There are a gazzillion more unpoliced laws in this country.
You're going to enforce them how?
When driving in the countryside, don't take it as a given that roads will be hunky-dory.
Simples.
Did you read this?
https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/advice/mud
Waffle on as much as you want but here's a simple fact, it's the law in this country.
There are a gazzillion more unpoliced laws in this country.
You're going to enforce them how?
When driving in the countryside, don't take it as a given that roads will be hunky-dory.
Simples.
By all means drive trusting the law to clean the British roads.
I will drive trusting common sense; expecting the unexpected round the corner, whether that be spilled gasoil from a truck/bus, a large tractor coming the opposite way, the mud it lost earlier or an elderly prince pulling out onto the road.
I think part of my ‘defensive driving’ attitude comes from my experience as a motorcyclist - where clods of earth and spilt oil can really ruin your day! Whilst I agree every road user should be responsible fo keeping roads 100% safe, 100% of the time, People are fallible, trees fall across roads, sh*t happens basically
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Reminds me of when my wife drove straight through a fallen tree in our Discovery, without even trying to slow down.
When I watched the dash-cam footage and then asked her why she didn't even attempt to slow down/stop, she said 'I was in a hurry' and she genuinely thought that was a perfectly reasonable excuse for hitting part of a fallen tree at 20-30mph. Luckily it was only the top branches she hit, so the damage was not 'too' bad.
Humans will always be the weakest link!
Last edited by Maysie; 14th October 2019 at 11:34. Reason: typo
Some farmers just don't give a sh!!, there is one in Sheering who regularly plasters the road with mud (I'm not exaggerating) he did it last week turning the wet road into a skid pan, I am amazed he gets away with it and that there hasn't been a serious accident, he goes from one end of the village to the other distributing mud all over the road.
I’m sure I read somewhere that in Spain you did the first part of your Car Driving learning on a scooter to get a feel for road driving? Makes sense imho - on a bike you feel really exposed whereas cars give you a false sense of security. Even worse with all the modern driving ‘aids’ like lane assist etc
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Not me; born and raised in the Netherlands. Earned my first stripes dropping on my ears in the rain on the diesel spilled on the bus route.
Currently, over here, the youths prefer the moped car of their deceased grandpa which they can drive without a drivers´licence. Since those things mopeds have become a rare thing. Just like motorbikes since the crises started.
But I agree. Having experience on two wheels does a power of good to safety awareness. Of driving aware of riscs. The aids in modern car lead to increased risc behavir; it even has a name; the Peltzman effect. The proximity ensors now being the marketing fad will make it worse still.
Back to the mud; the moaning about that is a sad example of the finger pointing and not taking responsibility. Ofcourse the farmer is by law obliged to clean up, just as town hall/province was for the diesel spilled on the bus route but it is no use crying over spilt diesel: Shit happens. If you want to keep it rubber down YOÚ need to pay attention and anticipate. In a tin can weiging a ton at least that is even more important; the heavier the more of a menace thus responsibilty it is. YOUR responsibility.
Hmm. I'm sure the bus probably was not aware he spilled a bit of diesel on the road where as the farmer is fully aware he is flinging mud rocks off his tractors.
The driving responsibly does not cut it. I'm sure on this very mature forum...we're all very reasonable drivers.
You can drive like your taking your test every day but the fact is if you do not know it's there on a A road doing 50/60mph your fooked. The farmer knows what he's doing and does not try to minimise it one bit.
Thus, with the State itself not upholding its own law, the only solution was/is to take your own responsibility for your own safety. In a car weighing >1 ton, that is also the safety of others.
We had floods here last month and a lót of mud was washed over even highways. Yes it was ´cleaned´ but we have not had enough rain to wash it away properly yet. Last nght a drizzle and this morning there were localised slippery slides éverywhere. No signpost ánywhere. Is blaming the road owners the solution? For one good luck and secondly it does not prevent anything. Better use common sense and drive defensively.
Point is that one should not go around corners assuming the road will be clear. One should drive assuming the unexpected. That too is the law; that you should be able to STÓP within the distance you can oversee. In other words you should be able to stop before you hit the mud even, never mind passing it with reduced speed.
If the drivers on the forum are all rsponsible drivers, then this whole thread would not exist.
Reality is that in general half the drivers are at best fringe competent and that will apply to the forum too.
Again avid motorcyclists will confirm this as there is not a single one that has not been overlooked by ´responsible drivers´ and has either been clobberd off his bike or has had to save his own skin.
Shit happens. Drive accordingly.
We have a lot of mud on the roads near my village, it is annoying but cant see anything ever getting done.
Now what is dangerous is when the farmer dropped a full load of potatoes onto a very busy A road a few years back and left them there!! It was like driving on sheet ice, some people must have crashed. It was never cleaned up or a sign left or anything.
Here a video shot last year on the N340 near Vélez Málaga....
https://youtu.be/5PhfHArSIq0
Shit happens; drive accordingly.