What a day to be driving!

[JamezF]

I took my son back up to Lancaster today, a round trip of about 540 miles now he's not on campus. I wasn't expecting it to be a great trip given the forecast. We managed to escape most of the rain on the way up by setting off early though the cloud was clearly gathering behind us. On the way home however I spent most of the trip driving in hideously wet conditions, and as a result of two large tailbacks on the M5 due to what appeared to be multiple accidents around Worcester and Gloucester the last half of the drive back was in dark, hideously wet conditions which I'd really hoped to avoid.

To be honest though, I'm surprised there were so few accidents (I did see the aftermath of another in fact, on the M5 roundabout in Taunton). The standard of driving was in some cases shockingly bad. A lot of cars were barely a couple of car lengths apart despite the conditions and where some had left much larger gaps other drivers who presumably needed to be somewhere in a real hurry (the local morgue?) were weaving between lanes and overtaking on both the left and right. I even saw one driver overtake another car on the inside, pull out in front of it and then immediately "brake test" the overtaken vehicle, in the dark, in heavy rain. I'm at a loss to understand what goes through the mind of someone like that. Presumably there's very little capacity for anything at all. Never mind the fact that they're putting other people at risk; there's a fair chance that if the following driver fails the "test" then their own car could be bounced into one of other lanes and get ploughed into by a large lorry, for instance. Absolutely crazy. At one point I was seriously considering just stopping at a service station and having a snooze for a couple of hours whilst the volume of traffic reduced a bit.

In some senses it's an easy journey because it's all motorway but for a total of about twenty miles either end each time, but on days like today I hate it. If there was a cheaper practical way to do it I think we would, but a one-way train ticket is all but twice the cost of the fuel

James

 

[MillMeadow]

It's a pet hate of mine when drivers don't adjust to the road conditions. Glad you made it home safe.

Whenever we have an icy spell or a dusting of snow, I am surprised to make it to work without passing at least one in a ditch or having ploughed through a wall.
My only indulgence with my vehicle is always having good gripping tyres that I don't run down. I know that is no substitute for sensible driving but it does provide some reassurance when driving in the kind of conditions you described.

It's not always possible but I've found booking train tickets as far in advance as possible and off peak can mitigate some of the ( exorbitant ) cost.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The weather the last week has been appalling.
Our new camper was delivered from Chester today and the drivers said the three and a half hour trip took them five.
I felt pretty sorry for them having to return in even worse conditions.
More deluge expected today. Lots of flooding in the fields. Thankfully we live halfway up a hill but even our fields at the top are sodden. We have a lot of starlings in the garden. Are the worms they eat in the fields all drowned? We are not seeing the huge flocks feeding on the pasture this year...bird flu?

 

[blackcloud]

Had a real storm early Saturday am with the van being buffeted by gale force winds
Debris all over the road in the half light wasnt helpful and overturned, wheely bins sithering across the tarmac like squirrels -reaching the 3/4point then heading back were almost amusing.

But the sight of the day was amidst all this there was a a member of the local leafblower brigade redistributing the goods in his driveway.

Im guessing the battle would have gone on for a good few hours with multiple refuelling stops

What he actually hoped to achieve was a mystery but I suspect, as usual with these people,nature was being such an inconvenience he got to the point where he could bear it no more and had to punish it with 2stroke fumes.

 

[steve1958]

Shows the usefulness of the multiple choice written test

My children tell me I drive like an old man. Not very fast and not willing to take risks.

Glad you made it home safely James.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Had a real storm early Saturday am with the van being buffeted by gale force winds
Debris all over the road in the half light wasnt helpful and overturned, wheely bins sithering across the tarmac like squirrels -reaching the 3/4point then heading back were almost amusing.

But the sight of the day was amidst all this there was a a member of the local leafblower brigade redistributing the goods in his driveway.

Im guessing the battle would have gone on for a good few hours with multiple refuelling stops

What he actually hoped to achieve was a mystery but I suspect, as usual with these people,nature was being such an inconvenience he got to the point where he could bear it no more and had to punish it with 2stroke fumes.

I see a lot of that around my neck of the woods but it's mostly hired help using the blower so they don't care if they have to do the same job next week as they will get paid twice!

 

[madasafish]

My pet hate in rain is the car parked with one set of wheels on the pavement facing towards oncoming traffic with headlights on and shining nicely into the eyes of incoming traffic so they are blinded (even when dipped, the raised headlamp on the pavement side of the car is enough to blind you)

I assume some drivers are brain dead or under the influence of drink and/or drugs.

 

[enrico]

..

 

[Garry R]

I took my son back up to Lancaster today, a round trip of about 540 miles now he's not on campus. I wasn't expecting it to be a great trip given the forecast. We managed to escape most of the rain on the way up by setting off early though the cloud was clearly gathering behind us. On the way home however I spent most of the trip driving in hideously wet conditions, and as a result of two large tailbacks on the M5 due to what appeared to be multiple accidents around Worcester and Gloucester the last half of the drive back was in dark, hideously wet conditions which I'd really hoped to avoid.

