Bad Driving thread

[HAL 9000]

I know there's lots of stupid things that drivers do, but pedestrians are more moronic than anything else. Pedestrian knowledge about the rules of the road is seriously lacking.

I gave up calling them pedestrians a long time ago, and refer to them as 'Road Magnets', as the closer you get to them, the more they seem to be irresistibly attracted to the body panels of your vehicle!

 

[IzZzy]

The new Clio models usually have DRL's fitted in front - so the moron behind the wheel assumes the headlights are also on as they can see 'some form of illumination emanating from the front of their vehicle' - not realising that the park lights, headlights and tail-lights need to be switched on MANUALLY - unless their vehicle has auto lights, and they have de-activated them for some obscure reason.

Yeah see this happen all the time. Particularly the drivers of this car:



Seems all idjits who don't know how to operate switches are attracted to this car.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I've been working in the Pretoria CBD for a few months now and there is stupidity happening around you all the time. Today was one of those WTF moments. I know there's lots of stupid things that drivers do, but pedestrians are more moronic than anything else.

Pretoria CBD, driving north on Van der Walt coming up to the intersection with Skinner street. I had green lights all the way which was quite pleasant for a Monday. So green lights for me, and a group of people decide to cross the road at the intersection where everyone knows its not green for them. What's worse is there was a woman with a baby on her back walking across the street.

So there I am, driving along when cars are stopping at the intersection, while it's green, to let pedestrians cross the street. Pedestrian knowledge about the rules of the road is seriously lacking.

I see this all the time in Pinetown CBD, and I just drive these days... have had one guy get a skrik and shout at me, which resulted in me shouting back "Its my right of way you ****ing moron, so sod off and learn the rules of the road"

Also, I've started to see that the "pedestrians" actually kind of pay attention, and if it looks like you are slowing down, they walk, if it looks like you aren't they back off.

 

[Kelerei]

They putter along at between 80 & 100 km/h on the GFIP payways, where the signposted speed-limit is 120 km/h, usually in the second-most lane from the right - or the extreme right-most lane - and totally oblivious to the 1-2 km tailback of cars trapped behind them.

It is useless to try & overtake them in the left - as the left lanes are usually filled three-abreast with petrol tankers, coal & and container trucks - all jockeying to overtake each other in a seemingly endless struggle, as their speeds differ by about 0.5 to 1 km/h, and it takes them about 3-5 kms, sometimes more, to try & complete this snail-paced overtaking maneouvre.

If the people puttering along at 80-100 in the right hand lane are overtaking the traffic in the left lanes, then those people are perfectly permitted to be in the right hand lane (provided, of course, that they move left again as soon as they have completed overtaking and it is safe to do so). Unless you drive an emergency vehicle, expecting them to dive into the slower traffic just to let you through is extremely rude and arrogant: let them finish overtaking and then move over safely for you.

Of course, if the lanes to the left are clear and they stubbornly refuse to move over, then they are in the wrong.

Having said this, there is the concept of a "minimum speed limit" that can be applied to certain lanes, and which will be signposted if applicable. You'll typically find this in uphill overtaking areas only so that the "Heavy Goods Vehicle Grand Prix" doesn't try to use the outer-most lane. The one example that I can think of offhand is the N1 outbound at Tygerberg Hill (Streetview illustrating this here). In the absence of such signage however, there is no such minimum speed limit. I believe that there are engine size minimum restrictions on freeways though (something like "you may not use the freeway if you have an engine less than 75cc"), but my memory is rather hazy on this.

 

[HAL 9000]

If the people puttering along at 80-100 in the right hand lane are overtaking the traffic in the left lanes, then those people are perfectly permitted to be in the right hand lane (provided, of course, that they move left again as soon as they have completed overtaking and it is safe to do so). Unless you drive an emergency vehicle, expecting them to dive into the slower traffic just to let you through is extremely rude and arrogant: let them finish overtaking and then move over safely for you.

Of course, if the lanes to the left are clear and they stubbornly refuse to move over, then they are in the wrong.

