Stuart Dalby, East Lancashire Advanced Motorists, March 2002
Surely any type of courtesy is good isn’t it? Could there be such a thing as Bad Courtesy? I believe there is.
First of all, what is courtesy? Courtesy is about being considerate to other road users and not impairing their progress if we have an opportunity to help. For example, not queuing across the end of a side-street so that a waiting car can turn in to or out from it. Or slowing down to let a pedestrian cross at a Zebra Crossing.
So what is good courtesy? The first and most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings. After spotting an opportunity to be courteous, consider your speed, the road and weather conditions and the road users around you. You must decide if it safe and appropriate for you to be courteous. If you decide that it is safe, you will usually have to do little more than to reduce your speed by easing off the accelerator. In adjusting your speed you are trying to create enough of a gap ahead of you so that the other road user recognises an opportunity for them to perform their manoeuvre whilst at the same time not hindering your progress or that of vehicles behind you. Usually, the other road user will recognise the opportunity which you have manufactured and will take it. They may also acknowledge your help. Well done!
But how could that have been done badly? Firstly, you flash your headlights or gesture to the other road user to encourage them to perform their manoeuvre. Whilst the flashing of headlights to indicate courtesy is common, it is not a recognised signal and could be misinterpreted by other road users. Gesturing that it is safe for the other road user to perform their manoeuvre is unwise because you are not in a position to be 100% sure that it is safe. You must leave that up to them to decide. Imagine the possible legal position of you invite a pedestrian to cross at a zebra crossing and they were knocked over by another vehicle. Would you be partly to blame?
Secondly, bad courtesy is misplaced courtesy. Misplaced courtesy would be to slow down and invite a car to pull out from a side street in front of you when you are not making maximum progress and there are a number of vehicles following you. Whilst you may have chosen not to make maximum progress, they might not have! Also, you should always consider whether you are the only obstacle to the other road user performing their manoeuvre. Even if you were courteous, can you see other hazards which would prevent them from performing their manoeuvre? For example, consider a car waiting to turn right out from a side street on your near side. You might be in a position to be courteous but if there are other cars approaching in the opposite direction, you being courteous may cause i) the other road user to assume it is clear and pull out into the other cars, ii) cause your path and that of those behind you to be blocked whilst the other car waits for a gap to complete their manoeuvre, or iii) it results in one of the approaching cars being bullied into allowing the other car to pull out. Hardly the ideal situation.
Thirdly, bad courtesy is unexpected courtesy. Unexpected courtesy would be for you, the last car in a string of cars, to start slowing down when there is absolutely nothing behind you. The other road user will usually be the mind-set of waiting for you to pass so that they can pull out behind you. If you start slowing down, you may actually confuse the other road user.
Finally, don't be disappointed if your courtesy is not accepted. As mentioned before, we are only one factor which the other road user has to consider. They may have seen a hazard which is not apparent to us or they may lack the confidence to accept your opportunity without an additional signal from you (they are waiting for you to flash your headlights!). If this is the case, let the opportunity to be courteous go and just continue on your way (keeping your eye on the other car just in case they change their mind).
