An epidemic of insanely slow drivers

[dcb]

Heaveho said:

Sadly though, that is exactly what most people use as a barometer of safety, hence the lack of attention paid to all other aspects of driving.

I've long assumed the mindset of those people to be that if they aren't speeding, they're driving safely, something so visibly incorrect that you can't help but be cynical about the lack of attention the police pay to those responsible.

Being targeted for driving well at 90 mph on a lightly trafficked motorway while those around you doing 70 or less are paying no attention and displaying no lane discipline, and being allowed to do so unhindered is ridiculous.

Wise words.

The Germans have a far better system than the arbitrary (X ok, X + 5 not ok)
system that other countries use.

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2 second
gap to the car in front.

Works well. Death rates, despite the high speeds, are close to the European average.
Proves my original point.

[the cueball]

dcb said:

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2mm gap to the car in front.

Edited for accuracy...

[Heaveho]

the cueball said:

dcb said:

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2mm gap to the car in front.

Edited for accuracy...

Are you not thinking of Italy? :

[LARK F1 GTR]

fooman said:

Similarly I can spot someone who's going to change lane often before the thought has entered their head. You then see them wobble in their lane before they start the manoeuvre, then they drift across the white lines before they finally indicate. I doubt they look.

You're lucky that you get people indicating! I've noticed that lately that a lot of people don't bother. Pulling out, pulling over, roundabouts - loads don't bother!

The other rule is, pull out when the other car (or you) get closer, like really close! Never pull out beforehand.

The standard of driving in the UK is the worst I've ever seen. Loads drive like they've left their brain at home.

[robinessex]

MC Bodge said:

I still remember my uncle telling me about the importance of a shoulder check before moving out when I was around 13. Riding motorbikes it is known as a "lifesaver".

I thought I was the only car driver who still does this. Henry doesn't object, looks forward to the chance of an Italian tune-up.

Edited by robinessex on Wednesday 14th January 14:59

[MC Bodge]

Heaveho said:

the cueball said:

dcb said:

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2mm gap to the car in front.

Edited for accuracy...

Are you not thinking of Italy? :

Driving on the Antwerp ring road, I needed to check that I'd not turned off towards Buenos Aires by mistake.

[havoc]

MC Bodge said:

Heaveho said:

the cueball said:

dcb said:

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2mm gap to the car in front.

Edited for accuracy...

Are you not thinking of Italy? :

Driving on the Antwerp ring road, I needed to check that I'd not turned off towards Buenos Aires by mistake.

The Dutch are terrible for it - I presume that because of population density there they're all used to not having personal space so take that mentality onto the road with them.
Still have muscle memory of repeatedly trying to brake from the passenger seat 20 years ago while being driven by the Dutch hubby of an old uni friend.

[The Wookie]

Pica-Pica said:

M4cruiser said:

Heaveho said:

...people on the lanes inside to me failed to spot the rate at which they were catching the vehicle in front, and decided to inconvenience the vehicle about to overtake them ( me ), by pulling out in front at short notice, ...

I have decided to adopt a proactive approach to this level of selfishness in future ....

Yes, this is a level of defensive driving. Predict the stupidity ("mistakes") of others and make sure you're not in the way.

Or just predict by observing their rate of catching the vehicle in front. It ain't hard. That way you don't compound the situation, you just flow past.

Another 10 stupidity bonus points for the number of people that now seem to accelerate towards the back of the approaching car in front of them while you're overtaking on the motorway at a constant speed, therefore creating a conflict where if they'd just remained at a constant speed they could have pulled out behind you unhindered

[8IKERDAVE]

dcb said:

Heaveho said:

Sadly though, that is exactly what most people use as a barometer of safety, hence the lack of attention paid to all other aspects of driving.

I've long assumed the mindset of those people to be that if they aren't speeding, they're driving safely, something so visibly incorrect that you can't help but be cynical about the lack of attention the police pay to those responsible.

Being targeted for driving well at 90 mph on a lightly trafficked motorway while those around you doing 70 or less are paying no attention and displaying no lane discipline, and being allowed to do so unhindered is ridiculous.

Wise words.

The Germans have a far better system than the arbitrary (X ok, X + 5 not ok)
system that other countries use.

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2 second
gap to the car in front.

Works well. Death rates, despite the high speeds, are close to the European average.
Proves my original point.

Driving the autobahns is a huge eye opener. The first time I was on one I was constantly checking for police as if I was in the UK 20 years ago Once you tune into them, you find your driving is much more focused and on the whole everyone seems on the ball. The fact that the limit often drops each for various reason ensures you are very alert.