It is usually the latter, as I encountered about a dozen or so of these 'right-lane hoggers' chugging along at their usual 80-100 km/h on a trip to Pretoria and back on the R21 on Sunday - with the left-most three lanes usually devoid of the 'HGV Grand Prix' - meaning they should have been obeying the 'Keep Left - Pass Right' rule which seems to be an omission from the K53 test nowadays, judging by how many drivers I encounter daily who have no clue about it!

 

[ToxicBunny]

It is usually the latter, as I encountered about a dozen or so of these 'right-lane hoggers' chugging along at their usual 80-100 km/h on a trip to Pretoria and back on the R21 on Sunday - with the left-most three lanes usually devoid of the 'HGV Grand Prix' - meaning they should have been obeying the 'Keep Left - Pass Right' rule which seems to be an omission from the K53 test nowadays, judging by how many drivers I encounter daily who have no clue about it!

TBH, I haven't found that to be an issue yet... BUT what I have found to be an issue, is people hogging the 2nd most right lane, when the 2 lanes to the left are clear of traffic and they're chugging along at 80km/h, and the right most lane is full of traffic flowing at 120km/h... the chugger just refuses point blank to move over for some reason....

 

[HAL 9000]

BUT what I have found to be an issue, is people hogging the 2nd most right lane, when the 2 lanes to the left are clear of traffic and they're chugging along at 80km/h, and the right most lane is full of traffic flowing at 120km/h... the chugger just refuses point blank to move over for some reason....

I encountered a mix of about 2 or 3 in the extreme right lane, all doing the 'Driving Miss Daisy Sunday Outing', but, as you pointed out, the majority of them were the 2nd lane from the right hoggers.

If you flash your lights or hoot at them - they steadfastly refuse to move over to the left, remaining hunched over their steering wheels and staring obliviously ahead, which means you have to overtake them on the right, or, if there is faster traffic in the right preventing you from doing so, you have to overtake them on the left, hoping that they don't 'catch a wake-up' halfway through your passing manoeuvre, and try and move across into the lane you are occupying!

 

[cfvh600]

TBH, I haven't found that to be an issue yet... BUT what I have found to be an issue, is people hogging the 2nd most right lane, when the 2 lanes to the left are clear of traffic and they're chugging along at 80km/h, and the right most lane is full of traffic flowing at 120km/h... the chugger just refuses point blank to move over for some reason....

+1

 

[HAL 9000]

We desperately need a local version of CHiPs here in SA, to pull over the multitude of drivers committing blatant 'moving violations' such as lane hogging, driving too slowly, park or no lights on in inclement weather or darkness, not indicating when changing lanes, overloading, transporting passengers in the back of open bakkies, etc.

This would provide VISIBLE highway policing & immediate enforcement, instead of simply mounting speed-cameras under bridges as their token contribution to 'road safety' on our highways.

Maybe this would bring down the road death carnage on our roads, as it would be enforced throughout the year, and not just on Easter & Christmas.

 

[Bismuth]

I generally use the second lane from right on the highway. Will go 120 or so if traffic allows, otherwise just match the speed of that lane. However, I start getting agitated if it starts creeping towards 80. Then I just overtake on whatever side allows, and taking into account what traffic I can see further ahead.

That being said, I often find that the second lane from right is the slowest on the highway.

B

 

[creeper]

The problem is that people don't understand that driving like the devil is chasing you down the highway in Gauteng doesn't really save much time. Driving 60kms at average 160km/h will get you there in 22,5 minutes. Driving average 120km/h, 30 minutes. Which is great if there is no traffic and your destination is next to the highway. But there are traffic lights, traffic, taxis, slow vehicles on the highway and all other things that impact your time. The same applies to cutting lanes to get one car ahead.

At the end, you might save 5 minutes, but at what risk?

 

[HAL 9000]

Driving 60kms at average 160km/h will get you there in 22,5 minutes. Driving average 120km/h, 30 minutes. At the end, you might save 5 minutes, but at what risk?

