To think driving standards are generally awful?

[Jknow]

I’ve been driving for 24 years, and I realise that there’s a lot more traffic on the roads now than there used to be. Which is obviously going to mean a higher total number of people who don’t have a bloody clue, but honestly it seems endemic at the moment.

Things I’ve noticed in particular lately:

Indicators appear to have become entirely optional, not just at roundabouts but also pulling over or turning into a junction.

People don’t give way when they’re supposed to. When it’s your right of way and you’re approaching a parked car on the other side of the road, or one of those traffic calming bits where the road narrows and signs show it’s your right of way, drivers coming the other way seem to be increasingly taking the view that if they can nip in there first then they do so, causing you to stop when it’s your right of way.

Undertaking. Was on a fairly busy motorway today and saw two separate cars going like stink, cutting into whichever lane they could make the most progress in and undertaking time and time again.

People who seemingly have no idea how to reverse their car. I live in the countryside and on narrow lanes frequently have to reverse back bloody miles, when the person I meet coming the other way has a place much closer they could reverse to, because they sit there looking panicked and helpless rather than just bloody well reverse back.

I used to enjoy driving. I don’t anymore.

YANBU I’m in SE London and it’s shocking! Same for when we travel into Kent. I think people should be retested after a certain time!

Totally. Lane discipline - rotten. Meandering at 30-40 in a 60 - need shooting. Going right round a roundabout in the outside lane - hang the bastards. I’ve been driving since I was nine though only legally mostly since 17 and I’ve got a class 1, I think half these buggers passed their test in Lego land

I think it's since everyone stopped driving during the pandemic.

Yep. No giving way to the right on roundabouts apart from joining - so basically no one can get off. No one has any tolerance for anyone who might not know that road, might not be driving in perfect conditions etc (plenty of country roads near me labelled as 60 but which are just not safe anywhere near that speed even in perfect conditions, particularly when oncoming cars can't stay on their side of the narrow road). Tailgating seems to be really common, rather than understanding it's perfectly possible to leave a sensible gap and drive at the same speed. Also seeing a lot of unsettling near misses from people ignoring solid lines on the road in their haste to overtake a cyclist.

YANBU. All of the things you mention happen to me on an almost daily basis.

Yes it's getting worse and worse. People have no patience. I live in London and have really noticed it lately, especially the thing of not waiting behind a bus which is on your side of the road but going round it, moving onto the other side of the road and if anyone is coming, tough, they have to wait.

I also drive a lot in Norfolk and driving there is so much better, people are much more considerate and always let you out.

I think there are a lot of angry and aggressive drivers, mostly men, who drive everywhere too fast and bully other road users, and are pretty dangerous, and I've noticed a lot more angry driving recently than a general decline in standards, which have always been ropey.

At the other end of the scale people driving (way) too slowly admittedly annoy me - I was behind someone the other day driving at 15mph in a 30 limit and we missed two green lights because of their dawdling - the worst thing was I could see them turning their head, faffing about talking to their passenger and paying absolutely zero attention to the road.

YANBU.

The indicator one really bugs me.

Rosehugger Lots of those 15 mph drivers around here too. Very irritating!

YANBU

Have also been driving a long time (just worked out 25 years so now I feel ollld) and I really notice since the lockdowns, people seem to have forgotten the Highway Code around roundabouts and giving way.

You're absolutely right. I've had a couple of RTA's where people have been in the wrong lane on roundabouts and literally driven into the side of me to try and force their way across with no indication or anything. Very bizarre. Both admitted full liability. Both were a fair bit older than me. I think the roads just aren't the same as when they learnt to drive and they're not quite sure how to handle them.

Middle Lane hoggers! Totally oblivious to anyone else on the motorway.

Agree. Dh drove down to Dorset yesterday and we commented on at least 6 peoples driving: no giving way, motorway middle lane hoggers etc. really poor.

Yes, I agree with all of those. Plus tail gating when you are driving at the correct speed and they want to speed.

Motorist behaviour when pedestrians are actually on the pedestrian crossing has got worse.

