What's the worst day of the week for driving?
What's the worst day of the week for driving?
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middlesex

Original Poster:

26 posts

167 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
This is another one from my book of nonsense and sweeping generalisations!

I don't drive a huge amount but I do drive consistently every day of the week at rush hour, lunch times, school kicking out and all the other times.

Saturdays and Sundays I always find the scariest time on the roads - actually, also Friday evenings.

Now for the sweeping generalisations, Friday evening - speeding and general recklessness, I put down to people being keen to get home or taking off for the weekend or young folks tearing off to pick up their partners or get home and have a bath before going out.

Saturdays especially mornings, general bad driving, I put down to married blokes with kids being allowed out in the people carrier on their own for the first time in the week and driving like the young men they wish they still were.

Sundays same again - also lots of crap driving when people set off to vist relatives about mid-morning onwards.

Mainly though, I put bad weekend driving down to people still being hungover from the big piss-ups on Friday and Saturday nights.

Both days are bad with people who never drive during the week and are out of practice.

Generally I think weekends are totally shocking - and scare the buggery out of me.

What are your thoughts - do you think there is worse driving on different days/ at different times - any crackpot theories or irrational biases?


Eighteeteewhy

7,259 posts

198 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Friday afternoon/evening.


/thread

320touring

1,442 posts

229 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Monday Morning.

Its like everyone forgets how to drive in the rain.


and, yes, it ALWAYS rains on Monday Mornings up here.

m8 almost guaranteed to have 2-3 accidents from people tailgaiting in the rain.

The only reason I dont use my backroad during the winter is the fact it's often flooded (to about 5-6") in several parts. and my daily aint the HMS LPG

PHuzzy

2,747 posts

202 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Eighteeteewhy said:
Friday afternoon/evening.


/thread
yes By a country mile!

V8mate

45,899 posts

219 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Sheer volume: Tuesdays

Sheer hell: Sundays

pingu393

11,032 posts

235 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Saturdays seem to be busy with people who aren't used to driving on motorways. They don't anticipate and are oblivious the chaos they leave in their wake. Lots seem unable to match speed.

During the week people drive too close, but they are used to it, and this seems to keep the carnage levels down. Even though they are driving faster than Saturdays they know that the truck in front will be doing 56 max. They are not scared to pull out into moving traffic and they can match speed.

Sundays are quieter and are OK unless you are on a single carriageway - old cliche applies.

/generalisations over/

Monty Python

4,813 posts

227 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
The day after you've spent the previous evening in the pub.

Truckosaurus

13,265 posts

314 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Sunday evenings. Lots of people returning from weekends/days out yet no traffic news on the radio to warn of delays.

Chris Stott

19,601 posts

227 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Monday morning/Friday evenings are bad for sheer volume of traffic, but Sunday evenings are by far the worst for driving standards.

The motorways are full of numpties in shopping trolleys who are on their once a year trip to visit great auntie Ethyl... absolutely zero lane dicsipline & seem happy to plod along in L2 at 60-65mph (or L3 on 4 lane sections).

siovey

1,954 posts

168 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Monday - terrible driving
Tuesday - terrible driving
Wednesday - terrible driving
Thursday - terrible driving
Friday - terrible driving
Saturday- terrible driving
Sunday - terrible driving

Every day, i witness shocking standards of driving. I do less than 8k p/a so not much (thank god!)
Can't anyone drive any more? How the hell did these idiots pass their tests in the first place? eek

Edited by siovey on Wednesday 14th November 21:07

poing

8,743 posts

230 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Any day that it's dark it would seem. My drive is mainly A and B roads but some people are at a virtual standstill because it's dark outside. Then the world actually imploded when a car comes the other way, add a little rain and a bend and you'd be quicker walking. They then give me various interesting signals if I dare to overtake them!

iva cosworth

44,044 posts

193 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Weekends IMO.

People who have spent all week on public transport go out out in their car and their

brains are still in "public transport" mode = not a clue what they're doing.

And the other people who drive all week drive just as badly as every other day.

Johnnytheboy

24,499 posts

216 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Sunday.

With a big shout for holiday season Fridays.

hesnotthemessiah

2,121 posts

234 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Saturdays; people seem to leave their brains at home.

Fridays; utter madness!

Johnnytheboy

24,499 posts

216 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
What I find interesting is how the relationship between traffic levels and congestion varies at different times of the week/year.

In the week it takes much more traffic to cause the same amount of congestion; I suspect the weekday drivers are just better at making the most of the available roadspace.

The classic example of this is the old PH favourite: the 2-lane merge. 'Leisure drivers' seem utterly incapable (or unwilling) of merging with any civility, which just makes the traffic back up more.

aarondbs

883 posts

176 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
got to be Monday morning. I drive 56 miles to work every day and Monday morning is the one morning I try and get in to work by 7:30 to avoid the utter chaos. Seems like everyone is p'ed off that its Monday, those that can take public transport decide that they can't be arsed and get in their car and no-one smiles....ever, just stare straight ahead in a daze or with a look of anguish...maybe it's worse since the recession...


LovelyTia

553 posts

210 months

Wednesday 14th November 2012
quotequote all
Worst times for driving seem to be Monday mornings, Friday evenings and Sunday all day.

Monday generally put down to people being miserable about going into work, Friday everyone wants to get home and Sundays you get all the people that hardly ever drive on the roads.

furrywoolyhatuk

682 posts

184 months

Thursday 15th November 2012
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Another vote for Fridays from me, god awful.

stevesingo

5,044 posts

252 months

Thursday 15th November 2012
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In Cumbria, Sundays by a mile. The A590 is clogged with folks whose only driving is done on a Sunday who aren't in any rush to get anywhere and don't care if anyone else is. Diving around, oblivious to those around them. Passengers in their own cars. Sheep. Ignorant.

At least those on the roads mid week have purpose, even though there may be too many of them.

littleredrooster

6,384 posts

226 months

Thursday 15th November 2012
quotequote all
Statistically it's along the lines of: Most fatalities - Thursday evening in winter; Most minor bumps - Friday evening/Sunday evening; Biggest crashes - early hours of Saturday or Sunday (i.e. how many parts can a single car disintegrate into!)

IIRC

I will also echo the 'weekend syndrome' where non-motorway drivers are let loose onto the 'M' roads with scary consequences!