Morris Minor Owners Club

What one thing would you change about driver behaviour?

Their desire to drive oversized vehicles. There’s a museum in London featuring a WW one armoured tank, it was smaller than most of the monstrosities on the road today. Weird isn’t it, more vehicles on the road yet, ——- can’t be seen in a small car.

Excessive speed.

For me, it would be tailgating. The incessant need to be as close as possible to the vehicle in front, in the belief that if they just get a little bit closer they'll surely get there quicker.

It applies to moderns as well as driving a Minor. We drive a Nissan Micra 1500 dCi, which is no slouch, but still they insist on getting into the boot.

It also happens on two wheels. My commute to work is 7K by bike on an old railway line. Invariably I look behind before pulling out to overtake a slower bike or a pedestrian, and find some lycra hero sniffing my rear end, close enough to KMA.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276831808719 ... v8QAvD_BwE

John ;-)

les wrote: ↑Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:39 pm Their desire to drive oversized vehicles. There’s a museum in London featuring a WW one armoured tank, it was smaller than most of the monstrosities on the road today. Weird isn’t it, more vehicles on the road yet, ——- can’t be seen in a small car.

We have so many 4x4 Pickups in out rural community. I doubt if 10% of them are actually needed by those involved in any activity that requires such a huge vehicle. Simply based on the number that are gleaming and polished, as opposed to looking like they have ever been off a paved road. Also the number used for the school run....
Hopefully things may be a peak of such things now that the tax breaks loophole for 'company cars' has been closed off.

Until they moved out, we had a neighbour who was a sales rep for an electrical company. His company car was always a typical large saloon with very low profile tyres. Then one time he changed car contract and got a ruddy great Pickup, for 6 months before he got fed up with it.

Too many need to curb their unnecessary impatience.

Inability to judge the width of their own vehicle.
I live in a rural area where many roads have no centre line.
Being forced into the verge by vehicles way out from their side edge and going too fast is a very common occurance

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 12:39 pm Inability to judge the width of their own vehicle.

I have to hold my hands up to this one, though I presume it's partly (or wholly) down to my eyesight problems, distance is an issue for me as well but:
"Only a fool breaks the two second rule" works well and is easily modified for weather conditions

Due to that, tail gaters just make things worse as "Tail Gaters In Eye Sight May Appear Closer Than They Actually Are".

I agree with the Bloody Huge Lorry syndrome. Moving apartment blocks with no forward visibility whatsoever. And all equipped with stinky noisy diesel engines. I've owned several pickup trucks but NONE as large as the modern type.

Two incidents come to mind that still puzzle me....

In the first I was driving my minor saloon at 50mph on a 60mph road. There was little traffic about, but a transit van with 2 men in the front came up fast behind me and sat on my tail. I could not go much faster, so when a layby came up on my left a few minutes later, I pulled in to allow the van past.
I pulled back onto the road, only to see the van slow down to about 40mph in front of me. It stayed at 40mph for about 7 miles, when it turned off at a roundabout. Were they trying to give me a taste of my own (slow) medicine ? I have no idea.

In the second incident I was driving my more modern car. I was on a slip road pulling onto a 2 lane dual carriageway. There was a Volvo estate with two men on board coming in the inside lane, and no other traffic. The driver pulled out into the right hand lane to allow me onto the dual carriageway. I put my hand up to say 'thankyou' as he went past me. He pulled into the left lane in front of me. We were both doing about 65mph for about half a mile when he slowed down to about 50mph for no apparent reason. I indicated and went to overtake him, and when I was alongside him ha sped up and matched my speed. For the next 3 miles he sped up or slowed down to stay alongside me and would not let me get back into the left lane. Eventually we came to a roundabout. Other traffic had caught up with us from behind, and he started driving 'normally' again. What the hell is that all about?
I told the incident to a friend of mine. He had had the same experience on a single track road. The stranger in the car he was trying to overtake would not let him back in. My friend surmised that the other driver was trying to kill him.

One to two percent of the population are psychopaths. Why do I meet so many of them on the roads?

