What is bad driving?

[Joker 1299]

even more pedant a Drake does not have to be a father.

Of course not. Gender neutral or is that gander neutral?

 

[SamSara]

Scenario.
Motorway. You can travel at 70 in the inner lane. Cars are whistling pass in the outer lane in excess of 70 mph.
You come across a vehicle in the Middle lane doing 60.
Question. Do you continue at 70 thus undertaking the vehicle or do you cross to the outer lane overtake then pull back into the inner lane?

Unfortunately you have to move to the outside lane to get past them. Only in slow traffic where all the lanes are going at a similar speed can you pass on the near side. It’s a pain and giving them a good stare is rewarding but it is a safety issue. Do not grumpily tailgate them either. If you are on a dual carriageway either slow down so you are just behind them on their inside so that they can pull in or go to the outside and go even slower. If it happenss to be the A27 stay in the inside because a roundabout will come along and you can pass on there inside when the white lines change

 

[WelshGas]

Unfortunately you have to move to the outside lane to get past them. Only in slow traffic where all the lanes are going at a similar speed can you pass on the near side. It’s a pain and giving them a good stare is rewarding but it is a safety issue. Do not grumpily tailgate them either. If you are on a dual carriageway either slow down so you are just behind them on their inside so that they can pull in or go to the outside and go even slower. If it happenss to be the A27 stay in the inside because a roundabout will come along and you can pass on there inside when the white lines change

There is no Legal Requirement to pass on the inside. It all depends on if the manoeuvre can be carried out safely. In the scenario I quoted it could be safer passing on the inside than cutting across lanes into a lane with faster moving traffic.
It works OK in Australia and the States.

 

[Vagophile]

It works OK in Australia and the States.

And Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece.

 

[SamSara]

There is no Legal Requirement to pass on the inside. It all depends on if the manoeuvre can be carried out safely. In the scenario I quoted it could be safer passing on the inside than cutting across lanes into a lane with faster moving traffic.
It works OK in Australia and the States.

 

[SamSara]

Yes, not listed as an enforceable offence on its own, but undertaking can be careless- reckless driving. If you work as a motorway cop in the force area covered go ahead and undertake: otherwise take a breath and think of the fuel you are saving

 

[WelshGas]

Yes, not listed as an enforceable offence on its own, but undertaking can be careless- reckless driving. If you work as a motorway cop in the force area covered go ahead and undertake: otherwise take a breath and think of the fuel you are saving

Exactly, risk assessment and fuel efficiency would indicate that in that scenario undertaking wins on both counts if carried out safely.

 

[66tim99]

There is no Legal Requirement to pass on the inside. It all depends on if the manoeuvre can be carried out safely. In the scenario I quoted it could be safer passing on the inside than cutting across lanes into a lane with faster moving traffic.
It works OK in Australia and the States.

See 267 - “Overtake only on the right.”
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/overtaking.html

 

[WelshGas]

See 267 - “Overtake only on the right.”
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/overtaking.html

That is ADVICE, there is NO Law on the Statute book that prohibits overtaking on the Left.
Instead the Laws relating to Dangerous Driving or Driving without Due Care and Attention could be used if the manoeuvre was carried out in an unsafe manner, but that would be upto the police and ultimately the court to decide.

 

[66tim99]

That is ADVICE, there is NO Law on the Statute book that prohibits overtaking on the Left.
Instead the Laws relating to Dangerous Driving or Driving without Due Care and Attention could be used if the manoeuvre was carried out in an unsafe manner, but that would be upto the police and ultimately

In my youth I received 3 points and a £60 fine for undertaking. I was being followed by a police Range Rover and did precisely as above - continued in the inside lane past perhaps 3 cars in the middle lane. I wasn’t speeding and the cop said it was dangerous because drivers in the middle lane may not check their near side mirror as diligently when moving over. He showed me doing it on his dash cam and asked if I disputed it. Perhaps I should have - I just coughed up and had a nervous few months with 9 points.
So it is semantics whether it is advice or law if the police (still) think it unsafe. My incident was in 1992. I notice a significant increase in numbers of people doing it in 2022 - I wonder if the police can be arsed these days.
(The Cali ACC prevents you undertaking)

 

[WelshGas]

In my youth I received 3 points and a £60 fine for undertaking. I was being followed by a police Range Rover and did precisely as above - continued in the inside lane past perhaps 3 cars in the middle lane. I wasn’t speeding and the cop said it was dangerous because drivers in the middle lane may not check their near side mirror as diligently when moving over. He showed me doing it on his dash cam and asked if I disputed it. Perhaps I should have - I just coughed up and had a nervous few months with 9 points.
So it is semantics whether it is advice or law if the police (still) think it unsafe. My incident was in 1992. I notice a significant increase in numbers of people doing it in 2022 - I wonder if the police can be arsed these days.
(The Cali ACC prevents you undertaking)

I’m sure they had a point, but that wasn’t the Scenario I described.

