Motorists shouldn't be in such a hurry!!

[UndertheCedartree]

Why are many car users always in such a hurry?

I was crossing a road on a green man today and wasn't quite across when the lights turned to green. The car had to wait an extra 10 seconds! She started beeping me and then shouting and swearing at me.

And this isn't the first time I've had similar experiences.

Elleherd, and imagine if fewer people drove in london so people who really need to drive were able to. Ltns are not the problem, its the unnecessary car trips. London is not 'inefficient and miserable' to travel around for plenty who don't drive.

What a ridiculous attitude.

When I have to drive, I always take the view that I should show courtesy to those who are pedestrians., because not only are they more vulnerable but they are also moving around without harming the planet.

I'm always really baffled at using something like this as a "that'll learn you" statement. It completely underestimates the havoc that seriously injuring or killing someone would have on your life as a driver.

Do you think vehicle drivers just brush it off when they're involved in a collision that maims or kills someone? Do you think believing you were in the right would help you sleep at night, or stop the prosecution and potential prison sentence if the law didn't agree with you?

No, being responsible for someone's disability or death will screw up your life. Even if it wasn't your fault. Ask a train driver.

Sigmama an awful lot of people I know who are using public transport wouldn't agree with you about it not being 'inefficient and miserable' to travel around London.

LTN's on there own aren't the problem, it's the way the different traffic schemes are working against each other and every incurred cost is passed to the consumer.

onefinemess
As I said, ego is what gets people injured.
Yes, nearly always driver ego whether it's driver on driver road rage, or driver on pedestrian, cyclist etc.

Elleherd, and alot of people cycle in london who are not affected by traffic reducing schemes. London has excellent public transport which serves millions very well

Agreed. And what an utterly disgusting and arrogant attitude.

As car drivers we should always drive aware we are in charge of a giant killing machine and act accordingly. We have a huge duty of care to pedestrians and other more vulnerable road users. If we don't like that responsibility we don't have to drive.

I like to imagine these drivers have such awful pathetic lives that they can't wait a few seconds, are aggressive or can't follow the law - poor them!

Sigmama It's fair to say we hold entirely different opinions on the same subject. 🙂

I recently had to make a journey which was all on dual carriageways or motorways. In each case I preferred to stick to the inside lane (loads of overtaking opportunities for less patient people). I was pretty much forced to do 70+ the whole way because even in the inside lane there was always a car right up my backside - and I was doing over 60 all the time - not dribbling along at 40, in which case I wouldn't have gone on these roads.

These people need to chill out - the world is becoming crazy. Leave a bit earlier and take it more steadily. But I think a lot of it is macho stuff. Can't wait for self-driven cars to be forcibly speed-limited. I wonder how they'll take out their frustrations then?

So she should wait maybe 5 minutes to save the driver 10 seconds?

No, you’re referring to your own made up rules

I feel the same. I haven't had to do a speed awareness course, but my attitude to driving has really changed over the last few years (age?!).

I drive a fast car and used to always put it in Sport mode. I've never sped, don't get me wrong, but I liked to get to the speed limit reasonably quickly.

Nowadays the car is left mostly in comfort mode and I plod up to the speed limit in reasonable time (i.e. I'm not an annoyingly slow driver), but it's a much calmer driving experience, and my fuel efficiency has also increased massively! I used to get about 450 miles out of a tank of fuel and now I get about 520!

People get so wound up and drive like idiots. As you say, they only end up getting to the next set of traffic lights quicker!

I’m quite a zen driver too. I live rurally and never follow too close behind, give cyclists a wide berth, only overtake when it’s safe I’d rather take the extra few minutes. It’s a much nicer drive. I am astounded by other drivers though sometimes, lots of tourists/ cyclists on the road this time of year and some of the driving is shocking.

Behave 😅
It's literally a tiny amount of time, perhaps you need to work on your time management if it's that critical.

Every single world of that is complete nonsense. Here's the address to send that licence to:

DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BN

Expecting people to get out of their way just because they have an indicator on is really getting me annoyed at the moment.

Two recent examples:

I had someone shaking their head at me when I was in lane 3, overtaking the lane 2 hogger, and another car in lane 2 also wanted to overtake the hogger.

Rather than wait until my lane was clear, they started indicating with me alongside them. I carried on my overtake, then as soon as I was in front of the indicating car, he pulled out in to my braking distance behind, flashed me and shook his head.

Of course, because I'm supposed to get out of his way, rather than him wait for the appropriate gap... I swear some people think an indicator means they have free reign to move immediately and everyone else is supposed to scatter out of their way.

Then there was another time a few weeks ago when I was driving along in lane 1. There was a lane hogging car in lane 2, that decided he needed to come off at the junction (the one that was signposted a mile previously). He indicated that he wanted my lane, while I was beside him, then got really angry when I wouldn't brake to let him in in front of me! WTF?!

Living on the a82 (if you know, you know) I have lost count of the amount of times I have witnessed people risk the lives of the people in at least three cars to get in front of someone who is driving the legal limit.
There's been two fatalities two days in a row right near to where I travel with my little girl everyday.
These people value their time above others lives, and it gets worse year after year but markedly so since Covid.

These people value their time above others lives

Yes. And as someone else has said, without thinking how much their own lives would be ruined too.

My first boyfriend died when we were 19. He was a pedestrian waiting on the pavement to cross. He lost his life. So many of his friends and family will never recover from their loss and trauma (myself included). He was amazing, full of joy for life and golden hearted. Kind to everyone. A real loss to the world

However, I don't doubt the driver's life was also wrecked. Imagine living with that on your conscience forever, just because you were in a bit of a rush (doing 40 in a 30)

Maybe you should all direct your anger to your councils and not drivers.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jul/24/extend-green-man-crossing-times-cities-older-people

The council aren't forcing drivers to beep their horns and rev their engines.

Pavements are for pedestrians.

Cycle tracks are for cyclists

My goodness if only. Every time I go out there is a car or van parked on a pavement somewhere.

And if I go for a cycle ride along the cycle track that was built to provide a safe cycle route, there will be people strolling along it with off-lead dogs and dogs on extendable leads or family groups blocking the entire thing off.

But roads are not just for drivers. They are also for horses, bikes and tractors (and pedestrians if no pavements available).

That's a good question. Should the gap between the end of greenman and beginning of greenlight for cars be always longer, just in case someone slower needs to cross? Or should it remain as it is, good enough for majority of all situations, and the car drivers would just wait a moment in the rare case it wasn't long enough for someone?

It’s about 6-7 seconds atm and there’s talk of increasing that time.

drivers are already getting places quicker than a pedestrian- they need to chill a bit.

I did that once, trying to get my son to hospital. Ambulance wait was several hours and I was told to chuck him in the car and get him there. They had staff waiting for me. That’s the only time I did get beepy at pedestrians crossing slowly or walking out when they shouldn’t.

When I see a motorist being a dick, that’s always in the back of my mind that maybe someone is going on but the chances are teeny tiny that they actually are in that situation. They are most likely just dicks.