Driving standards

[56oval]

Worst one is the school run, i walk my daughter to school and in pretty much every other car the drivers are sitting with their phones in their laps getting their facebook wall updates. Yesterday a girl on R plates in a little fiat 500 nearly went straight into the back of the car in front as she was too busy eyeballing her phone. Dont get me wrong i have a lot of bad driving habits after spending 25 years behind the wheel but totally agree, driving standards these days are woeful.

 

[Deleted member 13907]

Roundabouts have to be the worst. First, people don't seem to understand that they give way to the right and come to a complete stop if there is a car approaching the roundabout from the next exit (to the left). Second, people don't use their indicators, or don't use them correctly, so you've no idea of the intentions of other road users. Thirdly, people don't understand how the lanes work - even if the lanes are marked and signposted. I was heading from Tesco @ the Outlet back into Banbridge (up the carriageway) the other night, which puts me in the left lane approaching the second roundabout. A woman was in the right lane and near took the nose off my car after deciding to move from the right lane (Banbridge via Newry Rd) to the left lane. Then she ended up turning right at the roundabout anyway.

Another issue that has only started to affect me of late, is the attitude of motorists to cyclists. I went for my first 'club ride' on Wednesday night and was really shocked at some of what I saw. Bearing in mind this was a sensible group of about a dozen cyclists (2/3 were new like me, but the rest were experienced) riding two abreast in a tight bunch, making all appropriate signals, etc. A Dacia Duster passed us on the road from Scarva to Gilford and then immediately slammed the brakes on. We thought at first he was turning into a lane, but it soon became apparent he was only there to piss us off. Eventually he drove off and we continued on through Gilford, into Tandragee and out the main Newry Road, as far as Jerretspass. There's a few climbs along that road, so our bunch fractured into 2-3 smaller groups in places (which would have been easier to pass). Besides one or two drivers who were chancing their arm overtaking, we continued without incident. Then, approaching Jerretspass, the same Dacia Duster passed us again and slammed on the brakes. I can understand the frustration of a motorist if he has been stuck behind a group of cyclists for a long time, but the first time he definitely wasn't and I don't think he would have been stuck behind us for long the second time. I'm sure he wouldn't have fancied a dozen bikes, all ridden by fully insured cyclists, clattering into the back of his motor, or a eleven men and one lady, all full of adrenaline attacking him with mini-pumps lol.

Just to clarify, the reason a club rides 2-abreast is two-fold:
1. It's safer for the cyclists, as cars are less likely to pass without overtaking
2. It's easier to overtake 6 bike lengths than 12 bike lengths.

Above is just two areas where so many drivers need an education, but there are so many areas and so many drivers.

 

[Adam]

I was in a workmates car a few weeks ago who has just passed his test. When we were joining the motorway that was nearly empty, straight away he crossed 3 lanes to the outside lane and sat there.

I hope you gave him a swift slap and told him to move back to the left.

 

[steaa]

I just stopped driving into Belfast for work a few years ago, so I just rely on public transport now.

Even though I get home later, it is better for my sanity than having to deal with the queues and the people in general.

At least I can close my eyes for 30 minutes and get a snooze instead of having to try and watch every corner of the car !

 

[davey-dimples]

GF suggested getting a house down towards Lisburn/Maghaberry direction so I would have to do the M1 every morning for work... I said no based solely on this.

I do the M2 every morning from Antrim and although the traffic is bad, judging from the news on Cool FM the people coming from the other direction are a special kind of stupid with the amount of accidents on that stretch every single day without fail!

 

[Father Stack]

I work on the Ormeau Road, and moved from 2 miles up the road in Castlereagh to Hillsborough.

It used to take me 30mins to drive into/home from work from Castlereagh, it takes me 40mins from Hillsborough. The M1 in the mornings/evenings really isn't as bad as some people make it out to be! As long as you have a comfy car and a working radio it's grand.

 

[colin84]

I hope you gave him a swift slap and told him to move back to the left.

Haha I refrained from slapping him. I said why did you move to the outside when the other lanes are free? He just shrugged and said ah well. Two mins later a Merc came flying up behind him and flashed him to move over.

 

[big cyril]

There is a lot of truth in the first few posts in the thread.

A lot of NI people do have a sense of entitlement and genuinely don't want anyone getting past them (even if going slowly) as they see that as a failure.
That explains a lot of the outside lane hogging, also people who speed up when you try to pass.

