General Chat

What they seem to have here in South Wales are "sting days". They get loads of police and loads of cars from all over S Wales and probably Glos and Avon as well.

They then spend a day targetting mobile phones or seat belts. I have seen them in Aberdare just north of Tesco just before Penywaun. And in Talbot Green shopping centre.

They pounce, issue a £60 fine, and on to next victim. Video corroboration if you challenge. I would think in both stings they had a steady queue of 3 motorists waiting for their tickets. So a very profitable day for someone - even more when it goes up to £100. Shame they have to do all that paperwork each time - a credit card machine would be so much easier.

Personally I don't see how they are ever going to enforce it

Also don't think that an increase in a fine from £60 to £100 is going to make any difference whatsoever. If you can afford £60 you can afford £100

However I do think that people might not be so keen to use their phones whilst driving if they thought they might be banned for six months to a year if they got caught..........??

AS well as the £ 100 fine increase the other whizzo idea of the UK coalition is to turn the emergency lane into a usual lane and thus more efficiently use the roads. That the emergency lane does not have the load bearing strength is not a problem.

Just how this will work out for break downs and the emergency services they have not explained beyond the usual cry of " they will learn to adjust when they have to".

Maybe fire engines and ambulances are to be phased out and the police replaced with mini-helicopters and drones operated from a control center in Kabul.

You have not met any of my employees ... some are more than a bit rough around the edges. Some cars spend years being driven a few thousand miles a year with the same 2 careful owners, others get hammered with all sorts of loads, destinations and people.

Here in Holland, they drive on the other side of the road, of course.Have often come across drivers overtaking on the 'wrong side', there are no words for this in Dutch.. Very nerve-wracking it is too!!! I dislike (don't want to use hate) those that drive on the hard shoulder to overtake...this causes so many accidents, and also causes problems for emergency vehicles that need to use that lane...makes me VERY cross.The delightful 'hoggers' of the middle lane are a real pain in the nether regions.Have driven in very many countries,the UK and Ireland, plus E.U countries, but found the Belgians and French the worst, but that has changed a bit over the years...Portugal & Spain were fine.....don't even mention Luxenburg, that has so many UK people....Thank you AnneC..I was pleased to read/ hear from you about the 'undertaking', as I knew nothing about this. x

Regardless of whether the car in front is being driven "too slowly" or not only a bear with half a brain would get close enough to be be able to read the maker's name of the number plate. Some people only learn from hard knocks.

By and large the car in front has a better view of whatever is coming up next so it is a good idea to accept whatever speed they have chosen and leave plenty of space. Few people leave enough space ( the 2 second rule ) and even fewer do so after a few harrys-in-hurry have jumped into the safety space. That is why multiple vehicle shunts are common.

So it goes, or sometimes doesn't.

Given the low price of car navigation systems and that getting lost is a leading cause of accidents (as well as being late) I don't know why anyone would refuse to use one. Even the free Google version on a smartphone is usable and needs no more outlay then £ 20 for a power connection and screen holder.

Cant say I have ever heard of it....I have a big 4x4 OH has a sporty car which is the same as my last two cars also leather seats....we both smoke not found any holes yet

Smokers tend to make holes in the seats, leather upholstery is not immune. My OH does not like leather seats but I do ... so my motors have leather and hers do not. OTOH OH's cars are easier to park.

Many insurers offer a discount to non-smokers. Ours demands that non-smoking stickers like the ones you see in taxis are affixed to the facia and back of front seats. Very often you have to push a bit to get it.

Will add too I am a good driver . had my licence since the 1970,s and done lots of driving . had my own cars too when I needed them to drive to work

Am NOT a silliy OAP who only goes out on a Sunday afternoon drive at 20 miles an hour and had a stream of traffic build up behind.

Thought I would make that clear :-P

Took hubby to Maidstone Kent yesterday for his 6 month eye check up Was the first time I have done the driving to there since he had to give up driving .

Had a sort of brief idea of the journey altho I wasn't that sure of turnings etc in between the M2 and M20 to Aylesford. Cos hubby has problems now with his memory he was a bit late sometimes saying which turn off I needed.

I WAS driving safely in the right lanes and doing the right speed limits but was very put off by speed merchants who were driving up my exhaust pipe . made me very wary and unsure of myself

I did say to one driver who stopped behind & hooted me at a junction for F sake I am not an elderly Sunday afternoon driver if I aint going as fast as YOU want then overtake ,dont harass me to exceed the speed limit cos I am in your way .

He did mutter something and seemed surprised I had confronted him .
Hubby cringed but I was very controlled even though I was annoyed .

We got there and home again safely even though there were other exhaust creepers. I think its very dangerous at speed to drive that close . They have no idea if you are local and/or know the route or not

I have never been asked if I smoke on any car insurance I have had in the past Rollo

Anyway I have only had cars with leather seats for the last 10 years or so a quick wipe down if needed

I long time ago I had a motor with a US compressed air truck horn. This was great fun and used to fix lane hogging problems. Sadly it became illegal.

Now I drive a big fast 4wd with lotsa oomph. The fuel and other taxes are my not insignificant contribution to fixing the deficit. Size and speed definitely make life easier compared to my student days in a mini :-) It is also very comfy for my back and makes squash an ongoing possibility.

I drive a tad faster than Eddie Stobart's trucks so rarely to be found in the left hand lane. I am not sure whether that makes me a middle lane hogger but have never had any problems with traffic cops though a rellie is one such.
I always look under the car for any possible squashed hogs before the car wash.

Thanks to Eddie Stobart and friends the nearside lane is usually chewed up by HGVs and has indifferent to poor handling. The near side lane is also where you are mostly likely to find all manner of nasty surprises so is best ceded to Eddie who has 44 tonnes to deal with any problems.

When I am riding a bike the NS Lane surface quality is so bad as to be life threatening. So I don't use it, not that I am likely to be going at 69.9mph in the middle lane anyway.

The people who are a real pain are those doing 77 mph in the fast lane (where there are three or more ) more or less forcing others into dangerous undertaking.

In our neck of the woods typical motorway speeds are 80-90 mph so you can tell it is not Leicestershire or the M25.

Although the motor is equipped for hands free nearly everything I never take calls when driving - the problem is not whether the bone is in your hand or not but that divided attention is dangerous. People who cannot move 5 yards without texting need to see a shrink or are tired of life.

Smokers are given the option of not smoking or thumbing a ride. I get 10% off insurance for non smoking and anyway they always muck up the upholstery.

None of these "tougher" regulations will make a ha'porth of difference as there are very few mobile patrols any more thanks to the cuts. Moreover the "more and more of us" east European driving licence club is more or less impervious to UK traffic law.

The "tougher regs" do help a lame, possibly dead duck government look as if it is "doing something" and "in control".

fwiw the New Zealand police manage something very few police forces achieve. They are friendly, polite and when they find a problem see their task as sorting it out rather than making things worse. Amazing. New Zealand ( along with Oz ) also has the good sense to drive on the right (left) side of the road.

The biggest contribution to road safety I can think of is a good sound system and Classic FM. Most accidents are caused by in-attention and impatience. Classical music and cool jazz calm people down.

Loud techno music ( so loud I can hear it from the previous junction ) should also be £ 100 and 3 points or possibly double if wearing a hood and in possession.

The most dangerous thing on the road is a small square tin with (usually) 4 to 6 teenagers inside. It is called a Corsa. Frequently to be found fitted with £ 1 000 worth of techno music amplifier and under chassis lights but not car insurance.

:-D

The article doesn't mention where all these extra bods are going to come from to police these offences.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Claddagh

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

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