It's the doddering fossils in the two right hand lanes slowing ALL the cars behind them in order to match their glacial 80km/h speed that adds extra & unplanned time to your trip - that in turn, causes totally unnecessary road rage & aggression.

All they have to do is keep to the LEFT lanes - and let the faster-moving traffic pass them unimpeded on the RIGHT at 120 km/h - instead of causing massive tail-backs, due to their clueless, inconsiderate and selfish behaviour.

The risk is that one of the frustrated drivers behind them will do a lane change to the left in order to overtake them - and get side-swiped in the process by one of the HGV Grand Prix candidates practicing their three-abreast passing manoeuvres in the lanes to the left!

 

[vinodh]

I encountered a mix of about 2 or 3 in the extreme right lane, all doing the 'Driving Miss Daisy Sunday Outing', but, as you pointed out, the majority of them were the 2nd lane from the right hoggers.

If you flash your lights or hoot at them - they steadfastly refuse to move over to the left, remaining hunched over their steering wheels and staring obliviously ahead, which means you have to overtake them on the right, or, if there is faster traffic in the right preventing you from doing so, you have to overtake them on the left, hoping that they don't 'catch a wake-up' halfway through your passing manoeuvre, and try and move across into the lane you are occupying!

Sometimes when there are too many people that are looking for parking on the N1, I use the far-right lane to pass and then move back to clear the lane , while doing 120km/h. However, sometimes there's a string of cars to pass and some chop, doing probably 160km/h or higher comes flying up to my bumper and starts flashing lights and going crazing about why I supposedly blocked him. If he just kept a bit closer to the speed limit and gave me another second or three to pass the cars on the left and move back, then we'd both be happy. But no. He has to go into full retard mode and try to run me off the road.

 

[HavocXphere]

Judging by today nobody in Gauteng can drive during the rain. Identical followup distances as in dry & all the usual ducking & diving.

Already dreading tomorrow morning (most of Gauteng has rain)....

 

[flarkit]

The problem is that people don't understand that driving like the devil is chasing you down the highway in Gauteng doesn't really save much time. Driving 60kms at average 160km/h will get you there in 22,5 minutes. Driving average 120km/h, 30 minutes. Which is great if there is no traffic and your destination is next to the highway. But there are traffic lights, traffic, taxis, slow vehicles on the highway and all other things that impact your time. The same applies to cutting lanes to get one car ahead.

At the end, you might save 5 minutes, but at what risk?

Once that truth sinks in, one (hopefully) calms down and drives more reasonably, rather saving the money that a better fuel consumption earns you.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Judging by today nobody in Gauteng can drive during the rain. Identical followup distances as in dry & all the usual ducking & diving.

Already dreading tomorrow morning (most of Gauteng has rain)....

Same here.

Robots are out, people drive like idiots etc.

 

[Zenbaas]

Same here.

Robots are out, people drive like idiots etc.

It rains and people double their driving speed. It always amuses me to no end.

 

[wolverine_dcp]

Dunno if anyone experienced this, Focken taxis in Durban in the fast lane cruising so I come along doing about 130km flash lights from a distance to warn the ****er, to my surprise, on go the indicators to indicate right turn . Obviously on the freeway so there is no turning but he basically saying fock off to the centre lane I am staying in the fast lane doesn't matter my speed

 

[wolverine_dcp]

Gosh and the road that comes onto the highways which has a yield sign forget about that ****, u will die cause the ****ers don't understand go when it's safe they just enter

 

[HumanShield]

I see this all the time in Pinetown CBD, and I just drive these days... have had one guy get a skrik and shout at me, which resulted in me shouting back "Its my right of way you ****ing moron, so sod off and learn the rules of the road"

Also, I've started to see that the "pedestrians" actually kind of pay attention, and if it looks like you are slowing down, they walk, if it looks like you aren't they back off.

I also just carry on driving, but the dangerous thing with this is that if you clip/hit them. You're the one dragged to the cop shop could face jail time.