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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dickish driving behaviour

114 replies

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 06/12/2019 13:40

Is it just me or has the standard of driving on the roads in the UK got worse and worse? Have just done around a 4 mile round trip and encountered the following:-

Huge lorry parked on double yellows and blocking the road, causing a big queue of traffic

Someone doing an illegal u-turn and almost causing an accident

Car pulling out on me on a roundabout causing me to slam brakes on

Car in Tesco car park almost reversing into me until I sounded horn and then they stopped

I realise my driving probably isn't perfect but it feels like people don't give a shit on the roads any more and it's just breeding more bad driving behaviour because people think why should I drive carefully if no one else cares?! Maybe I'm just a bit grumpy today but bloody hell I feel like I have to be on high alert every time I get in the car!

OP posts:
Vulpine · 06/12/2019 13:50

Most drivers think everyone else on the road is a bad driver though

SquatBetty · 06/12/2019 13:52

When I'm out driving, I do wonder if I'm the only person who actually knows how to use my fucking indicators

HowlsMovingBungalow · 06/12/2019 13:53

I don't anyone gives a shit on the roads anymore plus lazy driving because cars do the driving now ie park/lane assist, cruise control, automatic lights/wipers.

Original poster
chocolatesaltyballs22 · 06/12/2019 13:55

@squatbetty me too so at least there's two of us!! (And my husband, who goes into a rage when people don't indicate!)

OP posts:
Lizzie0869 · 06/12/2019 14:00

My DH would agree with you. He only ever swears when he's behind the wheel. 🤣

I don't think there are more bad drivers than there used to be. But there are more drivers on our roads than there ever were in the past. So there's more potential for bad driving to cause an accident.

Perch · 06/12/2019 14:02

Yanbu, i think yesterday was national ignore-your-indicator day. And around here the taxi’s are a law unto themselves. They just pull out.

Rockmeamaryllis · 06/12/2019 14:05

I hate the undertaking on motorways and the way they then cut in front of you.

Tucobenedicto · 06/12/2019 14:08

I am an HGV driver and the standard has got worse really lately.
A lot of it has to do with mobile phones.i sit high up and when a car passes me you would not believe the amount of people who have their phone on their lap. Why it needs to be on their lap I don't know but they are defo not concentrating properly while the phone is there.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 06/12/2019 14:10

Best fuckwit driver a few months back - Coming down slip road to join a dual carriage way, see car coming along in first lane it doesn't move and slip road is running out, had to brake so didn't hit the car in lane nearest end of slip road. Driver stops alongside our car and rants and raves in her car ON A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY.

PotteringAlong · 06/12/2019 14:10

I’ve just been properly tailgated (just sitting on the drive with a sleeping DS) by a man who kept throwing his hands up at me and then tried to undertake me by driving into a bus lane (but it was very very short and he didn’t realise so didn’t). He was getting annoyed because I was doing 20mph. It’s a 20mph zone.

AnnieOH1 · 06/12/2019 14:12

It's December, run up to Christmas, people who usually commute on public transport forced into cars due to evening and shopping plans (and transport problems), general stressed population during this "most wonderful time of the year" - it's the same every year and only slightly beaten by traffic in school holidays.

christmassymcchristmas · 06/12/2019 14:13

@Tucobenedicto I bet you see all sorts. I had a row with a friend who is a HGV driver yesterday after he sent me a selfie video he'd recorded of him singing whilst driving his truck.

He tried the usual justifications, I look in 6 mirrors, I look at my satnav, I'm a safe driver, been trained etc. Knocked me sick tbh

PettyContractor · 06/12/2019 14:16

He was getting annoyed because I was doing 20mph. It’s a 20mph zone.

Presumably you would have pulled over to let him past if there was an opportunity to do so. Sometimes other people are in more of hurry than you are, sticking to the speed limit isn't a good enough reason to block them, if you're able to let them past. (But I don't think you have to disadvantage yourself to let them past. I wouldn't get myself stuck in a motorway lane that was a lot slower than my speed, just to let someone past who wanted to go a lot faster.)

