Are you a good driver?

arcon5

In my opinion, I dont' think anyone can call themselves a good driver if they haven't done any further formal training, other than taking their standard driving test - which is just a basic test to ensure that you're competent on the road.

I disagree.
You can learn defensive driving techniques and learn anticipatory skills through experience.
This is like saying you cannot make a decent coffee unless you've been on a barista course; you cannot be good in business unless you've got a degree.
Not everything requires a piece of paper. So to suggest you are not a good driver unless you've passed an advanced test is basically saying pretty much everybody is a bad driver - which we know isn't the case

arcon5

That includes sensible positioning (make it easy for motorbikes to overtake in heavy traffic, for example) as well as courteous driving by letting other drivers enter the road when appropriate.

Sorry but sensible positioning isn't able making space for bikes to overtake.you probably just do that out of courtersey since your a biker yourself.
However I'm not one of them, if you want to over take then wait for a safe spot to do so, but I certainly won't be complicit in you taking unnecessary risks by moving across.

Frankly I have little sympathy for many bikers nowadays - which is a shame as there are some good sensible ones out there. But too many of them think they have a right to queue jump (betting none of them ever get pulled over under these new antisocial driving rules), think its safe to talegate my o/s, think its safe to filter between moving traffic coming both ways, cut in dangerously close to your money after an overtake, overtake on bends and many more stupid things. And many probably don't see the irony in these big hi-vis 'think bike' bags they wear.

As a person who averages 35-45k miles per year I'm shocked at the level of driving by bikers. Most memerorable one being a bike that passed me on the left on a round about then progressed to cut me up to bear right on the round about whilst I was going straight on!! (He won't get away with that manoeuvre many times).

Point is road positioning is about many things, but certainly not to allow other vehicles to overtake

Norman_Castle

SailorSam wrote: »

The poll results show nearly everyone is high up in their ratings, well where are the people i see on the roads around here every day.

.....................

real1314

Iceweasel wrote: »

I think this is called Anarchy - good luck with it.

Fine in theory - but try putting it into practise.

I wasn't advocating lawlessness, just that there are many areas which are unregulated, but people still seems to manage to work sensibly - there's no law about queueing for example, but society (or the anarchic regime if you like) has an accepted approach - without laws!

There are also laws which are ignored/applied less stringently depending on circumstances.
If a copper sees someone pick up a £1 coin on the street, they don't demand that they report the find to the local station. In fact I doubt they'd ask for it for £10. But both are technically theft.

You can cruise past most coppers at an indicated 80mph (likely true speed 75mph) and they don't book you. Speed cameras are predominantly set at least 5% above the limit. Doesn't sound like anarchy, but ignoring the law is clearly acceptable.

And for a real life example, yesterday on a 4 lane road (2 each way, single carriageway) I saw a driver move into the oncoming lane, cross a chevroned area and cut back into the outside lane; and they were above the speed limit. Plod wasn't bothered, and the other drivers weren't either. I thought it was a good bit of driving, allowing them to get past quite a bit of traffic. :cool:

fivetide

Joe_Horner wrote: »

So all I can say is that I aim[/] for excellence but I can't have any idea whether or not I achieve it..

This is why I put good too.

I cover thousands of miles a year on bikes and in cars.

I've done advance Police roadcraft in a car and I've done BikeSafe

I've done skid pans

I've done trackdays (bike and car)

(I've ridden some of the best roads in Europe including the Stelvio Pass and I've done the Nurburgring on four different occasions.

I ride/drive all year in all conditions and on all types of road.

However, I've never had a speeding ticket but I would never rate myself as excellent. I think it is arrogant. Excellence is something you aim for and never achieve. The minute you start believing your own hype you become complacent and that's what leads to accidents. It is the reason most people crash within a few miles of their home on roads they 'know'

Cornucopia

SailorSam wrote: »

The poll results show nearly everyone is high up in the ratings, well where are the people i see on the roads around here every day.

I set up the poll to see if that would be the result. In my opinion, very few people genuinely believe themselves to be bad drivers. And yet some people clearly are (whether that be the impatient youth, sales exec or white van man, the imbecile with the phone to their ear, or the timid pensioner).

Not sure what the solution is, but it's fascinating to see a theory played out in practice.

Here's a tip for identifying whether you are possibly a bad driver: if you experience other drivers hooting or flashing their lights at you reasonably often, but you rarely know why... you are likely to be a bad driver.

Joe_Horner

Cornucopia wrote: »

Here's a tip for identifying whether you are possibly a bad driver: if you experience other drivers hooting or flashing their lights at you reasonably often, but you rarely know why... you are likely to be a bad driver,

But you're probably no worse than they are, or they wouldn't be reacting like that.

nobbysn*ts

I'm the best there is. I drive at whatever speed I decide is suitable. I've driven at 120 mph + and not been caught, so I'm observant. I'm defensive, and I've collected enough mirrors from other motorists that have tried to push me over to prove it. I can park in any space, and get out even if the car behind is too close to get a playing card between. I've actually overtaken a slow moving bus on a mini roundabout by going the "wrong way" around the island. So yes, I'm skilled, I've never been in an accident, or had any ticket in 30 years, and I get there faster then most others to prove it's true. So no one can tell me they're better.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

w211 wrote: »

In my opinion, I dont' think anyone can call themselves a good driver if they haven't done any further formal training, other than taking their standard driving test - which is just a basic test to ensure that you're competent on the road.

Also, a desire to learn and accept that driving is an on-going learning process, as Iceweasel mentioned.

Anyway a good driver, in my opinion is one who has achieved a gold in the RoSPA advanced driving test (where the examiner will be a serving police officer, rather than a civil servant in the DSA test), or going further, those who are HPC Gold

I've done the IAM test in a car and motorbike, was a car observer for them, achieved Gold in the RoSPA motorbike test, done a KTM off-road day, skid-pan at Goodwood, done a Bikesafe course, a security chauffeur course.

I think I'm not a good driver though, and still make silly mistakes day-to-day, but at least I'm aware of (most) of them, and aim to rectify those mistakes.

again even with a advanced driving course, its not a certificate to say your a good driver because you completed it and passed it.

its a course to improve control and ability and technique to further advance your abilities and attitude to driving and the certificate is to say that you met these abilities and tests set out by their standards at the end of that course.

I asked my brother in law once when he said, im a brilliant driver I am, I asked who are you comparing yourself to? lewis Hamilton? or millions of drivers out there with different skill set and abilities to which you cant base a comparison on to say how bad good or excellent you are.

not knocking you or having go.

its that I undertstand driving to be not a skill you can compare to anyone.

Steve059

Cornucopia wrote: »

<snip> Here's a tip for identifying whether you are possibly a bad driver: if you experience other drivers hooting or flashing their lights at you reasonably often, but you rarely know why... you are likely to be a bad driver.

I've been both "hooted and flashed" whilst slowing down for a red light. I hope that says more about the other driver than me.