Courtious behaviour on our roads

sanches56

I have noticed lately that there is a lack of courtesy shown by drivers on our roads. Recently I brought a car trailer from Cork to Mayo. I was travelling on average 50mph therefore a line of cars would soon develop. When i either pulled into the hard shoulder or pulled up outside a house to allow traffic to get past. I would expect those drivers to show there appreciation by flicking on their hazard lights for a few seconds or wave or a friendly beep of the horn. Out of the hundreds of cars that overtook me, not one car done this.

This is extremely annoying and you can only understand if you have been in this situation. I am appealing to all drivers to show appreciation when a favour is given to them by another driver. What do people think?

ninty9er

sanches56 wrote: »

I have noticed lately that there is a lack of courtesy shown by drivers on our roads. Recently I brought a car trailer from Cork to Mayo. I was travelling on average 50mph therefore a line of cars would soon develop. When i either pulled into the hard shoulder or pulled up outside a house to allow traffic to get past. I would expect those drivers to show there appreciation by flicking on their hazard lights for a few seconds or wave or a friendly beep of the horn. Out of the hundreds of cars that overtook me, not one car done this.

This is extremely annoying and you can only understand if you have been in this situation. I am appealing to all drivers to show appreciation when a favour is given to them by another driver. What do people think?

I do it myself, but can understand why other drivers would not. Their concentration should be on driving, not flashing back to you. I'm sure someone else would also point out that hazard lights might be seen by the car behind you, they jam on the brakes and cause a pile up, which is why I turn them on as I accelerate passed to make sure nobody thinks there's an emergency (I.e I'm getting further away).


Anyhow, surely you don't move in for thanks if you're causing an obstruction you should move in because you are impeding progress, not to get a salute.

mikemac

If there is a queue of traffic then putting on the hazards isn't a great idea.

And if a person blows the horn you can be sure the driver in front will be furiously looking back and wondering why someone is beeping "them"
Some rude hand signals might ensue

You should have driven through Tipperary, everyone is friendly!

Voodoomelon

This isn't going to be a popular one, but in my opinion women are far less courteous on the road than men. More often than not, i'll let a lady out and she'll just sail by without even lifting her hand. What's more noticeable is they won't let ME out whereas its usually a man that does. Most of my female friends agree with this, in that other female drivers are less courteous to them too.

I find tradesmen in vans tend to be the most acknowledging when you let them out or similar, just my experience.

mumhaabu

Voodoomelon wrote: »

This isn't going to be a popular one, but in my opinion women are far less courteous on the road than men. More often than not, i'll let a lady out and she'll just sail by without even lifting her hand. What's more noticeable is they won't let ME out whereas its usually a man that does. Most of my female friends agree with this, in that other female drivers are less courteous to them too.

I find tradesmen in vans tend to be the most acknowledging when you let them out or similar, just my experience.

Women rarely acknowledge and I have a rule if she's hot I will let her out otherwise not!! The average building van is all salutes and I meet about three of the same fellas daily as your paths cross and we always salute each other.

Funny thing happened to me a few months back where I let a lady driver out in traffic and she procceeded to rear-end another car who had braked in responce to another woman pulling out resulting in a 4 way fender bender. I lol'd at the idea that I escaped it by letting her out.

Steve

sanches56 wrote: »

I would expect those drivers to show there appreciation by flicking on their hazard lights for a few seconds or wave or a friendly beep of the horn.

I would agree and it's something I always do, a single flash of the hazards is more than enough to convey thanks to someone who moved over to let you pass. I don't think it's likely to be perceived as anything but a 'thank you' by drivers behind either.

Sadly, the days of the artic (or any other) driver showing some courtesy and moving over to let people pass seem to be a more and more a thing of the past. The same can be said for the 'overtakers'. If someone does pull in, the queue behind will overtake like lemmings oblivious to the fact that the guy who's being nice is running out of hard shoulder!

Unfortunately, there is a tangable lack of common decency apparent on today's roads.

Berty

Ah something close to my heart.

It depends at what time of day you are driving. Normal mr & mrs/miss joe bloggs on his/her way to work is not too savvy with the road ethicit so I dont expect much. At weekends its the same, slower driver with less road sense and consistency of speed.

I would not say women are bad for it but maybe thats just down to women expecting men to allow them out and hold doors for them etc. Proffesional drivers will always thank you.

