Before I get to the point of my blog I have to give some outline first. And it goes something like this —
“There is no such thing as the perfect driver”.
There, I’ve said it and I have no doubt I’ve upset quite a number of men and probably a few females. Possibly all under the age of 25 with about three years driving experience under their belts.
I have never considered myself to be a very good driver even though I worked hard to obtain my ‘Institute of Advanced Motorists’ membership, (Nov 1990, Member number 222695). Membership to the IAM is by examination, a driving test lasting about ninety minutes. All examiners of the IAM are either serving or recently retired Police Officers but they all have one thing in common, they hold a Police Class 1 Advanced Driving Certificate. Now I personally consider them to be very good drivers indeed and because I know the training they receive, to obtain said certificate, I treat them with the utmost respect.
From information I have gained over the nearly thirty five years of driving there are two types of police driver. The class one, mentioned above and the basic “Roadcraft” trained driver.
Now for a very quick history lesson. I’ll be brief – I promise. The book I mention above is actually a driving manual that first appeared in 1935 for the sole purpose of teaching police officers how to drive. It set out a system of car control, “each feature of which is considered by the driver on the approach to any hazard. It is the basis on which the whole technique of safe driving is built”. On it’s introduction it managed to reduce the number of police traffic accidents to well below the public average, prior to which they were even. So the book stayed and remained unchanged until the mid to late 80’s when the ‘System of car control’ was changed. In my opinion it was a bad change and I still drive to the old system as laid down in the 1935 ‘bible’. To give you some idea of how tough it is to become a Class 1. About 90% of candidates on the training course, (each course lasts about two weeks and starts off with about twelve candidates), fail to ‘cut the mustard’. History lesson over, see I said I would be brief.
So! to the point of my blog today.
I was driving along at a steady pace of about 55 mph on a dual carriageway in lane one. I was sandwiched, (a safe distance front and rear), by two heavy goods vehicles, (for those reading this in the USA I believe you call then semi-trailers?). From one of my frequent rear view mirror checks I could see a police car approaching me in lane two. I have to say he was making good progress but not using excessive speed. He overtook the vehicle behind and then me and was approaching the vehicle in front. Meanwhile we were all approaching a junction off slip. I had passed the 300 metre board and the vehicle in front had just passed the 100 metre board, with the police vehicle drawing level with it’s front wheels. Soon it was clear that he had passed the hgv because I saw the left turn indicator as the vehicle pulled in to lane one, or so I thought. The next thing I saw were the brake lights of the hgv come on and then the police car driving down the slip road. I’m pleased to say the police driver was not a class one, but he should have known better than to cause a near accident because of his STUPID driving. He had plenty of time and space to slot in between me and the lorry in front, or even accelerated so that he could have made a better exit than he did.
Unfortunately the police officer has had some basic roadcraft training, even though the contents of the book were clearly still a mystery to him, which, even so, is still probably more than Mr or Mrs Car Driver will ever get. Today’s driving standards are appalling with the way some speed merchants want to get to point B completely disregarding other road users.
A few weeks back I was driving through my village heading towards the village green. The green is laid out in a triangle with a one way system in operation. The direction I was travelling in gave me right of way over oncoming vehicles, but the transit van I met had other idea’s. We managed to pass each other without touching and when I politely, (honest. I see no point in loosing ones temper in a car), pointed out that he failed to stop at the give way line he swore at me and told me it was not a give way. A quick look in his rear view mirror would have shown him the rear of the traffic signs as well as the painted lines in the road. I guess he thought the mirrors were to help comb his hair.
I’m sure I’m not the only one to have pet hates when driving. I have a number of them but the main one is lane discipline. I find it mind numbing the way other road users appear to drive along with their brains in neutral and the wheels across two lanes. The worse place to see how inconsiderate other car drivers can be is in the car parks of local supermarkets. I seriously believe that owners of the offending vehicles should be fined a huge amount of money. One last one for me, before I go, are motorway drivers I call members of CLOC, that’s the “Centre Lane Owners Club”. They can go for miles without realising they are a danger, with cars undertaking at high speed etc.. One false lane change without a mirror check, (they probably don’t know what the mirrors are for anyway), and it’s a free ride in an ambulance if you’re lucky.
I could go on, for ever, but I fear I may bore you. Especially with the tales of car drivers holding their roof on whilst driving single handed. Or the blissful navigator who is reading the map spread across the steering wheel at 70 mph.
It’s a nightmare on our roads not made better by the driving standards of the young. I always remember that driving instructors only teach people to pass a driving test, not how to drive.
Stay safe and please drive carefully. You may not be good enough to be a class one driver but there’s no harm in trying.
Heart Wave 