# Driving in the UK



## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Inspired by a thread this morning, here: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=2918475#post2918475

and in line with recent "discussion" threads we've had recently, I was inspired to open a Driving in the UK thread.

So what parts do you enjoy, or what pisses you off?

Topics (suggested only) to include;

Good things: country roads, bends, roundabouts vs the "grid system"

Bad things: Road Rage, Etiquette, Road Conditions, Tax (or lack thereof), petrol, insurance etc...

Also, what people might do to make their time on them more pleasant, save money, get out of trouble! :thumb:


----------



## Yozza (Apr 5, 2011)

*Road Rage*

Was out visting my youngest sons new secondary school. On way home pulled out of school gates and some idiot in a rover 25 decided to put his foot down then sit on my rear bumper. He was trying to get me to go faster and was hurling abuse at both myself and my wife. I then slowed right down. He then in a built up area decided to overtake me and slam on. He looked and sounded drunk. I backed off, but in the mean time I had dialed 999 and spoke to the police. They took all the relavent details ie make of car, colour and reg number. They also took my details. I was then advised by the poilice to head to my local police station. Where they said there maybe someone available to deal with it, as they had no patrols at all to deal with it.

About an hour later got a phone call from the police who said that they still have not got any patrols in the area so they can not do anything about it.

If this is the case why do we have police. As round here they are usless.


----------



## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

hopefully there patrols were dealing with more important issues i guess, if they had to resond to every bit of road rage dowadays it would be take whatya want do what ya want.


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

:lol:, what are you like!

For me, the roads are just too busy, full of people that seem to be doing everything but concentrating on the actual driving and have no patience or understanding about what is going on around them...

Hates:

Lack of lane discipline - that is people sitting in the middle/outside lanes, people crossing lanes at a moment's notice etc

Self policers - people who either sit on the outside lane at 70 and won't move in to allow you past, or the worse ones, the ones that do the same at say 80.. i.e it's ok to speed, but only at the speed I pick for you.

Tailgaters - you know the ones that sit right up your backside - usually when I am doing 30mpg in a built up area mind you 

People who pull out in front of you, then forget where their accelerator is, causing you to slow down...if you want to pull out on me, hit the loud pedal FFS... :wall:

Middle managers in their bargain BMW/AUDIs etc etc..... I don't care how many "special" badges you stick on it, it's still s**t and you are still not fast, so chill out.

People who don't allow the zip system to work and *MERGE IN TURN*....

Idiots who race up to red lights, or worse, overtake you, then realise the lights are at red.

Anyone with those baby on board, princess stickers.... why do they think I will look after them when they drive like f***g morons...

Anyone in a steal cage that think they can push around bikers and stop us from filtering...yes people, my helmet and gloves can smash side windows...so if you want to be a hardman, let's get you out of that big safety cage you are in, and if you don't come out, I come in and get you.... 

Things I do like:

We (Well in Scotland) have some amazing roads, that one the right days, with the right weather gives you a great feeling of being alive and free...

Eh...wow, that bit was short..... :lol:

As for other "motoring" issues:

Insurance - we are told we need this by law, so I find it unfair that there are so many people out there making money from it...the system is unfair...but unless we get rid of the "where there's a blame" rubbish and the people who don't have any, we will always be in trouble.

I really do feel sorry for young drivers these days.

Petrol prices...well to be honest, we are not much dearer than the rest of the EU....my real issue is again we are getting increases to discourage us from driving and to save the earth...but places like China, India etc etc have petrol that is dirt cheap in comparison to us...so cut the BS eh...:wall:

Road tax is another piece of nonsense...I say add a few pence onto fuel to cover this, and it means that the people who drive their car lots pay for it, and the people who only use the vehicles now and again don't....

At the end of the day, we have built this country up around road transport, and now we are told its very wrong and bad to use cars...well what the f**k choice do we have....

Trains are rubbish, buses are hit or miss, stink od urines and always have a nutter or two on them...

Just a small example of the problem with public transport:

To get from my house, to the local "retail park" - yes out of town designed for cars park...it's either a 10 minute trip in the car or...well no trains.... and 2 different buses, that would take over an hour to get me there....

Until there is a credible and real alternative for people to stop using their cars, it's immoral to start charging us more for them, and downright outrageous!!!!