I no longer try and make an outside lane hogger move over, if I'm in the left lane and catch someone who is going slowly in the outside lane, I just pass on the left, as long as you haven't changed lanes to get past it's not illegal.

Some of the outside lane hogging is due to genuinely incompetent drivers who think they need to be in the 'correct' lane miles before it's due eg going from Hillsborough to Sprucefield it's not unusual to find a Micra doing 45 all the way in the outside lane just because they're going shopping at Sprucefield and need to be in the right hand lane several miles and two roundabouts later.

 

[rollinstone]

It's al down to manners really, people in this country at times have very little of it however from driving in England they seem to have less.

Must be the peelers not doing people for undertaking and not doing for outside lane hogging. Also it's their fault people's indicators don't work and that people's brakes suddenly don't work in the wet as well, who knows!

 

[alpha-dog]

another crash on the m2 yesterday.

explains it all tbh

 

[Deleted member 13907]

I think a lot of people have hit the nail on the head - that a lot of poor driving habits in NI ate down to the attitude and manners of the people here. Based on that, I don't really see how it will ever change.

One good thing that I think makes a difference on the English motorways is that the police now enforce that drivers must move to left lane if there is nothing preventing their onward travel. There's much more police presence on the main roads (as opposed to just speed cameras, although there's plenty of them too) which makes drivers think about their actions s bit more.

 

[fabiostar]

people as a rule are, thick.

most popular one, and just look next time your out. when people come up to a junction and stop they look left. why. why the **** do they look left when the car or bike you are about to pull out infront of is coming from your right..wtf...

 

[miniator]

the milestone garage and associated junction in ballyclare is particularly bad for numpties pulling out onto the larne line when there clearly isn't a large enough gap/or when there is a large enough gap they persist in driving no faster than 40!

lights/horn at the ready!!!

 

[miniator]

I drive on the M2 daily, and the driving standards are atrocious. Not being a tube here, or singling out an area or whatever but most of the poor lane discipline seems to stem from those that join at the Ballymena/Antrim junction (Junction 1). The amount of people who enter the M'way there and dive straight into Lane 2 is insane ... its no surprise 2 people have been killed at that junction in the last year.

So do i, join at sandyknowles. It's exactly the same, everyone makes a bee line for the outside line.

I stick on the inside, pass the lorries as i need, and drive past everyone sitting at 50mph, tailgating the car in front.

Also, then when the M2 joins the M5, its exactly the same. You must change lanes inside 100yds! despite the fact that you've what, almost 2 miles to get into the correct lane.

sigh!

 

[Deleted member 13907]

Ok I take it all back lol. Was cycling into Banbridge (from the Bannville side) and met a queue of traffic at the Academy. It's a wide but of road so I was able to slip down the inside of the queue and some motorists actually moved over to give me more room. I didn't need more room, but it was a nice gesture all the same. Obviously there are one or two out there who don't mind people 'getting ahead'. On the flip side, I was also very courteous approaching Lurgan from Craigavon. I was at the front of a tie of traffic at a red light (I hadn't slipped past anyone - it turned red just as I was approaching) so rather than have them all stuck behind me through a faster section of road, I pulled over and let them all pass me and then joined in at the end. It all works both ways l suppose. I don't believe in karma as such, but do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

 

[jimcupra]

As I have said before 50% can't drive, 50% are lying bastids and 100% of pedestrians just want a claim. Keep your sights low the cnuts are everywhere.
One thing I have noticed now my mondeo isn't a taxi the "ordinary" motorist are a lot more accommodating when it comes to letting me out of junctions. To repay them I let every taxi out I come across .

 

[DriftnSlide]

LOL, Love this thread. I moved house a few years ago (near Larne) and I have never in my life witnessed the standard of driving around this area.
I'm convinced the majority of the drivers have bought their driving licence. On a daily basis I could have a claim at the Highways roundabout and Millbrook roundabout as no-one appears to give way to traffic from the right and just sail on out, even when you have your indicator on. Road markings mean absoloutley nothing, to the point where they had to close a junction accross the A8 carriageway from the train station as many thought they had the right of way, travelling from the harbour direction towards belfast and turning right down towards the train station roundabout, I had many a "word" with people at this junction. Similarly, an abundance or drivers think its acceptable to sit in the outside (far left lane) of a roundabout and carry on until their exit whether its the first second or third.

