Either I am getting old or there seem to be far more people deliberately breaking the law (other than speeding) than in the past.
This morning I watched as someone drove straight through two sets of red lights on a roundabout.
Must be the third or fourth instance of ignoring red lights I've seen in the last fortnight.
Turning right on no right turn junctions is a daily occurance.
Mobile phone use whilst driving hasn't decreased since it became illegal.
Eating and drinking at the wheel is commonplace.
Overtaking on double white lines: daily.
Blocking yellow box junctions.
What is the World coming to?
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You're probably just getting old! ;-P
I don't think it's any worse than say 5 or 10 years ago - there seem to be more cars about tho.
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Some of this may be due to frustration at pointless anti-car measures introduced by local councils. There were a lot fewer banned turns and traffic lights 10-15 years ago.
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I too have the impression that naughties such as crashing red lights are increasing. Only yesterday I saw a car enter a junction and turn left into my path on a red light. I don't know if this is a real increase, or increased observation on my part. I have the suspicion that as speed limits have become stricter, so a certain group of people have developed less respect for other road regulations too. (And the sooner they are banned the better IMO.) The idea might be rubbish though!!!
Leif
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It also occurred to me that a greater proportion of society now drive, and this is especially true of the young. When I was at college, few people drove. Now most seem to drive. I'm sure most young people are safe and conscientious, but insurers and the police will confirm that as a group they are the worst drivers and have the highest accident risk.
Leif
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At the other end of the spectrum there are more older people driving than ever before, and IMO they are some of the worst drivers.
After being driven by my grandad a couple of years ago for the first time in quite a while, I vowed to never get in the car with him again . I also managed to help persuade him (along with the rest of the family) to stop driving. His observational skills, reactions and general concentration whilst driving were terrible. He went through a red light (he didn't notice/see it), went the wrong way up a one way street and just generally didn't seem to know what he was doing. And he was a van driver for the whole of his life and never had an accident - so obviously knew what to do at some point!
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- And he was a van driver for the whole of his life and never had an accident -
I bet he saw hundreds in his rear view mirror though......
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Traffic divisions disbanded and prioritising of crimes they wish to pursue by police generally means that unless you are caught by an automatic device or unlucky enough to do something stupid in front of a cop that just happens to be passing who decides he wishes to pursue the matter you can pretty much get away with anything these days.
Drink driving is increasing again as well for the same reasons.
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I agree with you there chris_w. I have witnessed so many older people driving through red lights and pulling out of junctions staring straight ahead, not giving a sideways glance even when a whole band of car horns are being blasted at them for their nearly causing a serious accident.
Young drivers are a major cause of accidents due to their lack of experience. However, experience also leads to bad habits and a rather blase attitude. The other day I asked my dad who has been driving for 30 + years, why he doesnt check both ways before pulling out of the driveway. His answer - because in his experience its not necessary as no one ever comes down the road at this time of day.
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Young people seem to have accidents due to speeding and 'reckless' driving (I'm 20 by the way).
Older people just get lazy and complacent - and very rude in my experience.
Both groups seem to have their fair share of non indicators and those that just shouldn't ever, ever, drive.
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one of my friends, here on a student visa, is driving on an african licence, as he says "in my country you dont even need to take a test to get a licence", yet he can drive perfectly legally here
he and many of his friends genuinely dont know that you are supposed to stop when pedestrians are on a pelican crossing, im not joking
im sure things would improve if we were a little more choosy about which foreign licences we accepted, and handed out copies of the highway code to all new students planning to drive here
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Its a whole combination of things: -
More older drivers, who simply do not have the reaction times or awareness needed for the number of cars on todays roads;
More restrictions on roads and many of those restrictions appear to be unnecessary so are flouted;
More cars = more conjestion = more frustration = more illegal acts;
More poorly qualified drivers from overseas or many cases of driver impersonation.
Increasing levels of lack of general respect for others in society means that no-one is prepared to shoulder blame.
Maybe I should find the Tardis and go back to 1982 when I passed my test!
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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An Indian colleague when home for 4 weeks and came back with a driving licence. He did not need to pass a test. After a number of lessons his instructor told him that he was up to the required standard, and he was issued with a licence. I recently saw him driving a friends car without insurance, and gave him a gentle ticking off, explaining that the consequences could be unpleasant for him were he to be involved in an accident.