:thumb:


----------



## mba (Jun 17, 2006)

^^ CLOSE THE THREAD NOW - cueballs covered the lot :lol:

People not acknowledging the poor driving, and if you happen to point out their flaw you end up getting a gob full of abuse.

If you make a mistake just put your hand up to say sorry, dont blame the person you just cut up for your mistake.


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

MY Driving hates.

1) People who do not merge in turn. This includes those who sit in the inside lane and will not allow the outside lane in. AND, those who try to creep in behind the car in front from the outside lane. 

You're just being a twit for the sake of being a twit. Why do something that will annoy other roads users to save yourself a car's length.

2) People who do not moderate their speed to the speed of the traffic on the dual carriagway when entering from a slip road. Having already selected where they are going to filter in.

3)People who do not check their blindspot when overtaking on a DC. Mirrors are NOT enough.

4) People who cannot use roundabouts. They train on the roads that they are tested on so they just know which lane is right but not WHY it is right.

5) People who do not look more further than the car in front.

90% of these are three things.

Anticipation,
Observation,
Consideration.

I know this is taboo but i really don't care. But 90% of these would be women between the age of 17 and 23 in Ford Kas, MINIs or Fiat 500s. You know, Daddie's little princess type. The good bit is that it seems to be classless.

The mirrors may as well not be there.


----------



## awallacee30 (May 4, 2011)

mba said:


> If you make a mistake just put your hand up to say sorry, dont blame the person you just cut up for your mistake.


I could not agree with you more ! To be abused for doing nothing wrong, what is up with that ? 

My hate is 'Mini' roundabouts.

Is it me, or do people not realise that it's give way to the right anymore ?

It's happened to me a few times now where people have started to give way to the left which has ended up putting the whole roundabout to a stop.

I was at one a few months back. I could see before I got to the roundabout that the woman coming out from my left had stopped to give way to the car on her left. He had stopped to let her out as she was on his right obviousy. Car coming from his left stops to give way to him and then I get to the roundabout and stop to give way to my right. Stalemate ! 

Needless to say I went, pretty naughty but I didn't fancy waiting around for people to make their minds up ! :thumb:


----------



## Yozza (Apr 5, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> :lol:, what are you like!
> 
> For me, the roads are just too busy, full of people that seem to be doing everything but concentrating on the actual driving and have no patience or understanding about what is going on around them...
> 
> ...


Totally agree with cueball


----------



## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Gruffs said:


> MY Driving hates.
> 
> 1) People who do not merge in turn. This includes those who sit in the inside lane and will not allow the outside lane in. AND, those who try to creep in behind the car in front from the outside lane.
> 
> ...


I notice these cars are often dented, scratched and damaged as hell, but because they don't care.... no insurance claims are made... safer my ****! :wall::wall:

Yes, it doesn't help that 17-23 year old lads are more likely to be involved in a write-off/fatal collisions replicating Gran Turismo 5.


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

Tailgaiters/not leaving 2 sec gap & people who block entries/exits of roads when stuck in traffic - leave a gap so cars can enter/leave, gaining 10 meters isn't going to get you to your destination any faster

And pretty much everyting Cueball has said!


----------



## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

generally the actions of one driver should never affect the actions of another driver.

i.e. pulling out but not matching the speed of the traffic flow etc.

Also... Slip roads..... Discuss...

personally i'll slow or stop as far up a slip road as possible before joining the flow of traffic so i can better judge the situation and match the speed of the traffic.

I cant stand it when people get all the way to the end of a slip road and then drop the anchor when they realise there is no gap for them to pull into.


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I should add to my list, the worst driver on the planet:

the_cueball

He has done advanced driving, track driving, off road driving, advanced motorbike etc etc...thinks he is Senna, Vettel, Rossi, Stoner and <insert a good off road dude> all rolled into one on the best day of their lives.... :wall::wall::wall:

Thinks he is always right, never has the same car or driving style each day, one day he drives slow, the next he is in a hurry, then he gets on a bike and thinks it's the IOM TT roads...He smashes through things, lets people crash into him, takes his own roads if the one he is on is busy

He is a f***g nightmare.....surprised he has not killed anyone yet...

