So driving standards are getting worse. Anyone disagree with that?
Two causes:
1. decline in standards, general disinterest in being good at something.
Stuff like wearing hoodies, burkhas or whatever which impair peripheral vision;
driving with the rear wiper constantly on, a sure sign you don't use the mirror;
the junction near me, a Y type junction - the number of people who drive from the left but take the second right, causing a queue of cars turn right out of the junction which in turn means people take the left fork and turn right, to jump the queue.
Or the M25 that I now use every day (A1 to A10 junctions) which could easily be the LA Freeway given the sub 60mph speed and the complete lack of lane discipline

2. increasing in f**k you attitude
Intentionally bad driving (as opposed to accidental). For example, I left the A1 North yesterday to take the M25 East. At the roundabout it's right lane for the M25E, two left lanes for the M25W. So many people take the middle lane to go right that I've given up and joined them, but as I approached the queue yesterday a Punto which was so dirty the number plate was blocked out completely pulled out of the queue. I slammed on the brakes then steered left around him, noticing he had the rear wiper on even though it wasn't raining. As I sat in the middle lane queue he pulled out from behind me to the left hand lane. When the lights changed he raced away and cut me up forcing his way back into the middle lane, and then the right. So he'd consciously gone TWO LANES to the left of where he needed to be just to get in a shorter queue with the intention of forcing other drivers to let him in.
Example two, a van driver veered from left lane to right lane on a left hand lane right in front of me. I pipped the horn and he pulled back in. He gave me the coffee beans gesture as I went past. Done something wrong, nearly caused an accident, but *you're* the w**ker!

Increasingly popular in some of the roundabouts I have to use is going into the left lane but putting the right indicator on (even when left lane is first exit only) or bizarrely people indicating left as they get onto a roundabout, not because they want to take the first exit but because they're turning left onto the roundabout, presumably as opposed to turning right. Seems to happen in more residential (ie not multi-lane) roundabouts.


I could list another dozen examples just from this week, but how bad does it have to get before there's some real action?
I mean, it's a "health and safety"society but all that happens is more cameras. The M25 is a prime example, they say "Smart" motorways are to improve the flow of traffic, tell that the the hundreds of cars held westbound while a lorry with the bonnet up was examined by three blokes in what used to be the hard shoulder but is now lane 1.

Drivers who lane hog can be pulled over by the police but that would need actual police to observe them. Instead we got cameras which flash when you do 80 in the few occasions when traffic is flowing fast enough to go more than the speed limit and is that really dangerous? Is it hell.

Rant over.

 

Get a motorbike. Everyone is still a d1ckhead and you have a massively higher chance of getting killed by said d1ckheads. However, if you can raise your game, you'll always laugh filtering through traffic and you'll rarely get stressed by fools because you can just blast past them.

 

That A1 roundabout is a nightmare at rush hour, its a disaster zone its like a free for all. I live at junction 25 cheshunt/enfield and since widening the m25 i dont feel comfortable on it anymore. Its very dangerous and the 4 lanes IMO have not reduced traffic.

Driving standards will not get better while decent drivers like my friend get a fine and 3 points for doing 68mph on the A1 in a modern transit van. Laws need updating but you can see that is not a priority. Targeting the speeders is an easy way to look like your dealing with the issue.

The other day i was in the BP garage on the A10 between cheshunt and turnford and noticed a guy reversing back up the A10 because he missed the petrol station entrance. When you see things like that you know things are getting bad!

 

Big cities = penis driving.
M25 = 90% considerate, 10% moronic. That's why the naughty boy cameras flank that irritating circular car park.

