The Student Room Group

Why are people willing to drive aggressively when learners are around?

I've had about 8 hours of lessons so far, and I'm at the point where I can drive reasonably well in light traffic. The route my instructor currently has me on takes me on a circuit through a mixture of main roads and residential areas around Farnham Common and Farnham Royal in Berkshire, edging into the Slough Industrial Estate - It's an excellent route to take, plenty of traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts to get used to. I'm currently doing my lessons on either a Saturday or Sunday late morning, so the traffic is reasonably heavy but still light enough to not be too intimidating.

In terms of following legal limits, I'm also making sure to do this - I can shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear at an adequate speed and make sure to follow the speed limits. This is where the thread title comes in - It seems that Farnham Royal/Common and Slough are home to some of the most impatient and aggressive drivers in Berkshire - In my previous lesson, I had a minicab driver undertake and mount the pavement (where several pedestrians were walking, causing a near miss as a result) to get around me, even though traffic was moving slowly because the queue I was in had just started to pull away from the set of traffic lights we were at. I've also had people aggressively tailgating me and trying to get in my boot, whether I'm pulling off at the same speed as everyone else or not.

To say that these incidents are making me nervous is an understatement, and from doing some research, it would seem I'm definitely not alone in experiencing these sorts of things. Why exactly do people feel willing to be aggressive towards learners, even to the point of putting themselves and other people around them at risk?
Reply 1
Original post by Destoroyah
I've had about 8 hours of lessons so far, and I'm at the point where I can drive reasonably well in light traffic. The route my instructor currently has me on takes me on a circuit through a mixture of main roads and residential areas around Farnham Common and Farnham Royal in Berkshire, edging into the Slough Industrial Estate - It's an excellent route to take, plenty of traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts to get used to. I'm currently doing my lessons on either a Saturday or Sunday late morning, so the traffic is reasonably heavy but still light enough to not be too intimidating.

In terms of following legal limits, I'm also making sure to do this - I can shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear at an adequate speed and make sure to follow the speed limits. This is where the thread title comes in - It seems that Farnham Royal/Common and Slough are home to some of the most impatient and aggressive drivers in Berkshire - In my previous lesson, I had a minicab driver undertake and mount the pavement (where several pedestrians were walking, causing a near miss as a result) to get around me, even though traffic was moving slowly because the queue I was in had just started to pull away from the set of traffic lights we were at. I've also had people aggressively tailgating me and trying to get in my boot, whether I'm pulling off at the same speed as everyone else or not.

To say that these incidents are making me nervous is an understatement, and from doing some research, it would seem I'm definitely not alone in experiencing these sorts of things. Why exactly do people feel willing to be aggressive towards learners, even to the point of putting themselves and other people around them at risk?


They simply don't care. It shouldn't put you off from learning to drive because the conditions will always be like this wether you're a learner or a normal driver.
Reply 2
Original post by Black Water
They simply don't care. It shouldn't put you off from learning to drive because the conditions will always be like this wether you're a learner or a normal driver.


Yep, I agree with this. I'm just shocked at the lengths people will go to shave 10 seconds off their journey time. No one should feel it necessary to put everyone at risk because of that, but it seems some people, as you said, really don't care.
Reply 3
Original post by Destoroyah
Yep, I agree with this. I'm just shocked at the lengths people will go to shave 10 seconds off their journey time. No one should feel it necessary to put everyone at risk because of that, but it seems some people, as you said, really don't care.


Yeah that's true. When I was learning to drive which wasn't long ago, pretty much every motorist on a dual carriageway way was breaking the speed limit. Not only this, everyone kept on overtaking me even though we were pretty much the same speed. On a 30mph zone everyone kept on overtaking me again even though you're not supposed to.
Original post by Black Water
Yeah that's true. When I was learning to drive which wasn't long ago, pretty much every motorist on a dual carriageway way was breaking the speed limit. Not only this, everyone kept on overtaking me even though we were pretty much the same speed. On a 30mph zone everyone kept on overtaking me again even though you're not supposed to.


Everyone hates speed cameras - Taxi drivers hate them the worst. If one can speed; they'll speed. :colone:
Reply 5
Original post by Jang Gwangnam
Everyone hates speed cameras - Taxi drivers hate them the worst. If one can speed; they'll speed. :colone:


Yeah lol, I'd imagine they would. Taxi drivers are the worst, they cannot drive to save their lives. I won't generalise it though, some are ok.
Original post by Destoroyah
I've had about 8 hours of lessons so far, and I'm at the point where I can drive reasonably well in light traffic. The route my instructor currently has me on takes me on a circuit through a mixture of main roads and residential areas around Farnham Common and Farnham Royal in Berkshire, edging into the Slough Industrial Estate - It's an excellent route to take, plenty of traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts to get used to. I'm currently doing my lessons on either a Saturday or Sunday late morning, so the traffic is reasonably heavy but still light enough to not be too intimidating.

