The funny thing is, most motorist that join the motorway from a slip road think they have right of way. WRONG. You are joining a motorway and therefore you have to give way to the vehicles on the motorway. I have had many experiences of cars just pulling across in front of me at speeds of 40mph when joining a motorway, with no intention of speeding up, causing me to slam my breaks on, which has a knock on effect from following vehicles. And yet these people are oblivious to what they have just caused.
To see this, makes me sick that these so called professional drivers get away with this. I hope to see his face when he gets a blow out whilst being sat in the passenger seat.
Because, and this is putting it mildly: The majority of the road users in this country are absolute cocks with no consideration for others. It's especially true of people that drive expensive cars - Because to get to the point where they can afford that, they've usually had to be callous, inconsiderate, pricks. They aren't going to change personality when they get into the car, if anything, they're going to get worse because, and for the most part this is true, they think they deserve respect from everyone around them/that they are somehow more important than other traffic on the road. Unfortunately this creates a vicious cycle - New drivers, to keep up, have to drive like inconsiderate dicks to get anywhere in any reasonable time frame. Basically. 90% of the people on the road in the UK are assholes. It's not helped - And don't take this the wrong way - by foreign drivers who are used to far more relaxed road rules. I have no love for the general motoring populace in the UK.
I agree with everything said by Altron here, especially this ^^. Driving on I-84 and I-684 in NY, if you aren't doing over the speed limit, you are a legitimate danger on the road, just due to the flow of traffic. The worst situation is when you have 2 people doing the speed limit and blocking both lanes of traffic.... ending up with a massive backup because a very small percentage of people actually do the speed limit. In the same vein, people who go under the speed limit in a 55, and then speed through a residential area when the speed limit drops down to 30 really chaps my balls, both due to the safety issue, and because, ffs, I don't speed in residential areas. I am the first to admit that I don't always follow the speed limit, however, I refuse to tailgate or pass dangerously, regardless of how slow the person in front of me is going. I will speed on highways and interstate, it is necessary sometimes. I've personally had more issues with people not paying attention or driving dangerously (nothing to do with speeding) than with drivers driving over the speed limit. Just the other day on the way to school (about a 45 minute drive from home), I saw at two different times, a vehicle get into the center turn lane at a light, and then cut off the cars in the left hand thru lane to jump over a bunch of cars. Last night on the drive home I saw a lady in the car ahead of me, while driving, lean over into the back seat to comfort her screaming child, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD!!!!!, she was swerving all over the road, and I thought that I would see my first-first-hand accident...
I think this is somewhere near to the point I was making in my vauge random rant. If every one in the UK drived according to the letter of the highway code, accidents would be near non-existant, traffic would flow better and people would be more aware (and I would be in my own vehicular nivarna) . But people don't. This leaves everything in tatters. People following the code expect others to do a certain thing at a given instance (ie give way) or people not following the code do something random. Driving on the UK roads is a nightmare. The sheer stupidity of 40%, the sheer arogance of another 40% with those 80% thinking they are "above avergae drivers". The belief in thier actions being right is the most annoying and worrying aspect of this. Anyone who has the arrogance to think they are a better driver because the do X Y Z is part of the problem. Race drivers - Instructors - Super cautious -Lorry drivers, there is no one who is an above average driver. For the simple reason that you will not be able to percive what the other 50 "above average drivers" on the same bit of road will percive. Thier (your?) view of what makes an average driver means that the majority are driving wrong, as each has thier own view of this an "above average driver" is non-existant. The very idea of an "above average driver" is one of the gratest 20th century fallacies. As every driver has thier own views on how to drive and thier own view of the law every one has thier own different view, there is no clear consensus. Without a clear point off refference there is no starting point for the avergage, let alone better than average. And folks get so bloody precious about it. How many folks do you know will admit they have faults driving. People may say they aren't good drivers, but how many people do you think REALLY belive it. My wife used to give me a hard time about my driving, mostly too fast, to close (I aim for the 2 second rule tho) undertaking and the like. Fine, I know I do these things. I started pointing out all the things she did wrong (and there was alot) and she refused to drive with me as a passenger. She (and most folks) are happy to critisise others driving but then get offended when thier faults get mentioned. As a driving instructor (when teaching I drive to the letter of the highway code btw) I always made a point of going through the highway code 1st. So at least people knew and had to accept the points I made. When I do exactly the same thing as a normal passenger they go frosty. YOU ARE A CRAP DRIVER If you can read and accept that, your on the way to not being one. (and I mean really accept it!)
Go drive on a French motorway. Seriously. French are awsome motorway drivers, they all know what lane to be in. If you hate poor lane discapline, the french motorways will give you a boner.........
I'm an above average driver. You know why? It's because I don't talk on a cell phone when I drive. I don't eat or drink when I drive. I focus my attention on the road when I drive. I don't have mad race-car skillz. I don't have ninja reflexes. I don't have super powers behind the wheel. But you don't need those things to be a "better than average" driver. The average driver is singing along with the radio, fiddling with the GPS, tending to children, drinking coffee, applying makeup, etc. All you have to do to become a "better than average" driver is put down the distractions and pay attention to where you're going and what's happening around you.