The places I have noticed less "thanking" is Cork, Dublin and Galway and lately Limerick.

Some people wave through the seats and I just lift my hand from the wheel as a "your welcome", some British people indicate left right left and I flash them and professional Irish drivers flash their indicators. Trucks and vans are the best for it.

On that note have you ever noticed a truck overtaking a truck on a dual carraigeway and the truck in the inside lane flashes it lights when the truck is passed it but still in the overtaking lane. It is to tell the artic driver that he has passed far enough and that he can pull back in. Very corteous.

Having driving a truck, van, car, vanette, carvan and ambulance I can tell you that people will let the truck out the least but expect the truck to leave them out. The van is similar to a certain extent. Drivers of trucks and vans will stick together and leave each other out most of the time.

Taxi drivers do not come up in this instance because everybody despises them ALL the time. I had taxi driver attempt to hold up a roundabout to let his taxi friend onto the roundabout one morning. I said attempt because I blew him out of it until he kept moving. GIT!

mikemac

Motorcycles are the friendliest group.
Well overtaking isn't such an issue but if they meet outside a city most salute each other even though they don't know each other.
Only a small group so they stick together

I think the days of taxis helping each other out are going,unless they already know each other.

chickenhawk

sanches56 wrote: »

I have noticed lately that there is a lack of courtesy shown by drivers on our roads. Recently I brought a car trailer from Cork to Mayo.

Did you do this on saturday by any chance? And did you have a tractor or something similar on the back?

ergonomics

I regularly get stuck behind lorries and trucks on the Urlingford to Cashel road. Whenever one pulls in I always put on my hazards as I go past*, even if they were pulled in before I got to them. I just think it's manners.

As for the person behind me in a queue of traffic thinking I'm putting on my hazards for an actual hazard and slamming on their brakes - if I'm overtaking a lorry in the hard shoulder and they are behind me then they're obviously overtaking too. If I put on my hazards then they're going to have to be fairly stupid to not realise I'm thanking the lorry driver.

*The only time I don't put on my hazards is if there is a car so far up my arse that the lorry won't see them!

If someone lets me out of a junction or gives me space, I'll always give them a wave as I go past too. If I see people waiting to get out of a junction in slow moving traffic I won't hesitate to let them out, none of us are going anywhere fast and from experience I've realised that most people you let out turn off at the next junction.

Oh, and I'm female so we're not all rude!

positron

The other day there was a muppet in his flashy Range Rover driving behind my tiny Focus for about 10 miles with his high beams on. A number of cars coming against us flashed him - flashing me in the process - and eventually he coped on and switched to low beam - and I then used the hazard lights to ""thank him"". 'Courteousness' is not what I had in mind then, but later on I was hoping I was not too rude!

Mr. Presentable

I don't care if I get no thanks. Why would you? I let you out, so later you let him out and around it goes until someone lets me out. No need for flashing lights, hazards, horns waving etc. The courtesy is in giving space to another driver.

And I feel posters are being unkind to female drivers. They'd let you out if they saw you, but you will notice generally they fix their stare straight ahead so they don't.

quad_red

positron wrote: »

and I then used the hazard lights to ""thank him"". 'Courteousness' is not what I had in mind then, but later on I was hoping I was not too rude!

Oooohh, scathing :P I wouldn't worry about it.

I agree with the OP in regards to manners and would concur re it generally being men who will let you out.

Berty

nipplenuts wrote: »

And I feel posters are being unkind to female drivers. They'd let you out if they saw you, but you will notice generally they fix their stare straight ahead so they don't.

You gave the compliment and took it away fairly quickly

but you are correct. Many women drive with blinkers on and are oblivious to the world around them. Women are supposedly terrible with peripheral vision so that possibly answers that.

But like earlier I said women are not the root or the cause of the problem.

The courtesy problem is due to the Dr Jeckle & Mr Hyde mentality of people. You can be corteous, holding doors open for little old ladies on the street, smiling at babies and saying "excuse me" if you bump into somebody on the street. Close the door of your car and hit the streets and you are a completely different beast. Screaming at other drivers because they are not driving like you.

Its male, female, young, old, experienced, inexperienced and it could be YOU. Im a different person driving my car and I know it and I try to control it so does my GF by saying things like "she cannot hear you, why are you shouting"

You learn courtesy from your parents and peers. Different sections of society will act much differently and the pace of life you lead will influence you.

