[Travel] Has the general standard of driving gone down since Covid

[jessiejames]

The standard of driving has gone backwards over the last 5years. It seems easier to pass Ur test nowadays. Minimum 55mph on a motorway. Separate test for motorway driving, morons who can't join motorway or dual carriageway without making those already on the carriageway having to brake. If caught your M/way entitlement withdrawn. Right hand lane hoggers banned from driving for a year, although I'm happy to stick in the left hand lane as I normally just give the v sign as I undertake them. If you have to use Ur foot brake whilst going uphill to slow down or stop seriously think about handing Ur licence in. Tossers who think they have right of way, nobody driving has right of way. Drivers who think they can just pull in front of you banned. Drivers who either stationary in queue or straddle 2 lanes at a merge in turn banned. retest every 10 years up to 55 years old, then retest every 5 years up to 75.

That's just a start.

 

[jessiejames]

I am shocked at the number of cars that now don't seem to have functioning indicator lights.

Indicator lights must be really poor quality these days. Obviously to pass the MOT they have to work - but days/weeks later they must have broken.

All an indicator proves is that when it blinking the bulb is working.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Old gits complaining about driving nowadays aren't what they used to be.

 

[jessiejames]

I also think there is a rise in automatics, which encourages unconfident drivers and / or could make ppl complacent.

And more ppl are on the roads.

Driving an automatic is not real driving, however my truck is semi automatic, when I passed my HGV Class 1 it was with an Eaton Cummings 18 speed gearbox miss 1gear and Ur fooked

 

[GT49er]

Or am I just getting too old to drive?

I am shocked at the risks drivers take on roundabouts and the speed they go around them and go for gaps which are “just”

Impatience and intolerance along with a mostly (not everyone obviously) lack of consideration for other road users, not letting cars filter in or blocking roundabouts when not able to go anywhere, stopping those that can.

Big f*** off SUVs going round bends at speed with two wheels over the white line and young drivers going at too high a speed around corners on country lanes

Picking the wrong lane on roundabouts and then just drifting across with no warning

Making no allowances for fog or rain and not slowing down in adverse conditions

I am banging on aren’t I? But it does concern me that it may be me that’s now out of step

Teslas have taken over from BMW and Audi drivers for driving like ****s imo

Rant over

Thoughts?

Have you moved since/around the time of Covid? The standard of driving is more geographically affected than by Covid.

The standard of driving varies hugely. From Gloucestershire, which is generally not bad, going north it rends to improve. Further north, it is a joy. The further south or east I venture, the worse the standard of driving, the worse the consideration of other road-users, becomes.

Whether this abomination of driving standards is London-centric, or south east centred I'm not sure - I've never in recent years (.e. the last forty or fifty or so) driven around the areas (Essex and the like) to the immediate north east of London; if they're as bad as Sussex, then London is the epi-centre; if not, then it's just the further south and east you go that the appalling driving prevails.

 

[GT49er]

Do you drive a Tesla?

A white van more likely!

 

[jessiejames]

Old gits complaining about driving nowadays aren't what they used to be.

So true.

 

[nsclurker]

My biggest bug bear is that nobody appears to have a handbrake anymore. Even people in cars I know have auto hold handbrakes still stand on their brakes for 1-2 minutes at a time and do my head in with their high-level LED brake lights. One day I'm going to go full Michael Douglas.

Don't get me started on people that drive in low light and/or pissing rain or fog with no effing lights on...

Nurse!

 

[nsclurker]

On another note, I taught my son to drive and he and his mates all appear to be (relatively) sensible drivers and nobody touches a drop of booze if they're driving.

I was a f***ing idiot for the first couple of years after I passed my test, as I thought I was invincible. Bar a couple of close scrapes, I was, thankfully.

 

[jessiejames]

Driving in Europe is such a dream and relaxing compared to the UK.

 

[Weststander]

The standard of driving has gone backwards over the last 5years. It seems easier to pass Ur test nowadays. Minimum 55mph on a motorway. Separate test for motorway driving, morons who can't join motorway or dual carriageway without making those already on the carriageway having to brake. If caught your M/way entitlement withdrawn. Right hand lane hoggers banned from driving for a year, although I'm happy to stick in the left hand lane as I normally just give the v sign as I undertake them. If you have to use Ur foot brake whilst going uphill to slow down or stop seriously think about handing Ur licence in. Tossers who think they have right of way, nobody driving has right of way. Drivers who think they can just pull in front of you banned. Drivers who either stationary in queue or straddle 2 lanes at a merge in turn banned. retest every 10 years up to 55 years old, then retest every 5 years up to 75.

