Are modern cars slow on "A" roads?

[ardee_selby]

I believe those bl**dy on-board computers can affect driving "styles" in modern cars.

Continuous read-out of fuel consumption seems to act like a "brake" for some drivers who are paranoid at anything to cause the reading to drop. (I recently got a lift with someone who was doing just that...very un-nerving!)

With one eye on that, the other on their sat-nav, and the other sending texts...gawd 'elp us.

Cheers - Richard

[jono]

One of the factors which regularly influences my decision not to overtake is whether the car in front is going to deliberately speed up - an increasingly prevalent habit!

[69S4]

Blimey - and I thought we were all meek and mild classic car enthusiasts happily sipping a cup of Ovaltine and looking forward to our next pair of string back driving gloves from the kids at Xmas This thread is starting to make Victor Meldrew look like Mother Theresa! Off the road at 50, string up school run mums, confuse aged parent to acquire their car !!! . Sounds like policies any reputable political party should leap at.

Actually, thinking about it I could be on the receiving end of all of those - even the school run mum bit (I'm kind enough to give my teenage daughter the occasional lift to school when she can be bothered to talk to me ). I'm now getting worried that I'll need to "get down wiv the yoof" if I'm going to stay on the road. I've not yet learnt to text while putting on my make-up (old dog, new tricks etc) but I'm sure I'll soon pick it up from my daughter when she starts driving next year. Just got to paint up the Elan to look like some sort of Corsa / Saxo hybrid and start practicing donuts.

[gordont]

Come on Stu, time to get with the youth!

I was planning on a mount for my iPhone where my radio should be, but so hard to text when it is there.... Hah hah

Maybe start dressing in 60's flouro floral shirts and suddenly your daughter will think you are sooooooo hip?

Good luck, hey in my mind I am still in my 30's (really 44, just) as I am sure deep down we all are!

Gordon

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

123

[Elanintheforest]

It's described above what folks are doing John....variously,

Texting work to say they're late
Phoning home to say they're not on the train
Rolling a fag whilst steering with knees
Retrieving a lit fag from lap to avoid embarrassing visit to Doctor
Phoning Doctor for more tranquilisers to get thought the stresses of modern living
Swigging on a bottle of gin to wash down the tranqs
Covering up one eye to focus on the road ahead
Pressing good eye to compensate for cataract
Trying hard to keep awake because they didn't get their afternoon nap
Being angry about the youth of today / price of petrol / state of the roads and the national health service.

Just a few things that may occupy the average bod driving around the UK....or anywhere else!

The last three are of course firmly aimed as those more senior drivers, who are fairly anonymous in the UK until you're close enough to see them. In Australia there's a code.....any old Holden EJ or Chrysler Valiant being driven by a bloke in a pork pie hat is to be given a very wide berth. In the USA, it's a giant Cadillac seemingly not being driven by anybody...but they are there, just peeping over the dash.

Mark

[69S4]

The last three are of course firmly aimed as those more senior drivers, who are fairly anonymous in the UK until you're close enough to see them. In Australia there's a code.....any old Holden EJ or Chrysler Valiant being driven by a bloke in a pork pie hat is to be given a very wide berth. In the USA, it's a giant Cadillac seemingly not being driven by anybody...but they are there, just peeping over the dash.

Mark

It used to be any sort of Rover in the UK but their devotees have been scattered to the four winds over the last few years so it's a lot harder to spot them these days.

Come on Stu, time to get with the youth!
Maybe start dressing in 60's flouro floral shirts and suddenly your daughter will think you are sooooooo hip?
Good luck, hey in my mind I am still in my 30's (really 44, just) as I am sure deep down we all are!

Gordon

Actually it's more 70's than 60's for me, loon pants etc. Most of that stuff is still in the back of the wardrobe somewhere. Daughter is into "vintage" clothes but what is vintage for her is, for me, just stuff I haven't worn for a while

[Spyder fan]

Well, it seems like I'm not the only one getting frustrated then! I had a very quick Google search and came up with a list of peoples pet hates as follows:

Leaving rear fog lights on when not foggy, particularly in the rain
Using front fog lights at the same time as headlights when not foggy
Using front fog lights without headlights
Having badly adjusted, dazzling headlights
Those people (and I have come across them) who drive around in all conditions with headlights on full beam
People who drive on unlit rural roads at night on dipped beams, making it very difficult for those following them to see the road ahead properly, particularly if they're looking to overtake
Parking with headlights on, particularly on the wrong side of the road
Driving with headlights on in broad daylight (particularly if not a Volvo owner)
Sitting at traffic lights with your foot on the brake pedal thus dazzling the driver behind. Use your handbrake!
Driving far too close to your back bumper
Other drivers crawling all over the back of you when you're maintaining a cautious, safe speed in a busy urban environment and there's no prospect of overtaking anyway
Cars behind moving as if to overtake on the left if you move more than two feet from the kerb to get better visibility
Driving at 40 mph on roads where 60 is a perfectly sensible and legal speed, then maintaining that speed unchanged when entering a 30 limit
Other drivers who pull out into a very marginal gap right in front of you and then proceed at a speed well below the posted limit - what on earth was the hurry?
Parking your car on the road when you have a driveway and a garage
People who insist on keeping Transits and box vans parked on the road overnight in residential areas
Parking on the pavement - occasionally excusable, but generally just thoughtless and selfish
Believing that using hazard flashers gives you the right to park anywhere for whatever reason
Drivers who brake to well below the posted limit when passing a speed camera
And those who brake for Gatsos pointing in the opposite direction that can't possibly catch them
Staying in the middle lane on the motorway when the inside lane is clear for half a mile ahead
But the driver who ostentatiously cuts across the bows of a middle lane hogger into Lane 1, and then has to pull out a few seconds later, is just as bad, and arguably more dangerous
Queues of tailgaters in Lane 3 of the motorway - although now I can normally take advantage of Highway Code Rule 242 and pass them on the inside
Abruptly changing lanes at the last possible moment at motorway exits - sometimes leaving it too late and crossing the hatched area
Lorries overtaking each other with a negligible speed differential (although given that they are compelled to have speed limiters this is not entirely the fault of the drivers)
And car drivers who catch up with a slower lorry on the motorway and then realise at the last minute that they want to overtake it. Have they never heard of looking well ahead?
Drivers who regard your carefully-created two second gap as a convenient space to slot into
Applying the brakes whenever a vehicle approaches in the opposite direction
Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone. This really does annoy me, particularly after the recent case where a lorry driver killed a man standing by his car in a layby because he was distracted by composing a text message on his phone. It's good to see the government have grasped the nettle of making this a specific offence, at least when done at normal road speeds, not sitting in a queue, punishable by 3 penalty points as with speeding.
The three drivers who follow you through after you've made what you think is a fairly marginal decision to go through an amber traffic light
Aggressive tailgating and risky overtaking in urban areas where any advantage gained will be at best minimal
Allowing a large queue to build up behind but remaining completely oblivious of it
Following another vehicle with no intention of overtaking it, but failing to leave a gap to allow others to do so
Extremely slow drivers reacting with annoyance when overtaken
Driving for miles a few feet from the back bumper of an HGV - not only is this dangerous, it gives an appalling view!
Car drivers who are overtaken by HGVs on the motorway - if you or your vehicle can't maintain a cruising speed of 56 mph, you shouldn't be on the motorway in the first place
And how many times do you see a queue of cars on a single-carriageway road following an HGV, only to find some numpty in a Nissan Micra dawdling along in front of the HGV? I am reluctant to stereotype the drivers of particular types of car, but Micra drivers must be the worst on the road for general slowness and lack of awareness of what is going on around them
Other drivers who follow you for miles on the motorway sitting one lane to the right in your blind spot
Any driver who thinks it is his business to force others to adhere to the rules of the road
Inching forward riding the clutch at red traffic lights
Blowing the horn if cars ahead at a junction fail to move out into a constant stream of traffic
Failing to indicate where it is necessary
Driving with your right arm resting on the window sill - usually a sign of a mind in cruise control
Likewise driving hunched forward over the steering wheel generally indicates an extremely timid and nervous approach
Driving out of the McDonalds drive-thru chomping on a Big Mac (the police could profitably spend more time lurking outside McDonalds rather than country pubs)
Men sitting in cars in freezing weather in their shirtsleeves. Look, mate, it just isn't that warm, particularly in the first few miles. You never see women doing that. Stop the macho posturing and put your jacket back on!
(This may sound a trivial, fussy point, but it has a sound scientific basis. Apparently getting into a freezing car without warm clothing can cause traumatic shock, greatly increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. Far safer to be too warm in the latter part of the journey than too cold early on)
Pedestrians crossing the road very slowly making imitation running movements
Aggressive loitering in the road by pedestrians, especially teenage boys
Pedestrians who seem totally confused when trying to cross a side road where a car is waiting to turn into the main road
Playing deafeningly loud dance music in cars (not only is it dangerous and offputting both to the driver and others, it's also crap music - what's wrong with "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf?)
Special Cycling Section:

Cycling at night without lights
Going through red lights
Cycling on the pavement
Going the wrong way down one-way streets
Pulling out to overtake parked cars without checking behind
Tucking close in to the left and emerging at speed from side roads without looking
Cycling when drunk - they may abhor drink-driving, but they seem to think this is OK, despite Highway Code Rule 53

[ardee_selby]

Well, it seems like I'm not the only one getting frustrated then! I had a very quick Google search and came up with a list of peoples pet hates as follows:

Leaving rear fog lights on when not foggy, particularly in the rain
Using front fog lights at the same time as headlights when not foggy
Using front fog lights without headlights
Having badly adjusted, dazzling headlights
Those people (and I have come across them) who drive around in all conditions with headlights on full beam
People who drive on unlit rural roads at night on dipped beams, making it very difficult for those following them to see the road ahead properly, particularly if they're looking to overtake
Parking with headlights on, particularly on the wrong side of the road
Driving with headlights on in broad daylight (particularly if not a Volvo owner)
Sitting at traffic lights with your foot on the brake pedal thus dazzling the driver behind. Use your handbrake!
Driving far too close to your back bumper
Other drivers crawling all over the back of you when you're maintaining a cautious, safe speed in a busy urban environment and there's no prospect of overtaking anyway
Cars behind moving as if to overtake on the left if you move more than two feet from the kerb to get better visibility
Driving at 40 mph on roads where 60 is a perfectly sensible and legal speed, then maintaining that speed unchanged when entering a 30 limit
Other drivers who pull out into a very marginal gap right in front of you and then proceed at a speed well below the posted limit - what on earth was the hurry?
Parking your car on the road when you have a driveway and a garage
People who insist on keeping Transits and box vans parked on the road overnight in residential areas
Parking on the pavement - occasionally excusable, but generally just thoughtless and selfish
Believing that using hazard flashers gives you the right to park anywhere for whatever reason
Drivers who brake to well below the posted limit when passing a speed camera
And those who brake for Gatsos pointing in the opposite direction that can't possibly catch them
Staying in the middle lane on the motorway when the inside lane is clear for half a mile ahead
But the driver who ostentatiously cuts across the bows of a middle lane hogger into Lane 1, and then has to pull out a few seconds later, is just as bad, and arguably more dangerous
Queues of tailgaters in Lane 3 of the motorway - although now I can normally take advantage of Highway Code Rule 242 and pass them on the inside
Abruptly changing lanes at the last possible moment at motorway exits - sometimes leaving it too late and crossing the hatched area
Lorries overtaking each other with a negligible speed differential (although given that they are compelled to have speed limiters this is not entirely the fault of the drivers)
And car drivers who catch up with a slower lorry on the motorway and then realise at the last minute that they want to overtake it. Have they never heard of looking well ahead?
Drivers who regard your carefully-created two second gap as a convenient space to slot into
Applying the brakes whenever a vehicle approaches in the opposite direction
Driving while using a hand-held mobile phone. This really does annoy me, particularly after the recent case where a lorry driver killed a man standing by his car in a layby because he was distracted by composing a text message on his phone. It's good to see the government have grasped the nettle of making this a specific offence, at least when done at normal road speeds, not sitting in a queue, punishable by 3 penalty points as with speeding.
The three drivers who follow you through after you've made what you think is a fairly marginal decision to go through an amber traffic light
Aggressive tailgating and risky overtaking in urban areas where any advantage gained will be at best minimal
Allowing a large queue to build up behind but remaining completely oblivious of it
Following another vehicle with no intention of overtaking it, but failing to leave a gap to allow others to do so
Extremely slow drivers reacting with annoyance when overtaken
Driving for miles a few feet from the back bumper of an HGV - not only is this dangerous, it gives an appalling view!
Car drivers who are overtaken by HGVs on the motorway - if you or your vehicle can't maintain a cruising speed of 56 mph, you shouldn't be on the motorway in the first place
And how many times do you see a queue of cars on a single-carriageway road following an HGV, only to find some numpty in a Nissan Micra dawdling along in front of the HGV? I am reluctant to stereotype the drivers of particular types of car, but Micra drivers must be the worst on the road for general slowness and lack of awareness of what is going on around them
Other drivers who follow you for miles on the motorway sitting one lane to the right in your blind spot
Any driver who thinks it is his business to force others to adhere to the rules of the road
Inching forward riding the clutch at red traffic lights
Blowing the horn if cars ahead at a junction fail to move out into a constant stream of traffic
Failing to indicate where it is necessary
Driving with your right arm resting on the window sill - usually a sign of a mind in cruise control
Likewise driving hunched forward over the steering wheel generally indicates an extremely timid and nervous approach
Driving out of the McDonalds drive-thru chomping on a Big Mac (the police could profitably spend more time lurking outside McDonalds rather than country pubs)
Men sitting in cars in freezing weather in their shirtsleeves. Look, mate, it just isn't that warm, particularly in the first few miles. You never see women doing that. Stop the macho posturing and put your jacket back on!
(This may sound a trivial, fussy point, but it has a sound scientific basis. Apparently getting into a freezing car without warm clothing can cause traumatic shock, greatly increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. Far safer to be too warm in the latter part of the journey than too cold early on)
Pedestrians crossing the road very slowly making imitation running movements
Aggressive loitering in the road by pedestrians, especially teenage boys
Pedestrians who seem totally confused when trying to cross a side road where a car is waiting to turn into the main road
Playing deafeningly loud dance music in cars (not only is it dangerous and offputting both to the driver and others, it's also crap music - what's wrong with "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf?)
Special Cycling Section:

Cycling at night without lights
Going through red lights
Cycling on the pavement
Going the wrong way down one-way streets
Pulling out to overtake parked cars without checking behind
Tucking close in to the left and emerging at speed from side roads without looking
Cycling when drunk - they may abhor drink-driving, but they seem to think this is OK, despite Highway Code Rule 53

You forgot "there's no water in the bog and there's only a bleeding lizard in the bidet"
(http://www.edhat.com/html/monty_python_spain.html)

Cheers - Richard

[reb53]

It's obviously happening everywhere as all of the above apply to New Zealand.

I've learnt to gently cruise past the slow traffic with a 5mph speed differential because it must totally confuse the driver when they come to the next corner, expecting to see me just around it, and I'm no-where to be seen..........

Cheers
Ralph.

[Dave Fowler]

that includes the school run, make them walk and get some exercise, never did me any harm

I'm with you all the way on that one - really winds me up seeing 4x4's parked on zigzags dropping off little Johnny so he doesn't get run over because of all the bad drivers around schools...

I think a large part of the reason why people don't overtake any more is because they drive so far up the car in front's arse that they can't see around them to overtake (tailgating is another pet hate).

Robbie

I can only agree with both of those!

On the subject of driving and corners, I was recently driving from Brockenhurst to Beaulieu - I'd normally be doing this in a company Astra, but I knew there wasn't one available that day so I took the Plus 2 (my everyday car is the Deuche). A Jeep Cherokee came up too close behind me in Brockenhurst, then stayed there as I speeded up to 40 leaving the town (40 limits are prevalent in the Forest, what with all the wandering livestock). The Jeep driver either drove that way all the time or thought I wasn't going fast enough I guess (bad me for observing speed limits).

The road I was on is fairly twisty but not horrifically so; I was able to keep to a steady 40, as in the Plus 2 you don't need to slow down at all for any of those bends. Once I got to a fairly long straight stretch I checked my mirror a few times, and thought the Cherokee must have turned off; but no, after a while it emerged again, a quarter of a mile or more back. Before long it was right on my tail again. I couldn't help but laugh.

Dave

[billwill]

One of the reasons that I still have my reversing lights on a dashboard switch instead of an automatic gearbox switch is that I can use it to flash at drivers who come too close behind me.

[69S4]

A Jeep Cherokee came up too close behind me in Brockenhurst, then stayed there as I speeded up to 40 leaving the town (40 limits are prevalent in the Forest, what with all the wandering livestock). The Jeep driver either drove that way all the time or thought I wasn't going fast enough I guess (bad me for observing speed limits).

Dave

Some years ago a friend of mine wrote an article on road manners that got published in the AA magazine. In it he suggested that the way to deal with tailgaters was to gradually move to the left until your nearside wheels were picking up dirt from the gutter and "sandblasting" the car behind. The magazine had loads of complaints about his "hooligan" attitude and that was the end of his journalistic career.

[ardee_selby]

Slow traffic also costs jobs, apparently!

http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/17062011/36/ca ... obs-0.html

Cheers - Richard

[StoatWithToast]

This frustrates me almost as much as middle/outside lane cruisers on motorways! But that's off topic, so I'll try to contain my rantings.

The other thing I notice is that the people that drive along at 45 do exactly the same speed through villages, past schools, etc but slow down to 20 to go round a clear bend!

The reason I love to drive in France so much is the drop in traffic and more of the drivers use dual carriage ways properly or wave you past if they can tell you want to press on.

Over here people drive up each other's bumpers so you have to overtake a small train of cars in one go.

Grrrrrrr!!!!