In terms of following legal limits, I'm also making sure to do this - I can shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear at an adequate speed and make sure to follow the speed limits. This is where the thread title comes in - It seems that Farnham Royal/Common and Slough are home to some of the most impatient and aggressive drivers in Berkshire - In my previous lesson, I had a minicab driver undertake and mount the pavement (where several pedestrians were walking, causing a near miss as a result) to get around me, even though traffic was moving slowly because the queue I was in had just started to pull away from the set of traffic lights we were at. I've also had people aggressively tailgating me and trying to get in my boot, whether I'm pulling off at the same speed as everyone else or not.

To say that these incidents are making me nervous is an understatement, and from doing some research, it would seem I'm definitely not alone in experiencing these sorts of things. Why exactly do people feel willing to be aggressive towards learners, even to the point of putting themselves and other people around them at risk?


You probably drive like a lady driver. Most men hate lady drivers. :s-smilie:
Original post by Destoroyah
I've had about 8 hours of lessons so far, and I'm at the point where I can drive reasonably well in light traffic. The route my instructor currently has me on takes me on a circuit through a mixture of main roads and residential areas around Farnham Common and Farnham Royal in Berkshire, edging into the Slough Industrial Estate - It's an excellent route to take, plenty of traffic lights, junctions and roundabouts to get used to. I'm currently doing my lessons on either a Saturday or Sunday late morning, so the traffic is reasonably heavy but still light enough to not be too intimidating.

In terms of following legal limits, I'm also making sure to do this - I can shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear at an adequate speed and make sure to follow the speed limits. This is where the thread title comes in - It seems that Farnham Royal/Common and Slough are home to some of the most impatient and aggressive drivers in Berkshire - In my previous lesson, I had a minicab driver undertake and mount the pavement (where several pedestrians were walking, causing a near miss as a result) to get around me, even though traffic was moving slowly because the queue I was in had just started to pull away from the set of traffic lights we were at. I've also had people aggressively tailgating me and trying to get in my boot, whether I'm pulling off at the same speed as everyone else or not.

To say that these incidents are making me nervous is an understatement, and from doing some research, it would seem I'm definitely not alone in experiencing these sorts of things. Why exactly do people feel willing to be aggressive towards learners, even to the point of putting themselves and other people around them at risk?


I experienced this a lot as a learner. For some reason all drivers expect everybody to have several years of experience. I've seen a lot of instructors now put a sticker on the back of their car saying "you were a learner once too, slow down and back off". Whenever it happened to me, my instructor just told me to concentrate on driving safely while he made "slow down" or "back away" gestures to the car behind.
Reply 8
Original post by Jang Gwangnam
You probably drive like a lady driver. Most men hate lady drivers. :s-smilie:


I just follow the laws of the road and keep to the speed limits. I may drift over to the left a few centimetres beyond the recommended door length from the curb and I may stall at traffic lights, but this can all be attributed to being a learner.
i've been learning for a while and at first these drivers would really put me off but now i don't care. if i'm driving at the speed limit (or even 2 mph over sometimes and they're still up my backside) why should i do anything different?! i just find it funny now and concentrate on driving rather than them. if they wanna put themselves/others in danger then go ahead, they'll be the one at fault!
im doing lessons atm too and when doing a U-turn, i had one kids from a group of 3 think he was hard, stood in front of the car as i was turning (very tempted to hit him), then ran after the car as i drove off.
drivers are more patient round here though
iv done 5 lessons in the past (4ish yrs ago) and im on my 4th lesson with my 5th tomorrow consisting of 2 hours. i also have 2 booked for next week.
so far iv done all the usual junctions, roundabouts, lights etc, done my emergency stop and reverse parking.
hopefully ready to do my test soon
I find alot of those who have so much resentment towards learner drivers are in fact themselves, awful drivers. Taxi drivers are *******s and drivers in general just don't care. Worse they'll actually, say, cut in front of you in the roundabout.

Awful. Selfish.
Reply 12
Original post by That Bearded Man
I find alot of those who have so much resentment towards learner drivers are in fact themselves, awful drivers. Taxi drivers are *******s and drivers in general just don't care. Worse they'll actually, say, cut in front of you in the roundabout.

Awful. Selfish.


I agree. I've seen so many taxis do stupid **** just to overtake a learner.
Driver's can be like this and i don't get why. They were learners once too. One of my best days with this was when i was going aroun 27 in a 30, and some woman over took me. About 2 minutes later, she was stuck in traffic at a roundabout with me directly behind her. Me and my dad (as i was still a learner and he was taking me out to practice) started doing over the top reactions about her, and she obviously saw us as i could see in her rear view mirror she was fuming. I have to say that I was very satisfied after that.

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