Too many idiots on the road!

Strider590

michpotts wrote: »

This is where me and my husband have blazing rows in the car. There's a main road near to me where it merges into one lane and some people don't give way where they should. My hubbie would let a collision happen because "they are in the wrong" and "I had right of way". I, however want to keep me and my kids safe and let the "idiots" in because I'd rather have them in front where I can see them better. Doesn't stop me papping my horn at them though!

We have two lanes on a dual carriageway for a reason.

You DO NOT have to queue, it is in fact good driving practice to utilise both lanes and minimise traffic disruption.
It also the law in many European countries to do so. The only reason we don't is because we're British and we're good at queueing!

So this is where your husband is in fact wrong, it is against the highway code (if proven) for you to attempt to prevent traffic overtaking or merging, traffic from the right always has the right of way.... Therefore if you tried to stop me, hit my car and I had my camera running, you'd be in serious trouble....

Antispam

I was taught to treat everyone on the road as idiots touch wood havent had a accident in 30 years driving

I look ahead, read the road, anticipate idiots, try and not anthologise them even though its very tempting also love idiot right up your !!!! you let them by they take silly risks ad they one car ahead of you when you meet up with them a few miles down the road at the lights

Also vary speed depending on road conditions dont always drive to the maximum speed limits and tend to drive aroudn town at 20 is mphs anyway due to 20mphs zone or areas that are bad like narrow busy roads with parked car, aslo very careful when kids are around see so many kids acting carelessly near the road or drivers opening door in when you driving by so give them room when possible.

Deepmistrust

Strider590 wrote: »

We have two lanes on a dual carriageway for a reason.

You DO NOT have to queue, it is in fact good driving practice to utilise both lanes and minimise traffic disruption.
It also the law in many European countries to do so. The only reason we don't is because we're British and we're good at queueing!

So this is where your husband is in fact wrong, it is against the highway code (if proven) for you to attempt to prevent traffic overtaking or merging, traffic from the right always has the right of way.... Therefore if you tried to stop me, hit my car and I had my camera running, you'd be in serious trouble....

There is a dual carriageway near me with the same problem. There should be "merge in turn" signs, but alas it is up to drivers to merge sensibly. But you always get an idiot on the left that sees there is a vehicle coming up the empty outside lane and pulls out and straddles the two lanes. Downright dangerous driving. There is no need for vehicles to queue two miles back while the outside lane is empty.

michpotts

Strider590 wrote: »

We have two lanes on a dual carriageway for a reason.

You DO NOT have to queue, it is in fact good driving practice to utilise both lanes and minimise traffic disruption.
It also the law in many European countries to do so. The only reason we don't is because we're British and we're good at queueing!

So this is where your husband is in fact wrong, it is against the highway code (if proven) for you to attempt to prevent traffic overtaking or merging, traffic from the right always has the right of way.... Therefore if you tried to stop me, hit my car and I had my camera running, you'd be in serious trouble....

My driving instructor told me its like "the teeth of a zip" and if everyone had a bit of common sense and and patience it should be seamless. When it's busy I find a bit of eye contact with the driver at the side and a slight drop back or drive forwards makes your intention known. You do get some arrogant people who "force" their way in by cutting right in front of you from the left hand side though and that results in hand gestures and swear words!

jimbms

Forgetting all the waffle about lane useage, I have to say that driving standards in the UK is certainly in decline, we come over a couple of times every year and of late now tend to get the late afternoon boat that gets us there around midnight and head back for the 2am boat, main reason is we feel the way other road users behave towards each other is going down hill, there seems to be no courtesy any more, everyone seems in a hurry, drivers when you look at them behind the wheel look angry as though they want to kill anyone who dares get in front of them, some drivers hell bent on overtaking on the smallest of roads just so they can get in front arrive 10 seconds ahead of you. Why can't you all just relax and slow down a little and try to treat each other with a bit of courtesy. before anyone states it's ok for us living in a small place and ambling around, remember we have no speed limits and the average speed of cars on some of the main roads is around 90mph.

Lum

jimbms wrote: »

Forgetting all the waffle about lane useage, I have to say that driving standards in the UK is certainly in decline, we come over a couple of times every year and of late now tend to get the late afternoon boat that gets us there around midnight and head back for the 2am boat, main reason is we feel the way other road users behave towards each other is going down hill, there seems to be no courtesy any more, everyone seems in a hurry

Well that's 10 years of a road safety policy that has concentrated solely on educating people that slow down = safe and not talked about any of the other things that makes one a good driver.

People are in a hurry everywhere because they're paranoid that going any faster will land them with point so when they get stuck behind someone only doing 65 that's time lost that can never be regained.

It's particularly true for any sort of distance work where a clear run vs a run with lots of MLMs can mean several hours difference.

But since you've switched to night time driving, a time when the majority of road users actually know what they are doing, I'm sure you've noticed this anyway.

jimbms

Lum wrote: »

But since you've switched to night time driving, a time when the majority of road users actually know what they are doing, I'm sure you've noticed this anyway.

The only time we drive at night there is either when we get off the ferry or are going to get back on it, the rest is day time driving and I don't care how it upsets the idiots, I drive to suit the conditions of the road and the speed limit, if they are in a hurry to get somewhere they should have set off earlier, I refuse to speed up for them.

Lum

No need to speed up for someone, why break the law for someone else's convenience? Ot's just the people who choose to drive slowly AND fail to keep left that are in the wrong.

KillerWatt

Wkdwill wrote: »

Last month, on the motorway in the fast lane doing the speed limit when this idiot in his fancy !!! car came steaming up behind us, flashing his headlights, beeping the horn at us, when DH wouldn't move into the next lane the idiot undertook us, opened his window and called DH a w*nker (with his hand) then drove off, within 15 seconds you couldn't see him ahead.

There is no such thing as the "fast lane", you should be in the left hand lane at all times unless overtaking.

While undertaking may be foolish, the only idiot I see from the above scenario is the one in the "fast lane" who wouldn't yield (as advised by the Highway Code and Police alike) to a faster moving vehicle because he was "doing the limit".

It's odds on that Stephen Cameron thought that Kenneth Noye was an idiot as well when he cut him up, shame he didn't think that for long.

almillar

Totally agree with KillerWatt's statement, above, just to add 'you should be in the left hand lane at all times unless overtaking OR TURNING RIGHT SOON'. And that means don't cruise in the outside lane for 3 miles before your right turn either. You're asking to be undertaken. If you don't like it, stay in! I alwys let slower cars get out in front of me if there's a turn coming up, no problem there.
And as has been mentioned above, just because you're 'doing the limit' according to your speedo, doesn't mean that the guy behind doesn't think you're doing 4mph below...