Safe Speed Forums

This week's Auto Express carried a letter from a ex pat remarking on the standards he's observed on returning to Blighty after a long absence.

Basically he remarks on poor lane discipline, aggressive behaviour by drivers and cyclists alike, rude gestures, tailgating at "bizarre speeds" and suicidal pedestrians - usually too drunk to walk in a straight line staggering off the kerbs into the roadways. He also had a go at paevement cyclists and red light jumpers for good measure ...

He also remarked that he saw "plenty of cameras but never spotted one policeman and thus





He finished his letter by he's going back to Germany and leaving us all to it.!

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Can't say I blame him really, I can still remember what it was like on the roads 20+ years ago when I first started riding/driving, and there is no doubt that standards have dropped to abysmal levels.

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

That's my opinion also, but how can we be sure that we're not making a smarter judgement based on greater experience? After all I'm certain that I'm better at spotting 'trouble'.

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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

A few anecdotale perceptions and thoughts:

A workmate in his early 30s has recently given up riding motorcycles on the highway and is limiting his riding to club racing. His reason is his perception that, since he started riding its just gotten too darned dangerous to be out on the roads because of the deplorable (his word) standard of driving amongst car drivers.

There is a perception amongst my (male) friends and colleagues that there has been a noticeable rise in the number of impatient/agresssive young women drivers.

Driving standards are aligned with social attitudes and people today are very casual indeed towards 'standards' which are viewed as out of date.
Spelling, grammar, dress, deportment, behaviour...who gives a fig? As a result people take a casual attitude towards driving; its not something they aspire to doing well, just adequately and we all make mistakes don't we?

As there are more vehicles on the roads certain behaviours become more noticeable, e.g. poor lane discipline. Ally that with speed limited trucks and you have a festering sore that really gets on peoples wicks.

An addition to the above thoughts:

The gang of "hoodies" hanging round on the corner abusing passers-by will soon be driving. With their attitudes to others, do you think they will have a lot of time for courtesy? Do you think they will care about the Highway Code?

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

In my experience, I find the "age-extremes" of society (youngest & oldest) to be the worst culprits of disrespectful driving.

Just today whilst driving back from South Wales on the A49, we were stuck behind an older person who - easily seen from our car - could hardly see in front of the steering wheel they were seated so low. Needless to say, it was 40mph everywhere except corners; which were taken at anything between 15 and 25mph.

Driving is an art, as I see it.

Good drivers appreciate and enjoy a good run out somewhere just for the sheer hell of it (especially here in Shropshire). Good drivers - AISI - constantly observe the prevailing road / traffic / weather conditions to maintain good progress and achieve a smooth drive. Bad drivers just see driving as a necessary evil to be endured between points A and B, during which they take no pride in their driving and, as a result, inflict misery on other road users.

We enjoy driving to Italy every year. Sometimes via France and Switzerland. Sometimes via France, Belgium, Germany and Austria. Can you imagine a "40mph everywhere" driver doing that?

No.

Neither can I.

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Safe yet Swift.