Evolving driving standards and habits.,

[Bonefish Blues]

I've just been to Ringways Airport, to drop SWMBO & daughter off
Even though we were on the M62, by 05:10, & given the light traffic of the time, the amount of 'lane 2 sitters' was quite surprising
I was behind one car, at a constant distance (400yards 'ish') for almost 4 miles, just pootling along
Why?!?!?!

Plus, the number of 'Lemmings' (aka 'Cock-Wombles') heading at (I'd reckon) 75MPH+ into fog, that gave 50yards visibility at points was worrying

We heard earlier thread that the signal that you wish to pass, and therefore for them to move over is to drive closely behind them

 

[SGG on a bike]

The other thing I see are 'followers', who are only happy when there is a car ahead of then, who barrel up to sit behind a car (not necessarily up its chuff) say in L2 and there they sit, seemingly happily, not overtaking, even when L3 is clear. Then when one moves to L1, off they go, and do the exact same thing again, but not overtaking the next car up the road they are magnetically attracted to. What's also really very odd is that if you speed up or reduce speed, so will they, as if attached by some invisible force.

That could be caused by adaptive cruise control. One of our cars has it catches up to a car in front, matches their speed and maintains distance. If they pull off/over or I pull out into an other lane it’ll accelerate back to the preset max speed. The other reason is, of course, that they’re just displaying poor driving abilities (far more likely).

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

You don't have to be on motorways to encounter a total c*ck. To avoid roadworks today and also its more scenic in general, avoiding the horrible A595, I drove over Caldbeck common in Cumbria today on the B5299. This road is really designed for 2 Mk 1 Escorts passing each other at the best. Parts of it are hilly, narrow, with hills and blind bends, also sheep in parts.

Along the most narrow, hilly, bit I was behind a black Porsche Panermara Turbo or something. Like a very large, fast saloon. This guy was driving in the middle of the road over brows of hills and blind corners. I drive a crappy little Mazda 2 and always get into the left and exercise extreme caution. Couldn't really believe that he never encountered a car travelling in the opposite direction, driving that barge of car in that manner. Just kept my distance well, well behind him. Maybe you think you own the road, driving something like that, haven't a clue. Just a danger to other road users. Surely you have to be aware of the physical size of the thing, versus the road size..

I've kind of like given up complaining about driving standards these days, as its so common. This is living in Cumbria, which is much slower paced than other areas of the country. This knob really wound me up though.

Used to really enjoy driving when I was younger. Just try and avoid it as much as possible now. Would like a motorbike, but bad car drivers have put me right off one. Caldbeck common would be somewhere I'd go if I did, just takes one total and complete knob in a car though...

 

[Tail End Charlie]

You don't have to be on motorways to encounter a total c*ck. To avoid roadworks today and also its more scenic in general, avoiding the horrible A595, I drove over Caldbeck common in Cumbria today on the B5299. This road is really designed for 2 Mk 1 Escorts passing each other at the best. Parts of it are hilly, narrow, with hills and blind bends, also sheep in parts.

Along the most narrow, hilly, bit I was behind a black Porsche Panermara Turbo or something. Like a very large, fast saloon. This guy was driving in the middle of the road over brows of hills and blind corners. I drive a crappy little Mazda 2 and always get into the left and exercise extreme caution. Couldn't really believe that he never encountered a car travelling in the opposite direction, driving that barge of car in that manner. Just kept my distance well, well behind him. Maybe you think you own the road, driving something like that, haven't a clue. Just a danger to other road users. Surely you have to be aware of the physical size of the thing, versus the road size..

I've kind of like given up complaining about driving standards these days, as its so common. This is living in Cumbria, which is much slower paced than other areas of the country. This knob really wound me up though.

Used to really enjoy driving when I was younger. Just try and avoid it as much as possible now. Would like a motorbike, but bad car drivers have put me right off one. Caldbeck common would be somewhere I'd go if I did, just takes one total and complete knob in a car though...

I've noticed that many drivers (often in big SUVs but not exclusively) in narrower lanes drive with their wheels over the centre line and only pull in when another car comes opposite them. All well and good until they do it round a bend and you happen to be going the opposite way.

 

[DRM]

The latest stupid trick is for those towing trailers to just pull into lane 3 of a motorway, totally illegal and downright dangerous, causing solo cars at, or in excess of the speed limit to have to brake from 70mph + to just over 50mph, it's not right speeding, but these twits really are going to cause a pile up

 

[DaveReading]

I've noticed that many drivers (often in big SUVs but not exclusively) in narrower lanes drive with their wheels over the centre line and only pull in when another car comes opposite them. All well and good until they do it round a bend and you happen to be going the opposite way.

