Driving standards

[chriswright03]

That one did occur to me but to be honest I just think it is too graphic to copy and paste into here.  He was at fault but the driver of the car was convicted of dangerous driving.  Yes the driver of the car underestimated the oncoming speed but then how many people can accurately judge speed of an oncoming vehicle?  Waste of a life and a very brave decision by the family to allow it to be used.

[Coryton]

 He was at fault but the driver of the car was convicted of dangerous driving.  Yes the driver of the car underestimated the oncoming speed but then how many people can accurately judge speed of an oncoming vehicle?  

 

Especially if it's travelling considerably faster than other traffic.

[TheQ]

A similar, accident happened in Norfolk when a Porsche ran into a landrover turning into a main road. The Porsche owner was prosecuted, he was judged to have been going so fast the landrover driver could not have seen the Porsche owner coming round the corner. The landrover engine landed 20ft from the rest of the vehicle...

[Joseph_Pestell]

Now I'm sure you know there is a huge difference between a proper 4X4 and a urban kid-on 4X4 especially the more expensive ones known as Chelsea Tractors.... People who have proper 4X4s will often stop to help others where as the Muppets with their SUVs wouldn't even know how to engage difflock if it was in the middle of their dashboard!

I'm reading about members of various Landrover clubs who are out there ferrying doctors/nurses, old folk and their provisions. You won't see that from the posh 4X4 SUV brigade who think parking on the kerb is going off road.

 

Dave.

My car must be designed for numpties. The diff lock button IS in the middle of the dash.

[tamperman36]

So in the updated driving test you now have to know how to follow a satnav, however there is no thought given about teaching new drivers just how to control 1.5 ton plus of vehicle in servere weather.

 

I'm sorry officer my satnav said go straight on at the junction, I hit my brakes but with all this snow and ice I never thought it wouldn't stop, I thought my ABS would work.

[royaloak]

 

Banner repeater off, traffic signals hidden around corner are green.

Or single yellow or double yellow.

A banner repeater at 45 degrees simply means the next signal is not red.

[Mad McCann]

50% of all of us have below average skills. But all of us have to share the same roads.

 

People who in their own heads consider themselves to be highly skilled ought to be driving in a way that takes account of the inadequacies of the rest of us.

 

I have a vague memory of an ancient survey which showed that 85% of us believe we have "above average" driving skills. Suggests at least a third of road users are utterly deluded about their own incompetence.

 

Paul

 

Aye, there is a worrying amount of Dunning-Krüger out there.

When I was taking driving lessons back in the day, my instructor told me that on the road, you should always drive under the assumption that if the person in front or approaching you could create a hazard by doing something stupid, they will.

It’s a mindset that has served me well ever since. I don’t consider myself a perfect driver by any means, even now when I am what would be considered a ‘professional’, I do attempt to always drive in a safe and competent manner.

Accompanying that is accumulated experience and a good dollop of good luck.

It’s primarily about recognising your own limits and keeping within them. That recognition is what generally keeps even F1 and Rallycross drivers alive.

 

Sadly, it’s not always evident among the general motoring populace.

 

D4

[royaloak]

and they wonder why they are called organ doners https://www.facebook.com/2WRNV/videos/1528095830585667/?t=12

I would hope there is enough evidence there to prosecute the biker for dangerous driving!

[royaloak]

That one did occur to me but to be honest I just think it is too graphic to copy and paste into here.  He was at fault but the driver of the car was convicted of dangerous driving.  Yes the driver of the car underestimated the oncoming speed but then how many people can accurately judge speed of an oncoming vehicle?  Waste of a life and a very brave decision by the family to allow it to be used.

Why should the car driver be expected to anticipate a bike approaching them at 37mph above the posted speed limit unless that vehicle had flashing headlights and lit blue lights on the roof?

 

Going by the video evidence, in my opinion, in any sane society the prosecution would have failed.

[tamperman36]

When I was learning to drive my driving instructor always drilled into me to anticipate what other drivers were going to do, read the road, conditions, and positioning of other users and also be aware of vehicles behind and beside as they are the ones you can't see.

 

By the way as a driver, there's always more I can learn. I've driven various types of vehicle  both for fun and professionally.

Edited March 4, 2018 by tamperman36

[chriswright03]

I am inclined to agree with you Royal.  I thought at the time that he shouldn't have been convicted and am surprised there wasn't an appeal.  I seem to recall it was an elderly gentleman who was the driver.  As I say I doubt many could have estimated the speed of the bike and many would have taken the turn because when they first saw it they would think it was far enough away to go assuming it was near the speed limit.

[Mad McCann]

Why should the car driver be expected to anticipate a bike approaching them at 37mph above the posted speed limit unless that vehicle had flashing headlights and lit blue lights on the roof?

 .

I refer the honourable gentlemen to my instructor’s wise words in my previous post.

 

D4

[PhilJ W]

One thing I find is that many motorcyclists weave in an out of traffic. On several occasions I have spotted a motorbike that then disappears only to reappear again where least expected. Some motorcyclists also seem to be unaware that on many vehicles that the area covered by the mirrors is very limited.

[royaloak]

I refer the honourable gentlemen to my instructor’s wise words in my previous post.

 

D4

I was told the same, in fact the first words my instructor said to me were-

 

"Good morning, do you want to learn to drive or learn to pass the test"?

