Burning the white line

stratos

Most of my driving is done on country roads back roads etc. In the last few months I have started encountering a new hazard, "well over the white line dude" I have met them on corners one recently made me swerve so badly the ditch almost sucked me in, I spin turned after him but he was long gone ( I would never go after anyone but this guy almost killed us). some of them have just put a wheel over some are almost half way. Sunday afternoons I used to see a lot of this, but now its anytime, I think some of it is just lazy bad driving.

peasant

Yepp, my daily menace !

But I've retaliated ...my car is now bigger than everybody elses (bar a truck) while still well inside the line, plus I sit on the "safe" side ...so, feck 'em ...I'm not moving into the ditch anymore.


But wait for the muppets that'll come on and try to tell you that hogging the white line or driving over it is actually "safer" and part of some advanced driver / garda safety training, using some misunderstood theory about better forward vision or somesuch.

kikel

peasant wrote:

Yepp, my daily menace !


But wait for the muppets that'll come on and try to tell you that hogging the white line or driving over it is actually "safer" and part of some advanced driver / garda safety training, using some misunderstood theory about better forward vision or somesuch.

Their are two hazards. Pedestrians on the inside and other vehiles by the white line. Drive in the middle of your section of road and hope their are no idiots over the white line or pedestrians on the inside

smemon

see this all the time..

particularly on gradual bends where people don't see anything coming so they feel by heading straight they save a bit of time or energy turning a bit :rolleyes:

peasant

No, kikel ..."hope" is not good enough, especially when it comes to pedestrians.
You're either sure that there aren't any, or you drive in such a way that, should the "suddenly" appear, you can stop / avoid them in time and safely. That might mean you have to slow down occasionally because you can't see far enough ahead ...but it doesn't mean you should cross the white line.

(If you're on a long straight stretch with no other traffic, you can of course avoid all the potholes and negative camber and drive in the middle of the road, but if you can't see beyond the next bend, stay inside that line)

peasant

smemon wrote:

see this all the time..

particularly on gradual bends where people don't see anything coming so they feel by heading straight they save a bit of time or energy turning a bit :rolleyes:

Cutting corners (when you can clearly see that there's nothing coming and there is no continuos white line) is no problem. It's quicker, its safer and its more efficient.

Problem is, Irish roads where you can see clearly are few and far between.

stratos

A pedestrian on the inside of the bend is never a hazard as you drive at a speed that allows you to stop inside your field of vision. A lot of people walk now on country roads as is their right. It amazes me a long field of vision straight road and the guy coming towards you doesn't realise he has to stop for the pedestrians on his side of the road. Instead I end up braking as he swerves around them. Its scary if a car flies by you on a country road as your walking. but then again I suppose car journeys are far more important than peoples safety or comfort.

kikel

You've picked me up wrong peasant. I agree other drivers shouldn't cross on to your side ofthe road. but they do. generally on corners on country roads. Driving in the center of your lane will give you the best chance of avoiding everything.

The reason people cross the white line is to save petrol and rubber. simple