Cautious driving vs driving scared

This morning Reg and I braved the roads. I walked to the end of my road as it remained ungritted and got on at the main road. We pootled cautiously at first then, although I cycled slower than an average commute, we headed off at a steady pace with his brand new rear brake blocks installed the night before.*

I had anticipated slightly heavier traffic from the reduced speeds and people peeking out too far before entering the main road because their braking distance was increased but I didn't count on scared drivers. I don'tr mean cautious drivers. Cautious drivers don't drive to fast, they give plenty of signals when turning and changing lanes, they look in their mirrors a lot and you can generally tell what they're going to do. Scared drivers are the frightening ones.

One example was me trying to overtake a stationary bus. I signalled and looked behind me, a car behind appeared to slow so I pulled out but she just kept coming. She wasn't slowing, she was just going at a ridiculously low speed. With her hands clamped to the steering wheel and staring straight forward, she looked terrified and certainly wasn't looking at me. Cue me nearly hitting her and her becoming even jumpier. Yes I stayed clear of her after that.

Others were braking too sharply, swerving round unfrozen puddles less than an inch deep (I presume in case they were icy) and generally nobbing around.

When it comes to snow and ice Londoners are, I'm ashamed to say, quite weedy. In Yorkshire people are digging their cars out of the snow an generally getting on with things. Get a grip people.

*They are Koolstop ones in 'Salmon' (pinky red) and seem very good so far.