We hired a car again on the weekend ready for another trip down to Cornwall, it’s a long drive, but as its been so long since either of us have driven I hardly noticed it. What I did notice, however was the difference in vehicles between the Vauxhall Corsa we got last time and the Vauxhall Vectra we got this time. The difference between the Corsa’s 1 or 1.2L engine and the Vectra’s 2.0L engine made all the difference, and made me feel like I was in a fast car. Which was entirely not the case, but its fun to dream.

People have always said to me, how much better driving conditions and rules are in the UK as opposed to Australia, that if your in the Right lane on the freeway (the inner faster lane for all you wrong-siders), going faster than the car in front they’ll move out of the way to let you pass. People in Australia, well Perth at least take is as their god given right to clog up the right lane on the freeway, and I often felt the need to high beam/horn until they moved into the next lane. What do you know, I’m a product of road rage, and shall teach road rage to my children.

I was told things would be better in the ‘K…. But they’re not.

Well not most of the time anyway. If you really come up behind someone fast, they usually get the picture and move over, but this is doing 90+mph when they’re doing 70 or less (come on people, this is a motorway), but I often had to employ the old flick of the high beam arm to get people to get a move on.

The problem is of course, that everyone wants to get where they’re going fast, so everyone plays what I will refer to as the Just One More game. Like any more-ish addiction, to food, drink, game, sex or substance, people just seem to feel the need to get that one more car length in front, despite the fact they’re holding everyone up in the lane behind them. It should be all about flow. I know this as I write the road rules, at least I should.

The Problem: Everyone’s addiction to the Just One More phenomenom

The first car pulls into the right lane doing 70, a few cars bunch up behind him trying to get a break so they can make the move back into the middle lane, now we have a cue of 5-10 cars who are all constricted to the same speed as those in the middle lane due to the tosser in his beret driving his MX5. As the cars bunch up more and more, it now takes several miles for the first car to pass one car, two cars (just one more damn it) whilst still travelling at his original speed. Now the congestion behind him all get the same idea, and one by one each car plays the game until they find a slot they’re happy with, and a few minutes later, and 10 miles down the road I can get back up to speed and continue on my way, until it happens again a little later down the track.

The Current Fix:

There are two fixes that can be applied to this situation that will work about 50% of the time. If there are only 1 or 2 cars ahead of you blocking the fast lane, the rapid approach can be deployed. By doing what the P-Daddy’s in the Porche’s, BMW 5/6/7 series and Austins do and travel in excess of the driver in fronts speed, that being 70-100mph, people usually get the message and move out of the way. If they don’t, a quick flick of the high beams usually sets them straight, but be prepared for the almighty finger as you drive by.. And Rage is born.

Note: Other methods can most definitely be employed, such as the left hand overtake, which is extremely effective, but highly illegal in some countries (or so I’ve been told).

My Solution to the Issue: Enforced Speed-Tiered Lane System

I propose this, and its not an original idea, I’m sure I’ve seen it in a movie somewhere, but have enforced/policed speed-tiered lanes. On a motorway there’s often 3, 4 or 5 lanes, which should range from slow -10mph range of the speed limit, through normal at the speed limit and the fast lane(s) for speed. Then a common courtesy could apply where if someone i going faster than you, you must move over for them. No If’s, no buts, no “just one more, even though I’m going far slower than the guy behind me”, you move. Of course this system would be enforced via the thousands of CCTV camera’s installed on the motorways and some nifty computer gear to work out who was screwing who. Failure to comply, would lead to a congestion charge of at least £10, for every time the offense occured.

I’d also like to conclude that contrary to our last car trip, involving an ignorant belief that UK Motorways are the same as a German Autobahn (i.e No Limits), no speed limits were exceeded by more than 20mph, and the top speed acheived on the journey was just under 100mph, as opposed to the 120+mph from last time. This not only meant a safer journey, but was the difference between a menial fine and license suspension completely for a year or more, and possibly deportation, though I’m not sure how driving offenses affect VISA arrangements.

Peace.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 1:07 am and is filed under Life, Travel, UK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.