Near Miss on A66

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fmttmadmin

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Travelling west on A66 through Middlesbrough I was driving at 50mph speed limit when a car overtook me on the approach to the A172 turn off. He was a bit over the speed limit but easily in time to turn off - unlike the car that suddenly roared past us both at around 70mph and just managed to negotiate the chevrons between the A66 and A172 turn off. But amazingly an orange car with spoilers and loud exhaust was following in hot pursuit. They were travelling at very high speed and only just managed the manouvre before running out of road. There was maybe a foot of clearance between the orange car and the crash barrier between the A66 and A172 turn off. If they had clipped it they would surely have flipped the car (as I know only too well) and could have also easily taken out the car that overtook me in the first place.
Amazingly crazy driving. I don't know about everyone else but I am seeing more and more of this of late, people overtaking on the wrong side of the road on busy streets, near schools, even around junctions and traffic lights but these guys obviously fancy themselves as F1 drivers yet in reality this was the closest high speed near miss I have witnessed.
 
fmttmadmin said:
Travelling west on A66 through Middlesbrough I was driving at 50mph speed limit when a car overtook me on the approach to the A172 turn off. He was a bit over the speed limit but easily in time to turn off - unlike the car that suddenly roared past us both at around 70mph and just managed to negotiate the chevrons between the A66 and A172 turn off. But amazingly an orange car with spoilers and loud exhaust was following in hot pursuit. They were travelling at very high speed and only just managed the manouvre before running out of road. There was maybe a foot of clearance between the orange car and the crash barrier between the A66 and A172 turn off. If they had clipped it they would surely have flipped the car (as I know only too well) and could have also easily taken out the car that overtook me in the first place.
Amazingly crazy driving. I don't know about everyone else but I am seeing more and more of this of late, people overtaking on the wrong side of the road on busy streets, near schools, even around junctions and traffic lights but these guys obviously fancy themselves as F1 drivers yet in reality this was the closest high speed near miss I have witnessed.
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I have noticed a rise in dangerous driving and I think it has stemmed from lockdown when roads were quieter, police less visible and new (bad) habits were formed. That said, I do suspect there are a lot more drug drivers on the road leading to such dangerous driving. The number arrested in those police interceptor programmes seems to indicate an increase in reckless driving behaviours.
 
fmttmadmin said:
Travelling west on A66 through Middlesbrough I was driving at 50mph speed limit when a car overtook me on the approach to the A172 turn off. He was a bit over the speed limit but easily in time to turn off - unlike the car that suddenly roared past us both at around 70mph and just managed to negotiate the chevrons between the A66 and A172 turn off. But amazingly an orange car with spoilers and loud exhaust was following in hot pursuit. They were travelling at very high speed and only just managed the manouvre before running out of road. There was maybe a foot of clearance between the orange car and the crash barrier between the A66 and A172 turn off. If they had clipped it they would surely have flipped the car (as I know only too well) and could have also easily taken out the car that overtook me in the first place.
Amazingly crazy driving. I don't know about everyone else but I am seeing more and more of this of late, people overtaking on the wrong side of the road on busy streets, near schools, even around junctions and traffic lights but these guys obviously fancy themselves as F1 drivers yet in reality this was the closest high speed near miss I have witnessed.
Click to expand...

Yes I'm seeing similar incidents on the road. There's some absolute maniacs on the road.

Also without turning this into a cyclist vs car debate i really want cyclists (and runners) to be aware of how dangerous the roads are getting.

I'm a cyclist and runner and it defies belief some of the stuff I see, cyclists flying through red lights at high speed and sometimes without lights. Runners running on the road, sometimes in the dark and dressed in black.

I want these cyclists and runners to keep themselves safer especially when half the motorists seem to be driving whilst looking down at their phones.

I know if you're on a road bike with 23mm tires you have to ride on the road because our cycle paths are virtually non existent but wear high vis clothing, have decent lights and obey the traffic lights in busy built up areas.

And runners, just run on the paths ffs, I've seen a few runners nearly taken out by cars recently. There's no training sessions that you can't do on paths/parks etc. Just keep yourselves safe.
 
It’s just another example of the way people are acting in society as a whole, thinking rules don’t apply to them or simply not caring. What are the consequences for them - in truth there are none. Just some examples,

Kids behaviour in classes, Parents not backing teachers
Parents not tackling kids behaviour
No respect for authority
People playing music and videos on mobile phones in public
Drivers thinking indicating to pull out gives them permission to do it

Depressing.
 
I feel like undertaking has become an "accepted" thing over the last couple of years, too. I do a lot of driving up and down the motorways, and now frequently see cars zig-zagging around the lanes to get whatever advantage they can. I've had a couple of near-misses where I've been indicating and moving gently back from the middle lane, only to find someone attempting to zoom past me on the left because it's suddenly clearer than the right-hand lane.
 
Subbuteo_171 said:
It’s just another example of the way people are acting in society as a whole, thinking rules don’t apply to them or simply not caring. What are the consequences for them - in truth there are none. Just some examples,

Kids behaviour in classes, Parents not backing teachers
Parents not tackling kids behaviour
No respect for authority
People playing music and videos on mobile phones in public
Drivers thinking indicating to pull out gives them permission to do it

Depressing.
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Mostly just a sign you're getting old. Most of this shidt has always happened.

Back in my day teachers would bray seven shades out of you and if you complained to yerr dad he'd give you the eighth shade. Etc.

On subject of bad driving. Cars are too safe, drivers think they are safe and take stupid risks, passengers should be in the safety cell, drivers outside it. At very least it would encourage natural selection.
 
RavsFan said:
I have noticed a rise in dangerous driving and I think it has stemmed from lockdown when roads were quieter, police less visible and new (bad) habits were formed. That said, I do suspect there are a lot more drug drivers on the road leading to such dangerous driving. The number arrested in those police interceptor programmes seems to indicate an increase in reckless driving behaviours.
Click to expand...

People using their phones whilst driving is a massive problem. I spend most of my working life driving around now and it is worrying how many people are using their phones behind the wheel.

It is meant to be as dangerous as drink driving but there doesn’t seem to be the will to stop it like there is or was with drinking and driving.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I see this all the time and I think we previously had a thread on it. It is time that every traffic light had a camera on them and motorists started getting fined and points added to their licence.
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I concur.

People think that driving is a right and not a privilege - this is a big problem. You can drive like a maniac and only when the most serious of crashes occur do they face any real consequences.
 
I recently saw a guy overtake another car turning right at traffic lights as the lights turned red.
He just squeezed in between the car in front turning right and the incoming car (who thankfully braked).
It beggared belief.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I see this all the time and I think we previously had a thread on it. It is time that every traffic light had a camera on them and motorists started getting fined and points added to their licence.
Click to expand...
Any sensible policies like that which ultimately save lives don’t get through. Roads are full of entitled ****, who deem any attempt at improving road safety is a war on motorists and police should be targeting the real criminals etc
Look at the pathetic response of people on social media when they see a police camera van, tells you everything about some people’s priorities
 
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