I'll add "smug" to "piety" - as well as brazenly admitting to regularly breaking the driving laws of the land.
Having accrued "nearly 50 years" of motoring experience, I presume you are around 65 years of age and am surprised that still you retain such a cavalier attitude.
My solo driving career started at 15, "TWOC-ing" my father's Standard Vanguard and tearing around the countryside. In the intervening 47 years, I have pulled some shocking stunts but, throuigh good luck, and a modicum of skill

, have never had, or caused, an accident.
Nowadays, I don't kid myself that I'm any more than competent and have long since hit on the head any heroics such as your foray into Wales.
(BTW, come back to me when you achieve over 220 miles in two hours...

)