Nocturnity
Expert Member
Over the years I've noticed a few things that really bother me on our roads. For the last month or so I've been commuting with the new bike and it's definitely highlighted a few of these things as you're much more aware of what's going on than you are with the false sense of security a car brings. Herewith my list of dangerous practices that piss me off on the road:
1. Road racers. Especially the souped up golfs and corsas. Those cars were designed many years ago with specific goals. The platforms were not meant to handle a lot of power and/or high speed. The suspension, chassis, brakes and drag all play a part in how a car handles and these little cars are not supposed to be doing what they're doing these days. No ABS, ESP or airbags but they choose to make them go faster. I've seen sooooo many accidents involving these little cars with over-zealous drivers.
2. Dads/moms picking up something their little bundles of joy dropped or adjusting a blanket or diverting their attention to the child for some or other reason. Turning your body causes your steering hand to change angle, which in turn causes your car to drift out of your lane and you don't realize this until you're halfway in the other lane, causing you to tug the steering to get back in your own lane. Pull off the road and fix what you need to fix.
3. People who turn right before turning into a 90 degree left turn. STAY IN YOUR LANE! Decrease your speed if you don't think you're going to make it but don't drift off to the right to change the angle of your entry. The person in the lane next to you may have nowhere to go to give you space.
4. When driving up a hill (Plattekloof, anyone?), if you're driving a 800-1400cc car, do not climb the hill in the right-hand lane. You don't have the power to climb at 120km/h and if you need to slow down for any reason, you REALLY don't have the power to speed up again. This is what causes the backup on the N1 every day.
5. Those little grey old ladies. Everything they do is dangerous. They got their licenses in 1942 when cars couldn't go faster than 20 and there was no traffic, and they apply those driving skills to modern cars in todays traffic conditions. They don't look before they turn, there's usually no indicators, they don't realize how fast other cars are approaching and turn in front of you. Also, they still drive 20km/h.
I'm sure I'll expand on this topic as the day passes.
1. Road racers. Especially the souped up golfs and corsas. Those cars were designed many years ago with specific goals. The platforms were not meant to handle a lot of power and/or high speed. The suspension, chassis, brakes and drag all play a part in how a car handles and these little cars are not supposed to be doing what they're doing these days. No ABS, ESP or airbags but they choose to make them go faster. I've seen sooooo many accidents involving these little cars with over-zealous drivers.
2. Dads/moms picking up something their little bundles of joy dropped or adjusting a blanket or diverting their attention to the child for some or other reason. Turning your body causes your steering hand to change angle, which in turn causes your car to drift out of your lane and you don't realize this until you're halfway in the other lane, causing you to tug the steering to get back in your own lane. Pull off the road and fix what you need to fix.
3. People who turn right before turning into a 90 degree left turn. STAY IN YOUR LANE! Decrease your speed if you don't think you're going to make it but don't drift off to the right to change the angle of your entry. The person in the lane next to you may have nowhere to go to give you space.
4. When driving up a hill (Plattekloof, anyone?), if you're driving a 800-1400cc car, do not climb the hill in the right-hand lane. You don't have the power to climb at 120km/h and if you need to slow down for any reason, you REALLY don't have the power to speed up again. This is what causes the backup on the N1 every day.
5. Those little grey old ladies. Everything they do is dangerous. They got their licenses in 1942 when cars couldn't go faster than 20 and there was no traffic, and they apply those driving skills to modern cars in todays traffic conditions. They don't look before they turn, there's usually no indicators, they don't realize how fast other cars are approaching and turn in front of you. Also, they still drive 20km/h.
I'm sure I'll expand on this topic as the day passes.
