N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Tue 27 Dec 2016 21:22

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - RaineMan

We have regular clampdowns (quite rightly) on drink driving and use of mobile phones. However there are three areas I would like to see clampdowns on next year:-

A) Tailgating. This just seems to get worse and more aggressive. The dangers of this were brought home to me over thirty years ago when a colleague had his car written off and his ba ck broken by a tailgater. There is no need for it and it achieves nothing.

B) Cyclists. Far too many totally ignore the Highway Code by ignoring traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, etc. and riding without lights amongst many other offences. My feeling is that this has can be tackled by fixed penalty notices and for the third offence a ban until they pass the modern equivalent of the Cycling Proficiency Test or whatever it is called these days. Those with a driciing licence also receiving three points!

C) Misuse of lights. Far to many seem to ignore the blue warning light on their dash and dazzle those coming the other way or in front of them. Twenty years ago you could be pulled up for using some auxiliary lights when it was neither snowing or foggy. These days, althiugh still in the Highway Code, it seems to be universally ignored!

Rant over! What are others’ thoughts?

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Tue 27 Dec 2016 23:12

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - RobJP

for C) misuse of lights, I'd be perfectly happy if people actually had all lights working - and used them. That includes cyclists as well as motorists.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 07:06

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - oldroverboy.

For any of the 3 things to happen, it needs police on the roads to observe and use their powers.

So not much chance of that then!

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 08:02

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - RT

For any of the 3 things to happen, it needs police on the roads to observe and use their powers.

So not much chance of that then!

I'd like to see traffic police back on patrol - so the instead of short-term "clampdowns", the law could be enforced all year round.

Each new law or regulation passed by parliament should include the funding for it's enforcement.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 10:15

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Vitesse6

Each new law or regulation passed by parliament should include the funding for it's enforcement.

But we are in the post funding era now, any new government wheeze needs to be paid for by efficiency savings or cutting the wages of the staff required to implement it.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 10:20

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - RaineMan

Each new law or regulation passed by parliament should include the funding for it's enforcement.

But we are in the post funding era now, any new government wheeze needs to be paid for by efficiency savings or cutting the wages of the staff required to implement it.

I think if I was a traffic officer around here a day's penalties would fund me for a week minimum!

Edited by RaineMan on 28/12/2016 at 10:21

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 11:10

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Bolt

Each new law or regulation passed by parliament should include the funding for it's enforcement.

But we are in the post funding era now, any new government wheeze needs to be paid for by efficiency savings or cutting the wages of the staff required to implement it.

I think if I was a traffic officer around here a day's penalties would fund me for a week minimum!

Very rare to see any round my way, and when you do they are just chatting and cruising, years ago they would be pulling drivers for no lights and other offences, they don`t seem to bother now!

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 11:50

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Falkirk Bairn

I think I might have told this tale before.

However it really annoyed me at the time.

Getting into my car at a local shop a car was pulling up with 1 headlight.

I got out of my car & told the woman that one of the dipped beams was out.

She said she knew about it & would get it fixed before the MoT which was due in February. It was actually November!

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 13:11

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Avant

It's tempting to wish for someone like that to have the other headlamp bulb go when they're out in the country travelling at night, miles from anywhere. If that happens they should never make that mistake again.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 13:58

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Sofa Spud

Speeding. I'd like to see stricter enforcement of speed limits, with emphasis on catching drivers who blatantly ignore speed limits and those who break speed limits where it is particularly dangerous to do so - e.g at junctions or in town centres.

Noisy vehicles. Very noisy cars and bikes seem to be a growing problem. However much someone loves the sound of their car's noisy exhaust, to most other people it's just irritating.

Tailgating. I agree with the poster above - tailgating is dangerous and is also bad manners. I don't think it's a growing problem though, it's always been widespread.

Mud on road. Farmers seem to be getting away with leaving mud on the road more these days - particularly on main roads. It should become an offence to venture onto the highway in a vehicle with excessively muddy tyres.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 14:05

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Sofa Spud

I've had both headlight bulbs go in quick succession and I've seen that happen on other peoples' cars too.

I imagine that the original reason for cars having two headlamps was so that you would still have lighting if one lamp failed.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 14:02

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Sofa Spud

Spare post

Edited by Sofa Spud on 28/12/2016 at 14:03

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 14:10

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - skidpan

I imagine that the original reason for cars having two headlamps was so that you would still have lighting if one lamp failed.

Would you drive with one flat tyre knowing you still had 3 with air in. Of course not so why would you thinks its OK to have less than the mandatory lighting working.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 14:56

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - gordonbennet

Its one reason i like having vehicles with front fog lights, should a headlamp blow you at least can illuminate the front half decently both sides and have some light spread to complete your journey and/or deal with the blown one somewhere suitable.

I find other's front fog lights if in use far less blinding than these horrid DRL things.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 17:28

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Sofa Spud

I imagine that the original reason for cars having two headlamps was so that you would still have lighting if one lamp failed.

Would you drive with one flat tyre knowing you still had 3 with air in. Of course not so why would you thinks its OK to have less than the mandatory lighting working.

but surely that's why cars have four wheels instead of three !!!

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 17:12

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - NARU

C) Misuse of lights. Far to many seem to ignore the blue warning light on their dash and dazzle those coming the other way or in front of them.

Are you absolutely sure that its the other drivers, and not simply part of the current light wars from the manufacturers?

I get flashed about once per 100 miles at night and the other driver clearly thinks I'm on main beam when I'm not. The garage tell me that my lights (Xenon) are correctly adjusted.

I've found that I get flashed more often when the lenses are dirty - presumably the dirt scatters the light.

Some cars have headlights that autodip - I think some of these can be slow to respond.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 17:19

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - RT

I get flashed about once per 100 miles at night and the other driver clearly thinks I'm on main beam when I'm not. The garage tell me that my lights (Xenon) are correctly adjusted.

I've found that I get flashed more often when the lenses are dirty - presumably the dirt scatters the light.

Your lights shouldn't be dirty - that's why headlamp washers are mandatory with HID/Xenons.

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Wed 28 Dec 2016 18:44

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - focussed

"Your lights shouldn't be dirty - that's why headlamp washers are mandatory with HID/Xenons."

And what use are they? Absolutely none at all - they just squirt water over a dirty, salt grimed headlamp glass. The last car I had where the headlamp washers were any use was a Volvo 240 - with headlamp wipers to go with the washers.

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Thu 29 Dec 2016 00:17

N/A - Clampdowns For 2017 - Smileyman

And what use are they? Absolutely none at all - they just squirt water over a dirty, salt grimed headlamp glass. The last car I had where the headlamp washers were any use was a Volvo 240 - with headlamp wipers to go with the washers.

Agreed, it was a much better system and one knew it was working by the shadow of the wiper blade over the glass showing on the road .... (former Volvo 360 driver)

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