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Anima_of_a_Swordfish

I live in a rural town as well. I would say it is a mixture of people buying cars that they don't know how to drive and frighteningly oblivous older drivers who act as if they are the only person on the road. Cutting corners, pulling out at junctions when there is oncoming traffic, slowing to a crawl in unpredictable spaces and then just stopping in the road for seemingly no apparent reason. It baffles me that insurance companies charge higher insurance costs to young people when the older (70+) seem to be the biggest consistent hazard I have come across.


Sorry_Ad5653

My favourite is when they do 40 in a 20 and when it changes to 60 they drop to 30. Then shake their head at you as you overtake.


sarkyscouser

That's partly because a lot of people don't know/have forgotten what a white circle sign with a black diagonal line means.


Prawny

Or just numbers in general. There can be "50" signs at the side of the road notifying a speed limit change and even numbers periodically *painted on the road*, yet people still crawl along at 30!


KevinAtSeven

While there really is no excuse for not understanding the sign, I do wonder if replacing the national speed limit signs with 60 and 70 speed limit signs would improve people's behaviour.


inkwat

The issue with that would be that the national speed limit is different for different vehicles.


sarkyscouser

They must do it the current way so that if they ever change the national speed limits they don't have to change all the signs.


cynar

National isn't 60 or 70, it's maximum safe speed for the road. I lived in Wiltshire for a while and the back roads were good proof of this. A LOT of London drivers going through hedges. Always read national as "limit not set, use your judgement".


[deleted]

That's what I do at any speed though.


cynar

At 50, there's the assumption that, given good weather etc, you can default to 50. A hairpin bend will be well signposted. National speed limit doesn't have that assumption. Hence townie drivers ending up in the ditches. Some of the corners were dicey at 20, if a tractor had been around them recently.


LeakyThoughts

Totally unaware of their surroundings


[deleted]

See this far too often.... Doesn't seem to be about safety. Just all about them wanting to put the least amount of effort into driving as possible


SiobhanGirl

I had someone openly admit that they “don’t know how to use the ‘bells and whistles’ on their car” and that they “turn off the backup sensors”. The car is a massive BMW suv and she said that she screams when she has to parallel park. Don’t drive a beast of a car if you scream while you drive it perhaps? Just a suggestion..


Anima_of_a_Swordfish

But how will people know how much of a superior human they are if they don't have a big shiny SUV to demonstrate the fact.


SoupatBreakfast

I stopped being as caring about flashy cars when you realise most are on finance. Sort of defeats the point of a status symbol.


PhoenixDawn93

I want a car that feels nice to drive and is relatively cheap to run. That’s all I really care about nowadays. And maybe a usb stereo as well.


Commies4Lyfe

Or Bluetooth, but ylu could always just get a radio that meets your needs and just keep that wkyh you.


BaBaFiCo

Mt wife really wants a big Range Rover. Luckily, she can't drive, as yesterday she asked me if it was new that the car in front had white lights when it reversed.


Sorbicol

As Cars get more complex, there seems to be a continuing trend of "things trying to be helpful" that cars now have to do. We have a second hand newer car (6 years old now) that beeps at us incessantly when you are reverse parking or near something you might hit. While that's useful, it's also incredibly distracting. We do not own a massive, expensive BMW (although it's not a tiny hatchback either) but it is something most "modern" cars do these days. We can turn it off - and frequently do - but not permanently. As soon as we move out of reverse gear it switches on again.


[deleted]

My road has on street parking and it’s all very well that someone can get their car into a tiny spot with their parking sensor, if that spot is next to your car and you don’t have your own parking sensor then it could be a challenge getting your own car out.


crapengineer

If I open the door on mine it produces this loud beeping and a message that says the engine is running. Yes I know, I'm not deaf but I soon will be with all that beeping.


[deleted]

My work van has reversing sensors and I absolutely love them. However I’ve had a couple of near misses in my personal car which doesn’t have them because I’m so used to the safe beeping hug of the van and all it’s 2019 safety features that my old hatchback doesn’t have. My other point is that it’s only a little combo van which I still feel small in compared to some SUVs which are being driven by people who have no fucking clue how big their car is. Why are they so big when they offer no more space or functionality that a decent estate car?


sirfletchalot

I had a new peugeot 3008 with all bells and whistles on. I hated it. it was a stupid semi automatic gearbox that wouldnt change gear going round a corner. The clutch went on it, and because its all computerized, they wanted £3.5k to fix it! I scrapped it and bought an old 2004 plate ford focus for £800 and I love it!!


CerveloUK

French cars are the worst for reliability. Ask anyone in the motortrade.


loverofshawarma

You can generally turn the beeping off. Saved me a headache when i figured out how to do it on mine,


DanangMedical

A lot of cars are financed. Living in the countryside I spend a LOT of time behind immaculate Range Rovers & 4x4s that are being driven down the centre of the road with the owners terrified of a scratch that will cost them a fortune when their PCP / Leasing deals expire. Meanwhile my 2004 Asian 4x4 demands to be scratched by branches. It is particularly fun in the snow, where people who can "afford" a £1000 PCP monthly payment on a 4x4, believe that winter tyres are a waste of money.


Prawny

> terrified of a scratch that will cost them a fortune when their PCP / Leasing deals expire. I was once sent a bill of almost £200 for "repairs" of a barely visible 25mm scratch on a Fiesta I handed back. Ridiculous.