[FiF]

8IKERDAVE said:

dcb said:

Heaveho said:

Sadly though, that is exactly what most people use as a barometer of safety, hence the lack of attention paid to all other aspects of driving.

I've long assumed the mindset of those people to be that if they aren't speeding, they're driving safely, something so visibly incorrect that you can't help but be cynical about the lack of attention the police pay to those responsible.

Being targeted for driving well at 90 mph on a lightly trafficked motorway while those around you doing 70 or less are paying no attention and displaying no lane discipline, and being allowed to do so unhindered is ridiculous.

Wise words.

The Germans have a far better system than the arbitrary (X ok, X + 5 not ok)
system that other countries use.

You can drive as fast as you like on the autobahn, but they require a 2 second
gap to the car in front.

Works well. Death rates, despite the high speeds, are close to the European average.
Proves my original point.

Driving the autobahns is a huge eye opener. The first time I was on one I was constantly checking for police as if I was in the UK 20 years ago Once you tune into them, you find your driving is much more focused and on the whole everyone seems on the ball. The fact that the limit often drops each for various reason ensures you are very alert.

Can't speak for situation today but when I was regularly doing reasonable mileage on autobahn it was interesting to see examples of poor lane discipline and poor decision making regarding lane changes when faced with examples of high differential speeds.

This was a few years ago now so, as stated, not sure how situation has developed today, but vehicles with certain national identification plates were more common than others. Those with GB stickers weren't the worst offenders but sufficiently frequent to be a bit of an embarrassment.

[andygo]

There seems to be zillions of motorway car users performing the elephant racers lovable trait of overtaking a vehicle with an 0.5mph speed difference. They also generally pull out in front of an approaching car so they don't have to modify their speed. Rather than slowing down to accomodate an approaching car with nothing behind that car, they think it's acceptable to make you slow down so they don't have to.

A reasonable driver would think, car approaching, nothing behind it, i'll blend off the throttle for a second letting that car pass and allowing me to then pull out rather than wobbling out and invariably pottering along Elephant style.

Irritating morons.

[swisstoni]

andygo said:

There seems to be zillions of motorway car users performing the elephant racers lovable trait of overtaking a vehicle with an 0.5mph speed difference. They also generally pull out in front of an approaching car so they don't have to modify their speed. Rather than slowing down to accomodate an approaching car with nothing behind that car, they think it's acceptable to make you slow down so they don't have to.

A reasonable driver would think, car approaching, nothing behind it, i'll blend off the throttle for a second letting that car pass and allowing me to then pull out rather than wobbling out and invariably pottering along Elephant style.

Irritating morons.

Cruise creates this sort of tttery imho.

[Mr Tidy]

swisstoni said:

andygo said:

There seems to be zillions of motorway car users performing the elephant racers lovable trait of overtaking a vehicle with an 0.5mph speed difference. They also generally pull out in front of an approaching car so they don't have to modify their speed. Rather than slowing down to accomodate an approaching car with nothing behind that car, they think it's acceptable to make you slow down so they don't have to.

A reasonable driver would think, car approaching, nothing behind it, i'll blend off the throttle for a second letting that car pass and allowing me to then pull out rather than wobbling out and invariably pottering along Elephant style.

Irritating morons.

Cruise creates this sort of tttery imho.

Adaptive Cruise makes it worse!

[TameRacingDriver]

I swear it's getting worse out there.

Yesterday, going to pick Mrs up, stuck behind a numptie in some vauxhall meriva type thing (you can always spot the cars that are going to hold you up can't you?), doing 29 mph in a 60. Absolutely no chance of overtaking taking either given that I was going against the flow of traffic. For mile after mile. This is a road where there is genuinely no excuse not to do 60 and would fall you test for not doing so.

Get off the fking road and onto the bus if you really don't value your time that much, and if you have to drive, pretty please with a fking cherry on top, don't do it bloody rush hour. Believe it or not people just want to compete their journeys and get on with their life.

Then today, this morning, stuck behind a Micra, presumably lugging up a hill at 30 mph, presumably one of these people who go straight into top gear for fuel economy then keep their foot to the floor while the engine shakes itself to bits. Eventually they managed a heady 45 until they had to brake for the next roundabout.

What's it gonna be on a few months / years? 20 mph on this road. I honestly despair sometimes.

[theplayingmantis]

Nice to see M4cruisers being doing gods work over the holidays!!

keep it up!