To be honest though, I'm surprised there were so few accidents (I did see the aftermath of another in fact, on the M5 roundabout in Taunton). The standard of driving was in some cases shockingly bad. A lot of cars were barely a couple of car lengths apart despite the conditions and where some had left much larger gaps other drivers who presumably needed to be somewhere in a real hurry (the local morgue?) were weaving between lanes and overtaking on both the left and right. I even saw one driver overtake another car on the inside, pull out in front of it and then immediately "brake test" the overtaken vehicle, in the dark, in heavy rain. I'm at a loss to understand what goes through the mind of someone like that. Presumably there's very little capacity for anything at all. Never mind the fact that they're putting other people at risk; there's a fair chance that if the following driver fails the "test" then their own car could be bounced into one of other lanes and get ploughed into by a large lorry, for instance. Absolutely crazy. At one point I was seriously considering just stopping at a service station and having a snooze for a couple of hours whilst the volume of traffic reduced a bit.

In some senses it's an easy journey because it's all motorway but for a total of about twenty miles either end each time, but on days like today I hate it. If there was a cheaper practical way to do it I think we would, but a one-way train ticket is all but twice the cost of the fuel

James

It amazes me how many accidents there are in the Portishead to Bridgewater stretch of the M5. The only thing I can think is that once the south bound drivers get clear of Bristol they go hell for leather in the country and fail to keep their concentration levels up. The number of hold ups there are on this stretch is incredible.

 

[Garry R]

The weather the last week has been appalling.
Our new camper was delivered from Chester today and the drivers said the three and a half hour trip took them five.
I felt pretty sorry for them having to return in even worse conditions.
More deluge expected today. Lots of flooding in the fields. Thankfully we live halfway up a hill but even our fields at the top are sodden. We have a lot of starlings in the garden. Are the worms they eat in the fields all drowned? We are not seeing the huge flocks feeding on the pasture this year...bird flu?

Half an hour ago after a horrendous night of rain I was going to say it was clearing up but looking out now it is bucketing down again. The plus has been that the horse muck we are "blessed" with has been washed away and there is no Miscanthus straw left at the roadsides to clog the drains. However just be thankful - think of the depth of snow there would have been if it was colder!!

 

[JamezF]

It amazes me how many accidents there are in the Portishead to Bridgewater stretch of the M5. The only thing I can think is that once the south bound drivers get clear of Bristol they go hell for leather in the country and fail to keep their concentration levels up. The number of hold ups there are on this stretch is incredible.

It didn't used to be like that, certainly. When I used to live and work around the Reading area there was a noticeable slowing down and reduction of traffic as soon as I came off the M4 onto the M5 when heading back this way to visit family.

Now pretty much anything from Nailsea and Clevedon up seems to be commuter belt for Bristol and it's utterly horrible trying to drive around there.

James

 

[JamezF]

Half an hour ago after a horrendous night of rain I was going to say it was clearing up but looking out now it is bucketing down again.

I've just had a little wander around outside to check for any damage and there's water running everywhere even though we're pretty much on the top of a hill. There's a field drain that empties into a gully at the lowest corner of our property and it's easily running at several tens of gallons a minute. The stream that has appeared in our orchard doesn't look to be that much slower

James

 

[JohnRB]

Although I enjoy driving (usually) I look forward to a time when, in circumstances such as you describe, all cars on a motorway have either full or partial self driving that means they are communicating with each other to keep at a safe distance, are aware of incidents ahead and rerouting where necessary. It would also be nice if it is talking to charging units so that I roll up on time to a pre-booked slot, charge and go!

 

[enrico]

I give in trying to load a video of the Somerset levels! Trust me it is wet

 

[JamezF]

I think I might invest in some large storage tanks and start selling Raw English Rainwater in places where there's a drought.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think I might invest in some large storage tanks and start selling Raw English Rainwater in places where there's a drought.

James

Why not follow the lead of all the English water companies and just cut out the middleman and sell raw sewage?

 

[Sutty]

It annoys me when I drop back in aquaplaning & poor visibility conditions only for some plonker with no imagination to fill the "gap".
I'd love a paint gun mounted behind the radiator grill......

 

[JamezF]

I'd love a paint gun mounted behind the radiator grill......

It's an idea that had occurred to me. I rejected it on the grounds that the target probably wouldn't care anyhow. My preferred option now is a projectile that explodes when it senses that the ignition on the target vehicle has been turned off

James

 

[JamezF]

Although I enjoy driving (usually) I look forward to a time when, in circumstances such as you describe, all cars on a motorway have either full or partial self driving that means they are communicating with each other to keep at a safe distance, are aware of incidents ahead and rerouting where necessary. It would also be nice if it is talking to charging units so that I roll up on time to a pre-booked slot, charge and go!

Cars and other vehicles can certainly be fun to drive in a "spirited" fashion, but most public roads just have far too much traffic these days. I'd far rather go to a race track if I want to play. For day-to-day commuting or just grinding out miles self-driving cars just seem such a sensible idea. And if done properly they'd get you where you wanted to go faster and more safely.

Or we just need to invent a teleporter and have done with all the messing about.

James

 

[Sutty]

It's an idea that had occurred to me. I rejected it on the grounds that the target probably wouldn't care anyhow. My preferred option now is a projectile that explodes when it senses that the ignition on the target vehicle has been turned off

James

Greasy multicoloured non-drying paint across the back of their chariot - I think they would "care".
Would certainly make me happier!
Can you get paintballs filled with paint stripper?