driving slow : your views ?

nobbysn*ts

IanMSpencer wrote: »

The trouble is you are comparing apples and pears. I've driven to the far East of Germany, Dresden, via Cologne and Berlin and you will see different standards of driving as you pass through different areas and at different times of day. You can't compare driving standards because the conditions are so different. If 80% of your motorway driving is on quiet roads where you can normally get passed, you will tend to be accepting of the occasional delay in pulling out; if 80% of your driving is on busy roads where pulling out takes time, then you'll tend to be reluctant to pull back in.

Drive around the UK in quiet areas or at quiet times and you will see entirely different behaviour to busy times.

We are highly influenced by what we believe other drivers are thinking and driving in the UK tends to be more competitive and aggressive due to the lack of road space to compete over.

However, when the going gets tough in Europe, you will see extremely bad driving (try driving through Brussels on the motorways anytime near rush hour), whereas in the UK, people tend to be more resigned to delays of heavy traffic.

Done that as well, rush hour traffic is busy, but even though all the lanes are full, usually the lane changing is more to access the correct lane for your destination, as the motorway normally simply splits, rather than the UK exit system, and again, I've not had difficulty indicating, and cutting over the great sweep of lanes to get across to the one I want. None of the aggressive nose to tail, it's my lane attitude you get from UK drivers that can't bear to see a car push in front of them.

nobbysn*ts

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

I witnessed a corker yesterday. Driving along a NSL road, up ahead was a tractor doing about 15 mph. Behind him was a car. A straight patch of road, I waited for the car in front to overtake - he didn't. So I calmly overtook them both. Why was he sitting behind the tractor ? Actually, he was tailgating, he was only a few feet from the tractor, getting covered with bits of straw that were flying off the bales the tractor was carrying. There were no turn-offs ahead for at least the next 3 miles, so it's not as though he was about to turn off the main road. Surely even the most nervous driver in the slowest car in the world could manage to overtake a tractor at that speed ?

Our tractors are getting bigger. Round here they cross the white lines, it's not uncommon to have to drop the offside wheels into the verge to get past if they're not looking in the mirror and tuck back in. Given up washing the mud splatter off the drivers door now. I don't mind the fact I know I'll be rattling along grass and stones at 30/40mph, others do though.

Ebe_Scrooge

I know what you mean. But this particular one, there was plenty of room to pass, even a Sherman Tank could have gone past it

Jamie_Carter

IanMSpencer wrote: »

No you haven't. You just made something up about driving dangerously close and have said that if I do what I do then I have misinterpreted the words of Roadcraft.

...and then, there you go again, classic Internet troll tactic, changing the rules. Nobody mentioned blue light tests, this is a discussion about everyday drivers on every day roads.

Seriously, if you simply post "You are wrong and it is obvious" type posts without clearly explaining anything then I have to assume that it is you that has misinterpreted Roadcraft and it is you that do not understand proper overtaking.

I am still waiting to be told what is wrong with following at the 2 second rule, moving up to an overtaking position that is closer than 2 seconds behind (ahem, but not dangerously close), pulling out and then accelerating, (checking at each phase and considering whether to return to an overtaking or following position) and why, if you believe that is wrong, why Roadcraft and IAM explicitly teach that approach. Roadcraft and IAM are not ambiguous in how they explain it.

Why not explain clearly how you overtake and we'll see whether it is a problem of words on the screen or something else?

All drivers (on blue lights or not), should use the two second rule. Only when beginning the overtake should you go within those two seconds. If you didn't then you would never overtake. But the most important thing is that you begin your overtake from a safe distance behind the vehicle in front, and not from close behind it as you implied.


If you had taken any sort of advanced test (blue light or otherwise), then you would know this. So stop throwing insults about because someone doesn't agree with you.

Jamie_Carter

nobbysn*ts wrote: »

Sorry, made up stats don't cut it much.

Do you need lessons on using google??

Jamie_Carter

nobbysn*ts wrote: »

Well, 600 miles on French and Belgium roads, compared to the drive down england, I know which I'd take.

Foreign drivers stay in the first lane. They move out, very late, overtake at whatever speed they are doing, then pull back in quickly. Importantly, the cars coming up behind let them out. Not actively, no flashing lights, but the car in the outside lane sees the indicator, and expects the slower car to pull out. They read the road for all the vehicles, and adjust their speed, not adopt a blind, "I'm overtaking, you all have to let me because I'm here and the highway code says nothing can stop me" attitude. It's not active, as all the drivers work it automatically.
Urban motorways, congestion spots, the speed limit is down to 90kph, or about 55mph. Trucks, no overtaking. So slow the traffic down, cut the speed and cut the delay.
Importantly, indicators mean the car in front is going to overtake, let him, even if it means letting him out in front of you!

UK road, everyone picks their speed, and god help those that don't do the same speed. The drivers at 70mph may be in the first lane, coming behind a truck, indicating. The driver merrily cruising alone at 77mph, sticks in his rear quarter, and will happily push him into the truck, or make him brake. Doesn't slow down to let him out, doesn't move into the third lane. Same with the BMW's owning the third lane at 85mph, Nothing can impede their progress, nothing gets out to overtake. So it's brake, look for a gap, speed up, slot in behind them, before the next one comes along, or wait for the tailgaters to get past as well, as 85mph isn't fast enough for their choice.

So the British technique? See a need to overtake way in the distance. Get out as soon as possible, as you know you can't leave it late. See another overtake coming up? Stay out.

Indicators, the car in front is thinking about overtaking, make sure I can hold him in until I get past!

It's not a case of what country you are in, it's more to do with road conditions. For example, if you were to drive in or around Paris, then you would most likely find the driving standards just as bad. In more rural areas where the pace of life is slower, then you will find that peoples road manners are far better. In the UK you can even notice a change in driving standards just by going out from London to around the M25. As you move away from London peoples driving in general gets better.

nobbysn*ts

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

It's not a case of what country you are in, it's more to do with road conditions. For example, if you were to drive in or around Paris, then you would most likely find the driving standards just as bad. In more rural areas where the pace of life is slower, then you will find that peoples road manners are far better. In the UK you can even notice a change in driving standards just by going out from London to around the M25. As you move away from London peoples driving in general gets better.

Driving attitude certainly makes a difference, and nationality seems to affect attitude in the main way. Road conditions affect drivers as well, but then, in different ways and degrees depending on nationality.

nobbysn*ts

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Do you need lessons on using google??

Think we'll be fine. You don't seem to need lessons on story telling though.

UsernameAlreadyExists

nobbysn*ts wrote: »

Think we'll be fine. You don't seem to need lessons on story telling though.

Who's "we"?
Speak for yourself.

nobbysn*ts

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

Who's "we"?
Speak for yourself.

Ok, I don't need any lessons on using google. You may need lessons if you say so.