Bad driving habits

[noel]

It seems the norm now to overtake in any lane on the motorway. You aren't supposed to do it but that doesn't seem to matter, neither does chatting on the mobile phone nor driving 2 feet behind the car in front.
Wherever I can I am going to try to avoid motorways in future or stick to the inside lane if I have to go on one.
Hayley are you sure he'll do that?:-)

[Spitfire]

Hayley, I was going to make a witty comment about lady drivers, but as it`s akin to sticking ones head into a lions mouth I decided that discretion is definitly the better part of valour (or so the saying goes).
Noel, If you feel so badly about the standard of motorway driving then you have probibly given yourself the best advise and to leave them alone as much as possible.
Yesterday I had to leave the M60 at Sale and turn right across six lanes of traffic. Under normal conditions this is no problem - yesterday THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WERE OUT!!! Anyone who knows this junction won`t need me to explain any further.

[Hayleypink]

i will admit to being a bad parker - but driving i can do well and safely!!! just dont ask me how many times i had to take my driving test!

[brian]

I read an interesting article in the Sunday papers this weekend about a Scandinavian town which was experimenting with removing white lines, traffic lights and other motoring signs. The result has been to make drivers more careful. We had a similar situation in Knaresborough when the traffic lights were out of order; the traffic moved far more smoothly than normal.
Regards to all,
Brian (philosopher?)

[William R]

In the army a few weeks when "they" taught me how to drive, (1945).

Posted to London and given a car to drive, a 21hp Wolselely Saloon which had been comandeered from a local authority. My first trip into the city showed me and the officer in the car, that being able to drive a 6 ton Dodge truck and a Guy Ant round the quiet Berkshire lanes, was not learning to drive.

Result - a concentrated driving course at Hendon for three weeks, including nightschool and night driving. I got a very nice commendation after the final exam and the Inspector i/c the Course told me " Now you can drive correctly".

Never forgot it, and very thankful for 55 years without any trouble.

My family all drive, and all I can say is, I`ll never make a back seat driver, so carry on you drivers, we always used to say there was plenty of room in front. Happy motoring!

[Martin]

quote:

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Originally posted by noel
It seems the norm now to overtake in any lane on the motorway. You aren't supposed to do it but that doesn't seem to matter

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I have noticed on most motorways, people generally follow lane discipline, but on the M25 all that changes and any lane goes. I heard that in America, you can overtake in any lane and on the M25 it certainly helps, or perhaps we change personality once we get towards London.quote:

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i am a very safe driver - martin will confirm this

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Confirm what?

[noel]

quote:

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i am a very safe driver - martin will confirm this

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Confirm what?
[/quote]
I think there was a silent "or else" built in that statement of Haley's Martin.[]

[Hayleypink]

noel - thanks for noticing!

[LDunlop76]

I was listening to the radio the other day and they reminded listeners (with a few cautionary tales from those who have been caught) that "undertaking" is illegal no matter how great the provocation. I have occasionally undertaken on the motorway when someone has been hogging the outside lane doing 60 mph with nothing in the middle lane, but I'd worry about being prosecuted now.

Noel, my pet hate is tailgaters too. I usually wash my windscreen - if they're too close, their windscreen gets wet too and they have to use their wipers. However many don't take this little hint so I touch the brakes. Did this to a particularly annoying woman the other Monday morning on my way to work and watched in my rear view mirror as she nearly swallowed her cigarette when she had to brake in a hurry! <g>

I wish the police would pull more people up for their bad driving habits. There was talk on the programme I heard of having "courtesy patrols" on the road, but with police funds being tight, I doubt it will ever come to anything.

[William R]

Not quite about bad driving, but recently we went to Meadowhall Shopping Centre to find it flooded with police in bright yellow jackets. Nothing was wrong, we discovered, they were there to get used to being in the public eye - they were all probation constables ready to go to their new duties. Would this be the last time we saw them, I wonder? Except at Home football matches maybe.