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.
Getting screwed at the Drive Thru...
I agree, but I have recently started seeing guys shaving and stuff while they drive. Must be metrosexuals.
susie
I was almost run off the road by some dingbat talking on a cell phone. She was completely oblivious at how close she came to killing both of us and just drove on her merry way.
I hate it when the guy in front is driving too close to me.
Imbeciles who refuse to obey traffic laws -- all of them -- annoy me to no end.
If you cannot follow the rules of the road, walk or take the bus.
Weirdest thing I ever saw - a guy on a highway entrance ramp, apparently steering with his knee, because he was using both hands to play a harmonica. He was alone in the car. LOL
My biggest beef are those people who come to a stop at a green light and let others in cross traffic in front of them (and the 1,000 cars behind them).
Bull. If I see another woman putting makeup on while sailing by me on the freeway, I'm going to ram her...
Women may not shave while driving but they sure do put on lipstick and other cosmetics. Sometimes using both hands! Shaving is safer, IMHO.
1. I have seen people using a cell phone in one hand, and "talking" with the other. The car, and their brains, are on autopilot.
2. Have you never heard Rush talk about the woman that received a ticket for farding in her car? Not releasing gas. Farding, we are told, is applying makeup while driving.
If you're steaming about number 3, chances are you're probably guilty of number 2.
Not always, but often.
This brainless twit needs to have another look around. I've never seen a man shaving whilst driving. I've seen many women applying makeup, usually to their eyes, whilst driving.
My #1 is cutting left turns. I can't tell you how many times someone has cut across my lane while making a left turn.
Dang it! Make a good, sharp left turn. Do not cut across lanes. Sorry if you actually have to turn your steering wheel more than 10 degrees.
I hate drivers who go up to the very end of a lane marked as "closed" then try get into the open lane, ahead of those of us who actually changed lanes when we saw the sign.
AND yes, I will close up on the car in front of me to keep them out. They can wait forever as far as I'm concerned.
Sorry to hear that. However, that's not convincing enough to talk me into growing a new artery to our cancerous tumor of a government.
Replace "speed traps" with "HOV lanes" and I'll agree. I hate the "HOV lanes" concept with a passion (a law, not surprisingly, brought to you by the same people who say that we shouldn't "legislate morality") -- the idea of removing 25% to 33% of useful road in the middle of rush hour to over 90% of the traffic doesn't sound like sound policy to me.
Then, you've got cops pulling over violators, which causes additional delays for rubbernecking.
Number one, considering the number of times I've nearly been nailed by somebody blowing off a stop sign whilst talking on their phane and trying to steer an out of control vehicle with one hand.
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