GIVE WAY!

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ACTIVE8
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GIVE WAY!

Post by ACTIVE8 »

What happened to the give way sign, and what it represents?
When I started driving, which was a few years ago, people would drive with more caution.
On the approach to another road, with a give way sign you are meant to SLOW DOWN!
The fact is that people will not do that, and nine times out of ten virtually charge out at you from a side road, attempting to push their way out.
While another driver might have good brakes they certainly do not have good intentions. If you are the driver who is on the main road it is annoying, and you can't read the other drivers mind!
Although brakes are very good nowadays they should not be depended on when there is a risk of having an accident.
By comparison I have seen people take turns so wide in their car, you would think they were towing a trailer. Where they swing out into an adjacent lane, even though they are driving a small hatchback!
I also drive in Holland, and find that there is a great deal of difference. Drivers have to give way, the point at which roads cross over can usually be built up, forming a continuation of the pavement. This has the effect of making the driver slow down, and consider the pedestrians, cyclists as well as the other drivers.
I admit the pace of life has obviously changed over the years, and life has become a rat race, but I would like to drive without the threat of being T-boned by somebody wouldn't you!
Stuart McB
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Post by Stuart McB »

It's the "I have a right to get a drivers licence" attitude that some of todays youth have. Because THEY are younger and have a more expensive car (third party insurance if any) they and many others have a "get out of my way attitude". Some of the worst drivers apparently are those aged 18 to 25 and 55 onwards. Must be something in the water or gin.
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Post by Homer »

It's just another symptom of the current obsession with the speed limit. As long as they aren't speeding they <i>must</i> be driving safely, that's what we are told every 5 minutes.
Wait until the government get their way and have GPS based speed limiters fitted to every car. Imagine how many more people you'll get pulling out when they know anything coming down the road can't be doing more than 30mph.
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

4 times today people pulled out right in front of me (and i mean RIGHT in front of me).
I dont mind if they put their foot down - used to have to do it all the time myself when i lived and worked in Mile End... But its the tw*** who pull out, dawdle then indicate to turn into another side street (usually a right hand one) who really should be taken outside and thrashed with the birch.....
beezer
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Post by beezer »

In America the system at a crossroads is first come has right of way. I spent a good while in Northern Kentucky and Ohio and was amazed that everyone (including 16 year old kids) adhered to the rules. This tied in with a filter (without lights) system for turning right when lights are red for straight on means flow is much better than here and less frustration all round. The system surely couldn't work here with the way people pull out with no regard for give way signs. There seems to be a geographical element to it. Up here in Aberdeenshire it is nowhere near as bad as in North Ayrshire where you might as well not have give way signs. How many caved in drivers' doors do you see? Plenty in N.Ayrshire body shops I can assure you.
DoubleChevron
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Post by DoubleChevron »

Hmm,
Our biggest problem is the 'round-a-bouts' everywhere. Seriously we have thousands of them, I quite often find people that don't give way. What I do is line up there drivers door and put my foot down [:0] Works a treat, the expression on there face is a site to behold. Needless to say, poeple usually don't pull out infront of me twice (usually [}:)] ). Last year a women in a Taxi actually swerved off the road and up onto the footpath. She had looked me right in the eye and pulled out infront of me, I looked her right back in the eye, tramped it and aimed for her drivers door[:D] [}:)] [:0] [:p]
seeya,
Shane L.
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

Have to admit Shane - do that meself a lot on Lostock Hall roundabout - though a little loath to do it in the bagless AX - there aint a lot of bonnet between me and the car in front!
beezer
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Post by beezer »

Ahh...Preston at morning rush. It was bad even in the seventies. Trying to get on to Blackpool road from a side road without lights. Glad all that is behind me.
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Yeah, it makes you wonder, what it could be like ten years from now, let alone twenty!!
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Post by oilyspanner »

My current commuting vehicle is a dirty scruffy battered tranny van, I do not suffer from folks pulling out?????;) When out in my Cits its just the usual braindead drivers.
Stewart
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by beezer</i>

