Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Post Reply
thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

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

Post by thirdcrank »

By coincidence, just after I posted, I walked to pick up my grandchildren from school. A van driver who would have otherwise ignored a red light was forced to stop by other traffic setting off at green and then rode the clutch until he got red + amber and immediately set off driving with one hand because he was eating an iced lolly with the other. HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE signs front and back.
robing
Posts: 1353
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

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

Post by robing »

Highway maintenance definitely some of the worst drivers. Having just ridden the length of the country I have found hgv drivers to be the best - give nice wide passes could teach most motorists a thing or two .
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8441
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

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

Post by Sweep »

robing wrote:Highway maintenance definitely some of the worst drivers. Having just ridden the length of the country I have found hgv drivers to be the best - give nice wide passes could teach most motorists a thing or two .

interesting. A lot of truth in this I think. Tend to think that it might be because before being put in charge of such an expensive item with potential to wreak real havoc, the drivers go through some serious training. Also, the fact that those vehicles often have the branding of a big company on them that wouldn't want its image tarnished.
Sweep
robing
Posts: 1353
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

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

Post by robing »

Sweep wrote:
robing wrote:Highway maintenance definitely some of the worst drivers. Having just ridden the length of the country I have found hgv drivers to be the best - give nice wide passes could teach most motorists a thing or two .

interesting. A lot of truth in this I think. Tend to think that it might be because before being put in charge of such an expensive item with potential to wreak real havoc, the drivers go through some serious training. Also, the fact that those vehicles often have the branding of a big company on them that wouldn't want its image tarnished.

I could be cynical and say that if they didn't give you a wide berth they would probably just squish you, but I think it's more than that. Many times I will hear an HGV driver changing down the gears and waiting patiently behind me until it is safe to pass. If I can find a safe place to pull over, I always do and wave them past. I always get a hoot to say thank you.
Bowedw
Posts: 359
Joined: 22 Feb 2011, 10:26pm

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

Post by Bowedw »

The best drivers are those with Xray vision enabling them to see through hedges, otherwise how are they able to do on a single track road, what I would estimate to be well over 30, this around a blind bend. Mere mortals like myself have to slow down to about 15mph and then I have my foot poised on the brake just in case.
User avatar
Paulatic
Posts: 7796
Joined: 2 Feb 2014, 1:03pm
Location: 24 Hours from Lands End

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

Post by Paulatic »

HGV drivers have been the best on our E2E
A lot of car and motor home drivers need to go to Specsavers
The most cynical pass was from an Oates coach leaving Lands End. Passed everyone of us as close as he dare with a completely clear road ahead.
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
londoncommuter0000
Posts: 207
Joined: 18 Jul 2018, 10:36am

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

Post by londoncommuter0000 »

robing wrote: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.


Taxi drivers - And any driver who earns his crust from driving. If you see a van with ladders on top, you can be absolutely sure that the driver will do something ****.
--
Surly LHT | Genesis Flyer | Giant Defy Advanced Pro | CBoardman 29er Pro
London is a cesspit
robing
Posts: 1353
Joined: 7 Sep 2014, 9:11am

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

Post by robing »

Highway Maintenance vehicles. I think they are sub contractors employed by the council. I had two run one with these yesterday.
First was one I was on the main road and he entered from the right, right in front of me. This happens quite a lot. I honestly think they just don't care because you are a bike, or think it doesn't matter because the bike is on the left side of the road so they can just pull out in front of you anyway.
And it wasn't a smidsy, he definitely saw me.

Second was one who came through a traffic calming chicane, even though I had priority.
User avatar
tykeboy2003
Posts: 1277
Joined: 19 Jul 2010, 2:51pm
Location: Swadlincote, South Derbyshire

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

Post by tykeboy2003 »

Worst
-------

Boy racers.

Last week on a completely empty road with plenty of width, had one of the aforementioned types in a souped up hatchback, pass within a foot at something over 60mph. Obviously deliberate and designed to intimidate me.

Old people.

I'm oldish (62), but I know to leave plenty of room for cyclists, most in my age group or older seem not to know.

Best
------

Can't think of any.....
reohn2
Posts: 45143
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

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

Post by reohn2 »

According to some the worst drivers are those with the better brakes :?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

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

Post by Cugel »

reohn2 wrote:According to some the worst drivers are those with the better brakes :?


Sadly, it can be the case. Long ago my father-in-law acquired a new Audi (!) with the then novel ABS. He often drove like a fool and would dismiss expressions of doubt concerning his behaviour with a reference to the ABS, which he believed would not just stop him skidding but also enable him to get his great clumsy foot off the deck and on to the brake pedal in no time at all - assuming he was looking out of the windscreen to see the approaching hazard, which he often wasn't.

No, the prangs and bangs did not disabuse him of this notion concerning ABS. Luckily, he never harmed anyone. Pure luck, to be exact. Or perhaps the compensating avoidances of his potential victims as they saw him careening down the road?

Did he drive like a fool before the ABS? Yes. So perhaps the point is moot after all?

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
reohn2
Posts: 45143
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

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

Post by reohn2 »

Idiots will be idiots even if driving sheep :wink:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

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

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Pizza delivery drivers are particularly bad at driving and parking, likewise pizza delivery cyclists on e-bikes, one undertook me yesterday
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
User avatar
tykeboy2003
Posts: 1277
Joined: 19 Jul 2010, 2:51pm
Location: Swadlincote, South Derbyshire

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

Post by tykeboy2003 »

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.......

...putting their makeup on...
User avatar
Cugel
Posts: 5430
Joined: 13 Nov 2017, 11:14am

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

Post by Cugel »

This thread revival prompts me to emit a comment about stereotyping, which seems to be all the rage hereabouts recently.

Might I suggest that the worst and best drivers are defined not by their age, gender, class, appearance, role or any of the other categories employed as favourite stereotypes by various posters who have had a singular instance or two in which a bad driver happened to be in a taxi, aged 19 and male or whatever.................. but by their behaviour. My own experience is that every kind of age, gender, appearance, class etcetera has it's share of good drivers and bad.

Of course, the longer you ride a bike (or drive yourself) the more instances of good and bad driving you will have observed. Thus being an ole scrote should give us wrinkles a better sample. But some of our members seem only to remember the last instance of bad driving they saw (perhaps the last three) and extrapolate into a stereotype from that/those.
Cugel

PS I think people in white cars, especially SUVs with personalised number plates, are the worst. (Sample of two in the last 5 years).
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
Post Reply