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I'm writing this because I am getting sick of cars behind me driving far too close. This afternoon I had to go to manchester on the M60, coming back one van was about 10 feet behind me when I was doing 60mph. My natural reaction is just to slow down until overtaken, I figure that if he's going to crash into the back of my car it's safer at 30mph than 60!
Last week I approached a mini roundabout on the A6 , as I got on the roundabout a van came on from the left ( give way to traffic on the right is the rule ) straight across my path, the driver too busy holding (against the law) a mobile phone to his ear.
Eaelier this year approaching the traffic lights where Jubilee Rd meets Watkin Lane, a woman parked in her car on the footpath!! suddenly as I was maybe 20ft away decided to pull out and do a U turn across my path, fortunately I was slowing down for the lights but to add insult as she was going past in the opposite direction to me, she put her thumb to her nose and waggled her fingers at me.
I must confess when she had gone I roared with laughter the fingers gesture , but seriously what a bunch of plonkers we have driving on our roads now.
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It's human nature Noel, people are generally stupid. It surprises me, the number of people I see holding mobile phones to their ear while driving. I must admint to doing this a few times before the law chnaged, but i would never do it now that it's a proper offence, it's just not worth it.
Martin ~
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Until I started driving professionally (a substitute fixed-route bus driver) a month or so ago, I hadn't realized how many completely disconnected people are out there at the wheel. The number of near accidents I see in a stint of only five hours/day at the wheel is just mind-boggling.
How can anyone "not see" an 8'6" wide x 10'6" high x 35' long green and white bus? Yes, our buses are wider than yours, but we couldn't have high-bridge double-deckers, as the legal maximum height is 14'0". Since I have less than 10 passengers on my bus most of the time, that's not a problem!
Frank Damp
Anacortes, WA, USA
Frank Damp (wife Eileen, nee Nixon)
Leyland resident 1941-1965, emigrated to the US in 1968,
retired to Anacortes, Washington State, USA in 1999.
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My youngest daughter was driving a few years ago with two children in the rear in car seats. She moved to the centre of the road to turn right, and signalled.
She was hit in the rear by a car at speed, whise driver was reading his road map to see where he was.
Children were uninjured but shaken, she suffered whiplash which still bothers her.
The driver was Polish, lining in the Midlands, driving a borrowed car without Driving Licence, no insurance. The whole event was witnessed by an off-duty policeman, who assisted at the scene.
Needless to say the driver gave a false address and could not be traced, the car owners had "lent" the car to some-one they did not know, the firm, he worked for had no knowledge of him.
She got part-payment for a new car from her insurers, fought through the Courts for seven years to get minimal compensation of £3700. No prosecutions and no guilty party.
I have more horror stories of family motor accidents where they were not the guilty party, and the guilty went free. I stopped driving when my car was written off by a driver cutting across my rear having realised too late that he should have turned. British driving standards? In my opinion, there are none.
Sorry if I`ve wandered a bit from the subject, I feel very sore about it.
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According to reports on TV and in the press this week, 1 in 20 cars are not insured. The owners find it much cheaper to pay a fine (IF CAUGHT)!!! Where did I go wrong? Am I missing the point by insuring my car every year?
Jim
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No Jim you're just being a honest citizen like the rest of us on this forum. The stories we are typical of modern society. If you pay your dues you are a sucker. It's like political correctness, another expression that annoys me to distraction.
Today by the way in a 3 mile journey, I got "tailgated" by a van 6ft behind mine with the driver on his mobile phone, slowed down to 10mph at which point he passed, glaring at me, later in the journey a car must have been inches behind travelling at 40mph at the time,
then approaching a T bend got a car cutting across the front of me making a RH turn towards me. I had to slam on my brakes.
With manners like this I just wish I didn't need to drive any more. By the way Jim I'm sure I read today that people caught without insurance risk having their cars crushed. There again if the car's a banger they'll still probably take the risk.
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When I'm bugged by someone driving up my boot-something that French drivers love to do -I touch my foot lightly on the brake- it usually works.
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I remember thatsome years ago a large lorry was going down the M1 when a police car sneaked up behind him and got much too close. A good buddy on his C.B. told him he had a smokey knocking on his back door so he did an emergency stop to "avoid an animal on the road".
The result was a damaged police car, and rear bumper on the lorry. No prosecution followed as it was a "pure accident", so beware you tail-gaters, it could be you next.
There is no doubt that lane changing is the cause of many accidents. Here in the USA, we are allowed to remain in any lane to pass another vehicle. It cuts out the constant lane changing, and you do get accustomed to checking your side mirrors when you do want to change lanes. Most of the British motorways are now at least three lanes per side, there is no reason for all that lane changing.
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i am a very safe driver - martin will confirm this 
Love and LightHayley
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