[olduser]

I get driven for Dialysis three days a week, the vehicles can be Private companies providing Hospital Transport (small buses, converted 7 tonne vans), Volunteers, or Taxies.

The drivers are usually considerate to their passengers.

The Hospital Transport drivers don't usually exhibit much in the way of bad habits other than they can get involved with their computer shortly after getting moving to the point where you can see they are not giving full attention to the road.
(they have to tick off patients on the computer when they pick them up, and similarly when they drop them off.)

Volunteers, are very obviously protecting their cars, cosmetically anyway, some are quite rough in the way they drive, and there are the gear stick holders, who drive one handed, and one who is unable to make small smooth throttle adjustments, and cannot find an even speed.

Taxis, about half are automatic hybrid but still feel a need to hold the gear selector.
Among these is a, brake checker, he keeps dabbing the brakes, the gearbox and power management system can never sort out what is the best economical option.

There are a couple of one handers, who's left hand doe's nothing unless a roundabout forces them to use two hands.

One driver, is on the phone (hands free) all the journey (average 40 mins) in a foreign language.
He get's into trouble if the satnav diverts him onto minor roads to avoid traffic, obviously he cannot talk, and closely follow the satnav's directions on unfamiliar roads, so he misses turns.
So much for hands free phones being safe.

There is one driver, who texts, drives, and wants to talk, he gradually slows down, notices, and speeds up again, thank goodness I don't get him often!

The best of all are the ambulance drivers who are temporarily on light duties.
They will have a car or SUV, drive very smoothly, patiently, and sensibly with no quirks.

If you are ever driven by others, do notice these things?

[TC1474]

Being an advanced examiner and instructor, I have had to learn to bite my lip over the years because I cannot help be judgemental on other peoples driving.

But then I try to remember that I have been very fortunate in that I have had the benefit of the best driver training in the world which is out of reach to ordinary members of the public, so I remind myself that I should not be so harsh or judgemental.

But recently, work has tasked me with looking at the habits of some of our drivers since some of them have forgotten the basics of their MiDAS training when they first joined us.

The first issue is with the number of people using their hand held mobiles whilst they are on the road in the bus (we do not have Bluetooth on any of our vehicles). It is a disciplinary offence with management (and quite rightly so) but when you point out that as professional drivers they ae subject to a £2500 fine and 6 points they become quite indignant and suggest that they would never be penalised that heavy.

We also have devices on board which help us with our schedules. The number of drivers who play with their devices whilst on the road changing times or sending remote messages. They seem to forget that we are tracking them and what goes on inside the bus, but it just goes over their heads.

Some seem to think that they can use the blue badge issued to their bus to park up where they like so they can go shopping. £1,000 fine for improper use and the blue badge gets seized and lost. They are so stupid

And so the list go's on. Speed being another.

I had then in on Saturday morning for a training session and I had to read the riot act to them. Our CEO was there along with a trustee and it was made quite clear that any breaches would result in instant dismissal.

There were loads of mutterings, but they have brought it on themselves and I have no sympathy as they want to be treated as professional drivers but cannot behave as professionals.

[Rolebama]

Three years ago I was taken by HA+S, (don't know what it means but that was the logo) to a hospital in SW London for pre-op, the operation itself, and post-op purposes. Each journey was horrendous. Each of the six journeys was in a different ambulance and they were all 'traffic light grand prix' drivers. The longest journey time was just under three hours via M25 and A3. The quickest was an hour almost to the second in a pretty much direct line. They all used satnavs, although one of the driver's English was so bad that he couldn't understand the instructions to the point where we drove around the one-way system in London Airport Heathrow. I spent all these journeys strapped to a stretcher and I had weals from where I was being tossed from side to side.

[Drivingforfun]

I can well believe any blue light training, but especially police, being the best, I inherited some of it from my dad, although I'm sure @TC1474 will attest that there is likely a Chinese whisper effect of getting 2nd hand knowledge

Echoing the OP, and also if my dad is anything to go by, when doing normal civilian driving they just drive confidently, but not aggressively, and there is no excess speed but also no dawdling, but above all the lasting impression is "smoothness"

To add to that my dad wasn't even a traffic (or even uniform after the first 5 years) copper so he probably represents the minimum of the kind of training they get

As for taxis ...

I've only ever really been in taxis abroad, and it's always enlightening experience because obviously road laws are different everywhere. In truth I treat it like any other aspect of culture - go with an open mind, and if you disagree with their customs or laws strongly enough, don't go there.

One thing I did notice was how safely a Czech taxi driver drove me from the airport along the motorway and through the city, all while fiddling with his mobile phone. I suppose because it's legal (maybe "not illegal" is better to say) they get more practise so it's second nature