Have driving standards got worse ?

[Mick]

Thought i'd ask this as we have a fair range of age group on here....In 26 years of driving i personally think that driving standards are at an all time low.

Or maybe i'm turning into a whinging old man at the age of 44
It just seems that even basic things such as using your lights in poor visibilty and general roadsense are things of the past, even for professional drivers!

I'm sure there have always been idiots on the road .....just seems like i see more of them more often.

What do you think ?

[Eddie]

I am afraid I agree.

So many drivers seem to be too busy on the phone, or texting that they don't have a free hand to operate the indicator switch.

And in the last few years I have noticed that many people literally "cut corners", ending up on the wrong side of the road at T junctions.

However if you want to see some REALLY bad driving, go to southern Italy like I did last month. I was actually scared driving there .

[Mick]

Ahh the Italians , good to hear there driving skills/attitude remain consistent .

[Joe]

Yes.

[Joe]

Maybe I should elaborate! Yes the manners and general standard has fallen (since I started in 1975) but if you asked the same question to someone who started driving in 1995 they would probably have the same opinion!
We all think we are the best drivers (I do anyway) but hoe do you really judge this? My wife is a terrible driver but she has been driving for over twenty years with no convictions and only one (very minor) accident. I however am an "expert" driver and have had countless accidents and convictions in the thirty seven years that I have been driving.

[Mick]

Apr 22, 2012 20:37:46 GMT 1 Joe said:

I however am an "expert" driver and have had countless accidents and convictions in the thirty seven years that I have been driving.

I take it your a truck driver or professional driver of some sort. thus making you statistically more likely to have a bump etc ?

[Joe]

I spent five years as a car delivery driver in the motor trade then had a career change and worked for the next 25 years as a service engineer. I have also done a bit driving a truck. In a nutshell I calculate that I have driven and average of 40,000 per year since I started. But really thats neither here no there. I have all the motive and vehicle handling skills, but still at 54 get carried away and drive too fast and I let myself get wound up by what I consider to be other peoples bad driving. I might grow up one day!

[Deleted]

I´m not sure if the driving standards have got worse.
I think it is more of what you notice. One bad driver is more visible than thousen good ones.
Every now and then you´ll hear that women can´t drive, taxidrivers are bad drivers, young peoples shouldn´t have licens and so on. Yes, amongst them there probably are some thet can´t drive. But the great majority drives wery well.
BUT, there are one exeption ! Old men with hats !
Think about it. If you find a car that occupie two parkinglots, the chance is huge that an old man with hat has left it there. If there are a traffic jam. Who is in lead ? An old man with hat.
Take a look next time you are driving and something happens.


And by the way, with statistics you can prove anything.
A chicken is the best drive in world. There hasn´t been an accident where a chicken has been driving.

[arthur]

Learnt my spacial awareness being knocked off and falling off a motorbike in my early pre car days. My gripe is drivers that obviously need glasses (i'm being serious). The number of people i see peering over the steering wheel and hitting the anchors far too late. The other is what i call the 40 mile an hourers. Yep; they go at 40mph no matter what the speed limit. You follow them on a de restricted road unable to overtake. Only to see them disappearing in the distance when the 30 limit hoves in to view.

[Joe]

Yea, the 40mph brigade have lots of members in North Essex, and then they scowl at you for overtaking them. They used to be easy to spot when they all drove Maxis and Allegros.

[Deleted]

I admit I'm a driving hazard, I just put myself on the family car (ford focus) insurance and every time I want to indicate I put on the windscreen wipers and I'm constantly loosing what gear I'm in...I guess it comes from driving nothing but the Zephyr lol. I feel safer in the zephyr, not used to the light steering and the fact I can't feel the engine.

[Mick]

Kinda odd that i started this thred then today some 15 year old numpty on a bike cyles straight into the front of the van while i'm parked in it.

Two weeks previous i'm involved in a hit and run with another van ...gave all the details to the police and 2 weeks later they hadn't done nothing.

Had an opel manta that i watched get written off 3 times while it was parked but in eye shot.

Many other examples to boot , including the young lady following me down the a605 the other morning at 60mph while doing some paperwork propped up on the steering wheel .

Despite the toxic/flammable and compressed gas warning stickers on the back of the van folk still drive like fools.

Sometimes think were going to end up with a road system like the one in mad max

[Deleted]

I take the previous statement back, on my second drive I was fine lol. However, I agree with driving standards...I've only been driving a year now and I'm quite a relaxed driver, I don't zoom around or take chances. However, last night a guy in a BMW came speeding down, and smacked into my wing mirror! Now I was on my side of the road, no cars parked. He had cars parked on his side and I was going 25 MPH.

Instead of stopping he just bullied past, luckily I swerved and he hit my wing mirror (not destroying it but enough force to knock it back). I parked up expecting him to do the same, but he just drove off....

I'm glad I wasn't in the zephyr as he'd have just ploughed into the side!