What constitutes are dangerous driving?

[Hyundai]

What constitutes as dangerous driving?

Have you ever wondered.. "Am I dragging this gear on too much?".. "I haven't exceeded the limit but I sure as hell got to the limit pretty fast".. "Did I overtake too fast?".. "Am I accelerating too fast?".. "Have I gone around this bend too fast?".

I ask myself these questions a lot, and wondered whether I am liable for being pulled over based on the manner of which I do these things. I'm quite paranoid on the road, and sometimes I feel I am too spontaneous with my driving.

Do you ever wonder this? - That the way you drive is enough to be pulled over?

Sorry if this sounds a little weird, hopefully it will make sense.

 

[jim_bling]

i know what you mean mate and yes to a cirtain extent it makes you stand out more to police than "normal" drivers as it happened to one of my friends he went round a corner a lil bit fast and about 30 seconds later there was a t5 pulling him sayin that he came around the corner a bit fast and thought the car was stolen

 

[Antony]

i got stopped for redlining my car in 1st and second going onto the motorway, i then pointed out that even redlining it in my car, is about as fast as a T5 accelerating moderately, and that in the highway code it states
"you must accellerate to the given speed limit as quickly as you can"..

so i do.

 

[Arnold]

Dangerous in my eyes basically is driving beyond your abilities, such as feeling not safe or in control of the car. I wouldn't say over taking someone too fast or anything like that is dangerous, but understeering round a bend etc, basically shows your not in control.

it's mostly confidence really, some people will feel they can drive fast or in a mannor they do at speed, whereas others you know shouldn't even be on the roads..Driving enthusiastically doesn't mean you are unsafe, but your generally over confident and one day will get caught out

 

[Hyundai]

i got stopped for redlining my car in 1st and second going onto the motorway, i then pointed out that even redlining it in my car, is about as fast as a T5 accelerating moderately, and that in the highway code it states
"you must accellerate to the given speed limit as quickly as you can"..

so i do.

I'm curious, could you explain this situation in a lot more detail please? :doh:

 

[Robert]

^ think about it, slowly accelerating pulling onto a motorway could be very dangerous! You should try to match your speed to the traffic as soon as possible, it was one of the first things my driving instructor told me when it came to dual carriageways.

 

[Hyundai]

It's not that I don't understand what he said, I'm just curious of the situation. How it went down, how the police reacted. Etc.

 

[Antony]

its not something you should try, i happen to know most of them. my dad works with them on a daily basis. so it was more of a chat than anything else.

dont go stating highway code stuff to coppers cos you will get their backs up..

 

[Robert]

Ooh sorry!

I got pulled for the same thing a while back, the first thing the guy said...

"You make a lot of noise for a little car" lol!

He then went on to check all over my car, insurance etc, of course, everything was good and he let me go

 

[Hyundai]

LOL, that's a funny quote. I got pulled over in Liverpool for driving too slow. It was completely empty.. I was driving at 20 miles an hour or so, with just the police car behind me, no one else on the road. Problem was, I had no shoes on!.. So like.. I'm standing there in my socks trying to decipher the Liverpool accent.....

 

[GuyH08]

i am quitw paranoid when i see police now, because in my 1st week of driving i got pulled over TWICE...for well no reason atall really...didnt get any points but got breathalised on both ocasions.

the worst part was the second time i got pulled over, the officer was about to breathalised me...

This is how the conversation went
Police: "have you done this before?"
Me: "Erm, yes"
Police: "so how long have you been driving?"
Me: "Erm, 1 week" :doh:**Cringe**
Police: "oh right, not a very good start is it?"
Me: "nope "

o well

 

[Scouse boy]

"LOL, that's a funny quote. I got pulled over in Liverpool for driving too slow. It was completely empty.. I was driving at 20 miles an hour or so, with just the police car behind me, no one else on the road. Problem was, I had no shoes on!.. So like.. I'm standing there in my socks trying to decipher the Liverpool accent....."

haha was it one of those yellow CCTV vans or a regular car?

 

[Hyundai]

Regular cars. :doh:

 

[capnmchl]

I've never been pulled, for anything, but driving through exeter is one hell of a scary experience if you're doing anything wrong. So many unmarked police cars. Although devon and cornwall don't enforce 20 MPH speed limits, so you can do 30 in a 20. Or so I've been told be a reliable source.

I wouldn't intentionally worry about those things too much. The 2 I'd be concerned about would be when accelerating from a stand still, do you tend to wheel spin, and when you go round corners, do you understeer. Those 2 give less control of the car.

 

[ollyc98]

I've never been pulled (touch wood) it's like the police in my area don't care, I came through a chicane doing about 40, a marked police car came through the other way going a lot faster, we both braked and barely avoided an accident then I had the cheek to force him to reverse, I thought he was gunna turn around and come arerest me for something lol

 

[Ceirwan]

Acceleration isn't usually a problem unless your not in control, or the car is running away with you! I don't think they can technically have a go at you for redlining in gear providing you aren't driving unsafely or breaking limits etc.

With re the understeer thing you mentioned Arnold i think anyone can get caught out with a sudden change in road surface, a skilled driver won't panic or freeze but will correct it, i.e. ease of the throttle, use a little left foot brake.

You should drive to how you feel comfy, and if that means you have someone up your backend down a country road because they don't feel your going fast enough, tough to them!

 

[MicraFish]

I imagine dangerous driving constitutes endangering other drivers' lives too.
I shouldn't worry about it too much mate - just don't attract attention to yourself!

 

[Antony]

i drove normaly around grimsby and even in a micra with a huge exhaust, big wheels and brakes and a HUGE number 4 on the side. i didnt get pulled..... i could have been in a stock 1.0 S and been raggin it though and got pulled.....

its about attitude.