Driving standards

[TheQ]

Never used the M6 toll road, the company wouldn't pay for it... was good for the overtime going the other way though.

 

 Came across a golf with no two panels the same colour, the hatch was even painted camoflage green black brown!! couldn't camoflage  the fact  is was parked on a NDR / Broadland Northway / A1270 roundabout this morning stuck in the mud..

[ejstubbs]

54 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Came across a golf with no two panels the same colour, the hatch was even painted camoflage green black brown!!

 

Hmm, not one of these then: https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/volkswagen-golf-harlequin-was-multicolored-weird-m-259745

 

(There is an example of the Polo version of the harlequin special edition alive and well and living in Edinburgh.)

Edited February 12, 2019 by ejstubbs

[alastairq]

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

 Pity we don't use Germany's rules about new drivers breaking the highway code/law

We do have our own.....Careless/dangerous driving?

 

All rules in the Highway code can be used 'in evidence' to support either of those two offences.

[alastairq]

New drivers could have, as part of the Examiner's test route, dual carriageways.  [Although one or two Test centres have only difficult access to dual carriageways].

 

Aside from vehicle type limitations, a motorway is the same as a dual carriageway [in fact, a motorway can be a single track road!] in the way they are dealt with.

However, whereas a motorway is the safest form of public road to drive on [little in the way of conflicting traffic, for one thing?]....a dual carriageway might be the most dangerous [as in, risk-laden?] road to use? Masses of conflicting traffic.....not forgetting push bikes, mopeds, tractors, flocks of sheep, crossing traffic, traffic turning right, etc etc. Still with overtaking lanes, still with similar speed limits.

 

As with everything in this country, gaining further instruction once the test is passed is entirely voluntary [optional], left to the individual 'to be bovvered'....

Given the costs of Cat C & D licence acquisition[which is a useful source of further education, driver-wise]....I can understand the reluctance of many to step beyond the realms of the 'travel pass'....

Until successive governments get around to sorting out the mess our mass public transport system is in, then making the least problematical use of the private motorcar has to be the easiest and cheapest option for keeping the country mobile........including not being too discouraging in persuading older drivers to relinquish their licences. [still cheaper than providing buses to every corner of the land, frequently, cheaply and regardless of whether anyone uses them or not...they ought to 'be there' as the 'viable option', not subject to 'market forces'....I, for one, have no encouragement to cease driving....]

Edited February 12, 2019 by alastairq

[Reorte]

49 minutes ago, alastairq said:

Aside from vehicle type limitations, a motorway is the same as a dual carriageway [in fact, a motorway can be a single track road!] in the way they are dealt with.

Going way off topic, the only example of a single carriageway motorway I can think of is the spur of the A601(M) off the M6, and that's only about a quarter of a mile long. There was the much more significant A6144(M) but that's been a plain A road for a few years now. Had arrows painted on it as a reminder, apparently after some nasty head-on collisions after it first opened with people not realising it was a single carriageway road. I doubt there's ever been a single track motorway though with two way traffic although I doubt there's any legal reason (but plenty of practical and common sense ones) why there wouldn't be - a motorway is just a road with motorway restrictions, nothing more.

[JDW]

2 hours ago, ejstubbs said:

 

Hmm, not one of these then: https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/volkswagen-golf-harlequin-was-multicolored-weird-m-259745

 

(There is an example of the Polo version of the harlequin special edition alive and well and living in Edinburgh.)

 

I never realised there was a Golf version for the US market, I've seen plenty of the Polos - in fact saw one a few weeks back in Rotherham, looked in very good condition from a distance, possibly repainted recently.

[TheQ]

It may have been originally,  but had been neglected and bodged I think. 

2 hours ago, ejstubbs said:

 

Hmm, not one of these then: https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/volkswagen-golf-harlequin-was-multicolored-weird-m-259745

 

(There is an example of the Polo version of the harlequin special edition alive and well and living in Edinburgh.)

 

[alastairq]

2 hours ago, Reorte said:

 (but plenty of practical and common sense ones) why there wouldn't be - a motorway is just a road with motorway restrictions, nothing more.

 As you rightly note, a motorway, is a road under motorway regulations.

 

It's that bit that people ignore....so any slip road, access or exit road, under motorway regulations, is a motorway.

The junction between the M18 and the M180 is entirely under motorway regulations...yet contains, traffic lights, a roundabout, etc........

 

How many folk change their driving mindset when traversing from a 'motorway' [with all its expectations] to a dual carriageway [with all its additional, but unexpected, hazards?]

[hayfield]

3 hours ago, alastairq said:

We do have our own.....Careless/dangerous driving?

 

All rules in the Highway code can be used 'in evidence' to support either of those two offences.

 

 

In Germany if new drivers are found committing a driving offence for the first year or so they loose their licence automatically and have to retake it again, if we did the same perhaps a few lives might be saved

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, Reorte said:

Sometimes you can find a good enough substitute to learn the principles of motorway driving; I learned in Plymouth and on a few of my later lessons ventured down the A38, but there are still quite a few places where even that sort of option isn't available.

I done my 'Motorway' learning on the A12, complete with roundabouts since replaced by traffic lights (well it was over 50 years ago).

[newbryford]

5 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

 

In Germany if new drivers are found committing a driving offence for the first year or so they loose their licence automatically and have to retake it again, if we did the same perhaps a few lives might be saved

 

6 points in the first two years from the pass date and a UK licence is revoked. Licence has to be then re-applied for, theory and practical tests retaken.

