Good day to you all, it has been a while since my last post, but I have been working a tutorial that is quite extensive, keep an eye out for that. Today I felt like a bit of a rant about a subject that really gets on my nerves… UK Drivers, check it out and let me know what you think in the comment section.
These days some things just simply get right up my nose. Why is it that this country has simply given up on the quality of drivers these days. What are they teaching the new drivers of the world?
Message to those who are traffic police – take note of my comments below and have your bosses do something about these ever increasing problems.
I am not say I am the worlds best driver by any stretch of the immagination. I’m not, and I make make mistakes like we all do, but not constantly. I just know how to drive, properly.
There is several things that really get my back up when I am driving the nations roads these days, below are just some of them, they are not in any particular order of preference, they are all just as equal as each other:
1. Not looking after their vehicle.
What has happened? People used to take pride in their vehicles, we used to spend a good Saturday or Sunday afternoon washing the car (or get the kids to do it – they like pocket money), and making sure everything worked on the car.
These days, people are happy to drive around in vehicles that are ready for the scrapyard, bits are missing, bits hanging off, broken lights (headlights, indicators, tail-lights, brake-lights, etc).
It is a legal requirement that if you have lights attached to your vehicle, they must work! I appreciate that things do happen, but people are more content with leaving it until the MOT (which sometimes can be a year away) – it costs you more if you have a mechanic do it, anyway.
The worst part is, the government is considering extending the cut off point for new cars before they need to start getting MOT’s it is currently at 3-Years old, they want extend it to 4-Year old… Don’t do it.
2. Not using their indicators at all or incorrectly.
This one really gets on my nerves. I have one thing to say…
!!USE YOUR FU*KING INDICATORS!!
It is not that hard, it doesn’t cost you anything, and it causes accidents when you don’t use them properly.
Little story – I used to own a Seat Ibiza Cupra Sport, it was my first car that I actually really liked and looked after it (see last rant). I was waiting to turn right out of a side road into a major highway (in the UK it means crossing one lane of traffic), I saw an Ambulance coming from my right, with his left indicator on. I thought there is no way he would get that vehicle round into the road I was sitting on with me there, as it was very narrow. It was clear left so I pulled out – the ambulance was not turning left he was driving at 40mph with his indicators on and crashed into the driver side of my car. My car was a insurance write off which meant I lost my favorite car.
It is not only dangerous for other road users, it is dangerous for pedestrians also, if they can’t see that you intend to turn they are going to walk in front of your vehicle, and then it is you who gets angry and blast your horn at them. Who’s in the wrong? You are.
One more and then we will move on. If you are going round a round-about, you are supposed to indicate ALL THE WAY ROUND, not halfway round, and ‘not indicate’ all the way round and then ‘indicate off’ the round-about – what is the point…! I have no idea what you are going to do.
3. Forcing their way in.
This one is really annoying. Why do some drivers think they simply own the road they are driving on, and think they can go where-ever they please. They put signs on poles and on the road to tell you which lane you are supposed to be in for what you are approaching with plenty of time. So why is it that some drivers simply push their way in because they don’t want to sit in traffic.
I will give you an example: Where I live, we have a two lane road, one lane is designated as No-Cars (that means no cars – is it really that hard), the other lane is for all other traffic (including cars), this road can get quite congested. People will drive down the No-Car lane simply because they can’t be bothered to wait in the traffic and then expect people to get out of the way when they want to be back in at the head of the queue, or wish to turn right at the lights. You might be using your indicators correctly (this time) but it is not on, why should I let you in when I have waited like everyone else has.
4. Driving Slow.
This section is not only about those that should have given up the car a long time ago (I am sorry – if you cannot maintain the speed of the road/traffic, when it is 40mph do 40mph not 30mph – this might be because your reactions are not as good as they used to be or you cannot see as well as you used to – get off the road)
I know someone who is 80-years old and she has finally said, I know I am slowing down and has given up the car.
This is mainly about reading the road signs and knowing what they mean. In England we have an obsession with doing 40mph in a 60mph zone, and then you wonder why people are driving so close to your back bumper. If the road is clear ahead do 60mph, some roads are impossible to overtake on, it is not like a highway.
Please read the signs and change your speed appropriately, what really gets me is that you do 40mph in a 60mph zone and then when it changes to 30mph you continue at 40mph, now you are breaking the law.
I know there is no law against doing less than the posted speed limit, as it is a maximum speed, but 20mph less is pushing it a bit far.
5. Overtaking and then slowing down.
I will be driving along at 70mph (maybe a little bit more) on a dual-carriageway or motorway (highway), someone comes up behind me, clearly doing more than the posted speed limit, pulls out to overtake, overtakes me and then pulls back into the same lane, but then slows down to below 70mph… which means I then have to overtake them.
What was the point of overtaking me then!
6. Not staying in your lanes.
They painted lines on the road for a reason. The reason, to distinguish which lane is which, and which lane you should drive in. So why is it then, that when you get to a round-about you drive straight across all lanes to go straight on… how much road do you really need?
I should leave it there but this irritation brings up another one, not using your mirrors, you are clearly not using them if you are intending to go straight on at a round-about and not noticing the car that is trying to turn right at the same round-about, and then you wonder why they have blasted their horn at you.
Another one of those irritations, of not using your lanes at round-abouts correctly.
In the UK:
- The Left Lane, is to TURN LEFT and Go Straight on. NOT TO TURN RIGHT!!!!
- The Right Lane, is to TURN RIGHT (Maybe on some to go straight on). NOT TO TURN LEFT!!!!
If the round-about has more than two exits then you should be in the right-hand lane and indicating right, and then indicate as you leave the round-about.
I am going to leave it there, because this has turned into another long post, which I did not intend it to be.
Oh go on one more… Sorry!
Lights
When it gets dark TURN ON YOUR LIGHTS!!! Guess what you will be able to see better and what’s more people can see you… is really that difficult.
I really am going to leave there, thank you for reading. Please post your comments to let me and others what you thought of the article and any other irritations that you think I have missed about driving the nations roads.
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