Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Post Reply
robing
Posts: 1353
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by robing »

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.
Smudgerii
Posts: 99
Joined: 10 Jul 2016, 8:41pm

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Smudgerii »

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

Spent 20 plus years managing them and their errors...
User avatar
Spinners
Posts: 1678
Joined: 6 Dec 2008, 6:58pm
Location: Port Talbot

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Spinners »

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.
Cycling UK Life Member
PBP Ancien (2007)
robing
Posts: 1353
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by robing »

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!
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by 661-Pete »

We often take the car ferry (in our car :oops: ) 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.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
Mr Evil
Posts: 193
Joined: 21 Feb 2016, 11:42pm
Contact:

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Mr Evil »

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.
3putter
Posts: 22
Joined: 17 May 2011, 8:46pm

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by 3putter »

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.......
Tiberius
Posts: 798
Joined: 31 Dec 2014, 8:45am
Location: North East England

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Tiberius »

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....... :wink:

Basically, young woman......selfish and impatient......
tim-b
Posts: 2085
Joined: 10 Oct 2009, 8:20am

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by tim-b »

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
~~~~¯\(ツ)/¯~~~~
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20697
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Vorpal »

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.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by Postboxer »

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?
landsurfer
Posts: 5327
Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by landsurfer »

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.
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
ANTONISH
Posts: 2958
Joined: 26 Mar 2009, 9:49am

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by ANTONISH »

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 :wink:
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6042
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by foxyrider »

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 :wink:


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!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
ambodach
Posts: 1023
Joined: 15 Mar 2011, 6:45pm

Re: Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Post by ambodach »

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.
Post Reply