Car drivers hanging right.....

Just a little grumpy rant. I have been riding circa 20 years and the following has recently started irritating me a bit: Car drivers moving over to the right to the centre line after spotting you in the mirrors. I don't tailgate just keep a distance until I can see the road ahead is clear to overtake or when I`m happy to sit behind I find myself having a better view ahead down the left-hand side of the car where there is normally at least a 4 ft. gap. It seems like every car driver wants to be to the right of the car in front. When stopped AND when driving. Maybe its just to give cyclists a wide-berth but I`m more inclined to think it`s some sort of dislike to being looked over the right shoulder or even a dislike of being overtaken. I did 85 miles of country roads today in the forest of bowland. What I noticed was cars travelling in the middle of a narrow road, travelling well below the speed limit but not moving over to the left to give you a safe width to overtake.
The number one rule of the road is after all KEEP LEFT!
rant over.
chris

The problem is getting worse all over mate. Non biking car drivers don't and will not think bike, even if they have an accident with a biker, whether it be a pedal bike or a motorbike. They'll blame us 1st before they they put down their mobiles or coffee cups whilst driving.

I regularly come across dumb, dumber and the outright outside lane hoggers who drive a well below the speed limits just to annoy you and hold people up. If people can't maintain a speed and a german style autobahn lane manners, they should have their licenses revoked....

If there was more traffic police around, half these ****s should be charged with traffic obstruction and driving without due care and attention.

[dizzyblonde]

They do it on purpose. They really don't want you to be in front of them any second, so move over enough to stop you getting on your way.

Now you can spot a nice bike friendly car driver, they'll pull right over to the left, plainly obviously too.

mmm I don't know about that. Recently I could swear that drivers are actually moving further to the left to let me pass, especially on country lanes. Maybe I'm ever the optimist but I'm sure I'm seeing it more often.

Who knows why but in my recent experience riding in Wiltshire is the best for it.

[NTECUK]

Its just jealousy
Wait for safe opportunity and pass as they can be an issue.

You ought to try riding up in Scotland now. People in cars now do not like being overtaken, despite the fact that they're doing 35 in a 60, and they'll keep well right to try and stop you overtaking on straight roads now as well. All they're doing is causing severe road rage and traffic queues because they think everybody else should be only doing 35-40 as well...

I'm finding its the younger generation now who are the complete road hogs. They aren't taught how to drive at 60mph anymore down A roads only 40-45, aren't taught motorway driving or any form of road manners... no wonder the driving standards in this country are so poor..
you only see them doing 40 and panic braking everywhere even after they have "passed their tests"... I've even seen my late granny overtaking people down A roads, and saying "where did that idiot learn to drive?" as she overtook them doing at least 80mph... and the "youths" looking totally embarrased at being overtaken by an OAP

Yeah its all our fault, younger generation has ruined everything

[tonyk]

I have def noticed the amount of younger drivers that stay's at 70 on the fast lane......even if there are no cars in 1 st or 2nd lanes....
oh after waiting and waiting and waiting and fxxxing waiting i undertake and they get the finger !!!!.

[Bri w]

I'm with Idle Biker on this. I think there are more car drivers making room. As for the age thing. There's numpties in every age group but how you tell a driver's age accurately...

[JamesMio]

Kinda more inclined to agree with Idle & Bri - of the very few car drivers that actually know I'm there (and it is a rather terrifying number that do), I can only think of 2 or 3 occassions in the 4 years I've been riding that they've actively tried to obstruct me.