I suppose this is going to drift off a bit, however it’s not possible to find out why things are done, even those that do certain things can’t always say why. Some people care/think others don’t, it’s in their make up. An example, flying in an airplane, some people think of what’s going on, what’s that noise, is that wing shaking, we should have taken off my now, shouldn’t we ? Other folk couldn’t give a toss, laying back and waiting for the drinks to come round. Nature or nurture? I used to think nature, now I’m inclined to say nurture, how your brought up and what you experience. Why some people are kind and others evil, is another mystery.
Yep, it drifted ! . Wish we had a trick cyclist on the forum !

les wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 7:59 pm I suppose this is going to drift off a bit, however it’s not possible to find out why things are done, even those that do certain things can’t always say why. Some people care/think others don’t, it’s in their make up. An example, flying in an airplane, some people think of what’s going on, what’s that noise, is that wing shaking, we should have taken off my now, shouldn’t we ? Other folk couldn’t give a toss, laying back and waiting for the drinks to come round. Nature or nurture? I used to think nature, now I’m inclined to say nurture, how your brought up and what you experience. Why some people are kind and others evil, is another mystery.
Yep, it drifted ! . Wish we had a trick cyclist on the forum !

Perhaps we do, but it's difficult to get them pro-bono

stuffedpike20 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 6:46 pm One to two percent of the population are psychopaths. Why do I meet so many of them on the roads?

You might as well ask why there are so many Flat Earth groups on farcebook...

I’m tempted to expand on my previous post but I need to consider it more as there’s a religious element to it.

Do it Les.
A problem shared is a problem halved.

Also, confession is good for the soul.

On my way home from the National, I was happily tootling along a country road (one lane each way) at 40 (satnav) mph on a 40 mph stretch, when not only two cars overtook me, but a 40 foot artic!
I rapidly braked, so as not to leave him on the wrong side longer than necessary, or to have him sidle into me if something was oncoming.
I really must fit that dashcam!

mike1864 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 29, 2025 9:02 pm On my way home from the National, I was happily tootling along a country road (one lane each way) at 40 (satnav) mph on a 40 mph stretch, when not only two cars overtook me, but a 40 foot artic!
I rapidly braked, so as not to leave him on the wrong side longer than necessary, or to have him sidle into me if something was oncoming.
I really must fit that dashcam!

The world is full of unbalanced people who cannot rationalise, and cannot see or take the consequences of their behaviour.

It is not even necessary to be behind the wheel of a car to see this - one only has to spend five minutes on Facebook to see ample evidence.

"I really must fit that dashcam!"
I have a front facing dashcam in my Minor. To avoid modifying or adding extra wiring for a 12v power supply I use one of those rechargeable power banks. The dashcam runs off 5v so a u.s.b. outlet is perfect. The powerbank sits nicely in the l.h. "glovebox" and goes for ages before it needs recharging.
The power cable isn't hidden but I think that's something to live with for peace of mind.
"one only has to spend five minutes on Facebook" No thanks, Twitface is something I have avoided for years for that very reason.

Had a scare today, I was taking the moggy back to its storage on a single carriage two way road. A large tractor came around a bend toward me, no problem I thought, as enough room to pass each other. As the tractor passed I spotted a bar sticking out several feet, from the farm implement he was towing,with a small rag attached.I swerved and managed to miss it and glanced in the mirror, to see the transit size van following me in a cloud of dust with two wheels up the bank, leaning steeply, to avoid the bar.
Absolutely crazy to have it overhanging the centre line with no flashing light or warning marker, just a dirty rag in bright sunlight

I'm currently on a short break in Norfolk having brought our modest 3.2mtr 2 berth caravan here behind my Ford Kuga. The caravan is so light it's like pulling a medium size trailer.
On the way here along, twice the same driver pulled the same stupid stunt.
Single carriage way A Road.
In front of me, she would indicate and pull over to the RH of the two lanes to enter a roundabout. Both times the lane is clearly marked right turn only and I'm in the left lane marked left/straight ahead.
First roundabout we both pull away and she is so slow going around that I'm almost beside her on the left to take my exit when she suddenly, without indicating, swings to the left to exit, forcing me to brake hard as she muscled in.
When she tried it a little later at another roundabout I was even further ahead of her so she had to yield or go up on the traffic island.
She was deliberately getting into the wrong lane and then driving so ridiculously slowly.
After the 2nd time she hung back about 1/4 Mile before finally turning off.....