Drivers Today, Do you notice a deterioration in standards? Options

[sarah-flute]

The 3 C's... courtesy, caution and consideration

Add a 4th - assume the other drivers are all ccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrazy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

(I agree with your post BTW (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif))

[SaxFan]

I think most of us are pretty fair here and not trying to deliberately find fault with any one specific group. I get a general impression that the old rules still apply: The 3 C's... courtesy, caution and consideration. Our public roads are fuller than ever nowadays and that's not going to change. My parents' advice also rang - remain focused and always anticipate that that the other driver is going to make a mistake. Keep your distance - (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) (in the nicest possible way, of course (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif) ).

if you add in Observation and Anticipation you have a good basis for safe driving

[Aquarelle]

. Next a series of re-testing needs to be introduced. If there are eldery people who need motorised transport to get them out of rural communities (and I know there are) then there needs to be a massive investment in things like dial a ride, so that elderly people can still have a life.

Sorry jod but I think that is an unkind and thoughtless thing to say. I hope that when you reach your late sixties or early seventies you will be healthy and sound in mind as are the majority of the population and that you will retain your right to drive. I hope that you will not be written off as an elderly statistic who, hard luck, has to rely on some service (public or private) whenever they want or need to go somewhere. I also hope your social life will not be to restricted “dial a ride” (which I find a condescending turn of phrase). I hope that if you are, for any reason, incapable of driving and would be a danger on the road to yourself or others , you will be prevented from doing so. But I hope it won’t be as a result of some cut off point decided by people in high places who know nothing of you, your capacities, your temperament behind the wheel and your transport needs.

This thread has raised some interesting points but the blind categorising of the young, the elderly, the cyclist, the driver etc. makes me very cross.

I thought as musicians we were very much aware of the individual differences, circumstances and needs.

The driver in whose car I felt the least safe was someone who, from the moment behind the wheel did nothing but criticise everyone else on the road.

Let’s ALL get out there and share the road courteously and carefully

[SaxFan]

There's got to be a balance between aggression and caution. A person (and these people tend to be old) going considerably slower than they could on a road leads to traffic bunching, road rage, and dangerous overtaking moves.

By the way, apologies if anything I say comes across as arrogant or condescending but y'know, I've been passed all of 8 months so obviously know everything there is to know (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

slow drivers may tend to cause impatience in other drivers, but no one HAS to make dangerous overtaking moves. In fact they shouldn't, and the mark of a good driver is that he isn't rattled or pressurised into doing the 'wrong thing'.

Didn't you know 'everything there is to know' even before you passed your test? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[SaxFan]

I would think extending it to that long would make it much harder - the kind of nerves and concentration that a test situation require would make an hour of the kind of tension it can engender very tiring.

I'm not sure that any test can truly prove one will be a good, capable, sensible, considerate driver. I do wonder sometimes if tests should take into account reports from driving instructors, but then I doubt anyone would pay for lessons from someone who was too honest....

The IAM used to run a test that lasted a good hour, with a top class driver beside you. Maybe it should be harder - a test of different road conditions, traffic conditions, concentration/awareness etc. Most of us don't restrict ourselves to journeys of 30 minutes or so after we pass the test, do we?

You are probably right that no test is a complete assessment of our abilities AND our attitude of mind when we get behind the wheel. Maybe the test should include a psychological assessment too. That might clear the roads a little (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)



and another excellent post from Aquarelle.

[AnotherPianist]

You are probably right that no test is a complete assessment of our abilities AND our attitude of mind when we get behind the wheel. Maybe the test should include a psychological assessment too. That might clear the roads a little (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

This is the key to it all, it's not about being an able and competent driver, the test assesses that pretty well. The major problem on the roads is the attitude of the driver; to be honest I couldn't care less if the person driving me can parallel park. However, if they overtake dangerously and unnecessarily; pull out very closely in front of other cars; drive too closely to vehicles ahead of them; and are generally pushy, I'll be wanting to get out of the car. It's not their abilities that are at fault (indeed this sort of driver is generally good at manouvers and considers themselves to be a 'good' driver) it's just their attitude. There's not really a way we can test this because most people can feign politeness and courtesy for half an hour.

Maybe we need to start considering driving to be more of a privilage than a right, i.e. not be so lenient when catching people with this sort of behaviour because everyone 'needs' to drive. With everyone being so scared of being banned themselves if the law were made stricter, we're pretty generous with allowing aggressive and illegal driving incidents and lots of second chances. Then again, if we don't, would there just be an epidemic of drivers without licences?

[helly burnet]

Eastern European lorry drivers - a total liability. They do what they want when they want to do it regardless of anyone else. Someone we know recently lost their life in a horrendous accident on the M1 in July caused by a Polish truck drver.

[Aquarelle]

Maybe we need to start considering driving to be more of a privilage than a right, i.e. not be so lenient when catching people with this sort of behaviour because everyone 'needs' to drive.

I'm inclined to agree more with the idea of punishing offenders than the idea of punishing or restrictçng all persons belonging to a certain group of road users, the majority of whom don't merit punishment or restriction..

I can't quite take on the inverted commas of everyone "needs" to drive. I don't know if you meant that some people drive when they don't actually need to. In some cases this is probably correct but I think we have to remember that the society we have created does, in fact, require people to be mobile and to travel much longer distances than formerly. And not just people, but goods as well - and someone has to drive the vans and lorries that provide us with what we need to buy.

Years ago most people lived close to their work or school and their extended families. They had fewer needs - take for example computers - if you don't have to use one you don't have to call out the technician in his car, or, as we do , drive fiflty kilometres for the nearest large computer retailer. Modern life demands
freedom of movement - and that well over and above what public transport can possibly supply.

I'm not against increasing public transport, making cars both cleaner and safer, providing facilities for cyclists and so on - quite the reverse - but I think we need to see that when our our law makers consider how best to achieve maximum safety on the road they bear in mind the constraints that modern society imposes on its population.

A lot of work on attitudes to road using is what is really needed - as other posters have pointed out.

[SaxFan]

you've done it again, Aquarelle !

As you mention the legislators - they tend to see a problem and try blanket coverage to resolve it. e.g. young driver causes accident, ban young drivers! Left handed old driver... ban LHOD... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Legislators are very keen on banning things too.

but that's a bit of a side issue from driving.

[Aquarelle]

you've done it again, Aquarelle !

As you mention the legislators - they tend to see a problem and try blanket coverage to resolve it. e.g. young driver causes accident, ban young drivers! Left handed old driver... ban LHOD... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
Legislators are very keen on banning things too.

but that's a bit of a side issue from driving.

We do seem to be "d'accord" on this driving thing!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[SaxFan]

We do seem to be "d'accord" on this driving thing!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

yes we do!
basically there is only one thing that really really matters with driving, and that is being safe!

slightly simplified, but a good premise to base driving on, I think. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)