Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Driving behaviour

I don't understand how some people drive. Yeah I go on about indicating, but heck even I've forgotten at times because someone's distracted me just before I've got to the junction. But this is about fundamental driving behaviour.

Sod official stopping distances and braking distances I drive at a distance such that if the vehicle in front decides to perform a manoeuvre I normally don't have to do anything drastic. Yes I may slacken the accelerator slightly, but by and large they're out of my way by the time I get to them.

I watch as cars in front rapidly accelerate up to join a convoy of cars then have to come to a halt when one decides to leave and then start-up and try to accelerate away again by which time I've caught up with them without once altering my speed. The number of people who overtake me when I'm doing the speed limit [ish cough] whom I then catch up with not much further up is stupid.

I mean sure you're on a big open stretch of road like a motorway with little traffic (so not a motorway then) then hey go for it. But on a normal road with lots of traffic shifting about what's the point? It's basically unsafe.

Okay hypocritical to complain about this and complain about people leaving three-car lengths in a slow-moving queue? No, distance depends on speed (and weight) and anyone who doesn't understand that definitely shouldn't be driving.

If you're a driver ask yourself this - If on a normal road the car in front starts to indicate that they're turning left at the junction 200ft away what do you have to do? If you've answered nothing well done.

2 comments:

Orphi said...

The answer depends on whether the drive of the car in front understands that it's possible to take corners in excess of 4 MPH. Some drivers appear to believe this is not possible, and that if you're turning off into a side road, you must come to an almost complete halt before turning the steering wheel.

FlipC said...

True, likewise it requires an understanding of the car behind that it's not possible to turn that corner at 30mph.

The number of cars I see that turn left and end-up in the wrong lane because they're simply travelling too fast...

But yes a basic assumption is that everyone is a capable driver (having passed a test) another being that they are all following the same rules as you.

Assumptions that are getting steadily eroded month by month.