Driving standards

[Baby Deltic]

One of the most epic life saving runs, was the liver run featured on Police Stop!  Stanstead airport to west London via the city centre in a V8 SD1 in under 30mins on a Friday Lunchtime..

 

If you don't want the build up the serious action starts about 8 mins. in.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap-pUaxDVsk

Commentary by TV's very own Mr Smug himself.

[newbryford]

People get into a tither because they think that a life is at stake in the ambulance and they really want to help. It is not pleasant if you're sat at a red light with an ambulance wailing and flashing behind you when you could just pull through the red and let it through. Waiting for the green light is the law still.

 

 A mate of mine heard the sirens of a fire engine, couldn't see it but pulled across the entrance of a small park to let it past so he thought, only for the fire engine to administer a t-bone to his Chevette. The fire engine was coming out of the park! 

 

Agreed, but this is where there's a legal v moral argument. Who wants to hold up the blue lights that may be going to save someone's life?

As you say not pleasant at lights to hold up the blues - even more so when there's 2 or 3 other cars behind honking at you to go forward, so they can get out of the way also.

 

I had a discussion with a driving test examiner about crossing a stop line with blues and two behind. Although they know it is illegal to pass a stop line at a red light, they would take each case upon it's own merit and if necessary advise the learner on test if it was safe to move forward over the stop line to allow progress of the blue lights.

 

As much as learners should be prepared for every eventuality, trying to find convenient emergency vehicles to practise and gain experience with how to deal with them with isn't easy...………….

 

Biggest problem with blues and twos is that people freeze and do not realise that their actions can have bigger repercussions. Such as just pulling in badly and/or stopping too soon and causing vehicles between it and the emergency vehicle having problems.

 

It's been on here before, but worth repeating for those that didn't see it about 50 or more pages back......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU

[peanuts]

One of the most epic life saving runs, was the liver run featured on Police Stop! Stanstead airport to west London via the city centre in a V8 SD1 in under 30mins on a Friday Lunchtime..

 

If you don't want the build up the serious action starts about 8 mins. in.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap-pUaxDVsk

iirc the breaks on the sd1 were cooked at the end of that run

[PhilJ W]

Having of necessity had to ride in several ambulances over the past month (elderly relatives in very poor health) it has come as a real eye opener just how stupidly so many drivers in all classes of vehicles 'act up' around them. Much worse than what I see behind the wheel of a private car. I would have hoped that of all vehicles on the road, even the worst lamebrain driver might realise that there's rather more than themselves 'getting there on time' (or whatever the motivation is) when it comes to an ambulance with its blue lights on.

Only Saturday I was waiting in a slow moving queue of traffic when a paramedic car on blues and twos came up behind the queue. Drivers in the queue pulled into the kerb to give the paramedics room. I was alongside a traffic island but there was plenty of room for the car in front of me to pull forward so that I would be clear of the island. Instead though he just pulled into the kerb trapping me alongside the island meaning that the paramedic had to pass outside the island.

[StuAllen]

One of the most epic life saving runs, was the liver run featured on Police Stop! Stanstead airport to west London via the city centre in a V8 SD1 in under 30mins on a Friday Lunchtime..

 

If you don't want the build up the serious action starts about 8 mins. in.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap-pUaxDVsk

First time I watched this was about 20 years ago with 2 Sussex Police traffic officers, they were running a series of evening classes on advanced driving, they were using it as a training aid, it was interesting listening their commentary on it, the red car turning right at the lights that balked the first car was European (Italian I think) so when they moved further to the right to get out of the police cars way they were doing what was natural to them in an emergency even though it was the wrong thing to do.

 

The culmination of the evening classes was a demonstration drive in a marked Siera XR4x4 - they were allowed to treat national speed limits as open ended as it was a training drive, they were seriously quick drivers, but felt safe and controlled at all times.

 

The Rover SD1 was my favourite police car though (if you can have such a thing) just looked cool.

[duncan]

A friend of mine used to be the top grade of police driver & the only times he drove at 150 mph + was on organ transfer on the M74, when a helicopter was not available.  Usually 2 cars, 1st clearing a route & 2nd with organ.  I think the car clearing the route was probably going faster as it sometimes was passed & then had to get to the front again. 

 

I think he had to carry a patient & paramedic once, as the helicopter was not available & an ambulance too slow.  Not sure what it was, where speed was more important than full medical care.

[Giles]

A few years ago I was part of a charity Motorcycle ride from London to Bury St Edmunds, and we had a MET police escort all the way. It as a quite an experience, and they are spectacularly good and safe riders...

