What drivers don't realise...

Surf-Matt

Snooks - true. You can also usually tell which exit someone's going to take on a roundabout by looking at their entry speed and angle.

Yep - it can get quite nerdy but then it's also pretty handy safetywise.

NorwegianBlue

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

Best riding/driving advice I ever got, was from my Dad. "Everyone else on the road is an idiot,
Expect them to act like idiots no matter what".
Genius my Dad, he's absolutely right, and I do.

That advice probaby predates your dad, it's paraphrasing something that appeared in early editions of the highway code and was probably around before then.

don_don

Despite being a cyclist and understanding the problems discussed, this has still made me think about my own driving standards (like most cyclists, I also drive a car - another thing a lot of motorists don't seem to realise ).

The key thing, as far as I'm concerned, is that you have to accept when you make mistakes and learn from them, and not feel that you are the best driver/cyclist in the world.

Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of drivers (and maybe a few cyclists too) don't see it this way. Hence why so few people join IAM or ever bother to read the Highway code after they've passed the test. In that sense, I tend to agree with djkmtb:

Motorists, generally speaking, just do not care. They are not going to change their lives or habits to accommodate bicyclists.

Surf-Matt

IAM has 112,000 members - not enough but still a good number.

dang65

Surf-Matt wrote:

IAM has 112,000 members - not enough but still a good number.

Amazing. I wonder where they all go to drive their cars. Not round my way, that's for sure.

Swannie

Surf-Matt wrote:

I always anticipate slow laners and pull out into the overtaking ("fast") lane when I see one closing on another vehicle - quite amusing to anticipate so far in advance that you actually pull out before the car indicates - a light traffic move only though and I often get a little wave in thanks too

I stupidly assumed most people did that. Isn't it bleeding obvious when that's going to happen?!

I was shocked to learn the number of "basic" things I've heard from two female IAM passed drivers. I did practically every single one of them because it seemed obvious/a good idea. If the day comes when I need to get a car, and it's not a pile of rust, I suspect I shall be doing the IAM course.

jedster

I think cycling is brilliant for your driving. On a bike you have to anticipate and manage risks because the consequences of a crash are likely to be, well, bad. I tend not to switch off my hazard radar when I get back into a car. Before I started cycle commuting it was very easy to be complacent cocooned by a tonne of metal, airbags, crumple zones, etc.

I think this is one of the reasons you may already be alert to issues that some other drivers require IAM training to see.

Surf-Matt

Dang - quite a few down here. There are an annoying group of IAM drivers - usually over 55, usually in a big Volvo or Rover, with the grille badge on show, who think they are above other drivers - drives me slightly mad!

Swannie - sounds like you should pass easily then. If your driving is already pretty good (some people are a lot better than they think, many are a lot worse!), then it should be pretty simple.

None of it is rocket science - just makes you think and anticipate more.

Also did a high speed Police driving course for a job once - now that was fun but also very very helpful - a bit like the IAM test x 5.

NorwegianBlue

Surf-Matt wrote:

Dang - quite a few down here. There are an annoying group of IAM drivers - usually over 55, usually in a big Volvo or Rover, with the grille badge on show, who think they are above other drivers - drives me slightly mad!

Spot on. There's one I see fairly regularly who leaves a trail of swearing and fist shaking where ever he goes. He's a truly appalling and dangerous driver, but all you ever get in reply to a shout, gesticulation or sounded horn is a disdainfull look and a slow shake of the head. The clear message is "I've passed my IAM test so I must be doing the right thing."

Another worrying trend prevalent in a lot more than 112,000 drivers is the increase of the "I'm driving slowly so I must be safe attitude". The government's ongoing anti speed campaign seems to have been at the expense of all other driving standards, so you now get loads of terrible, terrible drivers around who drive below the speed limit, but seem to have no other concept of road safety. They pull out or change lanes dangerously, fail to signal on most occasions, but like our IAM friends look at you aghast should you have the nerve to remonstrate or worse still, overtake them.

DON_DON wrote:

The key thing, as far as I'm concerned, is that you have to accept when you make mistakes and learn from them, and not feel that you are the best driver/cyclist in the world.

Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of drivers (and maybe a few cyclists too) don't see it this way.

Unfortunately it seems to be that the majority of road users do no learn from their mistakes. Car drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, whoever they are they don't seem to learn. This could well be an extension of the fact that most people in this country seems to believe that they are never at fault.