Novices/Learners - watch this clip..

plodder

http://www.independent.ie/videos/irish-news/watch-novice-driver-almost-causes-major-crash-with-dangerous-manoeuvre-35505935.html#play

Quick reactions by an oncoming vehicle prevented what could easily have been a fatal collision.

What might have happened was the (novice) driver pulling out from the right, thought that the lorry was letting him cross, and assumed that the road was clear on his side too.

Yawns

I've seen similiar and worse happen with fully qualified and novice drivers alike. It always boils down to idiots behind the wheel regardless of having passed the test or not tbh.

The mother in law caused a massive crash on the motorway a few years back by coming to an emergency stop in the "fast lane" when she was driving at 80 and had to stop because to started to rain. She's a fully licenced driver for about 12 years now. Yes she calls the overtaking lane a fast lane and still drives way below the speed limit in it. I refuse to get in her car or let my kids near it. Doesn't stop her driving tho. She actually came to a stop, other drivers swerved around her and some hit the median or when off into the hardshoulder. After a good few seconds the mother in law continued on her journey as if nothing happened apart from cursing the rain.

plodder

It always boils down to idiots behind the wheel regardless of having passed the test or not tbh.

Sure, there's lots of idiot drivers, but my point is this driver is probably not an idiot. He or she is a novice (Northern R plate) and is just inexperienced. We cant know for sure, but I think that was a typical novice mistake. We've probably all made them, but didn't come as close to death as this person. The lorry driver stopped at a point that kind of invited the car to cross. Obviously the car driver should have checked both ways, but my point is that some newly qualified drivers might take a signal like that as an invitation to cross immediately.

Yawns

That's a fair point and one I agree with. But even with experienced drivers, they don't always check both ways and assume the way is clear without looking. Fair play to the other driver for managing to avoid a fatal collision. Hope he was ok afterwards.

neonsofa

I can't figure out why the lorry actually stopped in the first place, watching on phone so maybe I'm missing something??

Yawns

Looks like the truckwas going to turn right at the junction. When the main road was clear of oncoming traffic, the driver would have prob let the side cars out so he would have enough room to turn. Perhaps he had a large enough trailer so needed more space to turn.

wonski

neonsofa wrote: »

I can't figure out why the lorry actually stopped in the first place, watching on phone so maybe I'm missing something??

Turning right

jimgoose

neonsofa wrote: »

I can't figure out why the lorry actually stopped in the first place, watching on phone so maybe I'm missing something??

Maybe turning right into where that car came out of?

neonsofa

Yawns wrote: »

Looks like the truckwas going to turn right at the junction. When the main road was clear of oncoming traffic, the driver would have prob let the side cars out so he would have enough room to turn. Perhaps he had a large enough trailer so needed more space to turn.

That makes sense! Thanks all!

Thelomen Toblackai

So don't drive out in front of oncoming traffic ? Thanks OP. It's these little things not covered in the lessons or test that really catch you out...

plodder

Thelomen Toblackai wrote: »

So don't drive out in front of oncoming traffic ?

Correct, but that wasn't the point of the thread.

Thelomen Toblackai

plodder wrote: »

Correct, but that wasn't the point of the thread.

What is the point ? Judging by the title you seem to think all learner and novice drivers need to be reminded to look before pulling out into the road.

Not looking before pulling out onto a road is not inexperience that's just bad/dangerous driving. N plate or not this is someone who has done the lessons and passed a driving test.

Going by the dash cam videos being posted in the main forum bad/dangerous driving isn't something limited to novices and fixed with experience. Its a problem everywhere with all manner of drivers who are just bad drivers.

2Mad2BeMad

Love the way your saying novice and learners to watch this. Have you checked the dash cam thread by any chance?

plodder

Thelomen Toblackai wrote: »

What is the point ? Judging by the title you seem to think all learner and novice drivers need to be reminded to look before pulling out into the road.

Not trying to bash novices or learners. The point was that learners and particularly novices who are driving on their own for the first time, are going to encounter situations that they haven't necessarily seen before - like a driver who has right of way signalling to you turn ahead of them (reversing the normal right of way situation). You might naively think that the other driver is telling you the way is clear. That might be what happened in this case. I'm just suggesting to new drivers, it's something they should be aware of.

Not looking before pulling out onto a road is not inexperience that's just bad/dangerous driving. N plate or not this is someone who has done the lessons and passed a driving test.

