Most hated driving behaviour of other motorists?

MarkyMarkD

A tremendously funny site which summarises many of the points mentioned on this thread is http://www.selfmadejournalist.com/newhighwaycode.htm - an updated version of the Highway Code. Well worth a visit!

MarkyMarkD

Al_Mac wrote:

Rule is keep left except when turning right, right meens the one furthest round, so in theory the third exit may not be right.

:beer:

No it's not.

If the lanes aren't marked, the Highway Code says:

When taking the first exit
- signal left and approach in the left-hand lane
- keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave.

When taking any intermediate exit
- select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout, signalling as necessary
- stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout
signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

When taking the last exit or going full circle
- signal right and approach in the right-hand lane
- keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout
- signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want.

So, to go anything resembling straight on you can use either lane. It's only the first and last exits which are prescriptively left lane and right lane respectively.

aliasojo

Wig wrote:

7. WHen there is a lane closed up ahead, two things annoy me, the ones who all use the left hand lane as though the right hand side has got the plague (yes I know it's closing - but we have maybe a mile or more to go yet). As a result of this the people who zoom down the right hand lane annoy me. I will sometimes just sit in the RH lane and go the same speed as those on my left. I have seen lorry drivers doing this too. It makes sense for people to use both lanes and then do a one for one merge at the lane closesure point.

OMG Wig, you're not my OH in disguise are you????

This annoys OH too and we have this very problem near us at the moment because of work that's going on.

There are signs posted telling everyone to use both lanes but the problem is that faster folk tend to stay on the right until the last minute, which causes the traffic to slow to an almost stop at the point where everyone in the right hand lane tries to merge with the left. OH reckons that everyone should start moving over a little sooner so this wouldn't happen.

I was driving home with OH driving behind me with our 5 year old in his car. He was in the right hand lane and came level with a lorry (he knew driver) and the two of them drove at the same speed for about a mile which effectively held up all those behind him in the right hand lane. Needless to say everyone was beeping at him to get out of the way.

Daughter told me that Daddy was being bad as he was deliberately getting in the way. I have to say I think she was right, regardless of the rights or wrongs, doing this kind of thing only causes bad feeling. I would have been furious if I'd been behind him instead of in front of him and he'd held me up like that. People don't have the right to affect other people in this way.

The signs clearly say USE BOTH LANES, so people are complying. I do think this causes a problem because of the last minute changeover that tends to go on, but I'm not sure what the answer is to better this situation.

Wig

Yes the sign says use both lanes, but it is meant that Everyone should use both lanes. not all the sheep use the left lane and all the wolves use the right, with the wolves overtaking some 200 cars in the process.

If most sheep just use the left, then the tail back goes back and back for miles and has more chance of becoming a road hazard for people coming up unaware there is a queue ahead.

I do have a right to effectively block the Right lane because people who overtake....

1. Have no right to overtake 200 cars and then push in
2. Are potentially being dangerous by going fast past so many almost stationary cars. I've seen accidents, and gone to court as a witness and the one who went fast down the RH lane got a guilty "dangerous driving" conviction.

If I was doing this and people started beeping me I'd stop get out and ask them why are you beeping? Then I'd explain the fairness & safety of the situation I was creating.

P.s. If someone is beeping me (in any situation) and I have done nothing wrong I always get out walk back and politely ask "what is the problem?" I continue along the lines "oh I thought there must have been something wrong with my car, I can't tell what you mean if you beep so I have to come and ask you what you were trying to tell me." People find it easy to beep in the safety of their tin can, but when confronted with a real life person they tend to go all sheepy, not to mention they are going nowhere while my car is stopped in front of them. If I did wrong fair enough I deserve the beep, but if not....I'll come and have a chat with you.

mrcow

Wig wrote:

If I was doing this and people started beeping me I'd stop get out and ask them why are you beeping? Then I'd explain the fairness & safety of the situation I was creating.

Wig....for your own health and safety, I wouldn't recommend this. (And I'm being serious).

Wig

Mr Cow,

Ah (sigh) yes, perhaps in this violent nasty world we live in you are correct. You never know what the other person might be capable of. But then turn the situation around and it is also good advice never to beep another car no matter what, because you don't know what the driver is capable of either. Which is why I almost never beep, I use my lights (not very often either) to show my disapproval. I have discovered life on the road is much more peaceful if you just "let it go".

