OT - Drivers

[JohnP]

Why the F do some drivers leave such a big gap behind the vehicle in front! Watched a busy junction yesterday - An ambulance was trying to get through but the junction was blocked - several cars further down there were massive gaps that, if closed up would have left the junction clear.

Another near me often has cars backing up when the light change - yet in the distance is someone leaving a 2 car gap in front. Probably the mentality of "I won't get there any faster if I close up"

Similar annoyance is Mr Kind who stops to let cars out of every side road - preferably before they have to stop. What about some consideration to those behind?

[GB]

So, every time a gap appears, it's his duty to put it into gear, rev up, and drive forward. Why, in general, is that a good idea?

I fully accept, by the way, that he should do whatever he can to let the ambulance through.

[Fredxx]

Learner drivers are taught to be able to see the rear wheels of the car in front when they stop.

Also if the car in front rolls back, you get the blame for being too close.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Don't be silly. It needs a driver to be awake and thoughtful to leave a junction clear unless a yellow box where they risk a penalty. And try doing it with a side street. And get hooted at by the white van behind.

[T i m]

There have been times when I've 'closed up' to the car in front to allow more people behind me to get though a junction etc (I'm very conscious of such things) only to then find I'm trapped behind an idiot with a load of space in front of them but seemingly unable to make space for an emergency vehicle trying to get by.

If you leave some space (and I believe we are supposed to) you do have a bit more flexibility for such things.

Talking of inconsiderate people <g>, it seems there is a report that has suggested the SUV's are the top 10 vehicles in the list of most polluting vehicles used in cities and the owners the least likely to take them (inc the 4WD ones) off road.

The reason they are so high on the list is that the marketing is the most aggressive because the profit margins are the greatest.

People don't 'need' these SUVs (in the main and especially in the inner city) but are made to believe they do by the marketing.

Cheers, T i m

[Andrew]

Why, when I leave a suitable safe gap between me and the vehicle in front, does some d*****ad overtake and fill it, achieving precisely nothing because there is a long line of vehicles ahead ?.

[Andrew]

If people stopped making pointless journeys by car then the roads would be much emptier.

Roll on road pricing.

[T i m]

Or get a ticket because the space you were going to pull into on the other side of a small box gets filled by a vehicle pulling out in front of you from the side road and taking the space (often pressurised to do that by as you say, someone behind wanting to turn left down the sideroad).

It's a shame they don't care to look at the CCTV and spot when someone has been put in such a position by others not following the rules (moral / ethical if not illegal).

Cheers, T i m

[Tim Streater]

I take it you mean a gap when they are at rest at lights, not when driving along? I agree about the gap at the lights, but most people don't leave a sensible gap between themselves and the vehicle in front when on the move. I learnt very early on to do that.

[GB]

They get used for the school run. Half a dozen yummies take turns picking up and dropping off each other's children, and so they need fairly large vehicles to fit them all in. A people carrier or large SUV fits the bill.

[Algernon Goss-Custard]

T i m [e-mail]> posted

Well almost any vehicle is going to be in the top ten of a list of categories of road vehicle. There aren't very many categories anyway.

Many city-dwellers have them because they own a second home in the country, where they often *are* useful whether you go off road or not. I don't go off-road but there's been plenty of times I've been glad of 4WD mode.

[T i m]

<snip>

Agreed.

I've not seen that round here, just one or maybe two kids in each.

Whilst it may be completely coincidental, there seems to be some correlation between the type / make / spec of the vehicle and where / how you park it.

eg, Parked up on the grass right outside the school or across people drives (often even with them displaying signs saying 'Keep clear, in use 24 hours' etc) will be the SUV's or big BM's, Mercs or Audis then as you get further away and parked properly on permitted areas and parking bays, the more ordinary / mundane cars?

There is often the exception to the rule of course.

Cheers, T i m

[JohnP]

I think you have a responsibility to those behind. If everyone allowed a gap to develop then the queue gets longer.

[JohnP]

Tim Streater [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes - in a static - or crawling queue.

[nightjar]

At a level crossing near me, large gaps in the queue result in the tail of the queue backing up into a roundabout, eventually blocking traffic from four other roads that lead into it. Better awareness by some drivers of the effects their actions are having would help.

[charles]

when these vehicles first appeared they were known a "Off the road vehicles". Ideal for parking on the pavement.

[T i m]

Ah, I see you have added an 'in' there. ;-)

Well, there are a few but I'll give you there aren't millions.

The news report suggested otherwise?

See above.

This was an old report and may have been USA focused (where SUV's may be bigger than they are here).

The thing I saw on the news was suggesting they will be trying to lobby the government to get vehicle manufacturers to stop pushing their best money makers a bit less forcibly

This is closer to what the news item was saying:

I think they were saying that one EV was sold for every 37 SUV's and from their observation, very few were required by their owners for the characteristics that they offered, so was more a lifestyle choice and that in turn was a function of aggressive marketing based on best profits, at the cost to the environment to all of us.

Now, if you actually *need* the size, weight, space or 4x4 features then you aren't part of their / our issues.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

There are several instances of lights / junctions round here that have a *very* short sequence in some directions and at various times. There is one right filter where if you aren't really ready and get off smartly on the green, you might only be one or 3 of a queue of 20 that get's through each long cycle.

So I've nearly done a PIT Manoeuvre on the car in front as they have turned right after the lights in an effort to get them to hurry up getting clear of the junction to give those behind a chance to get though.

Many people, especially those talking to their passengers or on the phone seem oblivious of everyone else, especially those behind suffering the consequences of their selfish actions and have added another 5 minutes on the journey time to for no justifiable / unavoidable reason.

In a different vein it also frustrates us when someone at the end of a string of cars stops to let us cross, rather than carrying on past and letting us cross in the massive gap behind them and the next batch of cars (for the extra pollution that causes if nothing else).

Cheers, T i m

[charles]

some 20 years ago, my daughter had a cartoon from the Telegraph weekend supplement pinned up in her kitchen. In the female character was saying "I want my child to have wide open space, security and fresh air. So we've bought a large 4x4 with aircondtioning and central locking."

What's new?

[Scion]

Off-road. "Off the road" means broken.

:-)