Are we overlooking the risks of overtaking?

I see this problem almost daily – I work at the end of a long – hedge lined – winding country lane – only wide enough to pass at certain points – the number of crashes due lack of driving skill is astonishing

The driving skills are plummeting – the recklessness shown astounding.

I am not surprised – most on here consider speed control unnecessary according to attitudes to speed cameras and hindering the police in catching drivers – To me careless reckless and irresponsible driving.

I can see exactly why 60 mph is not not acceptable on country roads – two cars approaching at 60 mph invites a crash at 120 mph – killing occupants – If you don’t believe me – wait with me while I call ambulance and police after the next one. The average driver does not have the skill or inclination to gauge distances widths and speeds at 60 mph – they think they are invulnerable – and they are not!

It would be fine IF the AVERAGE driver could drive at speed – They can’t!!!

Would a new rule limiting drivers to a low speed until so many years after passing their driving test and then being called for a more advanced course on driving at higher speeds be of any help?

It seems to me to a problem of inexperienced drivers being let loose on our roads. Not only narrow country lanes but road surfaces covered in wet earth or manure are a hazard. drivers need to be taught patience – it’s better to hold back safely and wait for a clear opportunity to overtake.
Even on wide clear roads overtaking can be dangerous – we have all seen a driver emerging from a side road – just when we did not expect it.
What is to be done? Perhaps if the subject were to come up more often in newspapers and magazines even television it might ram the point home.

Drive at the speed limit and they will do anything to get past!! Undertaking, overtaking it does not matter, there is no one to catch them. And if they don’t do that they sit on your tailgate like they want to join the RED ARROWS(!) and especially at night when its wet the Chelsea tractors illuminate you with their over bright lights.

I am sorry – It has virtually nothing to do with experience – driving test – or age – It is to do with attitude and stupidity

Experienced drivers are just as likely to break the law – they just don’t care about others – and too often think they are too experienced to have problems – until they crash.

Inexperienced drivers are just as likely to break the law – they just don’t know enough to care about others – and too often cannot think ahead – until they crash.

The Driving Test only states that at the time of the test you were knowledgeable enough to pass the test – NOT that you would follow the highway code unsupervised.ever more or anticipate all conditions – no test will do so – unless say a video of your driving was made for a year after the test and analysed – but even this will not stop the truly idiotic simply using another car to “boy race”.a term to describe a type of driving and not age related.

The only real method that MAY work is to make all prospective drivers to spend a year on “rescue services” on roads – removing dead and seriously injured bodies from wreckage – picking up pieces of bodies – finding out the hard way that a crash at 20 mph DOES allow people to survive – whereas 60 mph causes them to be mangled to death. One reason police make excellent advanced drivers is BECAUSE so many actually see the effects of crashes first hand. From experience I know actually picking up pieces physically is a far more lasting affect than watching a simulation. It could be the reason why I haven’t had a crash or conviction in 64 years of driving..

Age – it is not a coincidence that the front line armed forces are young – it is because they as group do not look to the future.- not a good attitude for overtaking – I can only say that my experience showed that as I became older – my reluctance to engage in frontline activities became insurmountable.
But any analysis of crashes shows that there are two peaks – the young and the old driver.. But that only highlights the ones that ACTUALLY crash – not the ones causing crashes – and from my daily journeys there are a great many of those the ones on the brink of crashes,

It would also help tremendously if mobile phones were inoperative inside a car – it would remove at least one so-called “distraction”. I find it totally inexplicable that so many on here state “that speed cameras are distractions” – rubbish – it shows that the person being distracted is a very poor driver. A competent driver is one that is permanently aware of conditions inside and outside of the car at all times..

I repeat a recent incident – a car driver completely ignored all the clear road signs not to turn into a one way country road – stupidly and blindingly obeyed his sat nav and crashed into an oncoming car – killing his daughter. That is sheer stupidity.

A good driver is also one that CAN anticipate – not one that thinks they can.

Speed is the only thing that the police can prove
Just like carbon dioxide emissions.

ie. There are many other factors which influence the outcome more than what they can prove easily, meaning people do not pay any attention to any of the other symptoms.

Careless/bad driving is the cause of these overtaking issues and if we focussed less on trying to ostracise all speeding drivers, people might take a bit more notice of their poor driving skills, and in many cases, poor eyesight.

Arghh! Another ill informed PC campaign by Brake!

We need to start trusting motorists again – all these speed limits, road signs, cameras, traffic lights and stupid junctions are stopping drivers from concentrating.

Half the drivers haven’t got a clue what’s going on around them, aren’t concentrating and hesitate at every possible opportunity. It’s these people that are causing the accidents.Slowing drivers down even more will only lead to exacerbate the problems.