This keeps happening to me - how about you?
I'm driving along an A road at 40 to 50 mph at the tail end of a line of traffic. Behind me, nothing. Up ahead is a junction with a car waiting to turn in our out. The car ahead of me brakes to a halt to allow the car in or out of the minor road. Yours truly is making small sacrifices to the God of ABS, though only small ones as I've left a decent gap.
WHY!? Why not just drive on and let the road clear?
John
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This keeps happening to me - how about you?
Yep! it happens regularly.WHY!? Why not just drive on and let the road clear?
Indeed. They are in their own polite blinkered world.
They only have eyes for just beyond the bonnet.
Their mirrors are just another thing to polish.
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Of course the reverse can happen, Mr Impatient forces his way out of a minor road, causing you to stand on the brakes - when behind you is clear.
When that happens, I reckon the pixies have painted my car with invisible paint. No other possible explanation!
(For the PC brigade read Mr as Mrs or Ms - whichever you like really).
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There seems to be a growing number of 'drivers' who regard it as ok to pull out in front of someone as long as they have straghtened (sp? foreign language) out before the crash due to 60 mph closing speed. They seem to rely on the 'if he hit my back then it's his fault' claim.
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Naturally, he's keen to save 3 seconds by not waiting for you but then will happily do 40 mph in an NSL for the next six miles.
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... or he will turn off a few hundred yards further along the road.
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>>>Of course the reverse can happen, Mr Impatient forces his way out of a minor road, causing you to stand on the brakes - when behind you is clear.<<<
This is about the only complaint I have about American drivers. I never noticed it much back in the UK, but here you can practically guarantee they will pull out when you're right on top of them.
Where right turn on red is permitted, you also see this behaviour at traffic lights. I tend to generally avoid the rightmost lane for this reason.
I do not understand it as even when the road behind you is clear they will do it. And although they pull out fast, they will then promptly slow down as they don't want to risk a ticket for speeding!
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"This keeps happening to me - how about you?"
Often. I agree entirely with you.
Sometimes I will stop to let someone out, but only if a) there is a long long stream of traffic behind me and b) my lane is moving slowly, or traffic ahead is stationary. Last time I did it, someone behind was sleeping, and I heard a loud bang as he went into the car in front.
The other one that I hate is the driver that pulls out of a side road, and straddles my lane, waiting for a chance to pull into the other lane. I am forced to come to a halt for a minute or two while "Mr I'm the only person in the world that counts" waits for a gap.
Leif
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I feel that it is somewhat arrogant to, effectively, say that the Highway Code and the right of way rules are all very well, but given that I am omniscient and infallible, I'm going to change them just for today by slowing to a halt and flashing you.
Sometimes I've been on the receiving end of such "kindness", and while I can see that it is well intended, it would be hideously dangerous for me to follow the invite. Boy do you get some stick from "Mr Nice Guy" in those circumstances.
I've also been behind them while they are kindly letting all and sundry out, and I am trying to squeeze past on the inside to get into the railway station carpark to catch the train that I would have had plenty of time to get onto if the numpty in front hadn't spent hours* letting everyone out ... oh and there's the train ... its coming now ... is he going to go ... is it worth hooting ... no that will just distract him ... oh for heavens sake ... stop being so helpful its a pain in the neck .....
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*well it felt like it anyway
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There is another problem with these well-meaning individuals, and that is that they are inviting others out onto the road when it may not be safe to do so. This is particularly so where children are involved, however vulnerable they may appear to be while standing on the pavement. I imagine everyone has been surprised at one time or other by an unseen motorcycle approaching from behind in a slow-moving queue of vehicles.....
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"There is another problem with these well-meaning individuals, and that is that they are inviting others out onto the road when it may not be safe to do so. "
Funny you should say that. Over 20 years ago my father stopped to let someone out, and a car in lane 2 went slap bang into his side.
Leif
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Reminds me...
There is a junction in St Albans where you can turn left into a side road that has a veeerrrry wide opening. I wanted to turn down it, and was indicating left. The car in front of me slowed; unsurprising as there was a queue of traffic ahead.
