Cycling UK Forum

I think most lorry drivers are excellent. Many times I'll have one patiently waiting behind until it's safe to pass, and when they do they give me a very wide pass. Could teach other drivers a thing or two. (However in France I had a number of very close passes by lorries where I almost got sucked into their slipstream.) Worst drivers? Hard to say - wvm, mini cabs, 4x4s all candidates.

HGV drivers. The best and worst all in one profession.

Spent 20 plus years managing them and their errors...

Plain, unmarked white van man (men).

Because they know you can't report their bad driving to 'head office' they take liberties with their favourite trick being to overtake you on a single-carriageway at exactly the same time as a vehicle is passing from the other direction.

Spinners wrote:Plain, unmarked white van man (men).

Because they know you can't report their bad driving to 'head office' they take liberties with their favourite trick being to overtake you on a single-carriageway at exactly the same time as a vehicle is passing from the other direction.

Absolutely spot on!

We often take the car ferry (in our car ) from Dieppe to Newhaven. They always let the cars on first (and off last ) and the lorries on last. So we're already on deck enjoying the late afternoon sunshine, when the HGV's start manoeuvring up the gangway.

I have to admire the skill with which the drivers precisely centre their 40-tonners on the narrow gangways which are only about a foot wider than the lorries themselves. And even more so, when disembarking, and they often have to reverse, trailer and all, around corners in a confined space. I know I couldn't do it no matter how long I practised - these guys are incredibly well trained.

But on the downside. It only takes one inattentive HGV driver on the road, and a split second, to kill a cyclist or some other road user. And that dead person can't be brought back. And we all know this happens - witness the many cases that get into the news, like the HGV driver, recently sentenced to ten years, who rammed a car on the A34, killing 4 people.

So we probably have the best and the worst, all in one, here.

White van and taxi drivers are uniformly impatient and careless. Old people are the most likely to do something stupid.

Bus drivers are pretty good (but it's terrifying when the occasional bad one passes too close). They are also the only group of drivers who almost always say thank you when I give way to them while on my bike (whereas most drivers will say thank you when I'm in a car myself). I think this might be regional though, because I hear a lot of other people complaining about buses.

When considering cars specifically, it tends to be a function of size, with SUV drivers being the most likely to try passing when there isn't enough space, while drivers of small cars are more likely to move over by a whole lane to overtake.

School run mums. Their minds are often on anything but their driving and they are usually in a rush. Inattentive, lacking anticipation, selfish parking etc. etc.......

3putter wrote:School run mums. Their minds are often on anything but their driving and they are usually in a rush. Inattentive, lacking anticipation, selfish parking etc. etc.......

Agreed.......

Basically, young woman......selfish and impatient......

Hi
The single best/worst category IME are drivers that are overtaking me. It doesn't matter where they are going or the job that they are doing
Some vehicle types are less forgiving of drivers' errors, and the best of their drivers recognise that
Regards
tim-b

The best drivers are the ones who pay attention, look twice, and don't do anything but drive when they are driving.
The worst drivers are those who are overly confident, going too fast and distracted.

Devil's Advocate - Cyclists, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, cycle on pavements, ride with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children, don't have lights nor reflectors at night. It's a good job these cyclists are only on bikes and not on something bigger, heavier and deadlier.

If the cyclists doing the above, were doing the same whilst in any other vehicle, how would people on here feel?

Vorpal wrote:The best drivers are the ones who pay attention, look twice, and don't do anything but drive when they are driving.
The worst drivers are those who are overly confident, going too fast and distracted.

Good points, can i add anyone that uses a mobile phone while driving, hands free or not, anyone that programs a sat nav while driving.

Postboxer wrote:Devil's Advocate - Cyclists, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, cycle on pavements, ride with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children, don't have lights nor reflectors at night. It's a good job these cyclists are only on bikes and not on something bigger, heavier and deadlier.

If the cyclists doing the above, were doing the same whilst in any other vehicle, how would people on here feel?

Devil's Advocate - Drivers, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, drive on pavements, drive with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children,etc
Just speaking from personal experience

ANTONISH wrote:

Postboxer wrote:Devil's Advocate - Cyclists, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, cycle on pavements, ride with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children, don't have lights nor reflectors at night. It's a good job these cyclists are only on bikes and not on something bigger, heavier and deadlier.

If the cyclists doing the above, were doing the same whilst in any other vehicle, how would people on here feel?

Devil's Advocate - Drivers, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, drive on pavements, drive with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children,etc
Just speaking from personal experience

Only difference is that the latter are sat in a metal box which in itself isn't dangerous but these actions make it so.

All road user groups have a stupid element but IME the safest around town are the motorbikes who get the best and worst from both sides although they have a very high attrition rate in a rural setting!

Where I live timber lorries are a menace. They are apparently not now paid by the load but they generally drive as if their lives depended on getting to their destination as fast as possible regardless of other traffic. Tour bus drivers are the pits tho' IMO. Nice and smiley to the passengers ( think of the tips). When driving my heart used to sink when getting behind one. They let nothing pass - ever! As a cyclist their sheer size and unwillingness to stop are intimidating.