Another driving hazard

Yet another product of the dangerous habits of some drivers on our roads has become prevalent. I have named it the Follow-My-Leader Syndrome.

This is what happens: You are driving on a main road with a complete right of way. Driver one is too impatient to allow you to pass safely as he waits before turning right but instead chooses to emerge right in front of your vehicle to execute the turn. That may not be so bad but driver two behind him then decides to follow suit.

This is what happened to me. Driver one misjudged both my speed and distance before attempting to turn right in front of me. I braked very hard and missed his vehicle by a fraction but my car carried on under its momentum. That, however, was not sufficiently dangerous for driver two, who proceeded to follow the first idiot. I avoided an accident with great difficulty.

This was the fourth such incident in as many weeks. I cannot understand how these people passed their driving tests. They do not seem to be aware that such a dangerous manoeuvre has two risk factors.

The first is that their right-turn exit may become blocked either because of people crossing or because of other traffic, thus leaving them stranded in the middle of the road and a danger to themselves, their passengers and other road users. They can also stall their vehicle.

Secondly, if their judgment as to the oncoming vehicle's speed and distance is not spot on and if they are not aware of their car's limitations and performance, they will undoubtedly be 100 per cent at fault.

Traffic wardens and policemen could do much to educate and prosecute drivers whose bad habits and dangerous practices may cost the lives of innocent people.