r/drivingUK

​i passed my test about 6 months ago and i’ve been feeling pretty decent behind the wheel, but a recent trip to the highlands has honestly nuked my confidence.

​i know country roads are a 60 mph limit, but people seriously need to remember it’s a limit, not a target. if it’s a wide, dry, straight road? fine. but on these narrow, twisty highland roads, even 50 mph feels like pushing your luck.

​on this trip, it was absolutely torrential. wipers on max speed, visibility was rubbish, and i was just trying to stay focused on the road ahead. i was averaging about 40 mph and dropping to 20-30 mph for the sharp bends. despite the conditions, i kept getting people glued my behind, so close i couldn't even see their headlights in my mirror. i genuinely think some people have a death wish.

​i get it, it’s annoying to be behind a "slow" driver when you know the roads like the back of your hand. but tailgating me in a rainstorm isn't going to magically make me go faster; it just makes the whole situation ten times more dangerous for both of us.

​for the love of god, just hang back. i’m not trying to ruin your day, i’m just trying to get home in one piece.

​has anyone else felt like they’re being bullied off the road as a new driver? how do you guys deal with the pressure without losing your head?

edit

i just want to say i did pull into laybys where possible to allow people to overtake but doesn't stop the worry

and wow, didn't realize suggesting "driving to the conditions" would be such a hot take. to the people saying i should get off the road because i won't do 60 mph on a flooded, winding highland bend: i’d rather be a "slow" driver who gets home than a "confident" one who ends up as a statistic.

Hi There

I'm interested in people's thoughts on whether you should or shouldn't report other drivers with dashcam footage, and within that whether people think there's a line on when you should or shouldn't?

I see some videos where you see incredibly insanely dangerous driving, and comments still criticising the poster for reporting. On the other hand, there are seemingly more minor offences which people suggest submitting - although one thing I'm not sure is what's the line? A lot of the times it may not be subjective but it may not be THAT serious... I.E someone not merging in turn correctly and being aggressive - it's careless driving but is it going to develop into anything?

I ask because, like many drivers, I'm getting more and more impatient personally with the awful driving we see on the roads, now more than ever. It's clearly getting worse and it feels like whilst we don't want to go to Orwell's world, surely something has to change. So do I contribute to that change via reporting the crazy things I see? Or should I mind my business and let the police continue to under deliver and instead focus on catching someone going at 80 on my local dual carriageway through a speed camera van when the roads clear...

In my life so far I've reported 1 driver who, with young kids in the car, went through a red light into moving traffic causing another car to veer and hit a curb with damage and drove off.. Reported that one and it led to a conviction. But that was an extreme example.

I imagine this will create a lot of debate and I'm on the fence so interested in peoples views! I'd refer to rule number 1 when replying to people though.. Don't be a d....

:)

I passed in mid Feb and just curious how long it took for other people to start feeling confident. I never really got the "I can go anywhere I want" feeling after I passed because I just didn't have the confidence to drive anywhere.

My first 2-3 weeks after getting my car I only drove familiar roads, after midnight, doing around 350 miles like this. I didn't feel confident driving with other cars about, and I didn't feel confident in my bay parking (I did it perfectly in empty car parks, but never in a bay with a car on either side).

I went to the train station car park one night and practiced parking between other cars and did fine. Then I did a couple of 20 mins journeys following the sat nav along busy ish A roads in the morning and it was okay.

it still took me another 2-3 weeks and 300 miles or so before I felt like I could control the car. I learned in a diesel and my car is a petrol, so I was struggling massively with moving off and changing gears. I'm at a point now where I can manage driving in low gear, stop/start traffic, and my gear changes are fairly smooth but not perfect. I'm no longer avoiding downshifting as much which makes everything else easier. I don't stall much now, but there's these temporary traffic lights near home and I always, always stall moving off when I'm at the front of the queue.

I gave a mate a lift home along the seafront which is heavily pedestrianised, lots of crossings, etc. he said his gf (an experienced driver) still gets nervous driving along there and I did alright.

So at this point I feel like I can go anywhere, any time and get to where I'm going in one piece but I still feel on edge and like I have to be wary. I'm definitely making little mistakes that probably make people think I'm a dickhead driver, but nothing egregious.

