Annoying Drivers Vent!

Steve182

I find it both amusing and often annoying that many (perhaps sometimes the majority?) of drivers behave like sheep. By that I mean they just follow and mimic the behaviour of the majority of cars in front irrespective of road signs or traffic conditions.

Other times some drivers just appear completely clueless. 

Around the Oxford ringroad we seem to have a larger than normal share of drivers who are either like sheep, inconsiderate or just don't have a clue. I call them muppets.

List of gripes that I can think of -

1. Where there are clearly 2 lanes available for a given route (whether dictated by highway code or by specific local road-signs), why am I in the minority in choosing the least congested lane at almost every opportunity? 
2. Is it acceptable to move into the right hand lane on an uncongested dual carriageway almost 1/2 mile before the junction or roundabout at which you plan to turn right, and travel 10-20 MPH below the speed limit for the full 1/2 mile, forcing following drivers who have some kind of a schedule to meet to undertake on the completely clear left lane, when the highway code states that the outside lane is actually for overtaking and that you should have moved over much. much later?
3. Why must drivers stay in the RH lane of dual carriageway or motorway and continue at 65 mph when there is a solitary car 1/4 mile in front doing 63 mph, irrespective of the increasing queue of irate drivers behind itching to undertake?
4. Is it acceptable for a lorry whose speed limiter is out of calibration by 0.1 mph to hold up traffic for 4 miles while it attempts to pass other lorry, whose speed limit is calibrated very slightly differently, but whose driver hates car drivers and refuses to decelerate even slightly to let it pass? 
5. There is a warning of a lane closure 1 mile ahead. 95% of drivers unnecessarily move to the open lane immediately causing the traffic chaos to extend much further back than necessarily. 
   

This is all I can think of for now, Please feel free to add yours!

ontheroad1970

I had an incident with no 4 when a lorry on the M4 failed to make it in to the two lanes going on at the junction at Magor just across the Severn Bridge.  Instead of saying sorry to the driver of the errant lorry, the HGV in the lane next to me decided to allow the driver to come in by moving into the lane I was already in.  Luckily, at that point there was a little bit of extra space in the central reservation and I was able to floor it while steering around him.  Braking wasn't an option.  I held down my horn for a very long time

Username03725

On 4 lane motorways, the brainless idiotic dimwits who normally clog up the middle lane sit oblivious in lane 3 of 4, despite there usually being two clear lanes to their left. Govt spends billions upgrading motorways to 4 lanes to increase flow and these dimwits with their failure to understand how motorways work and their blithe lack of observation instantly revert them to dual c/ways. Sometimes it's a pity that Motorway Maintenance ops can't be armed, so that they can pick a few of these morons off. That might resolve the problem.

In the UK we drive on the left unless overtaking, or unless otherwise instructed. Plodding along in L3 of 4 whilst traffic to your left gently pulls away and you have a yawning space that you could easily move into, marks you out as a brainless dimwitted moron.

AdrianC

Driving standards are abysmal in this country.

"I'm not speeding and I'm not on the phone, so I'm safe from being nicked, therefore I must be driving safely..."

I've said it before, I'll say it again. RETESTS.

1yr after first test pass.
3yrs after first test pass.
7yrs after first test pass.
Every 10yrs until age 70
Then age-based - 75, 80, 83, 85, 87, then every year.

If you fail, you get one retest within two months.
If you fail or don't take that, you're back to L plates.

Revenue from test fees to cover costs, no more.

theatretony

Username03725 said:

On 4 lane motorways, the brainless idiotic dimwits who normally clog up the middle lane sit oblivious in lane 3 of 4

You missed out lane 2, you should be in the 'driving lane' at all times unless overtaking. 

I once drove from London to Leeds early hours. A car came up from the slip road, entered the empty motorway and promptly moved to lane two and stayed there!! 

daveyjp

DSA struggle to get enough examiners for those needing tests (1.7m a year).

To set up regular testing for everyone with a licence (30+ million licence holders) is simply not going to happen.

I've found if I am well aware of my surroundings and anticipate what might happen bad drivers can be left to themselves.  If they annoy me it suggests I may not be in the best mind set for driving.

AdrianC

daveyjp said:

DSA struggle to get enough examiners for those needing tests (1.7m a year).

Then - shock, horror - they may need to pay more.

