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Bad manners on the roads
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90019
Established Member
A lot of cases just seem to be a lack of any awareness of anything around them.
ChrisCooper
Established Member
Another annoying one with junctions, don't you hate it when you are second in a que to get out of a busy junction, you see a lovely gap that is easily big enough for the car infront and you, but the car infront takes so long to get moving that by the time they are away the gap has gone! Last time it happened to me the gap was to the right and the road was clear to the left because of a tractor slowing everyone down. Naturally by the time there was another gap to the right I ended up joining the back of the que behind the tractor!
I think that comes from having a PCV licence, you get trained far more to anticipate ahead, so you often find yourself getting furstrated because people don't do what you anticipate. Of cource the key is to avoid hitting someone because you expect them to go. "I expected them to move" is probably the most common reason for rear end collisions (along with "my brakes failed")
I think that comes from having a PCV licence, you get trained far more to anticipate ahead, so you often find yourself getting furstrated because people don't do what you anticipate. Of cource the key is to avoid hitting someone because you expect them to go. "I expected them to move" is probably the most common reason for rear end collisions (along with "my brakes failed")
In some cases people are just not used to driving in certain situations though. As I said earlier you can pass a driving test without ever having driven at more than 40 mph or you may have driven at 70 mph but never had to deal with city driving.
It may not be an issue where you are but you can't go on roads that are not available. Some test centres don't have any dual carriageways available (or if there are they may only be 40 mph urban dual carriageways) and some city test centres don't have any country lanes available. If your test is in a more rural location then you will not have experience city driving. You can pass the test without having to drive faster than 40 mph. There really is not much you can do if the roads are not available, the driving test is not guaranteed to cover every area of driving and of course when you pass the test you can legally drive on a motorway without ever having had any experience of motorway driving.
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If you never drove on a fast road or in a city, go for pass plus or whatever it has called or study roadcraft. Then drive more to build confidence and experience.
There should be no excuses for bad driving or an assumption that it is okay to be timid and drive slow because you don't feel comfortable. You will be a risk to others and yourself (I am talking generally here).
I was a crap (timid) driver for a while but was determined not to be for long.
There should be no excuses for bad driving or an assumption that it is okay to be timid and drive slow because you don't feel comfortable. You will be a risk to others and yourself (I am talking generally here).
I was a crap (timid) driver for a while but was determined not to be for long.
So could there be a case for mandatory training after the test or graduated licencing? I think there is at least a case for some mandatory motorway training.
I don't know about mandatory, but insurance companies should (and I think do) offer discounts to encourage further testing. You might also wish to do it for yourself. Anyone that doesn't like driving, or feels uncomfortable at night, on fast roads, in busy areas etc, may never feel confident and have panic attacks. You either stop driving or do something to build confidence - which makes you safer. No matter how many safety aids a car can have, and how well built it is, you still want to try and preserve your own life and those of others in the car with you.
My wife is Swedish and they do far more thorough testing, which requires training for snow/ice and skid pan testing. Mind you, the UK test has improved a lot since my 25 minute test in 1991 with no theory testing or other stuff. Young drivers should, in theory, be far better prepared than I ever was.
My wife is Swedish and they do far more thorough testing, which requires training for snow/ice and skid pan testing. Mind you, the UK test has improved a lot since my 25 minute test in 1991 with no theory testing or other stuff. Young drivers should, in theory, be far better prepared than I ever was.
anthony263
Established Member
I and other pcv & hgv licence holders have to have 35 hours of tranining every 5 years most of it is classroom stuff, but surelly something like this could be done for newer drivers.
I will be out driving later this evening so i will let you know if i spot any examples of bad driving
I will be out driving later this evening so i will let you know if i spot any examples of bad driving
Save you the bother; you will!
I am all for refresher courses. I had to go every three years to refresh on basic first aid, yet I can drive forever and not even need to get an updated copy of the Highway Code to explain new laws, signs etc.
I am all for refresher courses. I had to go every three years to refresh on basic first aid, yet I can drive forever and not even need to get an updated copy of the Highway Code to explain new laws, signs etc.
