I was driving back down the M1 today ( Yes, I was in The North again, only as far as Northampton mind, but I still got a nose bleed)
At points the rain was lashing down, very over cast, huge amounts of spray being thrown up by the HGV’s , visibility down to perhaps 300ft at times.
And yes there were still wankers belting along at 70MPH Plus , supposedly safe in their German made wombs.
But what always amazes me is the amount of drivers that when conditions are like that , don’t actually put their lights on. OK they may not give a toss about anybody else's safety, but surely they care about their own?
Why not, do they think they are saving on electric, are they under the misapprehension that it is illegal to have your lights on during daylight hours?
Perhaps as so often I’m simply being old fashioned, being concerned about my safety and those of other drivers.
From Murica for illustration purposes, although pretty much what it looked like at points today only with the cars driving on the correct side of the road , there is a car in the left lane, click to embiggen
And it's not so much Darwin Awards either as they'll take out someone else with them.
ReplyDeleteI also notice an increase in "tailgating" - vehicles driving very close to the vehicle in front, often at high speed.
ReplyDeleteOver thirty years ago I was "the meat in the sandwich" between a Lucozade lorry in front and a British Sugar tanker behind. Although my car was heavily laden with about five hundredweight of product (that's 250 kg approx) , I pulled up about six feet (just under 2 metres) from the backboard which announced "Lucozade is good for you" (I can still see it in my mind's eye). My briefcase (which was on the rear parcel shelf) flew forward and nearly decapitated me. Then the tanker ploughed into the back. It was what the RAF call "a good crash". I walked away from it. Later I found that the driver's door was the only one which would open and the brand new car was a total write off. I had a bit of whiplash effect for a week or two but was so relieved that I never thought of claiming. So perhaps I am more sensitive to this dangerous practice than most. The road was newly wet and slippery after a long dry period.
There also seems to be a rise in lane hopping , hoping to gain a few car length advantage by constantly changing lanes.
ReplyDeleteIf you leave an adequate stopping distance from the car in front , it seems these days this is an invitation for some twunt to cut in and out