Bad driving habits and road safety
12-May-2008
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Bad driving habits and road safety

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There are number of things that other drivers do that I find extremely irritating.  Bad Tailgating, poor lane discipline, not indicating and undertaking are just a few of the bad habits that I see frequently and find very annoying.  Aside from the inconvenience to myself and other road users, this kind of inconsiderate driving is also very dangerous.

Tailgating – This is probably the greatest offence as far as I am concerned.  Some drivers are extremely impatient and whilst I am clearly overtaking traffic in the inside lane, I guess I am just not going quick enough for that car following six inches from my bumper am I?  I understand that some people do it without thinking, just following traffic they get a bit close, but then they back off as you accelerate way.

Some drivers tailgate deliberately though and these are the ones that are the most dangerous.  They sit behind you flashing their headlights in an effort to move you, but of course there is nowhere to go as you are in the process of overtaking and there is no room to pull in on the left.  To this kind of driver, the two second rule means that they can just about cope with another vehicle in front of them before they decide to intimidate them by driving inches away.

Undertaking – Tailgaters that don’t get their way will often resort to undertaking if they can.  Yes, I know that there are also those selfish individuals out there that hog the middle and the outside lane.  They have no idea that there is a queue of traffic waiting to get past them, probably because they are in their own little world thinking about what to have for dinner.  This causes some individuals to loose patience and undertake.  Some drivers don’t even bother with overtaking and just carry on up the inside as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, but it is a very dangerous manoeuvre for all concerned.

Poor lane discipline – Some drivers are all over the place and they don’t seem to realise that they are supposed to stay in between those white dashed lines.  One example of this that I find particularly scary is the old two-lane roundabout scenario.   When you move on to the roundabout to turn right, you have a car to your left that is going straight over.  Instead of following their lane round the outside of the roundabout, they take the shortest path straight across through your lane causing you to hold back in case they hit you.  Absolute madness, you really have to be on your guard against this kind of thing.  It’s fair enough if you are a long wheelbase vehicle such as a lorry, but there is no excuse for a car doing this kind of thing.

Indicators – Some people have no idea what these pretty orange flashing lights are actually for! They move here and there and go wherever they please without any thought of letting the rest of us know what their intentions are.  You’ve got to be psychic to have any hope of sharing the road with these individuals.  I wouldn’t like to second-guess the number of accidents that occur each year because people fail to indicate properly.

These are just a few of the things that I find particularly irritating about other drivers and their habits.  Below are some other annoyances that I can think of.

  • Cutting corners, particularly at junctions
  • No headlights in conditions that require them
  • Throwing cigarettes out the window
  • Leaving main beam on, or dipping only at the last minute
  • Inappropriate use of the horn, impatient people
  • Pushing in ahead of a queue of traffic

Other road safety web sites

Safe Speed road safety campaign
Safe Speed is a serious road safety campaign, an excellent resource web site full of lots of useful information about safe driving and issues faced by road users.

Driving habits that drive me crazy
Some excellent and actually quite funny observations of other drivers.   Which category would best describe you?

Brake, the road safety charity
Campaigns for safer roads.   Lots of information and research.


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Slow drivers are dangerous too
M25 traffic and the lack of information
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Stuck behind a slow lorry again
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Mobile phones and dangerous driving




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Nothing is worse on the roads than idiots who cause massive queues by driving in the right-side lanes at speeds slower than what the vehicles behind want to drive when the left-hand lanes are empty. Drivers who do this are a disgrace and should be banned. I am a patient man. If the left lanes are clear in the motorway and I come up behind a day dreamer in the right lane or a stubborn w**ker who refuses to move, I count to three. If they don't indicate left then on come the flashlights. If they still dont move on come the hooters. If they still don't move one is forced to undertake.

These people are costing our economy thousands through their selfishness and inconsiderate driving. It just takes one muppet driving slowly in the right-hand lane to cause a whole queue of traffic. I think we should start a national campaign on this issue..."Get out of my lane", or "stay in the left lane", or something along those lines.

If you are forced to tailgate or undertake, it is the slower driver in front who is invariably at fault for not moving over into the left lane.
*FRUSTRATED MOTORIST  27-Apr-2008 00:23

 
"Some drivers don’t even bother with overtaking and just carry on up the inside as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do"

What's more dangerous, carrying on in the same lane to pass slower-moving traffic as instructed by the Highway Code, or making *four* lane changes to pass a driver who evidently wants two lanes to themself?

If this happens to you, you're in the wrong lane. In the UK, the middle and rightmost lanes of a motorway are for overtaking; if you're not overtaking, you shouldn't be there. By extension, it's almost impossible to undertake someone in the manner you describe unless they're sat daydreaming in the middle / outside lane, oblivious to the chaos they're causing behind them.

