To wish other motorists would stop trying to hit my sodding car?!?

[Jamboree05]

I have had four near crashes in two bloody days. None of these were even remotely my fault and were caused either by drivers pulling out at junctions without enough time or cutting up lanes on roundabouts because they haven't got a clue which lane they should be in!!

I'm so wound up by it! I'm a decent driver and try to be really careful but am finding it difficult to continually have to pre-empt others bad driving.

So... AIBU to think that drivers should be required to retest every, say, 10 years (or less?) to ensure they are up to date on changes to road laws and remain competent drivers?

I’ve had a dash cam fitted to mine because other people are fucking idiots.

Ugh sometimes it's like you're completely invisible isn't it.
I absolutely hate it, pisses me off.
Get a dash cam just in case.

I have a friend who was in the army. He always says 'drive defensively'. Always expect the worst, never anticipate people doing the sensible thing.

I used to have a bright yellow car. It's like a I was target for wanky drivers

Flytipper, I’m the same. I expect everyone and everything to be a potential hazard.

I know and it's getting worse every year. The insane chances people take, dashing out in front of you from a side road when there's space behind, ignoring priority arrows on narrow roads and just ploughing on at you. I think people think that these modern massive tank-cars make them invincible. Everyone should have to watch videos of test crashes before they are allowed to have their licence.
I used to like driving but I really hate it now and wouldn't do it at all if I had a choice.

Now why didn't I think of a dashcam before! What an awesome idea.

Honestly, @cupcake. I'm genuinely beginning to wonder whether I actually exist with the amount of people that seemingly drive straight through me!

@flytipper- my other half is a motorcyclist and drives like that. He expects everyone to drive like idiots and then he's never surprised.

Scares the living daylights out of me when has out on the bike mind...

I've just had 2 near misses in 12 minutes!!
Stupid guy in a Nissan tank darted at me through the priority arrows (my right of way) I braked not to hit him & beeped my horn, the fucker had the cheek to beep me back
Then a lady pulled out from a side road....there was no traffic behind me ffs just wait. It's shocking how many people risk their lives for the sake of waiting 30 seconds or less.

I had two cars hit me from behind within 18 months. It really made me anxious for a while when out driving especially seeing someone come flying behind me.
Why don't people just fucking concentrate while driving. I had my children in the car on both occasions, made me feel really vulnerable. Fuckers.

I used to drive a dusky pink Citroen Saxo. I used to get cut up all the time. DH didn't believe me until he borrowed my car, and then promptly got in an argument with someone over whose right of way it was.
Don't have anything like as many problems with my current car, which is significantly bigger.

Try driving in Boston. It's like every other car on the road is trying to kill you. Fucking terrifying. And I'm saying that as someone who drove in London almost every day for 15 years.

I got a dash cam for this very reason. A couple of times people did things so stupid as to be unbelievable. And it was more believable that I'd made the mistake despite being blameless (think roundabouts where I was indicating but got nearly sideswiped) so I got a dash cam to back myself up I love reviewing the footage and my DH might divorce me for being a saddo

I hear you! Drives me nuts too, especially idiots driving too fast on narrow lanes.

We have a dash cam and I recommend it - doesn’t stop people misbehaving but it gives some peace of mind.

I feel just the same about people who park very close to my car and then throw their doors open!

If you do get a dashcam, get one that also films behind you ...

Well I'm very glad I'm not the only one and I'll definitely be investing in a dashcam!!

Or @he11y, drivers who can't park in a single space! What the hell is that about?

I have been actually been hit while in a stationary position 3 times and had one person hit me as they pulled on to a roundabout (I was already on the roundabout)

Twice people reversed into me while I was stopped behind them. Both times I needed new fron bumpers replacing

Once a lorry was stopped beside me at traffic lights. As the lights changed, the lorry pulled off and sideswiped me on the driver door. I had not yet moved as I was a bit slow off the mark and was positioned corrctly in my lane so in no way my fault.

This wrote off my car

Once I was exiting off a roundabout and someone pulled out as I passed them. They hit my the rear passenger side door (where 7 year old DS was sitting!) . My car was pushed up onto the pavement ending up sitting on a cycle/footpath which ran alongside the inside of the pavement. Luckily there was no-one on the path or I would have hit them ! Luckily also I was going less then 20mph and the person pulling out was obvously not going fast.

This also wrote off my car.

I have been driving almost 40 years though

Sorry I was going less than 30mph ! (not less than 20mph)

Quite a lot of people have mentioned about it being about certain cars and I have to say I agree.. It's so weird, but I have a big SUV type car and when driving it nothing really happens. My husband has a small bright coloured Fiat 500 (to and from train station car) and if I drive that people start pulling out in front of me, taking risks etc. It's really noticeable. It's almost like they think, "small car, going slow no doubt, I've got time to pull out in front of it".

Flipping heck @bumbling! That even beats my crazy crash/almost crash record.... poor you!!!

Driving lessons for about the last 15 years have taught defensive driving. That is because yes, some people drive like idiots. Even if they can drive well in a test. So unfortunately you do have to drive as if others are idiots.

YANBU!

There was a discussion on a mums group recently where they were laughing at how bad they became since they had kids, and they were proudly telling the group about their stupid things and the scratches and bumps on their cars.
Bad enough to give a bad name to female drivers, male are equally bad frankly, but to be proud about being an idiot?

I think I am careful, but the number of near miss because of people not bothering looking when they join a fast road where I have right of way, not using their indicators, stopping in the middle of the road when it's actually illegal to turn! It drives me mad.

Tiredness is supposed to be in Britain the most common cause of accidents. So retests would not help. Because someone can pass a retest and still drive terribly at other times.

Just assume that every other driver is either an arsehole or a nutcase.

People drive like dicks. In fact one of the reasons I don't drive is because when I was taking lessons it was apparent I just could NOT do it. Hence I stay off the roads. If only more people did that they might be a bit safer.