At last count it was running into a four figure sum per year (IIRC about 3000)

Edited February 12, 2019 by newbryford

[PhilJ W]

On my way to the Tonbridge show as I approached the town down the A21 where the road dips the fog/mist got rather thick so I switched on my fog lights. I saw very few other drivers doing the same yet in clear conditions you see plenty using them.

[Nick C]

On 16/02/2019 at 20:28, PhilJ W said:

On my way to the Tonbridge show as I approached the town down the A21 where the road dips the fog/mist got rather thick so I switched on my fog lights. I saw very few other drivers doing the same yet in clear conditions you see plenty using them.

 

Driving to Alton last Saturday in thick fog, I saw at least four cars with no lights on at all - mostly dull colours (grey/silver) too...

[raymw]

2 hours ago, Nick C said:

 

Driving to Alton last Saturday in thick fog, I saw at least four cars with no lights on at all - mostly dull colours (grey/silver) too...

More worrying if you didn't see them

[kevinlms]

Got cut off by a white car yesterday with non operational indicators. Did the same thing 30 seconds later to someone else. 

Sure enough a set of 4 interlocked loops on the back. An Audi. 

[TheQ]

On ‎12‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 18:47, PhilJ W said:

I done my 'Motorway' learning on the A12, complete with roundabouts since replaced by traffic lights (well it was over 50 years ago).

I hope you did do and weren't done..

Edited February 25, 2019 by TheQ

[Waverley West]

Hi guys,

 

Looking for a bit of advice and help here....

 

This morning, Mrs WW was on her way to work when she passed another car coming the other way. Unfortunately, their wing mirrors clipped and minor damage was done to both mirrors. Both cars were moving at the time of the collision, neither at excessive speed. The other driver got out of the car and was initially unpleasantly aggressive towards Mrs WW.  After a while she seemed to calm down a little but claimed that Mrs WW was over on her side of the road. There is no white line down the middle of the road at the scene and the road is really only just wide enough for two cars to pass. It seems to be a pretty clear-cut case of claim and counterclaim with no proof either way. 

 

The other driver seemed to realise it would not be a good idea to claim via her insurance, but strongly implied she would be sending us the bill, After initially saying "I'm sorry", Mrs WW recovered her composure and calmly said she wasn't sure who if anyone was at fault.

 

My question is how to handle any "bill" that comes our way?

 

Do we:

 

1) State that it was a 50/50 incident with no proof either way (which is what it seems to be to me), and that that's the way the insurance companies would see it? So they would risk losing any no claims bonus they have (but then so would we - we have the full nine years too).

2) Pay up and forget about the whole thing. 

3) Or...?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Dave

 

 

[geoffers]

Did your wife and the other lady swap insurance details? If not ask yourself why. Does this mean the other cars not car insured? I would probably contact my own insurance company and inform them and forward any bill/correspondence to them and let them deal with it. If you have the other cars registration number you could check on the dvlc site to see if they were insured or not.

[Waverley West]

Yes, they swapped details, but unfortunately only name, address and telephone number, not the registration number.

[geoffers]

Smells a bit to me. I would let your insurance company deal with it. But it would be worthwhile waiting for other comments on here. Good luck.

[Waverley West]

One of the things I'm most concerned about is losing our no claims bonus over such a minor issue. On the other hand, I do not wish to cave in to unsubstantiated claims made by someone who is aggressive towards my wife.

 

The other driver was a woman who was taking her children to the local school, so I make some allowance for her protective instinct, but there was no need for her aggression. At the time, she said to Mrs WW that she was "fed up of people taking up more than their fair share of the road on that stretch". She was driving a people carrier, so must have been taking up a fair amount of the road herself on such a narrow bit.

[Hobby]

I take it no dash cam footage?

 

I'd suspect that if there wasn't, and no other witnesses, that the insurance companies would regard it as a 50/50 job and if she tried claiming you'd both end up forking out extra premiums next year! Hopefully common sense will prevail and she'll see sense, without witnesses she would be very foolish to try a claim. If she gets in touch I'd point out the lack of witnesses, re-iterate that your spouse was on the correct side of the road and remind her of the consequences of making a claim she's no chance of winning. All that assuming no witnesses or dash cam footage... Be aware, though, that an insurance company still regard it as an incident that should be declared, though I doubt they'd get too wound up if you didn't!

 

Quite common these days, I'm afraid...

Edited February 25, 2019 by Hobby

[Waverley West]

Thanks Hobby. That's the way I'm 'leaning' right now.

 

No, no dash footage. Certainly not from us anyway, and I presume the other driver would have pointed it out if she had had some, so it's simply a case of their word against ours.

 

 

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

As others have said, report it to your insurance company and then forward any 'claim' to them.

 

Much safer that way, especially if there is suddenly a claim for whiplash, trauma of their hamster, loss of earnings, or anything else that suddenly come creeping out of the woodwork.

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

As others have said, report it to your insurance company and then forward any 'claim' to them.

 

Much safer that way, especially if there is suddenly a claim for whiplash, trauma of their hamster, loss of earnings, or anything else that suddenly come creeping out of the woodwork.

Report it to your insurance company ASAP. Someone once collided with my car when it was stationary. As there was no significant* damage to my car I didn't bother to inform my insurance company. Next thing I knew the other driver had claimed against me despite it being her fault. If you do not report it the insurance company will assume it was your fault. *Some of the other cars paint had scraped on to the end of a (chrome) bumper and was easily cleaned off.