Safe Speed Forums

I've just spent a week driving about in London for the first time since about 1990. Oh, I've visted a lot, but haven't been 'immersed' for ~16 years.

And I'm very worried indeed by the experience. Traffic is slower, less confident and less competent. Near misses are up (I saw about 4) and anger is up. Only the taxi drivers and some WVM seemed 'normal'. I'm sure that the changes have been so slow that they are hard to notice, but come back after a long break and the changes are shocking.

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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

paul
throw motorcycles and bicycles in the mix, and its a nightmare.
my daily commute 36 miles round trip from east to west london driving through the centre.. have seen many accidents fights and rows near misses etc.mrs goldy and me just chill and enjoy ride and sights
regards
goldy

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Audere Est Facere.....To Dare Is To Do

Interesting.

I escaped in 2002 having been a van driver in the West End, and people seemed aggressive but competent then. This was just pre Red Ken.

Which part of London were you driving in and on what kind of roads?

Now you know what my experiences are like. But taxis do not drive sensibly, at least not whilst "for hire". They are concentrating as much on getting a fare as they are on the road, and can do all sorts of manoeuvres, including random U-turning to grab a fare and of course just stopping anywhere.

I totally agree about the taxis - they are particularly unpredictable.

In my opinion, buses in London are too wide, especially considering all the bollards and what-not placed to 'control' the flow of traffic.

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The light at the end of the tunnel is the light of an oncoming train..

I work regularly in London and nearly always commute down from the Midlands and into central London and I have no problems at all. As for Taxi's - the sheer fact that they are taxis advertises to me an erratic vehicle and I anticipate and expect moronic manouvres from them...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I've moved away from London now so if I am going down there I will usually get the train instead of driving ... but living down there for 12 years, I found taxis to be some of the best drivers on the roads. They have a better knowledge of the area than mere mortals do, they spend more time in those driving conditions, and crucially, they have more to lose from a minor collision than other drivers do, as the Hackney Carriage regulations insist that even a scratch (that shows metal through the paint) is enough to put the cab off the road and hence not earning money, hence cabbies will do more than most to avoid contact with other vehicles.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I agree. They operate well as effective risk managers in a difficult environment.

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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