Most common driving mistake

[Eric_Collins]

Changing out of your night wear into your work wear while on the M1 ?

 

How about and I'm not joking here, reading a newspaper on your steering wheel while driving on A614 to ollerton.

 

My favourite has to be last months while waiting in the queue at the ollerton roundabout A614. A man in the car behind making oral sex gestures in his rear view mirror to a blonde woman in the car behind him!!!!! I joke you NOT.

[DT Ralge]

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.

 

The rule is ALREADY "it has to end safely, otherwise there's an offence", you're right. So what purpose would imposing a rigid set of priority rules serve?

[davyboy]

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.

 

That is lacking in many drivers.

How many times have you been blocked from turning out of a side road because some idiot has entered the very space you think would solve the problem?

 

When I said "keep calm" I meant: don't get wound up by other's stupidity, you'll only be delayed a couple of minutes.

[Harleyman]

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?

 

Obviously if the car approaching behind the parked car on the opposite side of the road reaches that car before you reach the car parked on your side then you should let him have priority.

 

We dont have roundabouts in my part of the world but we have what's called 4-way stop signs at T-junctions and where no traffic lights are located.

The rule is that when two cars approach the stop the car that arrives last gives way to the first car to reach the stop. If two cars reach the stop simoultaenously the car to the right of you has priority. It all relies on courtesy also and in 36 years of driving I've never had a problem with this.

 

I have noticed in England that many drivers pay no heed to pedestrians crossing on the black and white striped official crossing points which is a bit of a hairy experience if you're not used to it. Bit like playing Russian roulette.

Here, failing to yield to a pedestrian even if the pedestrian is crossing without the use of a marked crossing can get a big fat ticket and a bad driving record