Why do YOU think the standard of driving is as bad as it is
Discussion
Interested to know people's thoughts on this.
My day job involves me spending the best part of 11 hours or so a day driving, so i feel i am qualified enough to have an opinion on this, but in my 20 years of driving experience i often wonder why people's complete disregard for driving on the road is as poor as it is now?
Some may say it's better? But daily do i see people, speeding excessively, tailgating, parking on double yellows, parking in bus stops, sat driving whilst on the phone, no indicating, and on occasion people getting out to throw insults or punches at each other in the middle of the road, amongst other things.
You only have to look at dash cam footage online to see how bad the standard is now, is it lack of law enforcement, or the punishments given being nothing more than a slap on the wrist so that people don't really care? Or maybe it's society in general?
Thoughts?
My day job involves me spending the best part of 11 hours or so a day driving, so i feel i am qualified enough to have an opinion on this, but in my 20 years of driving experience i often wonder why people's complete disregard for driving on the road is as poor as it is now?
Some may say it's better? But daily do i see people, speeding excessively, tailgating, parking on double yellows, parking in bus stops, sat driving whilst on the phone, no indicating, and on occasion people getting out to throw insults or punches at each other in the middle of the road, amongst other things.
You only have to look at dash cam footage online to see how bad the standard is now, is it lack of law enforcement, or the punishments given being nothing more than a slap on the wrist so that people don't really care? Or maybe it's society in general?
Thoughts?
IMO, as an ex-pat living in Sweden, and having travelled many times back to the uk over many years (pandemic excluded); I'd go with lack of law enforcement/police on the road, and society in general.
Driving in Sweden (certainly where I live in the middle of Dalarna) is a dream compared to UK. Stockholm can get a bit hectic - but more like UK in the early 90's.
Driving in Sweden (certainly where I live in the middle of Dalarna) is a dream compared to UK. Stockholm can get a bit hectic - but more like UK in the early 90's.
AndySheff said:
IMO, as an ex-pat living in Sweden, and having travelled many times back to the uk over many years (pandemic excluded); I'd go with lack of law enforcement/police on the road, and society in general.
A500leroy said:
Mobile phones and feeling entitled.
I'll go along with both of these. And the seeming increase in the self-important mindset, and forcing your will upon someone else somehow makes you a better person.
AndySheff said:
I'd go with lack of law enforcement/police on the road, and society in general.
This. If it can't be picked up on a camera/ANPR and an automated invoice issued, the authorities aren't interested. That and an increasing proportion of the population seem to be selfish, entitled t
ts.There are 2 aspects here. If you are talking poor driving skills than that has to do with poor learning and probably not fit for driving.
If you are talking poor attitude… that’s just the way society is going. There isn’t any, no one cares whatsoever about the others. No community, each one for themselves.
If you are talking poor attitude… that’s just the way society is going. There isn’t any, no one cares whatsoever about the others. No community, each one for themselves.
Learner drivers not being taught all the things I was taught when learning , 3 point turn , corner reverse etc etc and IMO only being taught to drive enough so they can pass their test where as we were taught more .they (young ones ) getting handed faster and fancier cars than I could have afforded (I started in a mk1 escort ).
The attitude from some young ones that think they know it all when they have just passed their test, been at accidents caused by the new drivers and they don't care as they know another car is coming .( their attitude stinks .)
IMO the driving tuition should be more thorough and include some aspects of advanced driving and when passed the test within 1 or 2 years they should be obliged to take an advanced test.
It should also be like motorbikes where they are limited to engine size till they have experience and a grading system for car engine size would be good eg cannot drive a 2 ltr until been driving for 1 year etc etc
T
The attitude from some young ones that think they know it all when they have just passed their test, been at accidents caused by the new drivers and they don't care as they know another car is coming .( their attitude stinks .)
IMO the driving tuition should be more thorough and include some aspects of advanced driving and when passed the test within 1 or 2 years they should be obliged to take an advanced test.
It should also be like motorbikes where they are limited to engine size till they have experience and a grading system for car engine size would be good eg cannot drive a 2 ltr until been driving for 1 year etc etc
T
CrgT16 said:
If you are talking poor attitude… that’s just the way society is going. There isn’t any, no one cares whatsoever about the others. No community, each one for themselves.
This. Anger and entitlement are the default because everybody has to get all fighty for anything worth having.It's a consequence of a mendacious and inept government incapable of running the country for the benefit of it's citizens, a vacuous brain-dead popular culture, a truly appalling and obstructive relationship with service providers coupled with rats in a cage overcrowding on our roads and our urban areas and the rapacious greed of big business relentlessly stiffing the population for every penny they've got.
