Two motoring stories/accidents that have annoyed me

[mdon]

By the time you get through the system, (and bear in mind I would have to pull over somewhere safe, switch the engine off, etc), he would be long gone and from previous experience, the rozzers would "make a note of it" and do nothing, just as they did when I reported a woman driving the wrong way down a one way street (past a busy Primary school at 8:50am), hitting a parked car, trying to drive down ANOTHER one way street the wrong way, before rapidly leaving the scene.

 

On that occasion I also had very clear pictures taken by my dash cam, they never even bothered to get back to me, even after the owner of the hit car took in photo print outs of the incident.

What a complete and utter load of tosh. It takes no time at all to get through to the police via the 999 system and as is common knowledge, to ring 999 it is a generally accepted as mitigating circumstances with regards to any offence. (And even if it wasn't I don't understand why you'd have to turn your engine off). Besides you say you never see any police and those that you do are uninterested is prosecuting offences so therefore you would be safe in any event from being 'done'?

As for your second story, firstly, you must be the unluckiest man I have ever heard, everything seems to happen to you! Secondly, please stick to one story at a time instead of going off on a tangent trying to change to subject.

[grr666]

The serious incidents happen on rural roads, maybe we should insist that all drivers have to drive on them before they pass a test.

That's funny you should say that, in ALL of my tuition on various classes of vehicle

I have spent time on rural 60mph lanes, all my instructors have made sure I drove on those 

roads. I remember driving a double decker RML through Theydon Bois during my tuition

with the trees brushing the top of the bus. I was posted in BOW garage and only drove urban

and central london routes but I still drove on the lanes.  

The only changes needed is they just need to relax the law about driving on L

plates on the motorway. If it is in an officially recognised tutor car then there shouldn't 

be an issue, but ONLY in an approved car with approved instructor.

I see more bad driving on the motorway than anywhere else and I stand by my argument that 

it's because the tuition to get a full licence doesn't include motorway driving, and sorry girls but 

you lot are by far the worst for middle lane hogging, and guys I'm afraid you are just as 

bad with high speed tailgating. 

And the tired old line of 'well not everybody lives near a motorway or will use them' is 

not good enough. If you want to drive then tuition should be mandatory on ALL roads you might 

find in the UK REGARDLESS of where you live. 

 

I have a similar story about getting a visa to travel to the US (the VISA representing a full licence

in my point)  I have a criminal record, and had to go and be interviewed at the US embassy to go over there, 

was it a pain in the butt? Yes, I live in Bristol and the Embassy is in either London or Dublin.

But I wanted to go there so that's what I had to do. I didn't bleat about how there wasn't an embassy near

me so it was unreasonable to expect me to travel and queue over a spent criminal record, I just did it. 

Then I went to America for a month and had a lovely time. I could have forgone the inconvenience 

and just gone to Skeggy or something but it was something I wanted to do and the rules are the rules

so you just suck it up and do what you have to. 

Riding a cycle is a right, driving is not hence the licence required

 

Oh, and the HUGE reduction in Roads Policing that you can thank Dishface Dave, Teflon Theresa and Gidiot for.

 

 Oh yeah, cause there were traffic cops everywhere until Conservative got in. 

I'm sorry but that just doesn't fly at all with me. 

The real reason the roads aren't policed any more is due to the widespread use 

of the little yellow boxes. (and I believe Labour were at the helm when they started

popping up all over the place if this has to made a political thing)

[Bian]

I saw a leaflet at a skoda dealership offering lessons to 11-16 year olds but for £60 per hour i can't see there being much up take.

[2SkodaFamily]

 Oh yeah, cause there were traffic cops everywhere until Conservative got in. 

I'm sorry but that just doesn't fly at all with me. 

The real reason the roads aren't policed any more is due to the widespread use 

of the little yellow boxes. (and I believe Labour were at the helm when they started

popping up all over the place if this has to made a political thing)

 

16000 fewer police officers now - all down to Tories.

50% of mounted sections gone - all down to Tories.

50% of all dog handlers gone - all down to Tories.

 

Local officers run ragged for the whole shift - all down to Tories.

 

There wasn't enough Traffic police before the Tories came in, but like every other public service they've ****** it.