Always points out faults with others, and he is the worst passenger in the world, oh and god forbid you use his stupid XKR and scratch one of his precious wheels...

Of course, when he drives in other countries, he just pays the "tourist card" to get away with things.

Generally he is an all round c**t - try and stay away from him if you can.

:thumb:


----------



## awallacee30 (May 4, 2011)

Sounds like textbook driving ! :thumb:


----------



## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

On my way to work this morning at some traffic lights I stopped (light was green) as traffic had built up from the next set of lights and if I had gone I would of been blocking a yellow boxed area. The woman behind me was going mental signalling for me to go.

I have also started commuting to work by bike and have found the risks that some drivers are willing to take astonishing.

Although I like the fact that most drivers see me and leave a fair gap, they do this going round blind corners and before the crest of hills. I can't believe I haven't seen any accidents yet.


----------



## pogo6636 (Jan 18, 2009)

Bus lanes

When you finish work at 6 pm and the bus lane period ends at 6 pm. 

using correct road technique, whoooosssshhhh. clear road right up the inside while all the others sit in the outside lane and wait for an eternity.


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

jamest said:


> On my way to work this morning at some traffic lights I stopped (light was green) as traffic had built up from the next set of lights and if I had gone I would of been blocking a yellow boxed area. The woman behind me was going mental signalling for me to go.


That too!!!


----------



## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Only have a few annoying things really.

People who dont indicate - really gets my back up it does! come to the roundabout car coming round you stop and it turns off without indicating so your left sitting like a pleb Grangemouth is the worst for it, the tanker drivers round here are murder they think because they have a huge load they have right away em... NO if your coming out at the roundabout and they are tearing it up the road and they MUST stop for you on the roundabout you get the "uffff" look as if your in the wrong, its a give way morons which doesnt mean you pull out as i'm halfway past your truck idiots!

Merging - Like Cueball people who cant merge wont merge and wont giveway to merging, also if its a two lane carriageway A80 is the worst in the left hand lane car to the right of you, you have no were to go but either brake so the guy behind rams into you or speed up inturn gettin caught at the average camera's yet the merging car gives you abuse for not letting them in lol you cant win.

Price of fuel - its a joke and partly the reason our economy is fuked but hey ho we need fuel just get on with it, same can be said about RFL and Insurance.

good bits... some of the roads in Scotland are awesome dukes pass one of them absolute fantastic.


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

mba said:


> If you make a mistake just put your hand up to say sorry, dont blame the person you just cut up for your mistake.


And if the reverse is true, have the good grace to accept the apology.

Seems like it comes down to basic manners really.


----------



## s2kpaul (Jul 27, 2006)

Trying to get to work and the bus in front stops every 3 mins and you can't overtake. lol 

Nothing better than a early morning thrash when the air crisp and roads quiet.


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

My favourite drive?

On a crisp, sunny winter's morning with the sun glistening off the frost for as far as the eye can see.

I love the fens in Winter (except the frigging wind).


----------



## awallacee30 (May 4, 2011)

s2kpaul said:


> Trying to get to work and the bus in front stops every 3 mins and you can't overtake. lol


Actually that's a really good point...

*Bus drivers!*

I know they're on a schedule and lets face it, no one really likes to be stuck behind one but they seem to drive like they own the road.

Hands up who's ever driven round a bus at a stop only for the driver to pull out when you're alongside and not slow down forcing you out into the opposite lane ?


----------



## adlem (Jul 6, 2008)

I think Cuey has hit the nail on the head!

I hate people that either don't know how to merge or just carry on regardless - if i didn't care about my car i'd rub them up a bit till they give way

Also mini-roundabouts and people not knowing how the give way to the right works - the amount of times I've had to anchor on *on the roundabout* to save getting my nose swiped clean off

People who don't obey traffic lights or as said block exits/yellow boxes just to save themselves an extra few seconds.

Those little bridges where you have priority as they're too narrow and can't stand the weight and some pleb drives up and you meet in the middle :wall: I make a point of making them reverse back if I'm in a bad mood - i get riled too easily! Also the ones where the car infront goes, but you are clearly visible the other side and it's your right of way, yet they continue to follow each other over...

Basically my pet hates are people who just don't know the rules or aren't courteous/don't think. I always try to be polite, say thanks, and fairly let people through/merge etc

The state of the roads round here really gets on my wick!