That's just a start.

The merge lanes control freaks. Sweet when you still get past them.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Driving in Europe is such a dream and relaxing compared to the UK.

Getting on for 10 years ago now, but that was not my experience driving around Romania.

Massive potholes that mean driving on the wrong side of the road for extended periods, and regularly passing burnt out hulks of cars that have clearly had head on collisions while overtaking lorries, while trying to overtake said lorries.

 

[Weststander]

Driving in Europe is such a dream and relaxing compared to the UK.

I’ve driven a fair amount across Western European countries. Things that stand out compared to here.
1. Quieter motorways because of lower population density in most places and many natives refuse to pay tolls.
2. Literally everyone moves to the ‘slower’ lane asap, 100% adherence. Is this because the police prosecute if you don’t?
3. No aggression at rage levels.
4. Indicating when changing lanes.
5. Abrupt moving into faster lanes into insanely small gaps, causing braking. Everyone seems okay with it!

[France, Spain, Austria].

 

[LamieRobertson]

Fine I totally get you. What you've just explained is what the OP should have explained.

You make some good points. You mention about pedestrians walking into the road without looking. Not helping that particular scenario was the daft change in the Highway Code.

during the pandemic I was out and about driving the same as anytime….and found pedestrians wandering into the road due to ‘social distancing’ …fine I thought but wtf am I supposed to go!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Or am I just getting too old to drive?

I am shocked at the risks drivers take on roundabouts and the speed they go around them and go for gaps which are “just”

Impatience and intolerance along with a mostly (not everyone obviously) lack of consideration for other road users, not letting cars filter in or blocking roundabouts when not able to go anywhere, stopping those that can.

Big f*** off SUVs going round bends at speed with two wheels over the white line and young drivers going at too high a speed around corners on country lanes

Picking the wrong lane on roundabouts and then just drifting across with no warning

Making no allowances for fog or rain and not slowing down in adverse conditions

I am banging on aren’t I? But it does concern me that it may be me that’s now out of step

Teslas have taken over from BMW and Audi drivers for driving like ****s imo

Rant over

Thoughts?

Nope.

 

[SkirlieWirlie]

My biggest bug bear is that nobody appears to have a handbrake anymore. Even people in cars I know have auto hold handbrakes still stand on their brakes for 1-2 minutes at a time and do my head in with their high-level LED brake lights. One day I'm going to go full Michael Douglas.

Don't get me started on people that drive in low light and/or pissing rain or fog with no effing lights on...

Nurse!

Annoyed me too. Unfortunately with the growing number of automatics on the road, the guidance is to hold the car in drive on the foot brake when stopped in traffic...

 

[BrightonCottager]

I failed my first driving test (1981), principally for 'Failing to make speed appropriate to road and traffic conditions'.

For many and varied reasons, that always makes me chuckle now.

Middle lane drivers on the A/M23 and M25 doing 60mph.There is usually a huge bunch of frustrated drivers behind them.

 

[Flounce]

Have just returned from a pre rush hour trip to Sainsburys to avoid the throngs in there. On the four fairly empty roundabouts on the way back I came across three wankers driving round them like they were a race circuit, arriving at speed as people were pulling onto the roundabout having not seen the ****s as they raced around it. The poor lambs with no imagination or knowledge of how you take a roundabout had to brake to avoid a collision.

 

[Flounce]

Middle lane drivers on the A/M23 and M25 doing 60mph.There is usually a huge bunch of frustrated drivers behind them.

No excuse but the inside lanes of motorways are the most rutted of all three

 

[chickens]

I am finding Audi drivers are the guys speeding at a good 20+ over the speed limit. However, there are also a determined hardcore of older drivers who travel at 10-20 below the speed limit, and effectively form mobile roadblocks that impatient drivers then behave dangerously to try and get around and get on with their day.

I would personally like to see driving tests every three years from 75 onward, and I’d also like to see driving seen as more of a privilege than a right.

I’m all in favour of lifetime bans for those who are travelling at 90+ on public roads, as well as anyone who kills or seriously injures others as a result of dangerous driving. If nothing else it will reduce congestion and improve takeup of public transport.