 

When Dishface took over, a lot of forces switched off their cameras and folded their Camera Partnership units to save costs. so we had the worst of both worlds; a reduction in traffic officers, and elimination of speed cameras.

 

FWIW - I don't object to speed cameras necessarily, but this is my perennial problem. They pacified the motoring/libertarian lobby by saying they'd only put them in accident blackspots, then continued to use them in areas where the only possible justification for them is £££.

 

E.g. Driving through Howden late on a Sunday evening, at around 10.30pm, there was a mobile camera (gatso) where there's few houses, in fact it was next to the Howdens joinery place. Who are they protecting at that time of night?

 

Most of the places I see speed cameras repeatedly, I have never known of an accident. On the contrary, the road where I live, where there is a busy comprehensive school - you never, ever see speed checks. Nor do I see them in the villages on my trip to work. Always on the long straight bits where there's lots of visibility.

 

I have no problem with speed cameras being effectively a "tax on stupid/careless" provided that the execution is congruous with the public policy. I would actually prefer honesty with speed cameras. Hide them, camouflage them, move them around. Catch as many people as possible. But drop the bull excrement about it being driven exclusively by safety.

[keystonedriving]

That's funny you should say that, in ALL of my tuition on various classes of vehicle

I have spent time on rural 60mph lanes, all my instructors have made sure I drove on those 

roads. I remember driving a double decker RML through Theydon Bois during my tuition

with the trees brushing the top of the bus. I was posted in BOW garage and only drove urban

and central london routes but I still drove on the lanes.  

And the tired old line of 'well not everybody lives near a motorway or will use them' is 

not good enough. If you want to drive then tuition should be mandatory on ALL roads you might 

find in the UK REGARDLESS of where you live. 

 

 Oh yeah, cause there were traffic cops everywhere until Conservative got in. 

I'm sorry but that just doesn't fly at all with me. 

The 'lanes' you are talking about at Theydon Bois are probably wider than many main roads in this part of the country, so that is in no way preparing you for driving on single track roads (I spent some time living in Woodford, so I do know the area).   It's not trees brushing the roof you want to worry about, it's the ones brushing both sides of the vehicle at the same time that get your attention.   I think it would be a very good idea if all drivers had to come to Devon and Cornwall and get some experience on our roads, it would also be good if all learners had to go to Scotland and get experience on single track A roads.  Somehow I don't see those ideas being seen as practical by people in the London area.  By the way, I don't know if it's still the case but Loughton test centre had no dual carriageway road available for its test routes.  Maybe licences obtained there should carry the endorsement 'not valid for dual carriageways'.

 

So far as where the bad driving happens, you will see more dodgy driving in ten minutes on London school runs than you will see in a day on a Motorway.   The figures say it all, the most crashes happen on urban raods, the most destructive crashes happen on rural roads whilst the Motorways are by far the safest roads however you look at it.

 

I can't speak for all parts of the country, but the Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing unit was disbanded about two and a half years ago.   Last year the casualty figures in Devon went up sharply, coincidence?   I think not, the driving standard has certainly dropped significantly.   We are actually getting a traffic section back (this month), but it is only 20% of the size it was when it was abloished.  I suspect that therefore they will only be reactive rather than proactive, so still no patrols out there routinely.

[keystonedriving]

I saw a leaflet at a skoda dealership offering lessons to 11-16 year olds but for £60 per hour i can't see there being much up take.

They use Citigos.  It gets a reasonable take up in Exeter, at the Devon Travel Academy (what used to be the Devn Drivers Centre), but it's only once a month.

[KenONeill]

The 'lanes' you are talking about at Theydon Bois are probably wider than many main roads in this part of the country, so that is in no way preparing you for driving on single track roads (I spent some time living in Woodford, so I do know the area).   It's not trees brushing the roof you want to worry about, it's the ones brushing both sides of the vehicle at the same time that get your attention.   I think it would be a very good idea if all drivers had to come to Devon and Cornwall and get some experience on our roads, it would also be good if all learners had to go to Scotland and get experience on single track A roads.  Somehow I don't see those ideas being seen as practical by people in the London area.  By the way, I don't know if it's still the case but Loughton test centre had no dual carriageway road available for its test routes.  Maybe licences obtained there should carry the endorsement 'not valid for dual carriageways'.

