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Driving abroad
roythebus
post Mon, 26 Jun 2017 - 10:03
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I drive quite a bit abroad, the last few years over 30,000 miles a year usually on motorways. This weekend was a bit different, driving London bus around Calais.

What surprised me is the courtesy of the drivers in that town, politely giving way to the bus, giving way to pedestrians waiting to cross at junctions, and geberally not being in such a bloody hurry to get everywhere, unlike London where everyone has to get there 10 minutes ago!

Maybe the Europeans have better road safety education these days than we have, maybe stricter driving tests to improve standards? Any ideas?
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post Mon, 26 Jun 2017 - 10:03
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seank
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 09:14
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My daughter lives and works in Belgium. She enjoys scuba diving and travels all around Europe, to frightening lakes and suchlike.
She tells me there's no points in the Belgium licence system.
You see the occasional bad accident, where a drunk driver has gone into someone, but generally folks are better drivers than here.
They have a fully-automated system for speeding. She's always moaning about fines coming through the post, but she just pays up and that's the end of it.
The lane discipline is fantastic, compared to here. Folks overtake and then return to the inside lane. None of the hogging we get here.
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typefish
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 10:21
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Some of the best driving I've experienced has been in Belgium. I'd love to go back there.

Don't see why their driving skill has to evaporate at the French border however; whenever I see a Belgian car over here I almost get killed by it.
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seank
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 12:10
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Yes, I agree.
My daughter works for GSK, a British company with massive new facilities out there.
She took me to her site and the car park was filled with top range vehicles, without a single mark on them. People drive very well and you don't see the dents and scrapes of France or the UK.
Audi sells vehicles with specs that you can't get in the UK. Her A2 sportback has a much more powerful engine than those available in the UK. Horses for courses.
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666
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 13:24
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QUOTE (seank @ Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 10:14) *
My daughter lives and works in Belgium. She enjoys scuba diving and travels all around Europe, to frightening lakes and suchlike.
She tells me there's no points in the Belgium licence system.
You see the occasional bad accident, where a drunk driver has gone into someone, but generally folks are better drivers than here.
They have a fully-automated system for speeding. She's always moaning about fines coming through the post, but she just pays up and that's the end of it.
The lane discipline is fantastic, compared to here. Folks overtake and then return to the inside lane. None of the hogging we get here.


The lane discipline may be good, but in my experience of being driven by Belgians they have no concept of a safe gap: tailgating is the norm on the motorways.

Anyway, the road casualty stats indicate that Belgium is less safe than France, which in turn is much less safe than the UK. But we mustn't let facts get in the way of a good anecdote.
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nigelbb
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 13:34
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Lane discipline on the motorways in France is extremely good probably because if you hog a lane a lunatic flashing his lights will tailgate you at 50cm from your rear bumper until you move over.


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Lodesman
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 16:41
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QUOTE (nigelbb @ Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 14:34) *
Lane discipline on the motorways in France is extremely good probably because if you hog a lane a lunatic flashing his lights will tailgate you at 50cm from your rear bumper until you move over.

As there are only two lanes on most French motorways you don't really have a choice to hog anything other than the nearside (À la française) as nigelbb says.

This post has been edited by Lodesman: Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 16:47
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seank
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 17:31
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QUOTE (666 @ Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 14:24) *
QUOTE (seank @ Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 10:14) *
My daughter lives and works in Belgium. She enjoys scuba diving and travels all around Europe, to frightening lakes and suchlike.
She tells me there's no points in the Belgium licence system.
You see the occasional bad accident, where a drunk driver has gone into someone, but generally folks are better drivers than here.
They have a fully-automated system for speeding. She's always moaning about fines coming through the post, but she just pays up and that's the end of it.
The lane discipline is fantastic, compared to here. Folks overtake and then return to the inside lane. None of the hogging we get here.


The lane discipline may be good, but in my experience of being driven by Belgians they have no concept of a safe gap: tailgating is the norm on the motorways.

Anyway, the road casualty stats indicate that Belgium is less safe than France, which in turn is much less safe than the UK. But we mustn't let facts get in the way of a good anecdote.


I always take such statistics with scepticism.
What are the average speeds in the UK?
Which roads are safer in the UK or Belgium and what percentage of each type is considered?
What nationality of drivers is being assessed? Is it Belgians, English or French drivers who are causing casualties in Belgium?
I think you'll find that you have to delve down into the data, but we mustn't let facts get in the way of a good anecdote.
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PASTMYBEST
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 17:36
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or use your experience. The Belgians do not impress me as generally good drivers, though I am sure there are some as with all nationalities and genders for that matter.

lane discipline is dictated in Belgium and many other part of Europe by the fact that they are two lane, get on the three lane sections and the middle will be blocked, this has got worse over the years


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Unzippy
post Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 18:19
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QUOTE (PASTMYBEST @ Mon, 10 Jul 2017 - 18:36) *
The Belgians do not impress me as generally good drivers.



Quite. On the run through to the Eifel mountains, the Belgian section is where I have to be most prepared for random lane changes, unwarranted speed changes - generally the most erratic driving.
German and French driving is fine, the run back up for Dover on the M20 - terrible driving biggrin.gif
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