What's with car drivers today!

[fraserdog]

I set out this morning for a day out on my Zephyr 1100,i got to the next village from me and an old lady pulled straight out in front of me,she pulled out so slowly I had to come to a complete halt in the road.On my return journey home doing 60-70 mph on an A road I see a car waiting to pull out,i look in my mirror and nothing behind me so assume he's going to wait till I pass,wrong,pulls straight out in front of me so more evassive action req'd! I stop at a mates for a cuppa and then set off for home,i come up behind a boy racer in a Corsa with carlos fandango wheels and a stereo to wake the dead I indicate to pass him and he sticks his foot down and tries to out run me so I just let him go as I just can't be bothered what with the numpties I've encountered during the day so off he goes belching smoke and wibbly wobbling all over the road until we reach a set of double S bends at which point I catch him up and decide to leave him behind on the exit to the bends,what does he do but pull to opposite side of the road to stop me passing until he meets oncoming traffic so I shoot through and think that's that but no,as I enter my village at 30mph I look in the mirror and there he is 10ft from my back wheel so I keep him at 30mph until I turn off up my drive.I don't know what the f++k was wrong with car drivers today but I was just glad to be home in one piece.

 

[Mervin]

They arte tosspots that need teaching a driving licence is a privilege they have earned and it can be taken away , not a god given right , and they need to leanr respect for all other road users , this seems to apply to old and young drivers , good drivers that repsect other road users seem to be getting fewer and fewer by the week in this country, it is time for restrictions on youngsters in cars like bikes , first move would be to limit them to 900cc cars and 50 mph until they have had 2 years experience i reckon, and also 10 year driving assessments for all , not necessarily taking their licenses away but make sure they have read up on the highway code and have respect for other road users , and recommend retraining if they are not up to scratch

 

[Trada]

Totally agree with the re training every so often. Most people as soon as they pass the test forget everything they have learned. As for respect for other drivers, lots of people have no respect for anything these days. Maybe I'm getting old but the younger generation are not trained how to respect anything from birth. They live in a throw away society and think the world owes them everything they want.
I am a professional driver and drive for a living and the lack of respect and bad driving everyday. Driving up a narrow street the other day a car turns into the street and continues to drive straight at me and gives me the finger for not pulling over and allowing him past. Passing a stationary car that pulls away from the curb, no indicators, so we are both side by side at the road end and he wants to turn right. Cars in the left lane at roundabouts that want to turn right. Windows closed and radios that loud they can't hear the ticking of indicator warning swung reminding there indicators have been on for the last 10 minutes.
Mirrors don't exist their cars and they can only see the tarmac 6 feet in front of them, if it's empty they have to occupy it.
Anyway rant over, stay safe out there.

 

[fraserdog]

What I couldn't get my head around was that the lad intentionally pulled to the offside carriageway to stop me passing.I drive a company van with a speed limiter and with all the technology available nowadays I reckon young drivers should have a limiter fitted in there cars and a sticker on the boot letting the coppers and other people know for the first couple of years after there test until they've gained some sort of experience cos this kid didn't have a clue.

 

[nigelphoto]

. . . . and recommend retraining if they are not up to scratch

As it happens I participated in a BikeSafe Rideby 5 training course run by the Staffordshire Police yesterday, as I have only recently returned to biking after a 12 year gap. It was extremely useful and I learnt an enormous amount. The first 45 minutes is an interactive video presentation and discussion (two participants and two m'cycle Police) and afterwards a 45 minutes 1-on-1 assessment covering urban as well as out-of-town A and B roads. The WPC who did my assessment was on a VFR and was very professional and very helpful, giving me excellent feedback without being at all patronising. I did OK except for a couple of faults - I don't use my back brake enough (habit left over from m'cycle racing in the dim distant past) and the most serious one was I never did the 'lifesaver' check over my shoulder at junctions etc. However skilful you think you are, you will always learn something on a course like this and it could save your life - Recommend

PS Its free!!

 

[steveR]

Trada, that's not a rant, it is a worryingly accurate assessment of too many drivers on the road.

And don't even start me about tinted windows where the driver can't see out after dusk and you have no idea if he/she is looking at you as they go to pull out....

 

[TopBuzz99]

. . . . and recommend retraining if they are not up to scratch

As it happens I participated in a BikeSafe Rideby 5 training course run by the Staffordshire Police yesterday, as I have only recently returned to biking after a 12 year gap. It was extremely useful and I learnt an enormous amount. The first 45 minutes is an interactive video presentation and discussion (two participants and two m'cycle Police) and afterwards a 45 minutes 1-on-1 assessment covering urban as well as out-of-town A and B roads. The WPC who did my assessment was on a VFR and was very professional and very helpful, giving me excellent feedback without being at all patronising. I did OK except for a couple of faults - I don't use my back brake enough (habit left over from m'cycle racing in the dim distant past) and the most serious one was I never did the 'lifesaver' check over my shoulder at junctions etc. However skilful you think you are, you will always learn something on a course like this and it could save your life - Recommend

PS Its free!!