GearJammer
Member
The Driver CPC is just another way of the goverment screwing money out the transport industry, i dunno why the transport industry is going along with it, they should just ignore it, what they gonna do come Sep2014? Take every truck in the country off the road..... i think not!
anthony263
Established Member
I must admit i do share your views, perhaps the eu was trying to be radical but it was never going to work in the uk, same with the new drivers hours rules.
Done my drivers cpc complete waste of time, you dont really learn anything
Didn't the examiner ask you questions on the Highway Code at the end of the test? The current theory test is easier than that as it's multi-choice and the question bank is available so you can just memorize all the questions and their answers although from next year the question bank will no longer be available.
It seems strange that if you spot the hazard early then you can end up scoring zero points.
ralphchadkirk
Established Member
Agreed. The hazards are so blatantly obvious, and, as Zoe says, if you're perceptive you can end up scoring nothing.
90019
Established Member
Because I'm under 21, I have to do the Initial CPC, which is a complete pain and a bit of a waste of time, and means I have to do extra tests as well as training so it brings the overall cost up even more. Means the whole process of getting the licence takes longer too :roll:
The theory test shouldn't be hard as it's all common sense stuff. I am not sure why you'd need to memorise the questions and answers! Yes you might pass, but what good is that?
My test was pretty simply. Eye test, driving, emergency stop, driving on roads that were 30 or 40mph max, a test of either a hill start, parallel park or reversing around a corner etc, then some basic questions and finding out if you passed or failed. Not even stopping distances, although I guess they randomise the questions.
No questions about basic maintenance or anything either.
I still failed my first test, and on my second I nearly had an accident but passed because of the quick reaction time and the way I proceeded afterwards.
Old Timer
Established Member
Unfortunately in the UK the general public see having a driving licence as a "right" rather than a privilege and as such our standards are not so high as some parts of the world - the Netherlands for example where night driving is part of the test and licences are earned.
Looking at how some people drive in the UK does make me wonder if they actually sat the test themselves or whether they got someone else to do it.
The driving test should ensure that a person meets certain basic driving skills, there are many motorists out there however who fail to demonstrate even the most basic of those skills as to call their right to hold a licence into question.
strange6
Established Member
Good idea but with tens of millions of drivers on the road, probably impossible to set-up and run
Getting other people to take a test for them was a big problem for a while. I hope they check a bit more thoroughly now!
No amount of improving a test and other associated tests (hazard perception, theory etc) is any good if someone just hands you a license illegally!
I'd be up for a refresher course, perhaps with a grading system that could highlight problems, and only take away you licence if you fall below a certain level.
No amount of improving a test and other associated tests (hazard perception, theory etc) is any good if someone just hands you a license illegally!
I'd be up for a refresher course, perhaps with a grading system that could highlight problems, and only take away you licence if you fall below a certain level.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
The first part of this reply is very good in its advice concerning roadcraft for those who live in rural areas, away from the experiance of driving in a large town or city that the majority of drivers meet on a daily basis.
The matter of driving timidity in the fact that slow driving can cause problems to other users is one that the Police are well aware of and they have been known to issue such drivers with invitations to attend their local magistrates courts to answer the charges raised by this problem.
Madge Wildfire
Member
It is even worse on some 4 lane sections of the M25 (that is - when traffic is not at a standstill). The two outside lanes are usually full of cars doing 60mph while the two inner lanes are virtually empty.
It's the same on the M1 between J25 and J28 (which I'm sure flows well more often than the M25 does!). Rightly or wrongly, you can usually make better progress by sticking in L1 and L2, especially at weekends when there's fewer HGVs in those lanes. The speed cameras associated with the variable speed limit don't help - although I understand that when NSL applies, the speed cameras either don't operate or work to a threshold above 90mph (not that I want to find out!), flow generally isn't much above 60mph as there's always folk in L3 and L4 slowing excessively for each camera - those in L1 and L2 seem more able to maintain a sensible steady speed!
OuterDistant
Member
Thank God I'm not the only one who realises this! I usually end up saying to the missus "if they'd have just carried on past, we'd all have got there a bit quicker!"
People don't even seem able to merge in turn, which allows you to keep a pretty decent speed up. Instead, everyone wants to rush ahead and brake hard, or get angry if people dare use all available road space and merge at the end. Oh no, on a 4 lane road, it's vital you all slow down to get into single file about 2 miles away from the lane closures!
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