| Is the standard of driving getting worse? 08:48 - Feb 13 with 10455 views | geg1992 |
Just saw a very near accident on the A14 where the Shell garage slip road joins. A white Hyundai joined without even considering a lorry in lane 1, which had to swerve aggressively, almost tipping over and coming within inches of hitting another car. Fair play to the lorry driver!!
Seem to be seeing these sorts of incidents more and more often recently. People don't seem to understand that a slip road gives you no priority to the joining traffic, it's a give way! |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:52 - Feb 13 with 2055 views | yorkshireblue |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 10:01 - Feb 13 by DanTheMan |
Italy was bloody terrifying, there might as well have been no rules at all. |
I once drove from part of Italy to Lake Bled, and back.
Honestly, the change in driving standards as soon as you cross the border into Slovenia surprised me... probably the highest standards I've ever seen. Even by cars with Italian plates that had crossed the boarder with me... it was like a switch had been flicked "I'm in Slovenia now, I must drive well" or "I'm in Italy now, time to forget the laws of the road exist" |  | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:56 - Feb 13 with 2042 views | bluelagos |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:52 - Feb 13 by yorkshireblue |
I once drove from part of Italy to Lake Bled, and back.
Honestly, the change in driving standards as soon as you cross the border into Slovenia surprised me... probably the highest standards I've ever seen. Even by cars with Italian plates that had crossed the boarder with me... it was like a switch had been flicked "I'm in Slovenia now, I must drive well" or "I'm in Italy now, time to forget the laws of the road exist" |
I did exactly that last summer. Slovenia is lovely isn't it. Lovely people, scenery and a sense that not every fcker is trying to kill you unlike riding in the Dolomites. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:56 - Feb 13 with 2041 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:52 - Feb 13 by yorkshireblue |
I once drove from part of Italy to Lake Bled, and back.
Honestly, the change in driving standards as soon as you cross the border into Slovenia surprised me... probably the highest standards I've ever seen. Even by cars with Italian plates that had crossed the boarder with me... it was like a switch had been flicked "I'm in Slovenia now, I must drive well" or "I'm in Italy now, time to forget the laws of the road exist" |
I took a camper van around Slovenia just before Covid and it was very civilised, it must be said. Even causing tailbacks in the camper everyone was very polite and no pushy wazzocks up your tail pipe.
Great country all round. It's amazing what they've done since the split from Yugoslavia. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:56 - Feb 13 with 2041 views | NthQldITFC |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:04 - Feb 13 by DanTheMan |
Quickly on the overpopulation, it's worth noting that the growth rate is slowing fairly dramatically and the population will probably plateau before 2100 and then start decreasing. Certainly a good thing for the long-term future. |
It is, but it's still forecast to rise about 21% (50 years) to peak for the World and 6% (30 years) for the UK.
I mean, I know that's not actually going to happen because neither the climate (specifically localised climate/environmental collapses) nor a relatively stable international 'social situation' can possibly survive under the present trajectory - large centres of population now will be practically unsustainable in even those short time-frames.
But back to UK roads!  The current 'official' population growth of something like 250,000 per year is largely driving this house-building fetish right now (OK the 300,000 new houses per year mantra is criminally short-term and destructive 'investor' greed as much as increasing population - it would be 100,000 at a 2.5 person average occupancy). This wonderful 'growth' is both destroying road surfaces and increasing traffic, construction and residential, massively even as the roads deteriorate.
I know it's self-interest to some extent, but round my way as a cyclist I'm being forced off the road or into an early grave, ultimately because of this 'growth' pressure right now, not in 30 years time. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:58 - Feb 13 with 2036 views | NthQldITFC |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:22 - Feb 13 by baxterbasics |
Can be debated whether declining population is a good thing or not, especially when combined with aging. But you are right, fears about overpopulation are overdone - it's a red herring. |
Only if you think there's nothing wrong at the moment. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:00 - Feb 13 with 2031 views | bluelagos |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:56 - Feb 13 by Swansea_Blue |
I took a camper van around Slovenia just before Covid and it was very civilised, it must be said. Even causing tailbacks in the camper everyone was very polite and no pushy wazzocks up your tail pipe.
