RE: Third Party Perception
Wednesday 30th July 2003
Third Party Perception
What other people think of your driving style could be more important than you realise
Discussion
Yip,
I've been terrible for this recently, all those 45mph numpties on my 2 hour cross country trek.
Tend to go banzai to get past them (albeit only when I'm convinced it's really safe).
I've yet to have headlights flashed at me, but I wonder what they think; especially as I have a large plastic spoiler and a GTI badge!
Excellent article. Think I'll send that round a few mates.
I've been terrible for this recently, all those 45mph numpties on my 2 hour cross country trek.
Tend to go banzai to get past them (albeit only when I'm convinced it's really safe).
I've yet to have headlights flashed at me, but I wonder what they think; especially as I have a large plastic spoiler and a GTI badge!
Excellent article. Think I'll send that round a few mates.
_Al_ said:
I've yet to have headlights flashed at me, but I wonder what they think;
Same here. If someone wants to overtake me, then fair enough. I'll hold my speed and road position and try to be as predictable as possible so they can get past safely.
I overtook a flat-cap pensioner in a fiesta the other day on a country road. The particular road has loads of sharp bends apart from one straight. This guy was doing 30mph and slowing down to 20 on the bends. So the straight was looming. I overtook him and as I did, he began to speed up as I was alongside him. I dropped it down a cog and left him, but he was flashing his lights and beeping his horn.
I'd love to meet up with him to ask what his problem is.
mondeoman said:
Just one comment - not ONE of those so-called witnesses was actually a witness to the accident, not ONE of them saw the accident, hence their testamony isn't worth the paper its written on .......
just a thought to ponder on
Sadly that's just not the case.
These days motorists are viewed to be at fault if they're driving sensibly, let alone if they've been witnessed hooning around acting like an ar5e.
Think of it this way.
Crash between a Maxxed Nova and a Renault Laguna.
Who's automatically chief suspect?
Good article. I watched the programme about the cannonball run (i think) the one with Ruby Wax and Damon Hill etc....
Personally i thought Damon's driving from the set off point in London was rather irresponsible given the level of traffic about and his car (nice thought it was!
)... I know it was in the spirit of the occasion and everything, we all do it - think le mans crazy friday - but to the casual observer with not much interest, or for us watching the event on the TV we get a different view.
Also when i first learnt to drive, my sister always complained i would corner too fast and she would be flung about the car. Pah! thought i, she can't even drive, what does she know?? Anyone who knows *anything* about cornering would lean into the bend to stay in the seat...
Then i thought about it, and came to the conclusion that because she doesn't drive or take an interest in driving, she doesn't understand. Therefore, she has a different view of a situation than i. I try and drive now (if i have passsengers) to maximise their comfort levels, still quick if i can, but more smooth than anything and i think you really do need someone to educate you in your bad habits once in a while.
Can anyone tell me if ridedrive use you're own car or have any that you can rent? I think its about time i did one of these courses again, but would prefer not to take the MG.
Personally i thought Damon's driving from the set off point in London was rather irresponsible given the level of traffic about and his car (nice thought it was!
)... I know it was in the spirit of the occasion and everything, we all do it - think le mans crazy friday - but to the casual observer with not much interest, or for us watching the event on the TV we get a different view. Also when i first learnt to drive, my sister always complained i would corner too fast and she would be flung about the car. Pah! thought i, she can't even drive, what does she know?? Anyone who knows *anything* about cornering would lean into the bend to stay in the seat...
Then i thought about it, and came to the conclusion that because she doesn't drive or take an interest in driving, she doesn't understand. Therefore, she has a different view of a situation than i. I try and drive now (if i have passsengers) to maximise their comfort levels, still quick if i can, but more smooth than anything and i think you really do need someone to educate you in your bad habits once in a while.
Can anyone tell me if ridedrive use you're own car or have any that you can rent? I think its about time i did one of these courses again, but would prefer not to take the MG.
mondeoman said:Maybe so technically, but in the absence of any views to the contrary. Unless the pedestrian survives and admits stupidity, but in all probability they wouldn't and would claim the car "came from nowhere". Add that to the witness statements and theres a fair body of circumstantial evidence. I wouldn't fancy my chances in court against those odds.
