had the pleasure of driving to London today.

Few observations, i always hear the complaints about cyclists and red lights, but i get the impression that drivers regard them as optional, overtaking/undertaking doesn’t matter, speed limits, again optional,particularly on any stretch of road which isn’t snarled up. Indicators, optional. residential roads, “i have right of way” even if it means no one goes anywhere…

Just surprised by how aggressive a lot of the drivers were?

As for driving round richmond park, i know bikes are fashionable at the moment, but was a little taken back by the team sky wanna-be’s.

Got me thinking, on here there is a thread about speeding, wondering if there is any national stats on driving behaviour?

I drive in London pretty regularly and it scares the bejesus out of me. I drive about 40k a year but in London there are some people I trully believe are trying for a Darwin Award.

The gap I leave, if traffic is actually moving, is for me to stop, not for another car!

Very little courtesy.

Taxis are a nightmare,

I actually start to notice the closer I get to London and put it down to the fact that its so difficult to actually get anywhere in London by car its almost a free for all.

Obviously not all London drivers are bad, some however are truly shocking!

I just can’t believe some of them have actually passed a driving test.

The road signs and layout in London really don’t help matters. It’s complete confusion. I think they should take all the signs down and markings up and re-do everything so that it all makes sense and then make everyone do a retest and take the license of anyone who fails.

I used to work in Peckham and had regular contact with the police, i remember one of them telling me and my colleagues that they estimated that at any one time up to 60% of the local drivers were in some way illegal, but what with the stabbings, shootings, drug dealing and street crime they just didn’t have the resources to do anything about it. Occaisonaly they’d have a clamp down and confiscate cars but it didn’t do alot in the long run.

I think it’s the same in any big city. I drove through Paris a few years back and nearly got out and kissed the groud when I got out alive the other side. Never really driven in London.

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Paris and was amazed by the lack of chaos on the roads. Most roads were quiet, hardly any traffic, no road rage, organised and a bit polite for a large city. Not what I was expecting

Driven in Paris once was sh$$ing myself. Parkins riiculous someone will park on top of you.

Got taxis there are few times, one guy I swear his house was on fire, suicidal.

Driving across Europe though you can tell what country your on by the driving.

Holland, generally very good and courteous.

Germany generally good, some of their road laws are weird though! I think it was give way to traffic joining the road nearly saw me have a few accidents.

France, meh!

Belgium = Darwin Awards! Generally shocking, have they just discovered the wheel or something?

Creamegg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paris must have changed, mind its a few years since I drove there.

Granted the parking was something else. Bumpers were used for what bumpers are designed for!

LOL @ pingu66

We’ve just come back from a holiday in Southern Germany and your absolutely right when you say you can tell which country you’re in by the driving. We drove down from Calais, so we passed though France, Belgium and just in to NL (Also drove in Austria and Switzerland, while on holiday)

I find France is fine on the motorways and on the A-road, but almost as soon as you hit Belgium the mood changed completely. Those ‘WTF’ moments every now and then you get over here in the UK, became par for the course over there. Germans are pretty safe and curious drivers. Outside of London and other big cities, I think the British are generally quite good drivers.

Think yourself lucky. I have to drive a 26 ton truck round london. Everybody is **** mental.

Just moved to Cardiff after living and driving round London for 20 years, tbh I always found London driving absolutely fine, the drivers are generally switched on and everything happens quicky, no less polite than elswhere but if you take your time then you miss the boat.
In comparison I find drivers in Cardiff really dopey but what really annoys me is how pavements are treated as perfectly acceptable places to park your car, even if it means people having to walk in the road.

Nothing wrong with driving in London, I do it every day. Even the traffic isn’t too bad, you just have to know the shortcuts. What I can’t stand is dawdling out of town drivers who don’t know where they are going and swerving all over the road whilst glued to their sat navs. Dangerous.

What I can’t stand is dawdling out of town drivers who don’t know where they are

Guilty of that one. But swerving all over the road – no. I leave that to the locals! I tend to time my arrival in London after rush hour, park the car somewhere for the duration of my stay and then relax using public transport and being able to drink lots of alcohol at any time of the day. 8)

Then I have to sober up in time to drive home and return to my life of having to drive all the time so don’t get to chill out with a beer in the middle of the day 🙁

commute by bike 10 miles each way in london daily

some terrible drivers, but some shocking cyclists too

white van men, bus, taxis, 4×4 school run mums, guys in status/sports cars racing to the next set of lights its all pretty scary, just assume everyone trying to kill you

saying that got a dodgy taxi one time in lima, peru- that was a whole other level of shitmypants- kept bashing my head on the roof every time we got air over a speedbump

I drove a van into London a couple of years ago, and for the first time in 15 years of driving someone overtook me half way through a set of traffic lights a single lane wide. We were both nearly up on the curb at each side. I was speechless. Honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Not just the fact that it’s stupid, but as things go, and I know people can be rude when they get behind the wheel, that took the biscuit.

if you take your time then you miss the boat.

This is it. Baptism of fire. I just passed my test in London last year. Now I feel prepared for most UK driving situations. Driving outside the capital is a more relaxed pace.

Love the idea that the standard of cycling or for that matter driving in London (That London, for the resident muppets) is any different from any major city…

From a good ten years observation, things could be better, but they are not anywhere near as bad as some of the STW brigade’s middle-aged don’t ride a road bike but drive an Audi and get my fat arse on an a bike once a months opinions would lead anyone to believe.

As soon as I enter London my own is used. A lot.

The council cameras scare me as its all bets off in London imo when driving. My last fine was for an illegal u turn. None for one way streets yet. Swiss cottage is ace but then I loved it on a bicycle as well when I lived there.

London is a great mix. All types of cars and drivers doing all types of things.
Scariest guy I have ever seen was a Yardie in a Volvo…
For real scary driving try Johannesburg!

Funniest was sitting outside a cafe in Hampstead heath and witnessing a guy parallel parking using my Forester as a parking guage. His car was NEW yet he didnt care. It was so bad it actually made me laugh

Was a motorbike courier for two years in London, loved every second of it. Some mental moments and lots of giggles, only rule which I obeyed 100% was not to go on the other side of traffic islands. Avoided black cabs like the plague, cars with diplomatic plates were a clear and present danger. Worst thing was pedestrians to be honest. Certain places you found routes around like Hyde Park Corner which was just a pain.