Nice drivers UK

Isambard

curious to know what you think of this driving style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlUcTpV9yLk

Del2005

Nothing unusual. I often let people out of junctions and am let out sometimes.

Peregrinus

In general this is frowned upon - drivers doing something unexpected increase the risk of confusion, uncertainty and ultimately accidents, and it doesn't matter whether the unexpected thing is benign or malign.

There's an exception in cases where traffic is congested and moving very slowly, when not stationary. In that case it's good manners, e.g., to give way to traffic emerging from a side street, rather than driving forward another few metres at the expense of blocking the side street.

9935452

Isambard wrote: »

curious to know what you think of this driving style

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlUcTpV9yLk

Thats standard enough round here,
Sometimes you dont really have a choice because the other car is blocking your half of the road.
I once had an artic lorry stop on a 2 lane main road to let me out with a tractor and silage wagon. I was going the same direction as him and he got stuck behind me for a few miles afterwards.

Sam Kade

I ended up in an accident one time with this carry on, there was a continuous queue on the opposite side of the road and a woman beckoned another woman out from a junction I was passing, she clipped the rear of my car and almost spun it out of control. Some how I managed to keep the car under control to avoid hitting oncoming cars.

storker

I drove in London for several years and found this to be normal. On motorways, not so much. Irish drivers are similar, but not quite so courteous. If you're trying to get out of a side road in the UK I'd guess that you'll rarely need to wait more than four or five cars before someone will let you out. In Ireland you just need to wait a few cars more.

That said, one of the most courteous bits of driving I ever saw was one day in Grand Canal Street Dublin. I was turning right into that cobblestoned little road that used to have ESAT's headquarters. I had to cross two lanes, and there was traffic in the nearest one to me, but the kerbside lane appeared empty.

A guy in a Merc stopped to let me turn, and just as I gave him a non-verbal "thank you", he held his hand up, palm towards me, in a warning gesture. He was looking in his passenger side mirror and had seen something coming up in the kerbside lane that was out of my line of sight. I was going to check it anyway before crossing, but I was very impressed by the driver's road smarts. To show courtesy to another driver is one thing, but to assist with his situational awareness is taking it to the next level.

Isambard

i never signal drivers to proceed, I merely leave them the room to make their own decision.

I find as a whole Irish drivers rarely see beyond the bumper of the car in front, whereas I was taught to take in the entire road scene to the horizon and anticipate my needs and those of other drivers.

I do my best to be considerate, but I am frustrated by the ignorance of many drivers who do their utmost not to allow you in at a junction.

BeardySi

storker wrote: »

IA guy in a Merc stopped to let me turn, and just as I gave him a non-verbal "thank you", he held his hand up, palm towards me, in a warning gesture. He was looking in his passenger side mirror and had seen something coming up in the kerbside lane that was out of my line of sight. I was going to check it anyway before crossing, but I was very impressed by the driver's road smarts. To show courtesy to another driver is one thing, but to assist with his situational awareness is taking it to the next level.

On the flipside of that... I have to take a right turn across 2 lanes of traffic close to a major junction to get out of work (can be a right pita at times). You'll regularly see numpties stopping in the left lane flashing and waving like mad at you while traffic whizzes up the right hand lane.

Buffman

Isambard wrote: »

curious to know what you think of this driving style

The majority of that was normal driving (for me anyway). What I wouldn't condone is people stopping on dual carriageway sections or in the middle of roundabouts or in fast moving traffic like some of those did.

edburg

That's how us welshies role (watched about 4 mins and virtually all wales). Its the way I was taught to drive.

Used to do a lot more when I first moved here but have since found there is an inherent need to get where I need to at expense of others here.

H3llR4iser

storker wrote: »

A guy in a Merc stopped to let me turn, and just as I gave him a non-verbal "thank you", he held his hand up, palm towards me, in a warning gesture. He was looking in his passenger side mirror and had seen something coming up in the kerbside lane that was out of my line of sight. I was going to check it anyway before crossing, but I was very impressed by the driver's road smarts. To show courtesy to another driver is one thing, but to assist with his situational awareness is taking it to the next level.

I did the exact same TO a guy in a Mercedes C-Klasse on North Strand a while ago - he had been waiting to turn forever, there was nobody behind me so I stopped to let him through when I saw a motorbike flying up the bus lane in my left mirror. Held my hand up and he got the message instantly - bike through, then he turned.

What has me scratching my head is what goes in the head of somebody who sees this situation ahead and decides to speed through on the left side, where he/she would be clearly invisible to the vehicle turning

And no, I wasn't the one in your case Storker, I'm an Alfa man

Alun

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I did the exact same TO a guy in a Mercedes C-Klasse on North Strand a while ago - he had been waiting to turn forever, there was nobody behind me so I stopped to let him through ...

But as there was nobody behind you, what was the point in you stopping? If you'd just driven on, he would have been able to turn after you'd passed by.

Even if there had been just one person behind you, I'd say the same thing .. it's happened a few times to me where there's just been me and a guy in front who has stopped from 50/60km/h to let someone turn who would have been able to turn just as soon if he, and I, had just driven past at normal speed.

