:
due to this kind of stuff, did set up an onboard camera a year or so back on my last car, think I may have to get it up and running again.
That's not a bad idea as I expect these others drivers would be very quick to try and apportion blame to someone other than themselves!
Admittedly I've only been driving for 13 years, but the only degradation in driving standards that I've noticed in that time is that people seem to have got more aggressive (which I guess could explain one of the incidents you comment on above). There have been a lot of rubbish drivers, and hence a need to drive defensively, for a very long time.
I think the biggest single change is that driving has become more affordable (yes really) so there are more cars on the road.
I think the biggest single change is that driving has become more affordable (yes really) so there are more cars on the road.
Edited by kambites on Monday 11th October 10:20
kambites said:
Admittedly I've only been driving for 13 years, but the only degradation in driving standards that I've noticed in that time is that people seem to have got more aggressive (which I guess could explain one of the incidents you comment on above). There have been a lot of rubbish drivers, and hence a need to drive defensively, for a very long time.
I think the biggest single change is that driving has become more affordable (yes really) so there are more cars on the road.
Yes I agree.I think the biggest single change is that driving has become more affordable (yes really) so there are more cars on the road.
Edited by kambites on Monday 11th October 10:20
Also, nippier cars with better brakes and better safety ...I feel makes some drivers take more risks.
I tend to find that some days I must attract the stupid people who make easily avoidable mistakes, I see it as a challenge and a opportunity to assure myself that I am perhaps more observant than the majority.
That said it wasn't enough to make me feel better after I sacrificed a BBS alloy rather than have some muppet take out my front wing and bumper; that made me furious and want to buy a £50 car that i could happily plough into someone with.
dave
That said it wasn't enough to make me feel better after I sacrificed a BBS alloy rather than have some muppet take out my front wing and bumper; that made me furious and want to buy a £50 car that i could happily plough into someone with.
dave
aka_kerrly said:
That said it wasn't enough to make me feel better after I sacrificed a BBS alloy rather than have some muppet take out my front wing and bumper; that made me furious and want to buy a £50 car that i could happily plough into someone with.
dave
I feel your pain!dave
We had a bus force us up a high kerb after it came speeding around a bend in a 30mph limit halfway over our side of the road and the road was too narrow to avoid the bus without mounting the kerb.
One damaged wheel, tyre and tracking gone!
I called the bus company who said they'd have a word with the drivers. We were still out of pocket though!
Makes you mad when it could have been easily avoided and he of course didn't even slow, let alone stop!
Even thought this is Pistonheads, i must admit this is why i have completely lost the 'love'of driving over the past 6 months. I see it as purely A to B now. It's sad but with the above mentioned behaviour, uninsured, unlicensed, incompetant and road raged tossers on the road now, its better to hang back and watch the near misses and psycho incidents. There is nothing to be enjoyed in driving anymore.
I can see that POV 
I still enjoy driving too much to give it up and it would not be practical to do so for me either but I have noticed that since buying a more ordinary slower hatchback, I attract far less morons trying to prove their Vectra/Mondeo/Laguna/Astra/any other popular regular car is much faster than the 270bhp 4WD low riding 2 seater sporty looking car I had before.
I still enjoy driving too much to give it up and it would not be practical to do so for me either but I have noticed that since buying a more ordinary slower hatchback, I attract far less morons trying to prove their Vectra/Mondeo/Laguna/Astra/any other popular regular car is much faster than the 270bhp 4WD low riding 2 seater sporty looking car I had before.
k at the moment about society or anyone else in it.porka944s said:
Even thought this is Pistonheads, i must admit this is why i have completely lost the 'love'of driving over the past 6 months. I see it as purely A to B now. It's sad but with the above mentioned behaviour, uninsured, unlicensed, incompetant and road raged tossers on the road now, its better to hang back and watch the near misses and psycho incidents. There is nothing to be enjoyed in driving anymore.
There is plenty to be enjoyed. I enjoy my daily commute, even with the numpties.It can happen at anytime, which is why I no longer ride motorbikes sadly.
This morning a woman (just stating a fact) pulled up at a junction by me with a completely flat tyre. I knocked on the window and told her, she pulled up on the other side of the road head in hands (2 kids in car I presume she had to get them to school) so I tried to get over there and offer my help but being with my 2 kids had to cross the road carefully. Sadly before she saw me she drove off the way she had came. I am convinced she would have driven it to school and possibly had an accident if I had not intervened.
This morning a woman (just stating a fact) pulled up at a junction by me with a completely flat tyre. I knocked on the window and told her, she pulled up on the other side of the road head in hands (2 kids in car I presume she had to get them to school) so I tried to get over there and offer my help but being with my 2 kids had to cross the road carefully. Sadly before she saw me she drove off the way she had came. I am convinced she would have driven it to school and possibly had an accident if I had not intervened.
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