Tailgating drivers everywhere

[mag2305]

I'm sure this isn't really something new and I might be totally wrong but since the pandemic, I feel like there's always cars sitting really close behind and often kind of agrressive, like swerving out slightly to created pressure I guess or some overtake. Has driving become more aggressive? Is it because people are frustrated? Is it just this area (busy area in Essex)?
Maybe it's just me noticing it more. I'm not a slow or fast driver, just stick to the speed limit. I've got a toddler and one of those baby in board stickers which might piss people off and make them tailgate even more, I don't know. I was always quite a confident driver as I used to drive in Central London regularly which can be interesting, lol! So I was never easily intimidated by other drivers. But the tailgating and overtaking is every day round here and I'm more nervous now on the road which I never felt before. Maybe it's also being a mum now too, just feeling more protective. Don't know.
Anyone else feel this?

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously exactly!! If baby on board signs piss people off and make them angry, I question those people more. Children are totally innocent. Why would parents not want to protect them.

I drove from the Midlands back to the South West last week and saw some of the worst driving I've ever seen. Someone was tried to undertake me on the hard shoulder on the M6, and another dick was weaving and undertaking drivers at about 90 miles an hour on the M5. It was scary.

[quote mag2305]@Rainbowx I'm near Southend if that's where you are too so you know what I mean. This area's always been a bottle neck, lots of angry white van drivers, etc but this road aggression has got so much worse.[/quote]
I'm near Southend too. I was driving in a 30MPH zone earlier today with 5 cars in front of me all of us sticking to the limit but the car behind me still felt the need to sit up my arse. No idea where he thought I could go.

I've noticed this too. Every seems very....angry...driving now. Or completely vacant.

I've also noticed more bullying of small cars. I regularly drive both a fiat punto and a black estate, and the bullying I'm on the receiving end of driving the punto...my favourite was being aggressively tailgate by a lorry through 50mph roadworks at night. Clearly people go, oh wee lassie/woman driver, I can make her speed/move out of the way etc.

I also saw someone overtake an ambulance with its lights on. To only then bimble along doing 40 in the right hand lane of a dual carriage way.

Definitely more awful driving

If baby on board signs piss people off and make them angry, I question those people more. Children are totally innocent. Why would parents not want to protect them.

How exactly do you think they’re protected by a yellow sign? Any reasonable person isn’t going to drive like a lunatic and lunatics aren’t likely to temper their behaviour because you have a sign. In my experience the only thing they’re useful for is alerting other drivers that the vehicle displaying said sign is likely to be driven appallingly.

There has been an influx of people in my village, who have very large cars, I don't know the names or types of cars these days, but something like range rovers etc, They think they own the narrow lanes around here, and drive too fast down them. If you are travelling in a smallish car down a lane, they hog most of the road,and won't move carefully to their own side, so both cars can pass, There are passing places every so often on both sides, but they will never reverse into one, they always expect the smaller vehicle to move out of their way,while they sit glaring at you. White transit van people are much the same.

Baby on board signs can also be used for a more serious reason: so that first responders are aware that there is a baby/child in the car who is potentially incapable of freeing themselves in the case of an accident, or should be in the car (as in hasn't been ejected).
Apparently you really should remove it from the car when baby is not in the car. I'm not sure that's why they were originally created but I believe emergency services do take them seriously.
They're not necessarily just showing off success in the baby making process!

Wow I was just about to start an identical thread today OP. I find it happens even more so when the sunshine comes out. It’s usually middle aged men in soft tops, or chavs in fast cars. Rarely get tailgated by women.

It’s happening a lot more though I must admit. I’ve had two people overtake me today on lanes that are very dangerous. I am a normal driver.

The only routinely bad drivers are Audi drivers

I've found it's van drivers and taxi drivers, in my experience they're almost all arrogant wankers who think they own the roads.

I'm glad it's not just me noticing it around Southend, driving is appalling here and it'll get worse as the neverending housebuilding making things more and more busy as we all try and get around.

I get overtaken on a fucking island TWICE by a van he then worked out he was in the wrong lane so crossed back in behind me after the island and tailgated me seriously close I ended up slowing right down because I needed to turn and he was so close the impact would be really bad my son then pointed my phone out the back window at him and he backed off so I could turn

The second time was at a mini island I went round they went over WTF

It's the baby on board sticker causing the issue!

