To think drivers are much ruder and more selfish?

[GorillaGlue]

I say this as someone who has come back to driving my car recently after taking a break due to a broken leg so maybe I’m just overthinking.

I have been driving for more than 15 years and it’s something I’ve noticed the last few years but I feel that there is much less etiquette and less attention paid to the rules of the road.

Multiple instances of drivers barrelling down roads without a thought for leaving space for other cars to manoeuvre through, not bothering to stop at junctions, no friendly gesture of acknowledgment when you give someone way. People just plain ignoring road signs and just a general feeling of anger on the roads 🧐

Anyone else noticed this or am I just being sensitive?

Someone cut me up the other day, I beeped my horn (just a cheeky short beep because he almost hit me trying to queue jump), he stopped his car, got out and came up to my window shouting abuse. I had dd in the car and it really shook me up. I didn’t put the window down and my doors were locked.

I’ve had the same! This was a couple of years back but this driver seemed to take offence at the fact that I stopped at an orange light (on a busy crossing next to a school), followed me a way along beeping his horn constantly at me and then when I parked up, came out the car brandishing a metal pipe at me!!

Meant to say, hope you’re ok @Lovemusic82, that sounds scary 💐

I think you are not being unreasonable but perceptions are going to heavily depend on where you live and drive. I ride a bicycle for local transport and have mixed experiences with motorists. The majority are decent and considerate but there are those who just don't look properly at roundabouts (and Horsham has a lot of roundabouts), so I have to keep my awareness up at all times. I was nearly killed on a roundabout by a careless driver nine years ago and I won't survive the same again, but recently it is insane the number of times I am cycling round a roundabout and have to hit the brakes to almost a complete stop because some careless idiot comes barrelling onto it from my left almost taking me out.

The worst examples of thoughtless/inconsiderate/poor driving I find are on motorways. The middle lane is not there for you to dawdle along in a daydream. The function of a slip road is to allow motorists to accelerate to the speed of the traffic on the motorway so they can merge in safely. It is not there to accelerate to a maximum 30 mph and join free flowing traffic at that speed, forcing the driver behind to join the motorway with a 30 mph speed differential and a HGV barrelling up lane 1 closing fast. Fog lights are meant to be used in foggy conditions with poor visibility, not in a bit of light rain.

I don't think this sort of thing is restricted to driving, it is a manifestation of a growth of gormlessness/thoughtlessness/entitlement which has been fueled by the pandemic lockdowns where the periodic isolation has eroded people's social awareness.

I think people in general are a lot more selfish/rude/entitled/ungrateful and it seemed to start after the lockdowns eased.

Driving tho has definitely got worse, and I used to love it, but I commute a few days a week into my nearest city and I hate it now.

The slow sliproad merges seemed to become more widespread in early 2022 when the fuel prices soared and people were concerned about fuel efficiency and seems to have stayed.

It used to be fairly uncommon to have modern cars randomly chuntering along under 55mph with no regard to decent driving condtions and being a hazard to all other road users rapidly catching them up and having to overtake or brake if there isn't a suitable gap to overtake. In the case of speed restricted vehicles getting caught up, that has an impact on flow for all other vehicles while they complete an overtake.

There is an increase of this most definitely, but there is also a huge increase of poor driving and nervous driving which is downright dangerous. I followed a car today for 2 miles at between 12-22mph in a 30 sometimes 40mph zone. No reason for driving so slowly and breaking every time there was an island in the middle of the road or a car coming in the opposite direction, just a little old man with his wife. He could barely see over the steeling wheel. He should not have been on the road. I don't know if people are driving more due to rubbish public transport, whereas before they would have caught the bus.

I've been driving nearly 30 years and I do around 40,000 miles a year. So I spend a LOT of time in my car! (good job I love driving!)

I have to say, I've not noticed this trend. There have always been courteous drivers and inconsiderate drivers. Sometimes the same driver can be both depending on multiple factors!

What I have noticed over the last 30 years is a big increase in the number of cars on the road, leading to increased congestion and more likelihood of encountering bad (and good) driving.

Also, a lot more speed cameras, a lot more pot holes and general lack of road maintenance, and a lot more roadworks!

I would love to go back to the roads of the 90s which were at times traffic free, pot hole free, speed camera free, and just generally pleasurable to drive on!

Your not wrong.

I'm going to OT at a hospital in the city 20 miles away for the next few months. Last month I was indicating to join the exit slip road and the van in front decided to move over also indicating when a car came out of nowhere to undertake me, there was a bus in the 1st slip road lane. He was a class one idiot so he got told when I ended up next to him at the roundabout without being abusive. The worse word I used was moron. He on the other was a foul mouth idiot.

Then I got cut up no fewer than 10 times on a 20 mile journey. Thankfully my next appointment is at a better time.

I drive 30-35K miles a year - can’t tell you how much worse it’s got in the last few years. Dangerous overtaking, ridiculous speeds, aggressive tailgating - it’s bloody terrifying. I try to leave a seriously generous stopping distance where poss. Also an incredible number of cyclists out with no helmets, reflectors or lights in the dark…. I just don’t get it!!! Maybe the nanny state has led to people just assuming that everyone else should take responsibility for their stupidity🤷🏼‍♀️.

Agree with the general consensus that it seems society as a whole is becoming much more selfish, so I guess drivers are a reflection of that.

It’s the aggression that really worries me though- people riled up and ready to escalate at the drop of a hat (see my previous example of man with a metal pipe, ready to hit me!)