Alanstrainor

It depends. I'm generally very reluctant to do so, as it can cause problems. If I am in traffic and I beckon someone across my path who is turning right, they will often fail to yield to anyone else which can cause trouble for cyclists or others.

As for the video in the OP, the first clip shows a car with tonnes of room behind slowing and stopping to flash out the camcar. That is retarded. Simple as. Probably some old dear who is looking for a wave.

coolbeans

Alun wrote: »

But as there was nobody behind you, what was the point in you stopping? If you'd just driven on, he would have been able to turn after you'd passed by.

Even if there had been just one person behind you, I'd say the same thing .. it's happened a few times to me where there's just been me and a guy in front who has stopped from 50/60km/h to let someone turn who would have been able to turn just as soon if he, and I, had just driven past at normal speed.

This situation creates an unnecessary hazard for motorbikes and cyclists who can legally filter. Often though, lots of drivers demonstrate absolutely no situational awareness when they're so busy trying to be nice. It's just misplaced courtesy to be honest.

Alun

coolbeans wrote: »

It's just misplaced courtesy to be honest.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

Another one that seems to be unique to Ireland is where you come to a yield or stop sign at a T junction to turn right, and someone coming from the left to turn right into your road, instead of simply turning across you, stops on the main road and waves you on. I mean, WTF is that all about?

Vic_08

Alun wrote: »

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

Another one that seems to be unique to Ireland is where you come to a yield or stop sign at a T junction to turn right, and someone coming from the left to turn right into your road, instead of simply turning across you, stops on the main road and waves you on. I mean, WTF is that all about?

It's not just the internet that has thanks whores.

dzwx

It's good and bad at the same time imo
Good as showing good manners, helping other drivers, being nice etc.

Bad as it's often creating tons of confusion and sometimes even danger situations, some drivers got use to that so much, that they won't yeld or yeld only for one side of traffic, then they will got stuck blocking everything and "forcing" other drivers to give them way

At the end of the day rules are here for the reason and for our safety, just wait for you turn simple as

J.pilkington

I see no difference in the level of courtesy shown by Irish / uk drivers. I'm sure some Irish dashcammers could post similar examples but it wouldn't be as sexy as a bit of self inflicted road rage again of which there are similar levels to the uk

Alun

dzwx wrote: »

Bad as it's often creating tons of confusion and sometimes even danger situations, some drivers got use to that so much, that they won't yeld or yeld only for one side of traffic, then they will got stuck blocking everything and "forcing" other drivers to give them way.

Yes, it results in the same behaviour you see where people come to expect drivers on the motorway to move over to let them merge, even when there would have been no need if they just did it properly.

I have to laugh sometimes, when someone coming out of a side road edges out so far that it effectively forces me to stop, and then when they eventually do decide to come out, wave at me to thank me. Errm, you effectively bullied your way out, and now you're thanking me for not driving into you? Right.

Voodoomelon

I hate when you see someone in the distance who wants to turn across you and you give them a quick flash to proceed. Nothing. You're that bit closer now and have to start slowing down, give another longer flash and a wave, still nothing. They then cop what you're signalling for and starting moving out across you, causing you to come to a near stop.

But in general i don't let people out if I have right of way, too much ambiguity. I tend to only do it if its difficult for the other person to get out or if its slow moving traffic.

I also hate when i very obviously don't have right of way and things so would be so much simpler for me to stop, but some ejitt comes to a near halt to let me out in a dangerous area. I just sit and shake my head showing i'm not moving.

yannakis

Many of the clips in OP's video are overly and unnecessarily nice. This is not how roads work.. Who stops inside a roundabout to let a bus enter (3:43)?

I'm not against behaving nice on the road, don't get me wrong.. I come from Greece, a country with 95% inconsiderate a-hole drivers where you have to be aggressive to "survive". But there are limits and of course many many factors:

• traffic ahead
• your speed
• their speed
• amount of lanes on both sides
• speed of car/cars behind you
• distance between you and the car behind you
• amount of cars behind you
• amount of cars behind them
• road inclination
• are they looking at you or not?
• are they aggressive?

Examples

• you're followed by one car, they have no one behind them and there is a "gap" for them to turn after you two - why stop and unnecessarily interrupt your flow to enable theirs?
• they created a queue of 5 cars waiting to turn, you're followed by 5 cars, have sufficient space between you and the next car, and you can slow down-blink-let them pass without stopping completely - you're keeping your flow, and enabling theirs too, do it.
• they created a queue of 10 cars waiting to turn, and you're followed by 5 cars, by letting the first car turn, you're basically enabling the flow the 10 cars behind them by restricting it temporarily for 5 - sounds fair enough, do it.

MetzgerMeister

I would normally let people out at a junction if a) there's a line of traffic behind me and b) the opposite side of my road is clear and they're going that way. I'll always take a look in the RVM and if there's no traffic behind I'll stay going and they can turn out once I'm gone.