What on the roads has annoyed you today?

[Parafox]

On 27/12/2020 at 21:20, UniFox21 said:

Just cars with ridiculously bright headlights. For a good few minutes had a 4x4 blinding the shit out of me, couldn't look in either wing mirror and barely into my rear view to see what the hell was behind me 

These Xenon and LED headlights are unbearably blinding. There needs to be some kind of research into them. I find it hard to see anything else on the road when they are either ahead or behind me. Almost like they have full beam on. 

Had a Google and found this:

Why are modern car headlights so bright? How to prevent dazzle - Green Flag

[Koke]

My niece is a new driver. She stopped for a pedestrian waiting to cross at a crosswalk. The guy behind us started to aggressively beep his horn at her, and her being a new inexperienced driver, she completely panicked and got scared. Absolute ****ing idiots some people are. 

[Parafox]

Just heard a news item reporting on 2 men that were killed on a "smart" section of a motorway after they stopped after a collision. A truck hit them and killed them both. The coroner said that smart motorways had the potential to be dangerous and that there should be a review into their use and that drivers needed more information about how to use them in the event of a breakdown/collision. The truck driver was jailed but said in a statement that if there had been a hard shoulder he would have simply driven past without colliding with the men.

Personally I am very concerned about the lack of a hard shoulder and it's always seemed to me to be a way of expanding the motorway on the cheap.

[Bellend Sebastian]

38 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Just heard a news item reporting on 2 men that were killed on a "smart" section of a motorway after they stopped after a collision. A truck hit them and killed them both. The coroner said that smart motorways had the potential to be dangerous and that there should be a review into their use and that drivers needed more information about how to use them in the event of a breakdown/collision. The truck driver was jailed but said in a statement that if there had been a hard shoulder he would have simply driven past without colliding with the men.

Personally I am very concerned about the lack of a hard shoulder and it's always seemed to me to be a way of expanding the motorway on the cheap.

Apparently the drivers that were killed had stopped after their cars were in a minor collision.  I know that you're supposed to exchange details but on a 'live' lane of a motorway? I'd be reluctant to stop even on the hard shoulder unless I really, really had to. I'm always astounded when I see people stopped on the hard shoulder that are clearly just going for a piss.

 

But yeah, no hard shoulder smart motorways seem to be proving to be as shit an idea as they sound

[fuchsntf]

On 27/12/2020 at 22:20, UniFox21 said:

Just cars with ridiculously bright headlights. For a good few minutes had a 4x4 blinding the shit out of me, couldn't look in either wing mirror and barely into my rear view to see what the hell was behind me 

Go slower gently..make him go slower..until hes crawling along...

[fuchsntf]

On 29/12/2020 at 01:25, Parafox said:

These Xenon and LED headlights are unbearably blinding. There needs to be some kind of research into them. I find it hard to see anything else on the road when they are either ahead or behind me. Almost like they have full beam on. 

Had a Google and found this:

Why are modern car headlights so bright? How to prevent dazzle - Green Flag

The AA ( ADAC in Germany)...Abs other car assoc.should bring things to Light ( sorry vor the pun)  to relevant  Govt .depts...und  Show they are interested in

their  Drivers members and Not the car giants....high % of car-accidents caused by high Density car lighting....

 

Yes I have anti blare Glasses in my car, but that cant be the answer....Too many machos in Power positions...I

oh I Love driving...I have had my fast cars, und Expedition lorries & autos...all Drivers have to understand there are other  Road users,we Dont have to follow Indian Roard antics..

Its Not just about your reactions....Now do others react when you start to Share space...

Edited 18 January 2021 by fuchsntf

[Heathrow fox]

4 hours ago, Parafox said:

Just heard a news item reporting on 2 men that were killed on a "smart" section of a motorway after they stopped after a collision. A truck hit them and killed them both. The coroner said that smart motorways had the potential to be dangerous and that there should be a review into their use and that drivers needed more information about how to use them in the event of a breakdown/collision. The truck driver was jailed but said in a statement that if there had been a hard shoulder he would have simply driven past without colliding with the men.

Personally I am very concerned about the lack of a hard shoulder and it's always seemed to me to be a way of expanding the motorway on the cheap.

Where they have upgraded parts of the M25 and it’s offshoots like the M23 etc I think it’s worked out quite well.The Highways agency are pretty much on it instantly.They don’t even like you to hang around on the relatively safe hard shoulder these days.Though I think there was an incident where a family met tragedy on the M3??.It’s too late to go back now and if they did block a lane off (presuming traffic levels go back to where they were pre pandemic) it would certainly be felt.Maybe the solution would be to go with a 40 MPH speed limit?It wouldn’t make much difference time wise on the shorter stretches.

[David Guiza]

Yes it's ballache on a cold morning, but people who don't clear snow/ice off the top off their vehicles before heading out, when it would take literally less than a few minutes, have annoyed me this morning. 