Good things:

I get a bit of freedom, if i don't care how long it takes to get somewhere and everyone is polite and courteous, no-one cuts me up etc it's a delightful drive for a few hours.

I also like the roads around my girlfriends place in Powys, Mid-Wales. On a spring or winters afternoon/evening when it's dry it's lovely (and they actually fill their potholes properly around there)


----------



## sammatty (Jul 28, 2010)

Cyclists that don't like it when you give them a friendly knock to say hello!


----------



## anthonyh90 (Mar 30, 2011)

People not indicating
30mph brigade
price of fuel
road tax
Insurance cost's, especially for a 20 yr old like me.
people how can't merge properly.
cyclists who don't obey traffic lights


----------



## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

The Cueball said:


> .....full of people that seem to be doing everything but concentrating on the actual driving


Tell me about it - on the way to work last week I had to brake so hard for a bint on her phone that I dropped my Mach 3 into my Corn Flakes!


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

awallacee30 said:


> Actually that's a really good point...
> 
> *Bus drivers!*
> 
> ...


If they didn't indicate, fair enough.

If they did, as soon as they did, they have right of way and you should slow down and pull in behind. Not nip around them.

Another peev of mine (and my car has them) is indicators on the inside of the light clusters. Whose Idea was that? The headlights (when on) prevent them being seen. And there was a good period of a year before i conditioned myself to look for them that it was really hard to see them. You have to actively look for them rather than them being in-your-face like they should be. Though actively looking is not a bad thing other than those that should be, won't be.


----------



## awallacee30 (May 4, 2011)

Agreed and I will let them out if the indicator's on...too risky not too!

This has happened to me a lot without the driver indicating tho. No indicator means I'm going round, obviously as long as it's safe!


----------



## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

anthonyh90 said:


> People not indicating
> 30mph brigade
> price of fuel
> road tax
> ...


what do you mean by the 30 mph brigade? If its 30 you do 30 :lol:

all of the above...
i have one other gripe around me people who fail to understand the rights of give way when a car is parked on their side of the road. they just try and charge threw clowns :wall: i had one woman who tried to drive through a none existent gap because i was already there! eventually she realized i was not giving in and decided to reverse back but i still won. Another recent one was three cars some OAP made me reverse back with them on his side i did not give give much room like though and he ended up on the kerb...

People who do not know how to park a car on the road around here i.e leaving it across from junctions and parking stupidly close on the opp side from another parked car in some circumstances so that buses cannot get through i hate to think about the ambulance or fire engine! :wall:
saying that i know one person who had their fiesta mirror knocked off and tbh they were whinging mentally i was going well dont be a stupid c*nt for parking there opp. the junction.

end of people do not care about each other just themselves.


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Good things: Getting to/from work, getting some quiet time.
Bad things: Everything else.


----------



## detaillover (Apr 25, 2011)

Cueballs basically said everything that needs to be.... just shut the thread down now lol


----------



## detaillover (Apr 25, 2011)

oooo thought of one that cueball might not have mentioned (doubt it lol) drivers that drive 40 in a 60, 40 in a 40 and 40 in a 30 does my ****ing head in


----------



## themenace (Jun 26, 2008)

How about the clowns on a DC that wait until you are right on their corner then they indicate........have they seen you or are they just letting the guy behind you know that they are coming out? It's scary.:doublesho

Merge in turn is the biggest pain, there are so many r'abouts where there are two lanes to go straight on but just one on the other side. The number of times you see people staring straight ahead and accelerating up the inside to try to prevent a merge.:wall:

People who ignore road markings and use the quietest lane to try to push in further on


----------



## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

The one that gets me (and has nearly caused an accident several times) is people who accelerate when you pull out to overtake. Some silly tart in a Microbe pulled out in front of me (a decent distance up the road, to be fair - if she'd actually accelerated I'd only have had to roll off, maybe drop a cog) but then proceeded to slowly get to 30 in a NSL. I then get clear space, pull out to overtake but she then buries it and I only just make it in, having had an overtake that took at least twice as long as it should have done because it was supposed to be easy I didn't drop a gear! Not only this, she then had the nerve to start flashing and gesticulating at me!