I beeped yesterday the first time in ages, the car in front had stopped 20 metres after turning off a major roundabout, because to our right was a police car with blue lights on and he had just pulled over a silver hatchback (presumably for speeding), in front was a silver golf which might have been an unmarked car involved in the "sting". So I beeped him to encourage him to ignore the goings on to our right and continue with his/her journey so as not to cause a traffic jam out onto the roundabout (behind us). <sigh>

Wig

Derrick, Re: Flashing lights,

I agree with Marky Mark, the overwhelming majority of road users recognise a flash to mean "I'm letting you out". It is not illegal to flash your lights, the road traffic act you quoted, even says it is ok to flash your lights.

So we come to the interpretation of the RTA. Hypothetical scenario, Driver A flashes his light to allow Driver B in front of him, stupid officious traffic cop charges Driver A with god knows what....In court, Driver A argues he flashed his lights to warn Driver B of his presence, Driver B noticed Driver A's flash and his presence and noted that he was slowing down or stationary, therefore, Driver B knew it was safe to proceed. IMHO the law is inline with flashing ones lights to say "I am here, but you can go because I am waiting for you to go".

I have heard of one incident in my entire driving life, of a car who flashed someone who was waiting to emerge, and the car that flashed proceeded to smash into the emerging car. This is usually going to be the fault of the emerging driver for not assesing the situation carefully before proceeding. The flash should not be taken as carte blanche to proceed (as it states in law and the HC) you still need to assess the situation.

But the arrogance of people who think that you can flash and then continue into a head on collision, is astounding, given that everyone knows that most sensible people take a flash to mean "I am letting you out".

And then to equate people who flash to allow someone out with people who run red lights etc!

"to flash your lights is to warn other road users of your presence" ......i.e. it does not mean "I am letting you out" and it does not mean "I am coming through don't pull in front of me"...........It means "I am here" plain and simple. It is then up to the other driver to note that you are there and to assess whether it is safe to proceed. Simple as. End of.

***Edits by MSE Controller2 - Buy all means make your point, but try not to direct personal comments at other MSE'ers***

Comment from Wig to edit above: Yes you're right, my apologies.

Wig

T4i wrote:

Taxi's....Usualy Asians, talk about pure ignorance to road markings and other road users.

I refuse to be a passenger now in a Asian taxi. I'm not racist but after one experience I had on the way home from a night out its enough to put me off for life! I have never felt so scared in my life!!!!!

T4i,

This is simply an assenine view to hold. Like it or not - deny it as much as you want - it is a racist view. A lot of taxi drivers know their way around town better than most people. Like all demographics (dunno if right word but sounds good ), you will get some quiet drivers, some fast - but safe - drivers and a few mad unsafe drivers. How rediculous of you to say by default all asian drivers are unsafe because you had a bad experience with one.

I hope you have a bad experience with a white driver, because then you will have to limit yourself to black and Iraqi drivers etc. You will therefore find it even more impossible to get a taxi. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Wig

Janis wrote:

And another thing who said it was OK for cars turning right out of a side road to pull out blocking cars coming from the right? The traffic, usually me, then have to stop because they are blocking the road while they wait fopr cars from the left to let them in. Then the naughty driver thanks the car that stopped to let him in, but he totally ignores me who was forced to stop and wait and use bad language.

Janis and Sheel,

Oh diddums, you had to wait a few seconds, oh you poor thing, that other person has been waiting for a non existant gap for god knows how long.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this, the car on the side road was there first, and by moving forward has ensured they will not have to wait much longer having eliminated 50% of the problem.

Scenario where this practice *is* wrong, where by turning left the car would shortly reach a round about and can go back in the other direction etc.

Yes they should say thanks to the nice person from the left who stops and lets them go, why should they acknowledge you for waiting? you wouldn't have let them out so you can go and jump. We don't say thanks to people who are stopped at red lights, it's the same thing IMO.

Wig

daveboy wrote:

I make it a rule to undertake when someone hogs the middle lane. A swift check for a police car first mind you though. I will put my fog lights on in very heavy rain - it might just save someone ploughing into the back of me.
<snip>
Heavy rain and "fog lights" aren't allowed. Sometimes heavy rain can actually be worse when it comes to visibility.

Irrespective of whether it raining or foggy, fog lights should only be used when visibility is reduced to about 100metres. That means VERY heavy rain the sort that we don't often get, or very thick fog.

A rule of thumb is if you can see cars up ahead who don't have fog lights on then you don't need your fogs on, Doubly so if you can see the car in front of the car infront. Just normal dipped headlights are perfectly adequate for most situations. If you can't see the car in front or the road for more than 100metres. Then use your fogs.

Putting your fogs on in the wrong situation might actually make it more likely for someone to shunt you from behind, because fog lights are so bright as to make it difficult to see that the brake lights have come on. So you will be braking and the car behind won't be aware of that.


If you want to know what 100m is it's close to the distance between the 100 yard markers before an off ramp. That is how serious visibility need to be reduced to before you put your fogs on.