Are Driving standards getting worse

[Frijj]

I did team valley for years and A19 in and around Sunderland is loads worse. Every other day there’s a crash and it’s not surprising

Ner bollocks that, they all get the smallest engine possible

You can get a 1 series for £299 deposit and £299 a month

It’s a decently powerful car

 

[Billy2Sheds]

The rate of people killed or seriously injured in England has plateaued of late, with a small rise in the last year or so for the rate for children specifically

Cars are smarter and safer than ever but a plateau or rise is indicative of poor driving standards IMO

Biased I know since I work in a town where people drive and cycle like it’s the Wild West, but I see so much poor driving.

Constant speeding, undertaking, lack of indicating, etc. A bloke nearly hit me last night because he sped onto a roundabout with very poor visibility and did not give way to me.

I live in a much more rural place and the driving I see on my commute is just as bad. Motorbikes by far the worst offenders though.

Howay mate that was no accident

 

[citybythesea]

Were talking about this at work, the trip home from it pretty much reinforced what was said.
Almost everyday there seems to be a bad collision or even worse, watching some drivers is f***ing terrifying to be perfectly honest, i don't drive myself (currently learning) but on a 25 minute bus journey today, 3 cars cut in front of either the bus itself or a car in front, a Quad thing cut across a lane of traffic to get in front of a bus in front to mount the kerb outside a shop and almost hit a pedestrian and then coming over the town bridge someone skipped the lights coming off Dame Dorothy turning right up Bridge Street and almost got wiped out by the bus i was on, then the bus itself tried to skip a red light and nearly hit someone.

Are people really that desperate to jump a red light and get somewhere that few minutes quicker.

Lad i work with has been banned for 3 years for drink driving, lad on the opposite shift for 18 months, another wrapped his car around a tree trying to impress his lass and wrote off his 19 plate Golf.

What seems to be the issue now, do people not give a fuck because there are less coppers about or is it as a colleague believed that its young, headstrong young 'uns getting cars on finance too powerful for them right out the gates and can't control them or in some cases get sniffed up or pissed and decide it's worth bombing out in their financed Merc or BMW at stupid speeds, these are the types that have turned my street into a drag strip at night.


A mate of mine has been a driving instructor for 22 years and said he's stopped young lads taking their tests because they have issues he wants to remedy before they get out on the road, so they've fucked off to other instructors and been out on the road within weeks and subsequently banned within a year.


Seems people just don't give a fuck on the roads anymore.

Definitely. People these days drive a lot worse. The amount of people who drive in the middle of the road is ridiculous. If your side of the road is blocked it doesn't give people carte blanche to drive the wrong side of the road stopping the cars in the opposite direction. It's the side of the road with the obstruction that needs to give way but people just drive very selfish these, being fast n the furious wannabes

 

[oROSSo]

You can get a 1 series for £299 deposit and £299 a month

It’s a decently powerful car

Not really but it’s nowt to do with the car, it’s not speed I’m seeing it’s people sat in the outside lane, it’s people tail gating, it’s people flying across two lanes to make the 1231 turn off, it’s people not understanding roundabouts despite it being painted on the road

 

[safcforever]

If driving standards genuinely are falling, it flies in the face of the RTC statistics which show fatalities on the decrease consistently since 1966. Even just in the last decade, they've fallen massively: there were 39% fewer fatalities in 2017 compared with 2007.

Edit: source Road accidents and safety statistics

It’s probably been said already but, almost certainly the protection the car offers

 

[tunstallhill]

Phones

 

[ouro]

This thread has been interesting and I certainly recognise these behaviours in drivers around me, but I can't help but thinking there's an awful lot of rose-tinted specs, "when I were a lad" nostalgia.

Plus whenever I have trouble on the road it is usually from angry-looking blokes in their 40s and 50s, not the recently-passed. There's a mini roundabout at the end of my street (in Shildon) and almost daily someone wipes me out from my left because they simply don't look to their right. It happened today at another one in Aycliffe. JUST TREAT IT LIKE A REGULAR ROUNDABOUT YOU ABSOLUTE ARSE.