Needless to say I had words at the next roundabout, and her ear will be ringing for some time yet. Thick cow.


----------



## anthonyh90 (Mar 30, 2011)

:lol: by the 30mph brigade i mean those on a 60 road that sit doing 30 with traffic going in the other direction with no room to overtake


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

OvlovMike said:


> The one that gets me (and has nearly caused an accident several times) is people who accelerate when you pull out to overtake. Some silly tart in a Microbe pulled out in front of me (a decent distance up the road, to be fair - if she'd actually accelerated I'd only have had to roll off, maybe drop a cog) but then proceeded to slowly get to 30 in a NSL. I then get clear space, pull out to overtake but she then buries it and I only just make it in, having had an overtake that took at least twice as long as it should have done because it was supposed to be easy I didn't drop a gear! Not only this, she then had the nerve to start flashing and gesticulating at me!
> 
> Needless to say I had words at the next roundabout, and her ear will be ringing for some time yet. Thick cow.


Just enjoy the ride and don't bother overtaking. Easy.


----------



## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

SteveyG said:


> Just enjoy the ride and don't bother overtaking. Easy.


I'm not driving everywhere at 30mph because of the unwashed population's inability to drive.

These people need sticking in padded rooms. My partner summed it up yesterday by asking Facebook 'how it would feel to be one of those people who every day have to deal with the challenge of not impaling themselves on a toothbrush'.


----------



## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

OvlovMike said:


> I'm not driving everywhere at 30mph because of the unwashed population's inability to drive.


It's better than causing road rage though. Just chill out  I hate aggressive drivers...


----------



## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

SteveyG said:


> It's better than causing road rage though. Just chill out  I hate aggressive drivers...


I'm not an aggressive driver - I attempted a perfectly legal and perfectly safe overtake that was met by a dangerous and aggressive act by an incompetent tart who would probably struggle dressing herself in the morning!

You cannot cause an accident, start giving hell and not expect it back - I'll never 'start' road rage but am quite happy to finish it for someone. People's attitudes and demeanor on the roads is not acceptable and it's high time that the police put away their speed guns and started pulling people who appear to go out of their way to cause accidents - through the actions I describe above and the actions that Cueball listed in his post.

To add, I tend to sit in the left lane doing 60-65mph, totally chilled out and minding my own business on motorways, and rarely exceed the speed limit on any road nowadays. Life's too short to get somewhere 10 minutes earlier at the potential expense of someone else's life, your own life or your mobility. I'm pretty much a model of relaxed driving - doing best part of 30,000 a year I'd be dead if I got wound up that easily!


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

TBH, it is shocking that amount of people I see trying to speed up when I go to overtake them.....

If they want to drive at 30/40 on a country road, fine, good for them...but don't even try to put my life at risk by speeding up when I go to overtake...

Thankfully by the time they have got out their coma, they just stamp their foot down, but the car is usually in top gear (low response) due to them "saving the world" and I don't have an issue.... 

I always get the ***** in their "supercars" trying it on too.... grow up numbnuts, I'm on a hyperbike.... :lol:

:thumb:


----------



## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

The Cueball said:


> I always get the ***** in their "supercars" trying it on too.... grow up numbnuts, I'm on a hyperbike.... :lol:
> 
> :thumb:


A long while ago now I used to have an S4, and similarly by the time anyone had worked out I was overtaking I was usually a couple of hundred metres in front of them - unfortunately I drive nearly 2 tons of diesel Volvo nowadays so unless I decide I'm 'going for it', I tend to potter past at a reasonable pace!


----------



## DampDog (Apr 16, 2011)

I was going to call my ten penith.. "Confessions of a driving instructor"

Some of things I've seen and had happen defy belief. Instead of great big signs that say "learner under instruction" or "Keep your distance possible sudden breaking" You'd think they say cut me up and abuse me. Normal drivers have it easy.. honestly.

Had lesson where the the approach (turning right) to a small roundabout is on quite an incline. Lad stall's the car. No problem he's safe he knows the drill, Taxi waiting patiently directly behind us. Car behind him, starts too peep horn, not a bit, fecking leaning on it, and revving the nads off it. So my lad who was fine is now nervous, kept him calm and we're just moving away, when the ar se-hole in the car, comes up on our left and cuts across the front of my car, dual-led lad to avoid a collision. Even the taxi driver behind is gesticulating he cannot believe what he's just seen. Got the lad started and pulled him over to settle him down as he's now in a right state.

