To think there is definitely an increase in people driving through red lights?!

[FrasierCranium]

This is driving me bonkers

Maybe it's just around here, I dunno, but recently I have noticed more and more that people are just frankly not stopping at red lights. I mean wtf?! When did this become ok?

Most annoying in rush hour. Causes the junctions to get all snarled up.

Gives me the rage. Has anyone else noticed this?!

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

In the last month ive had a car driving the wrong way on a duel carriageway coming towards me,
Been turning left off a main road where the other side of the road is not allowed a right turn to have just that happen (that one shot me a filthy look)

Some bloke stop dead in front of me on a one way street (I was going the correct direction) then try and threaten me for being in his way.

And been late for the school run 5 times due to tossers blocking the crossing because they ignore red lights.

It's annoying

[PseudoBadger]

Also note so many people driving with their satnavs and phones fixed to their windscreen in such positions that it must surely be impossible to see the road/surroundings/pedestrians.

[tealoveryum]

I don't see too much of it here but most of the traffic lights have the cameras on them, which definitely work.

I do get concerned sometimes because I've had it when the light goes amber, I slow down and the car behind is doing the opposite or far too close to have realised I'm not running a red.

I'm sure no one drives perfectly 100% of the time, though I would hope that people aim for it but when I drive on the motorway I see all sorts. Worse than on normal roads. Today someone pulled in front of my car as I was overtaking a lot of others. I was in the middle lane overtaking. He wasn't even doing 60mph on a clear run and didn't look before pulling out. Luckily it was a clear run and I'd had my eye on the fast lane because I know some people do that so I could pull into it quickly, or I'd have rear ended or rather part rear ended since he'd have only been half over.

[reallysayingsomething]

Perhaps we should start a campaign. I witnessed a road accident last October. Silly idiot doing 60 in a 30 mph zone careening into a parked car. Thankfully no serious injuries to anyone. The Police Officer who took my statement told me they are dealing with accidents caused by reckless driving every day.

Also fed up with the attitude it is somehow cool and living dangerously to speed. A Facebook friend got short shift from me for boosting about being caught 'yet again' in her husband's high performance expensive car! Knobette!

[Quoteunquote]

Get a dash cam,

I've managed thirty plus years of driving without any speeding tickets, parking tickets, or any accidents caused by me. I drive over 20,000 miles a year on average. It is possible not to be a shit driver.

I drive vans, tractors, JCB, dumpers, trucks, flat beds and luton I tow most days, yet I don't ever need to break the highway code, it's a choice and frankly I am sick of entitled incompident morons costing us money.

I'm sick of those people who add to the culture of shit driving taking up valuable police (and the other emergency service)time and funds, I hold those that think they can do this entirely responsible for the far more important backlog of other things that could have funds spent on them.

Unless these people cannot understand cause and effect, then how do they live with themselves knowing that child pornographers are getting away with it, because the police do not have the funds to keep up with the new stuff, let alone the back log.

Same goes for those who get drunk and fight, bastard enablers of abusers.

we do not have unlimited funds, just another unit getting cut

We also need that if anyone causes these unnecessary situations, they should personally pay the whole costs of all the services that are required to nanny them through life. Not just a token fine .

Not capable of not breaking the highway, hang up your keys and let a professional drive you, use public transport.

It's time the adults in this country understood what responsibility means, and stop thinking life is about what you can get away with.

[StarOnTheTree]

I agree OP. I do quite a bit of long distance driving and I've really noticed it in the last year or so.

Today I was waiting to turn right at a busy crossroads, 4th in the queue. When it was clear, the other 3 cars before me turned right and then a car approached from the other direction as the lights turned to red not amber but red I had just enough time to turn right but did that woman stop! No she just whizzed through the red light at top speed. It's a good job I hesitated or she would have hit me! And then I was late getting out of the middle of the junction before traffic started coming through from the other way.

That was after a couple of hours on the motorway with lorries driving right up everyone's backsides. I'm surprised there are not more accidents!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

The only people who would be worried are the ones that have a causal attuded towards the highway code

and the ones who's breeches of the high way code have only occurred in order to escape a situation caused by someone elses driving.

[Quoteunquote]

Because of the amount of cars on the roads now, and the culture of crap driving, We need to have a change in the law, if you are found breaking the highway code in any way, you should have to reset the whole driving test. This would instantly make all of our roads safer, and save the tax payers a fortune, which could go into health care and education.

The only people who would be worried are the ones that have a causal attuded towards the highway code.

[99percentchocolate]

Definitely noticing more red light runs. I was beeped by a Royal Mail van on Monday morning for not going through a red light. It was heavy traffic and red on my approach! Very busy junction and I am heavily pregnant - not a chance I was risking my baby and my lives running red so that he could make his rounds.
Also, what is with cars turning right from a minor road on to a busy road and just pulling into the left lane? I've seen so many cars parked across a busy lane waiting to turn right and causing a huge traffic jam on the left hand lane recently.
And yy to parking too. This stupid law about parking on public highways is ridiculous. I struggle to get off my drive every day because somebody parks a massive 4x4 on the road opposite. When you eventually get off my road, there is usually a car parked opposite the junction.

