[vid down for now, soz] A compilation of my dashcam footage...

octatonic

Some real dickheads driving unsafely.
Some proper knobs for driving in the overtaking lanes for no reason too.

skunkwerx

LuttiS said:

That's a lot of stupid in 7 mins! I've seen some idiots first hand but nothing like that.

How long is the period of the compilation?

Just over the last year I’d say. 

Been driving 12 years this year, and apart from a bunch of guys who threw a beer bottle in my window when I first passed (on the poxy a12) and being shot at in Dagenham with pellet guns (luckily my window was up that time), I’ve not seen any real dangerous or downright assault type driving. Had about what I’d class as average accidents (3 minor non faults) and the usual amount of abusive people.. figured it was par for the course. 

I figured those early incidents were typical bullying a new driver. + I looked emo-ish, drove with 2 hands on the wheel, close to the steering wheel etc. Easy target for people round here. 

But the last 2 years, everything just seems to have got worse. I commute a 25 mile round trip most days, and more often than not when I’ve beeped after a simple cut up, the offending vehicle’s stopped and got out challenging me to a fight. 

Theres a definite sense that a lot of people believe they can do what they want, no matter how dangerous, and anyone who contests it, even a beep of the horn is somehow me being in the wrong and ‘starting on them’.

Recently the same thing happened, a guy cut me up as I was taking an exit off a roundabout. I challenged him so he got out, held up all the traffic and proceeded to claim I was the dickhead.

I didnt get out and kept me doors locked. Rather the car takes the kicking. 

I merely explained that he undertook me, cut me up and I had to swerve to avoid him hitting me, which obviously would have caused us both issues. So I beeped because he was in the wrong and shouldnt be driving like that.

His reponse was ‘is it worth ya life though’.  

These people literally have no care. Its do what they want and if anyone says anything, just assault them. I mean whats to stop them? They drive lawless and the authorities wont act unless it just so happens a police car is there seeing it (never). So they know they’ll get away with it. They probably believe theyre in the right too which makes them even more dangerous. 

Taking the very first clip for example. Which happened yesterday actually. 
That guy did the same driving test I did.. 
But he believed he should tailgate round the roundabout then undertake me as Im indicating to move left off of the roundabout, forcing me to stay in the right lane as I exit.

I then attempted to indicate and move left again when on the new road but he sped up my inside and undertook. I presume he couldnt be bothered to overtake and believed the speed limit didnt apply to him either.

As undertaking in that situation isnt encouraged, and as I was indicating to come left, he should have known I was attempting to move over so he can overtake me legally, if he speeds while doing so thats up to him though.

When I beeped he gives me the finger out of the window. I dont react, so he then slows down as if to stop in the middle of the dual carriageway.

I preempt his stupidity by overtaking and removing myself from the danger. In hindsight I should have just slowed and stayed behind him and waited and hoped he just drove off.

He clearly thought I was about to pull up beside him and have a pop, but when I didnt he undertakes me again, whilst bogging at me with a fag in one hand, and gives us a clear example at the next roundabout of how he has been driving.
No indications, no lane discipline and clearly too fast.

For a couple months I tried just minding my own driving, not reacting and not saving any footage of similar wrecklessness I’ve seen.
So theres even bloody more that I could have included!

Gets me down.  

octatonic

I've driven the same roads as you and had my fair share of similar incidents.
Want some advice?
Too bad I'm going to give it.

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
I assume that everyone who is at a junction is going to pull out at me.
You have fewer incidents and it is better for stress levels.

Or move to Oxfordshire where this sort of thing happens far less.

skunkwerx

octatonic said:

I've driven the same roads as you and had my fair share of similar incidents.
Want some advice?
Too bad I'm going to give it.

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
I assume that everyone who is at a junction is going to pull out at me.
You have fewer incidents and it is better for stress levels.

Or move to Oxfordshire where this sort of thing happens far less.

Youre right there dude. 

I read a comment on a forum, the AA or Rac I think, when I googled something. 
Anyway like what you said about regardless of being in the right, the guy said ‘give way to everything’. 

VimFuego

I was up in herts a few weeks back and one of the things I noticed was that no one thanks you if you give way. Like at all, and this is a leafy commuter village on the bucks border, so not fucking stevenage or some such shit hole. Round here, people stop and have conversations (mostly about cows it's gotta be said, but it's the thought that counts) if you give way to them. Seems to me the closer you are to any big city, the more dog eats dog it becomes. 

skunkwerx

gavin_axecaster said:

Romford - pretty much as expected from the second I saw the first roundabout. I live a few miles away in Ilford and to be honest the standard of driving is even worse here - more so just people who should not have a driving license (I'm convinced a lot don't) than the outright idiots in your footage.

Ah I know Ilford fairly well, used to work there! Actually I took my first driving test at the Ilford branch... that didnt end well.

I remember a couple of roundabouts on Winston way, particularly the one that has Ilford lane coming off it near sainsburies.. 

That shit was more akin to pod racing than driving.. 

 

ourmaninthenorth

Driving defensively against these halfwits is why I'm fookin exhausted after going for a loaf at my local Tesco. 

octatonic

skunkwerx said:

octatonic said:

I've driven the same roads as you and had my fair share of similar incidents.
Want some advice?
Too bad I'm going to give it.

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.
I assume that everyone who is at a junction is going to pull out at me.
You have fewer incidents and it is better for stress levels.

Or move to Oxfordshire where this sort of thing happens far less.

Youre right there dude. 

I read a comment on a forum, the AA or Rac I think, when I googled something. 
Anyway like what you said about regardless of being in the right, the guy said ‘give way to everything’. 

