Why?

[Howard]

One day she'll become someone's bonnet ornament. And she'll deserve it.

Harsh.
















But fair.

[da.Guvna]

You should see it in other countries. Went to france this summer and they NEVER let you off the slip road on a main road/motorway. You have to go up the breakdown lane to get in front then they're beeping their horns etc.

Crazy drivers in france, french cars should be built without horns

You know, someone mentioned that to me as well, but I drove my paintball team's minibus over there for a tourny in paris in July and I found the French to be rather courteous on the roads. I also liked how they rarely cruise along in the fast lane, using it only for overtaking.
Having said that, I was only driving to Disneyland which is basically motorway for the whole journey...things may be VERY different on smaller roads.

By far the best thing about driving in France is that in bad weather, they have big dot-matrix signs ORDERING you to maintain at least 60mph to prevent delays and traffic jams, hahaha!

[Tumble]

Anyone from Lancashire/Cumbria will know Junction 34 of the M6 (Lancaster) Well one one side it's straight onto a bridge so the on ramp is really short, but they also did it at the other side which is into a field (Why?) The Result is cars have to use the hard sholder (or on the Northbound side stop) to get out. Also, theres a set of Traffic Lights afterwards, so you get the traffic stopped on the M6!

The bit that gets me about that junction is the bend in the slip roads... ok getting off, they want you to slow down... but getting onto the mway is ridiculous, espesh if you're in a car that handles like a jelly... Bit like J15 on the M6 actually.. maybe it's that motorway in general...

[5lab]

By far the best thing about driving in France is that in bad weather, they have big dot-matrix signs ORDERING you to maintain at least 60mph to prevent delays and traffic jams, hahaha!

are you sure? the limit on french dual carrageways when its wet is 62mph.. could it be your french is just a bit bad?

[da.Guvna]

Well I was sat next to a French person who was telling me what all the gobbledy-gook written on the screens meant, so I don't think so

It's possible I'm remembering the wrong speed or something, but I'm certain I remember her saying the reason they tell you to keep your speed up is to prevent a build up of traffic, and also reduce the risk of somebody having to break heavily if they come speeding up behind someone that has slowed right down to 50mph, or something like that.

[Dark Horse]

In my opinion more people should fail their driving test for failing to make sufficient progress. Nothing irritates me more than dithering and unnecessary braking- even getting cut up by nobbers is less annoying IMO.

Thing is most people who have passed their test recenty say in the last 5 years are actually good drivers. Its the 40+ brigade who passed their test 20+ years ago who don't understand driving these days. A friends mum still picks a lane at random at roundabouts as she couldn't remember what the order for them was...

[rajagra]

A friends mum still picks a lane at random at roundabouts as she couldn't remember what the order for them was...

When in doubt, just do whatever's safest.

TBH you could replace the whole Highway Code with that one rule.

[daverobev]

There's a roundabout on the way to work which has three lanes where you stop. I'm in the right hand lane and I guarantee that, if there is a car next to me, it will drive straight across into the outside lane going round the roundabout.

There's no lane signs on the roundabout either which is crazy...three lanes, with the options on this roundabout of going left, straight on left lane, straight on right lane, or right....I just wish they would say which lanes are sposed to do what! Or, make it two lanes, not three.....

To be honest I hate driving now...commuting 45 minutes each way has done this to me. Sitting behind some goit doing 45 in a 60 where the road is looovely and clear, but you can't overtake...then you get to a little village, I slow down to 30 (yes, I really DO slow down to 30) and the car in front gets away from me....

The reason is people don't think when they drive, they go into a little world of their own..they are "safe in their cars" and thats it.

Me? I want to get in my car, get to wherever I am trying to get to as quick as is safe, and get out and get on....sitting in traffic when its just sheer numbers I don't mind TOO much because its not anyone's fault (probably)...its driving round whipsnade at 28 when you can do it at 40....I am getting to the point of screaming at people now (when in the car, of course! Um but...well I try not to when the windows are open or there are others about...)

Hate it hate it hate it, no fun....used to ride (bicycle) in to work, it was the best thing...15 minutes each way, zip past the traffic (safely of course...with crash helmet which is another thing that amazes me, the number who don't have bloody crash helmets...)...

ARGH and don't even mention motorbikes!!! Its ok for you to overtake us, but you have to sit on the white lines almost so we can't overtake you? Its ok to cut us up? Overtake me if you want and its safe, but don't do it when I am maintaining a safe distance from the car in front....don't pull in the SECOND the one in front brakes so that my distance is halved, because you leave a gap yourself..you stupid ignorant ARGH HATE IT.

