Great Positioning!

[tim hunt]

OK so this wasn't taken from the TR but I couldn't resist posting an image from a recent short trip. You might think that the driver in front made a very late decision to turn left rather than right but I am afraid even that thin excuse is not available, since they were signalling their intention to turn left for at least 100 yards on the approach to the junction! I am of course used to seeing such thoughtless driving but the recent acquisition of a dash cam allows me to record and keep such examples for my continued amusement.

Tim 

[RogerH]

Hi Tim,

 there isn't a  dash cam memory device that can hold all the bad driving  that goes on in Hillingdon and probably the whole of London.

I wonder who is responsible.

 

 

Roger 

[foster461]

Where do you end up if you go straight, in a field ?

[RobH]

20 hours ago, tim hunt said:

OK so this wasn't taken from the TR but I couldn't resist posting an image from a recent short trip. You might think that the driver in front made a very late decision to turn left rather than right but I am afraid even that thin excuse is not available, since they were signalling their intention to turn left for at least 100 yards on the approach to the junction! I am of course used to seeing such thoughtless driving but the recent acquisition of a dash cam allows me to record and keep such examples for my continued amusement.

Or maybe the driver cannot see properly what is coming from the right unless the junction is approached at 90 degrees?    I make a point of doing just this myself where a junction is at a particularly sharp angle, so no it is not necessarily thoughtless driving but could be exactly the opposite . 

Many modern cars have so much clutter like thick pillars and big head-rests etc that vision to the side and rearwards can be rather obscured. Add to that inertia belts which lock just when you need to lean forwards in the seat to crane your neck round....... 

Edited May 23, 2021 by RobH

[tim hunt]

Stan, whilst the straight ahead arrow might look a bit bizarre at first sight the road ahead is a dual carriageway. A right turn arrow might encourage an unobservant driver who had not travelled this road before and who had missed the sign 'Dual carriageway ahead' on the approach to the junction to turn immediately right down the 'wrong' carriageway.

Rob,  a fair point of course if one is driving a box van, Lotus Europa or similar exotic with a limited rear three quarter vision and one should  position for the best view but i won't wear this excuse in this case. I could clearly see the driver and front seat passenger through their rear screen and the BMW's D pillar is not that thick.  

[RobH]

No Tim. I find exactly that happens in my Volvo - I'm afraid your assumptions are wrong.

My car has a blind spot from 95 degrees to my right to about 130 degrees and this is not covered by the door mirror either.  Also don't forget, not all drivers are the same and some no longer have very flexible necks.  As I said - I make a point of approaching junctions at as close to 90 degrees as possible unless there is a proper slip lane of sufficient length.  It is much more important to be able to see oncoming traffic and so avoid an accident than it is to worry about the opinions of a driver behind.  

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by RobH

[barkerwilliams]

Agree with RobH there is a need to see clearly right and if the roads do not meet squarely then a suitable course needs to be steered. The A49 has a particularly bad junction in that respect near my home. But of course I don't know the layout in your photograph.

Alan

[duncan]

don't forget the blacked out windows obstructing safe vision