Posted on 07/17/2006 8:41:13 AM PDT by Smogger
Are you really a good, conscientious driver, or are your driving habits the behind-the-wheel equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard to everyone else on the road?
A recent survey of 10,000 drivers conducted by Hagerty Insurance, a company that insures collector cars, determined the 10 things that exasperate other drivers the most:
10. You're taking a carefree spin down the road when you notice that the car in front of you has its turn signal on ... and on ... and on. Five or 10 miles later, your left eye twitching, you realize the other driver is clueless to the fact their indicator is on. You have just experienced the 10th-biggest irritation, according to the drivers surveyed.
9. Ah, men. Running a little late for work, they often can be seen grooming and shaving while driving. To be certain, this is never an issue for those of us of the female persuasion. Heads up, gentlemen. Grooming while driving was ranked as the ninth-most annoying driver behavior.
8. Due to the fact that I get into deep hot water with motorcycle riders every time I write something negative about motorcycles driving in between lanes, I feel it necessary to post the following disclaimer: I did not conduct the survey. Hagerty Insurance did. That said, the survey concluded that motorcycles that split lanes are No. 8 on the list of what infuriates drivers the most.
7. If you have been told on more than one occasion that you are a good candidate for an anger-management class, you should be aware that those of you who take your rage out on the road are the seventh-most disliked drivers.
6. Do you find that reaching up and turning on that pesky turn signal is more effort than you care to expend while driving? Not bothering to use your turn signal is the sixth-most irksome thing you can do when behind the wheel.
5. If you are a driver with a superiority complex, beware. If you speed up to keep other people from changing lanes or passing you, you were ranked as the fifth-biggest irritation on the road.
4. Some drivers weave in and out of lanes for the precious advantage of arriving at their destination two minutes earlier than those silly folks who actually drive safely. Traffic weavers, you have been forewarned -- you are the fourth-most reviled drivers.
3. You look in your rear-view mirror and see another car driving within inches of your rear bumper. If you were to stop suddenly, the driver behind you would no doubt be meeting you in your front seat for lunch. The survey found that the third-most exasperating driver is the tailgater.
2. If you've got to drive slow, you better know where to go. Those who putz in the fast lane ranked as the second-biggest driving annoyance.
1. And the Big Kahuna, the No. 1 act that survey respondents said made them grind their teeth down to a pulp when they saw other drivers doing it? You guessed it -- chatting on the cell phone. Some 28.5 percent of those surveyed would like you to hang it up the next time you hit the road.
I am amazed that the "driving with pet in lap/or pet panting out the drivers side window slobbering up the glass" irritant didn't make the top ten. Number 3 on my personal list after cell phones and slowing down the hammer lane.
I've seen men shave while driving. I've also seen them read newspapers and other papers while driving at 60+ on a highway.
And yes, I've seen women doing their hair and makeup while driving as well.
I don't think distractions are confined to one gender.
Dunno where you might be, but if you drove at or below the speed limit on most eastern US highways, you'd be a clear and present danger on the road.
Hey, using that "logic", cars should be able to drive on the shoulder as well.
But that's OK - motorcyclists who pull that crap usually take themselves out of the gene pool eventually.
"These bastards are in a fraternaty. They leech tax money, demand more, harass citizenry, blacklist people, and get their rocks off making things inconvient for people who bothered to get an education and acutally become productive.
The mindset of someone who becomes a cop, in a large amount of cases, not all, must be one of hatefull revenge for the world that has wronged them.
"
Oh, for pete's sake! Cut it out! Kid on my street on a bicycle got clipped by a car, which then took off. I called 911, and I had a good description of the car. Two cop cars showed up within 2 minutes to look after the kid and another two cars caught the hit and run driver about 2 minutes after that.
This is in a major city.
The only one I can see who's got a serious problem with being hateful is you, my friend. I advise a chill pill. Take one twice a day.
2) A driver in a cross street who turns onto my lane in front of me when there are no cars behind me. Why couldn't the driver wait another 15 seconds for me to pass before turning onto the road?
1) Drivers who toss cigarette butts out the window onto the road.
-PJ
dont think any driver would be mad about that :-)
Usually. In the hilly area we live in there are often third lanes that open up on the right for slow traffic (read:trucks) going uphill. What really annoys me is the people who use the slow lane for uphill to pass you in when you're already going over the speed limit.
my biggest pet peeve is when you approach a red light and there are two lanes of traffic and once the light turns green then the idiot at the front of the line turns on the directional to take a left so everybody has to wait to go around him or they cut off the people in the right lane
I believe it but it is a cruel thing to do to your bird. I own a parrot who stays in her carrier when I take her in the car, buckled in (we've gone on multistate trips). What's going to happen to that bird if the driver has to brake hard? He won't like the vet bill.
My # 1 - People that have no clue HOW to merge and get p*ssed when I don't move over when I have no space to make room for them. That or when I'm forced to brake because they just assume that traffic will move out of their way.
I actually did see a man shaving while driving. . .once. I see women grooming while driving pretty frequently. I have put on lipstick at a stoplight before, but NEVER when the car is moving.
Unlike the speeders and those who disregard the traffic laws? Uh huh.
heheh... I'm glad im not the only one.. Since my company moved an additional 7 or 8 miles adding 30 minutes to my commute I find that I am the biggest bigot on the road. I'm tranformed into Mr Wheeler, when I get behind he wheel.
I'm sure some woman has tried shaving while on the way to work. Of course, there'd be no way she could see out the windshield while she was doing it.
< }B^)
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