Idiot Old Drivers!

[Dorset Bob]

After an accident, it is not always wise to take on older people.
As this description of an incident, left on a voice mail, describes.



.

[HarryM1BYT]

I'm 68 and I would describe myself as one of the safest and most careful drivers on the road. I am also a very nervous passenger, spotting all the mistakes. I spent much of my working life on the road, all over the UK and EU, so several million miles. I have a clean licence and never a claim in 50 plus years on the road. I feel very safe with me at the wheel and believe me I can make 'progress', though I often do settle back and enjoy steady progress and I have to some extent developed my own version of Roadcraft.

I agree there are some older drivers who really should not be behind the wheel, but I see far more inexperienced younger drivers who pass their test and think they are God's gift to driving - making rash overtakes, taking risks at junctions and mistiming pulling out into traffic.

We all do get it wrong sometimes, including me. Yesterday, on the approach to a roundabout, I misjudged the speed and intentions of a driver (giving no signal) to go 3/4 round and began to pull out. I had to do hard turn left and brake to avoid him. I would count that as my worst error in past year, whereas I have had to deal with hundreds of similar errors resulting from other drivers errors.

Yesterday also, on the approach to a roundabout with two entry lanes, the left clearly marked for turning left, I and several other drivers, me as the lead vehicle, were patiently waiting in the straight ahead lane for the roundabout to clear. Along comes middle aged idiot, in the wrong nearside lane and cuts everyone of us up intent on saving a few fractions of a second. Just 20 yards beyond, the same road opened up to two lanes where he could have safely over taken.

At a guess....

Take all of the under 25 drivers off the road and around 80% of the serious road incidents would not occur. Take all the over 65 off the road and it would reduce serious incidents by 5%.

I would suggest my reactions have not slowed in the slightest, but experience has taught me how best to react when I do need to react quickly. This latter is the part which is so missing in young drivers and why they are involved in so many serious incidents. They misjudge time, distance, hazards and their vehicle capabilities. Age and time on the road also makes you makes you much more aware of the hazards and potential risks. Older drivers just don't push the envelope so hard and simply have a better idea of where the limits of the envelope are.

[HarryM1BYT]

There has been a recent incident where a driver overtaking a stationary bus, ploughed into passengers crossing the road ahead of the bus. Details are scant, but that is a really elementary driving mistake to make...

I was taught if there is a bus stopped at a bus stop, you should anticipate passengers emerging from the far side of them. Quite rightly, the driver has been charged (I understand) with driving without DCA.

When passing any large parked vehicles, you give them as much space as possible, on the chance a pedestrian might emerge. You also watch for feet and or moving shadows, or etc. as an early clue.

[uk_dave&gill]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Yesterday also, on the approach to a roundabout with two entry lanes, the left clearly marked for turning left, I and several other drivers, me as the lead vehicle, were patiently waiting in the straight ahead lane for the roundabout to clear. Along comes middle aged idiot, in the wrong nearside lane and cuts everyone of us up intent on saving a few fractions of a second. Just 20 yards beyond, the same road opened up to two lanes where he could have safely over taken..

There's a roundabout near us (junction of A15 and A17), where this sort of thing happens nearly every time you use it. Coming from the North, it's left lane for first and second exits, right lane for third and fourth. Despite there seldom being a queue of more than three cars in each lane, more often than not, someone goes into the right lane to go straight on into town (exit two) - literally risking people's lives to save 5 seconds. Yesterday, I was in the left lane for exit one, and a Muppet went into the right lane to go the same way (effectively in right lane to turn left ) At the time, he didn't know if I was going into exit one or two, and if I'd gone out parallel with him, he'd have either run into the side of me, or braked hard and been rear-ended by the cars he'd shot out in front of.....

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by uk_dave&gill

Also slightly swaying away from thread, but regarding the BIB, as of 6th April this year, HGV limits have altered, so whereas it was single carriageway 40mph, dual carriageway 50mph and motorway 60mph, it's now gone up on the first two to 50mph and 60mph respectively, although any vehicle over 7.5 tonnes is physically speed limited to 56mph max. Not sure about PSV mind!

EDIT: Although it would appear this applies to England and Wales only, not Scotland (see here)

I wasn't aware of the change, thanks - about time.

Most of them quite sensibly ignored the limits anyway.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by uk_dave&gill

Despite there seldom being a queue of more than three cars in each lane, more often than not, someone goes into the right lane to go straight on into town (exit two) - literally risking people's lives to save 5 seconds.

The same here, just a queue of three cars. Chummy came up the the left turn lane at speed - due to the roundabout being at the crest of a hill and us waiting on the right, his vision of the roundabout was very restricted, yet as we were pulling out he went straight through, forcing us to come almost to a stop, trying to avoid him having to force his way in ahead of us.

[uk_dave&gill]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

The same here, just a queue of three cars. Chummy came up the the left turn lane at speed - due to the roundabout being at the crest of a hill and us waiting on the right, his vision of the roundabout was very restricted, yet as we were pulling out he went straight through, forcing us to come almost to a stop, trying to avoid him having to force his way in ahead of us.

Sounds very like ours - folks who don't want to have to queue, even for 5 seconds, usually sweep up in the "wrong" lane hoping for a gap. If the gap isn't there, they either force their way into the roundabout traffic, or have to do an emergency stop.

[chipsceola]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

The same here, just a queue of three cars. Chummy came up the the left turn lane at speed - due to the roundabout being at the crest of a hill and us waiting on the right, his vision of the roundabout was very restricted, yet as we were pulling out he went straight through, forcing us to come almost to a stop, trying to avoid him having to force his way in ahead of us.

Rest content that erring drivers like that often meet with 'another of same type' e.g. last year at J3 M271/M27 roundabout, driver one in right lane to take first exit, while his namesake in left lane intending to take 2nd exit ......

I'll leave it to your imagination the events that followed as both drivers arrived side by side at the first exit.

[topman]

Originally Posted by uk_dave&gill

. Despite there seldom being a queue of more than three cars in each lane, more often than not, someone goes into the right lane to go straight on into town (exit two) - literally risking people's lives to save 5 seconds. Yesterday, I was in the left lane for exit one, and a Muppet went into the right lane to go the same way (effectively in right lane to turn left ) At the time, he didn't know if I was going into exit one or two, and if I'd gone out parallel with him, he'd have either run into the side of me, or braked hard and been rear-ended by the cars he'd shot out in front of.....

Coming from lincoln heading to boston?

[uk_dave&gill]

Originally Posted by topman

Coming from lincoln heading to boston?

That's the one, Holdingham roundabout! Never go on or round it without seeing some sort of close call....