.

We don't have many with 6' banks both sides (that said there's one near where I grew up), but we do at least have some single-track that's so narrow a bus or truck has the edges of the outer drive tyres off the tarmac on both sides, and, as you say, some (and not just As; Bs too) that are good for 60mph (and the rest if you base safe speed on the vanishing point rather than the law).

[Pullers01]

What a complete and utter load of tosh. It takes no time at all to get through to the police via the 999 system and as is common knowledge, to ring 999 it is a generally accepted as mitigating circumstances with regards to any offence. (And even if it wasn't I don't understand why you'd have to turn your engine off). Besides you say you never see any police and those that you do are uninterested is prosecuting offences so therefore you would be safe in any event from being 'done'?

As for your second story, firstly, you must be the unluckiest man I have ever heard, everything seems to happen to you! Secondly, please stick to one story at a time instead of going off on a tangent trying to change to subject.

Here here....They would have been happy to have taken the call and dispatch a unit - especially if it was possible to have stayed on the line and keep updating the location. It wouldnt have even been a question as to how you were calling in those type of circumstances.

 

As for the rent a plod comment - Do you actually know the full ins and outs of that job and how much they actually do! I doubt it very much, probably just jumped on the media band wagon.

 

Might actually be worth considering the FACTS and the variety of people who use this forums before making insulting remarks.

 

I normally dont bother with stuff like this but ALL the emergency services do a VERY hard job with very limited resources and comments like "they wouldnt bother", "rent a plod" etc does not help.

[P6bJOHN]

My wife passed her test at 40 nearly 20yrs ago, she would chuck a Vauxhall Senator around the Dales roads where if you run out of talent/tarmac its dry stone Armco to stop you, not a problem. Try to get her to drive on a motorway, even a lit one in the early hours of the morning, not a chance. I've had her on a driving course using motorways, which she hated, but she still will not drive on a motorway.

[Bian]

do people still take the pass plus, i found it quite useful.

[GentleGiant]

What a complete and utter load of tosh. It takes no time at all to get through to the police via the 999 system and as is common knowledge, to ring 999 it is a generally accepted as mitigating circumstances with regards to any offence. (And even if it wasn't I don't understand why you'd have to turn your engine off). Besides you say you never see any police and those that you do are uninterested is prosecuting offences so therefore you would be safe in any event from being 'done'?

As for your second story, firstly, you must be the unluckiest man I have ever heard, everything seems to happen to you! Secondly, please stick to one story at a time instead of going off on a tangent trying to change to subject.

 

 

I wouldnt class it a 999 matter unless he had hit someone/something, so I wouldnt have been calling that number.

 

Still trying to figure out the tangent, by hey, you always like to bad-mouth me, so carry on, you and your little poodles.

[Llanigraham]

So you don't consider a possible drunk driver, driving dangerously an emergency then? 

I know from experience that they are quite happy to receive that sort of info and they will action it, even in Worcester!

[mdon]

I wouldnt class it a 999 matter unless he had hit someone/something, so I wouldnt have been calling that number.

 

Still trying to figure out the tangent, by hey, you always like to bad-mouth me, so carry on, you and your little poodles.

It is a crime in progress so therefore requires immediate police response.

I don't always like to bad mouth you, you just seem to have the worst luck ever, then bad mouth everything else, case and point by your first post bad mouthing the police then demonstrating that you were too lazy or just not bothered if other people got hurt. Don't worry, it's not just you that is a armchair critic of the police, there's thousands like you but don't be surprised when one of those lazy, blind eye turning bobbies challenge you on it.

[theezenutz]

I wouldnt class it a 999 matter unless he had hit someone/something, so I wouldnt have been calling that number.

 

Still trying to figure out the tangent, by hey, you always like to bad-mouth me, so carry on, you and your little poodles.

It's not just you chap he seems to like to do that to everyone then wonders why he doesn't get the respect that he thinks he deserves. Like your mum used to say ignore him he'll soon get bored

[GentleGiant]

 

It is a crime in progress so therefore requires immediate police response.

 

HAhahahahahahah

 

Funniest thing I have read in weeks.

[Structures]

Alright children...From what I can see this is meant to be a discussion about the problems with driving today, not a p***ing competition.