Baby on board signs can also be used for a more serious reason: so that first responders are aware that there is a baby/child in the car who is potentially incapable of freeing themselves in the case of an accident, or should be in the car (as in hasn't been ejected).
Apparently you really should remove it from the car when baby is not in the car. I'm not sure that's why they were originally created but I believe emergency services do take them seriously.

That’s a complete myth.

@Shade17

Yeah, I'm sure it's not why they were introduced but I've also read that emergency services would take note of it if one were visible in the car?
I'd like to think so anyway!
Otherwise I don't reeeeally see the point either because other twatty drivers certainly couldn't care less.

It feels more impatient on the roads. Yedterday i waited giving way to an oncoming car as there was a parked car on my side and the crazy bitch behind me went round me forcing the oncoming car to do an emergency stop. She blamed me it would seem.

Today I was beeped for ..... giving way to an ambulance with its lights going.
I realise it's all anecdotal but the incidents seem to be more frequent more cars or more entitled arseholes? I'm not sure.

I drove from London to the southwest and it was a bit bizarre

• the people who do 40 at every bit of an A road were certainly out, tailgating at 30 through villages and disappearing in the 50/60 stretches: my pet hate
• the people who think because the single track road with blind bends is 60, they must do 60

-idiot overtakers, quiet scary a few weeks ago. I saw an idiot pop out and swerved him, but the car behind me took me pulling to the verge as their chance and popped out. The one behind me was clipped and barrel rolled over the road. Terrified the kids, I stopped and checked an ambulance was called and left my details with a Forest ranger who stopped but left as the air ambulance came as the kids were shaken.

• on the m3 the slow lane was 70, fuck knows what the others were doing, I was happy at 70

-the bloody beepers. Round here they beep as the lights change. Honestly, sometimes as the green man goes off and before the lights change. You end up jumping and missing a beat so it’s not productive

I have a very old diesel, fully laden on the drive. Right fucking laugh on steep inclines I had with the inpatient drivers

Essex definitely is a factor

@3scape

It feels more impatient on the roads. Yedterday i waited giving way to an oncoming car as there was a parked car on my side and the crazy bitch behind me went round me forcing the oncoming car to do an emergency stop. She blamed me it would seem. Today I was beeped for ..... giving way to an ambulance with its lights going. I realise it's all anecdotal but the incidents seem to be more frequent more cars or more entitled arseholes? I'm not sure.

Yes I know - some daft driver wouldn't let me back out and overtook when stopping for ambulances

Remonstrated with a man who wouldn't let people come down the road, it's a give and take situation but he insisted on coming up when it as obvious there were cars coming down first ( who had already given way for several cars) and I was behind the first car

@NVision I think you're right. I'm not saying other places wouldn't be like it because I'm sure they are. But funny how 4 of us all live near Southend and have commented on this one thread. Essex definitely has it's fair share of white van drivers, rude boy cars and personalised number plates. All about status, flashing the wealth and arrogance. Well that's how it seems.

@SadieCow

It's the baby on board sticker causing the issue!

Is this a thing? Do people really hate those stickers so much? Maybe I'm very naive in this.

@Somanysocks Absolutely. Strange how it's 4 of us now from Southend who have commented on this thread. Says a lot!

I said this to DH the other day. Way more tailgaters than there used to be. And people pulling out of junctions or overtaking without looking. Loss of spacial awareness. I think it's a COVID thing.

I don't know what it is... The type of car you drive, baby on board stickers, the area, the pandemic, or just people being arseholes because they're just arseholes.

Worries me that people might purposely be intimidating if you have a baby or child sticker. I know twats will still be twats whatever but I guess I'd like to hope that at least some people might respect it just a little bit. I'm pregnant atm (another reason I'm a bit nervous on the road probably) and I was just thinking about the last time, that first drive home we did from the hospital with our newborn. You've literally put everything into having this baby and it's natural to feel protective in the car I think.

My daily annoyance is just pulling out of our driveway onto the road. We live on quite a busy road, 30mph but most do 40mph + I would say. I only pull out if there are no cars at all because even if there's one way back, you can guarantee that the moment you're on the road and turning, they're right there up your arse. Just because you've had the audacity to pull out onto the road. Obviously disrupting their speed, journey and whole life if would seem! All for a few seconds.

The bit of M11 dh drives us on is mostly ---- Essex!