GBX Rich

this is not against all farmers so don't get me wrong, (i worked on a farm for 2 years), but when ever you meet a tractor on the road, they will nearly never pull in, even if there is a hardshoulder, only half will pull in, and they are driving so slow that it wouldn't hurt them to pull into someone's driveway for a minute to let people past,

and flashing your hazards in kinda a way of showing respect as well as courtisy too, that person was been nice letting you past, so flashing them is been nice back, i don't always flash as i'm focused on the road but when i can, i will

Samson

ergonomics wrote: »

Oh, and I'm female so we're not all rude!

I don't think it's really rudeness.
It's more likely that most female drivers are too oblivious - their mind is on other things, or they are busy checking their makeup in the vanity, sorry, rearview mirror - to acknowledge the courtesy of other road users.

Anan1

quirke_folder wrote: »

You gave the compliment and took it away fairly quickly

but you are correct. Many women drive with blinkers on and are oblivious to the world around them. Women are supposedly terrible with peripheral vision so that possibly answers that.

Actually, women are supposed to have better peripheral vision (and multitasking abilities) than us men. To do with keeping an eye on the kiddies, and all that. We're supposed to have more of an ability to focus on a single thing, comes from hunting.

Berty

Samson wrote: »

or they are busy checking their makeup in the vanity, sorry, rearview mirror - to acknowledge the courtesy of other road users.

Remind anybody of anyone they know? If so tell them to straighten their god damn mirror. Its not for shaving, doing your hair, using tweezers in traffic, doing make up. Its for looking back at me who could possibly be hurtling towards you at 60mph while you are sitting at traffic lights.



Seriously though if your mirror is like this fix it or if you know somebody tell them as well.

Off topic yes but important to my sanity.

luckat

I usually let people into and out of streams of traffic.

Unless they're in Mercs (smirking b*stids), or white vans, or smoking a pipe or wearing a hat as they drive. Such people don't deserve my kindness.

Voodoomelon

Anan1 wrote: »

Actually, women are supposed to have better peripheral vision (and multitasking abilities) than us men. To do with keeping an eye on the kiddies, and all that.

Peripheral vision perhaps, but poor spacial awareness.
The other side of the problem that I see, with women who actually do acknowledge you letting them out, is they take forever to see you flash or wave at them, wave or flash back at you and then manoeuvre. Which can be annoying if you're doing 40-50kmph and they're 50 metres in front, you flash at them and they just sit there waving at you! :pac:

Of course not all women do this, just moreso than men. Men tend to do this in one move, wave or flash whilst moving, women do it in a few steps.

sanches56

All the comments are great. What i meant by flashing the hazards for a few seconds when you overtake somebody who has allowed you to, i didnt mean a long period of time I just meant as a friendly gesture (one or two flashes). Besides, you would want to be fairly stupid to not know what was going on. If somebody instantly thought that meant danger and caused a pileup, a lot of other accidents will be occurring involving a driver of that mentality.
It is really interesting that some people have said that female drivers are less likely to be courtious. This is not getting into a sexist debate as one has to be more courtious than the other but I would agree that guys are much more likely to show appreciation.
Also builders, van drivers, truck drivers or anyone who needs to tow a trailer are definitely more likely to show their appreciation because they have probably had to drive at a slow speed in the past and they would expect to be thanked.

Its down to treat yourself as you would like to be treated.
Chickenhawk, I had an empty trailer so it wasnt me you seen.

E92

I agree with all of the above.

If someone does me a favour I'll *always* acknowledge them, flashing the hazard warning lights if they're behind me, or putting up a finger(but not the middle one obviously:D) if I'm coming towards them.

When I say "doing a favour" I don't mean someone who pulls in because the obstruction is on their side; some people seem to be oblivious to the fact that it's one of the ROTR that you give way if there's an obstruction on your side and expect you to acknowlege them for doing so(I'll always drive on without acknowlegement because they're supposed to do it anyway), I mean if say there's an obstruction on both sides and the other drive flashes their lights to let me through or flashes their lights when they see I want to change lanes and traffic is really heavy, or beckoning me at a junction etc, things they certainly are under no obligation to do.

su_dios

The worst thing I find is letting somebody out while moving along slowly only for another 2 or 3 people to chance their arm and squeeze in in from of you. Is it too much to ask for one car to allow one car out and the same for the car behind?(I'm talking about when you slow down slightly to let someone into the lane be it from another lane or say sideroad).

