Motors Is it me or are there more idiots on the road?

Not driver related, but I just wanted to offer it up for discussion ...

pot holes ... anyone suffering?

 

Roads round here are becoming dangerous. Where the telephone/gas/electric contractors have dug across a road then filled in the trench, it's all coming out. Not pot hole but pot ravines across both lanes.

Local council has no intention of filling them. But they cut the trees and bushes back ready for the summer...

 

I think North Somerset council got a huge kick up the backside, a couple of months ago I'd be whingeing about them like no tomorrow, however roads around here have improved a fair bit, but they're far from brilliant.

Also, I've been living here for five years now and my road has been a complete mess up until two days ago when it finally got tarmac put on it. It's a revelation, not avoiding manholes which stick half a foot out of the ground and no more tyre bursting curbs.

 

Oh man we have huge pot holes by me. They are up to 6" deep and that's outside a school!

 

Pedestrians... Half of them are ****ing idiots.

Was in the car with my gf, on my way to play football, this guy steps out, say 10m ahead of us, and proceeds to walk at a slower that slow pace across the road, gf beeps the horn to just let him know he's a prat. Gets given the finger, I mean seriously? You're going to step out into the road, 10m in front of a car, walk slowly, then wonder why someone has told you you're a *****?

To the person who said about limiting kids to 1000cc cars. You could kill someone with a 50cc car. It's not the power of the vehicle, it's the person behind the wheel, we need to limit those people. Or at least show them what the speed really does, not just tell them, show them.

 

You know when you enter Bourne as the roads magically become a maze of patches, potholes and other exciting obstacles. Great fun. When a road is patched, it's normally performed by a local travelling circus who think it's a good idea to set up camp at 8 in the morning when the roads are busiest. They then take a break from work from about 9 'til 5, where they come back and do another hours worth of annoying everyone.

 

Yeah, it's only when you show people does the message sink in.

Slamming on the brakes when moving at motorway speeds tends to help upon seeing how far it takes to stop. As does living in Germany for a time and seeing cars crash at 100mph+. The damage is horrific.

 

my parents live there, last year they got their road re-paved. it's now a total joy to drive down such a smooth road. before, there was potholes and random bumps everywhere.


Potholes, random bumps across the roads are all way too annoying. for some reason, my car feels everyone of them when im driving alone. when there's 3 or 4 people in the car, it's fine, but when i drive alone, i think can feel the texture of the road.

that's not a crap car either, Volvo S40 is supposed to be a comfortable car.



limiting young people isn't the solution either. during my A-levels, outside the school gate, there was this 40mph road. at 18, i drove to school, but every time after school, i get stuck behind the 16 year old 30mph limited mo-ped. it's simply stupid.

responsible driving is the key, plus the driver should always be aware of his/her surroundings. the driving test should be changed in some way so that there is a way to tell if driver wasn't aware of their blind spot at any given time. eye tracker during test perhaps to see if the driver doesn't scan mirrors every half a minute?

 

Although he was daft for doing it pedestrians do have the right of way, the driver has the licence and is generally culpable for anything that happens on a road.

If someone steps out right in front of you a Judge will see there's nothing you can do about it, if they step out and you have time to take action but don't a Judge will find you guilty of driving without due care and attention. Just the way it is, pedestrians don't need a licence.

It's equally annoying when, usually, a mother is stood at the edge of a road but has their pushchair with a kid half a metre in the road. Fair enough if you don't mind getting hit but don't put your kid in the path of a car.

While that is true it would be an additional step. I don't think it's done for the hell of it with motorcycles.

I think the driving test should be more difficult. Look at how people handle the snow for example. In other countries there's a compulsory skidpan test which would be useful over here.

 

Yeah, these probably cause a fair few crashes as well. People getting pissed of behind them. Trying to over take stupidly. It's worse when the rider sits in the middle of the lane, pull over to the left you prat, let others actually get past you.

The examiner has a mirror that's directed at your eyes, so they can see if you're checking them.

Maybe make the test longer as well, not harder per se, but longer, gives more time for any flaws to appear, and fatigue may begin to show, so any sloppiness will become apparent.

Okay, it appears my gf was just in a car accident. 2 lanes of traffic merging into one (road works), so everyone with half a brain has already pulled in to the first lane. Some ***** races down the right hand lane and tries to push in, and clips the back end of my gfs car. Apparently taken out her bumper and lights. So much for the guys 'clever' plan.

Some people should not be allowed to drive at all.

I fully agree with you about having to be in control of the care, aware etc. But this guy just stepped out without looking. She braked, moved to the left when he was in the middle of the road so as not to hit him. Just beeped to tell him he's a knob jockey.

Yeah, I agree with you, while I was nervous as hell during my test, overall it was fairly easy. A skid pan test would be a brilliant idea, would be fun, but at the same time give us a chance to realise we don't stand a chance with snow on the roads. At least with the skidpan we'd see how the car would handle (i.e. not well)...

 

double post.

 

Not heard that phrase for a while.

 

second this. best idea i've seen. 2 hour test that must include busy roundabouts and 70mph dual carriageways.

 

Had both of these on my test. They weren't fun!

 

Or a test in two parts, one of them being evening driving.

 

Waiting at traffic lights and some punk pulls up beside my car to turn left, with about an inch between the two cars, revving his scum engine. My wife turns to look at how close he is and he just stares at her and gives her the finger.

Seriously, what is wrong with some people? People like that don't deserve to be given a liscence to drive, especially since judging at the speed he took off after the lights turned, he's going to hurt someone one day.

 

There is a good reason for staying in the middle of the line. It's to block insane drivers overtaking when there really isn't any space to do it. If it isn't safe to overtake when the moped is in the middle of the lane it's not safe to overtake when he is in the left of the lane. You still need to cross the center line...

The problem is that if the moped let you by and you head into oncoming traffic, you will run over the moped.

Try driving a moped and you'll be surprised how many risks some drivers take. I have seen several people overtaking right before hilltops on a road with pretty heavy traffic. At that point I usually stay in the cycle lane with my hands ready on the brakes to avoid the mayhem ahead.

(And yes, I also drive a car, so I know this from "both sides".)

 

One of the main thing taught to those on two wheels is to have as much road presence as possible. Just because you take up less space, doesn't mean you don't need the whole of the road.

 

but they don't need all of the road, either make the road wider so cars can overtake safely, or don't limit (or allow) 16 year old to drive them, so that they won't block traffic.

 

Frankly, limited mopeds are a danger to themselves. And the minimal road experience a CBT gives a 16 year old is beyond pathetic.