Driving in Shetland

[Heoga40]

I was down in Lerwick today and i was shocked by the poor standard of driving in the isles the first incident took place in the morning .I was heading south past Petta Water when i noticed a large white van right behind me it stayed there until we had passed the half way house then overtook me it was a council van .The van carried on until it came up behind a small van at Girlsta where it overtook the van in to on coming traffic causing both the van it was overtaking and the car heading north to break to allow it in .The silly thing is that it did not get him anywhere because when i was coming down past Sutherlands he was only three cars in front of me . I was doing 60 mph so he must have been doing about 70 when he passed me i think I'n right in saying the van should not be doing more then 50 .

 

The second indecent took place in the afternoon at Tingwall a taxi overtook a truck round the outside of a corner in to on coming traffic causing the truck and the two cars heading north to break .It's idiots like this who cause accidents and the sad thing is that it is usually the other person that comes of worst and never the idiot that caused the accident in the first place .It's just a pity i didn't get there numbers because i would have had no trouble giving them to the Police .

[piggywiggie]

Taxis never seem to stick to rules. Well some taxis. Not Ning Amy particular company but o have been soaked walking several times going to work by speeding taxis

[Kavi Ugl]

Yep, and just wait til you see the numpties who drive in the dark and poor conditions without any headlights on......

[eenoo]

Why do people indicate left to go straight ahead at a roundabout?

That could cause a serious accident if a person on the first turn off thought they were turning left and pulled out.

You are meant to indicate on your turn off (after the first exit, in this case)

[eenoo]

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/roundabouts-184-to-190

[Hector's House]

https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/roundabouts-184-to-190

That patently is not what many instructors teach their students. I have argued with many people (female, mainly!) over the 30 years I've been driving on the correct etiquette of using roundabouts, to no avail.

The most salient point in that link is "watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all"

 

Best advice I ever had came from a Traffic cop about defensive driving - always assume that every other road user has either not seen you, or is suicidal and has chosen you to crash into. Be prepared!

[JustMe]

Have said this before on another thread but it is worth saying again. All a flashing indicator proves is that the bulb works. A car indicating left may turn left at the next exit. Or the one after. Or not at all if the self cancelling mechanism is faulty.

 

I once followed a truck through a city and somehow the driver had got the indicators wired the wrong way. Indicating left meant turning right and so on. But that was a French truck which might explain it.

[Scorrie]

...... That patently is not what many instructors teach their students. .......

 

ADI's don't teach folk to speed, run over pedestrians, crash into walls, drive aggressively, tailgate or ignore parking restrictions.

 

But many folk happily do the above once they've passed their test.

 

So I'd like to see what 'evidence' (not anecdotal) you have for the above definite statement.

[Hector's House]

So I'd like to see what 'evidence' (not anecdotal) you have for the above definite statement.

Sure, I'll introduce you to my ex-wife

On several occasions, the argument I have had back from folk is that they have been specifically trained that unless turning immediately left, then they are to indicate right so as to show other road users that they are not taking the first exit, even where they are going straight on at a mini roundabout. To me, this is just bad (or badly interpreted) advice.

I am sure the actual training given is correct, but perhaps sometimes not put across well enough.

[Scorrie]

So I'd like to see what 'evidence' (not anecdotal) you have for the above definite statement.

Sure, I'll introduce you to my ex-wife

On several occasions, the argument I have had back from folk is that they have been specifically trained that unless turning immediately left, then they are to indicate right so as to show other road users that they are not taking the first exit, even where they are going straight on at a mini roundabout. To me, this is just bad (or badly interpreted) advice.

I am sure the actual training given is correct, but perhaps sometimes not put across well enough.

 

That is definitely bad advice, HH. If anyone has been taught that, then I'd recommend they change ADI.

 

But I suspect it is simply the drivers trying to cover their own backsides for not being arsed to indicate correctly. (much easier to blame teacher)

 

In my own experience, I've found that many of the culprits are older drivers who never even saw a roundabout when they took their test. Wick was a classic example - when they first put the roundabout at the end of Bridge Street (the only roundabout in Caithness) the ones who had never driven down to Inverness simply drove over the top of it in the face of traffic having priority or simply stopped and let everyone else in Caithness go first......

 

 

Drivers coming through the system in recent years have been taught how to handle roundabouts - but what they do after they've passed their test is totally outside the control of the ADI.

[Hector's House]

Going back to the original post, I wonder with the police's current squeeze on their time if there are the resources to chase up reports of bad driving? This is the only place i've known them to do this regularly (or at least for it to be reported in the local press, maybe it's just a "slow news" filler?). I expect it's one of those things that are good to do if time allows, a preventative measure, but maybe with fewer officers and no let-up on the drink-related crimes there just won't be as many "advisory" home visits as before?

[gavbey]

i completly argee about people and roundabouts up here. also normaly on a roundabout the road possitioning of the car gives away the direction they want to be heading in..... most people dont see this. if there taking the 3rd exit they will stay hard to the left... it should be hard to the roundabout itself. i supose when the older generations done there tests there was no trafic lights or roundabouts up here

[BigMouth]

Another reason that we shouldn't test up here as well as a lack of dual carriageways. yellow box junctions, level crossings gated and otherwise, low bridges, fords, double mini roundabouts, motorways, filtered traffic lights urban clearways etc. etc. Shetland needs a restricted driving licence system backed up by further training and testing on the mainland.

[Frogger]

Well I think the rule be aware of everyone on the roundabout is the best one applied to Shetland as there are older drivers who haven't been trained in roundabouts specifically so WE all should be aware rather than slagging them off. I met an old guy stuck in the traffic in the middle of the Sound roundabout yesterday and no one was stopping to let him through, seriously shame on you all - what if it was your grandad who just got a bit confused for a second or two?? I patiently waited for him to leave the roundabout whilst the guy next to me (who had only stopped because I had) spent the 20 seconds of extra waiting time he had to endure gesticulating at the old man. Shameful is all I have to say.

[Kavi Ugl]

That is indeed shameful Frogger and thank goodness at least you tried to help the poor soul.

 

Whilst there is a question mark over a good percentage of Shetland's driving I disagree that we should have to go down to Scotland for a further test.

 

You can't tar everybody with the same brush and I guess the truth is there are good and there are bad drivers in Shetland.