Drivers Confessions

cormie

Here's a little thread where you can confess to mistakes you have made when driving.

I'll start it off:

This is recently now, I'm sure I've made a load more when learning to drive. I was on the M50 wanted to get in the overtaking lane, there was a gap, looked in my wing mirror and started to go out, close call, nearly went into somebody who was in my blind spot:o

About two weeks ago I was coming out of a shopping centre, there was a car coming, with it's indicator on. I saw it coming and was prepared and was going out to wait for her to go by me but I think she thought I was going to go in front of her so she stopped and waved me on with a heavy beeping session:rolleyes:

Big Nelly

cormie wrote:

This is recently now, I'm sure I've made a load more when learning to drive. I was on the M50 wanted to get in the overtaking lane, there was a gap, looked in my wing mirror and started to go out, close call, nearly went into somebody who was in my blind spot

Done something similiar on the M50 about 5 years ago, came onto the M50 from the M1 and looked in rear view and wing mirror, indicated to go into overtaking lane and just before I moved hear a little beep. This young lad was driving the **** out of a little Seat in fast lane and I had missed it in blind spot.

Nothing major since then that I can remember off hand, and thats telling the truth, cant remember the last time someone even beeped at me in anger. Althou I beep at people on a weekly basis for some of the pure stupidity you see on the roads.

Anan1

My first was when I was learning to drive in a 1978 Toyota Carina. I went to turn left at the end of my road, there's a big wooden lamp post fairly close to the road on the corner. At the time I was used to riding a bicycle, so, once my head was level with the pole I started to turn left. BANG went the back of the car off the lamp post.

Drax

Being a biker I find myself doing a 'lifesaver' in the car every time I change lanes or turn at junctions (i.e, actually looking over your shoulder)... It has helped me more than once. You think you're clear to go - a quick glance over shoulder and there's a car in the blind spot... or a cyclist coming out of nowhere in city centre driving. Its worth getting into the habit of, no matter what you are driving.

I recently fitted an air horn to my bike - 129dB - and got to use it the following day I fitted it - as I was coming up an off-ramp - some young one in the fast lane of the M1 decides she has missed her turn - comes straight from the fast lane onto the off-ramp in one swoop almost taking me with her.... I sat on the horn for about 5 seconds - then came up beside at the top of the junction and she didnt have the nerve to look at me. If you are reading this - LEARN TO DRIVE!

Banphrionsa

Don't try to take a corner at high speed when it's covered with wet leaves.

Anan1

Drax wrote:

Being a biker I find myself doing a 'lifesaver' in the car every time I change lanes or turn at junctions (i.e, actually looking over your shoulder)... It has helped me more than once. You think you're clear to go - a quick glance over shoulder and there's a car in the blind spot... or a cyclist coming out of nowhere in city centre driving. Its worth getting into the habit of, no matter what you are driving.

Strangely enough, although I always do this, I was told not to during my pretest for the Institute of Advanced Motorists test. I still do it anyway.

Drax

Anan1 wrote:

Strangely enough, although I always do this, I was told not to during my pretest for the Institute of Advanced Motorists test. I still do it anyway.

That is interesting Anan1, did they tell you why? I think it might be to do with the fact that when you do it, you are not looking straight ahead, where potentially you dont see someone braking hard etc... Obviously common sense prevails... I think it is worth doing.

cargrouch

Drax wrote:

That is interesting Anan1, did they tell you why? I think it might be to do with the fact that when you do it, you are not looking straight ahead, where potentially you dont see someone braking hard etc... Obviously common sense prevails... I think it is worth doing.

Seems to be a recent development, heard of a friend being told to use mirrors only while changing lanes on a roundabout.

My confession: on a particularly slowbrained morning (hadn't been driving long either) I almost missed the turn off for Cork on the Limerick to Tralee road. Looked in rear mirror, never realised that the car that was behind me a minute ago had disappeared. Went to pull over (LATE!) and quickly realised where it was when i heard the beeping. It was a country mile away from being an accident, but it woke me up and have always used all applicable mirrors and over-the-shoulder glances since.

NutJob

cormie wrote:

Here's a little thread where you can confess to mistakes you have made when driving.

