The Brits - Definately some of the worst drivers in Europe

The Brits - Definately some of the worst drivers in Europe

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Discussion

cptsideways

Original Poster:

13,548 posts

252 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Having just arrived back from a transcontinental European jolly the UK is catergorically dire when it comes to general driving standards.

I drive thousands of miles a year for work in the UK & obviously one just gets used to it? However upon arriving back in the UK it suddenly becomes apparent just how bad the standards are over here.

In our 2000 mile journey I think I can only think of three occasions where expletives were used to describe the drivers across Europe, yes thats 3 counts of "bad driving" spotted in 2000 miles. I think we lost count at 300 in the 200 miles of driving from Dover to home.

You would think we had descended into a 3rd world country if it was'nt for the new cars!


Nels0n

235 posts

181 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Yep, we're also quite bad at spelling too.

CBR JGWRR

6,534 posts

149 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
Having just arrived back from a transcontinental European jolly the UK is catergorically dire when it comes to general driving standards.

I drive thousands of miles a year for work in the UK & obviously one just gets used to it? However upon arriving back in the UK it suddenly becomes apparent just how bad the standards are over here.

In our 2000 mile journey I think I can only think of three occasions where expletives were used to describe the drivers across Europe, yes thats 3 counts of "bad driving" spotted in 2000 miles. I think we lost count at 300 in the 200 miles of driving from Dover to home.

You would think we had descended into a 3rd world country if it was'nt for the new cars!
Hey!!!


At least we use the correct side of the road!




Point taken. smile

dvs_dave

8,634 posts

225 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Try driving in the USA and then see if your opinion of drivers in the UK remains so low....

Pothole

34,367 posts

282 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Nels0n said:
Yep, we're also quite bad at spelling too.
Tautology as well? not to mention grammar and punctuation (OP)

Special K

893 posts

159 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Standards of driving have gotten worse over the years, German car drivers being the majority of offenders. I worked out that I've done 120k in just two and a half years and in this time I've noticed that more people have lost the ability to drive in the correct lane on a motorway, worse on a dual carriageway. You need to learn to ignore others driving or it will eat away at you and you'll become very bitter .....

VX Foxy

3,962 posts

243 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Special K said:
Standards of driving have gotten worse over the years, German car drivers being the majority of offenders. I worked out that I've done 120k in just two and a half years and in this time I've noticed that more people have lost the ability to drive in the correct lane on a motorway, worse on a dual carriageway. You need to learn to ignore others driving or it will eat away at you and you'll become very bitter .....
...become.


/bitter

Pothole

34,367 posts

282 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
The Maltese are far worse than anyone on UK roads.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

255 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
Having just arrived back from a transcontinental European jolly the UK is catergorically dire when it comes to general driving standards.

I drive thousands of miles a year for work in the UK & obviously one just gets used to it? However upon arriving back in the UK it suddenly becomes apparent just how bad the standards are over here.

In our 2000 mile journey I think I can only think of three occasions where expletives were used to describe the drivers across Europe, yes thats 3 counts of "bad driving" spotted in 2000 miles. I think we lost count at 300 in the 200 miles of driving from Dover to home.

You would think we had descended into a 3rd world country if it was'nt for the new cars!
Every time I've driven on the continent and come across some bell-end hogging the outside lane of a road it has had UK plates on it. It's actually quite embarrassing just how bad Brits are at driving.

Pothole

34,367 posts

282 months

Monday 2nd April 2012
quotequote all
Mr2Mike said:
cptsideways said:
Having just arrived back from a transcontinental European jolly the UK is catergorically dire when it comes to general driving standards.

I drive thousands of miles a year for work in the UK & obviously one just gets used to it? However upon arriving back in the UK it suddenly becomes apparent just how bad the standards are over here.

In our 2000 mile journey I think I can only think of three occasions where expletives were used to describe the drivers across Europe, yes thats 3 counts of "bad driving" spotted in 2000 miles. I think we lost count at 300 in the 200 miles of driving from Dover to home.

You would think we had descended into a 3rd world country if it was'nt for the new cars!
Every time I've driven on the continent and come across some bell-end hogging the outside lane of a road it has had UK plates on it. It's actually quite embarrassing just how bad Brits are at driving.
They are just following the highway code (not having adjusted for the fact they are now driving on the right)

m3jappa

6,431 posts

218 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
quotequote all
dvs_dave said:
Try driving in the USA and then see if your opinion of drivers in the UK remains so low....
So true.

At least we have manners on the road.

I always fInd that those who tend to get angry at the wheel are usually those likely to be making others angry wink

Talksteer

4,870 posts

233 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
Having just arrived back from a transcontinental European jolly the UK is catergorically dire when it comes to general driving standards.

I drive thousands of miles a year for work in the UK & obviously one just gets used to it? However upon arriving back in the UK it suddenly becomes apparent just how bad the standards are over here.

In our 2000 mile journey I think I can only think of three occasions where expletives were used to describe the drivers across Europe, yes thats 3 counts of "bad driving" spotted in 2000 miles. I think we lost count at 300 in the 200 miles of driving from Dover to home.

You would think we had descended into a 3rd world country if it was'nt for the new cars!
Can't argue with the stats though the UK's accident record is pretty good, in the top 5 in the world by most measures.

Also my own experience of Europe is that most of Southern Europe is filled with truly mental young drivers who do crazy overtakes and ride 2 wheelers dangerously.

bennyboydurham

1,617 posts

174 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
quotequote all
It's not that bad in the UK. Go drive in the Gulf Arab states or somewhere like Beirut in Lebanon where I went last year and you'll be grateful for our driving standards!

acd80

745 posts

145 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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I agree with Benny.

I was based in Bahrain a while back. The driving standards there are shockingly bad. If you have an RTA, the police side with the locals (even if they are as guilty as a puppy standing beside a fresh steaming turd) as their logic is that if you weren't in the country, the accident wouldn't have occured.

matthias73

2,883 posts

150 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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Just got back from canada. I dont think its the driving, just so many people driving at once, compared to over there

americancrx

394 posts

217 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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... and yet you have 9 world champions.

petrolsniffer

2,461 posts

174 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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We're far from worst just spend a few days on the road in any eastern bloc country!

dictys

913 posts

258 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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Overtake on the inside hard shoulder, Overtake on the outside hard shoulder, Tailgating inches from the car in front whilst flashing your lights, no indicators whilst swapping lanes, outside lane drivers @ 20 mph, cars swapping between all lanes at 80mph then going from outside lane to exit at last second, reversing up the exit slip way.

All this every day on my 10 mile commute to work, LOL, welcome to Dubai! Sometimes I wish for the peace and calm of the UK roads.

sisu

2,582 posts

173 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
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The other thing is that you need to publish officially the language of the road in the UK.
Flashing headlights - ignore any current road rules and you can pass infront of me or I am angry and look at me when I speak. Trucks will also flash you to let you know when you have passed and it is safe to pull in thinking that you are very slow and spacially numb, or they see a mate going the other way.
Hazard lights on and flashing - If I am parking this means I can move in any direction regardless of any other people or I am parking here.
Indicating - BMW ADAS: Advanced Driving Assistance System allows you to indicate left or right it is optional on newer BMWs ask your dealer about this.
Flashing your Hazards once - saying Thank you or you can text them THX. This has replaced a friendly wave.

rsv gone!

11,288 posts

241 months

Tuesday 3rd April 2012
quotequote all
The issue with the UK is the roads are so damned crowded - especially when you've just popped over on a ferry from Northern France.

Incidentally, whilst the toll roads are lane-discipline perfection, ordinary busy dual carriageways can be just as congested in France.