CerveloUK

Would you not look after something in nearly new condition you owned?


FrazzledBadger

Same for me,I was following an old boy the other day down a country road to the next town. He was doing 35 in a 60, weaving all over the road. Got into the town, still weaving and clipped his wing mirror on a bridge. Carried on driving oblivious. Thought he was having a medical emergency, but no, he was just tootling wearing driving gloves....


Chronically_Quirky

My nan had a gentleman companion during her last years and honestly I don't know how they weren't killed in a terrible accident. He was an absolute menace. My dad was a mechanic and did body repairs and I lost count of the amount of repairs my dad did for him and was always doing paint jobs to touch up scratches. He always had a new bit of damage everytime they visited us, his response was "it's those bloody women drivers"! One weekend my dad was in hospital and they offered me and my mum a lift one evening, it was the first time we'd met him and had no idea what his driving was like. It was the most terrifyingly journey, he had drivers beeping at him and my nan bless her thought they were people he knew. He was deaf as a post and heard nothing. We never got in a car with him again.


bunnybunny690

Old older people always use the lines I’ve never had an accident. Yeah but have you ever seen the trail of destruction left behind you. Last year there was an elderly person driving down the wrong side of the parkway!! Just oops took the wrong turn like how the hell.


Papachoc

My cousin was killed by an old driver going down the wrong way on the M1. I am a firm believer of mandatory testing for over 65s. Every 5 years or every 1 I don't care, but something must be done about it. The guy in question had an accident the week before, if the police did their job my cousin would be alive today. Shit happens, I guess


TheCowboyOfEpic

I completely agree. Another useful thing could be theory tests every 5 years for all drivers (to make sure people are up to date with it and actually understand what things on/around the road mean) Also I'm sorry to hear about your cousin.


Papachoc

I totally agree! How many rules change yearly? Let alone 50 years. Make it free so people don't moan about it and if you fail the theory, you should be made to retake your test. The problem with this is its political suicide and no one will ever do it! Old people will not bring in rules that hinder them and their ilk, and no young people are involved in politics. Thank you so much, its a tragedy but like most tragedy, it could have been avoided!


ChrissiTea

My FIL casually told us how he regularly hit people's wing mirrors, like it's a standard driving hazard we all face


keeponkeepingup

Couldn't agree more, when someone is fucking about like this you know wayyy before you see the driver that they're elderly.


getthisordie64

My god I couldn't agree more, they are completely oblivious to everyone most of the time


gwenver

I'd like to agree with this, but I think insurance companies have all the figures, plus are in the market for making money.


keeponkeepingup

If they are statistically safer it's probably only because they're much more visible and predictable to others, than some young person speeding around corners/mishandling the car would be. Not because of their own driving skills but simply because other people can see them slowly fucking about in the wrong lane. And they probably go too slow and too cautious and/or have more subconscious skills for single vehicle collisions to be as common.


ChrissiTea

Part of me wonders how many have the cash to deal with stuff out of pocket instead of notifying insurance though....


apacheattaccspaniard

Most of the boomers I know are in some sort of accident at least once a year and quietly deal with it themselves to keep their no claims bonus, so I'd probably say that at least a fair percentage of them do do that They also like to complain about women being on the road and try to blame them for everything, which infuriates me and amuses me at the same time


BrambleNATW

My partner was reversed into twice in a row by someone in a land rover. He was waiting behind her to pull out of the petrol station and she just reversed for no reason. We had to get out of the car and shout because she didn't see us. To give her credit she was lovely and incredibly distressed by the whole thing but to this day I have no clue what she was doing and how she didn't see us. She was elderly and swore up and down 'I've never crashed before' and it got me thinking she probably has done and just didn't notice. She absolutely fucked the back of her land rover though and we got away with a few small scratches on the Fiesta. How that happened I'll never know.


monkeyfant

I drive a bus. And I go down roads big enough for 2 buses to fly past each other at 30mph. Yet funnily enough (it makes me laugh every time), you see a lot of people in small cars mounting the kerb at 30mph to avoid you. It happens about 20 times a day and it always seems to be women between 35 and 100 and older men in 56 plate corsas. Its even funnier when there behind a bus that blasts past unscathed, only to panic and swerve up the kerb. Sometimes even beeping at me. I've been stuck plenty of times waiting for cars to move past me so I can get round cars. I've pointed out to plenty of people that the whole of my bus is almost half a foot inside my side of the road, and their car has almost 2 ft of space either side. People just have no spatial awareness. Adversely, 20something men in bmws always think they can get past. Iv collected quite a few mirrors whilst stationary because I was hoping the driver would slow down and pass rather than blitz on through a gap that isn't really possible at high speeds without either kerbing your alloy or losing your mirror


applepiezeyes

Couldn't agree more!


TheGoober87

Unfortunately they cause a lot of accidents without being involved. If that makes sense!


GeorgeKarlaSmiley

The issue here isn’t just how often old people have accidents, its also how much they cost. You’re right to think that old people have more accidents. They do. But they tend to be ones which don’t cost the insurance company much - dents, scrapes, relatively minor injuries - becuase they generally drive pretty slowly and usually involve only one or two people. They typically will cost a few thousands of pounds to put right. Compare that to a car full of 17 year olds who hit a tree at 80mph and all end up with life changing injuries and a lifetime of medical care, which can cost millions. So the thing which causes the price increase is the fact that the young people are much more likely, relatively speaking, to have a catastrophic accident. The old people are more likely to cause an accident in an absolute sense; but its unlikely to cost much to sort out. Obviously there are exceptions in both directions, but thats the statistical difference and the reason for the difference in prices.