I'm pleased you accepted it in the manner you did- many others would have become defensive.
I come at this as a biker (with some advanced rider training)- I am always looking out for danger because meat on metal is much less resilient than meat in metal.

I am also back from 5 days in Singapore.
Overall a much better standard of driving than the UK- they have harsh penalties and many police though.

Chris777

Strewth there were some proper bell ends in that compilation, good quality images, I think all cars should have dash cams fitted as standard, the number of times people don't use trafficators on islands! And cause problems does my head in.  [edit] my dad gave me some excellent driving advice when I was 17, he said assume everyone else on the road is an arsehole and doesn't know what they are doing and you'll be ok, it does seem to work

Guitar_Slinger

What @Chris777 and @Octatonic said. True there are a lot of knobheads in the video clips but IMHO you were very late reacting (changing speed or direction) in some of the clips.  That IIRC is the definition of Hazard Perception in the video tests everyone has to pass before taking their tests these days.

If you want to get less wound up, try no to remonstrate with people - resist the temptation to flash lights or sound your horn, which is the "starting a fight" that some of these dickheads are deliberately looking for. I qualified to teach people to ride in my early 20s and had real anger problems with dickheads cutting up my students. The way I dealt with it was to remind myself that it's not my job to teach the dickeads to drive and I had no power to punish or prosecute them for their shit driving.

As the song says, "Let It Go."

rlw

Keeping left a bit more would help.  A few times watching that I muttered "move over you twat"........

stickyfiddle

I can't watch from work, but from the sounds of it @octatonic is dead right. Having right of way is lovely but meaningless if you're dead. 

Though I have to be honest, driving in the UK is so much better than the UAE. I don't even get a heart rate increase from most of the stuff I see when I visit home.

boogieman

Wow. I see some nobbish driving as I’m on the M25 a fair bit but some of those twats in your clip are unbelievable. 

57Deluxe

is this for real do you think??

Grunfeld

mid57 said:

Ah the joys of driving in Romford I remember it well,  moved away 10 years ago but still in Essex was better but I,m sure its going same way (Maldon) been getting worse over last 5 years Suffolk beckons I think

@mid57 ;; I'm in Dagenham, recognise all those roads too!  Funnily enough playing in Latchingdon next week and you've reminded me of what it's like driving out in Essex on a  Saturday night!

octatonic said:

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

FWIW I totally agree with that. 
I think riding motorbikes helped a lot here.  Self-preservation requires defensive driving/ riding.

munckee

Grunfeld said:

mid57 said:

Ah the joys of driving in Romford I remember it well,  moved away 10 years ago but still in Essex was better but I,m sure its going same way (Maldon) been getting worse over last 5 years Suffolk beckons I think

@mid57 ;; I'm in Dagenham, recognise all those roads too!  Funnily enough playing in Latchingdon next week and you've reminded me of what it's like driving out in Essex on a  Saturday night!

octatonic said:

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

FWIW I totally agree with that. 
I think riding motorbikes helped a lot here.  Self-preservation requires defensive driving/ riding.

I'm always astounded by motorbike riders who are prepared to gamble their lives by riding up the sides of traffic, either side and veering in front of people thus relying on the car drivers reactions.  On the A27 near me there seems to be a belief there is a third lane between the two lanes for motorbikes to undertake everyone.

Some of the best road users and the worst seem to like motorbikes!

slacker

Watching the vid does your car have an asshole driver magnet?

I try to drive as defensively as possible and look to let people in when merging. I expect people to misjudge motorway exits on and off. J14 of the m1 is deadly.

I also idiot watch. The clues are there for the distracted or bewildered, middle lane hogging, slow speeds, eating, drinking, talking on the phone etc. These people will manoever sharply without indication. There's also the nutter just look for an Audi.

The worst are people like me that often drive in places for the first time and encounter an unusual road system. Everybody else knows there's a roundabout with traffic lights a feeder road and a speed bump that pedestrians think they have right of way on,

slacker

Ps best one I did was the tunnel in Newcastle armed with a company Barclaycard to find it was cash only except 7 lanes over...in rush hour.

octatonic

munckee said:

Grunfeld said:

mid57 said:

Ah the joys of driving in Romford I remember it well,  moved away 10 years ago but still in Essex was better but I,m sure its going same way (Maldon) been getting worse over last 5 years Suffolk beckons I think

@mid57 ;; I'm in Dagenham, recognise all those roads too!  Funnily enough playing in Latchingdon next week and you've reminded me of what it's like driving out in Essex on a  Saturday night!

octatonic said:

It doesn't matter that you are in the right, just drive more defensively and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

FWIW I totally agree with that. 
I think riding motorbikes helped a lot here.  Self-preservation requires defensive driving/ riding.

I'm always astounded by motorbike riders who are prepared to gamble their lives by riding up the sides of traffic, either side and veering in front of people thus relying on the car drivers reactions.  On the A27 near me there seems to be a belief there is a third lane between the two lanes for motorbikes to undertake everyone.

Some of the best road users and the worst seem to like motorbikes!

Do you mean filtering?
That is actually legal in the UK, with a couple of caveats.

https://www.bikerandbike.co.uk/filtering-motorbike-whats-law/

Filtering at 60 whilst the traffic is moving at 45 is completely stupid, but filtering between slow moving or stationary traffic under 30mph is not only legal but safer.

crunchman

You do need to be a bit sensible when filtering.  When I was much younger than I am now (around 27 years ago) I was filtering at quite high speed on my pushbike, and ended up going over a car door when it got opened in front of me.

These days I tend to be a lot more sensible.