[2SkodaFamily]

^ What he said.

 

Having said that, it is my direct, first hand experience that a report of a suspected drunk driver will get an immediate response - provided that there are sufficient resources available.

 

I have had one experience where I did not get an immediate response, that was in a rural part of North Bedfordshire, a force which - at the time - only ran two traffic cars for the whole county at any one time. One for the north, and one for the south. I shudder to think what resources are deployed at any given time now.

 

Only this week there was a piece written by (I think) the Chief of Greater Manchester Police saying that there are only four to six cops covering the whole city at some times.

[Pullers01]

I agree, not wishing to cause trouble or enter a pi***ng competition but when you've come from a background personally and with friends/colleagues who work crazy hours, genuinely do care, attending fatals, delivering agony messages, trying their best to lock up "proper" criminals and you get responses from people who quite frankly haven't got a clue but just jump on the media band wagon and hear stories from mates "down the pub" it tends to wear a little thin.....

I'm just waiting for the "shouldn't you be out dealing with murderers comment"......very original.

Enough said from me.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I'd hope anyone with half a brain cell had enough about them to call 999 if they seriously thought someone was driving under the influence. If they get an instant response or not is neither here nor there, I couldnt live with myself if there was an accident that I could have at least tried to prevent. 

[Llanigraham]

From my experience, having rung the Police on exactly this type of incident, is that they might not send out a car to "chase" the offender, but having checked the home address from the reg number, will go to that persons home and wait for them to arrive home and then breathalyze them.

 

I'm sure that GG knows only too well that Worcester Police Station only controls a small Force and that the local Traffic Division is actually based at Hindlip Hall in Droitwich. 

[P6bJOHN]

Graham, don't let facts get in the way of an exciting story.

[gadgetman]

No, they would probably have ignored him and done me for phoning them from my car!!!!

 

BTW, this was 12:45 in the afternoon, I followed him 1/2 way across town, but never saw a single rozzer to flag down and report him to.

 

For anyone who knows Worcester, I followed him from the Bull Ring in St Johns, down to the river, across bridge, along the river past the racecourse and up past the Police station.

 

I am sad to report he was driving a Fabia. (Anyone want the reg plate?? I have him on dash cam.)

So you should have dialled 999, as I did at Christmas.

 

EDIT the force concerned tracked the car using ANPR network, found the driver and the deaing officer phoned to thank me for my call.  They were "significantly" over the limit, and hit a lampost whilst trying to pull over for the police car stopping them.

 

999 is for a crime in progress, a threat to life or potential incident to cause harm to others (ie drink driving)

 

By the time you get through the system, (and bear in mind I would have to pull over somewhere safe, switch the engine off, etc), he would be long gone and from previous experience, the rozzers would "make a note of it" and do nothing, just as they did when I reported a woman driving the wrong way down a one way street (past a busy Primary school at 8:50am), hitting a parked car, trying to drive down ANOTHER one way street the wrong way, before rapidly leaving the scene.

 

On that occasion I also had very clear pictures taken by my dash cam, they never even bothered to get back to me, even after the owner of the hit car took in photo print outs of the incident.

 

999 gets priority over any other calls (our local call centre deals with 101 & 999 with a message advising what should be directed to 999 instead whilst waiting on 101).

 

You are also given dispensation to call 999 driving and holding a phone, but as I understand NOT 101.

[trundlenut]

I've called the police twice whilst driving and spotting drink drivers. The first time I got a call back a while later to check the route the car went and to say they caught the guy near his house obviously on his way home. Didn't hear anything more the second time.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[MartynVRS]

You cant just say increase the age for driving. The large majority of young drivers are safe drivers who take responsibility for themselves, like anything though the minority of total idiots give them a bad name. I think the current setup for new drivers works well, 6 points in the first 2 years and your licence is gone. I had 3 points from my L plate dropping off on my scooter so I spent my first 2 years driving VERY VERY carefully. I wouldnt suggest dropping the limit to 3 points and it's gone, it's far to easy to pick up 3 points now days. One mistake THEN have to walk (drive) on eggshells seems fair. 