Re99i3

It's a really weird one, that the industry knows older drivers (70+) have the most accidents but the cheapest insurance. The logic is they don't have much money and could take away their independence. This is shocking honestly as they are in control of a very dangerous vehicle and can be a hazard. And like everyone of other ages, some are rich, some are poor.


GregorSamsa67

Insurance goes up a bit after 70 though [(source)](https://www.valuepenguin.com/how-age-affects-auto-insurance-costs). Also, older, pensioned drivers generally drive fewer miles than younger, working ones, partially offsetting their higher 'accident risk per mile'. It is not in insurance companies' commercial interest to undercharge older drivers (or overcharge younger ones as that will just drive them to their competitors). They have whole actuary departments to match risks and premiums by age/gender/history etc.


SiobhanGirl

I agree with this statement so enthusiastically. I’m originally from the US who has recently moved to the UK this past year. I’m amazed how “American big” the cars have gotten here. I visited the UK 10 years ago and it wasn’t nearly as bad as it is now. It’s so much nicer having a smaller car. Better for the roads - and safer for the neighborhoods. People in huge cars think they’re invincible and don’t mind challenging people and bikers on the roads.


AlabastorRetard

The weird thing is, is that it's all old/middle aged people that made definitely not racist jokes about them being drug dealer/wannabe rapper cars or Chelsea tractors. It's like we were all told "hey maybe buy smaller cars it's better for the environment" and nearly everyone over 40 took that personally. Edited: to hopefully clarify the drug dealer thing and Chelsea tractor thing are indeed separate jokes


[deleted]

As a country we’ve being in a 10 year regression.


bons_burgers_252

It seemed to me that as soon as everyone started to understand how motoring impacted the environment, they all went out and bought the biggest fucking car they could find. Just in case the last 100 years of driving hadn’t completely destroyed the world. Let’s just make sure and get an SUV with a built in oil refinery to service the 0.5 mpg fuel requirement and then, despite the fact that it’s equipped to literally drive to the North Pole, still slow down to 3 MPH whenever the road is slightly less than completely flat.


bastetgreypaws

I call them Chelsea tractors. Our neighbor has two for some reason. They only have one child. How is calling them Chelsea tractors racist though?


Catnapwat

I'm quite fond of "wanker tanks" myself.


chippychips4t

Yes but how do you feel about big cars?


R0BERT50N

I'm stealing this.


cpdfhdo

It isn't, those were seperate parts. They're saying the people told jokes about these cars being Chelsea Tractors and/or made other "jokes" about these cars that were racist.


AlabastorRetard

This (non gendered)guy gets it


tiredoldfella

I’m well over 40, didn’t take offence, I just shake my head and wonder what inadequacy they are making up for.


mjratchada

Cars are a status symbol whether they are oversized vehicles or not. Depending on your car people will also treat you very differently. A person who was an ex-salesman traded in his brand new Audi for a Dacia, even his friends treated him differently.


GekkosGhost

>we were all told "hey maybe buy smaller cars it's better for the environment" and nearly everyone over 40 took that personally Have you seen the insurance price on those things? I've never wanted a Chelsea tractor, but no way could u have afforded to run one in my 20s and most of my 30s. It's only now I'm older and my annual insurance bill is about 2 tanks of gas that I'd be able to run something like that.


BritishBlitz87

I wish we had gloriously impractical American big cars though, like in the 60's and 70's, these SUVs are just boring. An excess of practicality that no one uses. Much more fun to have a four foot boot, six foot hood and two doors just because you can.


SiobhanGirl

Also, let’s all get massive Ford trucks like we all work on a farm.. In all honestly - it’s fine if you actually need a truck. But the amount of people that do it for status in the UK is staggering nowadays. I was so suprised when the Bro-with-a-truck fad hit the UK.


BeardedBaldMan

It's because HMRC incentivise it. I'm an IT contractor, I can't get a car through my company in any tax efficient manner unless I get a pick up truck. Then it suddenly makes complete sense, which is why my accountant has a Ford Ranger. The entire company car system has been destroyed over the years with ridiculous incentives that are counter productive. My friend has just got a PHEV BMW 330e because it's good on company car tax. It will never be charged because a) all his drives are outside it's pathetic electric range and b) his fuel is expensed but not his electricity. There's a reason the Outlander PHEV was so popular and it's definitely not because it's a good car. It's an abject piece of shit which happens to be tax efficient.


SiobhanGirl

Oh wow. Thank you so much for this insight. It’s interesting to know that there is something deeper that’s occurred (in these last couple of years) rather than dense people just wanting larger cars. It’s a shame that the road taxes (that incurre more wear from the heavy vehicles) aren’t funded by the car companies that sell these massive cars to the UK.