But they aren't advertising any jobs at the moment, looking on the Civil Service job site. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency/about/recruitment

They are, otoh, recruiting vehicle examiners (HGVs and PSVs, need a B licence and years of maintenance experience)... and yet they're only paying about 20-25% above minimum wage.

To set up regular testing for everyone with a licence (30+ million licence holders) is simply not going to happen.

It can do if there's the will to make it happen.

Ganga

Steve182 said:

I find it both amusing and often annoying that many (perhaps sometimes the majority?) of drivers behave like sheep. By that I mean they just follow and mimic the behaviour of the majority of cars in front irrespective of road signs or traffic conditions.

Other times some drivers just appear completely clueless. 

Around the Oxford ringroad we seem to have a larger than normal share of drivers who are either like sheep, inconsiderate or just don't have a clue. I call them muppets.

List of gripes that I can think of -

1. Where there are clearly 2 lanes available for a given route (whether dictated by highway code or by specific local road-signs), why am I in the minority in choosing the least congested lane at almost every opportunity? 
2. Is it acceptable to move into the right hand lane on an uncongested dual carriageway almost 1/2 mile before the junction or roundabout at which you plan to turn right, and travel 10-20 MPH below the speed limit for the full 1/2 mile, forcing following drivers who have some kind of a schedule to meet to undertake on the completely clear left lane, when the highway code states that the outside lane is actually for overtaking and that you should have moved over much. much later?
3. Why must drivers stay in the RH lane of dual carriageway or motorway and continue at 65 mph when there is a solitary car 1/4 mile in front doing 63 mph, irrespective of the increasing queue of irate drivers behind itching to undertake?
4. Is it acceptable for a lorry whose speed limiter is out of calibration by 0.1 mph to hold up traffic for 4 miles while it attempts to pass other lorry, whose speed limit is calibrated very slightly differently, but whose driver hates car drivers and refuses to decelerate even slightly to let it pass? 
5. There is a warning of a lane closure 1 mile ahead. 95% of drivers unnecessarily move to the open lane immediately causing the traffic chaos to extend much further back than necessarily. 
   

This is all I can think of for now, Please feel free to add yours!

What about the d-ck heads /flash harry,s in their flash cars who only drive in the outside lane when the inside lanes are empty .

facade

Steve182 said:

1. Is it acceptable to move into the right hand lane on an uncongested dual carriageway almost 1/2 mile before the junction or roundabout at which you plan to turn right, and travel 10-20 MPH below the speed limit for the full 1/2 mile, forcing following drivers who have some kind of a schedule to meet to undertake on the completely clear left lane, when the highway code states that the outside lane is actually for overtaking and that you should have moved over much. much later?

I would say so, yes. 1/2 a mile @ 50 takes 10 seconds longer than @ 70.  Just how desperately late are these drivers that 10 seconds makes such a difference? It will be less than that anyway assuming the 50mph car changes lanes when there is a clear space in the right lane. Then they are going to pass the slower car anyway as soon as they clear the island.....

facade

What I find the most annoying is when I'm trundling along at exactly 30.000 mph, with nothing behind me as far as the eye can see, and another car appears at a junction in front.

Instead of just going, they wait and I get closer.

They wait, and I get closer

They wait, and I get closer, (with my foot hovering over the brakes now, I've been here before)

Then, at the last possible instant, just at the limit of my braking ability, they pull out in front.

And then they either

a) drive at 25mph for the next 5 miles (now the other carriageway suddenly resembles a traffic jam)

b) stop after 25 yards and wait 5 minutes to turn right through said traffic jam.

If they had hesitated another 2 seconds, I'd have been past them and they would have a clear road.

Similar used to happen with the Landrover on A roads. I'd just have it wound up to 55-60 after a 45 mile run-up, and someone would pull out in front (and me on bar tread tyres ), desperate to not be held up by the Landrover, and then drive at 40.......

facade

The second most annoying is when approaching a parked car on my side, I spot an approaching vehicle.

I calculate that we will arrive at it at exactly the same time, so I lift up a bit and slow to let them pass it before I get there.

They do the same, and we would still crash head on.

I slow more, and so do they.

I come to a stop, and so do they.

Then they magnanimously wave me through, with an annoying smile, as if making me stop, and have to mess with the gears and things,  thus making passing a simple parked car take 10 times as long for both of us as if they had just sailed past it as I expected in the first place is doing me a favour!