On another occasion approaching a roundabout following a van. It's not a min roundabout but quite small, the ones that are raised with a circle of paving flags. White van man doesn't even slow, drives over the thing head on, fecking sparks, bits of van smashed off, van itself must have been a foot in the air. Never even slowed, carried on regardless.

One afternoon, about to do a turn in the road, bloke pulls up in front of us as if to park. Then proceeds to reverse until his back bumper is within a couple of inches of my car, then just sits their laughing. Just got my pupil to reverse away and we went to another location, again pupli freaked out.

I could go on but you get the gist.

People being rubbish or inconsiderate drivers in par for the course, but there are a percentage out there who are compleat nut-jobs.


----------



## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

OvlovMike said:


> These people need sticking in padded rooms. My partner summed it up yesterday by asking Facebook 'how it would feel to be one of those people who every day have to deal with the challenge of not impaling themselves on a toothbrush'.


:lol: Sounds like someone has just read 'accidents in the home' statistics or similar :lol: Anyone who hasn't come across these should look them up and see how many people injure themselves by losing control of their socks, or eating ice cream, or are nearly killed by bedding or soft furnishings and so on, believe me, it's eye opening stuff :lol: The really scary thing is, these people are also out and about though, using the roads :wall:



awallacee30 said:


> Agreed and I will let them out if the indicator's on...too risky not too!
> 
> This has happened to me a lot without the driver indicating tho. No indicator means I'm going round, obviously as long as it's safe!


The bus drivers round your way must be absolute rubbish, as not indicating to pull out is just making things harder for yourself, you can't expect people to know you want to pull out if you don't tell them.
Speaking as an ex bus driver though, it works the other way too, one of the annoying things for us was the brain donors who take it for granted that just because a bus is approaching a stop it means it is going to stop, so they would start to overtake... unlucky! Likewise those people who think that just because the bus in front of them has pulled up, assume it is on a bus stop and overtake, then find it's actually stopped at a zebra crossing, or at the back of a queue of traffic or, as on one occasion, at a red traffic light :wall:


----------



## awallacee30 (May 4, 2011)

Multipla Mick said:


> The bus drivers round your way must be absolute rubbish, as not indicating to pull out is just making things harder for yourself, you can't expect people to know you want to pull out if you don't tell them.


Unfortunately mate they are. I know not all bus drivers are the same, we just seem to have a high percentage of bad ones round my way.

Where I live there are a lot of buses and a lot of routes so I guess law of averages means I'll come across some bad ones.


----------



## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

As said some of things we see and hear about are simply crazy ! My biggest pet hate is people who never indicate, I won’t list the rest as I’ll be here all night but here is one example of the things I've come across !

Several years ago we were dealing with someone who had been caught under taking on the Almondsbury interchange near Bristol, anyone who knows this junction will be very aware of the fact that you negotiate it with care regardless of the time of day or night. The guy was in his 60's and had been caught carving through the traffic (every lane) at over 90mph on a Saturday morning and the thing that astounded me the most was when he said to the traffic officer who stopped him "If it was that dangerous why didn't you stop me sooner", the officer replied "I tried to but I couldn’t safely catch you for a few more miles". The guy simply couldn't see or just wouldn't accept that what he had done was so dangerous and that’s the thing that amazes me, some people don’t seem to be able to grasp or simply don’t care about their standard of driving.

Having said all of the above I did re asses my views on driving after I had been in a taxi in Turkey, sheer terror would be an understatement


----------



## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

uruk hai said:


> Having said all of the above I did re asses my views on driving after I had been in a taxi in Turkey, sheer terror would be an understatement


The OP asked for what is good about driving in the UK, and that's one part right there we must be grateful for - we're not in France, or Italy, or Turkey, or India, or any of these other countries where the driving is best described as being a bit carefree, or maybe just plain lunacy :lol:

Mind you, we Brits are very uptight, and wouldn't last five minutes in some places. I've never driven in Rome, but have been in and out again on a coach and that was quite something. First thing that happened, the coach had to turn left in the morning rush hour across four lanes of traffic, and I swear the wheels never stopped, the driver just arrived at the junction, slowed to a crawl and pushed his way out, cutting off each lane in turn. Yet no one seemed to mind, and he didn't even thank anyone either :doublesho It seems road signs and markings, traffic lights even, are merely things you might want to consider obeying, maybe, perhaps. A bit like seat belts it appeared, least when I was there. It also appeared that if a Roman driver could see a ***** of light or space in front of him he was going to stick the nose of his car/van/bus/scooter straight in it in the hope he will get a few inches further up the road. Looking down out of the coach at one busy junction there were cars and scooters below at all angles, all trying to keep moving forwards no matter what. Thing is, there wasn't all the honking of horns and waving of arms about that the stereotype would suggest. It was chaotic but they were just getting on with it, and it seemed to be working too. If that were in this country there would be fights and heart attacks every couple of minutes as people exploded with rage.


----------



## s2kpaul (Jul 27, 2006)

I have another, people who sit on the outside lane of the dual carriage-way when they want to turn right 5 miles ahead.


----------



## PrettyPaula (Sep 19, 2011)

My God. This thread could well be my favourite.

*My biggest hates:*

People who do not use this order: Mirror>Signal>Maneuver.

Its no use indicating, then checking, ive already reacted. Especially lorries.

People who sit right up a lorries rear, i have a friend who is a continental truck driver and they CANNOT see you, no matter how hard they look.

People driving using their left hand as they hold their phone with their right chatting away, missing the correct lanes, holding people up and braking without any need to because they just ARENT concentrating.

Caravan towing cars, with clear snaking issues, slow the heck down and move over. you ARE going to have an accident.

People (usually boys, with hats or shameless style hair) driving with their seats so far back and so far lowered that they cannot possibly have full vision.

tailgating. So dangerous and plain unnecessary.

People who dont indicate, on roads or especially roundabouts.

The M18.

The M62.

The A1(m)

*Things i love:*

driving in the sunshine with my sunglasses on and the windows down.... heaven.

nice big open 4 lane motorways, how motorways should have always been built.

The M8

Flyovers. just fun arent they?

bridges that make your tummy go weird.

tunnels.


----------



## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

i got no fun out of driving anymore, get more of a buzz riding my bike these days so thats what i do.


----------



## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

My biggest hate is definitely tailgaters.

My biggest driving love is coastal/mountain/moorland roads. LOVE THEM!!


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

great thread bump... very funny read for a Friday afternoon...

:thumb:


----------



## mba (Jun 17, 2006)

Was pulled up at temp road works on a red light (front of queue), other side came through and was no more cars to come through but my side still on red... Van 3 cars behind pulls out of line and overtakes me at front (still on red) to which i pip my horn.... 300 yards later we come to a junction and I get the V sign out the window

WTF


----------



## herbiedacious (Sep 27, 2010)

l hate commuting! Why can't people just pull up to the car in front at traffic lights and junctions instead of all this inching forward sh!te,it would save wear and tear on clutches and make queues shorter. When these ***** have finished inching and it's time to move off,why not all pull away together? Oooh, my car stinks of boiled p!ss sometimes!


----------



## JJ_ (Oct 26, 2005)

To be honest I could pick holes in peoples driving just like they could mine. 

I love anything which will really test the car and give me that "how the hell is this holding the corner" feeling. Or that wee skip of the heart.

My favourite past time is a rally car on some stone tracks like what they do at knockhill. Rally driving is my all time favourite.


----------



## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

Haha, I'd forgotten about this thread.

I totally agree with everyone. But when it all comes together right, you still can't be a bit of this:


----------



## Brummie_Nige (Sep 5, 2011)

One things that's been bugging me for a while now....

When people overtake - especially on motorways and DCs when there's nothing behind them - and then once past change into the lane I'm in right in front of me leaving no space between me and them. I cringe everytime this happens as I can feel the stonechips appearing! Why can't they leave a decent distance before moving in??!!


----------



## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

One of my pet hates is people who barge into gaps on the motorway when it's moving slowly, when the motorway slows down to about 30 mph or less the best thing to do is leave a reasonable gap to the car infront and go at a constant speed as that helps keep things moving and you don't get the shock waves of people slamming on their brakes and stopping, but some people take it upon themselves to ruin this plan and bring the motorway to a grinding halt, they go into the gap I've left and then normally brake, therefore I have to brake and then the car behind brakes a bit harder and so on, this moves back along the motorway until evntually someone has to completely stop.