Average people now drive powerful machines and couldn't give a hoot about your life.. until you block them, get out and get nose to nose to sort it out. We all hate people sifting into our braking zone - this is THE worst behaviour on British roads without doubt. I would love a calibrated camera recording said incidents on my commute to be able to be used to liberate the old Bill and fine the f@ckers. How we would all drive much better then.
Motorcycles are just as bad at squeezing through gaps in crawling traffic, we seem to be hell bent on "being first" or getting our own way. Impatience has grown and it will on these heavily congested roads. For the most part, fast cars are slow cars.
At times, the motorway network can be a pretty dangerous place.
Solution? Move to Devon... Or Cumbria

To also add - theres too many people farting about (texting or surfing) on mobile phones, sat navs dangling below rear view mirrors, people trying to make important stressful calls whilst driving. It doesnt help one bit and is difficult to police.
We should rid the roads of HGV's from 6am - 7pm. It would certainly help everyone
It

 

I can't remember the last time I drove on a dc without seeing someone hogging the outside lane. They're a mixture of clueless old duffers, people turning right in two miles (but there'll never be an indicator on) or self appointed traffic police. I agree with the general theme of the rant. Add to it the abandonment of giving way when an obstruction is on your side of the road, circling roundabouts to beat queues and regular tailgating and you can see the biggest problem isn't speed but an unhealthy cocktail of incompetence and selfishness. The most worrying development is that even if you attempt to opt out, and drive in waft mode, some moron will still attempt the craziest of moves (my favourite is the going from outer lane to exit in one go leaving the smallest gap possible between their rear and your front) and there's very little you can do about it.

 

Mark, that's my journey every day. I get off at J25, our office is nr. Brimsdown Station (very glamorous!)

Today's idiot (accompanied by wife and child) was encountered on this lane heading out of Stanmore.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.619862,-0.309328,3a,75y,332.56h,76.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJc92sINg7S9ktoIsMaD5bA!2e0

You'll see that traffic coming down (towards camera) has priority at this chicane.
I approached this morning and as nothing was close to the chicane I proceeded through. As I pulled over to the right, a black 1 Series coming down the hill pulled onto "my" side of the road.... he was about 150-200m away from the chicane at this point. I mentally and physically prepared for anything to happen. He eventually stopped, a few feet from my bumper, on my side of the road. I was a little bit further on than the white car in the image.

At first he refused to move, despite there being space to his left, on the correct side of the road. Eventually he moved and then started to reprimand me as he went past. "I've got priority!"
Not when I'm 100% through the chicane you haven't mate. Not when I'm 25% through it and you're 150m away you don't.
How about we take some photos, show them to the police and let them decide who had priority.

As he got agitated, his wife was saying the same thing, but she also tried to calm him down. I drove off.

Trouble is, as I was passing the line of traffic that had formed behind him, they all assumed what had happened and a couple shouted that he had priority. I am definitely getting a dashcam!

Anyway, I didn't want a row, as I'm in a very good mood. It's my wedding anniversary.

 

I like the ones who drive around with both wing mirrors folded in still. It's safe to assume they have little awareness of others on the road, other than those dead ahead.

 

I honestly believe that everyone should have some sort of proper driver training with these above situations.

Drivers act "thick", think they are right and are argumentative until plod is involved. Its because people drive flash, fast cars they think they are "in charge" and can do what they like within reason. It'll only get worse, until the govt introduce a big expensive training program. Which - they'll never do of course.
Driber awareness courses should be more detailed, should deal with anger management and the real reasons for poor behaviours. Theres a deeper pysch to drivers behaviour. In truth, these speed awareness courses and so forth never really touch into this. It's just the speedomemter that's discussed in reality, with some mention about countryroad hazards and road markings / speed limit markers.

 

maybe we should follow guy's lead....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-29505994

mind you, I've had cause to discuss police driving standards with a few officers over the years, one of which resulted in a chat with the head honcho in his office and a verbal apology from one of his officers

 

I like this. I think the police should really think hard about employing techniques like this more widely , where cameras really COULD help reduce the need for police on the roads. I'm sure if there were an ad campaign, linked with subsidised dash cams and fitting, and an easy way of uploading, more people would take part. Given the increasing risk to the public of abuse and injury when getting involved in law breaking incidents themselves, the public 'peer pressure' (ie common morals) has less effect as a deterrent these days. An initially anonymous (to the perpetrator) approach via a website could rejuvenate this. Once a critical mass were reached, behavior would improve because the risk of being caught would increase. Just some initial thoughts!