Society has absolutely gone to s
t over the last couple of decades. I'm not making an excuse for any of it it but that overview certainly explains it.Edited by Jaguar steve on Monday 25th July 18:57
For me, poor training is a factor but not the worst.. Imo, over populated areas result in higher driver aggression and the desire to not get caught in every red light due to the sheer number of them. Often exacerbated by these areas having a high percentage of drivers who may have originally learnt to drive in another country where conventions and standards are very different.
As for driver training, it focuses on tactical driving rather than strategic. Drivers are simply taught to pass, not drive.
As for driver training, it focuses on tactical driving rather than strategic. Drivers are simply taught to pass, not drive.
Edited by Ice_blue_tvr on Monday 25th July 18:44
I’ve noticed lately people sitting at 40mph, no matter what the speed limit. Except when you get to that one stretch of the road where it’s safe to overtake (on a 60mph road of course) and then they speed up! Bloody frustrating.
More worrying though is when they get into a 40 or 30 zone and still sit at 40. It’s like they have no comprehension.
More worrying though is when they get into a 40 or 30 zone and still sit at 40. It’s like they have no comprehension.
I'd say it's mostly a general lack of consideration for other people. Example was the merge in term on the A11 works around Wymondham,
Van behind me decided he would become the arbitrator for all things rather than use the 'zipper' or merge in term.
I let two people in front, who gives a monkies. But it speaks to a general idea.
And a lack of 'road craft', or taking a basic pride in the ability to drive maybe? For a lot of people it's just a utility thing? Probably due to traffic volumes and costs of doing so?
Van behind me decided he would become the arbitrator for all things rather than use the 'zipper' or merge in term.
I let two people in front, who gives a monkies. But it speaks to a general idea.
And a lack of 'road craft', or taking a basic pride in the ability to drive maybe? For a lot of people it's just a utility thing? Probably due to traffic volumes and costs of doing so?
Terry Tibbs said:
I’ve noticed lately people sitting at 40mph, no matter what the speed limit. Except when you get to that one stretch of the road where it’s safe to overtake (on a 60mph road of course) and then they speed up! Bloody frustrating.
More worrying though is when they get into a 40 or 30 zone and still sit at 40. It’s like they have no comprehension.
Living in rural suffolk, and spending most of my driving time in and around Norfolk, I find this tends to be a certain demographic - the older generation and monospeeding.More worrying though is when they get into a 40 or 30 zone and still sit at 40. It’s like they have no comprehension.
Firstly it's a very low standard of driver training. It's theoretically improved in the years since I took my 'L' test, but the evidence that I see on the roads suggest that it's actually got worse.
Combine that with the attitude of some drivers varying from Entitlement, "I'm more important than anyone else" through to total disregard for the law (e.g. Certi drivers), and frankly plain stupidity, and we have a world when I will actually welcome the day when cars are completely autonomous and able to drive themselves.
Combine that with the attitude of some drivers varying from Entitlement, "I'm more important than anyone else" through to total disregard for the law (e.g. Certi drivers), and frankly plain stupidity, and we have a world when I will actually welcome the day when cars are completely autonomous and able to drive themselves.
Jaguar steve said:
This. Anger and entitlement are the default because everybody has to get all fighty for anything worth having.
It's a consequence of a mendacious and inept government incapable of running the country for the benefit of it's citizens, a vacuous brain-dead popular culture, a truly appalling and obstructive relationship with service providers coupled with rats in a cage overcrowding on our roads and our urban areas and the rapacious greed of big business relentlessly stiffing the population for every penny they've got.
Society has absolutely gone to st over the last couple of decades. I'm not making an excuse for any of it it but that overview certainly explains it.
Margaret Thatcher “There’s no such thing as society”. Very prophetic and the population can now reap the rewards of the financialisation of everything apart from air.It's a consequence of a mendacious and inept government incapable of running the country for the benefit of it's citizens, a vacuous brain-dead popular culture, a truly appalling and obstructive relationship with service providers coupled with rats in a cage overcrowding on our roads and our urban areas and the rapacious greed of big business relentlessly stiffing the population for every penny they've got.
Society has absolutely gone to s
t over the last couple of decades. I'm not making an excuse for any of it it but that overview certainly explains it.Edited by Jaguar steve on Monday 25th July 18:57
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