Convictions for Careless Driving

[hilly10]

Read a report in the local paper tucked away on page four. Latest figures show a 16% drop in the West Midlands 43% Staffordshire and 50% in Shropshire could this be that driving standards are getting better I think not. Its because Staffs and Shrops have the least number of police patrols. This govenment go on about driving standards well get more cops on the roads its the only way. My neighbour is a patrol officer in Staffordshire and he told me I would be very unlucky to be pulled by a traffic officer because there are so few of them and what there are they are single so without video evidence they dont even bother. What a state of affairs

[negative creep]

Standards are getting worse, not better. The amount of cars I see tailgating, lane cutting, with blown bulbs, foglights on etc etc seems to increase every day. The reason is that there are no traffic cops. MOst journies I don't see a single one, if I didn't bother insuring my car I would almost certianly get away with it, there is simply no one left to stop these things

[cptsideways]

No doudt the spin merchants will actually see this as a positive thing, higher driving standards proven by reduced crime statistics etc etc.


IMHO I'd say that driving standards & the upkeep of vehicles has dropped dramatiically over the past 5 years, were now not far off some countries in Africa for driver abilty, awareness, general safety especially when I think about lights & tyres.

Saw a fantastic one last night on the way home from the pub (wife was driving) we came across a Rover City yes someone bought one, doing 35mph on an NSL, amongst bouts of laughter at the car & its possible occupant, they then proceeded to do the same speed through the town & its 30 limit, then drove straight through a junction on the red lights oblivious to everything around them. Hail the numpty

I can remember when I first started driving, a light out or balding tyre you were worried about being stopped so always got it fixed ASAP. I can remember being tugged in several cars over the years & having it checked over & I would have know the depths of all my tyres at the time. I have'nt been stopped in at least 10 years now & doubt I ever will be again. Seeing the state of even modern cars, with tyres when they come in for an MOT at my friends garage; estates, mpv's, cars with kiddie seats in etc with 2 or 3 bald/flat/dangerous tyres its frankly astonishing!!!! no wonder people don't bother doing anything till MOT time they've no chance of ever being stopped.

[redlake27]

cptsideways said:

I can remember being tugged in several cars over the years

And you were never arrested? I don't think that is covered by the road traffic act!

[redlake27]

It is true. My employer owns a chain of MOT centres and it is shocking to see the tyres taken off cars at MOT time. The Police used to notice this sort of thing when out on patrol, along with bad driving. Now it is speed, and nothing else matters.

[MitchT]

I think the idea is to use speed limits to cover everything. If they slow everyone down enough it won't matter if people are drunk, drugged-up, talking on the phone, smoking, eating, playing with themselves, etc. in a car with no working lights, bald tyres and faulty brakes in thick freezing fog... 'cause noone will be going fast enough to hurt anyone else!

[skymaster]

Yep! It's a sad state of affairs. You can be driving a B reg fiesta, with it's original brake fluid, with 4 bald tyres, with one brake light working, be drunk, on drugs and banned from driving and have no insurance and as long as you stay at or below the speed limit theres a massive chance you will get from A-B with no hassles.

Drive a perfectly safe, legal car, with good tyres and a sober driver at 35 mph in a 30 zone (that was probably a 40 zone 5 years ago) and you get 25% of your license taken away.

[chalky180]

redlake27 said:

cptsideways said:

I can remember being tugged in several cars over the years

And you were never arrested? I don't think that is covered by the road traffic act!

I can never work out where the local dogging spots are? Any tips on how to find them, and headlight/interior light etiquette?!?!