Swango1980
Well-known member
It seems interesting that some people are so quick to criticise the "British Way" of driving, and how this is part of the problem. I don't necessarily have enough information to say you are wrong, but do you have any evidence to say you are right?You are right, and I've been arguing it for ages.
This ingrained British idea that the lane on your right is for going faster in- always.!
That is why many people ( and , at present, the Law)will still condemn the motorist doing the max speed limit in any lane when there is an unused lane on his left. Doesn't seem to register that
Anyone going faster is breaking the law!
This mentality is best seen on urban dual carriageways which has a speed limit of say, 40 or 50. Drive at that limit in the right hand lane and soon there is someone tailgating and flashing you to get out of his "overtaking" lane.
What do these people think will happen when driverless cars are on the road in abundance(I'll be too old to see that , I think).? Those cars will never break the speed limit and drivers that do will by then be identified and sorted at whatever place on the road they are at. ( satellite tracking).Speeding will be almost extinct?!
I cannot understand the rationale of this British hatred of undertaking.
Most Countries with Roads with multiple lanes permit and expect undertaking. The British need the Law and the motorist to disenthrall themselves and do the same
Having said that, I do not agree with "smart "motorways. The hard shoulder had an important, vital even, function as a safety feature and to facilitate emergency action. That requirement has not changed. The hard shoulder should remain.
I have just seen statistics that suggest UK is the 7th safest country in the world to drive according to road fatalities per 1000,000 inhabitants, and 6th safest place to drive according to road fatalities per 100,000 vehicles (5.7 deaths). Ahead of them is San Marino (1.8 deaths), Norway (3 deaths), Switzerland (3.7 deaths), Sweden (4.6 deaths) and Finland (5 deaths). The Scandinavian counties are obviously doing well, but it seems like the UK are not embarrassing themselves. Incidentally, Germany 12th with 6.4 deaths, Australia 15th with 7.4 deaths, USA 34th with 14.2 deaths.
Places to avoid: Somalia (6532.5 deaths per 100,000 vehicles), Central African Republic (4484.4 deaths), Togo (3653.4 deaths), Rwanda (3521.1 deaths), Madagascar (2963 deaths). In actual fact, avoid mainland Africa generally, Libya has the safest roads in Africa, but with a death rate of 46.3.
Here we are, moaning that we can't undertake. Maybe we just don't appreciate how good we have it in comparison to other nations. I wonder what they are discussing on Somalian forums regarding their road safety? I bet they'd love a bit of consistency in a dedicated overtake lane