Safe Speed Forums

I'm posting this because the following has occured to me three times now in the past two months. I had never had it happen before then in 8 years of driving.

When braking at an amber light, the car behind has overtaken me on the wrong side of the road in order top run it on red!

Ok it could be a coincidence that I've recently had this happen three times, but it seems like a it's new craze or something

You're not getting them frustrated are you? (Forgive me for asking, but it's so damn common for our driving to affect others... We must always ask.)

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Maybe they are frustrated, but if so it's only because I am obeying the traffic lights and they don't want to. I'm not doing anything unusual.

Whatever the reason it is obviously a dangerous craze.

Are they suddenly appearing behind you and overtaking or have they been following for a while?

If they have been following were they driving aggressively or did they seem to be quite calm? Did they seem to be looking for an overtaking opportunity?

Are they Isle of Wight residents or tourists? Or is this on the mainland?

I have had numerous cases recently of cars overtaking by going on the wrong side of bollards. It has coincided with the increased use of these things to filter traffic.

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Speed camera policy Kills

Noticed the same around here too (both the overtaking on the wrong side of a keep-left bollard, and the increased use of bollards/islands to mess up the free flow of vehicles)

I was going through some traffic calming chicanes the other morning on my way to work when the car in front just went through them on the other side of the road.

Perhaps this is the increased safety that the planners intended when they introduced the scheme.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Had someone do this to me this morning. Quite funny really, watching how his facial expression in his mirror changed as I treated him to a free display of disco lighting from behind the front grille !!

There is a serious point though - traffic planners seem to love traffic lights more and more, yet they are rarely appropriate - people get held for too long and with no other traffic around, so the light's credibility disappears. Quite a few other countries have a flashing red or amber, which allows turning with traffic flow if clear (e.g. in UK turning left if nothing else around). Trouble is, does the average motorist have the intelligence to use this concept ?

Actually, quite an interesting day today - very few speeders around but a lot of mainly elderly people driving far too slowly (well, it is a Sunday) and I got a fascinating diatribe from one gent I pulled for doing 45mph in middle lane of a motorway. But, as usual, hoardes of people driving whilst using handheld phones...what have we got to do to get this message across?

It happens in slow moving queues, not at fast speed. Should have mentioned that earlier.



One was in Kingston upon Thames, the other two here on the Island.

What you describe sounds pretty "normal" for Kingston Upon Thames.
The standard of driving in Kingston is probably brought about by the fact that there are traffic lights approximately 100 metres apart, and they seem to be phased so that you hit every single one on red if you actually obey them.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

I've seen it happen at Staveley level crossing - lights and bells going, and an idiot drove around two vehicles slowing to stop before the barrier dropped, and crossed the line in front of oncoming traffic!
I believe Zamzara is correct in that there is a breed of driver about now who just does not give a ****.

Re. Cotswolds post, would it be possible to kill the phonecells adjacent to the motorway? There ARE still emergency phones a mile apart, which could give low power coverage, thus preventing calls on the move, but allowing calls from stationary phones within 1/2 mile.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

This would also prevent entirely legal calls from handsfree phones, or from passengers, of course.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Unfair surely on passengers conducting business on the way to a meeting.

Hope not, how else can I tell the missus I'm on overtime scraping someone off the road ?

Not forgetting doing that would probably bugger up our Tetra system anyway....

Well maybe if you were out catching proper criminals instead........... (ducks and runs)

I wouldn't bother. It's not a major problem IMHO.

BTW I think you're right about the excessive use of traffic lights. Scarborough Borough Council have made a real hash of theirs, which has increased the incentive for people to jump the lights. Too short a period on the green is a principal failing in their case.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Daily journey to work takes me around a large traffic signal controlled roundabout which leads on to a motorway. Having driven around it almost every morning for twelve years I know the way the lights work and if I am stoped at one set then unless you have a very vey quick car then you will be stopped at the next set of lights.

I anticipate being stoped and although I move off quickly on the green I expect to be stopped and drive so that I can do so safely without leaving rubber on the road, however up my exhaust pipe is muppet one, shaving, drinking coffee, mobile phone in the ear I kid you not seen it all on a fairly regular basis. (Where are you IN GEAR & Co when needed?). I therefore have to drive for this fool behind me going a little slower than I would like so that he does not go in the back of me when I stop because he expects me to run the amber. If he wishes to run the amber or red then that is up to them.

Anyone got any better courses of action?

Is this perhaps a perverse form of "risk compensation".

In other words if you stop us from speeding we'll break a different law instead - ie running traffic lights. If you install cameras to stop us doing that we'll go the wrong side of traffic islands, just for the hell of it, etc. etc.

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

Makes you think doesn't it?

I came across something last year (and once this year) when driving to work. A exit a dual carriage way and head towards a roundabout - road is still 2 lane. At the roundabout there is a very simple choice left, straight on, right.

On a number of occasions I have seen people in fairly expensive and high powered cars (I have nothing against such vehicles, in fact I hanker for them, - just a note that only people in such vehicles attempted action) would overtake all of the left lane (the busiest) stay in the 2nd lane and yet out accelerate those in the left lane and turn left!

Complete madness that has nearly caused an accident every single time I have seen one of these idiots try it.

As of yet no camera will catch these prats but I am sure it will not be long before a sub 40mph(limit on road) accident will occur and a speed camera will be erected.

edited to add - I saw this happen 10-15 times towrds the end of last year - although only once this year.

They probably do that because all the good safe overtaking areas now contain bollards, islands or gatsos.

The thing I find most frustrating is being stuck behind a person doing an indicated 60 (no problem with that part) who goes around a corner far slower than I would like to. It is virtually impossible to legally overtake them except for just after certain junctions or on steep hills.

Whilst I'd never do some of the things mentioned above in order to get past, I can see why people do.