Simply Indicating is not enough.

Originally Posted by AndyL

+1, I see this every day on the way to work down the M6

It is highly annoying when they stay in the middle lane and the inside is totally clear, but I have some sympathy when there are lorrys with reasonable spaces between them. The speed differential between a lorry at 56mph and a car at "motorway speed" can be upto 50mph and it can be difficult to filter in and out (often because of somebody sitting in the middle lane).

[Paul the 6th]

i just drove from york to london today (well, york to bradford then to london) I must have undertaken around 20 cars (relevantly safely) who were sat in the fast lane when there was no other traffic for around 800 yards.

Numptys. There was one guy in a volvo who looked about 90 - he sped up, pulled across the front of me, slammed on and then returned to the fast lane and slowed down to 60. What a hero

when i bike into work i do about 55 miles of the M4 right past reading, maidenhead and slough, basically all the bad traffic,

I undertake all the time, probably too much to be honest. But generally i find a lot of the drivers on there do the routes every day, are used to the roads and the road rules and touch wood, don't have any issues.

I find most cars polite wheni want to weave through or undertake.

Most of them want you past them anyway. i do get in position so the car knows i'm going to undertake.

I have to say that on my mammoth journey from north of Newcastle to Dartford last week, the driving was very good until I hit the M25.....

But my earlier post happens 3 or 4 times on the way to and from work, I only posted this morning as it was a big f**k off lorry and he shouted at me as if I was in the wrong.

Originally Posted by DanAbnormal

They also have more police, stricter speed limits and camera's everywhere which are really hidden and are tiny grey boxes. Be careful what you wish for.........

I think our countries general attitude has a lot to do with the driving. We are over cramped with too many cars on the road and people are always rushing about. I got called a winker this morning just because I could filter past some stationary cars. Not once in Germany did I see road rage or any bad driving by it's inhabitants. The tourists are a different story.

Er, no, WE have safer roads, despite their cameras, tougher driving tests and speed limits.

As you say, it's all down to attitude.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Er, no, WE have safer roads, despite their cameras, tougher driving tests and speed limits.

As you say, it's all down to attitude.

Seems to be a bit hard to get accurate statistics, but according to the beeb, German has a marginally higher death rate (scale on the graph is a bit vauge), lower drink driving, and faster improving death rate than britain.

As ever, statistics are lies so need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Death rate on the report are per million capita, not per vehicle mile. There is no data regarding the death rate on the autobahn. Also interesting to note, that once the Germans pass their test (which includes lots on vehicle maintenance and knowledge) they never have to re-certify - unlike here.

Originally Posted by cartwrim

In theory, unless affected by an impairment acquired post-test, there is no reason why a person who has passed the driving test can not drive to test standard for the rest of their lives.

The ways to get people to be better drivers are to A) make the tests harder in the first place to ensure that people can actually drive, not just pass the test and B) have more traffic cops. But our government doesn't like traffic cops and replaces them with 'safety cameras'

Disagree here. I dont think it has anything to do with ability, its all about attitude. I think that every 5 years you ought to have a refresher class on the laws of the road and how to drive. Mandatory, but no pass or fail, just a course where you are treated as an adult. If only 50% walked out and actively sought to be more observent and actually used their indicators then I would call that a success.

Actually each year every car/lorry/coach/boxed vehicle should have one day where they have to ride pillion during rush hour in London or any other major city, seeing the pitfalls of their driving/text/not paying attention, then they shouls have to cycle home again during rush hour..............they would never pull out again.

Was having a think this morning on the way to work, another tactic I adopt...

Everyone already uses it when filtering, if coming down either side of cars, I make myself positioned in their mirrors, so i can see their faces as I'm coming down the traffic, a lot of drivers will only take a quick glance at their mirrors and you might not be in them if your in the middle of your lane. If your alongside the traffic they should see you. Can be quite risky with the factor of what your post is about KRHall, drivers pulling out and not looking, may help though, sound combined with visibilty to back it up.

Maybe I'm just silly...

sadly this sort of thing is now so regular, your defensive riding/observation skills really need to be top notch.... happened to me on the M1 Aug bank hol, resulting in a buckled front rim for me, but luckily not an "off".....

To**ers