Speaking of mini roundabouts, the one outside of Silksworth Sainsburys / The Range hasn't been repainted in years and is now so faded as to be nearly invisible. You'd have to be daft to just pull out as you have right of way, someone will just bool straight into you.

 

[WhoAreYa73]

What’s the average hours learning before people pass their tests these days?
My driving instructor wouldn’t put you on for your test until you’d had about 40 lessons.

Not a clue mate, is there even an average? My instructor was convinced I had driven before, I think I don’t about 16 hours maybe? I’ve driven up and down the country, across it and it’s never fazed me.

To be fair that has always been the case. I nearly wiped myself out on the same day I passed my test when I was 17.

That was 30 years ago and there is a lot more traffic on the road now. Not sure I would like to be learning now.

Driving now is a piece of piss, it’s all about driving to your conditions and sticking to the Highway Code and you have no problems.

 

[oROSSo]

What’s the average hours learning before people pass their tests these days?
My driving instructor wouldn’t put you on for your test until you’d had about 40 lessons.

I did ten hours. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a minimum of X amount of hours

 

[DufraisFTM]

What is the new phenomenon of turning right on a roundabout from the left hand lane? I understand, at certain roundabouts, it can be used as a traffic easing measure, but these are specifically highlighted with signs and road markings. People are doing it at any roundabout these days.

Driving standards are certainly worse these days imo. I’ve been driving for 20 years and I’ve noticed a difference. I put it down to people who simply don’t give a fuck. File them next to people who litter, smoke in no smoking areas etc

 

[Charmless Man]

I overtook someone who was full on, phone in front of his face, texting on the A1 yesterday. Doing about 50 on a fairly clear stretch of road.

Looked a bit like @Dave Herbal but he'd be doing at least 80 whilst texting at the wheel so couldn't have been.

 

[Swindon On Tour]

Were talking about this at work, the trip home from it pretty much reinforced what was said.
Almost everyday there seems to be a bad collision or even worse, watching some drivers is f***ing terrifying to be perfectly honest, i don't drive myself (currently learning) but on a 25 minute bus journey today, 3 cars cut in front of either the bus itself or a car in front, a Quad thing cut across a lane of traffic to get in front of a bus in front to mount the kerb outside a shop and almost hit a pedestrian and then coming over the town bridge someone skipped the lights coming off Dame Dorothy turning right up Bridge Street and almost got wiped out by the bus i was on, then the bus itself tried to skip a red light and nearly hit someone.

Are people really that desperate to jump a red light and get somewhere that few minutes quicker.

Lad i work with has been banned for 3 years for drink driving, lad on the opposite shift for 18 months, another wrapped his car around a tree trying to impress his lass and wrote off his 19 plate Golf.

What seems to be the issue now, do people not give a fuck because there are less coppers about or is it as a colleague believed that its young, headstrong young 'uns getting cars on finance too powerful for them right out the gates and can't control them or in some cases get sniffed up or pissed and decide it's worth bombing out in their financed Merc or BMW at stupid speeds, these are the types that have turned my street into a drag strip at night.


A mate of mine has been a driving instructor for 22 years and said he's stopped young lads taking their tests because they have issues he wants to remedy before they get out on the road, so they've fucked off to other instructors and been out on the road within weeks and subsequently banned within a year.


Seems people just don't give a fuck on the roads anymore.

Have to agree.
Some of the dangerous driving you witness is frightening.
The fact that I travel all over the country watching football puts a certain amount of risk to your life.
Only last Saturday on the first leg of the journey going to Scunthorpe an absolute twat decided to overtake 5 cars the last one on a blind bend. If a car had been on the opposite side of the road it certainly would have been a head on crash.
I was left absolutely shocked.

 

[vinegar hill]

The amount of bellends on the roads now has reached epidemic proportions

 

[dangermows]

Not as a nation IMHO Dave, but I think that the older generation of drivers had a more courtious approach to fellow road users, and were taught to be so.
Even though a "merge in turn" rule is in the Highway Code, a lot of the more experienced drivers do not care for the "pushing-in" of drivers.
The "merge in turn rule" is thus:-
"Rule 134
You should follow the signs and road markings and get into the lane as directed.
In congested road conditions do not change lanes unnecessarily. Merging in turn is recommended but only if safe and appropriate when vehicles are travelling at a very low speed, e.g. when approaching road works or a road traffic incident. It is not recommended at high speed."

