To think that driving has gotten worse since the pandemic?

[CyanSnake]

I have commuted to work ever since I got my first job, and for the past 10 years my commute has been 45/50mins. My commute takes me through both country roads and dual carriageway/motorway.

Before the pandemic I could count the number of times I was delayed due to an accident on one hand. Even seeing minor accidents, like driving past two cars on the side of the road who’d had a bit of a bump, was very rare.

Since the pandemic, I see about 2-3 accidents a month. That’s no exaggeration. Most of these are again, “minor” but I’ve only been at my current job 8 months and been late 4 times due a more major accidents!

I’m currently 4/4 for accidents.

On Sunday I was diverted due to a major accident. On Monday, I drove past another major incident (on the other carriage way), on Tuesday morning I drove past two cars on the hard shoulder who’d had a bump, and yesterday my 45min journey home from work became 3 hours due, according to the news, multiple accidents that shut sections of two motorways. And to be honest I’m not surprised, because some of the reckless driving and serving I noticed as traffic began to become snarled made me seriously think I was about to be in a multi car pileup.

i know the people in the accident are having a much worse day than me being delayed - I’m not challenging that at all. I’m just asking if aibu to think the number of accidents has increased noticeably, if anyone else had noticed anything like this, or has on theories on why.

I disagree. If anything it leads to better driving because you don't have one hand (and half your brain) on the gearstick!

I would like to ban SUVs for 90% of those buying them, though. I DO think that people driving cars that they feel too safe in (and that are too big for them to handle) leads to poor driving. They certainly don't give a fig about pedestrians.

Agree, making people do another test for SUVs would concentrate peoples' minds a bit about whether they NEED such a big car or just want it for appearances sake.

Not always. For me, middle lane sitting is when you sit in the middle lane for miles on end with nothing on the inside.

But a lot of people seem to interpret it as such if you overtake a lorry and then stay there because there's another lorry and you don't want to weave in and out. But they do, to make a point. Just overtake for goodness sake.

The same applies if the motorway splits, you might get over quite early because you don't want to get trapped in the wrong lane later.

Undertaking is just as stupid as middle lane sitting - two wrongs don't make a right.

Anyone repeatedly finding themselves in the position of needing to slam their brakes on so they can obey normal protocol shouldn't be commenting on a thread about driving, or probably even driving

Next time you drive, or a passenger in a car, take note of how many street furniture (sign posts, bollards, barriers) are damaged due to idiotic driving. Never seen so many. Councils are not replacing them as they are struggling financially. I bet those who damage these things, their cars would be damaged/write offs and there is a high chance they are not insured.

Yet the contractors they use for roadworks waste money by not collecting up the signs with stands and cones. These cost us money. If collected when clearing up, these signs/stands can be used again and again. I am a littler womble and on a group pick, we found about 18 of the signs (2 were unretrievable as thick with brambles) and stands down a 1.5-2 mile stretch of road in ditches. They are beyond use as twisted, broken.

I was thinking about this only today.

I had a half day at work, so I was driving home at lunch time, and experienced 3 lots of aggressive driving in about 20 minutes.
First, I was turning right onto a roundabout, and a Royal Mail van was approaching. But rather than continue the speed he was at, he SPED UP right towards me. Forcing me to gun the accelerator to get out of the way.
Further on, a car whizzed up behind me, and was right on my arse until the road went to 2 lanes.
And then another car cut me up on a roundabout!

I wasn't driving slowly, just normal speed, keeping up with the flow of traffic. So why are all these people driving like they're trying to get their dying mother to hospital??

I'm an experienced driver, have had a license over 20 years now, but definitely feel the need to drive a lot more defensively and "risk aware" than I used to. Aggressive driving is definitely on the up.

This afternoon I drove on the M4 heading westwards. Pretty much the entire motorway was driving in the right-hand lane with the odd car or lorry in the left-hand or middle lanes.

People really need to learn how they're supposed to drive on motorways - i.e. left-hand lane unless overtaking.

I am strongly against compulsory registration etc for normal cyclists. But I think there is a case for much stronger regulation of cyclists WHO ARE DOING DELIVERY WORK. lots of aggressive cycling and dumping of bikes.

SUVs should face a lot of restrictions like having to pass extra tests, retest, restricted from certain types of parking, different lanes and speed limits. Make people think harder about whether they actually need one!

One problem with the motorways is the volume of lorries. I drove home on the M6 last night and the left hand lane was almost full of lorries. So everyone else was in the middle and right hand lane. It was absolutely chocka. Plus, if you left a proper stopping distance someone shoved themselves in it. And people leaving it too late to get across to exit. It was mental last night. There was also a driver who caused mayhem when I joining the motorway - really busy, big line of traffic going a reasonable speed down the slip road all trying to join, when someone speeds down the outside essentially pushing everyone else out the way and making it so much hard for everyone and more dangerous. There was just no need for it. I’m not surprised there are accidents when people are so inconsiderate of others.

I have stopped cycling because of this, and I used to be a confident cyclist.
Re driving- drivers have become very Impatient and will use their horn if there is only a moment's delay.
Also, why are the new bright car lights even legal? They are so dangerous for oncoming drivers.

Yeah, the headlights are absolutely dazzling. I was driving home down a country road in the dark and fog earlier in the week and the bright headlights from oncoming cars made it very scary. Some even keeping them on full beam.