He stopped well forward of the turn point and left the inside wide open for me to turn left. This wasn't a 'squeeze past' moment; there were at least two car widths for me to drive through. So I did.
Something appeared in my peripheral vision and instinctively I hit the brakes. A car was turning right across us, and had been flashed forward; it went flying past in front of me.... both drivers were oblivious to little me.
The next time I passed that way, I looked again. After the side road, the road bends right. So an oncoming car indicating right would have been hidden from me by the traffic in front of it; only the guy in front of me who invited him across could see him.
Question; if I had not done an emergency stop but had carried on into the path of the very fast moving car turning across, who would have been at fault? Personally, I can construct equally convincing arguments for all three drivers.
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I would agree that all three could be considered at fault, not sure what the "legal" view would be. IMO it still has to be the main responsibility of the driver turning in front of you to ensure that his path is clear, to anticipate properly and to be travelling at the right speed that he can take avoiding action if necessary. He's the one who is crossing other drivers paths.
IAM recommends that you do *not* indicate, flash or beckon any other driver to manouevre (sp?) as even though you may not be involved, by beckoning a driver on you take on (some) responsibility for any accident arising as a reult.
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"I would agree that all three could be considered at fault, not sure what the "legal" view would be...IAM recommends that you do *not* indicate, flash or beckon any other driver to manouevre".
I got the same warning from my driving instructor before taking my test. His reason was, a driver should only pull out when they can see for themselves that it's safe to do so. The car that beckons them can mislead them even though the intention is good.
By the same logic, if you DO pull out of a side road when waved and have an accident, though, I was told the fault is yours - you assumed the road was clear when you couldn't see it really was.
The instructor's suggestion was, if you want to allow another car join the traffic, slow down but don't stop. The guy in the side road gets his chance and the car behind you isn't forced into an emergency stop. Advice that's served me well so far...
- Gromit
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I imagine everyone has been surprised at one time or other by an unseen motorcycle approaching from behind in a slow-moving queue of vehicles.....
Many years ago, (about 30) this happened to me. Car in left lane beckoned to a Viva van to come out of a driveway. I was in the right lane on my bike. The van came racing out (young lad in the work van), cut the corner and got me head on. Fortunately I just landed on the bonnet of the van and wasn't hurt. Bike had a bent front wheel. The van had a nice vee shape in the front and a broken radiator. I can't remember what happened about it, I think I just shrugged and carried on my wobbly way. Lucky escape though, and it brought home just how quickly things happen.
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One that gets me is when a car stops to let you out,as you start to do so the car behind the stopper sees this as an excellent overtaking opportunity to get them one car ahead.last time this happened the woman driving gave me a 'thankyou'wave for slamming my brakes on and avoiding the collision she had nearly created.
I just assume everyone on the road is an idiot until proven otherwise.
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I just assume everyone on the road is an idiot until proven otherwise.
Always an excellent maxim. Not always true, but true often enough to be useful.
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<< Up ahead is a junction with a car waiting toturn in our out.
Without wishing to nitpick I assume that you mean a side road?
--
L\'escargot.
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Just think yourselves lucky you aren't in France, where the bonkers 'priority from the right' rule still applies in many areas, particularly in towns. It's not just confusing and dangerous for foreign drivers - the French rarely seem to be sure who has priority at a junction, even when the diamond-shaped road signs make it clear and there's often an 'after you, no, after you' situation on otherwise deserted roads in the middle of nowhere. Also, and presumably because roundabouts are a relatively new thing over here, there's often one rule for their use in town and another elsewhere. In rural areas or on town bypasses the usual 'give way to traffic already on the roundabout' applies, but in town centres it's the opposite - queues build up on the roundabout itself as vehicles enter without stopping. The confusion sometimes has to be seen to be believed. Having said all that, driving on French roads, especially out of town, is still one of the great benefits of being here. You just have to keep your wits about you...
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You just have to keep your wits about you...
No bad thing, really.....
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Recently I was on my bike in a cycle lane and a lady drove past. 30 seconds later she stops & flashes to let someone across her path - cue me slamming the brakes on, failing to stop and over the bonnet I went.
Aforementioned lady jumps out and is very helpful with the ambulance as I get carted off to hospital.
Yeah - thanks.......
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