But the drivers these days who choose to make their own "interpretation" of such rule, sometime take the piss, and this is what causes animosity when they don't play by the rules of the road IMHO.

Nope. A lane being left completely free whilst the other lane goes back miles in just ridiculous. You see people absolutely fuming, and driving bumper to bumper to prevent some poor fucker who has followed the correct instructions from merging. Then you get the goon who sits in the other lane to prevent anyone else passing. It's idiotic and is basically highlighting British people's obsession with queues.

What is the new phenomenon of turning right on a roundabout from the left hand lane? I understand, at certain roundabouts, it can be used as a traffic easing measure, but these are specifically highlighted with signs and road markings. People are doing it at any roundabout these days.

Driving standards are certainly worse these days imo. I’ve been driving for 20 years and I’ve noticed a difference. I put it down to people who simply don’t give a fuck. File them next to people who litter, smoke in no smoking areas etc

Works the other way as well. Plenty sit in the furthest right lane at the roundabout next to what used to be Substance, to then head into the far left lane to come off to head towards the Barnes. Same at the roundabout just over the bridge heading into town. People are clueless.

 

[Gray Matter]

Sorry to all you mackems but as soon as you hit at A19 at doxy all hell breaks lose. All the way along the 1231 none of you can use roundabouts or read the lanes you’re meant to be in. By far the worst drivers in the NE.

I work in Washington so use the A1231 at least 5 times a week.

Almost without fail on the way to work there'll be an arsehole hogging the outside lane just after the A19 roundabout doing at most 60mph.

Presumably most intend to turn right at the end of the highway, which is about three miles from the A19, but have no idea about lane discipline.

As for fuckwit middle lane hoggers......

 

[The King of Um]

Speaking of mini roundabouts, the one outside of Silksworth Sainsburys / The Range hasn't been repainted in years and is now so faded as to be nearly invisible. You'd have to be daft to just pull out as you have right of way, someone will just bool straight into you.

The number of times I've been at that coming out of Sainsbury's car park shouting 'it's a f***ing roundabout, priority to the right' while people all sit there from various directions dithering in a Mexican stand-off. Would help if they repainted it. And maybe put a sign up saying 'it's not difficult, it's a roundabout, haway people.'

 

[oROSSo]

I work in Washington so use the A1231 at least 5 times a week.

Almost without fail on the way to work there'll be an arsehole hogging the outside lane just after the A19 roundabout doing at most 60mph.

Presumably most intend to turn right at the end of the highway, which is about three miles from the A19, but have no idea about lane discipline.

As for fuckwit middle lane hoggers......

It’s terrible for it. So is the A1 from Chester to Durham too mind

 

[Butcher's Coat]

Nope. A lane being left completely free whilst the other lane goes back miles in just ridiculous. You see people absolutely fuming, and driving bumper to bumper to prevent some poor fucker who has followed the correct instructions from merging. Then you get the goon who sits in the other lane to prevent anyone else passing. It's idiotic and is basically highlighting British people's obsession with queues.

Nope to what marra?
The rule itself??

 

[Chappers]

What is the new phenomenon of turning right on a roundabout from the left hand lane? I understand, at certain roundabouts, it can be used as a traffic easing measure, but these are specifically highlighted with signs and road markings. People are doing it at any roundabout these days.

Driving standards are certainly worse these days imo. I’ve been driving for 20 years and I’ve noticed a difference. I put it down to people who simply don’t give a fuck. File them next to people who litter, smoke in no smoking areas etc

This. People who drive this way will be cocks in everything they do.

The moment I dont need a car I'll be getting shot of it.

 

[dangermows]

Nope to what marra?
The rule itself??

Nope to you suggesting animosity is diwn to people taking the piss. Seen it on here plenty of times that drivers doing exactly as they should be described as taking the piss. Do you think when someone approaches two lanes, and see one packed and one free that they join the packed lane as using the other is taking the piss?