Bone headed driving incidents

[DoreSlamR]

I think a common theme here is MERGING It seems no one knows how to merge.

Freeway onramps are always a doozy and by the sounds of things ANY kind of merging area gets people unstuck. I'm trying to think back to my driving lessons/test...I don't recall being taught how to merge correctly. I think the only rule of thumb I was told by my instructor is when ever two lanes merge whoever is in front has right of way. which in a simple world would work fine... Fortunately my dad taught me well before the instructor got to me

Anyone else get taught how to do it properly by a paid individual? or is it one of those things they don't bother to teach us?

[Bobman]

What about those who just merge into your lane or another one and don't even bother indicating at all? Or those folks who are at an intersection (with plenty of traffic) and decide to put their indicator on to turn right after the light changes green, therefore holding up everyone behind them who thought they were going straight.

I didn't have an instructor when I was on my L's but I passed my P licence first go. There needs to be a shake up of the licensing system. I'm sorry, but in my opinion if someone has failed their licence test more than 3 times, they should not be granted another chance for a further test. I've heard stories of people failing 7+ times and still being allowed to sit another test.

[hannem]

Originally Posted by Bobman

What about those who just merge into your lane or another one and don't even bother indicating at all? Or those folks who are at an intersection (with plenty of traffic) and decide to put their indicator on to turn right after the light changes green, therefore holding up everyone behind them who thought they were going straight.

I didn't have an instructor when I was on my L's but I passed my P licence first go. There needs to be a shake up of the licensing system. I'm sorry, but in my opinion if someone has failed their licence test more than 3 times, they should not be granted another chance for a further test. I've heard stories of people failing 7+ times and still being allowed to sit another test.

A while ago there was a reality TV show, pretty sure it was called learner drivers. It is being repeated on now late at night.

The show was following a bunch of learner drivers and seeing how well/bad they did at various tasks....anyhoo there was this one chick who had something like 140 odd driving lessons and had failed her driving test a crap load of times.

If you try any complicated task (in this case a driving test) and fail a ton of times then just keep trying cause sooner or later you will fluke all the right things on the right day and pass.

Tell you what this surely does not build my confidence in this chick with regards to her driving ability. Scared in fact!!

Hmmmmm might try the "test" to become a brain surgeon, try enough times and surely I must get enough things right and pass. Gimme the scalpel and bone saw. :togo:

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

Freeway onramps are always a doozy and by the sounds of things ANY kind of merging area gets people unstuck. I'm trying to think back to my driving lessons/test...I don't recall being taught how to merge correctly. I think the only rule of thumb I was told by my instructor is when ever two lanes merge whoever is in front has right of way.

Too many blur that line by using the stomp and chop method. Floor it, pass as many cars as possible and then cut in just as the lane runs out. Doesn't matter to them that 10 seconds prior 5 cars were ahead of them. In my opinion when you see the "left lane ends, merge right" sign you should look at merging in behind the car in front to the next lane. But unfortunately many see this as an invitation to overtake a few more cars.

I saw one clown (the worst of many) trying to push in from the left turn lane - he stopped there and the truckie behind him wanting to go left was on the horn - I actually think he tapped the guy - because the driver got out and looked at his car, threw something small at his truck, exchanged some words and got back in his car. I was behind both and wondering why we had stopped - I thought there was about to be a punch up. On this particular road it used to have "left lane must turn left" now it says left lane ends 200m - merge right. Which invites all the knuckleheads to drive 195m then change lanes. The middle lane stalls because of the left lane drivers cutting in, most of the right lane traffic after the lights then cuts over to the left 2 lanes and everyone who does the right thing and goes into the middle lane gets screwed over and moves forward at half the rate of the other lanes.

If someone who is ahead of me indicates and waits to be let in, they will be let in. Pull out from behind me, floor it and try and cut me off and it is a different story. People who wait until the last second to change lanes to pass as many cars as possible deserve to miss their turn. Sometimes people who are unfamiliar with the road will get caught out and you can tell - they are matching or going slower than the traffic and looking around. You cut them a break. The other 95% are regulars and know where they are going and what lane they need to be in.

As for freeways - so many people accelerate to 80km/h half way along the on-ramp, stop accelerating, then merge at 80km/h then speed up. 100 metres from merging, I'll usually spot the car I'm running with, match their speed and drop in behind after indicating and if the car behind lets me in - which is a formality if I'm merging properly! If you see a car joining at 70km/h, you're not going to feel too accommodating as you have to brake to compensate for the other driver's lack of ability! Fair enough with heavy vehicles or tiny 4 cyl cars - they need a bit more road to build up speed, but most of the on-ramp offenders drive modern large 4s or sixes, which can easily get up to speed.

[hannem]

A lot of talk about merging on to freeways, one of my pet hates is just the opposite.

Tools that start to slow down on the actual freeway as they are getting ready to exit. Damn dangerous.

Slows me and others down when I happen to be in the left lane and not using that particular exit. Not that I am in a rush but it stuffs up the freeway flow.

For freaks sake slow down on the goddamn exit ramp, what the hell do think it is there for????? I do 100 kays until completely in the off ramp

Cheers

[Dauphin]

Originally Posted by Bobman

Have noticed that Northern & Western suburbs drivers in Melbourne have little patience, especially at school zones. I've been over-taken at 3pm when there are school kids around just for doing the right thing. No-one deserves sympathy for not adhering to those limits.

Yes! I seem to be the only one who ever slows to 40 km/h when in a cluster of traffic going through a school zone at the speed-effecting times. It always make me feel like I'm being a real pain as everyone goes around me like the sign isn't there.

