Nearly rear ended by a big merc yesterday

[Portent 0]

I popped to my local VW dealer yesterday. It's a sharp immediate left just after a roundabout. Luckily I'm always careful when entering it because I'm paranoid some idiot will smack into the back of me as I slow down.

 

As I came off the roundabout I checked for cars behind - nothing - then indicated and slowed. As I checked my mirror again a ruddy great big merc came off the roundabout fast and I could see the driver was looking at something to his left. God knows what he was looking at but it certainly wasn't the road. The look on his face was priceless as he suddenly realised he was about to hit me and did an emergency stop (even heard the tyre screech before his ABS kicked in). I could see him thinking "craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!" which wasn't far off what was going through my mind.

 

I just about had time to lift off the brake so I carried on rolling a few more feet, giving him a few more inches to stop. By now his grille was so close it was no longer visible out of my window.

 

I had another close shave the other day while on the motorway. Someone pulled off the hard shoulder straight onto the motorway at about 20 mph without getting up to speed first. That was my turn for an emergency brake and swerve.

 

The standard of driving in this country is definitely getting worse. It's like people have no anticipation of other drivers. I suspect that modern cars make you feel so cushioned and cut off from the road that people just stop thinking and drive as though the car will make everythign safe for them.

 

I'm going to have to get a nugget next, just to make sure others can see me on the road.

[yacobwood 0]

Or you could buy yourself a Bushmaster APC :D

[Jim 2]

And the worst thing with those kinds of situations is that the driver at fault, then usually gets incredibly defensive or aggressive.. no doubt he was glaring at you or even beeped for having the tenacity to want to turn into an entrance, and because he wasn't paying attention! As you say, standard of driving is getting worse and worse and the biggest problem is people simply not accepting they're at fault - it's always someone elses problem!

[Portent 0]

Yep. My wife was in the Golf a few days ago and someone clipped her wing mirror (no damage). My wife had right of way because her side of the road was clear and there were many cars on the other side. The other driver had decided to squeeze their 4x4 down the narrow gap and had the audacity to beep my wife after clipping her and then driving off.

 

So... road clear on my wifes side. Road blocked on the other drivers side. Other driver decides to try to squeeze through rather than wait... clips my wifes mirror.... then beeps in anger.

 

To make it worse if there is an accident then the insurance company often goes 50/50 as it's cheaper for them than fighting a claim. And even if the accident is declared not to be your fault you still get increased premiums because you have an accident history regardless of not losing any no-claims.

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah, I agree with the state of driving getting worse. My experience of this has been heightened by my daily commute from Oxford to Newbury in the Golf.

 

As we all know it's a classic commuter route so a variety of vehicles and driver abilities. The one thing I can't understand though is the sitting in the right hand lane because there's a lorry somewhere in the next mile. I mean... seriously?

 

I like to move over when I deem there is a reasonable size gap, and I know a lot of other people do too but when the traffic is going faster in the left than the right, what do you do? I mean, i'm not intentionally undertaking but so many people get cross if you pass them on the left (i.e. with no intention to pull out in front of them again) that they speed up to the point of all bunching up again.

 

And then when pace slows in the left and I want to move around a lorry, despite being about 10 cars up in position to where I was, am I allowed to pull out into a gap and pass or is that still an undertaking manouevre despite my original move over to the left lane a few miles back. I'm not sure, but it seems unreasonable to wait until the car I was originally behind to pass on the right before I can overtake the slow thing in the left and regain "my place" in the right hand lane.

 

 

Does that make sense? It's basically a rant about people not moving over to the left when there is plenty plenty space. Some people only ever do it when it's their junction. Ho hum.

[joebloggsVR69 0]

To make it worse if there is an accident then the insurance company often goes 50/50 as it's cheaper for them than fighting a claim. And even if the accident is declared not to be your fault you still get increased premiums because you have an accident history regardless of not losing any no-claims.

 

Yep, what a joke... I was rear ended about 3 weeks ago, in my daily (a G60).

I called my insurers the next day to get the ball rolling, and start a claim on the woman who rear ended me. Then about an hour later, the woman calls me up and offers to pay me £2k cash to cover the repair costs and not go through the insurance.

 

I took her up on her offer, and called my insurers to stop any claim going through. But now my insurers tell me that because there's been an accident, I have to declare it. Even though it was NOT my fault and the insurers didnt pay out a penny!!

My insurance on a 2nd car has now doubled to around £1k!!!! And thats with 14 years no claims!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's no surprise people claim for whiplash etc. when something like this happens. Theiving scumbags

[Wendy 0]

Is Motorway or dual carriageway driving part of getting your Licence these days - as if not - it should be.

 

I get equally frustrated on these roads when people will not pull over due to a vehicle being in their sights miles ahead on the inner lane - but then amazingly they only brake when the vehicle infront of them brakes - becoming suddenly short sighted and no clue of what is going on on the road ahead. Half the time i am using my brakes to indicate to drivers behind I am slowing rather than actually needing to.

 

We should send them all over to Germany to use the Autobahns - the Germans I sure would almost physically drive them off the road.

[boost monkey 0]

DC is, but Motorway is only covered by the Pass Plus scheme IIRC.

 

That is a good idea about braking Wendy; I tend to let the Golf just run down from the revs instead of using the brakes if I don't have to, but then drivers behind have no idea you're slowing until they gain on you!

[tony_ack 0]

Good point about the more 'cushioned' drivers being on the roads. Go out in a car from the 80's or earlier and you definitely get the feeling you're in a metal box travelling very fast, as opposed to a luxury armchair, shielded from the world by layers of noise dampening and 4x4 ride height. The sense of danger is completely removed, so there's no deterrent from risky manouveres.

 

I also wonder if more lease cars and company cars is a factor too - you'd be far more protective of a car if you've just handed over £30000 (or even £3000) in cash or it, than of a car that you pay a monthly lease fee on.

 

Also, inconsiderate drving breeds inconsiderate driving. If a car overtakes a lane of stationary traffic and tries to push in at the end, how many would let it in?

[poll250 0]

I think it's only going to get worse tbh. That new Focus ad really gets on my nerves: Automatic parking, automatic braking etc just encourages people to switch off.

 

I just try and watch cars like a hawk nowadays. kind of assuming they will probably pull out when I go past them!

[Toohottotrot 10]

A Nugget won't do you any good! We were on the M6 motorway in the MX5.....(sunburst yellow), I'm in the middle lane in an area where the 3rd lane peels off and rejoins half a mile later. A woman in a big estate car, in the fast lane suddenly swerves left accross the hatched devide whilst along side us! I had the Mazda sideways at 80mph to avoid her!

I chased after her and when I got along side her she refused to look at me........"mouthing" the word sorry would have gone a long way!