I'll start it off:

This is recently now, I'm sure I've made a load more when learning to drive. I was on the M50 wanted to get in the overtaking lane, there was a gap, looked in my wing mirror and started to go out, close call, nearly went into somebody who was in my blind spot:o

About two weeks ago I was coming out of a shopping centre, there was a car coming, with it's indicator on. I saw it coming and was prepared and was going out to wait for her to go by me but I think she thought I was going to go in front of her so she stopped and waved me on with a heavy beeping session:rolleyes:

Done it

You wont do it again ill bet. I know i wont just call it a learning experience

unkel

Drax wrote:

Being a biker I find myself doing a 'lifesaver' in the car every time I change lanes or turn at junctions (i.e, actually looking over your shoulder)... It has helped me more than once. You think you're clear to go - a quick glance over shoulder and there's a car in the blind spot... or a cyclist coming out of nowhere in city centre driving. Its worth getting into the habit of, no matter what you are driving

Absolutely! Where I learned to drive you'd fail your test when you weren't seen to be looking over your shoulder in both directions on all relevant occasions. Failing to do this even only once and you'd fail your test. I.e. as serious a mistake as not granting right of way, etc.

Shocking that it is not even allowed here in the test

My current car has blind-spot mirrors. They pretty much eliminate the blind spot altogether

Anan1

Drax wrote:

That is interesting Anan1, did they tell you why? I think it might be to do with the fact that when you do it, you are not looking straight ahead, where potentially you dont see someone braking hard etc... Obviously common sense prevails... I think it is worth doing.

He (the pre-tester was a Guard) said it was not necessary if I was using the mirrors correctly, ie constantly aware of what was there. My concern was that something small & highly accelerative like a motorbike could make it into my blind spot through even a split second of inattention. To be honest, I didn't challenge him on it at the time.

unkel

Anan1 wrote:

My concern was that something small & highly accelerative like a motorbike could make it into my blind spot through even a split second of inattention

Yes, or more common and more deadly: taking a left with a bicycle / moped beside you (easily going faster than you in rush hour traffic) wanting to go straight and obviously having right of way

impr0v

I was specifically told to do the over the shoulder look during driving lessons, and did it during the test. I generally don't do it much now as I generally know where cars are around me due to constant mirror use, and also, my wing mirrors have an angled section at their extremities to cover the blind spots.

In terms of mistakes, I guess there'd be a good few. Most involving speed. Something I learned to do early on was never take my eye off the car in front of me approaching a roundabout until I'm sure it's gone, rather than presume it's going to join the roundabout and start looking for traffic approaching from the right, only to find that the car in front has decided at the last minute not to join.

mikemac

Adapt to the road conditions. Thats what I learned today.

I was on my bike from the IFSC out to Coolock at lunchtime today. There are lorrys with gravel and tar going out to a new estate in Harmonstown(doubt you know where this is) and the road was badly covered in hot tar.

Was rushing as I was on my luchbreak and flew throught a corner in Farview. The bike was swerving from side to side and I'm amazed I didn't fall off.Zero grip. Hot tar make the road into an ice rink. Maybe car drivers wouldn't notice this but its harder to control a motorcycle.

It certainly wasn't skill that kept me upright, more pure luck. Had to pull over to compose myself.

So that's what I learned today

Hagar

I was in my car weaving through two lanes of stationary cyclists at a set of traffic lights when I accidentally clipped the side of one of them. As I had no tax or insurance I quickly drove on before I could be held accountable for my stupidity. Luckily I was able to swerve onto the footpath past some pedestrians and make good my escape by driving up the footpath against the flow of traffic on a one-way street...

mikemac

Hagar wrote:

I was in my car weaving through two lanes of stationary cyclists at a set of traffic lights when I accidentally clipped the side of one of them. As I had no tax or insurance I quickly drove on before I could be held accountable for my stupidity. Luckily I was able to swerve onto the footpath past some pedestrians and make good my escape by driving up the footpath against the flow of traffic on a one-way street...

My god, that is shocking!:eek:
I wouldn't be admitting that kind of carry-on

RoundyMooney

micmclo wrote:

My god, that is shocking!:eek:
I wouldn't be admitting that kind of carry-on

Sigh. Think about it for a second...

POTM Hagar, sir.

/Tips hat.

mikemac

Sorry, what does POTM mean?

RobertFoster

micmclo wrote:

Sorry, what does POTM mean?

Post Of The Month.

mikemac

RoundyMooney wrote:

Sigh. Think about it for a second...

POTM Hagar, sir.

/Tips hat.

Understand now.
Good post

Hagar

:d

AMurphy

cormie wrote:

Here's a little thread where you can confess to mistakes you have made when driving.

.....
About two weeks ago I was coming out of a shopping centre, there was a car coming, with it's indicator on. I saw it coming and was prepared and was going out to wait for her to go by me but I think she thought I was going to go in front of her so she stopped and waved me on with a heavy beeping session:rolleyes:

Cannot see what's wrong with waiting for some with an indicator on to turn or pass by. Indicators can be liars and killers.