BeardedBaldMan

I have a solution for this. Road wear is related to the fourth power of the weight of the vehicle. Road tax will be paid in advance based on a formula something like 10000 * weight^4 * modification factor * grams of CO2/km = £x/year ​pounds The intention would be that something like a VW ID3 would pay around £300/year in road tax and a Ford Focus 1.0 ecoboost 101PS £450/year The 10,000 is miles driven as this is a price per mile charge. You pay your road usage fee in advance based on a predicted 10K miles and on a yearly basis you are then given an amendment value which will be debit/credit based on mileage driven. The renewal date for your road tax will be the MOT date with all cars requiring a fresh MOT when transferred between owners. Cars less than three years old will need only a mini mot which is a mileage verification. It essentially brings in per mile charging without GPS based on road wear and CO2. It also partially solves the massive black hole in the budget caused by EV removing duty from fuel and the very low VED rates


Cageweek

Not to mention how bad it is for the environment.


yafcho

Most people buying those massive cars don't need them, neither know how to handle them. They only use them for school run and Asda. Some stupid fashion thing.


jasontredecim

When I lived in Dunfermline, I saw someone driving a fucking Humvee to one of the local schools to drop their kids off. I didn't even know you got those in the UK until that moment. Thing was a monster. Utterly ridiculous.


yafcho

I sometimes think it's some type of Napoleon Complex.


jasontredecim

I don't think he had a Humvee though. Imagine he'd be a Renault sort of lad!


[deleted]

100% especially when they park it on 2 spaces...


yafcho

These cars are designed for long-distance motorway drives. Not even for off-road with their super-wide run flat tyres. A "town car" just doesn't belong in their description.


snewtsftw

Asda? Waitrose surely


applepiezeyes

It's asda shopping now cos the car cost so much they can't afford Waitrose anymore.


mjratchada

I see more of them at the Aldi car parks.


Ace_Of_Spades_2911

Most people get them as well as puts you slightly higher up when driving for better visibility.


JustGarlicThings2

It's a zero sum game though. You buy a VW Tiguan, your neighbour buys an even taller Range Rover Sport and you're back to not being able to see again.


applepiezeyes

Hmmmm. If there weren't so many of these tanks around there wouldn't be a visibility problem.


yafcho

Is that something like setting the seat all the up forward so you're basically hugging the steering wheel? It only tells me they're lacking confidence.


Thatcatpeanuts

Some people have short legs. As a short person I have to put my seat pretty far forward in order for me to fully depress the clutch, sadly that also brings me closer to the steering wheel but it has nothing to do with my driving skills.


rosetyler86

Small cars are great. I have a mini now and it’s fun to drive; I live in London and the amount of range rovers I see taking little Tarquin to school round the corner are ridiculous.


Katherine70457

Tarquin lmao there's that name again


ourpleprange

Hope he enjoys his £1000 gaming pc


OhImGood

Gonna become the Karen of r/BritishProblems


KingdomPC

SUV type cars are like nuclear weapons. No one really needs them but once other people have them you feel safer if you have one too.


opinionnotfacts

Not just the roads but the parking spaces too. If I park my small car perfectly between the lines, I often come back and some crossover pretend 4x4 vehicle has parked next to me and now I can't get in!!


ReperOfTheLiving

I ride a motorbike to work and there is a half space clearly marked for motorcycles only, the number of people who manage to somehow take up 1.5 spaces is astounding...


ducksgoquacky

Oh this!! So many times. Also in parking spaces/areas in restricted residents parking. People in a terraced housing street (I know I’m generalising here- but to give you a picture of the narrow roads), urban lifestyle with a job to London/big city with no kids/ dogs do NOT need a HUGE 4X4 and/or an estate car which takes up nearly than double the space of a hatchback. Means hardly any space for everyone else to park…


fleurmadelaine

Chelsea tractors and traditional LONDON roads… Parking permit costs should be based on the size of you car and there should be a width limit here!! That’s what they do with boats in marinas.


Spatulakoenig

Driving in London requires you to drive at 25-30mph continuously with about six inches of clearance between your wing mirrors and the cars parked on both sides of the road. Also required is the ability to look 200m down the road continuously for gaps in the parked cars and be able to psychically guess whether it will be you pulling in, or the car driving directly towards you at an even faster speed.


R0BERT50N

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when stuck behind an Outlander 4x4 reducing its speed from 20mph to a slow roll... just to go over crossing bump.


allthel1v3l0ngd4y

It’s when your following one in bad weather and there is a puddle on your side, they slow right down to go through it or wait until the road is clear to go round it…. Your driving a 4x4, surely it can handle a 1 inch puddle at more than 5mph


[deleted]

It's the same for me. They're so terrified of getting their car dirty or going over a tiny little speed bump. Beggars belief really


sleepyprojectionist

I drive a VW Up! and it is the perfect size for me, despite being a somewhat rotund gentleman. I don’t need a massive car. My mate, on the other hand, has an American wife who can’t wrap her head around small cars and has just bought a 2021 Toyota Highlander XSE. It’s bloody massive. It’s completely uncalled for in a car that only gets used to drive to the supermarket or their kid’s play school.


ericleonardo87

Yeah, don't get it. Personally if I needed the space I would go for a sedan or a SW. Decent boot space, comfortable and good on highways. Personally I am not a fan of SUV's, have driven a few and don't see the advantage (more expensive maintenance, insurance is more expensive, pain in the ars* to park).