I was done back during the time of the 3 day week / power cuts for using fog lights in conditions other than fog or falling snow. It was 3am, the whole of Exeter was in total darkness, no street lights, nothing.
I argued that in an environment built for street lights and illuminated signs, it was safer to drive with fog lights on and dipped beam on. They agreed.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

The law isn’t actually strict on this. A straightforward undertake when traffic is flowing freely is not permitted but you can if the other outside lanes are going slower than the inside lane. It can happen quite easily in traffic jams.

 

[Velma's Dad]

This thread is like Groundhog Day.

 

[ArunAlec]

This thread is like Groundhog Day.

This thread is like Groundhog Day.

 

[Tim T]

I know this is more fun than serious, but I think what constitutes good driving is the ability to constantly evaluate your own driving, as this is the only thing that you can do if you want to avoid accidents.
I think compiling list where everybody else is the bad driver is counter-productive to this as the assumption is that others need to modify their driving and is often a justification for one's own bad habits.
Many of the things on the original list are not in the highway code, but I think slowing down at a Give Way possibly is, and also I remember a Green Traffic Light to mean "proceed with caution"... Half the list seems to be about you having to slow down for others? Not really a bad thing for road safety, especially when that "other" driver is showing questionable driving skills. Besides there are many valid reasons for driving slowly and carefully that are not always readily apparent ... ;-)

I think you should merge at the point the traffic management indicates as filling up both lanes makes for a shorter queue and far less confusion, may even be in the highway code.

However waving people out against the flow of traffic can be dangerous especially when they assume the road is clear and other traffic still has right of way.
Stopping on the hard shoulder is downright dangerous and for emergency use only.

Mainly it's impatient and aggressive people who think they're good drivers. By shouting at and blaming others they fail to accept and understand the dangers they create for other road users.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Bad driving:
Hooking the ball into a pond.
Slicing the ball into the trees.

 

[andyinluton]

Bad driving:
Hooking the ball into a pond.
Slicing the ball into the trees.

I would add at our local, overhitting & bouncing a ball through the carpark on the 9th.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I would add at our local, overhitting & bouncing a ball through the carpark on the 9th.

Had a ball through the rear window of a 5-series BMW many years ago when parked at Stoke Park GC :-(

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Bad driving happens when your passengers know they are in the car on a journey! When they try to brake for you, when they comment, when they grip the door handle, when the conversation turns to traffic.

If you are driving for the passengers in the car and not your own selfish enjoyment, then you never do notice anything on that list, you had already anticipated it and stayed calm.

It’s hard though, very hard.

 

[ArunAlec]

Had a ball through the rear window of a 5-series BMW many years ago when parked at Stoke Park GC :-(

Golf ball dented my Citroen BX C pillar whilst driving through Goodwood Estate!

 

[Joker 1299]

By the time you are old enough to afford one of these vehicles, all of your bad driving habits should be behind you. That is, of course, until you get in to the ‘old age’ stage. It’s a fine line?

 

[Tarquers]

Just found this thread and at the risk of causing offence to my fellow Brits, it’s a very British list. The majority of roads on the continent are two not three lane and while you get the occasional offender, lane discipline is very good and everyone drives with an eye in the mirror and it generally works.

I also don’t understand the need to get in one lane a mile early when an alternating “zipping” together of lanes just works and shortens the time to get past the obstacle for everyone. The problems I see in these situations is the offended drivers that have queued for a mile refusing to let anyone in and thus further slowing things down but again, we Brits love a queue.

Only reason I comment is I did a round trip to the U.K. across Europe during the heatwave/Dover chaos and with roadworks across the A4 saw it first hand. Only delay? 2 hours lost for no apparent reason on the M42.

 

[kurienp]

I also don’t understand the need to get in one lane a mile early when an alternating “zipping” together of lanes just works and shortens the time to get past the obstacle for everyone. The problems I see in these situations is the offended drivers that have queued for a mile refusing to let anyone in and thus further slowing things down but again, we Brits love a queue.

absolutely agree. common sense and consideration is going down the drain.

 

[ArunAlec]

Just found this thread and at the risk of causing offence to my fellow Brits, it’s a very British list. The majority of roads on the continent are two not three lane and while you get the occasional offender, lane discipline is very good and everyone drives with an eye in the mirror and it generally works.

I also don’t understand the need to get in one lane a mile early when an alternating “zipping” together of lanes just works and shortens the time to get past the obstacle for everyone. The problems I see in these situations is the offended drivers that have queued for a mile refusing to let anyone in and thus further slowing things down but again, we Brits love a queue.

Only reason I comment is I did a round trip to the U.K. across Europe during the heatwave/Dover chaos and with roadworks across the A4 saw it first hand. Only delay? 2 hours lost for no apparent reason on the M42.

I think the 2 lanes into one “problem“ is a to do with the British passion for queuing! I tend to be in the 200metre lane to save the stress of trying to “push in”. Maybe it’s time for some of those old public information ads on TV?

 

[ArunAlec]

Ashley Neal on YouTube is worth a look. Some very interesting and sensible observations on good driving.