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Roundabouts and other driving pet peeves

Pieter Steph du Teague said:
People who don't bother to indicate deserve nothing short of death.
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Season 4 Agree GIF by The Office
 
The_Blindside said:
www.theguardian.com

Two in three UK drivers unaware of planned Highway Code changes

Cycling group says key changes need to be clearly explained, as Labour claims ministers are ‘missing in action’
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

As a pedestrian (and car driver) this one is long overdue:
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Honestly, I had no idea about the changes to the highway code. Most sound sensible and many I already do, be it as a car driver or cyclist.

Not 100% on drivers having to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a road they're turning into though. Depending on scenario, this could cause issues if it means you stopping causes issues behind you, especially if your turning off a busy road. Common sense should be used, and I often allow pedestrians to cross if it's safe to do so, but I'm sure we've all experienced times when it's better as a pedestrian to wait for a gap in traffic than have drivers stop and wave you across the road even though there's cars coming in the other direction etc.

Pedestrians need to be safe around cars. We always teach our children to use crossings, or wait for a safe gap in traffic. I'm not sure making cars stop for them is a safe approach to traffic safety because there will always be motorists who either aren't paying attention or don't care. Pedestrians also need to make sure they are safe, as do cyclists (passing slow moving/stationary vehicles on the left for example).

Of course drivers need to be alert and responsible for the 1ton+ hunk of metal they're hurtling around at speed (and a lot aren't unfortunately), but there needs to be common sense. Giving way to pedestrians at clearly marked crossings (which are considered in their placement and clear to all road users) is very different from having to give way to pedestrians trying to cross roads in potentially unsafe locations. Or am I missing something?
 
BiggusLaddus said:
Hasn't that always been the case officially, just never happens in practice?
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I think it's more that what was once good behaviour is being clarified.

The driver a the turning already has the pedestrian in their eye-line, so should know that the pedestrian is approaching and may want to cross. The driver is also slowing down to turn, so it shouldn't make TOO much difference to them.
However, cars are much quieter these days - especially electric/hybrid cars which can be silent - removing a major source of information from pedestrians (but let's not get started with wearing noise-cancelling headphones etc) - so it's become more important to clarify this good behaviour.

Of course, the global pandemic of self entitlement is getting worse year on year as well - so again, clarification on priority is a good idea.


Similar with cyclist road placement - it was always in there that cyclists together should be side by side, rather than front-back - but try telling that to any driver, or even the cops (I remember at Uni getting bollocked by a cop for riding side by side; and proving him wrong with his own highway code). It's just clarifying what should have been in there about making the cyclist more obvious, and try to prevent drivers passing when it's not safe. Again, it was always a good behaviour thing, that rarely ever happened (along with the cyclist getting closer to the pavement when it IS safe for a car to pass)
 
Which Tyler said:
Similar with cyclist road placement - it was always in there that cyclists together should be side by side, rather than front-back - but try telling that to any driver, or even the cops (I remember at Uni getting bollocked by a cop for riding side by side; and proving him wrong with his own highway code). It's just clarifying what should have been in there about making the cyclist more obvious, and try to prevent drivers passing when it's not safe. Again, it was always a good behaviour thing, that rarely ever happened (along with the cyclist getting closer to the pavement when it IS safe for a car to pass)
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Not much scarier things on the road than vehicles passing you as a cyclist too close at speed. Lorries were the worst because they create a bit of a vacuum beside them, so you'd feel yourself getting sucked in towards the lorry as it passed, not pleasant at all!

My dad moans when cyclists ride two abreast. I've told him a million times that it's to increase their visibility and force drivers to properly consider their overtaking maneuver instead of squeezing past when it isn't safe to do so. It's only ever a few seconds worth of delay before there's a safe place to pass, so I don't understand motorists who kick up a fuss. But there lies the issue with 99% of issues on the road, impatience! Don't understand why people worry about a few seconds or minutes as soon as they get behind the wheel, I bet most faffed around before leaving the house!
 
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dullonien said:
Not much scarier things on the road than vehicles passing you as a cyclist too close at speed. Lorries were the worst because they create a bit of a vacuum beside them, so you'd feel yourself getting sucked in towards the lorry as it passed, not pleasant at all!

My dad moans when cyclists ride two abreast. I've told him a million times that it's to increase their visibility and force drivers to properly consider their overtaking maneuver instead of squeezing past when it isn't safe to do so. It's only ever a few seconds worth of delay before there's a safe place to pass, so I don't understand motorists who kick up a fuss. But there lies the issue with 99% of issues on the road, impatience! Don't understand why people worry about a few seconds or minutes as soon as they get behind the wheel, I bet most faffed around before leaving the house!
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Yeap, impatience is the problem. Many people out there get in touch with their inner Ronny Pickering on a daily basis. That being said I do hate middle lane hoggers.
 
How about drivers who edge forwards whilst stationary at a red light, does that bug anyone else? It's not dangerous, and doesn't impact what I'm doing (unless I'm a pedestrian crossing in front of them), but I never understand it. It's damaging to their car (wear on the clutch etc.), and it doesn't benefit them in any way. I feel it's another sign of an impatient driver, itching to get away first from the lights.
 
People parking their sodding vans or cars and blocking my driveway.:mad:
 
The_Blindside said:
People parking their sodding vans or cars and blocking my driveway.:mad:
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Used to get this a lot at Uni as our house backed onto the carpark for a leisure centre, so when the car park was full they'd just park along the path in front of everyone's driveways/cars
Incredibly infuriating
 
Summer 2020 when no-one was allowed out of the country, but Bournemouth was fair game, a Uni friend who's still down there came home from work to find someone parked in her driveway (and no other spaces on the road - which is not unusual in itself).
So she had worked an 10 hour (?) shift in full PPE, was expecting to strip off in the back porch, leave the clothes there, quick hose shower before coming into the house before going straight into a proper shower... but coudn't even park.
Had to go around to another friend's house, and ask the husband if she could do that in their back garden and borrow friends' clothes.


She wasn't happy about this.
 
Which Tyler said:
Summer 2020 when no-one was allowed out of the country, but Bournemouth was fair game, a Uni friend who's still down there came home from work to find someone parked in her driveway (and no other spaces on the road - which is not unusual in itself).
So she had worked an 10 hour (?) shift in full PPE, was expecting to strip off in the back porch, leave the clothes there, quick hose shower before coming into the house before going straight into a proper shower... but coudn't even park.
Had to go around to another friend's house, and ask the husband if she could do that in their back garden and borrow friends' clothes.


She wasn't happy about this.
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Serious patience not to get the guards involved. That's trespassing.
 
Le Frére Alpha said:
Strange, it's a civil offence as well as a criminal/public order offence here. You'd definitely get a slap on the wrist here.
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I only know as the carpark at a charity where my mother volunteers had this problem with a vehicle abandoned there. Short of appointing a solicitor to persue it through the civil courts, there was nothing that they could do as the car was taxed and MOTd.
 

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