Anyone else noticed how driving standards have fallen dramatically since covid? Even here in the wilds of mid-Wales, I get absolute numpties doing crazy **** like ignoring red lights, overtaking on solid lines or round corners, and worst of all, emerging from junctions without looking. I bought a dashcam last year, and I could make almost an hour of footage showing poor, if not potentially illegal examples of driving. I've had vans overtake me contravening keep left signs, I've had taxis doing U-turns in causing me to brake sharply. Madness.
I observed the same, here, up in the wilds of North Wales. You well know, how ridiculously tight Welsh country lanes are, but that doesn't stop the usual suspects on German made cars and delivery vans, from racing at full throttle. It has been quite a while, at least 3 years, since I ventured on one of those shortcuts.
I don't know about since Covid, but you are right for sure standards are getting worse, also i notice a lot of Africans seem to have their own way of driving.
Hardly surprising since 'half' the people on the road there in the UK are more accustomed to left-hand drive...from what I'm reading.
So you're suggesting that 21 million people of the 42 million licenced drivers in the UK have spent more time driving or learned to drive in a foreign country, basically outside the UK, really? Where are you reading that?
Rob driving standards have been declining for probably 20 years or more, even though the test is much harder now than it was. When I was still doing large amounts of long distance driving it was clear that the roads became noticeably more congested once you hit Preston when traveling south, that was true in 2001 still true in 2010 and definitely true in 2024, with the congestion you can see the temper of drivers deteriorating and it gets worse the further south you go. These days I get a taxi to the airport, Manchester, and that is a stressful journey I've often talked to the taxi drivers about the driving we are witnessing around us although one or two of the taxi drivers were equally as terrifying as the drivers around us, and the good taxi drivers they comment on how bad it is now. Personally I really don't enjoy driving into the South anymore, the last two times I had to do it to go see my daughter were terrifying. It's never going to get better, I always pay to use the M6 toll simply for the few miles of relief.
The data shows that: between 2015 and 2019, an average of 74% of people aged 17 years and over in England had a full driving licence. 76% of White people had a licence – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups. 53% of Black people had a licence – the lowest percentage out of all ethnic groups.
People are doing driving practice now for when the Russians come to invade us. lol Lots of swerving, u-turns and whatnot.
So you haven't heard of inverted commas , tongue in cheek, or sense of humour, then ? Whatever. Next start calling me a racist, bigot....bla bla bla. I live in the real world now...not that controlled by touchy feely naive idiots. Goodbye UK. You can have it.
So is 20 years ago( pre covid) have you picked @oss up on the fact? Thought not, double standards! Report was produced 2023 which is post covid, report date must of dropped off! Try keeping on a level playing field!
Those are quotes, hence my question 'Where are you reading that?'. And when have I ever directed those epithets at you? Maybe try a different emoji next time because it doesn't, to me at least, read the same way as it seems to do for you.
My reply to Rob addresses post COVID times as in 2024 which is the last time I drove into the south, the point was to state that in my view the issue long predates COVID but there has indeed been a continuing decline in driving standards.
Ironically, the price you have to pay to get a license without taking the test is going up here... whilst the standard of driving is going down Number of cars here must have increased by a factor of 10 in the last 10 years - and the volume of tricycles, mopeds etc. is just ridiculous - it's like bloody dodgems at the fair ground when you try to drive in the town! I keep telling my wife they should have round robin buses (and get rid of all the tricycles/pot pots and the yucky drivers) like they do in the UK ...
Yes...it was generous of the LTO to give me a full motorbike inclusion on my Phils driving licence...something that I'd never passed a test for.... UK or here.