Great country all round. It's amazing what they've done since the split from Yugoslavia. |
Campervan drivers on mountain passes deserve to be shot. Pain in the fcking arse! | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:08 - Feb 13 with 2017 views | gainsboroughblue |
Definitely seems to be.
I think companies like Amazon are complicit in this too given the conditions they expect their drivers to work in and the targets they set. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:23 - Feb 13 with 2001 views | Bigalhunter |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:44 - Feb 13 by bluelagos |
https://www.iamroadsmart.com/
£170 odd quid - could be the best money you ever spend. I paid for a loved one - and her driving has been transformed.
You don't know what you don't know - and it sounds like the daughter's bf genuinely hasn't got a scooby how to drive. |
Thank you for that, genuinely didn’t know of its existence.
I spent a similar amount recently helping my daughter out with her insurance renewal, which had shot up unexpectedly.
She’s 25 and a very good driver so I did ask why it had increased. She finally admitted to 6 points on her licence which she’d taken for said boyfriend because he needs to drive for his job.
I know from experience that you get quite a decent image of the driver whipping past the speed van these days, but it seems, as long as someone pays the fine, they’re quite happy.
One look at the image should raise the question as to why a 25 year old girl has a full beard, but that would probably open a whole new can of worms of these days. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:52 - Feb 13 with 1950 views | itfcjoe |
More old people on the road, more people with phones, more cars, no doubt more drug driving, more aggression. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:58 - Feb 13 with 1928 views | geg1992 |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:52 - Feb 13 by itfcjoe |
More old people on the road, more people with phones, more cars, no doubt more drug driving, more aggression. |
Aggression has really got out of control. I was joining the roundabout by the ski slope and someone was trying to join far too quickly and nearly went in to the side of me. I put my hand up to say what the hell. Then, they started chasing me down Wherstead road, trying to overtake, beeping, shouting out of his window "come on then" etc etc. Got to the lights near the skatepark and he got out of his car, so I turned off left towards the station whilst smiling and waving goodbye. Such weird behavior, genuinely feared for my safety as he was so so angry. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 12:59]
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 13:04 - Feb 13 with 1898 views | bluelagos |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:23 - Feb 13 by Bigalhunter |
Thank you for that, genuinely didn’t know of its existence.
I spent a similar amount recently helping my daughter out with her insurance renewal, which had shot up unexpectedly.
She’s 25 and a very good driver so I did ask why it had increased. She finally admitted to 6 points on her licence which she’d taken for said boyfriend because he needs to drive for his job.
I know from experience that you get quite a decent image of the driver whipping past the speed van these days, but it seems, as long as someone pays the fine, they’re quite happy.
One look at the image should raise the question as to why a 25 year old girl has a full beard, but that would probably open a whole new can of worms of these days. |
So they do a free taster too - well worth it imho.
Motorbikes is my area - SAM our local group. For car drivers I know there is a Colchester based group - not sure about Suffolk. But all on the website :-) | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 13:04 - Feb 13 with 1898 views | Zx1988 |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:58 - Feb 13 by geg1992 |
Aggression has really got out of control. I was joining the roundabout by the ski slope and someone was trying to join far too quickly and nearly went in to the side of me. I put my hand up to say what the hell. Then, they started chasing me down Wherstead road, trying to overtake, beeping, shouting out of his window "come on then" etc etc. Got to the lights near the skatepark and he got out of his car, so I turned off left towards the station whilst smiling and waving goodbye. Such weird behavior, genuinely feared for my safety as he was so so angry. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 12:59]
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Yes, I had a similar sort of run-in with a Jag driver the other month, because I was doing the speed limit whilst overtaking on the NDR up here in Norwich.
He pursued me for a good five miles, using all sorts of techniques to try and get me to slow down and stop, including slowing down whilst veering all over the road in front of me.
