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What to do about dangerous drivers?

4581 Views 82 Replies 31 Participants Last post by  dry suit diver, 
B
I have a question for you all as there's probably someone who will know what I can do.

I was on the way to Bridgnorth in Shropshire on Saturday morning and if any of you know the A442 past Shatterford towards Bridgnorth, it's a nightmare of a road mainly because there is nowhere to overtake. So if you're going along there you normally have to take the view that you will never overtake and as such just sit and wait patiently as everyone else does.

Going throught the village of Quatt, the road is fairly windy. There was me in my Pathfinder, a Megane in front of me who was driving at around 50mph (and I was just happily toddling along behind him leaving a good gap - not much else I could do) and then a Corsa behind me being driven by an old guy (mid-60's) and his fairly scared looking wife I assume sitting in the passenger seat. He was driving so close to the back of me, most of the time I could only see the top of their car in the rear view mirror. If I'd have stopped quickly he would have hit the back of my car.

Anyway - there are regular cars coming the other way (I have a decent view of the approaching traffic) but obviously Mr Corsa is getting more and more impatient. Then I see him go to overtake. I'm seeing cars coming the other way and thinking 'has he not seen them? He must be mental' - then he comes alongside me (on some thin hashed lines in the middle of the road between two islands) and halfway on the otherside of the road - but I'm thinking 'he'll never get past me or the car in front of me'.

He suddenly realised he'd totally messed it up as there was a car bearing down on him who he was about to hit, but instead of pushing the brakes he just pushed on and realising he was in a tight spot with me on his left, the megane in front of me and a car coming head on towards him, he had nowhere to go and he'd run out of time, so he just swerved across my front and literally forced me to swerve left and mount the kerb at 50mph - how I didn't hit a lamp-post is beyond me. I had to brake hard to avoid hitting his car and ended up with the megane, then him, then me - the guy behind me then looked just scared as anything as he didn't expect the guy to do what he did and for me to have to slam my anchors on so hard.

Now bearing in mind there are 6 people in my 7-seat car - me, my mum and dad, my wife and 2 young kids all of whom are at this point shit scared due to this rather nasty situation - but then he pulled right across and sat in front - I beeped my horn and he just waved at me.

So I reckon this guy could have caused a very serious accident - there's 4 witnesses in my car who saw exactly what happened - and we have a photograph of his number plate too. I think he's reckless and very dangerous.

So what can I do - should I report him to the police? Will they care? I'm worried that next time he pulls a stunt like that he'll end up killing someone - he needs to be off the road!
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bobalot
Report him, for several reasons, the one you mentioned - yes he could kill someone.

Also, what damage has been done to your car, will your tracking need adjusting, are your tyres OK?

Anyway glad you are all ok, albeit a bit shaken up. What a git!!
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diving fred
Close call lucky you were on the ball, There is not alot you can do sadly excpt to hank your lucky stars that everybody is ok thanks to your defencive driving. well done.
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MaryS
Definitely report him, if you are lucky the police will have a quiet word or caution him. If not, at least its on record for the next accident he causes. Glad you are ok.

I had some idiot up my chuff on the M5 on Fri night who didnt take brake lights being flashed at him as a hint, or me slowing right down (I was trying to overtake at the time in the outside lane so the other lanes were blocked). He clapped sarcastically when I slowed him up to 70mph so he knew I was annoyed, and then shot past when I'd finished overtaking and pulled in. The fact that I had a compressed gas sticker and 200bar pure oxygen on board if I'd had to brake hard for real was obviously lost on him.
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steve6690
I know the A442 very well. Probably because I have been to a couple of fatal collisions on it when I was a bobby at Kidderminster. I'm back in uniform now and that area is on "my manor" again. What I'd say is that the police would be interested in taking details from you, however it's a different question whether CPS would take it to court. It'd depend on the strength of the evidence ie how good the witnesses are. From what you've said, this could amount to careless/inconsiderate driving at the very least because the other driver has forced you to alter your speed or course. Dangerous Driving is a tough one to get a conviction for but I won't rule it out at this stage.
If you want any further advice please PM me. Bear in mind that if you want to start a prosecution the police have to get a Notice of Intended Prosecution in the post asap (and in any case within 14 days of the incident) so the clock is ticking. Also, all the witnesses will be required to go to Kiddy magistrates court if there's a trial (ie if he denies it). This could take up to 12 months or so.
IMHO you should report it anyway. You have been forced to mount the kerb. In itself, that's potentially very dangerous and if you've caused damage to the kerb it's now a reportable collision.
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Nothing will happen, it is your word against his.....

