Who are the best/worst drivers on the road?

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

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

Post by reohn2 »

Vorpal wrote:Can you hear their accent when they are in their cars?

I've never been able to :?

And dress... jeans and t-shirts? Isn't that what most Africans wear?
Maybe our resident South African can answer that question for us? :wink:

I think he's made his case clear and I applaud him for it :)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
sapperadam
Posts: 87
Joined: 9 Nov 2015, 1:25pm

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

Post by sapperadam »

robing wrote:I think of all the driving behaviour excess speed is the most dangerous with mobile phone distraction a close second.


I like the way you phrased that - excess speed. There are times when I've been on the bike (and in the car, probably doing so myself) and cars have gone past clearly over the speed limit, but felt perfectly safe because it wasn't excessive for the conditions. Other times, I have felt unsafe with cars going past at speed but they were within the limit :shock:

IIRC I read something somewhere that said something like 80% of accidents where speed was a contributory factor, the speed was within the limit. I don't know how right that is, but I can see how that would be the case - go round a bend at 30 for instance and the limit is 40, but lose control because of taking the bend too fast - too many drivers see a limit as a target and this isn't helped by inappropriate limits on roads which could safely be faster.
User avatar
Invicta Tourist
Posts: 221
Joined: 19 Jul 2009, 10:18am

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

Post by Invicta Tourist »

I find that it's the drivers who tow a trailer which is wider than their own vehicle which sometimes cause me concern by passing by far too close to me with the trailer.

If I'm out cycling on my own, most drivers pass by giving adequate clearance. In a cycling group, there are some drivers who try and squeeze past, then cut in close to the group leader when they should have had a greater awareness of an oncoming vehicle. Maybe I'm lucky, but down here in Kent, most drivers seem considerate.
andrewk
Posts: 354
Joined: 20 May 2011, 3:19pm
Location: SW London

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

Post by andrewk »

Heltor Chasca wrote:
Accent: also irrelevant. Can you hear people in their cars?

You meant black and you know it.


1. When I remonstrate with the bad driver about their driving I get to hear their accent.

2. I meant what I wrote, African. HC, you may wish me to have meant black and may wish to misrepresent me thus but that is nothing more than the usual ** spewed by those who attempt to shout down any negative comment by attempting to paint or twist it as racist.
User avatar
johntea
Posts: 13
Joined: 4 May 2013, 12:03pm

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

Post by johntea »

Worst drivers in my area are private hire drivers and driving instructors
arnsider
Posts: 449
Joined: 27 Jul 2011, 12:44am
Location: Carnforth, Lancashire

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

Post by arnsider »

The worst drivers by far are those that have no concept of handling their vehicle when it is spinning out of control or heading for a collision.
Those that actually risk these situations are interestingly, police and emergency service drivers.
The Police routinely risk calamity pursuing people who deliberately speed and flout road traffic law.
This is not to overly criticise them, but I think the police have often put apprehension above public safety and it has had tragic consequence on a number of occasions.
I know i am unpopular suggesting this, but would it not be better to just let escaping offenders alone rather than inciting them by pursuing them?
I think the best drivers must be PSV coach drivers.
I am not enamored of HGV drivers. Most are fine, but there is a hard core of idiots who drag the rest down.
Try driving at 62 mph in lane one on any motorway and you will appreciate where I am coming from.
Motor cyclists are a difficult question.
No doubt most are conscientious but there is a worrying element of total anarchy among them.
You only have to cycle in the Western Dales around Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale to realise just how murderous some of them are.
The Police seem powerless to stop excesses and there are regular serious accidents.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

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

Post by pwa »

The worst drivers are probably those who have been caught by the police, banned, caught driving again, banned again, but not locked up.

The best drivers are well rested people with no suppressed anger to release.
broadway
Posts: 788
Joined: 9 Mar 2010, 1:49pm
Location: Cheshire

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

Post by broadway »

In my mainly urban/suburban cycling experience I can't really say that there is any one group that stands out as being best or worse.

If I was to pick qualities it would be considerate and confident. Considerate is self evident, but unless a driver is confident it is too easy to feel pressured into being doing something inconsiderate.
Flinders
Posts: 3023
Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

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

Post by Flinders »

Bonefishblues wrote:I do perhaps 60-70 motorway and dual carriageway miles every day (sadly).

I had a lorry pull out on me last week as described above. Your post prompted me to think about the last time it happened before that. I can't remember the previous time, tbh.

I do recall plenty of occasions when I have either moved over, speeded up, or slowed down to avoid conflict and facilitate a lorry moving out to overtake.


I drive less frequently, but longer distances - 200-300 miles in a day and sometimes more. It may also depend on time of day, and which M-ways. In my case, M6, A14 are the ones I use the most, followed by M1 and A1M, then M42, M40. The specific problem has been mostly, but not exclusively, going either North or South on the M6 between Thelwall Viaduct and Brum at peak morning times on weekdays. Very heavy traffic, lots of lorries, almost all tailgating each other.

I have a black car (not by choice)- in the past when I had a white or red one it happened less often , so that could be part of it too- the black car seems to suck lorries across their lane towards it for some reason even when the lorries stick to their lane; either an optical illusion due to the window design or its colour in some way.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

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

Post by pwa »

I heard something on the radio this morning about an undercover reporter getting a job delivering stuff for Amazon and experiencing pressure to drive dangerously in order to stick to a schedule that cannot be adhered to safely. Also something about drivers routinely driving for longer than the law allows.

I think this may have been a trailer for an upcoming programme, so watch out for it. BBC.
Bonefishblues
Posts: 11010
Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon

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

Post by Bonefishblues »

It was on Today prog and was an expose of what came across as a "rogue" delivery firm, contracting for Amazon. Amongst other things were calculated average hourly rates of £2-£3. It was on from about 8.40 or so.

Quite a short piece, and unsure about whether it trailed a longer programme, but it had that air.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

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

Post by reohn2 »

There was a piece on the BBC 6 pm news about it.
TBH after being made aware of Amazon's treatment of warehouse staff some time ago,I can't say I'm surprised.
My Daughter and S in L's have had no end of trouble with Amazon screwing their internet business with the hoops they had to continually jump through,finally they stopped selling through them.
I would touch Amazon with the proverbial barge pole,the word shysters is a word that springs readily to mind,along with Sports Direct ,etc.

Sorry for the thread drift,as you were :)
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
BigFoz
Posts: 491
Joined: 2 Jun 2011, 12:33pm

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

Post by BigFoz »

Every vehicle driver believes they are the best, which is why they're (we're ? ) all rubbish
Bonefishblues
Posts: 11010
Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon

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

Post by Bonefishblues »

BigFoz wrote:Every vehicle driver believes they are the best, which is why they're (we're ? ) all rubbish

No, I don't. I make mistakes and hope to keep learning because I appreciate I'm not as good as I would like to be.
Elizabethsdad
Posts: 1158
Joined: 15 Jan 2011, 7:09pm

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

Post by Elizabethsdad »

Right now DPD delivery drivers get my vote. Got an impatient horn blast from one tonight as I was taking primary through a pinch point who then proceeded to drive along side me shouting abuse at me for being on the road. I got the number plate and will making a complaint to the company although I expect from what I have heard about DPD they won't care in the slightest but it will be logged and if there is a repeat offence it can go straight to the police.
Post Reply