General Chat

Splitting hairs John. You know what Ann meant.

thank you Ann :-)

All I know, AnninGlos, is I get hooted at occasionally (by an elderly person usually) because my lane on the inside goes faster and he or she is unhappy about that but they will not move across safely as Highway Code dictates.

They think they are in the right, whereas they are the ones not following Highway Code. Very few people (me included, I admit) really study the Highway Code.

And if AnnC had studied that relevant portion of Highway Code that I copied instead of simply copying it back to me and being all wound up with indignation, she might have seen why there are very many times we can undertake safely and legally.

Sussex police have operation crackdown a dedicated number 01243 64 22 22 (and a website) to report anti social driving phone use etc. I expect other regions have similar schemes.
You just need to remember when driving to use a hands free phone to ring them!

Mayfield. ;-)

In NZ you can pass on any lane of the motorway. Usually the outside lane is the fastest but sometimes during peak hours it stands still and the middle one will move quicker, then the left as that is the exit side but then it also has the on ramps.

Our on ramps during peak time let in two cars at a time and then they blend in like a zip. All on ramps have green/red lights.

Texting or using a cellphone to chat on is not permitted whilst driving and there will be a fine.

The harbour bridge has a flexible middle barrier which gets moved during the day.... in the morning there are five lanes into the city and three out and in the evening there are five lanes out and three in. It's a great contraption. Ours isn't on youtube but this one is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2SHgWRVD5g

Persie

wound up with indignation am I? I don't think so - I have been driving since 1969 and never even had a parking ticket - I abide by the rules of the road - and I am very aware of the times when someone can undertake safely and without contravening any rules or regulations

Persephone, Texting or using a cellphone to chat is not permitted whilst driving in the UK, and if caught there will be a fine but I am amazed that so many motorists are still using them.

Don't be amazed Paula, there are never any police about to catch them,
in our area they are to busy parked up trying to catch learner moped
riders doing 31 mph in a 30 mile limit.


F.

I think most of us who drive John are aware that you can undertake when in traffic jams and our lane is moving faster than others. It is in fact, sometimes dangerous to change lanes in these circumstances, or are you one of those clever people who hope to buck the system by lane hopping in traffic jams, always hoping that the grass is greener or rather that the other lane is moving faster, when actually if you stay in your lane usually you will all get through at more or less the same time.

Paula...We have only had the ban for about a year now.. up until then there were so many accidents where people had been texting whilst driving..

I have even seen people with a bowl of cornflakes or whatever in their lap having their breakfast.

There was a woman killed by a bus..she stepped out in front of it talking on her cellphone. I watched the coroner's court. Her mother wanted the bus driver to be made culpable but he did not have a chance to stop. Her mother also said her daughter would not have been on the phone but phones have this funny way of corroborating time etc and yes she was on the phone.

I felt quite sorry for the Samoan bus driver.. his English was not the best and he was deeply upset by it all.

Persie

The police regularly target one or other of the areas of Gloucestershire and have caught quite a few on the phone and not wearing seat belts.

I think smolking at the wheel is dangerous too, smoke can literally get in your eyes, hot ash can fall and make you jump. And, as for people who light up when driving, both hands off the wheel. How are they in control?

Another hazard is uncontrollable dogs roaming around in the car.

Oh and, as I tell my OH, fiddling with your radio, CD player and sat Nav is distracting too.

Have never heard of 'undertaking'' before.Can someone explain this (in simple words.Lol) to me please?
You see drivers using a mobile/smoking all the time over here..it makes my blood boil...

Persie How sad for the driver but also for the Mother too, it must have been so hard for her to accept her daughter was responsible for her own death. I have seen more people than I can count using their mobile phones whilst driving, maneuvering round corners, sitting in heavy motorway traffic. They clearly are not be in control of their vehicle.

On the morning I shouted at the women, I had been watching a report on Breakfast TV where a woman was talking about her Mothers death caused by a woman driving whilst using her mobile phone, it was absolutely heartbreaking and as stayed in my mind.

It has been illegal to use a hand held mobile phone while driving since December 2003, and at first I understand that most people seemed to comply with the law, but sadly it is not the case now, and I see this happening on a daily basis, and the drivers will openly verbally abuse you if you dare to comment, and the law seems to take a blind eye, as as been said they go for the "easier" targets. Perhaps more diligence by the police and heavier fines one

I actually once saw a woman putting on her make up whilst sitting in slow moving traffic using her rear-view mirror..............

Women putting on lippie whist driving is quite common as is men shaving.

We have a lot of don't drink and drive adverts on TV... plus the pull over and have a sleep when tired...there are signs stating this along all our main highways.

Auckland in particular has very impatient drivers, they are all me first, in a hurry and run red lights. During peak times it can get really bad we have bus lanes and you can get fined for going onto them . You are only allowed to go on those within a certain distance of the corner you are going to turn into.

I have to admit I get annoyed when I am waiting in a long queue of a straight ahead lane and someone zaps up to the front in the left hand turn only lane only to put on their right indicator near the end of this and push in to the straight ahead lane.

Road rage is quite common here, to the point of serious injury and death. There are a lot of short fuses out there.

Persie

Claddagh

Overtaking is when you pass a car on the driver's side
Undertaking is when you pass on the passenger side

I don't see too much of a problem with smoking in cars, next you will not be able to change a CD or radio station.

I think undertaking was allowed in Australia when I visited 30 years ago...scared the s*** out of me as a newish driver, infact I never drove abroad after that holiday

Had a bit of a problem this morning,Somebody tooted very loud at me,It nearly made me burn my Bacon and Eggs that I was cooking on the Passenger Seat on a Primus.apparently I was going too slow (65mph.) you,d think they ,d have better things to do like Texting or Phoning. :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D.Ps. Anybody with driving experience knows full well its Bloody Stupid to undertake at speed.

OK OK I know you'll laugh (but I'm not a driver...back seat yes but not front!) What on earth is ...can I say it? .... undertaking? :-S

So glad that this is getting some publicity at last. Maybe now the idiots who hog the middle lane will move over.

Not holding my breath though.

How much traffic does there have to be in the left-hand lane before hogging becomes overtaking??