Was it a dopey driver???

[x-Sonia-x]

If I were approaching this sort of driver ( and must admit the situation x-Sonia-X described is pretty extreme) I would have spent a good deal of time assessing the situation. Is it foreign? check the plate. Is it in trouble? Hazards, smoke. Is there a National Trust Badge in the back window? And most importantly, is it Toyota?

I did infact assess the situation, whether I handled it correctly or not I wasnt sure...thats why I put this post on ere

My immediate reaction....knowing there was only me and him on the road at that time...was to drive slower...as I wasnt happy not knowing what he might do! Its a long straight road, and you can see for miles, as soon as I see another car approaching I knew I couldnt stay where I was, luckily thats when we reached the roundabout

I was happy with how I handled the situation...except that I wasnt sure if I could of done anything to make him realise what he was doing...expecially as he went onto the A12 and seemed to do exactly the same thing on there...which inevitably would cause an accident

[GJD]

I've found that, in most circumstances, flashing the headlights seems to upset the car in front (sorry couldn't resist it ) and can lead to them doing something even more stupid.

Really? I'm not sure the last time I came across a situation as extreme Sonia's, but in general when I come up behind someone holding me up in an overtaking lane I find a quick headlight flash leads to one of two reactions: a lot of people move over and I can overtake, while the rest stay where they are at their chosen speed (which might simply be because they didn't notice the headlight flash).

I do try hard not to appear at all aggressive - so holding a little further back than my normal following position would be (which is already further back than a lot of other people's), waiting long enough that I'm really sure they aren't going to move over anyway, and I go for just one quite brief flash of the lights.

Seems to work quite well.

[jont]

I do try hard not to appear at all aggressive - so holding a little further back than my normal following position would be (which is already further back than a lot of other people's), waiting long enough that I'm really sure they aren't going to move over anyway, and I go for just one quite brief flash of the lights.

Seems to work quite well.

I think the reaction you will get varies significantly with the car type you drive. I've not owned one for a while, but in my last "repmobile" (Laguna) I found it had a lot more road presence - in the sense of people seeing and getting out the way of it - than some of the older, sheddier cars I've owned. The rally car (with 100W spot lights) was quite effective at communicating my presence with main beam

[ScoobyChris]

in my last "repmobile" (Laguna) I found it had a lot more road presence - in the sense of people seeing and getting out the way of it - than some of the older, sheddier cars I've owned.

I think a lot of it comes down to how you approach cars rather than necessarily what you are driving. After all, people get out of my way in the gay Panda and that has next to no road presence

Chris

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

... even Caterhams

amusing to think of a Laguna having "presence"

Anything with its headlights on main beam, for a good long flash, tends to command some attention, though.

[GJD]

I think the reaction you will get varies significantly with the car type you drive.

I hadn't thought of that. I'm usually driving the Volvo, which has the bl**dy headlights on all the time. I wonder whether a brief flash from dipped to main beam appears a little more discrete than no lights to main beam, so helping me appear non-aggressive.

[jcochrane]

I think the reaction you will get varies significantly with the car type you drive.

I hadn't thought of that. I'm usually driving the Volvo, which has the bl**dy headlights on all the time. I wonder whether a brief flash from dipped to main beam appears a little more discrete than no lights to main beam, so helping me appear non-aggressive.

JL used to advise turning on to dipped beam in these situations.

[zadocbrown]

After all, people get out of my way in the gay Panda

Well, who'd want a gay panda getting up close behind them?

[mitchr]

I think a lot of it comes down to how you approach cars rather than necessarily what you are driving. After all, people get out of my way in the gay Panda and that has next to no road presence

Chris

Chris, I am now imagining a little pink panda complete with pink fluffy dice!!!

Mitch

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

You've seen it!

[ScoobyChris]

Pah! That's far too masculine

Chris

[mitchr]

Yup I'd certainly get out of the way off that

Mitch