He soon changed his tune when he realised he'd followed me all the way into the car park of the Broadland Policing Hub. |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 13:06 - Feb 13 with 1892 views | Zx1988 |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:08 - Feb 13 by gainsboroughblue |
Definitely seems to be.
I think companies like Amazon are complicit in this too given the conditions they expect their drivers to work in and the targets they set. |
So-called professional drivers seem to fall into their own category here. Especially HVG drivers with their apparent attitude of 'what are you going to do? Crash into me?' as they pull out in front of you in order to overtake another HGV at 1mph faster.
I agree with you - the targets set by employers have to shoulder some of the blame in these cases. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 14:12 - Feb 13 with 1829 views | longtimefan |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 11:32 - Feb 13 by MattinLondon |
Despite being in my forties I am (compared to many on here) a relatively new driver and therefore i can’t really comment on whether driving is perceived to be getting worse.
From what I remember my driving instructor telling me - the test is harder than what it has ever been and therefore driving should be getting better but it’s not (according to him). As a then learner, a lot of people were incredibly impatient. Beeping for going the limit, beeping for taking longer than what an experienced driver would take. Most things boiled down to impatience.Also, road rage is considered a legitimate excuse - it’s not, just another form of self-importance.
I do find it odd that I could pass my test one day and the next I could lawfully go 70mph on motorways with no experience whatsoever. I do think that passing a driving test should be in stages with nighttime driving and motorway driving only allowed for new drivers after so much specialised lessons. |
"I do find it odd that I could pass my test one day and the next I could lawfully go 70mph on motorways with no experience whatsoever. "
For this very reason I insisted that both my kids did the Pass Plus course:
https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus
Basically a 6 hour drive that includes Motoways. Think both of them did drives from Ipswich down to Canterbury and back and so included M25 and M2. | | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 17:55 - Feb 13 with 1734 views | stonojnr |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 09:10 - Feb 13 by ITFC_Forever |
That Shell garage at Nacton should be closed, it's such a dangerous slip road. |
They've been saying that for years, you should try some of the old A1 garages if you think its short, but its not the slip road that's the issue, drivers need to plan further ahead both joining carriageways and enabling others to join.
But for too often as I experience cycling most drivers seem to plan no further ahead than the end of their bonnet, so consistently get caught out by stuff like that.
I was on the A47 few weeks back and a driver somehow got stranded half on the entry to the main road but because no one in the outer lane was paying attention and bombing past everyone, because how dare we slow their progress, no one on the inner lane could move over enough to let the near stationary driver get on. And everyone on the inner lane were heading towards a shrinking gap. | | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 19:33 - Feb 13 with 1680 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:23 - Feb 13 by Bigalhunter |
Thank you for that, genuinely didn’t know of its existence.
I spent a similar amount recently helping my daughter out with her insurance renewal, which had shot up unexpectedly.
She’s 25 and a very good driver so I did ask why it had increased. She finally admitted to 6 points on her licence which she’d taken for said boyfriend because he needs to drive for his job.
I know from experience that you get quite a decent image of the driver whipping past the speed van these days, but it seems, as long as someone pays the fine, they’re quite happy.
One look at the image should raise the question as to why a 25 year old girl has a full beard, but that would probably open a whole new can of worms of these days. |
Probably not something you should post on a public forum. Taking speeding points for somebody else is a criminal offence, perverting the course of justice, and could lead to your daughter and her boyfriend being imprisoned.
Might be an idea to edit. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 19:34]
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 19:37 - Feb 13 with 1670 views | MJallday |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 19:33 - Feb 13 by GlasgowBlue |
Probably not something you should post on a public forum. Taking speeding points for somebody else is a criminal offence, perverting the course of justice, and could lead to your daughter and her boyfriend being imprisoned.
Might be an idea to edit. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 19:34]
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Bearded ladies arnt uncommon, I’ve certainly dated worse |  |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 20:46 - Feb 13 with 1643 views | Bigalhunter |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 19:33 - Feb 13 by GlasgowBlue |
Probably not something you should post on a public forum. Taking speeding points for somebody else is a criminal offence, perverting the course of justice, and could lead to your daughter and her boyfriend being imprisoned.
