So, Are You A Stereotype??

[froggyted]

Hello all.

Don't you just hate being stereotyped by other (non Volvo driving) road users? IMO a lot of people are like sheep, and lack either the ability or energy to think for themselves. Many of the non-Volvo driving public seem to have an image of both Volvo drivers and their cars as being slow, staid, and boring. And yet in my experience that's far from the truth. Today's Volvos are exciting and dynamic, and some models over recent years have outperformed BMWs (don't tell that to the BMW drivers, they just HAVE to be in front!!). Additionally, a comparitive test by Autotrader a few years ago rated the C70 hard-top above the equivalent Audi and Saab models. But try telling that to other road users: many of them see a Volvo and they automatically have to overtake (especially BMW drivers) even though, after having done so, they're usually going nowhere fast. Personally, i find it infuriating.

In a recent discussion with a female biker a week or two ago, she claimed that Volvo drivers are the cause of more accidents involving motorcyclists than any other marque. Personally, i find this very hard to believe and would like to see some statistics to prove it, since i suspect it is just another anti-Volvo myth. I try to observe other road users as impartially and objectively as possible and, in my experience, whilst there is the occasional Volvo driver that drives like your great granny, they are far outweighed by drivers of other marques when it comes to poor driving. Every time i get behind the wheel i witness examples of bad driving, such as poor lane positioning (e.g. cutting across lanes on roundabouts), not indicating or indicating when you have already begun the manouvre ("yes, i can already see that you're turning, a bit of advance warning would have been nice!"), absolutely laughable parking (often by drivers of small cars), and general lack of consideration for other road users, and in my experience only a small proportion of this is commited by Volvo drivers.

Nobody's a perfect driver, and i think that if you believe you are it's a very dangerous and misguided assumption. I had an accident about 26 years ago (in a Ford Capri, not a Volvo!), when i was rather younger and more arrogant. Fortunately there were no serious injuries, but it was my fault, and i like to think it made me a better driver, partly by teaching me that i wasn't infallible. Now, i try to think for everybody else on the road (defensive driving), but am aware that i'm fully capable of making mistakes myself.

IMO, while many other road users fail to appreciate it, Volvo, and a few others, got their priorities right at the very beginning: putting emphasis on quality, reliability and, above all, safety, rather than building fast deathtraps that couldn't handle the power they put out. Now other car manufacturers are catching up, but only because they have been forced to by legislation.

Ok, so i've been ranting, but sometimes it's good to get these things off your chest! What do others think? What do Volvo have to do to shake off this outworn image?

[Oilydad]

Wow. You've got a bit wound up there my friend!!

When I was taking my Advanced Driving assessment tests, I was always taught to read the road ahead, and make big allowances for all other drivers.

In a nutshell...treat everybody else on the road as an idiot.

In the 40 plus years that I've been driving, I've yet to disagree with that advice. Basically, watch out for yourself.

And as for BMW (and these Chelsea Tractor 4X4 drivers for whom the vehicle is a status symbol) wanting to be in front all the time........well who cares, let them get on with it. They are usually, let's face it, driven by people with oversized ego's anyway (a stereotype)!!

There are always going to be attentive, and useless drivers out there. Just accept it, and enjoy driving the best marque on the road. Volvo.

[pdrvolvo]

i dont mind if other drivers come raceing up behind me i just ease back a bit and if you listen carefully you can almost here their blood pressure going up.


peter.

[froggyted]

Originally Posted by Oilydad

Wow. You've got a bit wound up there my friend!!

When I was taking my Advanced Driving assessment tests, I was always taught to read the road ahead, and make big allowances for all other drivers.

In a nutshell...treat everybody else on the road as an idiot.

In the 40 plus years that I've been driving, I've yet to disagree with that advice. Basically, watch out for yourself.

And as for BMW (and these Chelsea Tractor 4X4 drivers for whom the vehicle is a status symbol) wanting to be in front all the time........well who cares, let them get on with it. They are usually, let's face it, driven by people with oversized ego's anyway (a stereotype)!!

There are always going to be attentive, and useless drivers out there. Just accept it, and enjoy driving the best marque on the road. Volvo.

Yes, i agree with you Oilydad. In fact i was probably editing whilst you were responding, and have already added a paragraph about thinking for other road users. Of course, not everybody else on the road is an idiot, far from it (probably about 90% of drivers are good drivers), but it's healthy to assume, from the perspective of defensive driving, that they are: that way you are more likely to be ready to take defensive action that might help protect both them and yourself. As for my comments re. BMW drivers, i'm aware that i'm stereotyping them just as they stereotype Volvo drivers. However, although there are obviously good BMW drivers (my dad was one), my comments are based on my own observations not the hearsay of others. :-)

[alv70d1999]

lol... am i a stereotype?....yes... in a typical northerner!..

i drive a volvo v70 tdi thats done a kick in the arse off 200k and i cudnt give a funky munky who says what about my car!...i like it and it does a very efficient job if you ask me.

so if anyone wants to spout the usual "pipe n slippers" drivel, then fire away lol.....my car cost me 1200 quid and iv owned it a year next week.. iv only done the usual things to it like general maintenance as we all have to do but id say iv probably spent 2 grand including the asking price in the last year and now my car...sorry, my old farts car, is pretty much in tip top condition and i dont think iv spent that much for a solid car. its got a huge boot, veeeery comfy seats, probably still has one of the safest ncap ratings out, and is as reliable as the talking clock!.

the other thing that makes me laugh is the fact that iv bought a DIESEL......
let me tell you that with very minor mods my chesty bronchitis ridden old farts zimmer mobile did a 0-60 in 7ish seconds!....stick that in ya pipe and smoke it lol....

so in all.....i like my volvo and if anyone wants to take the p1ss....then carry on.

[froggyted]

Nice one alv!

[alv70d1999]

Originally Posted by froggyted

Nice one alv!

well.......... who give`s a bolox what car i drive and why should i give a toss what anyone thinks of my car....i like it and thats good enough for me .

[valv1866]

Seeing as there's more 3 Series BMW's than Ford Mondeo's on the road then you can see that the " Regional Sales Manager" - (not just the car that's changed!!) has several far more important appointments than yours to get to!!

Lol - i do apologise for any sterotyping!

[alv70d1999]

you want steriotype lol.......


i was out having a meal last week with a family of scousers...

when the desert trolly came along, i had cheesecake......

THEY HAD THE WHEELS LOOOOOL.....

[froggyted]

i like it alv - and i'm part scouse myself by birth (well, a 'woollyback' to be more precise, but scouse parents). I think you've proved my point, because you are obviously far from the stereotype Volvo driver.....