Dangerous things people do when driving
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Parking on pavements is right up there as a most loathed, but the arrogance of a significant minority of motorists doesn't stop there. I happen to walk along the ring road that encompasses the city where I live fairly often. The walk takes me about 8 minutes and at peak times I don't think I've ever managed to do it without seeing some self centred oaf blithely chattering on a mobile - the record is no less than four. |
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Today one smug so-and-so was doing so on a nearby side road when he was obliged to stop beside me and, since his window was open, I asked him, more politely than he deserved not to drive whilst on the phone. Typically, his response appalled me even more "So what?” Having lost count of local pedestrians, cyclists and motorists killed, maimed or simply distressed by the “my phone call is more important than your life” brigade I was absolutely incensed. So much so that I immediately called the local police station and gave them his details (personalised number plate and shiny new Ferrari so he shouldn't be hard to trace). |
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Hopefully his offence will have been caught on CCTV so he'll get a fine. Not that it'll mean much to such a plutocrat! Isn't it time that using mobile whilst driving equals loss of licence? No ifs or buts, no time frame imposed just zip and it's gone! In my walk along this moderately busy road I have seen motorists having their breakfast, numerous van/lorry drivers studying atlases (inc. one using a magnifying glass!), reading the paper/magazines, doing make-up and even taking photos (it’s a great view of the cathedral). No wonder these bozos regularly drive through the pedestrian crossing against a red light! However, the worst ever example of such idiocy was having a motorist zoom past me at 90+ mph on a motorway whilst reading a novel that was propped up on the steering wheel! No joke! By: Fess |
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Comments from visitors
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http://www.savingstuff.co.uk/cheap-bread-rolls.asp
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Kenny (Site Admin) - 5-Jun-11 20:50
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Yes, very likely and also Generalist. It’s the same style of writing; he also liked to bury people under a blizzard of links and quotations.
One of the links today was to that weird thing about "Dunning-Kruger" syndrome that Generalist was always going on about. Everyone who disagreed with his world view was incompetent and had delusions of superiority. He used to accuse anyone who disagreed with him of suffering from this syndrome and now, apparently, the coroner suffers from it too!
I try to be polite here on the whole, but I think that the man is a bit doolally!
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Being anti-driver and a disciple of man-made global warming usually go hand-in-hand.
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grumpyoldwoman - 5-Jun-11 18:00
Now, you are trying to pick a fight with me about helmets when I have not mentioned them. If I did, again please quote me.
You do your case no good with your petty and childish use of my name. Pathetic.
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Fed up pedestrian - 5-Jun-11 12:37
Regarding helmets
'The level of protection offered is
less than that given by helmets for
motorcycle riders and is intended
to give protection in the kind
of accident in which the rider
falls onto the road without other
vehicles being involved.’
http://cyclehelmets.org/
Disagree? Then prove me wrong. No proof, means you can't.
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Carrot checker - 5-Jun-11 08:28
It is perfectly possible that the 'wobbling' was in-fact the cyclist avoiding road debris or pot-holes. However, assuming he was just wobbling, what does this say about the competence and wisdom of drivers who drove so as to collide with the cyclist? It shows them to be unfit to drive. The first driver clearly wasn't paying attention - hence 'the 79-year-old appeared from nowhere'. They weren't paying attention, distracted, or asleep when the collision occurred. The highway code makes repeated reference to driving in a manner so as to maintain a safe stopping distance: http://tinyurl.com/65ooe9s
Had these drivers been driving safely, the collision could never have occurred, because their courses would have never crossed and they would have been able to stop safely.
The driving was incompetent on multiple counts. The Coroner, who along with many drivers is either ignorant of the rules of the road or just ignored the Highway Code.
Rule 144
You MUST NOT
* drive without due care and attention
* drive without reasonable consideration for other road users
[Law RTA 1988 sects 2 & 3 as amended by RTA 1991]
Rule 146
Adapt your driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on. In particular
try to anticipate what pedestrians and cyclists might do. If pedestrians, particularly children, are looking the other way, they may step out into the road without seeing you http://tinyurl.com/pk4yk6
Rule 212
When passing motorcyclists and cyclists, GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM (see Rules 162-167). If they look over their shoulder it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so. * Overtaking (162-169)
Rule 213
Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles.... GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make. http://tinyurl.com/22b486
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Carrot checker - 5-Jun-11 08:26
““very wobbly similar to a child first learning how to ride a bike.”
Paul, both you and the person who posted the link have assumed that the drivers were texting or making calls on their mobile. Nowhere in the article does it say that that was the case.
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
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If they could see he was wobbling, why drive so close at speed?
A competent driver would have passed safely. The fact that they failed to do so indicates that they were driving too fast and were driving too close. As was admitted by one of the drivers.
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rivers who phone or text are - 4-Jun-11 15:13
He was described by one driver as wobbling like a child just learning to ride a bike. It appears that he lost control of the bike and swerved into a car, bounced off and then was hit by another car.
It does not look as if the drivers could have avoided him.
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"An inquest at Windsor Guildhall heard how the 79-year-old appeared from nowhere in front of a blue Ford Focus,"
http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2091712_cyclist_died_after_being_struck_by_three_cars
Note the first comment: "Cyclists do not appear out of nowhere. The three car drivers have all admitted shortcomings in their driving, and should face prosecution for causing death by careless driving..."
This is what the A322 looks like
http://tinyurl.com/A322nearBagshot
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rivers who phone or text are - 4-Jun-11 13:49
If you are indeed referring to drivers who did not see someone because they were using a phone I agree with you; but sometimes pedestrians come out from between parked vehicles or cars come out of hidden junctions without looking and, of course, drivers cannot be looking in every direction at the same time.
Your first reply to me is facetious, in my opinion. When a driver says "he/she came out of nowhere" he means that someone suddenly appeared but the driver did not see where from.
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grumpyoldwoman - 4-Jun-11 10:58
Just in case you don't believe me, or more likely, are in denial:
http://tinyurl.com/drink-driving-cellular-mobile
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rivers who phone or text are - 4-Jun-11 07:46
Very often, the drivers who claim the person they hit 'came out of nowhere, were not looking out of those big glassy things known as windscreens. The Laws of Physics apply, objects do not just materialise out of nowhere.
Combine that with the observation that significant numbers of drivers drive aggressive-carelessly and speed as a matter of course and it's a recipe for disaster.
I often see drivers on the phone and it has been repeatedly shown that driving while using a phone is more dangerous than drinking and driving.
One example of a number
Conclusion: When driving conditions and time on task were controlled for, the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk.
A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver
http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/48/2/381.short
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rivers who phone or text are - 4-Jun-11 06:43
Please explain how coming out of 'somewhere' is relevant to coming out of 'nowhere'.
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rivers who phone or text are - 4-Jun-11 06:40
I hope you do, as pedestrians and other vehicles do sometimes suddenly emerge from somewhere where they could not previously be seen without looking first; and if the ensuing accident is their fault then that should be taken into account.
You cannot start throwing totally blameless drivers in jail for accidents caused by others.
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grumpyoldwoman - 3-Jun-11 11:12
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