Country Driving

[The Pan Man]

Has anyone else noticed that when on A & B roads with any left hand deviations that any oncoming traffic i.e. Right hand deviation to them seem to clip the white line. This is not dominating your road position but lack of concentration. It is also predominently but not exclusivley youn women. Any comments? or is this only happening in Warwickshire and the surrounding counties?

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Has anyone else noticed that when on A & B roads with any left hand deviations that any oncoming traffic i.e. Right hand deviation to them seem to clip the white line. This is not dominating your road position but lack of concentration. It is also predominently but not exclusivley youn women. Any comments? or is this only happening in Warwickshire and the surrounding counties?

My experience of Warwickshire is that all oncoming traffic on B roads seems to come straight down the middle of the road towards me. I frequently have to pull in to farm entrances and hold tight to my side of the road, whilst it is easy to see a couple of feet btween the oncoming cvehicle and their side of the road. I not infrequently slow right down and often stop.

It may be a local problem but I suspect it is national. Is it a lack of comptence or just pure thoughtlessness, or even selfishness? In either event, if I behaved the way they do, the resultant offset head on collision would eclipse the alternative scuff along the nearside vegetation!

Good observation by The Pan Man. Much more dangerous than speeding per se. Where do we go from here?

 

[jberks]

I tend to use more of the road on country roads so will cut over the white line on corners if it straightens them out. But not when there is someone coming the other way as even if there is enough room, it unnerves them (it would me) - just basic courtesy really.

We then come into the contentious male/female bit ....................
Just a personal observation but despite the whole 'lib' era, women seem to have a psycological belief that men will move for them - and as a rule, we do. Some collegues and I commented on this whilst walking through a busy town centre every lunch time, as we were constantly dodging and stepping out of the way. Blokes would wait at shop doorways whilst you passed and attempt to be out of your way 4-6ft before you got there. Women seemed to carry on regardless, barging straight out of shop doorways, staring at the floor or whittering on their phones, completely unaware that you were already there and walking in a straight line utterly unaware that they were on a collision course and making no attempt to deviate. So, for amusement we tried an experiment over a few lunch times - we just stopped moving out of the way (unless we were actually going to knock someone down). We got closer to men, as they expected us to do our fair share of avoidance - which we didn't, but Women were pinging off from every side!
All quite amusing but with interesting sociological implications. I put it down to male self preservation. For a bloke to be uncourtious may result in being battered by a bigger uncurtious fella. Women, as a rule, have no such repercussions though things are changing judging by the recent police fly on the wall progs.
May explain why they tend to drive at you more than fellas or may be complete b*!*&x.

 

[100%Bitch]

I tend to use more of the road on country roads so will cut over the white line on corners if it straightens them out. But not when there is someone coming the other way as even if there is enough room, it unnerves them (it would me) - just basic courtesy really.

We then come into the contentious male/female bit ....................
Just a personal observation but despite the whole 'lib' era, women seem to have a psycological belief that men will move for them - and as a rule, we do. Some collegues and I commented on this whilst walking through a busy town centre every lunch time, as we were constantly dodging and stepping out of the way. Blokes would wait at shop doorways whilst you passed and attempt to be out of your way 4-6ft before you got there. Women seemed to carry on regardless, barging straight out of shop doorways, staring at the floor or whittering on their phones, completely unaware that you were already there and walking in a straight line utterly unaware that they were on a collision course and making no attempt to deviate. So, for amusement we tried an experiment over a few lunch times - we just stopped moving out of the way (unless we were actually going to knock someone down). We got closer to men, as they expected us to do our fair share of avoidance - which we didn't, but Women were pinging off from every side!
All quite amusing but with interesting sociological implications. I put it down to male self preservation. For a bloke to be uncourtious may result in being battered by a bigger uncurtious fella. Women, as a rule, have no such repercussions though things are changing judging by the recent police fly on the wall progs.
May explain why they tend to drive at you more than fellas or may be complete b*!*&x.

Personally, I think it's complete tosh.

I find that most of the drivers who cut you up, push you off the road or are generally ignorant tend to be mostly male (and unsurprisingly, BMW drivers), especially if you're a woman driving an SL.

 

[television]

Personally, I think it's complete tosh.

I find that most of the drivers who cut you up, push you off the road or are generally ignorant tend to be mostly male (and unsurprisingly, BMW drivers), especially if you're a woman driving an SL.

I cant agree with you Helen, in my neck of the woods, more females than men drive in the middle of the road, straight at you than men. I think that the problem is worse with 4 x 4's rather than the sex of the drivers, and like jberks, why is it always me that has to stop for this piggy breed of drivers when I am on the correct side of the road, as I said before, why is it that I have to stop to get out of the way of an oncoming car in the middle of the road, that has a pedestrian walking on their side.

