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.
Unlike the speeders and those who disregard the traffic laws? Uh huh.
Dammit! I demand that the national maximum speed limit be 12 miles per hour.
It should not exceed a good jogging pace!
You are nuts to go 101 -- take Sepulveda to Lincoln to PCH, then take that to Oxnard and pick up the 101 up there. Nicer driver and faster, too.
Trust me, I did the same run for over a year.
Driving the speed limit is far safer than everyone just making up their own speed limit and driving as fast as they "feel."
Don't like the speed limit? Press the lawmaking authority in your community to change it.
I never said "everyone driving the 'safe' speed limit would create a traffic panacea," but it would be safer than some driving the speed limit and others exceeding the speed limit by 10 - 30 mph.
As a middle aged woman...put a cell phone in our hands, and you'll really screw up traffic!
I'm actually a courteous driver who (gasp) obeys the law.
We all have unique perspectives on other drivers. Men drivers do not like to see women pass them! They speed up when such an event might occur.
;-)
I thought that you could be ticketed for riding the passing lane and impeding the flow of traffic.
You are in a hurry and speeding?
I'm going to call the police!
It has happened.
I'm going to call the police!
Statist. :)
"I generally don't mind lane splitters, but I'd prefer it if they'd use the shoulder (if there is one)."
In California, the only state where lane splitting is legal, to the best of my knowledge, riding/driving on the shoulder is not legal. Elsewhere you're breaking the law either way, and I tend to agree that the shoulder might be safer.
See, I coulda used you over the weekend.
I was on my way to my second job, and the final stretch is a two-lane back road that has a 70 limit on it. The bozo in front of me was going forty-freaking-give miles an hour, and every time someone tried to pass, he wove over into the center, taking up both lanes.
What a (expletive deleted).
That was you? :)
I've seen that, too - it's dangerous because the driver overtaking is 'stuck' on the wrong lane longer than he had hoped.
Mayhem!! ;)
Well I think drivers in other states can't drive for sh#t, but I'll admit our drivers aren't what they used to be. Mainly because of all of the illegals, but the majority of Asians can't drive for crap either.
"You are nuts to go 101 -- take Sepulveda to Lincoln to PCH, then take that to Oxnard and pick up the 101 up there. Nicer driver and faster, too.
"
True. That's an excellent route, as long as it's not rush hour. But, then, there are no good routes at rush hour anywhere in LA.
Actually, I found a better route than yours for the SLO-San Diego run. Going South, I'd cut over on 126 in Ventura, pick up I-5, switch to the 210, then take the 15 to San Diego. It's farther, but usually let me make the whole trip one way in less than 5 hours. Coming back, it worked pretty well, too, as long as I got out of San Diego by 1 PM. If I got out of San Diego after 2 PM, there was no help for me.
That's a long day in a vehicle, though. I hated it.
I saw a guy dry shaving with a blade while driving once...
The video at the link provided directly contradicts that claim with real-world evidence.
The latter happened to me yesterday. It was smokin' hot out and there were very few free spots at the theater. A 20ish couple climbed into their shoe box car, then sat there for 5 minutes while I waited behind them. (Before you say that I should have moved on, there were only a few spaces and other cars already waiting).
If anyone wants to know how big an a-hole I am, just Freepmail me and I'll tell you what I did. ;)
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