 

[Adam]

Ok I take it all back lol. Was cycling into Banbridge (from the Bannville side) and met a queue of traffic at the Academy. It's a wide but of road so I was able to slip down the inside of the queue and some motorists actually moved over to give me more room. I didn't need more room, but it was a nice gesture all the same.

I was on the motorbike today and have to admit most people had manners and moved to the left a little to let me past even though there's no need as I can pass them in a second. Just a pity they don't drive like that all the time.

 

[Mark_C]

people as a rule are, thick.

most popular one, and just look next time your out. when people come up to a junction and stop they look left. why. why the **** do they look left when the car or bike you are about to pull out infront of is coming from your right..wtf...

To watch out for the car/van/lorry overtaking another car/van/lorry that will smash into you if you don't look to the left ?

 

[fabiostar]

To watch out for the car/van/lorry overtaking another car/van/lorry that will smash into you if you don't look to the left ?

thats ok if the knobs then bothered to look right, which a lot of the time they forget seeing as they have 1 brain cell..

 

[PeteMoore]

the art of roadcraft is completely lost in this country.

no-one makes progress anymore, if they get overtaken they get upset, if they get reminded to move left via a flash, they get upset, if they get beeped at cos they were being dangerous or idiotic, they get upset.

I think the problem is here is that majority of road users simply don't care, they are in their little bubble and all that matters to them is there individual journey. One upmanship prevents them from letting people in, or blacking a roundabout because they didn't want anyone between them and another car stuck in the queue to get of the roundabout and plain old Norn Irn ignorance for the rest.

Tailgating, I have never had an issue, if someone is in a bigger hurry than me, I am happy to usher them on passed. but the mindless 40-50mph everywhere kinda people - they should be shot on sight, simply removed from the gene pool along with anyone with a feckin football related sticker/minature kit or stick family in their windows. Sooner those people are removed from the roads the sooner the rest of us can get on and actually get stuff done.

 

[PeteMoore]

I'm sure we all do. I do for sure!

I wonder for example if all our outstanding motorway pilots know the appropriate etiquette when it comes to these bad boys (without resorting to Google):

Or do they use the handbrake appropriately every time at lights / junctions so that they're not dazzling the people behind them, or never park a bit up the curb, etc.

Are they not simply a test of how many more 40mph asshats you can get passed before having to throw out the anchor and find a gap

 

[PeteMoore]

I work on the Ormeau Road, and moved from 2 miles up the road in Castlereagh to Hillsborough.

It used to take me 30mins to drive into/home from work from Castlereagh, it takes me 40mins from Hillsborough. The M1 in the mornings/evenings really isn't as bad as some people make it out to be! As long as you have a comfy car and a working radio it's grand.

Wifey used to work on the N'Ards road, she went comber road, then up over drumbo, dropped down onto hillhall and across the knock dual carriageway then down cregagh road and across ladas drive/beersbridge/etc to get there.

Much easier on the blood pressure

 

[Mel]

LOL, Love this thread. I moved house a few years ago (near Larne) and I have never in my life witnessed the standard of driving around this area.
I'm convinced the majority of the drivers have bought their driving licence. On a daily basis I could have a claim at the Highways roundabout and Millbrook roundabout as no-one appears to give way to traffic from the right and just sail on out, even when you have your indicator on. Road markings mean absoloutley nothing, to the point where they had to close a junction accross the A8 carriageway from the train station as many thought they had the right of way, travelling from the harbour direction towards belfast and turning right down towards the train station roundabout, I had many a "word" with people at this junction. Similarly, an abundance or drivers think its acceptable to sit in the outside (far left lane) of a roundabout and carry on until their exit whether its the first second or third.

I feel your pain, I usually do two runs a day from Millbrook into the town and come close to being wiped out on a daily basis through no fault of my own, first up the Millbrook roundabout, people don't indicate at it, same at the highways then the most risky part of my journey is the pound street junction, people pull straight out in front of you all the time, like they think they have the right of way, last up is the circular road roundabout, no one ever seems to be in the correct lane or uses their indicators.

 

[big cyril]

Filter like a zip where a dual carriageway becomes one lane (eg Northway , Portadown, Northbound) doesn't work because of the NI psyche either. About 70% take the left lane and are convinced because they are 'doing the right thing' and getting in lane early the don't need to let anyone in come the merge. The other 30% take the right hand lane but they aren't content with passing a few vehicles, they will keep passing right up to the merge , making it contentious, hence confirming what those in the left lane were thinking all along....