Woman flying along with newborn in the front

[Ithastobeacbeebiesday]

Can’t get this out of my head.
Yesterday, Dh, Dd and I were on the motorway and a woman joining onto our lane on the left, nearly crashed into us. She didn’t slow down or stop, so Dh had to slow right down, she came flying past and we saw she was talking/arguing? On her phone, gesticulating madly and that there was a buggy in the back and baby in a baby seat in the passenger seat.
We were in such shock at first at the way she was driving and thought she’d crash into us, then saw, she was on the phone, then the baby. It was one of those tiny smart cars, so no seats in the back, is this legal?
Dh was beeping loudly at her and said after that he wanted to follow her (we had to turn off)
Not sure regarding laws (we’re in another country) but surely this isn’t legal, cannot get over how she could drive like that with a baby in the car, such a strange sight to see.

I don’t get the point of this thread. It’s pretty pointless.

There are dickhead drivers in every country. We all know that. Some countries have more relaxed driving regulations, hence lower standards of driving that us in the UK see as dangerous, locals see it as normal.

If you were genuinely concerned about her and her child’s welfare you should have reported it to the police.

If you can’t report her and don’t have her reg plate, then just let it go.

Of course children can go in the front if the airbags are off... if she doesnt have a back seat where else do you think they will go? shes hardly going to strap them to the roof rack.

Talking on the phone I agree is unsafe but since you said your in another country we cant say if its legal or not (in some countries you can balance a baby on the back of a motorbike).

What im pretty sure is NOT legal (certainly not moral) pretty much anywhere is a man honking his horn, stalking and harrass a woman and young baby because he decided he knows more about parenting and the laws (part of which he was already wrong about) than her.

Hard to say if it's illegal or not, as you haven't said where you are.

Oh you did after the message I quoted, but why not put on the op?

Regardless of which jurisdiction you're in, your husband's driving sounds appalling. The onus is on drivers on the main road to anticipate and accommodate vehicles joining from slip roads. And car horns are only to be used in warning.

In africa I was nearly wiped out by a moped with a full set of ladders layed across it going full speed in the dark with no lights on.

Which as we came to learn is perfectly normal and acceptible.

Different countries, different norms:

https://gifgifmagazine.com/dogs-on-motorcycle

Are you sure she joined from the left? I thought it was normally the right in Morocco? If she joined from the left she'd be going straight into the overtaking lane.

Having read OP posts I'm AMAZED someone can be so utterly deluded in being absoloutly certain they know the rules of the road when they have got litrally every single thing they have complained about wrong.

OP and her DH shouldnt be allowed a license.

OP, you clearly haven't assimilated the norms of the country you are living in. Road safety depends on a collective understanding of local laws and customs, which drivers then observe. It breaks down if you get incensed that drivers in Portugal aren't observing the UK Highway Code.

Do you mean in the baby’s passengers seat ? Yes it’s fully legal in lots if countries , my babies always been in the passenger seat a few months ( now it’s airbags fully off ) , off course I did not spoke on the mobile while or drove like a lunatic !! Some idiots out there , she was probably one of them

You should have said it was Portugal . I actually don’t think their standard if driving is bad but they are normally a lot more aggressive driving and will just join in a road and assume a right of way . You should drive in Cyprus , it’s omg shocking , not as bad as Egypt but far off

The most concerning thing about this post is your DH wanting to follow this woman! What exactly would that have achieved, other than to probably scare the shit out of her? Imagine you were being beeped at and followed when you are in your car alone with your child 🙄 There's terrible drivers on the roads all day every day, and there is nothing you can do to stop that. Move on and forget about it.

You're supposed to match your speed to the traffic when you're joining the motorway. If the traffic is going at 120kmh then she wasn't being unreasonable.

Of course you can? What about 2 seater cars or coupes with hardly any space in the back. Airbags are easy to switch off.

Its not the safest place in the car for a baby but it's certainly not illegal and never has been as far as I'm aware. As a single parent on long journeys, it was far easier to have her in the front rather than stopping every 20 mins because she'd lost her dummy that was right in front of her and the crying was more of a distraction than reaching over to give it back to her.

Portugal, Spain Germany etc are all seen as aggressive drivers, they call it defensive 😁

The car seat in the front is totally fine and legal. Other things are not ideal
admittedly.

I only think yabu because your maybe basing your judgment on uk driving standards , I holiday in Portugal several times a year and I now drive over there rather than get transport because they all drive sooo crazy and fast it’s terrifying it’s like wacky races , I feel much better driving myself, I don’t think anything productive would have come of following her tho so I’m glad you couldn’t

I get really wound up when I see this kind of thing too

If this had been a male driver would so many people on here be looking to excuse his driving etc.? There's usually a good reason for women's poor behaviour!

Reminds me of the buses in Gibraltar, passengers would hand their folded buggy to the driver who stacked them across the steering wheel and at time could barely see through or round them! It was in the 70s, sure it's changed since then.

Surely if you drive in Portugal you know what's legal or not?

Struggling to understand the baby being okay ...you do don't have a collision, you didn't see a collision.....or did you wonder if it was an emergency dash to a hospital and as your medically trained think if she does stop you could help.

On the 3 lane A19 near Sunderland OH pulled out into the middle lane as there was traffic on the slip road, one woman joined into the left lane but then carried on moving into the middle lane, I coould have counted her eyelashes! On that occasion he most certainly hit the horn, she looked quite surprised to see me so close up! Idiot.

She absolutely wasn't because as already stated on here at least twice the Smart for two has a speed limiter that doesn't allow it to go faster than 80mph.

Some have a higher limited speed than that. IIRC it was the diesel that was limited to 84mph. Some of the petrols were 96mph and I think the Brabus ones could crack the ton.

It would've upset me too OP.