h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As I drove down the road this morning, in 2nd gear 'cos it is short with a T junction, and approached the junction proper, a car parked on my left side with two wheels on the path suddenly began to move off into the road - requiring emergency stop from me.

No indication, wipers not running even though it was raining, and obviously no attempt to look behind. Prabably still asleep!

I doubt this is a UK phenomenon, but certainly here,we are getting increasing numbers of drivers who change lane or direction without signalling and without looking.

Every morning our BBC Traffic reports mention overturned trucks somewhere in the country, and this is allegedly due to big truck being "cut-up" by some lunatic who leaves it till the last second before diving from lane 2 two lane 1 to make a slip road exit. This causes the ruck to break too hard and to jack-knife.

My own personal Bete Noir is the fool who enters a roundabout on my right, so I wait until he has crossed in front of me , only to find he /she executes a left turn without signalling.............!!

What is it that is causing the increase of dangerous or selfish driving?

I'm a cyclist, so I probbaly see somewhat more bad dribing than most.

The thing about not using indicators is definitely not a UK phenomenon. Here in Ireland, I'd say only about half of drivers ever use their indicators. Of these, a fair number don't use them until they are halfway through the turn.

In a lot of cases, the reason for lack of indicator use is because the driver is talking on a mobile phone. This (illegal) activity is why I think drivers are so selfish.

Predictably, SUVs are the aorts offenders for lack of indicator use. Interestingly, in my experience, truck drivers are the best drivers; even though they always use indicators and drive at relatively safe speeds, it is not uncommon to hear a news story about a truck in a serious accident like the one you describe.

I would also like to say that the absolute worst, most evil drivers of all are those who park on cycle paths. It's hard enough being a cyclist without motorists blocking the few areas the government was enlightened enouygh to reserve for us.

So, in conclusion, I'd say the reason so many drivers are getting so slefish nowadats is a combination of talking on mobiles and SUV ownership.

Is it increasing? Could have something to do with ever increasing numbers of cars of the road I suppose?

As a pedestrian, people who don't indicate have always been a real problem for me, because I often have to rely on that to know whether I can cross the road or not.

SUV's and mobiles are a red herring. Traffic is increasing almost exponentially. More drivers in the same space is leading to frustration and more aggressive driving. At the same time as this is happening, the authorities cut back on traffic police and introduce speed cameras, which do nothing to stop bad driving.

Most roads, especially in towns & cities, were designed by the Victorians for horses and wagons. They're just not intended for use by huge lorries and buses.

"Most roads, especially in towns & cities, were designed by the Victorians for horses and wagons. "

Oh come on - what percentage of any large city in the UK is actually made up of Victorian streets that haven't been widened/upgraded.

Yes, roads have been improved, but not all of them. What's the point of upgrading 5 miles of road into dual carriageway if it ends up in a bottleneck?

A good example is Leith Walk in Edinburgh.

Or Stirling. They've got dual carriageways ringing the town but they all end up at bottlenecks.

Why do you think so many towns have given up and pedestrianised the centres?

Likewise in Seville, SWL. Almost the whole centre is becoming pedestrianised and they are working on a light rail electric tram to make it possible for people to access the centre of town without having to use their cars. They are also installing a new metro system to alleviate the traffic problems.

It's a total mess right now, with all the construction going on, but in a year or so I think people will come to appreciate it.

Clearly residents who live in the centre will still have car access, as will delivery trucks. But obviously the streets in the centre of Seville were *not* made for automobiles and it's a constant traffic nightmare.

As for drivers who don't indicate ... they should be reported and fined. They are clearly a menace to other people using the roads properly.


az

Being a (even though I'm without a bike at the moment), it is a matter of course to treat *all* other road users as the one who's going to knock you off your motorbike.

There have been several instances where I've had to take evasive action in which to avoid a potential collision.

The most scary was a truck driver just not seeing me when I was overtaking him on a 2 lane motorway.

Cars don't give you any kind of leeway when it comes to going around roundabouts. I personally had a custom bike and they're notorious for not cornering that well. I've had it where the car has driven right up behind me, then undertake me to get past me. I certainly didn't ride slowly, but that's just plain idiotic.

Many cars also attempt to pull out on you too. Most people don't realise that it takes much longer for a bike to brake safely than it does a car. You'd end up losing your back end and coming off.

Sorry Novo, I initiated topic drift pretty quickly.

Bad manners is infectious. It's all very well starting out being nice but, once you've been cut up a few times it's all too easy to say "Sod it" and drive the same way.

My main 3 reasons would be

1) Increased traffic
2) Withdrawal of Traffic cops
3) Too little public information adverts on telly.

