"good drivers"...

How do the people who criticise other people's driving know they are good drivers? Have they got a certificate to that effect from somewhere or has someone told them they are? Do they ever think that the driver of the car in front of them thinks "what a crap driver behind me". Just wondered..

 

The perfect or near perfect driver hasn't been born yet

 

I consider myself to be a good driver for the following reasons:

1 I was a qualified driving Instructor for several years which meant amongst other things taking a 2 hour practical test with less tolerance for minor errors to obtain a Pass. I was only visited twice in all time I worked as a ADI by the supervising DOT examiner which meant I was doing things right.

2 I have also studied other literature and driving methods (Roadcraft -police drivers manual) and high speed driving course.

3 Was an 'idiot' at 18 on a motorbike ad lucky I did no kill myself but at least I am aware of the dangers posed to m/c riders by other motorists

4 Attitude - non aggressive and anticipating action of others...Always have a 'What if?' plan 'B' when approaching junctions It becomes 2nd nature like changing gear!!

Now I know none of the above guarantee a good safe driver but the main thing is whilst driving at ay speed I do so:

a) Defensively
b) In the knowledge that there is no such thing as the perfect driver and we ALL make mistakes from time to time.... (treat ALL drivers, riders pedestrians as idiots
c) Drive no faster than I can think and anticipate in various situations.

d) Drive to conditions NOT speed limit signs (just because it says 70 doesn't mean you have to) Conversely applying al the above using my experience I do sometimes exceed the speed limits if I consider them safe at the particular time. e.g. empty motorway, late at night, good viz, dry roads etc. (I do consider I am a better judge of conditions than a metal sign on a pole!)

Young drivers may have faster reactions but they are often looking at the wrong things. Experience and anticipation more than makes up for slower reaction times. STILL I KNOW I AM NOT PERFECT AND THEREIN LIES THE KEY.

 

I was once driving along the M1 and I was amazed at how crap the other drivers were. The b@stards were all driving the wrong way on my carriageway.

 

heh he!

 

I am a member if the institute of advanced motorists

 

You don't have to be a Michelin starred chef to know when food tastes awful.
You don't have to be pele to know that Dawson is ****.

Etc.

 

Dunno but I've met a reyt bunch of tossers on the M62 today. Seem to think it's alright to switch lanes when I'm about to overtake them, putting your indicator on and just turning is not the right way to do it. Mongs.

 

Try Italy. 'Autostrada Sole' running down the Adriatic coast is undergoing a 2-3 lane conversion for most of its length. T*ssers sit in middle lane with RH lane completely empty for mile after mile. It means you have to pull into the LH lane to overtake which can be fun when although it is a 130km/h road most Audi and BMW drivers do 150-160km/h Lane disciple is non-existent here

 

Might have changed but they had a bit too much emphasis on car control and not enough on defensive driving. I once went out with an assessor (didn't tell him I was an MOT ADI) and he picked me up on gear choices (he said use gears to slow car???!!!- WRONG unless you are racing and using gears and brakes simultaneously) failing to spot one or two more important (deliberate) errors on my part regarding road positioning and mirror usage. Still - may have been the individual and things may have changed.

A good thing to have anyway and it shows you take road safety more seriously than the average person

 

That means bloody zilch, so was my ex mother in law, in fact she was the local secretary. She was THE worst driver i have known. She once tried driving all the way ro stranraer in 3rd gear. I took over at manchester otherwise the damn gearbox would have burnt out! !!!!!

Those in the IAM are the worst of all! !!!!!

 

Everybody thinks they're a good driver until they get assessed by an IAM instructor.

I'd say I was a good and safe driver, I learnt how to use the road on 2 wheels which I think everybody should do. Without a big metal shell around you, you're much more aware to your own life!

 

Never had an accident/bump/scrape, been driving since 1990, which means I'm ace at it.

 

I've had one accident in nearly 11 years, when a fecking deer ran out in front of me as I joined the M74!

 

Yeah, but you've caused dozens

 

Oh dear. You weren't driving a Triumph Stag were you

 

I'd say I'm a considerate driver but not perfect by any stretch.

What bugs me, in no particular order:

Taking bends in the road in more or less a straight line/Cutting the corner (as if on a race track). There's a blind bend on the main road near me and coming from the opposite direction I'm often faced with some tw*t almost completely on my side of the road, I'm amazed there hasn't been more bang and scrapes here as there's nowhere to go get out of the way, a Range Rover came round literally inches away from me on there yesterday. The natural reaction is to swerve left but had I done that I'd have probably broken a wheel and maybe even the suspension while this tw*t carries on.

Not indicating. I can accept that if you're coming out of a junction with your car pointing in the direction you're going then it's possibly not the worst thing to do as it's pretty obvious where you're going, but when you're on a main road and the driver in front appears to be braking for no reason (no idea if just slowing down slightly) and then suddenly disappears off to the left or right. Even worse when they just come to a stop with no indication of why before making a right hand turn when it's clear.

Tailgating. I know it's frustrating when you're following a 90 year old driving at 20mph in a 40 but is it necessary to be almost touching the tow bar? I was coming up Doncaster Road through Ardsley yesterday but wanted to turn right so I was in the right hand lane only going about 30 as I was slowing down to make a right (it seemed slightly too early to indicate but I did as I got closer) - the idiot behind me was so close I couldn't even see the front of the car in the mirror and was moving from left to right as if to get my attention. Yes, it's a dual carriageway but I don't think the concept of an overtaking lane applies on that road given there are several right turns and loads of cars parked up in the left lane.

Driving well below the limit. I know this is a contentious one with some given that the operative word is 'limit' but I think everyone should at least be close to it (when the conditions are right) especially when there are people behind you. If someone doesn't feel comfortable going above 50 or so in 60 zone (not counting something like Wombwell Woods) then I'm sorry, you need to ask yourself if you should be driving, but obviously if there's nothing behind you drive how you want. A lot of people have fuel economy information shown to them throughout a journey and I'm guessing there are a lot of people who drive well below the limit for this reason, but again, how can people be so selfish to hold everyone up just to save literally a few pence.

I know you can overtake, but this kind of driving generally annoys me to the extremes in parts of the country where there are no motorways and you are faced with miles upon miles of windy national speed limit roads (like East Anglia), and when you're the ninth car in the queue what chance do you have of getting past everyone when it's hard enough for the second car to do so safely.

 

Nobody is a perfect driver but I regularly see drivers doing things that I would never dream of doing, whether it be dangerous, discourteous, aggressive or just so dammed overcautious that other drivers take unnecessary risks - I consider these people to be poor drivers, some are just downright dangerous. I consider myself a good, safe driver with over 25 years of accident free experience behind me. I don't consider myself to be perfect though.

 

Ex Tracky bus driver ( 78 to 86 ) so i will abstain from this thread......lol.....

 

Something that annoys me is people rushing others at junctions/roundabouts. If there's just enough room to get out, and someone doesn't go, fecking let them take their time. You have no idea if they crashed in that exact spot the day before, or if their car is a bit iffy on the acceleration, or what. That really annoys me