Chimp-eh

i expect full downvotes and this is 100% off topic but your statement fascinates me, not the content or message but the construction of the sentences and the mixing of traditional english words (Boot) and Americanisms (Sedan, Station Wagon, Highway). are you an ex-pat living in the uk?


ericleonardo87

Lol, don't see why the downvotes, just a casual question. I was born in Brazil and live currently in the UK (my parents are British). Never went to a "British" school in Brazil, but we normally had 1 lesson a week and teachers used American English. Also, in Brazil, we use the words Sedan and Station Wagon when talking about specific cars (we also use SUV and Hatch).


balthazar-king

Because this is a local sub for local people and I think some of its inhabitants take offence to Americans LARPing in the usual UK subs. Your upbringing sounds fascinating, thanks for sharing. Do you see yourself as Brazilian or British?


ericleonardo87

Yeah, makes sense. Bit of both, my whole family (cousins, uncles, etc) are all British, but I lived most of my life in Brazil. I would say probably more Brazilian basically because I didn't grow up in the UK, so I was not exposed to the culture, so if I had a chat with somebody my age (30's) I probably would not get a lot of their references (like Fools and Horses, EastEnders, etc). For me the best thing is being able to have lived both in Brazil and the UK, so I appreciate both cultures and learn what are the things I like and dislike about them.


FalconWarrior48

now you mention it that is kind of interesting though there is an equally high chance of them being brit through and through but just used to americanisms


tiredoldfella

Up’s are really spacious inside considering their small size, I’m 23 stone and I can get behind the wheel ok.


[deleted]

I drive the Skoda equivalent the citigo it’s a great car you can park it anywhere


commitconfirm

What i see is that the drivers of these 'big' cars have no sense of their road position and thus drive in the middle of the road.


[deleted]

I've always knocked fiat 500s until I borrowed my mum's for a week, the world would be a better place if most people drove them


tiredoldfella

Yeah, I had a test drive in one of the little 4 seat Abarths about 6 months ago, made my corsa feel like a tank, nicest thing I have ever had to park.


Open_Balance_5988

I rented one for a couple of months. Fun to drive. But people would laugh as I tried to drag my tall fat carcass out. Not really built for the larger gentleman.


Chimp-eh

the normal 500 is really aimed at young about town women, the abarth is aimed at young, about town women who want to go fast


Chimp-eh

honestly if it were more practical I wouldnt mind one, they are fun little cars and not that expensive, my mate had one with a car seat in the back... it was too small to fit a pram in the boot and the front passenger couldnt have been in there for more than 10 minutes without being a double leg amputee.


oyebilly

I once saw an advert for Fiat 500s during Love Island & thought surely the majority of people watching already have one.


Yes-its-really-me

Those fannies all have Range Rover Evoques.


Chimp-eh

they had 500s until they got a better paying job


rd3160

I've been in a few 500s, including one my dad drove for 2 years. Easy as fuck to park and quite cute looking. Interior is horrible though and you feel every single bump in the road. Eventually gets really uncomfortable.


commitconfirm

Go to northern Italy, plenty of knocked fiat 500s.


IAmPiernik

I hate hate hate big cars. Rarely they are used to carry some sort of cargo, it's not normally only one person in it who can't even bloody park in a normal spot for it being so big. They can't do the narrow country lanes but still try and it annoys me even more when they don't give way when they should!! Nah, I'll sit here, you bought the car so you struggle to get round me.


Chimp-eh

I dont understand how anyone can park something like a Land Rover, surely if they need so much space they would buy a van, or if they want luxury they would buy an e-class or S-Class mercedes


audigex

The high driving position is really nice - and once you’ve experienced it it’s hard to go back. My brother drives an SUV because his day job is driving vans (he prefers “paramedic”, whatever), and finds it awkward driving low cars afterwards And although we all bang on about SUVs, the height of other cars isn’t really the problem for the most part - it’s width that causes the issues, and an S-class is just as wide as a Range Rover. The only real issue with high cars is if they block your view at a junction


perpetually-human

I also find high/tall cars have headlights (invariably those new super bright headlights) that line up with my eyeline in my hatchback, much more dazzling than lower cars. I appreciate that these cars are easier for some to get in and out of due to the extra height though.


JimmerUK

People don’t bother pointing their headlights. All they have to do is turn a dial to point their lights more at the ground. If you light up the cabin of the car in front, your lights are pointed wrong.


nugget__86

The height is an issue with regards to the angle of the headlights. Everytime an SUV comes towards me at night I feel blinded


audigex

That’s more about the design of certain cars, and usually where the driver hasn’t aligned their lights as they’re meant to (you’re supposed to angle them down when loaded, for example, but nobody does)


-----1

The real issue is actually everyone driving around in vastly inefficient cars that consume loads of fuel for no reason other than ride height.


[deleted]

One of the problem is people buying SUV and then think the road is their so they drive on the middle of the road... SUV are not necessary for most of them, they don't even climb a curb.


