Most common driving mistake

[Becky B]

Most common driving mistake

 

Expecting a cyclist to ride in a responsible manner.

 

Or possibly, expecting motorists to drive in a responsible manner.

 

My mom was told by her driving instructor (and this is about 30 years ago), to assume everyone else on the road is an idiot (i.e. anticipate stupidity/carelessness). How times have changed...

[Cyclone]

There's no such thing as a right of way and priority can be ceded but should not be assumed.

You mention a notional priority (rather than "right of way") of those have a clear straight passage. How about the notional priority some on here have suggested for those driving uphill? What about an uphill approach to a parked car - who has priority in this case?

 

Surely there is such a thing. For example cars driving forwards in their lane which has no obstruction in it, as opposed to another car which wishes to turn across said lane of traffic. It's not a notional priority, the car wishing to turn across the traffic must wait because the other lane has the right of way.

[DT Ralge]

Surely there is such a thing. For example cars driving forwards in their lane which has no obstruction in it, as opposed to another car which wishes to turn across said lane of traffic. It's not a notional priority, the car wishing to turn across the traffic must wait because the other lane has the right of way.

 

Fraid not.

Page 34 HC - General Rules, techniques and advice ...

"The rules in the HC do not give you right of way in any circumstance, but they advise you when you should give way to others. Always give way if it can help to avoid an incident."

[Harleyman]

There's no such thing as a right of way and priority can be ceded but should not be assumed.

You mention a notional priority (rather than "right of way") of those have a clear straight passage. How about the notional priority some on here have suggested for those driving uphill? What about an uphill approach to a parked car - who has priority in this case?

 

The fact that the car pulling around the parked car and crossing the dividing line into your side of the road when he sees you approaching immediately puts that driver in the wrong or it would where I live.

The driver instead needs to pull up behind the parked car so that you can pass going in your direction. Tough <REMOVED> if another driver behind him gets impatient and starts blasting away on his horn

A faceful of knuckles should quickly adjust his attitude

[DT Ralge]

The fact that the car pulling around the parked car and crossing the dividing line into your side of the road when he sees you approaching immediately puts that driver in the wrong or it would where I live.

The driver instead needs to pull up behind the parked car so that you can pass going in your direction. Tough <REMOVED> if another driver behind him gets impatient and starts blasting away on his horn

A faceful of knuckles should quickly adjust his attitude

 

And where there are parked cars on both sides of the road?

Doesn't timing (of arrival at pinch point), judgement and ("your turn") courtesy come into it rather than a fixed (imaginary/notional) set of rules of priority?

How about thinking of the driving task as a team game played with strangers - we've all got somewhere to go.

So what works well in these meeting situations?

Is a good outcome likely with selfish, blatt through type of drivers?

Does the team work better with a road populated by 50:50 win some:lose some drivers or by doormat drivers?

[Cyclone]

No, having a fixed set of rule of priority makes far more sense, there's no chance of confusion that way.

And you don't want a flowing line of traffic pulling up because it was someone elses turn to go through a pinch point where the restriction is on their side. I wouldn't expect that for me, I'd expect to wait until I could safely pass the obstruction because there was no traffic using the other lane.

[davyboy]

Calm down dears.It's only a couple of minutes out of your life.

M. Winner

[Cyclone]

If someone decides to go at the wrong time it could be the end of your life, not just a couple of minutes.

[DT Ralge]

No, having a fixed set of rule of priority makes far more sense, there's no chance of confusion that way.

And you don't want a flowing line of traffic pulling up because it was someone elses turn to go through a pinch point where the restriction is on their side. I wouldn't expect that for me, I'd expect to wait until I could safely pass the obstruction because there was no traffic using the other lane.

 

Writing a fixed set of priorities would be quite difficult - if only life were that simple. Have you tried driving along Bannerdale or Valley roads recently? The traffic flows through multiple pinch points if drivers have a win some/lose some attitude and alternate between passing through and allowing others to pass. It's noticeable that the whole system clogs up if car after car drive through without a thought for whether a roadblock is being created.

 

With less complex meeting situations, arriving at a pinch point with a one-car obstruction, how far in the distance does the oncoming vehicle have to be to allow you to proceed and manoeuvre around the parked car and "pass safely"?

 

Any fixed rule would have to specify that.

[Cyclone]

No it wouldn't have to specify that, the rule would just be that the manoeuvre had to be safe (that's already the rule AFAIK). What does the HC say about turning right across traffic. It certainly doesn't say that you should expect them to stop and allow you through, I'd guess that it says to wait for a safe space and to go when the way is clear as the oncoming traffic has priority over the turning vehicle.

 

In situations where there are multiple obstructions and it's possible to jam up the whole road then you need to apply common sense in addition to the rules about who has the right of way, although a rule about not causing an obstruction by entering a space you can't exit would solve that.