Paphos Life

Driving yesterday the car in front of me, (looked like a couple of elderly people,)
we both indicated to turn right onto the motorway, to my horror the car in front turned into the exit slip road, two big red no entry signs, I slammed my brakes on, and pressed my horn as much as I could to warn him that he was going to end up going the wrong way down the motor way, I could see he slowed down, and he looked into his mirror at me, but alas he kept going, please God he didnt hit anyone.

Hope not, a friend of mines sister was killed in exactly those circumstances.

Also, I was on the M8 heading out of Glasgow about 2:30am having worked a twelve hour shift, the road was dead when I realised that there was a car traveling at high speed towards me on the same side of the road. There was another car on the correct side keeping pace with it.
I managed to avoid it and got onto the hard shoulder and contact the police.
The driver was traced about an hour later and admitted that him.and his mate were racing to see how far he got without being stopped!!!!!!

WHL wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:14 am Driving yesterday the car in front of me, (looked like a couple of elderly people,)
we both indicated to turn right onto the motorway, to my horror the car in front turned into the exit slip road, two big red no entry signs, I slammed my brakes on, and pressed my horn as much as I could to warn him that he was going to end up going the wrong way down the motor way, I could see he slowed down, and he looked into his mirror at me, but alas he kept going, please God he didnt hit anyone.

You should have got their reg and reported them to the police. There is absolutely no excuse for that whatsoever. Anybody who does that should have their license permanently revoked.

I don't know the situation now but 40 or so years ago in Switzerland, it was a daily event to have a car go the wrong way. The authorities rehashed the road signs to make them more visible and more imperative. I recall twice meeting vehicles on the wrong side, managing to avoid an accident. I remember the popular press stressing that most of these cases involved elderly drivers but, certainly, some younger ones as well.

A couple of years before the incident I posted above, two colleagues were also killed by a drunk driver who took the wrong turning. The two boys were in an armoured, reinforced, firearms vehicle and ended up trapped and burned to death.

Horrible.

Dominic wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:50 am

WHL wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:14 am Driving yesterday the car in front of me, (looked like a couple of elderly people,)
we both indicated to turn right onto the motorway, to my horror the car in front turned into the exit slip road, two big red no entry signs, I slammed my brakes on, and pressed my horn as much as I could to warn him that he was going to end up going the wrong way down the motor way, I could see he slowed down, and he looked into his mirror at me, but alas he kept going, please God he didnt hit anyone.

You should have got their reg and reported them to the police. There is absolutely no excuse for that whatsoever. Anybody who does that should have their license permanently revoked.

Dominic, the guy was in front of me and never in a million years, would I expect them to turn right into the slip road, there was two large red no entry signs to warn people, as I said I stopped and pressed on my car horn, as if my life depended on it, but it happened so fast, the only thing on my mind was trying to stop him, as I said they looked elderly so more checks should be made on elderly drivers in my book, eye sight , reflexes etc

It may not be an elderly driver, maybe someone driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs... The police are catching and convicting some of them.
No doubt the roads here can be dangerous, so a constant survelience of other drivers is essential when driving.
WHL You did your best to stop the driver.
Dee

I remember many years ago the wife had just passed her driving test and said she was going out in my pride and joy,a Morris Minor to do the shopping alone.She had been out about half an hour when she phoned me,rarther distraught saying she was having trouble as there was water in the carburetor.I said i,ll come out right away where is the car,she said,,,,,,in the lake.

Kili01 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:48 pm It may not be an elderly driver, maybe someone driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs... The police are catching and convicting some of them.
No doubt the roads here can be dangerous, so a constant survelience of other drivers is essential when driving.
WHL You did your best to stop the driver.
Dee

In this case it was an elderly guy,

Ok so in this case he looked elderly. But although some people tend to blame older drivers for careless driving, recently I have seen some truly dangerous driving on TOTK road.Jumping red lights, weaving from one lane to the other in heavy traffic, sometimes undertaking cars in outside lane, no use of indicators. How there aren't more accidents is down to luck.Not the driver's skill.Most of the drivers are young men....
Dee

Kili01 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 14, 2022 4:34 pm Ok so in this case he looked elderly. But although some people tend to blame older drivers for careless driving, recently I have seen some truly dangerous driving on TOTK road.Jumping red lights, weaving from one lane to the other in heavy traffic, sometimes undertaking cars in outside lane, no use of indicators. How there aren't more accidents is down to luck.Not the driver's skill.Most of the drivers are young men....
Dee

Most of the youngsters are just morons, with the elderly it could be a number of things, slow reaction, confusion, physical, etc etc

Here's what a engish police officer said about some drivers.
" Some drivers get in the car start the engine then open there skull take there brain out and put it on the passenger seat, they then close there skull and start to drive the car"
I think that happens a lot here.
Paul

I had a heart-in-mouth moment this morning on the road from Kallepia to Tsada..
A flatbed breakdown truck overtook us on a single white line and pulled in when he was Opposite us.
I had no option but to brake and pull onto the grassy shoulder . GRRRR

Retraining does help definitely. You may remember a few years back I was in a bad crash.
It certainly shook my confidence. A friend said why not go on one of the free advanced driver training courses.. I did, and the lessons lasted many months. But at the end of them, I took the exam and became an advanced driver with a pass certificate..

I took and passed the IAM driving test in February 1984, and from passing my driving test in 1974.
I have never had a accident where I was to blame, yes people have hit me, but I have never hit another car.
I also have a forklift operator certificate as well.
All ways look as far as you can see even looking off to the side road's can help.
Ho buy a dash cam, After a accident people lie but if you have it on video give it to you insurance company.
Paul