The other is when people drive into box junctions when its not clear and then jump into your lane leaving you to have to react quickly and become stranded in the yellow box. Hasn't happened to me but I'm sure theres a few people on here where this has led to them getting a ticket for being stuck in a yellow box because of discourteous driving.

towel401

i blame facebook and public paranoia about paedophiles and stalkers for the decline in etiquette

why would you flash your hazards at someone if you think it will cause them to follow you and eventually rape you? this is mostly a problem with women though. they are bad mannered because they view everyone as a potential stalker / rapist

unkel

towel401 wrote: »

i blame facebook and public paranoia about paedophiles and stalkers for the decline in etiquette

Wowwww, steady on. This is the motors forum. Maybe you should post in one of the social forums. Or here.

towel401

unkel wrote: »

Wowwww, steady on. This is the motors forum. Maybe you should post in one of the social forums. Or here.

i was messing. but srsly the general decline in manners is everywhere and it's been going on for years

ottostreet

i completely agree with the statement that it is women who thank the least. noticed it today joining kylemore road, i let a woman in a 06 black X5 out and...nothing. i was heading to dundalk so not much happened on the motorway, but once i got to dundalk, let a plumbing van full of lads out from a texaco garage, and...flashers to thank me. i remember saying to myself "ya ould bitch, with hubbys X5" when i saw the woman. i do an average amount of driving but did a lot more in the last two years before i went back to college, and invariably, the amount of thanks i got when i let someone out would be 80-20, in favour of male drivers.

Panda Moanium

This whole flashing the hazards thing to say thank you is all fine and well but it has become so de rigueur recently that certain drivers seem more concerned to acknowledge the overtakee than making sure they complete the manoeuvre safely. On two occasions recently I've witnessed near accidents due to this, one where the driver's hazards seemed to be connected to the brake pedal as they slowed suddenly before completing the overtaking manoeuvre, nearly causing a multiple car pile-up as there were other cars also overtaking.

The other was even more worrying; the overtaking car took a violent serve across the path of an oncoming vehicle at the same time as the hazards came on. Obviously the driver had to reach across to activate the hazards and in do so tugged on the steering wheel. Scary.

Its almost become a uniquely Irish phenomenon like the use of fog lights. If you are driving a car with a back window what's wrong with just raising your arm to say thanks just like we always used to. And to be honest is it really necessary to acknowledge every single vehicle that you overtake as some drivers seem insistent on doing. I even once was following a car that flashed its hazards after overtaking a pedestrian for goodness sake! :eek:

Fyr.Fytr

Found motorcycles the friendliest, yesterday for example driving from swords to city centre, on the N1 in slow moving traffic just after port tunnel, if i saw a bike coming up in between the two rows of cars id move over a bit give them a bit of extra room, everyone of them, (5 in total) raised their hand as they passed to say thanks, dont know why she did it but the yummy mummy in the landrover disco behind me moved over to the left in effect blocking then, then again she was doing her nails!

Also as said on here professional drivers are the best for letting you out and thanking you when you let them out.

John_Mc

su_dios wrote: »

The worst thing I find is letting somebody out while moving along slowly only for another 2 or 3 people to chance their arm and squeeze in in from of you. Is it too much to ask for one car to allow one car out and the same for the car behind?(I'm talking about when you slow down slightly to let someone into the lane be it from another lane or say sideroad).

I HATE when that happens! :mad:

Berty

What about this??

When you are driving along and the car in front of you is turning left and you are going straight on. They stop without turning letting four or five cars out in front of you and then proceed to make the turn and head of their merry way. :mad:

sanches56

I think this depends on the situation, if you are the car thats turning left onto a side-road and you can see that there are people waiting to turn out then it is ok to let them out if there is alot of cars behind you. However if there is only a few cars behind you then you shouldnt let them out as it wont be very long until they get an oppurtunity to turn onto the road. Hope this makes sense for everyone. I do understand that it is a nice gesture to the people waiting to turn onto the road but at the same time can be annoying for those behind you. I have to admit, I am guilty of this scenario!!