vRS - road rage magnet?

[kiruji]

Maybe it's just me, but since I've had the vRS, I have been subject to literally 10 times as many road rage incidents as I ever had in the previous three cars!

 

For instance last night on my way home, I came out of a village into a national speed limit and accelerated up to it (admittedly, I accelerated hard) and caught up with the guy in front quickly.  Well before I got to him I backed off and coasted down to match his speed.  He started tapping the brake pedal until he was doing about 30.  I'd like to point out, I was a sensible distance away and I wasn't tailgating!  The road in front cleared, so I indicated and pulled out to overtake him - at which point he booted it and tried to stop me from pulling back in.  Luckily the Mercedes he was driving either wasn't quite as fast as the Octavia or he booted it a split second after me.  Unluckily, a car came round the corner coming towards us and we'd caught up with another car; I had little choice but to indicate, pull in (cutting him up severely) and then slam the brakes on!  Suffice it to say, he flashed his lights, honked his horn, drove about an inch off my bumper until the next roundabout where he tried to overtake me.  He followed me for the next 3 miles with his full beam on and alternately sitting a distance away and flying up behind me.  I'm not a confrontational chap and I must admit, I was wondering what I should do, but I managed to 'lose' him by overtaking a lorry on a roundabout.  It was lucky that the timing of the lorry pulling away and me pulling up to the roundabout gave me the opportunity to do so - even then, he tried to follow me and almost got squashed by the lorry.

 

OK, sometimes I might be to blame, but last night the guy just seemed to be psycho - I genuinely thought he was trying to force me to crash when he wasn't letting me in.  Does anyone else get this kinda thing?

[johnthesparky]

Had it a while back in my van, ended up with the out of control corsa crashing into me and bouncing off into a ditch before end up on its side across the road.....

I'd advise stopping and then if he gets out film him on your phone, or going another way.... Suspect an octavia won't survive as well as a fully laden t5 (and that was scary enough)

And if it has only recently started, thinking about how you have started driving differently. After the incident I mentioned above, I was involved in 4 non-fault collisions until I did a advanced driving course, you may need to a have a think and break the cycle

Anyway, hope it carma down soon, and enjoy your car :-)

[johnthesparky]

*calms down*

I think in my case, people's perception of how I should react and how I did react caused me to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time

[jrw]

Used to get it all the time in the VRS.  Think it was a shame thing for them.  People seemed to hate been overtaken or beaten by a Skoda.  Its exactly the same in the Fabia.

 

Yet in the Megane I overtake (as best as I can in a 1.5) and never get flashed, people never speed up and people don't cut me up as much.

 

Had it the other day in the other halfs Fabia.  Bloke in Audi in front doing about 40 in a 60.  Come up behind him, don't slow down and just pull out to overtake, he puts his foot down.  It was too late though as I had already kicked down and on full boost.  He then sits there an inch from my bumper flashing his lights!  He then tried to overtake so he had a taste of his own medicine, continues to sit there then with main beam on.  Come up to next island and he goes all the way around back on himself, so he went out of his way from what I can see just to prove that his Audi was faster than the Skoda that just overtook him.....and failed miserably!

[lpt100]

OK, sometimes I might be to blame, but last night the guy just seemed to be psycho - I genuinely thought he was trying to force me to crash when he wasn't letting me in. Does anyone else get this kinda thing?

I know exactly what you mean. I had this, only the ****** turned across the front of my car and caused a crash. And went to town on whiplash claims etc . . .

Edit. I was going to suggest playing a bit of GTA, it's satisfying that when someone cuts you up, you can run them off the road and introduce them to your characters better features ;-)

Edited 17 January, 2015 by lpt100

[decuk]

I've had the odd golf, but usually these are diesel, mine isn't so no contest. Guy at work admitted so, but gave up. My 1.8 Tsi l&k used to be an idiot magnet as it didn't look fast, but was, and the thought of been beaten by a Skoda. Where as in my Rallye Green fully badge vrs, all engine nuts know what it can do. Even frightened a Porsche the other day, as I approached in the overtaking lane he was behind a lorry that I was about to pass. He just pulled out, so I floored it thinking it would leave me, I had to back off. Probably thought I was police

[JamesVRSmk3]

I've had plenty of incidents including two which resulted in people cutting me up, slamming the brakes on then jumping out for a fight...one on a motorway. Never experienced anything like it in any other car. Probably doesn't help mines bright green aswell.