Pity... but this is the reality.

However, as above, if you do report it at least when he does get done in the future it has been noted it is not a one off...
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Frog
Report him

Sounds like he's pulled this stunt before. Report him with dates, times, places, road numbers and if any work has to be done on your car, take the relevant paperwork with the mechanics report and/or comments. If anything comes of it and you have had to have work done you might be able to claim off his insurance. What a twat. Don't take prisoners - this Frog doesn't!!!
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ray
Hi.

If you were as aware of the situation as you appear to have been you should have let him in before it developed as far as it did, the situation and risk regarding any oncoming traffic and not to mention yourselves would have been reduced by you driving defensively.

It does not excuse the plonker, drive as if all drivers are total imbeciles, which we all are!.
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ray said:
we all are!.
Click to expand...

I'm not....;)
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ray
bythesea said:
I'm not....;)
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:zip:;)
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Foggy
Report him, it may save his life let alone the lives of others.

IIRC in Scotland they have signs which say "impatience kills", which IMHO is far more accurate than 'speed kills'

-Paul
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H
'Frustration kills. Please allow overtaking' actually. Aimed at the fuds who drive up the A9 at 40mph on the single carriageway parts and then floor it to 90mph the second they hit a bit of dual carriageway or spot you alongside in the middle of passing them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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D
I would contact their insurance company and the police - it sounds like he has left the scene of an accident without leaving details.

I would describe a person having to leave the carriageway and mount a kerb as being an accident, and it is fairly clear who is at fault.

If nothing else, the threat of having an insurance claim against them might just buck their ideas up.

Personally I think there should be some kind of voting system where you can go online and report dangerous driving or inconsiderate behaviour on the road. It wouldn't go anywhere unless there was a conviction against said driver, at which point they would consider the number of complaints and the nature of them in the penalty awarded - for example instead of 3 points and £60 fine could turn into 3 points, £120 fine and one of those traffic safety courses the police run, if you'd had several independent complaints against you.

Digs.
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Digger said:
I would describe a person having to leave the carriageway and mount a kerb as being an accident, and it is fairly clear who is at fault.
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Using the term accident implies no one is at fault. Incident and or collision are better terms.

Digger said:
I think there should be some kind of voting system where you can go online and report dangerous driving or inconsiderate behaviour on the road.
Click to expand...
My Road Rage - reports and statistics of bad drivers
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G
Terribly un PC, but the only thing these people tend to understand is a kick up the arse. I have often fantasized about having enough money to drive an old Range Rover with a good engine and very large and very rusty bull bars so I could simply ram these tossers off the road.

Back to real life - to be honest its not worth getting too upset about, i am guilty of letting things like this wind me up as well, i try to tell myself that life is to short to get worried about it.
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1
My response to tailgaters is to slow down and start washing my windows.
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nickb said:
My response to tailgaters is to slow down and start washing my windows.
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I still think you were mad climbing out of your sunroof with a bucket and sponge
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nickb said:
My response to tailgaters is to slow down and start washing my windows.
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I thought it was just me that did that....
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Woz
nickb said:
My response to tailgaters is to slow down and start washing my windows.
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Also a great way of really pissing off someone on a motorbike. However expect your door to be kicked in on the way past.

As for the OP (hello Mark) I'd just go and have a beer. We all have bad driving days. Missus Woz seems to have more than most. She uses the kerbs to steer and sees the steering wheel as an optional accessory.
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D
The other thing to try and be careful of is turning a dangerous driver into an angry and aggressive driver. We've all seen minor road rage kick off from time to time, personally I've seen fairly major road rage kick off, it's just not worth getting angry with somebody who is driving like an arse there and then. They won't change their habits, they'll just do a bunch of damage to the car and/or you, and frankly it's not worth the inconvenience.

The kind of people who drive like tossers usually are tossers, and as a result are more prone to acting like tossers when out of their vehicle as well.

Karma will sort it out, probably when they roll their car into a ditch racing around the local McDonalds roundabout and for some reason we bother to send people out to recover the thing.

Digs.
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