Increasingly poor standards of UK driving

[daveknott5]

What is up with standards of driving on our roads?
1. Increasingly I'm seeing people who never indicate when changing lanes, then act surprised when they get flashed for pulling in front of other drivers without signalling
2. Tailgating seems to be getting worse - especially in the South East of England where everyone is in a constant hurry
3. People seem to think it's acceptable to swerve off the motorway onto an exit sliproad at the very last minute
4. Very few drivers seems to understand the "Give way to the right" rule at roundabouts
5. Often the inside lane is the fastest lane on the motorway as poor lane discipline is endemic. People seem to stay in either the middle or outside lanes with no regard to the speeds of traffic behind them
6. I very rarely see anybody shoulder check before changing lanes to check their blind spots

These are just some of the issues. There are numerous more. Is it just laziness? or is something wrong with driver training at grass roots? In my view, everyone should be made to do follow up, advanced driver training - and I don't just mean dull, IAM style "shuffle steering" training, ROSPA or HPC training would make a huge difference and allow us all to make better, safer progress. Thoughts?

[k15tox]

most discussed topic on PH.

90% of drivers on the roads are incompatent idiots.

its not going to change.

[Rawwr]

I blame sound-deadening materials.

[bennyboysvuk]

Regarding point 5. I wonder if this is sometimes caused by TomTom and it's "Keep Right" instruction.

[Chris Type R]

Add to the list people not indicating at roundabouts :grrr:

[MarkRSi]

Focus on speed limits doesn't help - you could do all of the above yet at 65mph on the motorway yet be completely ignored by plod 99.9% of the time... assuming there is a police car about of course...

[David87]

Indicating when changing lanes on dual carriageways is often not really required. If you're having to flash someone for moving into your safety bubble, they're still in the wrong whether they indicate or not.

[Regiment]

Driving home some days, i'll stick left on the dual carriage way doing 60 and can "jump" the queue by a good couple of miles generally as everyone's in the outside lane doing 50.

[SonnyM]

There are only two solutions to this:

1(a). Make the test much harder.
1(b). Bring back National Service.

[Devil2575]

I'm a great driver who never does anything wrong but every other driver I see fails to meet my high stadards

IMHO most drivers are fine. We all make mistakes and we all do things that will annoy other road users.

[judas]

Devil2575 said:

We all make mistakes and we all do things that will annoy other road users.

But it's not just the occasional mistake - it's consistent and endemic

[StottyZr]

daveknott5 said:

6. I very rarely see anybody shoulder check before changing lanes to check their blind spots

Wing mirrors are a lot better than they used to be. I shoulder checked more than I used my wing mirrors in my 106, in my 1 series there is no blind spot at all. By the time the car leaves the scope of the wing mirror I can see it in my peripheral.

[bqf]

Indicating in general is a dying art, especially where I am down in Kent - in particular, no-one indicates on roundabouts any more. t8ats.

[Dr Boxcat]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I was always taught to check your mirrors then indicate, if there was noone to indicate to whats the point. if there are other road users you should always indicate your intentions, inviting catastrophe not doing so really.

[mnkiboy]

Just this lunchtime I followed a guy leaving the motorway, up the slip road towards a roundabout. I was in the right hand lane, to turn right. He was in the left hand lane, not indicating, with nobody in front of him. I presumed, as you would, that he was turning left.

He turned right.

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

The thing I notice on average every couple of months when riding my motorbike is how many car drivers are smoking joints when driving. Stands out like a sore thumb when I've been going down some of the slower bits of the A12 and also around Chelmsford.

[Lucas Ayde]

bqf said:

Indicating in general is a dying art, especially where I am down in Kent - in particular, no-one indicates on roundabouts any more. t8ats.

Many people seem to treat indicating as optional - I get the impression that it's a mix of laziness and arrogance.

However, when these window-licking sorts do indicate, they seem to reckon that it magically gives them right of way where none previously existed. Presumably because they feel that they should be rewarded for making such a special effort.

[David87]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Essential only if someone else will benefit from it. If not, don't bother. In fact, I would actually say someone who blindly indicates all the time isn't fully aware of their surroundings.

[Mr GrimNasty]

David87 said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Essential only if someone else will benefit from it. If not, don't bother. In fact, I would actually say someone who blindly indicates all the time isn't fully aware of their surroundings.

You may think you are aware and have seen everyone, but EVERYONE makes a mistake eventually, and that 'pointless' signal could well give that 130mph motorbike idiot half a second extra to save his life.

[Fastra]

David87 said:

Indicating when changing lanes on dual carriageways is often not really required. If you're having to flash someone for moving into your safety bubble, they're still in the wrong whether they indicate or not.

I know what you're saying but, you should be paying attention and fully observant and all that... BUT for that 10000000:1 chance that you've missed something then a simple indication might save a great deal of embarrassment.

judas said:

Devil2575 said:

We all make mistakes and we all do things that will annoy other road users.

But it's not just the occasional mistake - it's consistent and endemic

True enough - but it's how we deal with these mistakes that's so crucial.
A quick 'sorry' wave makes such a difference.