The Tin-Windscreen Brigade
There is an article in today's Times about drivers getting stuck in a deep ford because their sat-nav tells them it is OK. There have been similar stories in the media for some time and they all fall into the same category.
The Tin-Windscreen Brigade.
I coined this term for those drivers who are so confident in the ability of the motoring technology to keep them safe that they don't need to have glass in the windscreen because they don't look out through it!
This trend first appeared amongst a minority of 4x4 drivers some years ago but the effect is becoming widespread. It is typified by a clear lack of awareness of what is happening around them and can be mistaken for bloody-minded selfishness but is actualy much more dangerous. An extreme example, observed in a Birmingham street, was a driver who drove straight through a line of children crossing the road under the supervison of a school crossing patrol. By the grace of God no-one was hurt.
When I was taught to drive, back in 1963, if you had an accident it hurt. I can confirm that from painful experience, and it did make me a more careful driver. I also rode motorcycles for a number of years and that taught me even more about how to stay in one piece on the roads. Now we have air-bags, seat-belts, crumple zones and side-impact protection. We can even preserve our no-claim bonuses so driving into something at 30 mph does not even hurt us in the wallet!
So please can we make a 5 year apprenticeship on motorcycles compulsory for all able-bodied drivers before they can have a car license. The survivors will be much better car drivers and it might reduce some of the traffic congestion.
Categories: Motoring, Humour
The Tin-Windscreen Brigade.
I coined this term for those drivers who are so confident in the ability of the motoring technology to keep them safe that they don't need to have glass in the windscreen because they don't look out through it!
This trend first appeared amongst a minority of 4x4 drivers some years ago but the effect is becoming widespread. It is typified by a clear lack of awareness of what is happening around them and can be mistaken for bloody-minded selfishness but is actualy much more dangerous. An extreme example, observed in a Birmingham street, was a driver who drove straight through a line of children crossing the road under the supervison of a school crossing patrol. By the grace of God no-one was hurt.
When I was taught to drive, back in 1963, if you had an accident it hurt. I can confirm that from painful experience, and it did make me a more careful driver. I also rode motorcycles for a number of years and that taught me even more about how to stay in one piece on the roads. Now we have air-bags, seat-belts, crumple zones and side-impact protection. We can even preserve our no-claim bonuses so driving into something at 30 mph does not even hurt us in the wallet!
So please can we make a 5 year apprenticeship on motorcycles compulsory for all able-bodied drivers before they can have a car license. The survivors will be much better car drivers and it might reduce some of the traffic congestion.
Categories: Motoring, Humour
posted by Richard Galle at 9:18 am
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