Leif
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Leif,
Unless your colleague has a temporary international licence he is driving illegally. You cannot exchange an Indian driving licence for a British one.
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I presume that he is driving on his Indian licence or a temporary international licence, just as I drove for a few weeks in the US with a UK licence.
Leif
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I think driving standards are falling as drug-abuse becomes more common.
I've lost count of the number of times I've seen people sitting at green-lights or pulling out of junctions without looking.
I assume this is down to drug-abuse as these people don't seem to be aware of what's going on around them.
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Relax, it`s a Rover!
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My mam told me recently of a friend who accompanied her own mother (80 odd and who should not be on the road) to a consultant's appointment prior to getting her cateracts removed.
When the old lady said to the Consultant "I need these cateracts sorted 'cos of my driving doctor" his ears pricked out, like a dogs, and he simply said, in an alarmed fashion "YOU DRIVE !!!!?????"
To which the old lady's daughter said "Well she does when she remembers where she left the car"
The way my mother told the story was very funny !!.
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I don't think driving standards are generally any worse than in the 70's, when I learned to drive. But there wasn't an M25 to go lane-hopping in busy traffic on in those days and boy racers had old Ford Anglias and Minis to play with instead of chipped Corsas, Calibras and Escort RS Turbos.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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At the other end of the spectrum there are more older people driving than ever before, and IMO they are some of the worst drivers.
If you look hard enough you'll find examples to support any prejudice. I reckon butchers' vans are the worst -- why, three times last week . . .
I'm an oldie, and I'll bet most of you would love to have my insurance premium. That's the real test.
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Well said Badger! And some of them would not be able to get insurance for a chipped Supra TT at all.
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I wasn't saying that all older drivers are bad or are the worst, I was just saying that there are more older people driving now and in my opinion this group contains as many of the worst drivers as others.
As for insurance, I'm 26 and drive a group 18 car for £400 a year!
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Sadly, I'm 19 and drive a group 8 car for £1600 a year. I appreciate that insurance companies need to charge young people more because they are statistically more likely to have an accident, but they're basically exploiting most people.
My insurance went up after my first year, even though I hadn't made a claim. Excuse: well, more people are crashing so we need to charge you more.
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Re. Older drivers.
During World War 2 driving tests were suspended. Many people who started driving during the war therefore never took a test. Those people would mostly be in their 80's by now, but 20-30 years ago many would have been doing high mileages.
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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I suppose it is all relative really. Standards may have dropped and road rage has increased. I think also that younger people can buy and insure more powerful cars. Older people can drive for longer. The margin for error has decreased somewhat.
However, drink drive has reduced and cars are safer now than ever. When drivers err, occupants/pedestrians are less likely to be seriously injured or killed.
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Personally I suspect the usual suspects are just getting away with it more often due to the lack of traffic police...
madf
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its also significantly harder to drive safely than it was not so long ago
road sign every 2 foot, do they really expect us to be able to read so many signs while still avoiding pedestrians
thinner roads, so they think they have calmed the road down, when in actual fact the ambulances cannot get through if a bus stops or someone breaks down, and you will be that much closer to the pedestrians since there is no margin for error in the road width
obstacle course humps/bends/one way priority all nonsense and impair the ability to watch out for the real hazards like kids running out
pedestrians have been brainwashed into believing its always the drivers fault so they will randomly walk out into the road expecting you to stop
poor traffic management, cameras/speed are the only things enforced, you can drive as badly as you want as long as you slow down past the cameras
lack of respect
inconsistent road engineering leads to confusion, similar lights timed differently in different parts of the country for no reason
cycle lanes everywhere, hardly ever used, with mad cyclists who think all drivers are evil
bus lanes everywhere with red lights stopping traffic to let phantom buses pass, its a sunday there are no buses!
crazy 20 mph limits which apply even at 2 am when the nearby school is clearly closed
foreign drivers with much less rigourous tests back home much more common
uk test gone very politically correct, not that hot on the practical
no mechanism to get the old folks who cannot drive off the roads systematically
nothing but negative approach to young drivers
no where to park outside hospitals, shops, church, etc forcing half the traffic to ride round aimlessly trying to find somewhere to park
bah humbug
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rtaylor,
When did you last go to church ?
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births/deaths and marriages mainly
but its still a pain when the car spaces have all given way to cycle path
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