Just got back from a trip to the country, and the constant factor was bad road behaviour, particularly in relation to passing. The following was not an isolated incident - it happened regularly.

On a single carriageway 100km/h I come up to a slow driver doing 80-90 (usually in a brand new Asian family car with a spolier on the boot). No probs, back off and wait for a passing opportunity or overtaking lane. The overtaking lane is the first opportunity, but now 90km/h driver decides to do 110km/h to either avoid being overtaken, or they are such a lousy driver, that they lacked the confidence to do 100km/h on the single road. To pass you have to go faster, risking a fine or an accident. The problem is, if you don't pass, as soon as the overtaking lane is finished, they slow back to 80-90, causing major delays and a frustrated line of traffic - the B-Doubles get particularly narky!!

Anybody else experienced these dead heads?!

And if you were to kill that guy,
YOU would be the one who went to jail.
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT!?

"Anybody else experienced these dead heads?!"

Every day I drive. That's why I like a fast car.

Years ago, I was riding a Honda 750 up the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mtns. I knew I had Plod behind me, so I was minding my P's and Q's. I overtook a semi by staying on the speed limit - sort of crawled past him. Plod pulled me over and told me that I was mad for not using the bike's power to overtake. Wouldn't happen now would it?

Know exactly what you mean, Try being in that position except be towing, now that really gets me frustrated.

Cheers Col

After many years driving distance and speaking to drivers doing the wrong thing I have found that whilst it appears they do their best to drive everyone else nuts the maniac in front of you who speeds up hasn't realised what speed he was doing until the signs for the overtaking lanes or the lanes themselves appear. That snaps them back to real tiime and off they go until they once mrore lose their concentration due to single lanes. Same thing happens on the freeway when there is 2 lanes opening upto 3. They drive under the 100 or 110 limit then realise because of signage they are going slow and off they go. Ask yourself or your mates, "How many times fo you arrive somewhere not remembering the whole trip?" Lots of people do due to concentration lapses, talking on the mobile phone whether its handsfree or not, music too loud, watching DVD's!! Best to identify them and get past where it is safe.

I noticed exactly the same thing on a drive to Melbourne at Christmas.

and Dave....what have you been putting in your latest batch of muffins?

Here we have holiday drivers! The one's that have no idea where they're going, stopping in the middle of the road to check street signs or they drive really........really......slowly.........looking at the scenery whilst you're trying to get to work on time!! Or holiday makers that just walk out in front of you and then look at you as if to say "What's a car doing driving on the road!!". Plus don't even mention roundabouts! Noosa has now officially just over 100 of the buggers. Now they're not too bad really but I think the rules (of engagement?!) on their usage must vary from state to state!!

I drove over 2 million K's over a period of 20 yrs watching that stuff.

And the more restrictions that are placed on the driving public the more accidents happen. Why?................

The problem is that drivers watch their speedo's instead of being AWARE of what is 2 k's in front,500m behind and what is going on in their Peripheral vision.

Could you imagine if the driving population of Australia was placed in Germany!

Speedo watchers doing 80 k in the express lane..that would be fun.

CP

Not to mention those that fail to give way at roundabouts. The rule being that the driver closest to exiting has right of way. Unlike VAN-020 who screamed through a roundabout barely missing the front of my car a few days ago.

I see this every time we go on a trip.

I also love the drivers that don't do the speed limit eg. on the freeway to Sydney, you pass them in the 110klm zone as they are only sitting on around 90-100 but when it comes to the 90klm zone or the 80klm road work zone they go speeding past you when your doing the speed limit what's with that? Then you pass them again when it goes back to 110klms and there only doing 90-100 once again I don't get it.

My brother in law drives b doubles out of Coffs, tell's me these stories every week! when i go up there every Easter and christmas-
amazing!! same thing happens to me. BOOF HEADS!

I was thinking about this sort of thing the other day as I was waiting at a level crossing. Why do we need all these restrictions in place?

Who in their right mind would think to attempt to beat a train at a level crossing? The risk is not worth it - save 2 minutes, or probably die. People drive along paying very little attention to what they are doing. Unfortunately a car continues to drive even if we aren't paying attention.

and what's with indicating right to go straight ahead at a roundabout?!

And who would queue over a level crossiing? Some people need to be told, even after a serious accident near Adelaide a few years ago where a school bus was hit by the Ghan or Indian Pacific, killing several people.

while your there, may as well add the "70 in a 60 zone --> 70 in an 80 zone" drivers. Most people are asleep behind the wheel.

Personally what I think is worse it the right lane sitter who is 5-10km/h under the limit while a line of traffic behind them is trying to make progress. Happens everywhere. There seems to be some sort of psychology that said 5km/h slower is safer than the limit. The problem is, it's totally negated when it means disrupting smooth traffic flow and frustrating other road users. If cops wanted to make money (that's what fines seem to be about), give them all plain cars and tell them to chase down all the right lane sitters on mainroads and freeways. We'd have enough money to widen every main road in the state in a month.