Ahh...Preston at morning rush. It was bad even in the seventies. Trying to get on to Blackpool road from a side road without lights. Glad all that is behind me.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
And who's daft idea was it to build the ring road through the MIDDLE of the town?
Probably the worst place I ever lived for traffic was Mile End, followed closely by a little place off the Princess parkway in Manchester (ever tried reversing out of a driveway onto a 2 lane dual carridgway at 8AM.....?!)
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My current commuting vehicle is a dirty scruffy battered tranny van, I do not suffer from folks pulling out?????;) When out in my Cits its just the usual braindead drivers.
Stewart<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Surprisingly few people cut me up or pulled out on me in the ZX with all its dents and number 42 on the bonnet.... Not so now I'm using the AX - odd that?!
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Post by Stinkwheel »

You guys all think people pull out on you a lot, try driving a 2CV or dyane for a while. Woooohhhhweeee, people have the attitude, its one of those, its going slowly, well Im bloody well not going slowly, Im moving faster than you probably are in this situation, think. Also people have no perception of speed, big gap, must be safe, they have no idea how fast something is approaching them, I've ridden bikes all my adult life and they give you a very good perception of and for speed of other traffic i think. Everyone should rive/ride something different once in a while, just to educate them.
martyhopkirk

Post by martyhopkirk »

True - but at least when I had my bikes
a) the brakes were a shed load better than any of my cars (except my RXS which were crap and it was ususally better to bail out)
b) I can usually swerve round the offending pillock who has pulled out whilst giving the drivers door a kick. - Not as easy in an AX / Dyane / 2CV etc (and of course my acceleration was so much better for buggering off quick once i had planted my toe tectors in the drivers door!)
Dont get me wrong - it hurts a LOT if you get hit on a bike, and I agree - everyone should spend a month or two on two wheels - gives you much more consideration I feel. Used to think bikers wearing luminous yellow jackets were not cool - untill I got hit by a twerp in a Merc one rainy September morning ("sorry I just didnt see you") - 3 cracked ribs and a bent front end - could have been a lot worse.
beezer
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Post by beezer »

"And who's daft idea was it to build the ring road through the MIDDLE of the town?
Probably the worst place I ever lived for traffic was Mile End, followed closely by a little place off the Princess parkway in Manchester (ever tried reversing out of a driveway onto a 2 lane dual carridgway at 8AM.....?!) "
I better be careful in responding to this one...My brother was the Mayor for two years and is the current deputy!
ACTIVE8
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Post by ACTIVE8 »

Also a further point about Holland, atlthough their traffic calming I mentioned earlier has the physical effect of slowing the drivers down, because the very wide pavements, are continued at the end of roads in built up areas. So the end of the road is technically the pavement.
The fact is that this is an additional measure amongst others to make it safer for any pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist.
Although drivers there have to show more consideration, because LEGALLY they will technically always be in the wrong, if they have not shown or exercised due care. Also with trams to look out for, and with it being one of the bike friendly nations with many cyclists you end up getting safety in numbers.
So I find it more pleasant when driving there. They have to consider carefully what they are doing, something that most drivers do not do here, indeed drivers here tend to drive like they won their licence in a raffle!
Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are more vunerable. Therefore in Holland there is legislation in place to protect the them. If you are driving and attempting to turn left or right, all traffic on the road you are on, that is going straight on has right of way. This means that you will have to slow down, and give way to pedestrians, cyclists etc whose path you are attempting to cross while trying to turn.
Due to the lack of legislation here in the U.K. pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists find that they are under attack constantly with the risk of injury or maybe death! Until we put in more protective legislation, and ENFORCE it people will suffer, when they obviously should not!
I too have been a cyclist, and motorcyclist here in the U.K. in the recent past.
My experiences with car drivers have shocked me, even then!
Now, it would seem the drivers have even less common sense, and more impaired eyesight.[:(!][:(!]
The other day with the other half in the car we nearly witnessed a car pull out on a young woman on a bike, during daylight! We were behind her at a distance, she had high power lights on her bike, and was wearing a high visibility jacket. Despite this a driver procceded to pull out on her from a side road even though she had the right of way. I felt that he was not paying attention, and not even looking at the cyclist.
So I by looking at his body language, guessed that he was attempting to do this, and ensured the gap got smaller by pulling a bit closer. This ensured that he didn't pull out, but I was so annoyed with the D**K HEAD that I pressed the car horn, and kept it on, and also showed what I thought of him with a hand gesture.
Idiots like that get me very angry ! [}:)][}:)]
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