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| yobbie Member Since: 15 Nov 2010 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 714   
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I know exactly where your coming from, the M25 makes me laugh they widened it to 5 lanes and now no one uses lanes 1 & 2!!! Might as well just have an outside lane. As for fog lights most people seem to use the front ones with sidelights when it's sunny
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17th Apr 2013 5:19pm |
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| barbel jim Member Since: 12 Dec 2012 Location: Northants Posts: 1443 
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Crazy isn't it. Unfortunately seems the acceptable standard now. Just after the last bought of snow, whilst queuing to pay for some shopping I was listening to 2 women in front moaning about the council and how she was going to sue them as they had not gritted the road on her estate. She was driving steady, only doing 35mph when she skidded and mounted the kerb and has had a quote for £2500 for repairs. She then asked me why I was Laughing as it was not funny ???? This made me worse, but I did manage to ask what the speed limit was, and sure enough it was 30 !!!
Sums up your average British motorist quite well. |
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17th Apr 2013 5:28pm |
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| davew Member Since: 02 Jan 2012 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 888  
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Motorway driving hasn't got any worse in the last 20 years, it's only when you drive on motorways in other countries and come back that it seems that way. Lane discipline is the main problem and no small part of that is down to "self defence' on crowded routes.
Most of it comes down to the same problem you get on any road, a complete lack of observation by 80% of drivers. If it isn't in the 50 yds directly in front of them it's nothing to do with them and is of no concern. They can see the car they are approaching is also approaching a lorry in their lane and instead of pre-empting the situation and giving you room to pull out they just sit there, either completely oblivious to the situation or using the "not my problem" clause. I think a lot of the "middle lane hogs" are actually driving there because they don't have the wit to drive defensively when using the inside lane. They then get blocked in by fellow morons and decide that the best way to avoid getting blocked in is to stay in the middle lane. You can only use the inside lane (unless you are travelling really slowly) easily by being aware of what is going on around you and thinking well ahead. Making sure you can't get blocked in by moving into the middle lane well before you need to to make sure you make use of the available gaps, for example, rather than waiting until you're 10 yds away from the back of a lorry and then start looking to see if you can pull out. I practice what I consider to be defensive lane discipline, judging and monitoring the speed of vehicles approaching in the lane outside of mine and pulling out early if I think there's a likelihood that they'll be alongside me when I need to change lane. When driving a vehicle or combination that is restricted to the two inside lanes, it should be legal to shoot middle lane hogs. Sadly the police attitude is that you can stay in the middle lane or outside lane at 60MPH forever with no penalty (unless the police are late for their tea break and have 2s and blues on) but it is a capital offence to undertake said hogs because that is dangerous whereas causing congestion is OK. http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net/ |
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17th Apr 2013 5:52pm |
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| Chocolate Member Since: 18 May 2012 Location: Berkshire Posts: 153 
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Talking of the Police, I was driving down the A322 towards Bracknell this afternoon. A camera van normally parks hidden just around a bend to catch people as they accelerate out of the 50 limit to national speed limit.
The van was deep up to his axels, seems the grass verge/off road parking was a little boggy. Another police van there, both of them scratching there heads. I did laugh, thought should i turn around and go help??? The i realised they would have to close the road to pull him out and I was late for a coffee. wish I had got a photo. Best part was the camera van was so deep and at the wrong angle he couldn't use the speed trap camera..  110XS CSW TD5. |
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17th Apr 2013 6:04pm |
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| f15hie Member Since: 14 Feb 2013 Location: Kent Posts: 153 
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The thing that really gets my goat is lorries, all restricted so at the point where its down to 2 lanes you get lorry wars.
