Country lanes - why does nobody know the rules anymore??

NBLondon

Strider590 wrote: »

Yep, it's when they deliberately walk slowly across the road too, sometimes they even stop completely in front of oncoming cars..... Like they think it's "cool"...

I know a place where the local yoof skateboard and rollerblade down the middle of the road over a hump-backed railway bridge as a test of their manhood. I'm just waiting for the day when one of their elder cousins roars over the top in his Corsa while yapping on his mobile and fills the newspapers with tragedy...

discplayer

People walking with the traffic/on the wrong side annoys me too, although I disagree with the comments about it being young people - I've seen plenty of not so young people doing it too.

Also, I get annoyed when I'm the one walking and drivers think that just because I've seen them I'm going to jump in the ditch or climb the hedge when they've plenty of space otherwise.

Strider590

discplayer wrote: »

People walking with the traffic/on the wrong side annoys me too, although I disagree with the comments about it being young people - I've seen plenty of not so young people doing it too.

Also, I get annoyed when I'm the one walking and drivers think that just because I've seen them I'm going to jump in the ditch or climb the hedge when they've plenty of space otherwise.

I once encountered an elderly chap walking back from his local pub, wearing the usual brown with brown and splash of brown, hobbling along with his walking stick, small residential road (about 10 homes/bungalows) which turns into a country lane, no street lights, pitch black at 6pm, but does have a footpath on both sides.

So I come along at 40mph, round a bend, under a railway bridge and he's right there walking down the middle of the road, I slam on the anchors, he doesn't seem to clock on to my presence so I'm forced to mount the kerb to pass him, then I wind the window down and inform him (in the nicest and most respectful way!) "you need to use the footpath, nobody can see you", he looks at me with a blank expression and carries on........ I expect one day he'll get squished, the road is a regular "rat run" and most drivers (especially couriers) belt down their at 60+.

Gloomendoom

Good thread. Mrs G and I were only commenting on this yesterday as we passed three fools in a row (one old enough to know better) walking facing from the traffic. I saw some accident statistics somewhere that showed that you were three(?) times more likely to be struck by a passing vehicle when walking away from the traffic as opposed to walking facing it.

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Also why do some drivers think they can drive down the middle of the road. Have nearly ended up in the ditch several times!

I pretty much always drive down the middle of the road and so do most people in my locality. The shoulders of the back roads are crumbling away and full of pot holes. I do tend to move over to the left to let oncoming cars pass safely though. It's only polite.

POPPYOSCAR

Lum wrote: »

Depending on the width and whether or not there's any road markings, middle of the road can be the best option as it provides better visibility and keeps you away from the edges of the road which are most likely crumbling away and are mostly constructed out of mud filled potholes.

As a rule of thumb I'll use the middle if the road is not wide enough to support two cars passing each other side by side at a reasonable safe travelling speed.

I am talking about when drivers driving in the middle of the road when if they were to drive on their own side as they should be,would not force my car nearly into the ditch.

If there are pot holes you should stop, not force the car coming in the opposite direction to nearly crash because you have decided to suddenly swerve out to avoid them.

Lum

Like I said, depends on road width. The roads I was referring to do not have a centre divider and are not wide enough to support two cars side by side anyway. Sometimes the reason they're not wide enough is just because the sides have crumbled and made the road a yard or so narrower.

Tucker

We need a public information film like they used to run during the adverts, telling people the safest way to walk on the road.... Bring back the knowledge!!