In Italy, you can substitute "all drivers".

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Declining driving standards would be a better title for this thread.
I think I’ve found the reason though:
As I was walking the dog the other evening I came across a car apparently parked partially on the verge. I couldn’t see what was going on as I walked towards it as the headlights were on and the engine running. The driver was bent forwards behind the wheel, so I approached the passenger side. The driver was engrossed in his mobile phone (held in his hand).
That was when I was able to see the livery on the side.

Is it any wonder that new drivers have poor regard for driving rules when the people who are instructing them display such poor standards.

 

[Alex321]

In Italy, you can substitute "all drivers".

In Southern Italy, that is true.

In Northern Italy (at least in the Dolomites area, also known as the Sud-Tirol), the driving is much more similar to Austrian standards in my experience. Completely different to how they drive South of Naples.

 

[DaveReading]

In Southern Italy, that is true.

And certainly as far north as Tuscany, IME.

 

[gbb]

Again, I refer to evolving standards and habits...
4 lane motorway, drive daily to work, its almost a de facto habit now for lane 3 to be filled with a train of cars doing 70 mph 'ish. Lane 2 is quite often clear but is used more by cars overtaking vehicles in lane 1. Rarely do you see cars (and very increasingly, vans) move back to lane 2 from 3 when they really could.
Could you argue its safer that way ? Less movement between lanes , I'm undecided, every instinct in me tells me to move left when appropriate, part of me gets vexed by these drivers...yet accepting less movement between lanes could be safer.

Right or wrong, its happening day by day, week by week, its so entrenched now, its almost normal.

 

[cougie uk]

It'll be better when all the cars have transponders and talk to each other. People are awful drivers.

 

[Oldhippy]

Even better if there were no cars st all.

 

[gbb]

two classic examples yesterday....
A1M, rigid lorry entering a 4 lane motorway off a slip road...immediately goes to lane 2, despite NOTHING being in lane 1 for several hundred metres wtf drove him to do that ? He sat there for about a mile till I suspect he realised he was causing problems then went into lane 1.

Same journey, the usual suspects sat in lane 3 of 4, no attempt to move despite lots of opportunities. One car sat blissfully at around 65mph, everyone trying to find a way round him.

Then last night, local roads, entering a slip road onto a dual carriageway, car in front of me fails to gain speed and enters the dual carriageway at maybe 35 mph. I back off to give myself room to accelerate past him and use the second lane...he immediately enters second lane at now maybe 40, a white van and car are now braking to avoid hitting him, my speed carried me past him on the underside, wrong I know but it seemed perhaps safer to get out of everyone's way and not try to join a jam of cars at 40 in lane 2. As I'm past, I look in my mirror, white van puts on blue lights behind the slow car who's not speeding up much if at all....Its the police
Slow car eventually moves to lane 1, police pass, they carry on and are now catching me up ?
I had visions of them pulling me over for undertaking

Ah well

 

[Jameshow]

Last night had a girl in soft roader on phone for miles, speeding up and slowing down, running rings around me as I was limited to 62mph...

If I'd had a passenger I would have filmed her.

 

[gbb]

And this afternoon, a classic reminder of how standards are falling and peoples reactions to being told...
Lane 3 of 4, a driver is sat steadfastly at around 65 mph. As I followed for some miles, cars and vans were undertaking two lane manoevers to get round him, some directly undertaking him in Lane 2, he is just causing modest mayhem and danger to himself and everyone around him.
I watched at about his speed for several miles watching. At one stage the road went reasonably quiet I was in Lane 1, he is still in Lane 3 but wasn't holding his speed so I effectively undertook him (maintaining my speed) in Lane 1.
As I glanced across, his eyes are quite clearly looking at something in his lap, phone perhaps, his fans, who knows, but not the road.

I honked, gesticulating to my eyes (indicating he might prefer to watch the road), and that he might like to move to Lane 2 at the very least.

No.....he steadfastly sat in Lane 3. I shrugged my shoulder metaphorically and drove on.

There's just no telling some, no idea, no interest in doing things properly and safely. You see it all the time, it's not Lane 2 huggers nowadays, it's Lane 3 and they're even more dangerous if they're not doing 70 at least.