If it happens to you a lot, certainly often enough that you feel a need to write a web page complaining about it, then you are a road hog and should give serious consideration to improving your driving.
*Cougar.  18-Apr-2008 12:21

 
How about people doing 30 -40 in a 60 causing tailbacks (some times accidents)

Just please do the limit, if you or your car cannot then at least pull over when you have a queue behind you so people can at least get to their destinations on time with resorting to stupid maneuverer's
*Bora 115  13-Apr-2008 23:13

 
Thank you for taking the time to write these observations, which I fully endorse. Recently I changed jobs. My previous route allowed me to get off the main A roads, taking a slow and peaceful drive through the countryside arriving fresh and relaxed. However, today is a totally different story. I have no option but to use the A140, A14 and A12. Everything mentioned is witnessed daily. This morning I personally experienced tailgating, not for the first time, it was of concern – what would have happened if I had to brake sharply? Entering Colchester yesterday, I had a car pull out in front of me, I flashed, you know what came next, window wound down out came the finger. After only two weeks driving this route I have started writing, admittedly anonymously, to company’s who’s drivers are driving, in my opinion recklessly – speeding, tailgating, overtaking in the inside lane etc I do not hesitate with lorry drivers when they are speeding and sitting on your bumper. The taco is a useful tool against rogue lorry drivers. I will continue my campaign, with or without the police, who, yes the police. I cannot remember the last time I saw an officer of the law. In closing, I wish the powers would identify an initiative to stop these increasing problems – cameras monitoring the roads, with offenders receiving a fixed penalty – not the silly penalty (£60) sting them, we are taking about lives. I will wish a pleasant evening, dinner is ready.
*HappyMan  11-Apr-2008 19:11

 
To the driver of the VOLKSWAGEN CORRADO G60 COUPE WHITE registration number MIB6010 who was racing a red car on the A6 out of Chorley northbound by Chorley & South Ribble Hospital.

Both of your driving was dangerous weaving in and out of lanes and going into the wrong lane e.g. the lane to turn right and heading straight on squeezing into the space another vehicle was occupying as he left the roundabout in the correct lane to continue straight ahead.

You both forced him to brake.

It was obvious you were both racing and the aggressive driving suggests both of you haven't got the capability to drive a car safely.

This happened about 8:20 pm on 8th April 2008.
*Chorley FM  08-Apr-2008 22:42

 
Another example of this danger trap on 4th April (less than two weeks later):

Two hurt in three-car crash
An 85-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after a three-car collision in Gloucestershire.
A Jaguar, BMW and Ford Mondeo collided on the A429 near Northleach at a location known as Gilbert's Grave.
The 85-year-old driver of the Jaguar and his 58-year-old woman passenger, both from Bristol, were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Take note of how dangerous the A429 north of Cirencester is.
*Tut Tut  05-Apr-2008 11:15

 
Congratulations to the impatient, selfish, dangerous and inconsiderate driver who overtook a stream of traffic north of Cirencester on a winding stretch of the A429 with double white lines and a speed limit of 50mph where the flow of traffic was 50 mph.

There was no way in knowing that there was nothing coming the other way in time to be able to pass the stream of traffic safely and had there been something coming the other way, a serious accident could have happened like what happened a few weeks earlier further north between Stow-on-the-Wold & Moreton-in-Marsh where seven people were killed due to someone overtaking and colliding head on with a vehicle coming the other way.

Double white lines are there for a reason and nobody is above the law, so even if you didn’t cause an accident on this occasion, your driving contributed towards one by increasing the chances of one happening, so for every person killed on the roads due to drivers like you not driving safely, you have contributed in some way since there are so many of you on the road and every little contributes.

Vehicle Registration Mark : BF05BVY
Vehicle Make : ALFAROMEO
Vehicle Model : 147 V6 24V GTA
Vehicle Color : Black
Happened: 14.43 on 22/03/08
*Britain Is Ruined  30-Mar-2008 19:19

 
Why do people insist on entering a roundabout to turn right...onto the inside lane and exiting on the left???
Its dangerous as people who wish to go straight on have this lane to go onto....and if some twat decides to cut them up on the damn roundabout it causes road rage and accidents more to the point!!! Remember!! mirror,signal,manouver!!!

(This statement I may add was written by a young driver with less than 2 years experience!!)

Maybe the driving standards should be notifyed to everyone with 15 years or more experience or you should sit a test every 10 years to keep up to date with current standards....also having to experience to hassle young drivers face today with prices of driving lesson inflation,test prices and BAD DRIVERS!!!!!!
*Keely Harper  15-Mar-2008 18:28

 
Brake Lights - UK - I don't recall seeing any gripes about this, but why don't people use their handbrakes when sitting in a queue of stationary traffic? Don't they realise that their brake lights cause as much dazzle as rear fog lights? So the message is clear, use your handbrake, then you also won't roll back into me when you pull away on a hill!!
*Wobbly  05-Feb-2008 12:39

 
Another one is illegal and dangerous parking like the following driver:

Silver Ford Falcon Sedan (QLD Plates 666-KGC) putting lives in danger by blocking the sidewalk and forcing pedestrians to walk on the road to get around their vehicle.

In Blakeney St near Gladstone Rd Highgate Hill Brisbane Queensland Australia from 9.30pm Friday 18th January 08 to 2am and beyond Saturday 19th January 08.
*crw  18-Jan-2008 16:58

 
this is very good that all are understanding about road safty those who are not understanding for those their should very strict rules
*shivam  31-Oct-2007 11:04

 
If I find someone tailgating me, I open my sunroof and from my ashtray I grab a handful of coinage. I then hurl this from my sunroof and you watch how fast they drop back.

This works everytime all the time. Always ensure my ashtray is then stoked up for the next arzwipe that comes along.
*Higgi  26-Oct-2007 12:47


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