Hi Derek, I too live in Norfolk, between Norwich and Gt Yarmouth. You are right about the driving skills, I am appalled at the complete lack of care and attention I experience by other road users in this area. It is rural, lots of narrow lanes and the like and daily I am confronted by drivers coming around bends with their vehicles halfway over the road ,seemingly oblivious to the fact there might be a vehicle approaching from the other direction. They do one of two things around these parts, either crawl around, stop at empty roundabouts and empty T junctions when the roads are empty and always fail to signal their intentions , or drive with the foot on the floor, break every rule in the book and play Russana roulette on every bend.
You will never find a car with a blown indicator bulb round here, they never use them so being clairvoyant is a skill I have now aquired, after a time, you become so sensitive to others driving, you can almost smell what their next move is going to be.
Having said all that, I think the standard od driving has fallen through the floor nationwide in anycase .
Your Police training must have been a great asset, I use the police training book and thumb through it from time to time and it's good.To be honest, when you analyse most of the instructions, they are pure common sense. Most of what we experience on the roads today shows up how little of it there is around.
Perhaps one of the best things they could incorporate into the Driving test and training would be a seperate course on motorcycle safety and awareness, so even though the average car driver may never even straddle a motorcycle, they would at least have an insight into the hazards encountered by them.
Good luck with the new machine.