I am going to find somewhere to live soon where I don't have to drive...and get rid of my car. Seriously. Its a moneydraining, stress inducing, environmental monstrosity. And I have a 1.4 litre engine. Work from home. Anything, not to have to suffer this crap every day....

Ahem. I am the breeze.

[da.Guvna]

Whoa.....I drive an hour each way to work every day and I love driving.....I hope I don't end up like you, LOL!

[Dark Horse]

There's a roundabout on the way to work which has three lanes where you stop. I'm in the right hand lane and I guarantee that, if there is a car next to me, it will drive straight across into the outside lane going round the roundabout.

............

I am going to find somewhere to live soon where I don't have to drive...and get rid of my car. Seriously. Its a moneydraining, stress inducing, environmental monstrosity. And I have a 1.4 litre engine. Work from home. Anything, not to have to suffer this crap every day....

Ahem. I am the breeze.

Your entire post sums up how I feel about driving, even got a 45min drive and 1.4l engine!

[daverobev]

Whoa.....I drive an hour each way to work every day and I love driving.....I hope I don't end up like you, LOL!

I used to, I think..Christ I'm only 25! Its just...the same. Every day. The only time it gets better is when its the middle of the night when I leave work. Suffice it to say if I'm leaving work in the middle of the night I'm not happy to begin with!!

No, don't let that artic out now...if you let you and me go past without letting him out there's about a mile of space behind me...you're annoying the driver of the artic who can see there's a mile gap behind me and was happy going then; you're annoying you and me by making us do 20 to the next roundabout where we can probably get passed him.

No, USE your indicators. It means I know where you are going before you go, hence I can choose a position that means I'm not stuck behind you.

No, design junctions so there is no ambiguity...I don't want to be in the left or the right lane going into one lane...who has priority? Me, or the other car going the same damn way?

Noooo, don't make the Magic Mushroom roundabouts at Hemel!!! Ahhhh well I kinda like them, they are fun...but I never know WHEN I switch from being in the left lane for going round the big mushroom to the right lane for getting off (going anticlockwise)...you know whatever you do there's gonna be someone else, probably equally right, doing the other....

Even worse (!) people who slow down on out of town roundabouts where you aren't going round (straight on, maybe a slight curve in the path) and there IS NOTHING COMING FOR MILES! Keep going, there's no need to slow to 15 miles an hour when you can clearly see all the entrances, exits, just MOVE GODDAMNIT else this GIT of a BMW is going to undertake the pair of us...and then sit at 35 in a 60 <whimper>

Take them all away, then I'd enjoy it (except my car would explode out of spite )

No..I really do hate it..sorry.

Ahh I remember the good old days...driving from Ullapool to Southend in a day in my Vauxhall Nova.....wheeeeee.

[Stoo]

I get something similar to that in the morning into work..
Come up to a roundabout, me and the car in front, nothing else at all anywhere near us, nothing on the roundabout, nothing in the entry/exit roads, yet the fool in front will always slow down then completely stop, and dither for what seems like ages before they do anything!

Hence me sat behind them yelling "Mooooooove" at nothing in particular out of sheer fustration, and usually the idiot will sit there long enough then finally creep out just as the other traffic turns up so I have to sit there and wait for a gap..

The other favourite is a roundabout on the way home, simple 2 lane affair, left turn and straight on in the left lane, right lane for right turns and further right, nearly every time I use this roundabout some utter numpty going straight on will drift into my lane causing me to break sharply to avoid getting pushed onto the roundabout itself, or getting the side of the car scraped by the aformentioned numpty..

I wouldn't mind, it's only a 5-10 min drive into work, but the sheer amount of idiots on that short journey is incredible..

[5lab]

interestingly, there is a trend on the continent to make junctions DELIBRATELY ambigous. by removing all lines, and the curb onto the pavement.. everything - it means EVERYONE has to really concentrate, make eyecontact (apparently thats key) and drive carefully. the junctions have much better traffic flow and less accidents as a result..

[daverobev]

Ah yes there was a great Dutch road architect who said that the only way to make a road safe was to make it dangerous so the driver has to think...

..which IS right. But....if the dozy **** be safe by driving at 30 mph when they can safely drive at 60...well. Why don't we all walk to work, how many times have you killed someone by walking in to them.

Today's drive in was ok, so I'm relatively chilled!