The one overtaking cant go any faster and the one being overtaken wont give way............absolute c*cks  Last edited by f15hie on 17th Apr 2013 6:45pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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17th Apr 2013 6:44pm |
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| TJ101 Member Since: 30 May 2007 Location: Taunton Somerset Posts: 3750  
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Would rather do 100km aboard, than 10 miles over here
And don't start me on the ignorant morons that cause obstruction in the middle lane California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1 Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK |
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17th Apr 2013 6:45pm |
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| yobbie Member Since: 15 Nov 2010 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 714
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I had a woman in lane 3 on the M25 approaching the A3 junction, (4 lanes there) I was gradually catching her up doing 60 in the inside lane about 10pm so no one else on the road, as I got to the exit I was going off she came across the 3 lanes and very nearly went into the side of me. When I pulled up along side her at the traffic lights, she blamed the sat nav for being in lane 3 and the fact that it only told her at the very last moment to turn off.
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17th Apr 2013 6:56pm |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328
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I think the undertaking rule should be revoked
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17th Apr 2013 7:54pm |
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| bpman Member Since: 21 May 2008 Location: Oslo Posts: 8069 
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+1 |
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17th Apr 2013 8:02pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17766 
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I believe that strictly speaking there isn't an offense of "undertaking", but you'll be done for driving without due care or similar.
Also I have never understood why people persist in talking about "the outside lane" (actually nearest the centre or inside of the motorway) and "the inside lane" (nearest the outside of the motorway)! Why not use the less ambiguous "lane 1", "lane 2" etc which always works? |
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17th Apr 2013 8:09pm |
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| waynos Member Since: 13 Jan 2013 Location: Southwater,West Sussex Posts: 15 
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I know what you mean I spent five years in Germany the autobahn is much nicer apart from the lack of lighting and cats eyes. 2000 TD5 Defender 90 Hardtop
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17th Apr 2013 8:18pm |
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| Green Machine Member Since: 19 Nov 2010 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1226 
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I think an additional problem is that motorway driving isn't a compulsory part of the driver training and test programme. The principles are covered in the theory test, but the practise is not necessarily. This means that a large number of newly qualified drivers have never had any professional instruction on how to drive on a motorway. They therefore become almost 'self-taught' an this results in a lot of the terrible lane discipline that we see so widely. You wouldn't believe the number of younger people that I have spoken to who think that the inside lane is only for lorries. Where have they got that from?? Probably from observing everyone else driving in the middle lane! And so the problem perpetuates!
My view is that driving is a skill, like playing an instrument or being good at swimming. Practice helps, but only if that practice is based on doing the correct thing. If you continually practice doing it wrong, you will continue to do it wrong. Also, like being able to play an instrument, some people have more of a natural affinity for driving than others. It seems that it is sort of assumed that everyone will make a great driver. How? That is like assuming that everyone can be a great pianist or violin player. Some people are good at it, some people aren't. Driving is largely about observation, thinking and planning ahead. I think a lot of it just comes down to the fact that many drivers simply aren't concentrating as much as they should be when they are in control of a car. Observing some of the ridiculous things that drivers do, that is the only conclusion that I can come to. Either that, or they simply don't understand the first thing about the road system and road safety. 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green |
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17th Apr 2013 8:21pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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Try towing on the UK motorways. In general terms speed limit is 60 mph and restricted to lane 1 and 2.
So what am I supposed to do with the idiots in Lane 2? Towing a laden trailer at 55 - 60 mph in Lane 1 , it is illegal for me to undertake and it is illegal to overtake by using lane 3. Also it would probably be illegal for me to move into lane 2 and 'encourage' idiot to either move into lane 1 or speed up. There are a lot of car drivers who are trying to conserve fuel by driving in lane 1 at about 53-55 mph making HGV drivers overtake them. Apart from bad lane discipline a lot of car drivers have no concept of a safety zone and drive far too close to the car in front. A moments inattention and the result is someone getting rear ended in broad daylight, dry conditions etc. In the UK the law is that we drive on the left unless overtaking! Apparently this does not apply to a lot of car drivers however. Brendan |
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17th Apr 2013 8:23pm |
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| Green Machine Member Since: 19 Nov 2010 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1226
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I've never really thought about that, but I don't see how 1, 2 and 3 helps? Surely it depends which lane you start with as number 1? I think the 'inside' and 'outside' terminology probably makes more sense for most people. Left lane, middle lane and right lane would probably be most clear, but I think a lot of people struggle with right and left. More than would let on anyway! 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green |
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17th Apr 2013 8:28pm |
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