 

 

(there was about 2 hrs of video in all...)

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Having of necessity had to ride in several ambulances over the past month (elderly relatives in very poor health) it has come as a real eye opener just how stupidly so many drivers in all classes of vehicles 'act up' around them. Much worse than what I see behind the wheel of a private car. I would have hoped that of all vehicles on the road, even the worst lamebrain driver might realise that there's rather more than themselves 'getting there on time' (or whatever the motivation is) when it comes to an ambulance with its blue lights on.

When I posted this I failed to make clear just what type of location I was referring to. Some 'fumbling' on crowded urban roads and junctions is to be expected; but the incidents that got my goat were on motorway or dual carriageway. Three cars ahead in the overtaking lane all neatly pull over into inside lane, excellent. HGV driver ahead of them promptly moves into the overtaking lane, still a hundred metres or more behind what is ahead in the inside lane. Motorcyclists weaving around to overtake the ambulance, white van man apparently unable to choose a lane or signal intention. And as for whoever was in the Porsche Coyote,  alternately flooring throttle and brake but quite unable to find the necessary mile of road space required to move the vehicle into the inside lane...

[Emmo]

You forgot to mention 4x4 drivers, BMWs and cyclists.

Watch this space.

 

Cyclists? Don't get me started!!!!!

[newbryford]

Cyclists? Don't get me started!!!!!

 

Already done -many times. 

 

Insert any of the below in place of cyclists.

 

 Volvos, BMWs, trucks, Audis, pedestrians, white vans, females, males, Mercs, boy racers, middle lane hoggers, verge drivers, slow drivers, fast drivers, 4x4s, people, learners, motorbikes, minicabs, buses, non-UK registered, etc etc.............

[Enterprisingwestern]

Already done -many times. 

 

Insert any of the below in place of cyclists.

 

 Volvos, BMWs, trucks, Audis, pedestrians, white vans, females, males, Mercs, boy racers, middle lane hoggers, verge drivers, slow drivers, fast drivers, 4x4s, people, learners, motorbikes, minicabs, buses, non-UK registered, etc etc.............

 

Is there a prize for whoever fits into the most of those categories?

 

Mike.

[ejstubbs]

Is there a prize for whoever fits into the most of those categories?

 

Mike.

 

The overwhelming majority of us are going to fall in to the fifth category on that list.

Edited August 15, 2018 by ejstubbs

[newbryford]

Is there a prize for whoever fits into the most of those categories?

 

Mike.

 

I did have a mental "tick box" list for worst drivers (IMO) and one of them was "Yorkshire registration".

The most I got to was 5

[TheQ]

I did have a mental "tick box" list for worst drivers (IMO) and one of them was "Yorkshire registration".

The most I got to was 5

That would be Londoners around here, All up visiting their Holidays homes in their BMW / Audi /Lexus/ Porche (4x4 of course) Who haven't a clue how to drive on narrow or Single track roads..

[kevinlms]

Parking sign in Sydney, would you park here?

 

Note the typo, which would probably get you off a fine!

 

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/08/who-needs-clear-and-easily-understandable-parking-signs-anyway/

[brianusa]

Probably mentioned before but due to all the rules, regulations and laws involved in driving in the UK, it is a minefield in which it is easy to fall foul of one of them.  Although passing the UK driving test years ago, it is difficult for an expat to keep aware of everything since so its press on regardless and hope for the best.  So far in my travels, I have not garnered any tickets that I know of but I have a feeling more by luck than anything else.  In the US we have similar driving situations but things are more straightforward here as any visitor can attest to.  When I come home on holiday, I feel fortunate that I have some basic idea driving on the other side, but feel sorry for the first time novice.

 

Brian.

[Horsetan]

This could be some of us when we're older:

 

[newbryford]

Just look at videos of Ashland in VA, USA, for similar occurrences.

[caradoc]

No doubt a very unpleasant experience for the old lady, but how unobservant do you have to be, or how poor is your eyesight, to a) not know that you are on a railway level crossing, b) turn off the road onto a railway line comprising ballast, sleepers and rails rather than tarmac, and c) continue driving along said railway line ?

[runs as required]

 

I've often driven over those Metro crossings and the lower Google street view of Bankfoot shews how they differ in detail treatment including the road markings compared to the National network - particularly as there are no barriers  .

