Not wanting to be outdone...

[Helz]

I've also had a bit of a bash! I was driving home from work and a Ford Focus was tailing me a leetle bit toooooooooo close. So when I slowed from 40 to 30 coming into the 30 zone for my village, you guessed, it, he went into the back of me - no damage done but for a small scratch thank god. I didn't stop or there might have been some damage done to his/ her face. Then just to even it up I bumped into a trolley bay in Asda this morning and scratched the front end :I.

I hope everyone else is recovering from their bumps/ near misses, didn't want to hijack your threads.

 

[Donz]

what is it this month, everyone is in the wars!

glad it wasn't too serious Helz!

- - Donz - - ​

 

[arc]

i woulda stopped and t*atted him [!]


Cinq Sporting - and yes, its broom yellow!

 

[The Negotiator]

I won't start a new topic but I have had a few near misses too: Been driving since Friday June 13th 2003 so not long but it seems as if danger follows me( i swear I am not the cause!)

I did my pass plus during the summer and that had been my first drive on the motorway. It was the week (or weekend?) when the weather was so hot that the trains had to be limited to speed to prevent buckling etc. My girlfriend and I were going to an open day at Sheffield University and were going by train but I persauded dad to let me drive his Scenic (1.9 dti ) instead to avoid the train problems. My real reason was because I really wanted to go on the motorway - a feeling I am sure many of you can emphasise with being a new driver.

Anyway, everything had been fine, good drive, no problems then on the way back down the M1 we were a bit peckish so dropped into a service station, had a bite to eat then got back on the motorway.

Bearing in mind I had only come on motorway slip roads about 8 times or so at this point I wasn't that good. I came down, got up to speed, check back and there is a huge low loader lorry coming. I judge that I don't think I should go infront so brake and wait for it to come past. I am not quite sure at this point but I believe it may have also braked to let me in but didn't flash etc. and I wasn't exactly looking back too much at his speed. So there is me going down one of those pitifully short slip roads out of a service station and having to wait for a mile long lorry to go past by which point I am doing something like 30mph and out of slip road a few metres onto the hard shoulder then finally pull in behind him.

If i had gone I am sure he would have gone up my ass so hard I would never have remembered. If I hadn't had slowed down so much as early I would have been half way home on the hard shoulder before I got on.

The excess when I was driving that was £500 (Being 17!) so I am fairly glad it went ok.

Now I hate slip roads in any form! I keep thinking of that long low loader slowly slowly coming along side of me and having nowhere to go!

Sorry about your problems Helz, what an idiot, I bet he was so surprised when you slowed from 40 to 30 as you came to the 30 sign.

Paul

 

[Helz]

That's OK pghstochaj, I know just how you feel. I've been driving since Sept and although I go on the motorway a lot (I live right next to it and have to go on it to get anywhere) i still have some hairaising moments. I once had the same thing as you, but the guy was in my blind spot and only saw him as I did a final check over my shoulder, then chose the opposite option and put my foot down and went for it (braking from 70 to 0 in the rain wasn't really an option) and luckily outran him (phew!).

How's your motorway driving going now? And does Dad still let you out in his beeeeeg car?

I agree as well that it came as no bloomin' surprise to evil Focus driver - it's one of those really obvious 30 zones with HUGE signs, red strip across the road and the police like to sit in the turnoff just past it to catch twits like him/ her.

 

[The Negotiator]

I know the type of road, one on the way to my grandfathers and everytime I go down it - although it does go from 60 to 30 through a village - if I have someone behind me I have to be so careful because I guess a lot of people do 60 through it.

Well, unfortunately, for me to be on his put his insurance up from 180 to 800 a year (oops!) so I am not on it anymore but have a M reg Uno for cheapness (which still costs me 890) but unfortunately churchill would only cover me if I ONLY drive the Uno and unlike most policies I am not covered third party to cover other cars. This is getting very annoying as I seem to often have the need to drive other cars but I am not one to break the law and hence don't.

In terms of motorway driving, I have hardly done any since. Not out of being too scared but just not needing to. I have never been on the motorway in my Uno. I am not sure how well it would take it and most long distances for me seem to better done on the trains. All my Uni visits/interviews were in places that wouldn't really offer much car parking so trains was the only option for that.

I maybe should have floored it - plenty of poke in that engine! - but I am a person who always "eerrrrs" on the cautious side.

I have to say that driving the Scenic is a totally different world from a "normal car". The extra height is only about a foot I would say but it gives you so much extra visability. I remember doing my pass plus in my instructors Corolla and for the first 10 minutes I felt like I couldn't see a thing. Probably the same with the multipla (?) but I only say this because many people won't like me talking about other marque's cars solely!

I guess that is why people like driving 4x4's but I personally wouldn't want to. If you ever get the chance, do so, it is a much nicer experience in my opinion but then again I don't know what you drive?

Regards
Paul

 

[dave]

Most polices won't let you drive other cars until you are 21.

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[dave]

never rely on your mirors when using motorways. look over your sholder as often as you can don't wait until you get to the end, this helps you adjust speed so you can filter in easly.

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Please do not Email or PM me asking for support. Post on the forums instead. Your reply may help someone else. Thank you

 

[Helz]

I know Dave, and I would have been fine only my blind spot experience was where you join the A74 'Cumberland Gap' at Gretna - short, steep bit of slip road, traffic whizzing down the M74 without realising it's about to close to 2 narrow lanes; then everyone moving swiftly to the left lane, still doing silly speeds. The sooner they sort it out the better - it's terrifying even when you use it everyday because you can't see, you just have to chance it [:0].