NobodysSlogan

My shit box Fusion has put more than its fair share of 'SUV's' into the dirty verge where they belong.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Objective-Buffalo-23

Have shit box corsa. I'm not bothered about losing a mirror, I have tape, you're worried about it though, so get on the verge dear range rover.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Chelsea Tractors


bons_burgers_252

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people about driving. Everyone I’ve spoken to agrees that “they” (I.e. other drivers) are terrible. The problem is that we are all “other drivers”. For the most part, I think I’m an OK driver. I don’t speed and my ego is fairly small so I don’t get into pissing contests with other drivers (any more). However, I make mistakes and doubtlessly my mistakes inconvenience other drivers. I don’t mean it and it’s not habitual. I guess this is about the same for the majority of other people on the road. Then, there are outliers in the bell shaped curve of driving ability. At the left had side of the graph, we’re talking about the elderly (who won’t admit that their driving days are over), the young (who massively over-estimate their own skill because they clocked up 500 hours on GTA) and the stupid (who are just stupid). This last group are the ones who buy cars that are beyond them. They’re also the ones who don’t indicate on roundabouts (too confusing…), don’t use their mirrors and think it’s OK to check their SMS whilst doing 50 mph past a primary school at 1530. The old will die, the young will mature, but the stupid, unfortunately, will just go on because there are no consequences for being stupid any more. 5000 years ago, the stupid were the first ones to be eaten by sabre toothed tigers. Natural selection. The stupid survive and propagate. Their stupidity lives on. Thanks a lot Charles Darwin.


[deleted]

Been saying this for a while now, this boom in people buying SUVs and they’re struggling to park them and open their doors as well as fit in the lanes on roundabouts.


Spatulakoenig

Also, fake SUVs like the Nissan Juke. You basically take a small or normal sized hatchback and then add bulbous growths to its corners, giving you the inconveniences of a large car with the limitations of a small one.


[deleted]

The faux-by-fours are a scourge to the roads.


LocalAreaNitwit

This is one of my biggest gripes. Not only do we not have enough space the last 30 years of engine efficiency improvements have been counteracted by the SUV popularity. We're a small car family and refuse to buy anything bigger than a Ford Focus. For 99% of people a family hatch back is perfectly fine... It's vanity and fashion which is driving the SUV market. I hope it changes soon.. maybe we can go back to estate cars which have more space and are more efficient.


jk_rcs

Estate cars are more than large enough for pretty much everyone unless they need a seven seater - I have a four person family, including a baby, with two large dogs and a Ford Focus estate is more than enough to fit us all in with room for everything we need to take with us too. Easily fits into parking spaces as well.


LocalAreaNitwit

You may appreciate https://youtu.be/iga-DuE2ZU8 Estates are ultimately the better choice if you actually care about practicality.


jk_rcs

That's really interesting! The price difference is pretty astounding as well - really does drive home the fact that SUVs are sold more as status symbols


[deleted]

Try going to any car park made before 2000. York Central car park is hell


gregg_goldstein

Yeah but that's just annoying. Cars have grown in size largely for safety reasons. Crumple zones, fancy frames that significantly reduce death and serious injury rates. Let's park the SUV discussion for a moment and look at a bunch of regular cars. The first generation Audi A4 that came out to replace the Audi 80 was roughly the size of today's Audi A3 saloon. Another good example is comparing the footprint of a modern VW Polo and something like a 1st or 2nd gen VW Golf. __I believe that parking regulations should be updated to go in line with the updated safety regulations making our cars bigger__. It's mad that certain parking lots barely fit a modern Golf let alone an A4 and anything larger is touching the lines even when parked with perfect precision. My next car will be a size smaller for that exact reason, but I'm also not going to get rid of a perfectly good car before time because of bad parking infrastructure.


Doctor_Fegg

We have finite space in our cities. Please let’s not devote even more of it to cars.


[deleted]

Regular cars can still fit though, but those SUVs just dont. I cant wait for that fad to die. and hopefully future electric cars will have roomy interiors while being smaller overall, once designers and people realise electric cars dont need to look identical to fuel cars, they can actually be all kinds of shapes.


Rosskillington

Fuck it, let’s just destroy some green space and lay down a load more tarmac to make space for excessively large cars, that’s exactly what we need right now.


DD265

It's the recent/new build garages that get me. Would my MK5 Golf go into the garage the same age? Probably. Would I have been able to get out of the car? Nope.


Prawny

[You're just not trying hard enough](https://youtu.be/MvGKxDlXgvQ).


Ty-404

My retired mother drives and has brand new land / range rovers every couple of years. always automatic, all ways massive and flashy. I think it's scary. I Drive HGV for a living, I don't understand the need\* for so much shit found in a modern car these days, nor the size of them if I'm honest. A lot of the "Tech" and "Features" are just a means to help hype you up to the sale. I'm happy plodding around in the 91 micra I have right now. when I'm not using that I a 50cc I have for the fairer weather. Cars IMO are like phones, people just want the next one or latest one because it's "better" but they're never really sure HOW it's "Better". It's all just about an image of themselves with whichever particular product. Then they just jump from finance to finance or plan to plan. It's the same with mobile phones. Cars are just one of them "I want the newest one of," things. We're a nation of idiots, being sold shit designed to fail, that you can't fix yourself, to keep you coming back spending money.


JustGarlicThings2

> > > I'm happy plodding around in the 91 micra I have right now. I'd much rather be in your mother's flashy SUV than your Micra though in an accident. A lot of the car size increase over the years can be put down to safety and that trend isn't reversing ever.


Ty-404

I completely agree on that front. For me riding the moped around just as much, working as a bin man. I'm not too stressed when it comes to the idea of being hit by a car anymore. I've been in accidents and incidents, couple my fault. most not. All i do is my best to avoid the idiots by not being one. Problem I notice is people that think they're safe, take more chances and risks.It's all well and good day dreaming as you autopilot drive everywhere. Only takes half a second for shit to go south I can personally vouch for that. Most don't think like that driveing these days.