[Fev]

Originally Posted by Airmon

Its not terribly hard to read the road, like in Sydney, every day you will see if you're going down Parramatta road towards the city, 3 lanes and 2 will be full of cars going fairly slowly, and the far left lane will be mostly empty, because its full of parked cars, there will always be someone who goes flying down the left lane until they come up to a parked car then slam on the brakes and try and to get back into traffic with everyone else.

Also on the Hume Hwy here, it merges from 3 into 2 lanes. And everyday there will be traffic banked up because the right two lanes will be doing 90-100 in a 110 zone, and idiots will go flying up the left lane at 110 or more then realize the lane ends and that the traffic they are trying to merge into is going slower then they are and then they just Stop and hold up traffic.
I always merge beforehand and match the speed to the next lane and alot of the time I'll find someone tailgating me (because I'm going slower then the speed limit), and as soon as I merge they go flying past, then 5seconds later slam on the brakes and expect ME to let them in.

that absolutely sh$$'s me to tears.. on the pacific highway at turramurra, just after you've gone past the train station and shops the pacific hwy merges into 2 lanes, and every day without fail you get people flying up the left hand lane to push ahead.. ofcourse its a stupidly bad road and would have been much better as about 40m ahead it goes back into a 3 lane road which i have to jump into the left lane to turn off but still, people fly up just to get 5 or 6 cars ahead and in turn create a traffic nightmare..

[Fev]

Originally Posted by Bobman

I didn't have an instructor when I was on my L's but I passed my P licence first go. There needs to be a shake up of the licensing system. I'm sorry, but in my opinion if someone has failed their licence test more than 3 times, they should not be granted another chance for a further test. I've heard stories of people failing 7+ times and still being allowed to sit another test.

i take it you didnt watch that TV show on channel 7(pretty sure it was 7, seems like their kind of programming) where they invited the worst drivers in australia(as in failing their p's test hundreds of times, spending tens of thousands on lessons etc)

at the end of the show the winner(who actually got their p's) was given an Alfa spider(god knows why..)


so they make a competition where incredibly bad drivers compete to win a car and their license.. and then the media explodes on young drivers??? PFFT.

[ch33z1l]

Was nearly wiped out the other day by a damn Rodeo..

Had just washed the car and was headed home. Had indicated to turn right into my street and decided to wait for an approaching car before turning right, (knowing full well my tyres were wet and would probably spin)

I saw in my rear vision mirror this idiot in the rodeo come roaring up behind me, and got within probably 15mtrs before deciding to jam on the brakes. I could see what was going to happen so I put the car in drive and moved up a little, and he missed me by 1mtr or so.

I got home and the first thing I checked was my indicator and brake lights and all were working fine...

I came to the conclusion that he thought by the time he got to me, I would have already turned right, and didnt need to slow down. Where I was turning right, its situated on a slight bend and he probably didnt see the approaching car.

Some people dont give consideration to those taking care...

[Fev]

check this one out.. pretty damn stupid if you ask me... not sure if the 360 was intentional but christ.. there were cars coming!


http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=w1MnvQgOAKY

[Dauphin]

A lovely Saturday morning. I go to the shopping centre to pick a new tie for a wedding and the sequel to my previous story begins unfolding before me.

I am walking through the shopping centre car park when two mid-size Korean hatchbacks are reversing out of their spots heading for each other. CRUNCH! Plastic is breaking, the cars stop awkwardly against each other.

One driver, a middle aged woman with her radio pop music blaring loudly, immediately stops and gets out and starts yelling at the top of her whiny voice, "What the hell do you think you were doing!? Didn't you see me? Why didn't you see me!? Hey! What the hell did you do that for!? What's wrong with you!?"

The other driver has started trying to get out of there! The woman starts running towards the escaping car, leaving her driver's door open, keys in the ignition, radio blaring loudly.

Meanwhile, a couple of ladies witnessed it all and start shouting at the yelling woman to stop yelling, that she is just as much in the wrong. They tell her they both started reversing at the same time and both weren't looking. The witnesses stand in front of and block the other car from leaving, calming the situation.

The lady in the other car might have been blamed quite easily had these other two witness ladies not intervened.

[ch33z1l]

Originally Posted by Fev

check this one out.. pretty damn stupid if you ask me... not sure if the 360 was intentional but christ.. there were cars coming!


http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=w1MnvQgOAKY

I've seen that video a few times, Fev. I didn't notice a P-plate on the car either...He must have lost it, did u see how close he came to the wall!!

Even though he didn't hit any oncoming cars, the smoke left behind would cause enough chaos.

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

I think a common theme here is MERGING It seems no one knows how to merge.

Freeway onramps are always a doozy and by the sounds of things ANY kind of merging area gets people unstuck. I'm trying to think back to my driving lessons/test...I don't recall being taught how to merge correctly. I think the only rule of thumb I was told by my instructor is when ever two lanes merge whoever is in front has right of way. which in a simple world would work fine... Fortunately my dad taught me well before the instructor got to me

Anyone else get taught how to do it properly by a paid individual? or is it one of those things they don't bother to teach us?

Merging is a big problem, mostly due to impatience. I try to use what I call the "zipper method". That is when the left lane merges into my lane, let one car in front, one behind. Unfortunately I always seem to have extra people just force their way in. It annoys me when there is a gap for someone to merge safely, but they don't take it as they want to force their way in a couple of cars ahead. It is just rude.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by Fev

i take it you didnt watch that TV show on channel 7(pretty sure it was 7, seems like their kind of programming) where they invited the worst drivers in australia(as in failing their p's test hundreds of times, spending tens of thousands on lessons etc).

Yeah, I saw that show. Could not believe that some of those people were allowed to get licences.

[NC1183]

Does the moroon that was on ACA tonight count.