I suggest it would be quite easy to imagine you are on the crossing to turn right (or left coming the other way) to enter that access road to Bankfoot station - seen on the right edge.

dh

Edited August 16, 2018 by runs as required

[Jol Wilkinson]

The story of the "lost driver" puts me in  mind of a close neighbour who finally gave up driving at the age of 72, not old by many peoples standards. Her family had tried to persuade her to give up for several years. She was, quite simply, not aware of her surroundings while diving. Her once pristine (when she bought it s/h) Peugeot 206 had only one undamaged panel - the roof - when she  finally wrote it off pulling out of a roundabout into the path of another vehicle. "The car has had an accident" she told us, placing the blame on the inanimate object!

[Enterprisingwestern]

Probably mentioned before but due to all the rules, regulations and laws involved in driving in the UK, it is a minefield in which it is easy to fall foul of one of them.  Although passing the UK driving test years ago, it is difficult for an expat to keep aware of everything since so its press on regardless and hope for the best.  So far in my travels, I have not garnered any tickets that I know of but I have a feeling more by luck than anything else.  In the US we have similar driving situations but things are more straightforward here as any visitor can attest to.  When I come home on holiday, I feel fortunate that I have some basic idea driving on the other side, but feel sorry for the first time novice.

 

Brian.

 

The thing that confused me when, in the past, I drove in America was that different states had variations on driving regulations, speed limits, radar cameras etc used to differ between adjoining states, not like the national rules I was used to in the UK.

 

Mike.

[ejstubbs]

Probably mentioned before but due to all the rules, regulations and laws involved in driving in the UK, it is a minefield in which it is easy to fall foul of one of them.

 

Being aware of the regulations which govern the use of your vehicle it is supposed to be part of the responsibility one accepts in return for the privilege of being allowed to drive a large, polluting wheeled vehicle which represents a significant hazard to more vulnerable road users.  The alternative, should you not wish to accept that responsibility, is to walk, cycle, or use public transport (or ride a horse, I suppose, though the peripheral infrastructure to support that as a general mode of transport is largely non-existent these days).

 

Driving is not a right.  That's why the law requires you to be licensed in order to do it.  Far too many drivers seem to lose sight of this fact not long after being awarded said license.  And IMO far too few have the privilege suspended or revoked when they fail adequately to fulfil their side of the bargain ie to exercise the privilege granted to them in a responsible manner, with due consideration and respect for other road users, and in compliance with the law.

 

In the US we have similar driving situations but things are more straightforward here as any visitor can attest to.

 

Having driven in the US a fair few times, I would disagree with that.  The rules relating to the four-way stop - which even most Americans seem to have difficulty articulating - would be one example of something which just doesn't exist over here.  (The nearest equivalent would probably be an unmarked crossroads.  The Highway Code says that at such junctions no-one has priority - so the only way to get through them is to proceed with caution and be prepared to stop.)  Lane discipline is also very different in the US cf the UK and Europe.

 

The fact that you find driving in the US straightforward is, I suspect, likely simply due to your familiarity with it.

[Reorte]

Being aware of the regulations which govern the use of your vehicle it is supposed to be part of the responsibility one accepts in return for the privilege of being allowed to drive a large, polluting wheeled vehicle which represents a significant hazard to more vulnerable road users.  The alternative, should you not wish to accept that responsibility, is to walk, cycle, or use public transport (or ride a horse, I suppose, though the peripheral infrastructure to support that as a general mode of transport is largely non-existent these days).

 

Driving is not a right.  That's why the law requires you to be licensed in order to do it.  Far too many drivers seem to lose sight of this fact not long after being awarded said license.  And IMO far too few have the privilege suspended or revoked when they fail adequately to fulfil their side of the bargain ie to exercise the privilege granted to them in a responsible manner, with due consideration and respect for other road users, and in compliance with the law.

Can't argue with that although there is the bigger picture clash that the country has pretty much reshaped itself around easy access to the car, making it rather more significant than a simple luxury item. A car is not 100% necessary, and easier to do without in some places than others, but I'd maintain that living in a world that to a fair extent relies on such a privilege is a bit of an issue. It's somewhat tempered by there being a right for anyone to drive as long as they can demonstrate sufficient competence by passing the test, and that if you then abuse it you've only got yourself to blame.

[Horsetan]

No doubt a very unpleasant experience for the old lady, but how unobservant do you have to be, or how poor is your eyesight, to a) not know that you are on a railway level crossing, b) turn off the road onto a railway line comprising ballast, sleepers and rails rather than tarmac, and c) continue driving along said railway line ?

 

Early signs of dementia / Alzheimer's?