I've done the odd bit of offroad over the last 12 years or so Nigel, but it's only the last few months that I've been out on the road regularly on 2 wheels again after being on 4...

Common enough I guess, planning to get another bike 'soon' becomes a decade or more, and when you do get round to it things have got a bit rusty

My boy did his CBT recently, and he's sharper than me in reflexes and speed of course at 16, if not common sense and defensive skills,... the place he did his CBT do a 'rusty rider' day course for people biking after a long break, but I've pretty much got a lot back over the last few months (I hope).

I was always a lifesaver freak, still do it in a car, but things like back braking etc. I reckon a critical eye at my bad habits wouldn't hurt

 

[Rubberchicken]

I nearly got whacked this morning. Got green light, pull away, I'm in the middle of the intersection when some git in a Saab comes blazing through his red light at clearly more than the 30 mph limit and then with 4 screaming tyres stops in exactly the spot I had just vacated.

That'll wake you up in the morning...

 

[TopBuzz99]

Ohh, that cold shivery thing - difficult to explain a noradrenaline plus regular adrenaline hit I guess? Feel a bit vomity, tight hairs all down the spine and a sense of surrealism...

 

[skipper]

the roads are getting worse - Apart from the growing selfish attitudes in this country, I think its the lack of enforcement on the roads due to the dependence on cameras , not too sure that i would welcome plod back on the beat but people are free to drive idiots with little chance of prosecution and they are beginning to realize this.

 

[Rubberchicken]

I don't think there's much realisation going on, just natural decay.

Yesterday I was mainly stuck behind a lot of really slow people. The kind that does 10 below the limit just to be safe and brakes for crossing wildlife, such as insects, pebbles, trees, very slight corners, people well inside their front yards. In other words, the kind that brakes. All. The. Time... And at the oddest places too. Nearly coming to a stop in front of a turn makes some sort of sense. Doing the same just coming out of one is a bit more unexpected.

Harmless as such, but bloody annoying. Must be the time of year. Ofcourse the Vauxhall Agila and flat cap were a dead giveaway too.

Just the thing you want when you're stuck in a goretex suit on a sunny day.

 

[Elle]

I have days when it feels like every driver seems to be out to get me, it can ruin a nice day out. One time, I went back home - I wasn't sure whether it my own state of mind or the grim reaper was playing games.
Trust your instincts, ride safe, stay safe

 

[TopBuzz99]

I have days when it feels like every driver seems to be out to get me, it can ruin a nice day out. One time, I went back home - I wasn't sure whether it my own state of mind or the grim reaper was playing games.
Trust your instincts, ride safe, stay safe

There's a local road, a regular street that I don't like driving a car down, and I've never ridden a bike along. Something about it gives me a 'wrong' feeling although I've never had a close shave or even seen any probs on it. Maybe it's just the 'pool player's' instinct that the angles (i.e. junctions) and layout aren't good, or something, and it's the back of my mind telling my conscious mind to avoid it?

Weird though, I guess - an instinct thing, like you mentioned.

 

[Mervin]

12 miles back from a bike night at bude last night , nearly got taken out twice , first stupid cow did not even look as she pulled out luckily it was in a 30 mph and i saw she was going to do it , she pulled out and went a 40/ 50 trough the rest of the 30 mph to try and get away from me , so i just followed , I hops she shit herself , then driving through another village a lazy cow pulls straight out of a parking place in front of me without looking and pulls into one 30 yards down he road , so she would not have to walk 30 yards to get her Pizza i assume

 

[TopBuzz99]

It's not just the cars, I guess? This morning had a youngster on a 125 pull straight out of a side road in front of me - 'looked' right at me and proceeded out anyway, he looked like he was goingto though, so no surprise there...

On the way home this evening, some yuppie scum in a Beemer (car) straight out of a side road, turning right into stationary traffic, obviously couldn't join the lane and blocked my way, again, thought the twat might do, and he did, so no surprise there either.

It's not like most here are on small bikes ( forum name gives it away, really ) - the US Air Force would love what makes our bikes 'invisible' so they could use it in their stealth fighters!

 

[Mpj]

It's not just the cars, I guess? This morning had a youngster on a 125 pull straight out of a side road in front of me - 'looked' right at me and proceeded out anyway, he looked like he was goingto though, so no surprise there...

On the way home this evening, some yuppie scum in a Beemer (car) straight out of a side road, turning right into stationary traffic, obviously couldn't join the lane and blocked my way, again, thought the twat might do, and he did, so no surprise there either.

It's not like most here are on small bikes ( forum name gives it away, really ) - the US Air Force would love what makes our bikes 'invisible' so they could use it in their stealth fighters!

Sadly the behaviour you describe is familiar. Car drivers around here don't seem to look full stop let alone see bikes; the new trend seems to be looking left whilst pulling out of a side road to turn right.

 

[Alba]

Just back in from a spin and cutting through some towns I was struck by the speed drivers approach junctions and slam on the anchors. I was never sure if they were going to stop, very little observation as they approach so adds to my concern. Keeps your eyes peeled :0