Near me in SE London, there is one crossing at which 60% of oncoming cars will not want to stop, and surge forward in front of you on the farther side of the crossing, forcing you to be wary and look out for your life, basically. I spoke to one fellow bus passenger, who said she'd nearly been knocked down four times on that crossing. It's like a game of chicken. If, while actually on the crossing, you extend a foot forward, you don't know whether they will driving at you or stopping. Better to stop and look them in the eye and silently enquire: "Are you going to stop?". If you look at them, they usually wave you across in irritation, or with a sarcastic expression. One driver even said to me that he hadn't seen me ( actually on the crossing) as if this is an excusable reason.

Now, the behaviour is extending to pelican crossings which have traffic lights and bleeps. Cars drive through in the other side of the road to the one the pedestrian is on.

For this behaviour, I'm afraid I hold cyclists partially responsible. Their own reluctance to stop at a crossing has set an appalling standard. That behaviour was emulated by electric scooter riders, and it is now dangerously becoming normalised. I would agree with anybody who says that some cyclists will stop, but a great many will not. I think the reason for this is that it is practically and physically difficult for them to do so, and to steady their bike and to regain momentum. So they don't do it, even when in charge of those adapted bikes with toddlers riding passenger in front of them.

Nothing terrifies me more than motorcyclist delivery behaviour. Just Eat drivers near me ride over this wide section of pavement to the chicken shop, instead of driving on the road and turning into a side street. They might swerve and knock somebody over. Many have learner plates. I'd love to know how this is allowed, driving for a living and still preparing to pass your road proficiency test.

I think it's a combination of more traffic and FAR less tolerance. My daughter is learning to drive and said she gets verbal abuse every lesson (and her instructor reassures her she has done nothing wrong).

People don't indicate, cut people up, can't reverse, can't wait for more than 10 seconds, and yes, motorway driving is really poor now. I used to love driving - not any more.

I think it varies. I used to work in Bradford, the standard of driving there is terrifying, truly awful. When I started working in Leeds city centre it was 100% improvement.

As I’ve got older, I see many, many generous, careful drivers, some idiots, and some that shouldn’t be on the roads. same as before, but certain areas seem to have more idiots.

Thank god the hills in West Yorkshire keep the cyclist numbers lower than London, I would hate to have them dipping in and out of traffic too.

Nah, you’re just getting older and less tolerant OP.
Driving was always a bit shit.

Agree re indicating. I walk most places and last week nearly got hit twice crossing roads. One car actively swerved around me having indicated only as she turned when I was already crossing and thought I as the pedestrian should not have crossed until there were no cars on the main road just in case they wanted to turn. There's no reasoning with that level of fuckwittery.

I have noticed indicating seems like a thing of the past where I live and giving way when you are supposed to. Mainly male Audi drivers and massive tank drivers are the culprits : )

Agree. On my way to work there is a road off the main road, which is no right turn into, or out of. This appears to be completely optional, as it’s inconvenient for some drivers. It requires a pedestrian to have a swivel head, to check for traffic that may or may not be observing road signs.

Driving on motorways is much better imv thanks to cameras.

I've noticed the majority of drivers can't turn right from a major road into a minor road. They don't seem to realise that if they started turning a few metres further on they wouldn't end up on the other side of the road potentially clipping the driver (me) who's waiting to turn right from the T junction. Hope this makes sense.

YANBU. The mass adoption of SUV's hasn't helped either. Most have no experience of driving a larger vehicle and cause no end of problems.

My greatest bugbear is switching lanes on the motorway. People swerve into your lane just ahead of you with no safe distance or no indication. Has caused me to do a hard brake on a motorway. Just so scary!!

Entitled twats expecting vehicles behind them to slow down after mind reading that yes they intend to come into your lane.

I was taught during driving lessons "never force other drivers to brake or disrupt the flow of traffic"

YANBU OP I feel your pain

@Diverseopinions whem OH was living in London, he had a few very near misses with cyclists (and many, many more incidences where they failed to stop and he anticipated this)

Around here, apart from general bargy behaviour when it’s not their right of way, speeding in residential areas is the main problem
Our road is 30pmh, but many drive obviously in excess of that. There are 2 of those light up signs that flash 30, but people just seem blind to them now
I’ve spoken to the police and they were very helpful, they set up a temp speed trap and recorded lots of speeds in excess of 30pmh (some way in excess)
But any impact of this was short lived and now the speeding is as bad as ever!