People have lost the ability to drive
11-May-2008
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People have lost the ability to drive

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Every time I go onto the roads of this country I encounter drivers that either do not understand the rules of the road or do not care about them.  There are a few areas in which poor drivers excel.

1. Roundabouts - They get into the left lane to take the last exit meaning those that want to leave earlier have to stop whilst they pass across the front of them.  Others forget about the lanes on a roundabout and take the shortest route meaning from left lane, across straight ahead without following the curve and straight ahead having used both lanes.  This of course has caused others to brake so as not to lose the front end of their car!

2. Junctions - They cannot understand the difference between stop lines and give way lines.  Some drivers think that give way means that they have to wait until they have given way to somebody before pulling out. Others cannot decide when to pull out and wait for a written invitation.

Driver competence declining in the UK

3. Last minute 'nip ins' - We've all seen this.  A queue of traffic and some idiot decides to drive past it and nip in at the front.  Then they have the nerve to abuse you when you don't let them in.  Do they think you were queuing for fun?

4. Centre lane hogs - widely discussed on this site so we already know about these particular idiots.  'Stay to the left except when overtaking'.  It isn't exactly rocket science is it?

I've been driving for many years and I have seen the levels of competence and courtesy plummet on the roads of this country.  It is about time that they introduced an attitude section into the current driving test to weed out those that, although capable, are not suitable to driving.  If this is not possible then maybe those drivers should be given a licence to drive only in Italy where they would be among others of a similar ilk!

By: Old Git


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For all those reading far too much into my site name 'old git' I'm 39 years old and very capable of driving having passed my advanced motorist test. I'm just annoyed at those that cannot follow the rules of the road because they are either in a hurry or too idle to put any effort into their driving.
*Old Git  03-Mar-2008 10:09

 
Never mind extra tests for the elderly - everyone should be retested every 10 years. It is a joke that you can pass your test at 17 and never be retested when laws, cars, roads and standards constantly change. It's bad enough that laws can't keep up with developments (not revising speed limits, breaking distances etc to suit modern cars and safety standards) but having drivers that can't keep up with developments is worse.

How many of us have looked at the Highway Code since we passed our test?
*Craiged  22-Feb-2008 12:55

 
I think they should also do an extra test for old gits when they start to lose their ability to drive! (or think that they're great and everyone else is at fault!) I was hit head on by an elderly motorist who was blind in one eye and decided not to look at the road with his good eye before pulling out straight into my path, and have had several close shaves with other old drivers who just presume too much about their driving skills-luckily I was quick to react.
*Kirsty  17-Jan-2008 17:08

 
Old Git lives in a driver's paradise which has long since died and gone. The roads that Git drives have not been improved and the volume of traffic they are now required to support is at least three tiems what Git used to experience as a young man.

The rules of the road [Highway Code] and road design have just not kept up with this vast increase in traffic. Neither has the training and education of drivers both old and new. Git thinks he still owns the road. He does not.

There ought to be separate roads for commercial transport and gypsy caravans, and furtehr separate roads for disabled drivers. But the nation cannot afford such luxuries. Therefore there is only one solution:

Disabled drivers must pay double road tax

Commercial transport needs to be priced off the roads onto the railways/canals.

When Git gets more room again he/she will feel free once more.

Git should be priced off the road as well
*I've got the Gitters  03-Jan-2008 12:22

 
All this is non sense there is no way to safe driving nowadays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
*BOND  03-Jan-2008 10:04

 
Roundabout rules are quite simple - unless road markings tell you otherwise, if you need to travel around more than half of the roundabout, you should be in the right hand lane, indicating right (and then left when get to your exit). If you're going less than half way around (usually turning left or going straight on), the left lane will do, again with indicating left when you get to the exit. I think you should only use the right hand lane if going straight on, if the exit also has 2 lanes. Otherwise you end up cutting people up who have used the left lane.
*Billyboy  02-Jan-2008 17:17

 
BD,

I want some of what you've been smokin' and I want it fast mate. Don't care what lane you in but you've been smokin' some heavy s**t man!

Please give direction cos you's really fekked up.
*Danny B  12-Dec-2007 18:41

 
"...pass on the inside before the person in front has a chance to move over"

What the hell are you doing in the lane 2/3 anyway? You should never have to move over to let someone pass - you should have moved over as soon as you had overtaken the vehicle in lane 1.

If there is room to undertake then it is 100% the driver in fronts fault. It is only that driver that creates the situation to undertake.

"...risk causing an accident as they then make it impossible for the person in front to move over"

Are you for real? You never had any intention to move over so don't start on about causing accidents when someone does something that you don't agree with, but you are 100% responsible for creating
*B.D.  12-Dec-2007 10:31

 
I'm afraid I get the impression that you are not a good driver!

Your accident on the roundabout was easily avoidable. You say that you 'fairly assumed' what the other driver would do. A highly skilled driver never assumes anything, and always anticipates that other road users could do the unexpected.

And if someone does jump a queue of traffic, annoying though it is, a good driver will bite his tongue and leave a space to avoid confrontation and yet more danger.

A truly professional and disciplined driver will rise above the bad driving of others, and will also acknowledge that he is not a perfect driver himself.
*ADI 6  29-Sep-2007 00:02

 
Well it finally happened. I guess it was only a matter of time before my gripe was actually realised.
I was on a roundabout on Friday (two lane approach) that had two exits, ahead and right. I wanted to go ahead so was in the left hand lane. Some idiot (I shall not refer to gender) was in the right hand lane and I fairly assumed it was because they wanted to go right. Well they didn't! The result being that I now have a long scratch and nice dent on my rear offside wing.
Now, here is the best bit........ They got out of their car and shouted about it being my fault and do I think I own the road! My insurers are happy about who is to blame, but then I suppose their insurer will say the same. We will just have to wait and see the outcome!
*Old Git  10-Sep-2007 08:15

 
I agree with almost everything said but I think point 3 needs elaborating on.
When a road can be seen to be diverging into one lane (and a queue has formed) then I think ALL cars should proceed in both lanes up to the reduction point and then alternatively enter the single lane.
This would cut out the annoyance of queue jumpers and would shorten the length of waiting traffic which on occasion would allow slip roads/junctions be accessed more quickly for those waiting to leave the road prior to reaching the obstruction.
Of course this would never be achieved in this country as the standard of drivers, taken as a whole, would never allow for such co-operation and foresight.
I find the comments on Italian drivers rather uncalled for. They may drive fast and it is true, in the cities, driving can be a nightmare; but on the motorways, (like the rest of Europe that I have experienced) for the most part, drivers are more aware of, and helpful to, their fellow motorists.
Only in this country have I experienced an almost total lack of road sense, complete selfishness and dangerous manoeuvres on such a massive scale.
Are they taught to drive differently over there?
*Vic Meldru II  09-Sep-2007 19:02

 
As someone who drives around 60 thousand miles a year I agreed with nearly all these comments, what about the dirvers who indicate left a roudabout and the go streight across. What about the drivers who still use mobile phones whilst driving. On my recent venture on the M18 , M1 to Watfod I counted 91 drivers using mobile phones whilst driving, if I can see them why cant the police? What about the drivers who dont like being seen wearing a seat belt, the ons who blacked out their windows, is it to give privatcy whilst using their phone.Its seems ok to be caught speeding doing 36 mph!!!! I could go on and on
*annoyed  31-Aug-2007 16:52


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