JonnyG said:
steveinleo said:
Pig ignorance I think describes what you saw Emmerson.
In Germany, if you break the law of the road, expect a hefty fine. The restrictions on lorrys to use the nearside lane and the time scale for overtaking both play a significant role in maintaining a much better discapline and mindset.
I can remember reading a local town paper while at a friends house in Dortmond. I asked about the center two page spread of photographs of cars showing their numberplate and the name and address of the owner. These were apparently publicity of speeders in Dortmond, who had not yet paid the fixed penalty fine for speeding. There is even a discount for paying early.
I thought this was a brilliant idea as when you think about it, most people hate adverse publicity and embarasement. The Germans have a very high regard of their persona and hate being embarassed or teased about their mistakes.
I think this idea would be brilliant on the motorways or even the towns. Most hauliers want to have a good reputation. Just think of how neat and tidy the stobbart trucks and drivers are and how their trade has grown, based on a slick efficient image. I think the threat of photographic evidence of bad driving and clear identification of the drivers by virtue of the truck reg and tacho records, would very soon change the mind set or give the ignorant drivers their DCM (don't come monday p45).
Then just think of the banter down the pub when "Johnny Speeder or Mr Lanehog" show up. "Saw you in the paper today mate".
Sorry steve not sure your post made it clear who you were attacking? to me it seems in the main it was the haulage firms and lorry drivers? with the exception of stobbart! ha ha ha, please. frankly you are right about image having a part to play but seen plenty of, call it poor driving by stobbart drivers to know they are no better or worse than most haulage drivers. having said that see far more call it poor driving by people in cars, but then there are indeed far more cars out there in the first place.
As for naming and shaming though newspaper, do they still print newspapers?
JG, I see your point, what I was trying to put across was that there are good and bad drivers out there and I agree not all drive trucks. But I quoted stedy eddie as they and a few other firms have tried to get both their drivers and transport planners to buy into a good image. Most of the traffic planners actually do go out on the road and suffer the drivers seat, to make thm better planners.
I would welcome any sort of clamp down and publicity on the standard of driving in the uk. I recently had an incident where I was negotiating a roundabout at Meryhill shopping center and as I was moving on the roundabout, a female driver tried to ignore her give way line and proceed to squeeze the two of us down a single lane exit. She was so "hell bent" on barging in that, she kerbed both nearside alloys on her 62 plate Mercedes. I then saw a torrent of 2 finger salutes from both hands, meaning that for the next 300 yards she had no hands on the steering wheel. I called 999 on my hands free phone and called the police. Within 5 mins they arrived and stopped her. Also two witnesses came forward and she was duely arrested still f in and blinding in rage. Mind you, my laughing probably didn't help. She has been charged with driving without due care, verbal abuse of me and the police and I gave a statement plus two witness statements telling of her rage and the way she didn't stop at the roundabout. So I guess she'll get some points and a fine. But hubby will have to buy two new wheels for the car which on top of the solicitors fee will be a bitter pill to swallow.
She used to be considerably richer than yow, but now the purse is a little lighter.
Oh BTW I was born a brummie but taught to work for what I have and be level with everyone. After all we all have the right to vote.