And the No. 1 thing that drives motorists mad ...

The Daily Bulletin ^ | 7/17/2006 | Michelle Groh-Gordy, DriveTime

[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.

[GreenAccord]

But I'm contending that the (in this case) 55 mph speed limit is applied to both a poorly maintained vehicle and a new, properly conditioned one. In this case, 55 is safe for the 'beater' but overly onerous to the Camry.

I contend that making the Camry go 55 is simply a 'dumming-down' of the speed limit to the lowest common denominator. Not too unlike asking kids to only learn how to understand addition, and not making them learn what 2 plus 2 really is. That would not be fair to the kid who can't add.

[Just A Nobody]

motorcycles that split lanes

This is legal in California.....or it was when I was living there before moving in late '98.

[verity]

"I've driven with a cat on my shoulder..."

That is certainly preferable to driving with a monkey on your back. ;-)

[palmer]

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.

That sounds like the mindset of almost anyone who lives in N.J. But I have to agree on one point, N.J. cops are the worst, I drive a lot but only get tailgated regularly by cops in N.J.

[brytlea]

Were you shaving the cat???!
susie

[don-o]

...I've wanted to get a sign

How about "Horn broken. Watch for finger."

[nonliberal]

revenge for the world that has wronged them.,/i>

Most cops are the kids that got beat up in High School.

[R. Scott]

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.

Strange, but I never had this problem when I drove the old Ford Econoline van or the old Dodge pick up. My Camaro seemed to draw in tailgaters and my new Tiboron is a regular magnet for them.

[linda_22003]

It's going to get pretty ugly when all of us boomers hit that age at basically the same time, and keep driving.....!

[7thson]

How about seeing a member of the Kennedy clan behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. That has to rate somewhere.

[Old Professer]

I always try to toss mine into the dead grass.

[spinestein]

A few weeks ago I was driving behind some guy talking on his cell phone and he started to drive on the shoulder. Then he started to drive in the ditch. He kept driving at 60 mph around the RIGHT side of a highway sign which was eight feet from the road while stalks of corn whizzed by, inches from his window, until he maneuvered his car back to the shoulder and then back onto the road, all at highway speed.

He kept chatting on his cell phone as he continued on down the road.

[linda_22003]

Maybe it's time to choose another route.

[FreedomPoster]

If the #2s out there would get their fecal material aligned, the incidence of #3 and #4 would be drastically reduced.

[don-o]

Here's someyhing I am seeing more - pulling way far into clearly marked intersection, cutting down the road space forcross traffic. I have been templed to scrape one (in my junker)

Also these stoopid rolling boom boxes. Should be exploded.

[taxed2death]

"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.

My vote for a-hole of the year.

[Political Junkie Too]

I was talking about surface roads, but you bring up a point about drivers in the right lane whom I swear don't have the neck muscles to turn their heads. I'm in a simple Acura, but I can't tell you how many times I've entered the local interstate to see drivers in the right lane who act like they don't even know the on-ramp exists.

I think their attitude is that if they don't look at you, then you don't exist. That makes the merge my problem to deal with.

-PJ

[Cobra64]

I understand. You save up all your communications requirements for yapping on the phone in the car and to impress other drivers... "See I have a cell phone."