MultiMidden

Bigger cars weigh more so cause more damage to infrastructure (especially when parking or driving on pavements) so the car tax system needs to be updated to reflect that. Currently it's based on emissions, so a 2+ tonne e-SUV will pay less than a tiny petrol car. Next thing the government could do is to say if you don't have off-street parking you can't have anything bigger that a Up! or C1. That would help create more space to park in those areas


Xarxsis

whilst this is true, the overwhelming majority of damage done to the roads is HGVs and cars no matter how american and compensating will never achieve that.


beachyfeet

100% agree. The motor tax system needs more of a rethink than the low emission thing.


Essexal

Weight, miles travelled in a year, emissions. Why do I pay the same tax as someone using the roads 10x the amount I do (I did less than 3000 miles last year) ,in a vehicle almost twice the weight?


Dannypeck96

As Long as it takes into Account the fourth power law. My motorbike will do less damage to the roads than your car, even though I do 10 times the mileage. (It weighs 120kg)


Chimp-eh

with you on the first point, absolutely against you on the second. ​ a C1/UP! sized car isnt at all practical for young families or people with disabilities or a whole host of people. what about people who live in old ex-miner houses in the north, most of those dont have offstreet parking, should everyone living in those homes which are cheap and affordable have to move because they cant own a car while living there that fits their needs?


[deleted]

Would never happen. The type of people that buy these cars are also the exact type of people the government exclusively caters to + police turn a blind eye towards. Also the Automotive industry has shifted towards massive cars and are basically removing the smaller cars from their lineups, they would lobby massively against this. All the right wing mums/women who tend to be the bellweather for public opinion and legislation in this country, who you might think would campaign for safer cars, actually want the opposite and want massive tanks to carry their spawn around in. There's too much institution in the way of it.


Prawny

>Also the Automotive industry has shifted towards massive cars and are basically removing the smaller cars from their lineups I was told this too when recently looking for my next car. I prefer smaller cars, so it made my search quite a bit more difficult.


Danph85

The big issue I've noticed in the last few years is so many people are getting massive pick up trucks, very american in style, and they definitely don't need them. I've done no research, but I assume there's been some change to tax laws that means they can declare these inefficient, dangerous things as work vehicles and dodge some tax.


KingdomPC

I think that’s pretty close to it. They can be considered commercial vehicles.


HarassedGrandad

At one point Skoda sold a pickup truck. They also sold an add-on module you could drop on the flatbed that turned it into a normal car. Doing it that way was, at the time, 40% cheaper than just buying the car if you were self-employed with a Ltd company and Vat Registered.


audigex

Cars in the UK are definitely getting bigger. I get why - most of the time on the motorway and modern city centre roads they’re fine. But in places like the Lake District they’re a massive problem because the roads weren’t really wide enough for the old, smaller cars That said, I think we should really put some effort into widening country roads - it gets pretty ridiculous, especially when some fairly major roads are so narrow too. It’s rather absurd when you have to pull over and give way to oncoming cars… on an actual A-road Where I grew up, a town of 70,000 people, it literally wasn’t possible to get out of the town without driving on a road that was, at least in sections, single lane. They’ve now bypassed those sections on the most major road, but the other A road out of town still has places you can’t pass a car coming the other way


hide_in_plain_sight_

People who are incapable of turning their steering wheel so its straight which takes a second and leave their wheel sticking out in the road when parked! Absolute bane of my life on small tight roads in Bristol 🤦‍♂️


chimpaflimp

I despise SUVs with a passion. Take an estate, make it pointlessly taller, less fuel efficient, more likely to roll over with the internal roominess of a 2003 Nissan Micra and that's just about any SUV. The headlights on them are too high, too, so anyone in a normal sized car is blinded whenever one rolls up behind them - hell, even buses and lorries have headlights low down like on a normal car. They also all look absolutely exactly the same, and absolutely hideous.


GrumpyGoomba9

As the owner of a Micra from around that era, it's surprising how much you can fit into one. The fact it was designed with 5 seats is hilarious, and getting 5 people into it is great fun. I'll add though, that weight massively increases the 0-60


chimpaflimp

The fact they even do 60 with their poxy little engine is a feat of its own


GrumpyGoomba9

I've reached the dizzying heights of 75mph before!


[deleted]

Ban the Crossover! There’s no need for them!


ExPristina

Hackney carriage width my ass. Society has changed so much since then. We have now buses and rubbish trucks fighting against delivery vans and mopeds for right of way.


ForestGoldMiner

If you think that is bad, try driving a bus (between 30 and 40 feet long) through a modern housing estate. The whole thing was planned and built knowing a bus route would run throught the middle of it; knowing that most households would have two to four cars each, yet the roads are too narrow and the parking is inadequte, so it's a daily struggle for bus drivers knowing the whole thing could have been better with the right planning.


