So Finally The Middle Lane Might Be Cleared

[AgnessGP]

I think it's a good idea, as long as they had to prove it and there was guidelines not just 'officer judgement'.

Too right with the phone usage Ziggy122 a woman couldn't even steer earlier because she was trying with one hand.

However, police judgement needs stricter rules. Having the power to prosecute without proof scares me, and it happens.

 

[sludgeguts]

Compulsory dashcams for all. Offer rewards for examples of bad driving - the rewards could come out of the increased fines.
At the moment, people only behave on the roads when they think a cop car is watching them. I often see people pulled over by unmarked cars, but there simply aren't enough officers out there to deal with the problem.
Let the driving public police itself.
Knock on effect should be a reduction in insurance premiums as fraudulent claims will be reduced.

 

[sludgeguts]

Yesterday morning I was driving on the A41 dual carriageway.
I'm not sure how far it is from the M25 split to Aylesbury but two cars spent the whole time in lane 2 - even though there was hardly anything else on the roads, and the few vehicles there were, were all doing reasonable speeds - I did the whole journey at around 68 according to my gps. I didn't overtake anything & nothing came by me.
There was a huge gap between them.
As soon as they came off the M25 slip road, they assumed the position in lane 2 & stayed there!
I really cannot understand why anybody would do that.

 

[sludgeguts]

Im glad that the punishment for
Seat belts -> mobile phones -> red light jumping

Because the current punishment aint enough of a deterrent.

Make it bigger - make it more of a sting and less people should start obeying the rules

The number of people using there mobiles still while driving is still rising around where i live, see more and more people on there phones!

Ziggy

TBH, I'd like to see a crackdown on everything that contravenes the highway code. Not just those things ziggy said - but driving with defective lights (on the continent you have to carry spares & replace at the roadside) (including lights pointing everywhere but the road), removing front number plates because you think your car looks cool, messing about with your number plates so it reads completely different (the other day I saw one with an apostrophe (HE ' S 4 XXX) and one where 11 or II had become H by sticking a black screw cover between the letters), driving with fogs on when they shouldn't, showing blue lights/LEDs (or any other colour not prescribed in lighting regs) - etc.

But the way the law seems to work is that the four hours of paperwork generated for these offences simply cannot be justified by the overstretched police forces.

 

[scout]

Yesterday morning I was driving on the A41 dual carriageway.
I'm not sure how far it is from the M25 split to Aylesbury but two cars spent the whole time in lane 2 - even though there was hardly anything else on the roads, and the few vehicles there were, were all doing reasonable speeds - I did the whole journey at around 68 according to my gps. I didn't overtake anything & nothing came by me.
There was a huge gap between them.
As soon as they came off the M25 slip road, they assumed the position in lane 2 & stayed there!
I really cannot understand why anybody would do that.

Lazy?

Although on motorways the inside lane is always a rougher ride than the other two, must have something to do with the heavy lorries using it I suppose.

 

[sludgeguts]

Lazy?

Although on motorways the inside lane is always a rougher ride than the other two, must have something to do with the heavy lorries using it I suppose.

I spent some time driving ambulances & for some journeys, we were told to use the crown of the road because the position of your wheels would be on the 'less travelled' part of the road & I use that same technique nowadays when my passengers are less able (very elderly, wheelchair etc) when on country lanes (Berryfields for example ) where the sides of the road can often be breaking up.

 

[pooroldcodger]

As a former Aussie, I can say that the rules for roundabouts are EXACTLY the same as here. How the hell would a roundabout work otherwise? That woman should be shot IN FRONT OF HER FAMILY!

Ha ha!. I am wondering now why her husband hadn't put her straight? Maybe he didn't dare drive with her!

 

[pooroldcodger]

My pet hate is heavily tinted windows. Eye contact is essential for good defensive driving.

 

[306maxi]

My pet hate is heavily tinted windows. Eye contact is essential for good defensive driving.

yes and no, I find people cut me up less when I'm wearing my sunglasses, sometimes people assume that because they can see your eyes that they are OK to pull out in front of you, everyone should drive as if the other person hasn't seen them.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Maybe with your sunglasses on you look scarier? !!

Even with sunglasses on at least I can see if you have looked in my direction or not. Whilst not a guarantee of anything of course, it is helpful.
I find it unnerving say for example when I am on a roundabout and a car is approaching to enter from my left and I can't even see the driver's head to give me a clue if they have seen me or not. I was always taught to look for that by my IAM teacher.