One of the incidents was caught on in car camera and is in the camera recorder thread. The other was pre-camera but what finally pushed me to buy the camera.

[octavianestate]

Had a lot of so called 'road rage' against when I rode motorbikes. This rage was brief though as no car could ever get close and was quickly left way way behind.

[johnthesparky]

Yeah I fitted an in-car cctv after too,

That helped with the other incidents too

[meb90]

I occasionally get people acting strangely. There is a 40 section on my way to work that used to be a 60, obviously I slow down to 40 for it, but I have lost count of the number of people that tailgate me through that section. There is a straight section that a few overtake on (on double whites too!), but if they don't and continue to tailgate, I pull in at the layby 1/2 mile up the road. I just can't be bothered being blinded/running the risk of being rear-ended!

[billybskoda]

It happens to everyone... A combination of society believing that a driving licence is a right rather than a privilege and the pervasive attitude in the motoring authorities attempting to remove the ability to drive a car and make progress. Its just a sign of the times and you happen to be driving a fine skoda.. Try being a cyclist.... Whoever thought that a lane shared by cyclists, taxis and buses was a great idea should be made to sit in the same room until the end of time as the guy who invented the gatso... I think gatsonides was his name...

[banksie]

from the thread on vRS headlights......

I find that if I'm "using" the car then people flash me.

In conversation with other drivers of a similar nature, (all advanced or Police class 1), and with performance cars, it seems to be the thing nowadays! Peoples skills have been "dumbed" down with ever reducing speed limits, such that they'll quite happily sit in a line of traffic doing 40mph even in a 60 limit. When you overtake, because they have no ability, they assume your driving to their same poor standard and the reaction is to flash! Don't know what their reaction to my cheery wave back is, cause I'm long gone!

Even the easiest overtakes get a weird look nowadays!

Enjoy the car!

[pipsyp]

The two vRS's Ive owned both attracted quite negative attention from other road users. If it wasnt yet another **** flashing me because they thought I had my fogs on (Fabia with LED DRL's); it was some moron in a 1.6 TDi Golf, A3 or Passat who in some kind of strange ritual felt they had to prove their higher end badging meant they could travel faster along a piece of road than I could (despite their lack of 65-75 horses in my favour....the 2nd vRS being a Mk2 Octavia 170 CR).

Have to say the Mk3 Elegance attracts very little attention...and when it does it often surprises other road users being v ordinary looking but packing a punch v similar to the Octy 170 CR. Its not really fast but Elegance spec does afford it a bit of sleeper status.

[Guest]

This doesn't just affect the VRs fraternity.

Driving onto M80 from M74 in the outside Lane, white Audi cabriolet behind me starts flashing their lights for me to get out of the way. No idea where I'm supposed to go as there is heavy traffic in inside Lane (this Lane also connects to the M8 so it's always busy). I blip the brakes as he is right on my gary, he backs of but starts flashing again. I eventually pull in, he flashes past and starts tailgating every car that had the temerity not to get out of his way.

He eventually gets to his turn off, indicates as he turns off, tailgates the car in front before undertaking it.

When I get time I'll post it on the drive recorder thread.

As an aside I have about 11Gb of in car footage of road incidents. I've stopped downloading Red Light Jumpers as I see it every day.

Fin

[Telboy5]

Must admit I agree that the VRS seems to be a road rage magnet. From white van man through to absolutely anyone out there trying to prove a point that their car is faster than a Skoda.

 

I try and remain calm until I hit a safe long stretch of road and then I unleash the full 330+ bhp and 368flbt, that shuts them up       They quickly become a tiny spot in my rear view mirror, after all with over 240bhp/tonne, why bother eh.