 

I still maintain that nobody should be driving riding that fast on a public highway so other road users shouldnt have to expect/anticipate it,there has to be alimit or nobody would  dare to turn anywhere!

 

So what you are saying is when you are driving around town you allow for other road users proceeding at twice the posted speed do you?

Edited March 4, 2018 by royaloak

[royaloak]

I am inclined to agree with you Royal.  I thought at the time that he shouldn't have been convicted and am surprised there wasn't an appeal.  I seem to recall it was an elderly gentleman who was the driver.  As I say I doubt many could have estimated the speed of the bike and many would have taken the turn because when they first saw it they would think it was far enough away to go assuming it was near the speed limit.

Possibly a case of him wanting to put the whole debacle behind him instead of going through all the rigmarole of mounting an appeal.

[Baby Deltic]

Or single yellow or double yellow.

A banner repeater at 45 degrees simply means the next signal is not red.

Ah yes, but that's the rules on the railway. My one is on the road, so my rules are different.

[Coryton]

Or single yellow or double yellow.

A banner repeater at 45 degrees simply means the next signal is not red.

 

Unless its a modern one which lights up green? (I assume that's what it means).

[Horsetan]

and they wonder why they are called organ doners

Steer clear of that kebab. You don't know where it's been.

[Mad McCann]

I was told the same, in fact the first words my instructor said to me were-

 

"Good morning, do you want to learn to drive or learn to pass the test"?

 

I still maintain that nobody should be driving riding that fast on a public highway so other road users shouldnt have to expect/anticipate it,there has to be alimit or nobody would  dare to turn anywhere!

 

So what you are saying is when you are driving around town you allow for other road users proceeding at twice the posted speed do you?

I get the point you’re making, Royal, and fair enough, but partly yes. Given some of the imbeciles and downright maniacs I see on the roads on a daily basis, I consider expecting some coked-up fruitbat to appear out of nowhere doing 90 an essential survival tool.

It generally won’t happen, but it can and does. No harm in being ready for it.

 

Probably a bit harsh, doing the old fella in that case, mind.

 

D4

[Enterprisingwestern]

I get the point you’re making, Royal, and fair enough, but partly yes. Given some of the imbeciles and downright maniacs I see on the roads on a daily basis, I consider expecting some coked-up fruitbat to appear out of nowhere doing 90 an essential survival tool.

It generally won’t happen, but it can and does. No harm in being ready for it.

 

Probably a bit harsh, doing the old fella in that case, mind.

 

D4

 

In practical terms, seeing a motor bike head on, at a distance of say a couple of hundred yards, could any of us honestly say how fast it was going?, there's not much of viewing area to accurately judge such things with a motor bike.

Most of us would assume the worst and maybe give it a moment, but obviously not everybody.

 

Mike.

[ejstubbs]

on many vehicles that the area covered by the mirrors is very limited.

 

 

In which case the drivers of such vehicles should take extra care in observing what's going on around them.  SMIDSY is no justification when it all too often means "I didn't bother looking".

 

That said, an awareness of obvious blind spots eg on HGVs is a something all road users should cultivate.

[kevinlms]

In which case the drivers of such vehicles should take extra care in observing what's going on around them.  SMIDSY is no justification when it all too often means "I didn't bother looking".

 

That said, an awareness of obvious blind spots eg on HGVs is a something all road users should cultivate.

Many modern cars aren't easy to see out of, the side windows can be quite high and so can the rear. A bad design, short people (duck's disease?) have real problems, because the angle is worse for them - fortunately that doesn't apply to me. Some cars have optional reversing cameras, especially 4x4's. 

[chris p bacon]

Many modern cars aren't easy to see out of, the side windows can be quite high and so can the rear. A bad design, 

 

 

This in part is due to the crash worthiness of the superstructure rather than design.

[Fenman]

This in part is due to the crash worthiness of the superstructure rather than design.

 

Which suggests there's an interesting trade-off here: we keep making cars safer for the occupants, but potentially less safe for the people with whom they share space (poor bloody pedestrians again).

 

I remember the NSU Ro80 - an odd car from aeons ago, but looking at photos of it now it is extraordinary how the superstructure is, basically, a greenhouse. Fantastic visibility all round. Less fun to be in in a crash, I imagine.

 

Paul

[PhilJ W]

In which case the drivers of such vehicles should take extra care in observing what's going on around them.  SMIDSY is no justification when it all too often means "I didn't bother looking".

 

That said, an awareness of obvious blind spots eg on HGVs is a something all road users should cultivate.

I am well aware of the blind spots on my car and I set my mirrors accordingly.

 

Many modern cars aren't easy to see out of, the side windows can be quite high and so can the rear. A bad design, short people (duck's disease?) have real problems, because the angle is worse for them - fortunately that doesn't apply to me. Some cars have optional reversing cameras, especially 4x4's. 

This in part is due to the crash worthiness of the superstructure rather than design.

Indeed, my car has very thick windscreen pillars that can easily hide a cyclist or motorcyclist. For that reason when at many road junctions I lean forward to check that the road is clear. The rear vision is even worse, from the interior mirror only a small area of the back window is visible, no more than about 20% and coupled with thick rear quarter panels leaves a blind spot thats wider than a motorcycle and rider, right where a motorcyclist would position himself to overtake. I wonder sometimes if drivers and motorcyclists take this into account.