 

I suspect way back 'in the day' the local coppers knew his patch, he'd keep an eye on newly passed Jimmy who was a bit of a Stirling Moss at times and give him a talking to/clip round the ear/drag him to his parents. Back then though, there were coppers on the street, walking, driving, riding etc. You'd see them daily just out and about as part of the community, everyone knew the local bobby and were on good terms with them. Now days there is no respect for the few coppers we do have on the roads, anyone given a ticket argues it and in life in general there does seem to be a growing number of people who dont want to take responsibility and look at themselves, its the blame culture. That works both ways, car drivers and pedestrians. School run mums seem to be pretty awful, driving round in their big 4x4's with their phone in their hand on loudspeaker, oblivious to everyone else. OAP's driving the wrong way up a dual carriageway because they're confused! It's not all young kids being boy racers.  

 

The highway codes doesnt seem to be taught anymore? When I was little I had to hold my mums hand, stop, look listen then cross, not between cars but somewhere safe. Dont lay near the road, dont go near the busy roads etc etc. Now, on a daily basis I see parents DRAGGING their kids across the 70mph main roads to get over before cars, meters from a bridge. Through our town centre there are speed bumps and dropped kerbs where everyone crosses, the canopy above has a huge yellow sign "pedestrians do not have right of way' yet people will happily shove their child in their buggy out in front of traffic then gesticulate when the car doesnt stop! Kids get off the bus then walk straight out in front of it etc. It really makes me so angry, then when someone is hit by a car everyone wants to drop the speed limit and blame the car driver. 

 

Apologies for the rant

 

This is pretty much how I see it too. It's not only driver education but people education too. When I was younger I was taught green cross code, had my mother constantly warn me of the dangers of the roads and train tracks. All what we see now as common sense but perhaps not so common now. As for police it's definitely not like it used to be but maybe it's because of lack of resources, they get more stretched and tired so go for the easy wins instead. When I was younger, and not that long ago if you walked past a copper they would say good morning, you could chat with them and on the whole I rarely had an issue. Relationship with the police was good. Now you rarely see one on foot and even then that's Friday night picking drunks up. It isn't really their fault but it is what it is.

Also this is the first year I've ever been stopped. Twice was at early hours. Now this I didn't initally mind as for all he knows a quite distinctive sporty Skoda being driven at 4am maybe stolen. But on both occasions I was meant to feel awful about it. And when they start lying saying I was speeding then that gets my back up. Almost as if they do it deliberately to catch me out. On both occasions I wasn't and tbh at 4am I'm almost the only car on the road and where I drive there aren't pedestrians but only the odd rabbit. So no real harm if I were to.

 

Driver training I've said before. Currently when you pass your test your examiner should give you your licence which has what vehicles you are allowed to drive. You are on a 2 year probation after which you get a full 12pt licence. At this point you should be re-evaluated (different from being retested) where an instructor can take you out to see if there are any bad habits creeping in, if further training needed and a rating of some kind could be applied to your licence much like the advance driving system. The better rating the better driver and also cheaper insurance. Then every 2-3 years this happens again. Drivers can choose of course to do their own forms if training and get re-evaluated at any time.  

This forces drivers to really think about their driving and focuses them to drive well. But of course you will always have the ones who think they are Ayron Senna reincarnate and think they are invincible. In cases like this only a bump helps to slow them down. Sadly this is normally at the cost of someone else. I lost a good friend 2 years ago who was passenger in a Golf because of the idiot driving it. Who didn't learn because he replaced the Golf for an Impreza. Must have needed more grip to make up for his lack of talent...

 

I drive briskly but to conditions and take pride in driving well, especially with car positioning and good lines. Think many of us here, whether they admit it or not are the same. Remember Briskoda - "a Skoda driven briskly"? Lots have forgotten that but again there's a time and a place for it.

Edited 6 July, 2014 by MartynVRS

[oldtynesider]

Enjoy your driving whilst you can but get the pleasure from having a good drive, i.e.. being curtious, driving from A to B without using your brakes very often, (achieved by all round vision and anticipation not just the vehicle in your near vision)

I say this because the time is getting closer when you won't have control of your vehicle), already I have seen on TV where a car was fitted with a sensor that enabled it to be slowed down remotely as it passed a speed limit sign and Google are developing a car that will not have any input by the 'driver'

I bet that within a few years there will be no driving licences needed and no speeding

Best regards to all