For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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By Jim Jones
#1786186
Miscellaneous wrote:
Bill Haddow wrote:I think its more a case for education than prosecution.

I agree, however worry that it is a task beyond reach. :shock:

Generally I've suggested the standard of driving is atrocious in terms of spacial awareness. Specifically there is an inability to overtake, a pet annoyance. More ridiculous, but a source of amusement rather than annoyance, is the inability to move out and pass a car that is slowing to turn left. Invariably arriving at the airfield I signal in plenty time that I am turning left off the 60mph road and noting there is nothing coming in the opposite direction I am bemused at the number of cars behind that slow, at times only accelerating when I am clear. Never even seems to enter their head to move across and pass. :lol:

I have a theory that much of the lacking in driving competence is masked by the fact there is so much traffic. :D
w

That’s for debate. Someone leaving the airfield and going back the way you came may see the chance to pull out to turn right and bang, speeding car on wrong side of road t -bones them. Unless sight lines are very good it’s risky imho.
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By Miscellaneous
#1786190
@Jim Jones that's a fair comment, without knowing the road. That said I used the airfield as an example of a trend. :wink:

@johnm, would it not be more sensible to raise the basic standard of driving training/test?
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By Bill Haddow
#1786209
Jim Jones wrote:If everyone did that they’d never be clean


I don't think the original classic self cleaning cat's eyes are used on motorways.

Bill H
By Bill Haddow
#1786212
Miscellaneous wrote:
Generally I've suggested the standard of driving is atrocious in terms of spacial awareness.


I've never seen the point in the driving test checking that the candidate knows the stopping distance for a particular speed without checking that the candidate knows what that distance represents on the ground.

Bill H
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By Miscellaneous
#1786213
Good point, @Bill Haddow . I'll confess to having absolutely no idea of the stopping distance figures for particular speeds. I guess with however many miles under my belt it's all done, more effectively, by judgement gained from that experience. Something new drivers simply done't have.
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786218
The numbers in the theory book are so far removed from reality anyway it doesn't matter. They were writte 40 years ago before ABS and modern brakes and tyres.
So long as you get that they increase exponentially with speed, that there is thinking time and many factors can effect it (car, weight, brakes, tyres, surface...) then good.

A modern car will stop, on a normal road, in 1/3 to 1/2 the distance quoted.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786230
@johnm, would it not be more sensible to raise the basic standard of driving training/test?


No I think some solo practice and then an advanced rating is best :-)
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786236
Miscellaneous wrote:More ridiculous, but a source of amusement rather than annoyance, is the inability to move out and pass a car that is slowing to turn left.


You would be possibly a little less amused when the guy at the junction you are indicating for pulls out and has a head-on with the guy overtaking you... :roll:
And it would be the overtaking guy that is "at fault"...
There is a reason why many junctions such as you are talking about have a hard white line on one side of the road leading to the junction...

Edit: I see Jim thinking the same thing. I have seen such an accident... It isnt funny.
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By Miscellaneous
#1786248
skydriller wrote:Edit: I see Jim thinking the same thing. I have seen such an accident... It isnt funny.

Then you'll see I responded to Jim. :wink: I accept readers cannot be aware of the junction I refer to, or indeed just how slow some of them get. But heh, I guess those who do pass must be risking life and limb. :wink:
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786254
Drivers are often in too much of a hurry and completely carp at anticipation and spacial awareness. It's not just a British disease either, I well remember a trip home from the Swiss Alps and on a French motorway happily cruising along at 130 odd KPH I could see brake lights and a solid two lane queue ahead as I approached a slip road. As cars hurtled past me to join the queue I trundled up the slip road to execute plan B :-)
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By Miscellaneous
#1786256
johnm wrote:Drivers are often in too much of a hurry and completely carp at anticipation and spacial awareness.

That's exactly my point.

I'm hurt that @skydriller feels my word that cars following stay behind even when the junction is clearly visible, is untrustworthy. :( Bloody (girly) Porche drivers! :tongue:
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786258
@Miscellaneous , yes, I saw :wink:
(Its that thing where you read a post, respond, and it pops up with a half dozen posts, and you think, no, Im responding to that one, not five others, and... you follow?)

Edit; And you've just done it again...who you callin' girlie... :lol:
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1786260
For the avoidance of doubt I would very rarely overtake a left turning car the degree of visibility of the junction area and the need for a total lack of oncoming traffic makes the opportunity very unusual. However I would have seen the indicators and dropped even further back than usual so he'd have largely turned in by the time I arrived and picked up speed again :D
Last edited by johnm on Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
Paul_Sengupta liked this
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