Other things that can wind me up are people chatting away on the phone and not paying any attention to the road, tailgaters, people who think the hard shoulder is exclusively for their use when there's a traffic jam, chavvy boy racer's who have fitted deep blue HID's that feel the need to drive with them on all the time blinding everyone during the day aswell as at night, infact young boy racers in general, it's their fault that insurance premiums are so high for all the responsible young motorists around, bus drivers who don't use their mirrors, people who drive too slow, people who drive far too fast, people who use motorway slip roads as a launch ramp to get up as much speed as possible and then go straight to the outside lane like a heat seeking missile, then there's people who leave it to the last second before crossing all three lanes when leaving the motorway, people who hammer up behind you on the motorway and then go to undertake just as you go to move over, vigilant cyclists, van drivers who hurl abuse at you because they've done something wrong and people who pull out at junctions and then don't accelerate.


----------



## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

I tell you what, I agree with everything people have said in this thread which pretty much shows what a like minded bunch we are!

But I must have mellowed with old age because I just tend to let everything go over my head these days - never used to, used to get wound up by everything and anyone on the road. But now I just think if you want to drive at warp speed then fine, I'll move over and let you past etc.

These days I'd rather get there in one piece than 10 mins early!


----------



## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

Insurance.


That is all.


----------



## Dizzle77 (Mar 27, 2010)

Great thread!!! :thumb:

I was going to add something, but I think Cueball spoke for us all in his first post 

Nah I have to agree with most of the points raised so far. Just a few more that wind me up......

*Hates:*

- Middle/fast lane huggers

- I tend to use cruise control on the motorway. I hate it when people overtake me then pull in front of me and slow down causing me to have to brake or deactivate cruise. I'll then overtake them at my cruising speed and pull in only to see them overtake me again a bit later

- When I park my car in the empty section of car park and come back to find someone close up and next to me.

- People carriers parking next to me. To me this just signal kids getting in/out car and bashing doors into my car

- Driver incompetence at roundabouts

- The missus continually leaving finger prints on the interior glass of the passenger door

- Potholes!!!! Anyone who knows Sefton Park in Liverpool will know there are some nasty ones around there. Also on the road where I live, I have to avoid one half of my road cos it's so bad. So many craters it's like driving on the moon!!

- Driving in london - too many idiots!

- A1M......Two lanes and lorries taking an age and a day to overtake each other is not a good combination. _Please also see 'likes'_

*Likes:*

- A1M......It's great if the M1 south of Birmingham is busy 

- Have to agree with Cueball about some of the roads in Scotland. Been there a few times and recently came back from a stay Mingarry. Once you get towards and beyond Fort William the roads were just amazing.

Can't think of anymore likes :lol:


----------



## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Gruffs said:


> I know this is taboo but i really don't care. But 90% of these would be women between the age of 17 and


I have to agree, most of the bad driving i used to see was.

1. Women.

The latest trend I've noticed over the last two years = Most drivers I meet on the roads are crap. Do they really understand what driving is & how dangerous it is?

I can't wait for the Ants to take over.


----------



## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

Why do drivers seem to forget that in the UK we drive on the left, including on
DCs and motorways?
Why do drivers in the dark not know how to operate a new fangled thing called 
a dip-switch, so that drivers of following cars get to see the road ahead too?
Why do people who tailgate always seem to be completely oblivious of the danger?
Why does every small gap on a clogged motorway need to be filled by an even
slower moving vehicle?
As for "pushers-in" on lane narrowing, why do they not have time to live?
Why aren't there more public information films regularly shown making the 
futility and stupidity of all the above much more obvious? Is it likely to increase
instances of road-rage?

Regards,
Steve


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

you raise a good point Steve.... 

with all the things we are told, see and read from our parents that are the government, why do they not put more effort into better driving...

all they seem to care about is speed kills....

although I now see the most helpful Mway signs like check your fuel / tyres / can you car share etc...

even the old green cross code and don't play with electricity public warnings have vanished (AFAIK) 

:thumb:


----------