 

Nice chunk of ice flew straight off the vehicle in front into my windscreen this morning and the driver didn't have a clue. Immediately followed by driving behind another car that made it feel like I was in the tundra. 

[SpacedX]

Ineptly driven, badly controlled rear wheel drive 'prestige' high powered German cars. I've noticed that many that insist on owning these vehicles haven't the first clue how to drive them. Introduce a dusting of snow and the result is inevitably carnage. Slewing and careering off the road through fences into people's gardens and spinning up on the slightest suggestion of a gradient. 

[Jon the Hat]

9 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Ineptly driven, badly controlled rear wheel drive 'prestige' high powered German cars. I've noticed that many that insist on owning these vehicles haven't the first clue how to drive them. Introduce a dusting of snow and the result is inevitably carnage. Slewing and careering off the road through fences into people's gardens and spinning up on the slightest suggestion of a gradient. 

Anyone with any money has been buying the Quattro or Xdrive for at least the last 5 years, so you are looking at people with company cars at the cheaper end who have little choice on which car they get.  

[SpacedX]

1 minute ago, Jon the Hat said:

Anyone with any money has been buying the Quattro or Xdrive for at least the last 5 years, 

Somewhat of a generalisation there. That doesn't mean that the roads aren't still full of badly driven beemers.

 

3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

so you are looking at people with company cars at the cheaper end who have little choice on which car they get.  

To an extent, yes - but that's the essence of the prestige German car...it is a lifestyle choice which many pursue through private purchase, irrespective of their experience or driving ability. 

[Big Dave]

51 minutes ago, David Guiza said:

Yes it's ballache on a cold morning, but people who don't clear snow/ice off the top off their vehicles before heading out, when it would take literally less than a few minutes, have annoyed me this morning. 

 

Nice chunk of ice flew straight off the vehicle in front into my windscreen this morning and the driver didn't have a clue. Immediately followed by driving behind another car that made it feel like I was in the tundra. 

I have a Galaxy, and it took ages to clear the roof of snow this morning - not easy to reach either being a tall car, but it needs to be done.

Also noticed the large number of people that don’t clear the snow from the lights on their cars.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I don't think it's about people's choices of car they've bought - RWD is going to be OK 99% of the time in this country.

 

It's more about being aware that if there's lying snow, your car is going to be a bastard to drive and may well get stuck, so maybe check the weather forecast and road conditions before making the journey?

 

Now a lot of us are/can work from home at least it cuts down on the pressure to make journeys when it's probably not a great idea. I can remember driving to work in Nottingham down the A46 about 20 years ago in the snow and it being a blooming nightmare, cars sliding around all over the shop, coming off the road etc etc. I'd only attempt it now if I really, really had to.  Having a low speed shunt in the snow a couple of years ago (in a front wheel drive car, no less) has made me even more wary

[SpacedX]

3 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

I don't think it's about people's choices of car they've bought

It certainly is when many who succumb to the high powered prestige route can't handle them irrespective of a few centimeters of snow. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

11 minutes ago, Line-X said:

It certainly is when many who succumb to the high powered prestige route can't handle them irrespective of a few centimeters of snow. 

My point is they should leave them on the driveway when appropriate

[SpacedX]

2 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

My point is they should leave them on the driveway when appropriate

My point is, in many cases, they shouldn't even be on the driveway. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

30 minutes ago, Line-X said:

My point is, in many cases, they shouldn't even be on the driveway. 

Oh, I see, you mean they're shit at driving them anyway, regardless of whether there's snow or not.

 

Of course, there are loads of people that probably shouldn't be getting behind the wheel of anything. It certainly feels like the prestige brands tend to be driven badly, but whether that's actually true I'm not sure. Could it be that those that put value on status symbols have a certain personality traits that make them less than completely responsible drivers? This is amateur psychology of most dubious value, but when a Range Rover Evoque is 6 inches from my tailgate YET AGAIN, I do start to wonder

[Parafox]

On 18/01/2021 at 23:56, Heathrow fox said:

They don’t even like you to hang around on the relatively safe hard shoulder these days.

A few years ago when I was driving LGV's on my days off, I had a puncture on a motorway entry slip-road. I was surprised when the Highways Agency FWD turned up so quickly, I mean within ten minutes, and phoned my transport office to pressure them into getting my situation sorted ASAP. 

That said I still think the smart motorways have much more of a risk if you break down. It would scare the shiit out of me. Many times I've been to incidents on the motorway and, even on the hard shoulder, it's really scary as the traffic and trucks come thundering past within a few metres of me and the other people on scene. I've been sprayed with volumes of surface water and spray from trucks to the point where it once actually knocked me over.

My advice would be, if you suffer a catastrophic breakdown on any motorway, get out of your car and get behind the barrier. You might get cold, wet  or uncomfortable but you won't get killed. 