[reallysayingsomething]

I have noticed it as well. I am surprised there are not MORE accidents. Personally, I feel we have to address private car use (and yes hypocrite that I am, I do drive). Roads are becoming unbearable in the south. Parking is a nightmare and far more selfish, thoughtless leave the car anywhere type. We need a massive culture shift.

[miserablesod]

Theres two many bad drivers in general. Just today i was driving to work and a woman coming towards me started veering over to my side, i moved right into the kerb but she nearly hit me head on! She swerved back over to her side and carried on driving!

Then on the way home i was on a big roundabout with lights. When the lights changed a bloke veered from his far left lane, right through the middle two lanes so he could get in the inside lane to turn right! Everyone had to slam on their brakes and i'm sure a few "wankers!" Were shouted.

[SirChenjin]

Definitely. I've been driving for 26 years (holy fuck, how did that happen??) and there are far more drivers going through red lights than ever before. My theory is because the roads are getting busier and busier, so after sitting in a queue of traffic watching 4 or 5 light rotations before your 'turn' makes people think sod it, and just go for it.

[AveEldon]

It's fairly normal here
Unsurprising given how many cars are uninsured but on the road

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Yanbu.

I've seen this alot of late.

scares the shit out of me. Dd will be off to secondary school in less than 2 years and will have to use the pedestrian crossings where I've seen it happen. round here.

[LightDrizzle]

YANBU if you live in Hull. I swear it has got much worse in the last 6 months. One junction and one traffic light controlled roundabout near me in particular are horrendous.

Your thread has prompted me to email our local police and local councillor like a mad woman.

[Pipbin]

I think some of it might be down to the quality of instructors too.
I love up a hill and in our town it is just about the only hill (the joys of East Anglia). Every bugger seems to practice hill starts on it. The problem is that there is a bend further up the hill. Lots of instructors seem to get the learner to stop too close to the bend meaning that you have no chance of going past them as you can't see the on coming traffic.

Also, the only time people seem to use indicators they seem to think it gives them the god given right to do what ever they want.
For example I was in a two lane one way system. Long, but moving, line of traffic on the right lane, fairly empty on the left lane. I saw a car from further behind on the left lane pull out into the empty lane, drive up the empty lane until he got to me and then stuck his indicator on. He was very pissed off that I wouldn't let him in.

[babybat]

I think it's partly due to police cuts - the police just don't have enough staff to enforce the law anymore, so unless there's a serious crash, they don't tend to do anything. Also huge numbers of distracted drivers who are too busy looking at their phones to pay attention to the road. Pretty scary when you're huge and pg and slow crossing the road, must be even worse for older people.

[BigGreenOlives]

Anyone who has a license from a Commonwealth or EU country can drive in the UK without an additional test. There are obviously very different traffic and compliance levels across this range of countries. I recently spoke to a driving instructor who said that she had taught a pupil who had been given a full Egyptian driving license despite never having sat behind the wheel to make up for the inconvenience of the driving test centre being short of admin staff to issue learners' licenses.

[Sparklingbrook]

There's a stretch of road locally with two lanes up to some traffic lights. Straight on can use both lanes, but once over the lights the right hand lane is told to merge into the left one as it goes back to single lane.

But oh no. The drivers in the left lane won't let anyone in. It's supposed to be like a zip. There are frequent posts on the local FB Spotted page explaining it.

[Andro]

There's certainly been an increase in aggressive, dangerous driving. Don't get me started on indicators...when exactly did their use become optional? Then add the aggressive and dangerous driving to the lack of indicator use and I'm surprised there hasn't been more accidents than there has!

[Sparklingbrook]

It seems to be box junctions that go unnoticed around here same as you Pipbin. I was explaining them to DS2 the other day. They are just ignored in the nearest city.

Temporary traffic lights are breeding around here too. There's always a few cars that sneak in after the lights have turned red meaning they are green the other end but cars still coming towards you.

[MadisonAvenue]

Vanderwaals You've actually reminded me that a van driver did that to us at Midnight a couple of weeks ago and when we had to stop, with a line of traffic behind us, for him to squeeze through he was really abusive. He had his company name on the side of his van (a large pharmaceuticals company) so I emailed them - twice - and have had no response so have just fired off another complaint to them. I didn't get the number plate but can pinpoint the time and location.

[YouTheCat]

I was nearly knocked over crossing with the green man the other week. There is a longish delay on the lights changing from red to the green man appearing and this utter wanker just went right through the red. Just as well I was watching or I'd have been hospitalised.

They don't even need more police out and about for this issue. Just get someone going through camera footage and fine the bastards every single time. That'd stop them.

[BackforGood]

No.
I've been driving a loooooong time.
Far less driving through red lights nowadays with all the cameras and recording equipment about.