I'm driving to a wedding on Monday and I'm pretty excited. 40 minutes along totally unfamiliar roads, some motorway and some rural. Hopefully after this I'll have the confidence to do longer trips. I think the only thing I'll struggle with after that is city driving, but I think most people struggle with unfamiliar cities?

I passed in May last year, I have a 20 year old, 3 door Polo, which I bought off my Brother in law. That's done a decent job for me so far as a new driver run around to get used to solo driving, but with a toddler and probably another in the next year or so. The Polo is feeling fairly petite now, so I'm looking at a family car. But as the title states, Im nervous about having to deal with dealers and not really wanting to look on the private market and getting scammed. What tips do people have for a first time buyer/seller.

I was driving on single-lane dual carriageway, 40 mph speed limit. A police car came up behind me with lights and sirens–responding to an emergency, not to pull me over.

I pulled over as far as I could, but there was not really anywhere to go.

I thought there was just enough room for him to squeeze through between me and the median, but instead of trying it, he just kept blasting his horn at me (to move more, I thought?)

He would not lay off the horn, so I just kept inching to the left until I eventually hit the kerb at speed. Once on the kerb, there was enough room so he went around. I got a flat.

I know the official protocol is to slow and move to the left, but what if there is literally nowhere to go?

What I was doing (before I hit the kerb) is clearly not what the officer expected me to do. I'm still new to UK driving, what do you do here?

Had a message today from the previous owner of my vehicle telling me they had debt collectors from Newlyn arrive at the door for an unpaid parking fine of mine. They have demanded I pay £395 for the cost of the £85 fine and the £310 debt collection fee.

I was originally willing to pay this, feeling bad them being out of pocket, but then I remembered I never received the log book from the DVLA meaning they never transferred ownership.

Am I right in thinking that A). They should have told me they were receiving these letters of the parking fine and B). It’s their responsibility for not transferring ownership.

I’m happy to pay the £85 as that’s my fault, but feel as if I shouldn’t pay the debt collectors fees for a fine I wasn’t even aware I had and wasn’t addressed to me due to them not having transferred the vehicle over.

I have seen proof that they have settled this £395 debt with Newlyn

My question is who should be liable to pay the £310 outstanding

TL;DR Old owners of vehicle have received my parking fine and debt collection fee and I am not willing to part with debt collection fee amount as they never transferred ownership

drove through London from SE to Wembley area. the petrol prices I've seen were all between 151.9 and 156.9p, funny enough the 151.9p was from a Shell station.

this, I think confirms somewhat that don't scare buy petrol, so everyone can enjoy the lower price longer.

Hi ive been doing lots of insurance quotes in the past few days trying to get the best prices by tweaking things. However all this seems to have done really is just increase the prices because I assume they can all see that I'm doing this somehow. Does anyone know when this will reset and the prices go back to normal? Thanks

https://preview.redd.it/xku4kqqsj5tg1.png?width=1860&format=png&auto=webp&s=899cb2e903b7d0bece64e6d8f888b13178e6e119

https://preview.redd.it/ac01o3gql5tg1.png?width=1860&format=png&auto=webp&s=3061c6124457c1318361fecb2aafb74b427b2cba

Sorry to be one of them lol
Been beeped for the past year on this round about so now I just go all the way round.

Which lane would you take to go straight ahead? The exit is a single lane (looks bigger on this pic) and isn't a duel carriageway or a merge.

When I first moved to the area (16 years back) there were signs up on the lampposts approaching saying right lane is for ahead and right and left lane is obviously for the left.

About 12 years back the sign went missing but everybody still did the above. Shortly after that I moved.

Last year I moved back to the area and nothing has changed about this roundabout (No new exits, lanes etc). Except nobody seems to know or care which lane to take.

Last year I took the right lane, as normal and a car in the left lane was going ahead and beeped. That happened multiple times so I then took the left lane.. and the second or third time somebody was in the right lane going straight ahead so had to slow as we'd have crashed.. I also got a beep and a middle finger. In the space of 7-8 months this happened multiple times.

Now, i just go all the way around the roundabout to save any issues and nm what people answer here i'll do the same lol but out of interest.. Which lane would you take? .