The other day, a driver pulled out in front of me, and it was either a learner or a novice. They completely misjudged the situation. It was a wet morning and they looked stressed by the conditions. I think it's wrong to say that can't be caused by inexperience, and they are just a bad driver, who will never improve.

Going by the dash cam videos being posted in the main forum bad/dangerous driving isn't something limited to novices and fixed with experience. Its a problem everywhere with all manner of drivers who are just bad drivers.

I haven't seen those. But where did I say that dangerous driving is limited to novices? I didn't. For the record, the most dangerous drivers on the roads are probably experienced ones. But, nothing I say is going to change them.

flashforward

Not excusing the mistake by the driver but my pity on the Toyota pickup driver ran very dry once I seen he did not have his lights on. Nothing annoys me more than drivers driving in the rain,dusk or dawn with no lights on.

Funnily enough the driver with 'quick reactions' (give me a break) and the Novice who almost caused the crash are 2 cars without lights on....


Look at some of the others:


I drive with DRL on all the time and change to dipped beam once it darkens or starts to rain at all (even in heavy cloud cover if warranted)

IMO it should be an offence to drive in any conditions detailed above without DRLs/sidelights or dips.

Rather than just slate the novice we should all make note of what we can do to make our cars more noticeable to the bad drivers...

plodder

I agree about DRL. I can't understand why it's not mandatory here, given the low light levels for much of the year.

Thelomen Toblackai

plodder wrote: »

Not trying to bash novices or learners. The point was that learners and particularly novices who are driving on their own for the first time, are going to encounter situations that they haven't necessarily seen before - like a driver who has right of way signalling to you turn ahead of them (reversing the normal right of way situation). You might naively think that the other driver is telling you the way is clear. That might be what happened in this case. I'm just suggesting to new drivers, it's something they should be aware of.

I'm not saying you're trying to bash novice or learners. AS a learner myself I guess it is good to see things like this to see how easily crashes can happen. But I don't particularly see that as a new situation. Perhaps some confusion over right of way but not pulling out under oncoming traffic. That's just not looking before pulling out.

The other day, a driver pulled out in front of me, and it was either a learner or a novice. They completely misjudged the situation. It was a wet morning and they looked stressed by the conditions. I think it's wrong to say that can't be caused by inexperience, and they are just a bad driver, who will never improve.

There's a lot of things that will improve with experience I'd imagine and a lot of situations handled a lot better but again I'm not sure pulling out under oncoming traffic should be one of them. And in my experience and looking at the dash cam thread near misses caused by drivers pulling out under people is a common occurrence with fully licences drivers. I'm not saying it can't be caused by inexperience but when it happens so often with fully licenced drivers you can't really say it's a problem caused by inexperience either.

I haven't seen those. But where did I say that dangerous driving is limited to novices? I didn't. For the record, the most dangerous drivers on the roads are probably experienced ones. But, nothing I say is going to change them.

I'm just confused as to why there's a public announcement when an L or N plate driver does something yet there's hours and hours of dash cam footage showing the country is plagued with terrible fully licenced drivers driving dangerously and it's worth no more than a "tut, bad driver".

Tbh all that dash cam footage of bad driving should be watched by every driver. I see a lot of drivers on the roads who seem to think the laws are just guidelines that can be ignored when it suits them.

plodder

Ok, fair enough. But I don't see much point in comparing the bad and inconsiderate behaviour of some experienced drivers with the mistakes made by inexperienced drivers. It's like apples and oranges. They are just different situations. Bear in mind that there is a reason why insurance costs are so high for learners, and for novices after they pass their test.

Dravokivich

Terrible driving is terrible driving. Doesn't matter how much experience one has. It doesn't mean anything.

plodder wrote: »

The other day, a driver pulled out in front of me, and it was either a learner or a novice. They completely misjudged the situation. It was a wet morning and they looked stressed by the conditions. I think it's wrong to say that can't be caused by inexperience, and they are just a bad driver, who will never improve.

I've had plenty of people pull up in front of me, neither learner nor novice. At least not indicated by means of L/N plates.

flashforward wrote: »

Not excusing the mistake by the driver but my pity on the Toyota pickup driver ran very dry once I seen he did not have his lights on. Nothing annoys me more than drivers driving in the rain,dusk or dawn with no lights on.

It appears to me the novice attempted to get across quickly because they saw the amount of vehicles behind the pickup and didn't want to be stuck there. There was ample time for them to see it. It was when they saw what was behind, that they gunned it. So that guy not having lights on, doesn't seem as much an issue.