Might be an idea to edit. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 19:34]
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I made her quite aware what the possible repercussions were.
In the unlikely event they get rumbled, it will be because of his big mouth rather than plod trawling the pages of TWTD looking for an easy hit.
My on-line presence is sewn up tighter than the proverbial duck’s botty.
On a serious note, thank you for pointing it out though, as you are quite right in what you say. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 20:49 - Feb 13 with 1630 views | GlasgowBlue |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 20:46 - Feb 13 by Bigalhunter |
I made her quite aware what the possible repercussions were.
In the unlikely event they get rumbled, it will be because of his big mouth rather than plod trawling the pages of TWTD looking for an easy hit.
My on-line presence is sewn up tighter than the proverbial duck’s botty.
On a serious note, thank you for pointing it out though, as you are quite right in what you say. |
No problem. I was reminded of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce, who both did time. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 21:24 - Feb 13 with 1607 views | Bigalhunter |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 20:49 - Feb 13 by GlasgowBlue |
No problem. I was reminded of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce, who both did time. |
I did recall some former MP and his wife falling foul of that a couple of years back.
Their names sound familiar now you mention them.
It’s a strange one for me. Compared to the pathetically trivial punishments some violent crimes receive, it strikes me as a huge over reaction to what is, on the face of it, a victimless crime.
I guess the argument is, it might leave a potentially lethal and dangerous speed monster on the road a bit longer.
I’m always reminded that they only got Al Capone on tax evasion in the end. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 21:57 - Feb 13 with 1596 views | Bigalhunter |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 19:37 - Feb 13 by MJallday |
Bearded ladies arnt uncommon, I’ve certainly dated worse |
Didn’t go down well when I said she could just wait for nature to help out like it has with her mum. | |
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| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 22:46 - Feb 13 with 1571 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 09:11 - Feb 13 by davblue |
should be a straight ban.
When im on calls at home, looking out of the window the amount of people i see driving in a residential area with phones in their hands talking is frightening really. With young children around it's dreadful that you would think it's ok to do that. |
I agree. I make a point when I’m driving of trying to spot people on their phone and it doesn’t take long to do so. Normally see at least 5 on a 1 hour drive. |  | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 22:59 - Feb 13 with 1553 views | Jimmy86 |
The biggest gripe I have is that far too many people sit in the outside lane.. unless overtaking slower moving vehicles you should be in the left hand lane, slow lane, call it what you want... If you sit in the outside lane and you're not overtaking then there's no need for you to be there... | | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 23:06 - Feb 13 with 1530 views | Jimmy86 |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 10:08 - Feb 13 by BlueBadger |
Father in law lives in Portugal. We're there 2-3 times a year, can testify that the driving(and vehicle) standards there are terrifying. Although, the roads are generally in much better nick. |
Remember I went on holiday to Spain/Portugal in 2004 sort of time.. went on the Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry, travelled down through Spain into Portugal and Lisbon was actually terrifying in a car! I didn't drive at that point, but my god it was scary.. | | | |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 10:55 - Feb 14 with 1451 views | stonojnr |
| Is the standard of driving getting worse? on 12:58 - Feb 13 by geg1992 |
Aggression has really got out of control. I was joining the roundabout by the ski slope and someone was trying to join far too quickly and nearly went in to the side of me. I put my hand up to say what the hell. Then, they started chasing me down Wherstead road, trying to overtake, beeping, shouting out of his window "come on then" etc etc. Got to the lights near the skatepark and he got out of his car, so I turned off left towards the station whilst smiling and waving goodbye. Such weird behavior, genuinely feared for my safety as he was so so angry. [Post edited 13 Feb 2024 12:59]
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And I'm sure a drug wipe on that ultra aggressive driver would have shown Colombian marching powder as the cause.
I'm surprised the police don't put more resources into it as it would be like shooting fish in a barrel based on what I see and encounter regularly and get their crime solving stats well up | | | |
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