Just one comment - not ONE of those so-called witnesses was actually a witness to the accident, not ONE of them saw the accident, hence their testamony isn't worth the paper its written on .......
just a thought to ponder on
One of the main reasons I'm more circumspect in my TVR than other cars are the visibility and image factors. You will stick out like a sore thumb, and "making progress" unobtrusively is therefore difficult.
Frankly, the fictional Paul should reflect that although the accident occurred while he was driving sensibly if the pedestrian had walked out thirty seconds later they would be in a worse state - he should count himself lucky.
"Crash between a maxxed Nova and a Renault Laguna.
Who's automaticcally chief suspect?"
The sales rep in the Laguna, of course. He can afford to be careless 'cause his lease co will provide him with a replacement car within an hour, while the yoof has spent last year's weekends sticking various plastic bits to his pride and joy to impress the birds, would like not having to go through the ordeal again and it's probably his very first car - which he paid for by doing serious overtime in his sh*tty job at the local supermarket - anyways, so he has an irrational love for the thing...
See... it's all in one's perception of things...
PS Of course the whole case would be even more clear cut if the other party is a Renault Lacuna...
>> Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 31st July 12:49
>> Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 31st July 12:50
Who's automaticcally chief suspect?"
The sales rep in the Laguna, of course. He can afford to be careless 'cause his lease co will provide him with a replacement car within an hour, while the yoof has spent last year's weekends sticking various plastic bits to his pride and joy to impress the birds, would like not having to go through the ordeal again and it's probably his very first car - which he paid for by doing serious overtime in his sh*tty job at the local supermarket - anyways, so he has an irrational love for the thing...
See... it's all in one's perception of things...
PS Of course the whole case would be even more clear cut if the other party is a Renault Lacuna...
>> Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 31st July 12:49
>> Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 31st July 12:50
Ummm, am I the only one here who thinks this might be the stupidest PH article...EVER????
First off, it's completely fictitious 'what if' conjecture. And completely in the 'think of the children' vein. Fiction. Worth saying twice.
Secondly, even if the events happened as the author said, how likely is it that the police would round up even a fraction of the so-called 'witnesses' talked about in the early parts of the drive. Most people are too busy to volunteer their opinion, let alone stick around and wait for the coppers to show just so they can say "He was driving like a nutter a mile up the road." Hell, how would most of those people even know there was an accident to relate their opinion to? They saw him driving far away from this point.
Thirdly, since the "incident" involves a pedestrian collision, one would imagine the driver would hire a lawyer. And any lawyer half worth his salt would get any of these "witness" accounts thrown out. They were not eyewitnesses to the accident, and therefore heresay and inadmissable. Your average prosecuter probably wouldn't even use the stuff because he'd know it'd make him look like an ass when it got tossed.
I honestly don't get the point of the article. Drive with your stereo down, don't speed and don't overtake because Big Brother might be watching? Whatever.
The whole thing is scare-tactic propaganda at it's worst. Next time, the author should try to do some investigative journalism and report on a real incident as described. Creating one out of thin air is weak indeed.
First off, it's completely fictitious 'what if' conjecture. And completely in the 'think of the children' vein. Fiction. Worth saying twice.
Secondly, even if the events happened as the author said, how likely is it that the police would round up even a fraction of the so-called 'witnesses' talked about in the early parts of the drive. Most people are too busy to volunteer their opinion, let alone stick around and wait for the coppers to show just so they can say "He was driving like a nutter a mile up the road." Hell, how would most of those people even know there was an accident to relate their opinion to? They saw him driving far away from this point.
Thirdly, since the "incident" involves a pedestrian collision, one would imagine the driver would hire a lawyer. And any lawyer half worth his salt would get any of these "witness" accounts thrown out. They were not eyewitnesses to the accident, and therefore heresay and inadmissable. Your average prosecuter probably wouldn't even use the stuff because he'd know it'd make him look like an ass when it got tossed.
I honestly don't get the point of the article. Drive with your stereo down, don't speed and don't overtake because Big Brother might be watching? Whatever.
The whole thing is scare-tactic propaganda at it's worst. Next time, the author should try to do some investigative journalism and report on a real incident as described. Creating one out of thin air is weak indeed.
madmike said:
Most people are too busy to volunteer their opinion, let alone stick around and wait for the coppers to show just so they can say "He was driving like a nutter a mile up the road."
Okay, so swap 'people' for CCTV.
If you have footage of a car being driven madly, it drives of the edge of the screen and 2 streets later there's an accident, what's the
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