Why don't people slow down?

Loads won't even have a license

Because the windscreen is just like every other screen they spend 24/7 staring at - some kind of Matrix version of the world with no consequences. I'm starting to really believe this is the case with many drivers now.

Absolutely.

Threads here make out that pedestrians are a nuisance, everyone should drive if capable regardless if it isn’t necessary despite when that means less people on the road, less traffic.

I completely disagree that this is new behaviour, it’s been an issue for years.

I got a new car a couple of years ago, the first car I've had with screens/tech. I connected my phone....and then unconnected it because I don't want the distraction. And I think the touch screen controls are more distracting than knobs or dials. In my old car if I wanted the fan on full, I knew it was 3 or 4 notches clockwise, can do without looking, now I have to glance to slide my finger across the screen.
Even the "helpful" instructions it gives about changing gear, eco tip, close the window etc all require you to look away for a second.
Obviously bad driving is not the cars fault and there is a lot of user error too, but I'm not sure it's that helpful sometimes.

This is something we noticed when we moved from Paris to London. Drivers here often don’t slow down for pedestrians, as if they were making a point.
At the same time, drivers are very civilised with
other drivers, when lanes are merging or when someone is trying to join the main road from a side one. In France you often need to force your way through.

What @daffodilandtulip said and the same goes for walking in pairs! It seems even grown adults can’t separate from their friend or loved one for five seconds to allow another pedestrian to pass by without being forced to almost step in the road and don’t get me started on cyclists who know nothing about slowing down or waiting.
“Only myself matters” in the whole of society!

I don't even think it's driving skill, I just think there's an epidemic of "I'll do what I like and sod you all. Only myself matters." in the whole of society at the moment.

I was walking between jobs a few weeks ago and saw a bloke at the wheel who was looking for something down in his passenger footwell - it honestly looked like a headless person was driving his car. Then he picked up his phone from the floor, answered it and carried on - it was like something out of Mr Bean 🫣

I think this is unfortunately a big part of it, as long as they're right, that's all that matters, not injuries, not damage, not deaths, if they're not in the wrong then the rest is immaterial.

It's like people would rather have a collision, than stop or err on the side of caution, and I believe you can be done for driving without due care and attention even if the other road user is technically wrong, but you could have avoided the collision or attempted to even if you didn't stop/swerve in time.

Like with the child on the bike, the child was technically 'wrong' but that's going to be of no comfort to me whatsoever if I've seriously injured a child when I could have avoided it.

I think a lot of people are distracted too, eating, drinking, using mobile phones, messing with entertainment systems and don't notice what's going on around them.

We have quite an indulgent attitude towards drivers as a society so stuff like speeding can be excused. The guidelines for reporting collisions that the journalist Laura Laker worked on are really interesting re attitudes to drivers as they are aimed at reporting collisions in a neutral manner rather than using language that could favour the driver - but they are not always followed.

One near me was astonishing
driver turning right, another car approaching at double the speed limit (at least), and slammed into the car turning right
took out a metal fence, flipped the car he smashed into (in a 30 zone!)
neither him or passenger wearing a seatbelt
took ages to cut the other driver out the car

I think in this case and many others, people are trying to teach other people a lesson. E.g if someone pulls out on them, they don't slow down until theyre right up their backside. Or in this case they didn't slow down to teach the boy a lesson. It's idiotic sure, but i imagine that's part of the thought process.

I never ever trust that I am at a safe crossing and walk out. I always wait until all vehicles have actually stopped before setting foot off the pavement. Now that's I have children I am very date a but thats fine as long as we stay safe and well.

Today my DM and DF nearly had a bad accident. All becuase an elderly gentleman tried to avoid half a tire on the road in the middle lane of a motorway instead of keeping in the middle and letting the tire go under the car he swirved into my parents car who were on the vast lane. My DF who is level headed and calm reacted and moved closer to the central reservation narrowly missing being hit.
What and absolute bell end.
More people need to be tested on an annual basis. People should be able to report bad drivers and if they get a certain oercebtage of complaints then they have to leasons, redo theory and practical test.

Some drivers (too many) are just shit drivers who don’t realise they are in control of a deadly weapon, it’s something that has bugged me for far more years than I care to remember 😩

As a pedestrian, often walking with a child, I commonly approach zebra crossings, and sometimes am already waiting at the zebra crossing, and drivers sail past staring fixedly ahead (not on phone) without having apparently seen us at all. Not that they’ve seen us but judged it’s too late to stop. Just no awareness we’re there. It’s frightening.

But I also acknowledge that as a driver I make mistakes and am almost certainly guilty of some / much of what @WrigglyDonCat describes.

50% of drivers are below average, and the average isn't an exacting standard...

I see sooo many people blatantly on their phones whilst driving…

Not in a few words... But for me the most overlooked thing in most people's driving is road position, and even that covers a multitude of things.

Used well, road position (in combination with speed) is one of the best indications of your intention (often better than an indicator), one of the best ways to control and manipulate other drivers (that isn't a bad thing - well it can be done to excess - but also an essential part of safe driving) and one of the best ways to minimise your exposure to risks from others mistakes.

Very true OP.

Petrifying to be a pedestrian or cyclist these days. Drivers are too cocky and rely too heavily on modern safety tech. Safer inside the car, but safer outside?

Slow down!!! Give space.

I would agree with 3 other PP's who've suggested that the driver was on their phone. They thought the road was clear and free-flowing so engaged with phone and didn't see boy on bike. Phone use while driving has become absolutely endemic. I see it al the time.

Exactly until they crash into another reinforced box or something that proved them wrong.

I don’t think enough people take into account the responsibility and privilege it is to drive and that all it takes is one action or inaction to injure or kill someone.

I see drivers not paying attention to anyone but other drivers, run red lights knowing there are people waiting to cross, not stopping for pedestrians, reaching back for things and taking their eyes off the road, speeding through residential areas and school zones forcing areas to install speed bumps to stop it, choosing to park right up to bus stops making it difficult for buses to pick up passengers, making illegal turns and almost running into other cars, etc.

I look both ways when crossing, one way or not because I don’t have much trust in drivers.