MissCharleyP · 06/12/2019 14:18

Rockmeamaryllis I’m guessing you’re in the middle lane? If you’re not overtaking and traffic on the inside is going faster, then move back to the inside lane. Someone was recently prosecuted for bimbling along in the middle lane for miles for no reason.

goingtoneedabiggercar · 06/12/2019 14:21

@PettyContractor I'd spend more time pulled over than driving if I let people past me who wanted to speed. I think if driving below the speed limit then allowing people to pass is good practice but driving at the maximum speed for the road, no I wouldn't let people pass. Being in a hurry is not an excuse to speed, unless you are the emergency services.

SuzieBishop · 06/12/2019 14:22

@PettyContractor why in the hell should they have had to move aside? They were driving to the SPEED LIMIT

HowlsMovingBungalow · 06/12/2019 14:23

The only vehicles that pull in to let other drivers pass are usually slow moving ones here - tractors and and other farm machinery. You don't pull in to let people driving faster than you pass!

Jaxhog · 06/12/2019 14:25

I totally agree with you. I sometimes think my (lime green with headlights on) car is completely invisible. Part of it is definitely mobile phones. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people HOLDING a mobile phone clamped to an ear while parking, pulling out or overtaking. Nuts!

Sometimes other people are in more of a hurry than you are, sticking to the speed limit isn't a good enough reason to block them
Seriously? So it's ok to speed if you're in a hurry?

lisag1969 · 06/12/2019 14:29

I agree with you. Nobody cares about anyone only themselves. Also basically they don't care if they get caught as it will not be harsh
Penalty anyway. There is not enough police around to catch these people either so they do more and more terrible things, as they know they will get away with it.
Also a lot of young people not worried about parents, police or anyone no respect just do as they want.

SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing · 06/12/2019 14:29

"I hate the undertaking on motorways and the way they then cut in front of you"

If they've got room to do this, you should probably move over tbh.

Carpathian2 · 06/12/2019 14:31

We have a lot of mini roundabouts where I live and nobody seems to realise that you give way to the right! Drivers either dither, not knowing who to give way to, or they just drive across it ignoring whoever had right of way. Even my 13 year old ds knows who's got right of way!

Gives me the rage on a daily basis 😡

blackteasplease · 06/12/2019 14:32

Awful round here. Outskirts of London and v busy.

It’s always the worst drivers that are so agressive too!

MiniEggAddiction · 06/12/2019 14:33

I don't know whether it's getting worse but I've been seeing some terrible motorway driving lately.

People merging then driving straight into the overtaking lane without bothering to check if they're path is clear.

I saw a lorry the other day who was exiting the motorway and obviously realised he'd come off too soon veering suddenly back on right over all the white lines and forcing other cars to veer and avoid him.

Serendipity79 · 06/12/2019 14:34

"Sometimes other people are in more of a hurry than you are, sticking to the speed limit isn't a good enough reason to block them" Really? I would never purposefully let someone past me if they were speeding, and hopefully by not doing that I save some poor person they could have knocked over.

It is getting worse.... I like to think I am an ok driver but this week alone on my commute to work I've experienced:

A car reversing out of a driveway onto a main road and almost into me as I was tootling along the road - the driver was abusive as it was clearly my fault

A car parked on double yellow lines outside a school, the driver arguing with the staff about not moving said car whilst the entire road was gridlocked and no one could move anywhere

A car suddenly turning right on a roundabout - from the left hand lane almost taking the front of my car with them

Tail gating to the extent that I did in fact pull into a side road because I was so concerned that in stop start traffic the car was about to hit me every time we stopped

I hate driving now, I avoid it where possible!

nornironrock · 06/12/2019 14:35

People who drive everywhere at 40.

40 is not appropriate in urban/village areas, and it is certianly not appropriate on roads where the national speed limit is in force.

People who drive at 25 because it's dark. If you don't like driving in the dark, either get some lessons, or do it while we are all asleep.

People who sit in the middle lane of a practically empty motorway.

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