Pet driving hates. What gets your goat?

[greenforme]

For me it's lorries in the middle lane on motorways, driving parallel to another. Yes I know they have deadlines, but miles and miles side by side? 😡

Lorries overtaking on the motorways...

I regularly have to go and visit my mother who lives two hours away. It's 3 different motorways most of the way (M1, M6, M54), and the M6 is by far the worst for mental lorries.

People that don't get up to speed on slip roads. So bloody dangerous!

People who think other drivers only need two inches to get out of their car.

DadDadDad
Quite

"I think this is over-the-top pedantry. Sure, VED might be its official name, but there's nothing wrong in colloquially calling it "road tax" - it's an amount that you are obliged to pay to an agency of the government and you only pay it if you have a vehicle that you wish to take on the road."

There is nothing wrong with calling it road tax but it's nonsense to use it as a stick to beat cyclists with.

VED/Road tax doesn't pay for the roads, this is typically funded by council tax or general taxation. VED is a tax on emissions; cyclists don't pay it because they, like electric cars, don't emit harmful gases.

Saying 'you don't pay road tax' is just the same as saying 'you don't pay tax on petrol' to a cyclist. It makes no fucking sense and it makes whoever says it look like a dick.

It makes perfect sense to me.

I doubt they'll let me off toad tax because I pay council tax.

Toad tax! 😂😂

I've not read the whole thread, but have we had any discussion on using indicators on roundabouts?

I get irritated by drivers who don't put on their left signal to show they are exiting the roundabout. I'm trying to join the roundabout and so I wait patiently for you to pass from my right. Then you exit just before you get to me and kept me waiting for nothing!

Unless the roundabout is small, put on your left indicator as you pass the exit before the one you plan to take. Easy to understand, and a courtesy to other drivers!

Not indicating! I can't stand it. I've even come across some who indicate only as they have already started turning, it gives me (quiet, internal) rage.

Also, where I live, every night at least one person needlessly revs their engine as they drive past around 10-11pm. Just why?!

Tailgating

Coming round steep bends on the wrong side of the road

People that can't use roundabouts, dual carriageways and motorways properly

People that do 40 whatever the speed limit, whether that is a 60 or a 30.

People that wait to pull out then pull out last minute in front of you and then continue at a much lower speed.

Slow moving vehicles (Inc cycles) that do not pull over and let the queue of traffic get on.

I've even come across some who indicate only as they have already started turning, it gives me (quiet, internal) rage.

I agree! "Thanks for putting on your indicator - the fact that your whole vehicle is already turning down the exit was a little ambiguous for me; I'm really glad you put on that little orange light to show you are still in control of the vehicle and can even half remember 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' even if you seem to have forgotten the order (and probably didn't bother with the mirror part)"

"I doubt they'll let me off road tax because I pay council tax."

VED is a tax on emissions. Not on road usage.

Bikes don't emit.

Hence, cyclists, like pedestrians and drivers of electric cars, don't pay it. Pretty simple.

Oh and the worst tailgaitors Imo are lorries and large vehicles, due to the damage they do in the event of an accident, they will flatten cars and it is V unusual for there to be no serious injury when there isa collision with a hgv.

Don't think cyclists should pay ved tax/car tax/Road tax whatever anyone wants to describe it as, but do think they should be registered and have to pass a basic test before riding on the road and also be insured.

VED is a tax on emissions. Not on road usage.

But that's just how the government choose to present it. If you take your vehicle off the road, you don't pay it. You can drive a big polluting vehicle on your private land and not pay any VED. I drive a car that emits but it's small enough that my VED is zero, so no tax on my emissions.

It's the admission price for taking a motor vehicle on the public road. Of course, the tariff is based on potential to emit, but I think you are just making too dogmatic a distinction.

The issue with calling VED road tax is that the those of limited critical thinking imagine it means it pays for roads, and confers some sort of entitlement to use them over others. It would be more accurate to call it pollution tax. If you choose a more polluting means of transport, you pay more. A less polluting vehicle you pay less. A vehicle with no emissions, you pay none. I'm not sure what is so difficult about that concept for some to grasp. If you smoke you pay tax on that. If you choose not to smoke you don't. If you order a 'normal' coke you pay tax on that. If you order a Diet Coke, you don't.

Impatience. Tailgating, speeding, passing cyclists too close, rounding blind corners at speed (lots of narrow roads and tall hedges near me), aggressive driving. Honestly - just chill out! The luxury of being able to travel by car gives us so much control and convenience - it's amazing really. Maybe stop being a dick and appreciate it!

Aaand breathe...

To be honest, I'd rather VED was scrapped altogether anyway. It would have made sense to stick it all on petrol, but increasing numbers of electric cars doesn't really make that viable in the longer run, so some system of road charging is probably the way forward.

"I think you are just making too dogmatic a distinction."

No, I'm not. I'm explaining why it's nonsense to use road tax as some sort of benchmark to having more right to use the roads than people who don't.

Firstly, road tax/ VED doesn't go into a pot marked "for the roads". It goes into general taxation. Cyclists pay tax just as motorists do (ignoring the venn diagram that shows that a majority of cyclists also own cars), so a cyclist has paid just as much as a motorist for the 'right' to use the road, as if financial contribution to the roads is of any consequence. If that were true, then we should probably stop kids using buses until they get a job.

Secondly, as you say it's banded by emissions. Cyclists would fall into the band that pays nothing, as do electric cars or cars with extremely low emissions - but you don't see these idiots saying that electric cars shouldn't be on the roads, do you?

Blimey. A difference of opinion means I'm of limited intelligence. Now there's a thought

@trappedsincesundaymorn

People who drive for miles on end with the indicator still flashing.

Nearly got flattened by some idiot doing this today. Came down the road indicating so I assumed he was turning down the side street and walked across the road. No he wasn't he was going straight on. Got a mucky look off him as he drove past as well. Turn your fucking indicator off then dickhead!!

@MummaGiles

People not indicating at mini roundabouts. Stops the whole thing from working.

You only indicate at mini roundabouts if you are going to the left or to the right. You don’t indicate at all if you are going straight on, and you don’t indicate to come off at your exit because the RB are so small there generally isn’t enough time.

I’ve just passed my test. Full marks on my theory. 😁

And yes, there is no such thing as road tax. Cyclists and horses don’t produce harmful emissions so there is no need to tax them.

Also, most horses or riders would have third party insurance at the very least. I have a Shetland who never leaves the field and I have full insurance for him.

A less polluting vehicle you pay less. A vehicle with no emissions, you pay none. I'm not sure what is so difficult about that concept for some to grasp.

The difficulty is that is not entirely correct either. If you have a SORN on a big polluter and drive it on your private land, you don't pay VED. Some small vehicles (that still pollute) pay zero VED. So level of polluting emissions does not exactly correlate to level of duty paid.

I hate driving. Am constantly aware that I might crash/kill someone. I wish I could just be a relaxed confident driver but instead am a bundle of anxiety. You’ll all be pleased to know that DH drives when we go out.

Aggressive/angry driving is by far my worst bugbear. So dangerous, to themselves and others.