 

[hairyg]

Nearly all of my annual mileage is on country roads, many of which do not have white lines. Most drivers are reasonable and drive to the conditions but there are exceptions.

The exceptions are nearly always in 4wd vehicles and evenly divided between the sexes. I suspect most of them don't know who their fathers are though.

 

[television]

I suspect most of them don't know who their fathers are though.

Nothing to do with me anymore, I lead a good decent lifestyle these days

 

[jberks]

Personally, I think it's complete tosh.

I find that most of the drivers who cut you up, push you off the road or are generally ignorant tend to be mostly male (and unsurprisingly, BMW drivers), especially if you're a woman driving an SL.

You may be right Helen - just a pedestrian observation - may not translate to the road.
Anyway, in your case, console yourself with the fact that BM* drivers cutting you up is simple jelousy. Just blip the throttle, the sound of that monster should scare them into submission

 

[100%Bitch]

You may be right Helen - just a pedestrian observation - may not translate to the road.
Anyway, in your case, console yourself with the fact that BM* drivers cutting you up is simple jelousy. Just blip the throttle, the sound of that monster should scare them into submission

.........although it could just be a Norfolk thing.

 

[popuptoaster]

i think it dont help matters that cars seem to be getting fatter and fatter, even a big 4x4 like a landrover was narrow enough to fit down farm tracks 20 years ago, now even fiestas are as wide as an opera singers arse.

 

[davidsl500]

I tend to find its just younger drivers that have misjudged the road / conditions / speed that cross the line or large 4x4's where the driver has no clue where the corners of their vehicle are. I once watched a 4x4 woman driver spend 10 minutes trying to reverse into 2 side by side parking bays in a supermarket car park - she gave up and drove off in the end !

In town I find the "school run" traffic the worst offenders - sorry, but again mostly women, driving on my rear bumper with kids strapped in the back...

And where has the general courtesy gone ? Pull in a busy street to allow someone oncoming to pass - and hardly any acknowledge the "favour" with a wave these days..

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I once watched a 4x4 woman driver spend 10 minutes trying to reverse into 2 side by side parking bays in a supermarket car park - she gave up and drove off in the end !

I fear it is at least this bad David. I spent a while waiting for someone in a supermarket car park the other day. It was an education. The majority of people drive straight into a space. This is more difficult and less precise than reverse parking and leads to real trouble when they come to depart - reversing blindly into the carriageway behind.

19 point turns were not uncommon. Given the chance to drive straight into a space from which they could have driven out without reversing, most ignored the opportunity, opting for a reverse exit instead.

These are all adult qualified drivers, under no pressures or constraints. Pity we could not place an authorised person in such circumstances with a shredder and a pile of bus passes!

And, if you think that is bad, try the car park of your local GP surgery, especially if it is on a slope! Masses of manoeuvering and clutch slip. Multiple point turns. Heroic efforts to park as close to the door as possible. Then you find that the "motorist" who emerges has poor eyesight, 2 hearing aids and some sort of device to assist walking!

But all these people have the same right as you and I to use the roads.

Then, to balance all this, we have those in the rudest of good health who abuse diasbled parking bays, or other people's disabled parking badges.

When we eventually decide that traffic congestion is just too bad, or global warming really does need to be taken seriously, there are ever so many candidates out there who could be relieved of the need to drive.

PS, wouldn't it make life so much easier for the good guys?

 

[rf065]

Has anyone else noticed that when you pull over & stop to let someone buy, that the ones who sail past without a smile or wave of thanks are usually women? Makes you wonder why you bother sometimes.

Russ

 

[television]

Has anyone else noticed that when you pull over & stop to let someone buy, that the ones who sail past without a smile or wave of thanks are usually women? Makes you wonder why you bother sometimes.

Russ

Womens lib Russ,coming back with vengeance

 

[Splatt]

In the Cotswold area recently I drove from the Hotel on the local B road barely wide enough for two cars, tall hedges either side. Around the bend immediately ahead an MB driven by a woman who had her mobile phone in one hand and was making notes with the other in her organiser which she balanced on the boss of the steering wheel. She did get over but I am unsure how she managed it, perhaps the reason the Good Lord gave them bits we don`t have

 

[FIBAMAN]

Having been what could be termed a "high mileage driver" for the last 30 years or so, I have had time to consider trends. The most startling one for about the last ten years is the noticeable rise in the number of young women who will pass me on the motorway in relatively small cars (fiesta, polo etc) travelling in excess of 90mph, then at the merest hiny of a curve in the motorway, on come the brakes, when the car is capable of taking the curve (there should not be a bend on a motorway due to construction regs. but if there were I think we would see more young women piling up.