Ummm yes, I do pretty much only ever speed on the highway. In my town the speed limit is 50km/h. Most people drive 45-55, which is what I do. I see no reason to speed in town. Infact all the accidents I ALMOST were in (but avoided because of my mad skillz) were in town. Plus you got all the pedestrians and stuff its just not safe to speed in town. I'm not saying I never have though.... I did one time have it up to 90km/h down my street. But I know it's stupid and I only did it because the street was totally clear. I am an aggressive driver yet I am very cautious. I guess living where I do and learning to drive in winter on ice and deep snow with rear wheel drive cars has given me great driving abilities. And sim racing since I was like 7 years old has probably helped as well. meh.... doesn't really matter what I say or if anyone cares to believe me. I know I am an awesome (and safe) driver and that's all that matters.
Nice sweeping generalisation there. So according to you, anyone who obeys speed limits are bad drivers? I can assure you the only thing on that list I do, is obey speed limits. I drive a Mustang GT.. you reckon I accelerate slowly?? Join Motorways at dangerously slow speeds? LOL It's impossible to accelerate slowly in this car. If you can, you've got no soul!
Ok. quick consensus here. how many people posting in this thread are actualy professional drivers? As in you hold advanced driving qualifications and drive for a living? I'm willing to bet any amount of money that there aren't two people on here who drive more than i do. I Commute (by Trike,actually) for an hour in the morning, and an hour in the evening (to and from work). I Drive for 40 hours a week. usually in as 12 tonne double decker. with an AVERAGE of 45 people on board (that's another 3 tonnes of people) You know what i've learned over the years? an AVERAGE driver is REALLY REALLY BAD. I KNOW i'm an above average driver. I have professional qualifications that say so. I also get monthly performance reviews, and have inspectors on an off of the vehicle all the time. Our Depot has the lowest number of at-blame accidents per 1000 miles of travel in the uk (actually i think someplace in devon was lowest last month) I find myself making 4 or 5 minor mistakes a day. What makes me an above average driver is that i KNOW when i've made a mistake and that i take steps to avoid making them again. Like i said. I drive a *lot*. If i'm approaching a roundabout, and i see someone indicating, i *have* to assume that they're doing so incorrectly. because 90% of the time they are, and 90% of the time Other people on the roundabout don't know what the indicators on other vehicles mean. I approach ALL junctions assuming that someone is going to take the junction ahead of me incorrectly. because 90% of the time someone does. I have to assume that every other road user is an oblivious idiot with no idea of the rules of the road. Because 90% of road users are giving 90% of their attention to something else 90% of the time. Out of interest, when was the last time anyone on here read the highway code? Do you know what the lines in the middle of the road mean? The lines at the side of the road? Do you know the difference between a caution sign, an advisory sign, and a mandatory sign? And for 5 points, (without looking what is the listed stopping distance from 30 mph?) if you think you're an above average driver, then you're not. if you *know* your an above average driver, then you're certainly not. if you have a group of people who's entire job it is is to check your driving is up to a *barely* above average standard, then you may *just* be an above average driver. So. next time you go out on the road, Have a little respect for other road users. Try to think what effect your actions are going to have on other road users, and accept that you may, in fact not actually be the worlds best driver.
The highway code numbers for stopping distance are a bit flawed anyway. I think it's something like... an Aston DBR9 will stop in half the distance from 70mph than the highway code says. Apart from that, yeah, good points. And yeah, indicators on a roundabout... people indicating (or not) annoy the **** out of me, on roundabouts. I caught my brother out on it once and he said 'I thought I did', at which point my sister-in-law says 'No, I've told you loads' and it got quite funny in a marital-bliss way ¬_¬
I'm not really categorising myself at all. I acknowledge I have faults... that I'm human.. that I get tired and make mistakes, and I try to be aware of this fact at all times. I am aware that I am fairly talented on a track, but mature enough to realise this has no significance to every day road driving whatsoever. If you MUST categorise me, then yes, I'm probably in C. However, I don't think you can conveniently categorise people's driving in this way.
I soooo wish we had a race track around here. I would pwn everyone. @Golden-1, get off your high horse. You think only people who drive for their job can be great drivers? You're so full of crap. Quit the nazi elitist attitude. Memorizing the highway code doesn't make you a good driver. Neither does having a paper that says you're a professional driver. I must admit I sped in town today. The street was clear and I stepped on it a bit and got up to about 58km/h. OH NOESZ!
I just found it interesting you assumed you were in camp A, but then assumed I was deliberately saying you, personally were rubbish. You, yourself put your in the first camp. I just find sweeping generalisations and the way people put themselves into them interesting. You could have easily said 'none of these apply to me'. I'm not commenting on anyone in particular, nor putting anyone specific into them. So I have to ask: Why did you assume you fell into Camp A, and feel strongly enough that it wasn't an accurate reflection of yourself to post a comment? Camp C implicitly follow speed limits, so it can't have just been the speed limits line. Sneaky edit: Sorry, forgot to mention the sweeping generalisations were mostly for fun/entertainment and hopefully raise a laugh. Like 'oh man I've been there', or 'Ye those guys are everywhere'.
Bleh, I have this IAM Skill For Life pack right next to me, but my local co-coordinator's (wait, what the ****, spellcheck, it's just co-ordinator) email doesn't actually exist so I have to call him on a workday.
