Janus-Faced Drivers
Driving By Iain Betson
There is no doubt our personality changes when we get behind the wheel. I am sorry to say that we can, as drivers, be less than caring to completely selfish. This piece was inspired by three such examples I witnessed on a short stretch of A-road. Firstly, a speed restriction was in place to protect maintenance workers cone laying. The job is dangerous enough without drivers wilfully ignoring the limit with workers inches away from them. A little later, the overhead displays warned me of an accident and to move to the right, further backed up by both orange and blue lights on the attending vehicles. This warning was ignored by the van driver who undertook all of us in the left lane and sped past the scene. Finally, I came to a junction slip road onto the carriageway. The Highway Code states that if traffic is too dense then you must wait in the slip road until an opportunity arises to safely join the road. This was ignored by the driver who barged in, wasn’t content to sit behind a lorry, and swung into the right-hand lane causing all of us to brake hard. All those concerned wanted to continue their journey at the expense of others. Out of their cars, those drivers are likely polite, caring family people who would never jump a queue – they are Janus-faced drivers. The roads are crammed enough as it is, but using them with courtesy will improve the experience for all.
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