 

[sludgeguts]

My passengers often think it funny when I talk to other drivers - even though they can't hear me because of the distance.
Driving along a main road, someone waiting to pull out. I back off the throttle & flash them, I flash them again. I then start saying "look at me", "helloOoO" etc.
When waiting to pull out, why do people look anywhere but at the vehicles coming towards them?
Of course, by the time they DO look at me, it's now too late for me to let them out safely - because I'm happy to ease up to create a gap for them to slip into but damned if I'm going to stop.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Because they are so shocked that somebody has the courtesy to think that with just a slight decrease in my speed I can let them out safely and keep the traffic moving. They just don't expect such un-selfishness, unfortunately. How many times do you see a traffic jam being caused by one person waiting to turn right, and the traffic coming towards the person waiting to turn could easily let the car turn but very few bother, and in my experience (puts tin hat on at this point) women are worse. I can't remember ever being allowed to turn across by a woman in those circumstances. It is usually lorries that do it.

 

[Dominion]

As a former Aussie, I can say that the rules for roundabouts are EXACTLY the same as here. How the hell would a roundabout work otherwise? That woman should be shot IN FRONT OF HER FAMILY!

In India (or at least Goa) traffic on a roundabout gives way to traffic joining. Absolutely shambolic. Since I was touring the place on an old Enfield I thought it wise to research what passes as their highway code.

 

[pooroldcodger]

The Indian Highway Code is a bit like China's.
Simples!
Lorry gives way to tank
Bus gives way to lorry
Car gives way to bus
motorbikes give way to cars
Bicylcles give way to motorbikes
pedestrians give way to everybody.
And if in doubt, hoot.

 

[SeanW]

I was under the impression it was more a case of praying to which ever deity you believe for guidance and hope for the best?

 

[pooroldcodger]

That's only if all the above have failed!
The worrying thing amongst a lot of drivers in India especially is the idea that if you die in a vehicle crash then it is fate, not any of the usual reasons that we would consider. So basically it doesn't matter how bad a driver you are, if your number's up, then it's up.
It's quite ironic that there are call centres in India calling people in the UK asking them about an accident and if they have made a claim. They must look out of the window (if they have any) and think, why aren't we just working the local market?! It would be very busy if the same "rules" applied for compensation as we now have here!

 

[sludgeguts]

Because they are so shocked that somebody has the courtesy to think that with just a slight decrease in my speed I can let them out safely and keep the traffic moving. They just don't expect such un-selfishness, unfortunately. How many times do you see a traffic jam being caused by one person waiting to turn right, and the traffic coming towards the person waiting to turn could easily let the car turn but very few bother, and in my experience (puts tin hat on at this point) women are worse. I can't remember ever being allowed to turn across by a woman in those circumstances. It is usually lorries that do it.

How many times do I get stuck in a queue behind someone waiting to turn right - but failing to position themselves properly? I wonder if they believe that by holding all the traffic up behind them on a busy road, it might encourage someone to let them cross?
If I'm a car or two back from those waiting to cross, I always signal my thanks to the driver who lets them cross - after all, you've just saved me an age of waiting.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Sludge - you and me both! It's nice to be acknowledged when you do that, but it's very rare unfortunately.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Those who can't / don't possition properly for right hand turns where they can do in a manor to let others past should also be clouted with £100 fine and 3 points IMO.

 

[The Beard]

I thought it could be covered by "driving without due care and attention" or existing laws relating to "careless / dangerous driving".

I guess those required the lengthy and costly paperwork / court case?

If a collision occurs because one driver hits the other from behind, or one vehicle pulls out in front of another, or overtakes where there is insufficient visibility, a conviction for Driving Without Care & Attention (CD10) is almost guaranteed. But prosecuting for, as an example, tailgating can be open to interpretation, and therefore arguable in Court, which is expensive and can clog up the Magistrates. There's quite a widely held belief that as cars, tyres and brakes have got better, stopping distances have come down. Which is probably true, what hasn't improved though is the ability of the drivers to react more quickly. The same is true with centre lane hoggers, or, as they're also known, Members of the Centre Lane Owners' Club. I've often heard people describe a motorway as containing a "Slow Lane", a "Middle Lane" and a "Fast Lane" which is plainly nonsense, as we know, because they're all fast.