With regard to 3), what happened to them? I remember them from when I was younger and I knew at the age of 10 what yellow hatching on the road meant. Isn't the BBC a public service station?

People driving while on cell phones and not using their indicators are rife in this area. I chalk it up to how dead easy it is to get a driver's license here. You walk into the bureau with your mommy or daddy when you are 15 1/4, got through a 3 second vision screen, and take a very simple 25 question test. If you pass,they give you a learner's permit. You spend the next nine months driving around with your folks in the co-pilot's seat, and being "taught" by them how to drive. Then you walk back into the bureau and are administered a 5 minute test of your driving skills which consists of driving around the block and showing that you can stop at a stop sign and parallel park, and bingo, you have a driver's license.

That sounds way more complicated than when I got my driving license!

I just had to drive around for a bit and then parallel park. As I was driving a Honda civic at the time the parallel parking space was about twice as long as I needed. So like, no problem.

I didn't have to take a written test.

Oh gee, weren't those the days when anybody could get a driving license without having to prove any driving ability whatsoever!

And yes, I'm being totally sarcastic. I mean, it turned out I was quite a good driver, but how did they know? These days, if I want to get a Spanish driving license I will have to take a certain amount of driving lessons with an instructor (never mind that I've been driving for more than 30 years now) and will have to also pass a written exam.

Which is why I haven't bothered, especially since I don't own a car here. But I still think I should do it at some point. Having a valid driving license means - at the very least - you will be able to help out if any sort of emergency situation arises with you needing to drive.

az

Az...

As Spain is in the EU, if you've a UK-driving licence you should be able to exchange it for a Spanish one without taking a new test.

The only wierd bit is that a lot of European countries say you have to change your licence within the first six months of settling in a given country, but now they're bringing out 'European' driving licences (The photo-card licences in the UK are some of the first to be issued) - theoretically you shouldn't have to change licence at all.

I have (well had) a Canadian driving licence, Whisky.

I've never understood why UK drivers should automatically be given driving licences in Europe as driving on 'the other side of the road' is actually not an easy thing to get used to.

Meanwhile, I have always driven on the same side of the road as in Spain, but I will have to re-take a driving exam if I want a Spanish driving license. Makes no sense to me.

az

Hi SWL

Curiously I believe I saw a TV 'clip' about watching out for motor bikes approaching from your right when you are at a T junction. Close to my heart that one since I was 'done' by a pull out merchant when I was still biking. Wrote of agood Yamaha , and almost me!

There was also a piece in yesterdays Times about the way designers hav widened the A frame (pillar) at the windscreen edge to achieve a greater rake angle with the same strength. This apparently means that a short of stature driver , close up to the wheel , can have such a wide #blind spot# that m/bikes can be pretty well invisibleto them.

Novo

Yeah, I read that too. Now that you mention it,we do get ads about the dangers of pedestrians and motorbikes, but I can't think of any basic rules they cover like how to negotiate a roundabout, what the middle lane is for or not reversing onto a main road.

Traveller in Time on his hat
"Observing not signalling vehicles it occurs to me most are at least above middle class. Seems like the more expensive cars have more often broken lights then the cheaper cars.

About the driver: driver wearing something on his/her head then take care, either they are half asleep or way 'too experienced' to be troubled by the other traffic. "

"Meanwhile, I have always driven on the same side of the road as in Spain, but I will have to re-take a driving exam if I want a Spanish driving license. Makes no sense to me."

It's basically because they've now standardised the vehicle classes across Europe and have agreed that the test criteria are of a sufficiently similar level.

Before they standardised the classes all sorts of weird things could happen...

My ex-missus, when she came to England, changed a French licence for a UK licence.

At the time, if you had a French car licence, you also had the right to drive a moped/motorbike of upto 75cc.

The equivalent in the UK at the time was 50cc.

So, theoretically - she could have come across on a 75cc, and driven around for 6 months before changing licence - as such, DVLC couldn't take the 75cc entitlement off her, but the only thing higher than a 50cc entitlement on a UK licence was a full bike licence!

Hence she ended up with a full motorbike licence without ever sitting on a motorbike in her life.

Oh no! Not indicating is starting to happen back in blighty too!

I always used to blame it on the awful, selfish, mobile-weilding drivers that inhabit the Great State of California. I no longer have that excuse it seems.

A sad day.

Ste

At least in California you've got guns. Oh the times I've wished for a gun

I used to wish for a vehicle with a 50 cal machine gun or a rocket launcher on top. But I reconsidered how that would look, seeing as how I'm really a pacifist.