 

I then pull over and slow right down and let them pass, knowing that when they look in to see the driver, I have a smug smile on my face in the knowledge that their car has just been absolutely slaughtered by a Skoda.

[iDENTITi]

I had a bmw fly past me near Ely earlier and nearly cause a crash, few inches from my front bumper and the oncoming cars.

Think the camera caught it, might have to strip the audio of my missus from it though...

[StevesTruck]

I used to get it really badly in the pick up. Even though I don't hang about while driving, no one could bear to be behind it.

[skovirg]

In the interests of balance, I've seen some pretty shocking driving from VRS owners too. Only yesterday, one dingbat was tailgating others in lane 4 on a 50mph stretch of the M6. He then cuts across to lane 2, cutting others up in the process and almost comes to a complete stop whilst trying to force his way into lane 1, the only lane which leads to the M5. Thankfully, one of the cars in lane 2 which almost had to stop for this halfwit was an unmarked Audi A4 with 2 officers in who then pulled in right behind him...a fitting end followed, I hope.

[GordonH]

I find the best policy is to be overly polite and non confrontational, happy in the knowledge that you could leave most of them standing but super smug that you won't descend to their level. Works all the time and helps to keep you calm in today's chaotic traffic.

[skovirg]

One of the worst cars I drive for attracting road rage in is the company BMW 530. Lots of drivers seem to want to challenge me but I'm really not into pi55ing contests. If I were, most of them would be very embarrassed indeed. 

 

I'd suggest that the attitude of many VRS owners would encourage antisocial driving. A quick glance on these forums will show loads of people who seem to mistake their family car with a reasonable turn of speed for an R8.

 

For me, I tend to pull over and hope the other person drives away. Generally they do, but If not, wait for them to get out and floor it.

[kallekilponen]

One of the worst cars I drive for attracting road rage in is the company BMW 530. Lots of drivers seem to want to challenge me but I'm really not into pi55ing contests. If I were, most of them would be very embarrassed indeed. 

The T5 Volvo I currently drive seems to attract similar attention. There's always someone who just has to get on the other lane in a traffic light and try to "race".

 

I find it mostly comical that besides their best efforts they rarely can keep up even though I only use about 1/2-3/4 throttle. (Especially when the road is slippery, the AWD gives an extra edge.) They often fly past me after I reach the speed limit and stop accelerating, and I can't help it but feel slightly amused that not being able to keep up to a Volvo wagon is such an embarrassing concept they just have to overtake at high speed.

 

But as others have said, it's better not to get pulled into driving stupidly even if other drivers might. It's hardly worth the risks.

Edited 17 January, 2015 by kallekilponen

[V6Jules]

I'd suggest that the attitude of many VRS owners would encourage antisocial driving. A quick glance on these forums will show loads of people who seem to mistake their family car with a reasonable turn of speed for an R8.

For me, I tend to pull over and hope the other person drives away. Generally they do, but If not, wait for them to get out and floor it.

I think your right. Mines a reasonably quick wagon but Im not delusional as to its performance. I see plenty of people with cars they think that are fast hammering about. I'm quite happy to let them get on with it

[Telboy5]

I think your right. Mines a reasonably quick wagon but Im not delusional as to its performance. I see plenty of people with cars they think that are fast hammering about. I'm quite happy to let them get on with it

Totally agree, however I wouldn't say a TSI VRS with stage 1 remap is reasonably quick   

 

The daft thing about all of this is that most cars can do 100mph+ and a lot of drivers just want to keep on pushing and pushing and before you know it you can do some stupid speeds - I'd prefer to pull over and let people get on with it and keep my driving licence.

[decuk]

I usually back off around the 80 mark, as Tellboy says, most cars can do 100. The fun for me is getting to the speed limit quickly, after that they can pass if they want. Hopefully a law enforcement Vrs will be ahead somewhere.....

[philbes]

Nope. In 19 months and 18K miles in my black Octavia vRS I have been on the receiving end of not one road rage incident. I believe it is driving style, not the car being driven, that incites road rage incidents.