Both these things frustrate me, coz when I go on trips I aim to keep my average speed as high as possible, which means sitting as close to the limit as possible for the most time. It also helps fuel economy with the cruise control on.

had a fun one of those a while back. exactly the same thing, but the guy going from 80-110 at every overtaking was in a minibus, and he had a semitrailer stuck behind him. lucky there were no cameras, by the 4th overtaking lane i had dropped off to get soem real momentum, and overtook the bus and the semi at about 140 in the 122S. dont know why they do it?

It's - interesting - here in the USA. Speeding is expected. If Mr Plod is around, he's the one doing 75 - 80 mph blowing your doors off in a 55 zone. It took me a while to unlearn the speedo watching habits beaten into me by daily drives along the Westgate speed camera park.

Andrew

These slow drivers need to be fined - "Stay left unless overtaking". Police seem to like the revenue, they should enforce this rather than those going 43km in in 40 zone.

I have people just about kill themselves to get in front of me when driving a bus. the worst are young females in Barina's, Getz and the like who will go like there's no tomorrow to get in front then go slow. That's when I ride them and they start hitting the brake and I don't. They get the message when they give me the finger and I just blow a kiss at them. that really gets em going LOL.

the amount of people who do stupid things in front of heavy vehicles is amazing. Until you drive one every day you have no idea the risks some morons take.

Yes but I've had a truck tailgate me on the freeway at 110 km/h. That's a bit scary and completely unnecessary. No point in tailgating no matter how slow or stupid the driver in front is - won't get you there any faster.

About two years back I put on this site about my son who'd just got his licence and a copper nicked him for not using his indicator to exit a roundabout in Noosa where the left hand exit/entrance was to a carpark and the main drag that he was on just went straight ahead (does that make sense?). He also got done for "ineffective silencer" -the coppers terms not mine. Anyway to cut a long story short I spat the dummy and decided he wasn't going to stand for that and sent back the form saying that we don't agree/contest,whatever,the nick, well we never heard another thing back until about two months ago saying that it wasn't going any further. So it looks like even the police are not too sure with the rules either as I personally have seen cops cars go through all the roundabouts around here and never use their indicators. Life in tghe low lane I've got to agree with you about the kombis, when we had one, it didn't matter how fast you were going people would practically put everyones life in jeopardy just to overtake you but we found them generally to be Volvo drivers with little fish symbols on the back?

They say a powerful car is dangerous, but by golley does it get u out of dangerous situations....

best feeling dropping into 3rd on the m1 and flyin past an arsehole, leavin em in the dust...
I crack the shits easily when someone is stirring me up deliberately, to where it could be a dangerous situation.

Like this bastard going faster and slowing down to block me in while i was merging onto this one way road (bryants road, outside hyperdome), they were waving and carrying on smiling about it...
cracked the shits, smashed the brakes dropped into 2nd and swung fast into the over taking lane to dodge the bastards...

Then up ahead, a cop on his bonnet with a speed gun right at me..., and the sensation of "OH F$CK!" went down my spine, so we took the right side onramp onto the M1, bout 20metres before the coppa. He looked disappointed he didn't get a chance to pull me ova, head sunk down.

My temper is my weakness though, but it only results in me trying to get out of situations as quick as possible. Hasn't hurt me yet.

every single day this happens to me on my way home from work.

i drive up a motorway which is 100kmph for a few k's single lane. people do about 80 along here. not just the random person here and there but the majority of people just like a 20 k barrier on this stretch. then it splits into 2 lanes and people see the next 100kmph sign and the little red volkswagen about to speed past them and they speed up to 110 to try to stop me overtaking.

Its funny, people sit right on my ass in the bug all the time. I've been driving my g/f's car the last few weeks, sitting on the same speeds, and not one tail gater and dont get me started on all the mums in 4WDs/SUVs who merge over without checking their blindspots

I don't get it either you are going along HWY with the traffic at 90Ks then a over taking lane comes up,you gas it upto 120Ks but unable to pass anyone then back into a single lane and not long and your back to 90Ks again.
maybe they dont like the corners

Unmarked polce cars arn't realy unmarked, you can pick em a mile away, so down the F3 I go with the soob on 113 cruise control, spotted the "unmarked" coming up behind so kept one eye on the "unmarked" and one on the speedo, bout 4k's further on the "unmarked" pulls up alongside and pulls me to the side, I don't usualy argue with em, if I'm caught then fair enough but 113 in a 110 is just not on so out I get ready to take her on "sir I have clocked you doing 113kph" she says, so I am about to give her her reward but she continues "in a 90 zone". Bugger, shoulda kept one eye on the speed limit signs too, if only I had a third eye.

Hey, are we allowed to do U turns over unbroken lines now? I was a passenger in 2 different cars over the last fortnight and they have done U turns over double unbroken lines and they both assure me its legal now. I looked on the RTA site and there nothing saying you cant.