Other thing to look out for is drivers who wear hats while driving, and this applies to all, they are all worth watching.

 

[hairyg]

Other thing to look out for is drivers who wear hats while driving, and this applies to all, they are all worth watching.

I remember that tip from the 1960's when I rode motorcycles for a living. It was always a man in a trilby hat that caused all the grief.

That said, I wear a baseball cap when driving the SL topless, to keep the sun out of my eyes

 

[Richard ADI]

The white line thing is one i teach and get my pupils to observe all the time. Its true a driver approaching a right hand bend will come towards the centre line, which is of course very dangerous.(corner cutting) It only needs someone doing it in the other direction to have a head on collision. The rules are that for normal driving you should stay 1m from the kerb if the road width will allow if not you should drive closer to the kerb as what is safe rather than to the white line. On a left hand bend you should position your vehicle to the middle of your side of the road and on right hand bends slightly over to the left. This applys to single lane carrigways and esspecialy rural roads that do not have pavements. These positions will help with observation. And you must only travel at a speed that you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear. For multi lane carrigways the possition should be to the centre of your lane. All qualified drivers should be able to judge this. It could save your life. I trust the kerb not to jump out at me but i dont trust other drivers.

 

[Cnics]

I think the issue often goes one step further than courtesy.

We see above an example of pulling in between parked cars to let an oncoming vehicle past, i would always say thankyou whether it was my right of way or not. Alot of people, and i've not personally noticed any more female than male simply drive on and don't thank you. However, we need to look at why this is. I think the male drivers are probably just arrogant and don't give a damn. The female ones are probably unaware that you've pulled in for them as from experience watching them and sitting in the car with them they do tend to focus more directly on the road straight ahead. They probably have lightning quick reactions if someone or thing runs out infront of them but i think (from experience) there is often a lack of concentration further afield.

They are probably unaware that you've had to pull over to the side and stop as they barely register you are even there.

Country lanes around me are popular. I regularly find myself throwing my van into the hedge to avoid oncoming traffic. If it's a bloke, they're driving fast and agressive. If it's a woman they're driving with their eyes fixed directly ahead. I do sometimes wonder if they see the 8'6 high 6' wide 24' long bright white van at all. I don't think they expect YOU to get out of their way, i think they expect anything that might be there to get out of their way. Cars, vans, people, lamp posts.

I truly believe that there are an equal number of good and bad male and female drivers. I don't think gender has anything to do with your driving ability in "good or bad" terms. However, i think that there are differences (often significant) between a bad male driver, and a bad female one. A bad male driver tends to be the one that drives quickly, dangerously and cuts you up, in and out of traffic. It's rare you'll see a woman do this they're not arrogant in this way. A bad female driver is one that is not confident at all. They don't really know what they're doing, they can't judge speed, space, size, and have a somewhat tunnel vision to driving and the road ahead.

As for bad parking, whilst waiting for a friend outside the supermarket the other week, i couldn't help admiring the skill of some shoppers. 7 attempts at the first space, 5 at the next, and 7 at the third, they finally got into the third space. I was so shocked at how this had taken so long that on my way out of the carpark i drove round that way and backed my vehicle into the 2nd space they tried in 1 go, then pulled out again and left. Just to confirm that it wasn't a tight space to get into.

FYI, i drive a LWB Sprinter not a Corsa.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I think the issue often goes one step further than courtesy

Absolutely spot on Cnics. Sadly, I fear that for many people, passing the driving test is the zenith of their motoring development, not the beginning. The current test, even with the more recent and proposed changes, will hopefully establish technical competence to manipulate the controls and to move the vehicle safely. The driver really needs then to understand that they have not achieved motoring perfection. Indeed, if you ask thinking drivers, you will soon learn that no one ever achieves perfection, but we can all improve. At the less experienced one is, the more scope for improvement.

For example, drivers I avoid, or from whom I keep my distance:
learner drivers - give them a chance
those driving courtesy cars - their own car is currently being straightened out after a recent .....
people driving rental vans - often not experienced van drivers, in a place they have never been before, looking for an address they can't find. Their next manoeuvre will be a U turn - often without indication
"Baby on board" - OK, the baby may be in charge, but the driver is often pre-occupied.

My final prejudice, which should get a reaction, is motorists who drive with their right arm on the windowsill. This appears to have the effect of switching off the brain. It is prevalent in "Lane 2 drivers" on the motorway. I have yet to identify the driving instruction manual or school that advocates this practice - although it seems to affect police drivers too?