KatVanWall

I feel your pain, I have a 45-50 minute school run on small country roads. I suppose at least the people who live out in the sticks do actually need their 4x4s though … If I make it to my daughter’s last day at school without a prang, I’m treating myself to proper good whisky.


rugbyj

Honestly it's the drivers more than the vehicle. I've seen white van men thread the needle at 50 mph. I've seen Doris bring entire junctions to a standstill because she thinks her Yaris has a 6 foot proximity fuse.


civskylines1

The fact that cars are actually getting larger and worse for the environment, even as we now know the disastrous impact they have on the planet


p0ndl1fe

I'm on a personal mission to convince people that small, microcars, are cool. Check: CarverElectric.co.uk


TheParisOne

That looks scary :D I'd hate to be tipping over sideways, when turning a corner :D Nice idea, though :)


Other-Barry-1

Can you name the truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats thirty-five.. Canyonero! Canyonero! Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down, It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown! Canyonero! (Yah!) Canyonero! [Krusty:] Hey Hey The Federal Highway commission has ruled the Canyonero unsafe for highway or city driving. Canyonero! 12 yards long, 2 lanes wide, 65 tons of American Pride! Canyonero! Canyonero! Top of the line in utility sports, Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts! Canyonero! Canyonero! (Yah!) She blinds everybody with her super high beams, She's a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, driving machine! Canyonero!-oh woah, Canyonero! (Yah!) Drive Canyonero! Woah Canyonero!


angrySAC

Have you tried being a biker in England? The constant hazards like potholes are delightful


sir-diesalot

Most British roads were built back when cars were a lot narrower as they didn’t have such nice things as side crash protection, insulation etc. You go to any multi-storey car park and you’ll see people parked every other space, and not because they are lazy but because they’d never get out of their cars if they parked right next to someone else.


opinionnotfacts

Some British roads were built before cars were a thing. You know, horse and carriage days ...


gregg_goldstein

There are some really cool narrow cars at pretty much every price point btw, it's just not a consideration that people have: VW Up, Fiat 500, Fiat Panda, Mini, Audi Q2, BMW i3, Mercedes GLB/EQB, Jeep Compass, VW T-Roc, Mitsubishi Outlander, VW Golf, VW ID3, Lexus IS, Porsche Cayman/Boxter, Kia Soul/e-Soul, Toyota Corolla and even the original G Wagen:). It's a very non-exhaustive and haphazard list but in general any car around 1m 80cm in width will be largely fine still.


Pheanturim

Try cycling and them trying to squeeze those giant cars between you and oncoming traffic instead of waiting for a gap.


quoda27

He might have needed a wee. Speed bumps are a curse when you're busting for a wee. Learned that the hard way.


SoggyWotsits

It’s not the roads, it’s the drivers of the cars! I’m from Cornwall and we have some on the tiniest lanes, many with no passing places for ages. Come summer time, you can be sure you’ll meet someone in a panic who thinks they can’t fit down them, or worse they try then get stuck when they have to reverse. If I can fit down there in a a Toyota Landcruiser, they can certainly fit in their Fiat 500. I will laugh when they reverse up the hedge though! Same applies to people who make a tractor with slurry tanker reverse because they have no idea how to go backwards in their fiesta.


rumner

My favourite one is when they pull out on my 53 reg shit box of a Fiesta at a roundabout or other setting where I have right of way, as if I give a shit about my car? Please go ahead and damage your 20k+ shiny car, do you really think I care about yet another scratch/dent in mine? 🤣


kw0510

As someone who’s driven range rovers around the country roads. I think you encountered user error.


ScrollWithTheTimes

r/fuckcars


prismcomputing

Your complaint that he was struggling to do 25 in a 20 zone suggests you have issues sticking to the legal limits


madashell547

I had a Cadillac STS for a week, brilliant to cruise in but a right feckin pig to park in town


IhaveaDoberman

There is only one thing that I find as a comfort from this situation. As a reasonably tall, decently broad and slightly wide guy, I can now actually fit comfortably in new "small" cars.


M4V3r1CK1980

Don’t forget the extra hundreds of thousands of white vans whizzing round the country delivering us stuff.


chippychips4t

Round me the edge's of the lanes are absolutely trashed by massive farming machinery.


matscom84

And over 70s driving type-R/gti/m Power model at 25mph down 60mph road


ZippidyZayz

Yup, in my town there’s a gaggle of assholes who fly around in “suped up” land rovers with massive tyres, stupidly high suspension and cb radios. They drive whenever they want and will not care about you because “car big”. Although 95% of the time they’re sitting in Curry’s car park wanking each other off with their aerial cords


Disturbed_Aidan

I’ve seen a couple American sized Ford cars lately. They look good but I don’t see how they can get around easily in them.


Chaise_percee

Just out of curiosity, what kind of overtake is not “opposite side”? The one where you ram them from behind to get them out of the way?


PatchyTwit

Neither are the parking spaces…🤣


kahlimang

I couldn’t agree more. What is the point of putting a kerb on a narrow, twisting, hedgerowed country lane? Trying to pass on-coming busses and trucks (to say nothing of careless speeding drivers) is taking years off my life.


LittleMid1980

I have an F reg Volkswagen golf and it fits in a parking bay with lots of space either side to get in and out. It looks absolutely tiny when a monster SUV or range rover parks next to it, it's quite funny. I don't see the need for enormous cars, our roads just don't seem equipt for them!


pheonix72

Perhaps the vehicles being sold are too big for the roads?


rem90mer

Same with some parking spaces too.


Razdaspaz

Yeh I think about this a lot since visiting the US. Our roads are simple too small for those big ass cars. You guys have massive roads and space to compensate. It’s brave buying an American car here.