Another thing, if your kids need a pee, or to be sick or whatever, don't stop on the hard shoulder. I was at the tragic incident at J21 a few years back where the family had just passed the services but decided to stop a few hundred yards beyond the entry slip from the services to let their child go for a pee. The child got out of the car on the driver's side, stepped into the live lane and was wiped out.

Edited 25 January 2021 by Parafox

[Facecloth]

21 minutes ago, Parafox said:

A few years ago when I was driving LGV's on my days off, I had a puncture on a motorway entry slip-road. I was surprised when the Highways Agency FWD turned up so quickly, I mean within ten minutes, and phoned my transport office to pressure them into getting my situation sorted ASAP. 

That said I still think the smart motorways have much more of a risk if you break down. It would scare the shiit out of me. Many times I've been to incidents on the motorway and, even on the hard shoulder, it's really scary as the traffic and trucks come thundering past within a few metres of me and the other people on scene. I've been sprayed with volumes of surface water and spray from trucks to the point where it once actually knocked me over.

My advice would be, if you suffer a catastrophic breakdown on any motorway, get out of your car and get behind the barrier. You might get cold, wet  or uncomfortable but you won't get killed. 

Another thing, if your kids need a pee, or to be sick or whatever, don't stop on the hard shoulder. I was at the tragic incident at J21 a few years back where the family had just passed the services but decided to stop a few hundred yards beyond the entry slip from the services to let their child go for a pee. The child got out of the car on the driver's side, stepped into the live lane and was wiped out.

I wanted two give to reactions to this post. A like for the first bit, because you're totally spot on. And sad about the last bit, because that sounds harrowing.

Edited 25 January 2021 by Facecloth

[StanSP]

People who don't clear the snow off their cars properly.

[Heathrow fox]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

A few years ago when I was driving LGV's on my days off, I had a puncture on a motorway entry slip-road. I was surprised when the Highways Agency FWD turned up so quickly, I mean within ten minutes, and phoned my transport office to pressure them into getting my situation sorted ASAP. 

That said I still think the smart motorways have much more of a risk if you break down. It would scare the shiit out of me. Many times I've been to incidents on the motorway and, even on the hard shoulder, it's really scary as the traffic and trucks come thundering past within a few metres of me and the other people on scene. I've been sprayed with volumes of surface water and spray from trucks to the point where it once actually knocked me over.

My advice would be, if you suffer a catastrophic breakdown on any motorway, get out of your car and get behind the barrier. You might get cold, wet  or uncomfortable but you won't get killed. 

Another thing, if your kids need a pee, or to be sick or whatever, don't stop on the hard shoulder. I was at the tragic incident at J21 a few years back where the family had just passed the services but decided to stop a few hundred yards beyond the entry slip from the services to let their child go for a pee. The child got out of the car on the driver's side, stepped into the live lane and was wiped out.

Don’t disagree with a word you’ve said.Just trying to find a compromise as it’s too late to go back.I’m surprised that so many dwardle on live lanes or do not take immediate cover.Regardless of weather.Bit different if you have a car full of kids and a disabled gran granted.My boss gives us a hire van and once one thing goes wrong it’s breakdown central.I always have a warm hi vis coat,flask and chocolate with me.As do any colleagues I have traveled with,and get the hell out the van through the safest door.The various agencies are spot on tbf.They are all on it like a rocket.I don’t mean you here but it tends to be the people who rarely use motorways that grumble about them the most.I think the new upgrades have worked fairly well down south.Except for the southern stretch of the clockwise M25.Always looks a nightmare still.

[SeCrEt FoX]

People who still decide to drive up your arse in this weather! 

 

Whilst I'm at it, People who own Focus ST's and have that horrible pop bang map where they decide to do it when they are near pedestrians. Some poor old lady dropped her groceries because of some little twat thought he would show off. Sounds like shit mate! 

[Stuntman_Mike]

I've got to say most people using the roads the last few days have been really sensible from what I've seen. 

 

What's annoyed me though is not being able to brake at a junction and a roundabout and just having for the best haha.

 

That was a new experience for me, I've generally been able to avoid the snow in the past.

[adam1]

On 25/01/2021 at 09:48, Line-X said:

Ineptly driven, badly controlled rear wheel drive 'prestige' high powered German cars. I've noticed that many that insist on owning these vehicles haven't the first clue how to drive them. Introduce a dusting of snow and the result is inevitably carnage. Slewing and careering off the road through fences into people's gardens and spinning up on the slightest suggestion of a gradient. 

You've seen the vid of the bmw doing the rounds? 

 

Hill. Car driving slowly around a chicane on the wrong side of the road (appropriately as road empty/conditions). Bmw flies past, hits them and several parked cars

[stix]

On 26/01/2021 at 15:24, adam1 said:

You've seen the vid of the bmw doing the rounds? 

 

Hill. Car driving slowly around a chicane on the wrong side of the road (appropriately as road empty/conditions). Bmw flies past, hits them and several parked cars

Mercedes