Posted on 05/29/2011 12:00:23 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
There are variations in driving styles on our roads and most motorists will fall into a distinct characteristic type depending on how they approach the task of driving. As you read through this list, you are likely to recognize yourself or someone you drive with.
Which driving character are you?
Nervous Nick: This driver lacks confidence in their driving abilities and is intimidated by traffic and highway speeds. The “Nervous Nick” will always drive at the speed limit or lower and will not accelerate enough to merge safely with highway traffic. They will display moments of indecision when it comes to driving options such as making left turns and when to proceed and how fast.
The Danger: They cause traffic to “rat pack” around them on highways. This leads to multiple lane changes and drivers becoming impatient and making dangerous choices or lane changes. Driving slower than the “flow” of traffic can cause traffic mayhem behind the slower driver as others must negotiate a way around the slow moving vehicle.
Middle Lane Mike: Will head from the on-ramp directly to the middle lane and plant them selves there no matter how slow they drive or who is sitting on their rear bumper. They are convinced this is the best lane to drive in and they are the safest drivers on the road.
The Danger: Traffic will pass on either the right of left sides of this driver causing traffic flow chaos. Large trucks will sit impatiently on their rear bumper trying to intimidate this driver into moving over. They are in danger of causing a crash or being rear-ended. Vehicles moving slowly in the middle lane are like a rock in a stream. They cause turbulence and in this case traffic turbulence.
Overconfident Owen or Arrogant Andy: These drivers are usually driving in an aggressive manner as they are very sure of their capabilities. They are usually speeding and changing lanes often. This aggressive driver feels they are more important than everyone else on the road. All other drivers are just in “their” way and should not be on “their” road.
The Danger: This driver has the confidence and sometimes even the driving talent that will allow them to handle their vehicle while speeding, but when things go wrong they lack the skills to recover or avoid an incident. This driver has confidence that far out strips their “driving smarts” and they make poor choices in their driving situations. They are usually driving too fast for weather and traffic conditions. They often drive an SUV or other large vehicle that adds to their sense of superiority. This driver will tailgate others and try different means of intimidation to get others out of their way. These drivers have been known to pass on the shoulder and lane hop. During the winter months, they are often found in the ditch.
Bored Bobby or Busy Betty: Usually found talking on a cell phone or chatting with passengers. Their mind will be focused on anything but driving safely. Even though they know the distraction of talking on the cell phone is dangerous, they feel their business is more important.
The Danger: This motorist is not paying attention to driving and invariably will end up crashing or cutting someone off. The “Bored Bobby” is just as dangerous as the other drivers on this list. They are not processing all their driving information that will help them make wise driving choices. They are driving distracted which is the leading cause of crashes. After being involved in a crash, they usually cannot figure out what happened.
Solo Sandy: This driver believes they are the only one on the road. They rarely check their mirrors and have no idea other vehicles are near or beside them. You may see this motorist heading down a highway with the only other vehicle in sight directly beside them or in front of them. Also known as “Blinder Billy” as they appear to have blinders on allowing them to only see directly in front of them.
The Danger: Not knowing what is around you in your driving environment is very dangerous. Each driver needs to know what vehicles are in their immediate vicinity to make intelligent lane or avoidance choices. This driver is often hoping others will yield to their lane changes. If they encounter a “Bored Bobby” or a “Busy Betty” the results are usually costly.
Immortal Ivan: Believes no matter what they do behind the wheel, nothing bad will happen to them. When people die in car crashes, it is always going to be someone else, not them. This driving symptom tends to come in the teenage years and can last into middle age if the driver makes it to that age. Too many car crashing video games can exacerbate the problem.
The Danger: Their fearlessness leads to very poor driving decisions and reckless driving. Many younger drivers and their passengers succumb to this syndrome. If “Immortal Ivan” survives, they often age to become an “Arrogant Andy”.
Dangerous Don or Silly Stevie: These drivers believe they know it all about driving. They have been on the road for a number of years and have survived. To them, their experience means they are the best drivers on the road. All those around them are morons or crazy. For drivers like “Dangerous Don”, their frustration with other motorists can lead to high risk driving and poor decisions.
The Danger: Their survival in many ways was a product of luck and not so much skill. One day that luck will run out and the resulting crash will be anyone else’s mistake and not theirs. They will blame the other driver, black ice or anything else since they could not possibly be at fault. Their closed minds mean they will never learn the skills that could keep them from that future crash.
Smart Susie: The rarest of drivers. Understands that driving is the most dangerous daily task they will face and prepares for it. This driver realizes they need to upgrade their driving skills to be prepared for the perils of driving. They focus on the task of driving and are always making driving easier for those sharing the road with them.
The Danger: There are not enough of these drivers on our roads!
Unfortunately, it 's a felony in California to brandish a firearm at another driver. Had to look that one up just in case. ;-)
ML/NJ
>>Tops on my list of offenders. A few years ago on I77 south there were two of them, one in each lane running 55 or so that kept all the traffic from getting anywhere for about 20 miles.<<
I had that happen to me in eastern Montana on I-90, and they actually got down to 50. Just the three of us for as far as you could see. I passed them on the shoulder and I actually ended up being chased by them. My speed reached 140. I assume this speed because my speedo only goes to 120, but it was way past that, and my governor kicks in at 140. I did that speed for quite a few miles before I felt safe enough to back off and leave the highway. They were both in Jeep Grand Cherokees with a 105 MPH governor. At least that is my educated guess. I would slow down to 100 from time to time and they would catch up with me, so I’d step on it again.
I was in a Chrysler 300M with the “performance package” btw. I still have that car. It’s still a very nice drive, but the AC heat exchanger finally bit the dust.
I envision being on a driving range and they’re the golfball. Thwap! 300 yards.
If you want to know the trifecta of the worst driver on the road is the elderly, Asian woman.
>>There’s lots more but you already know. right?<<
My wife and I have a running joke: When I’m driving, all we talk about is driving. I can be a Smart Suzie mixed with a few of the others at the same time. What you described as “Smart Suzie” is something I do all the time. OTOH, I’m guilty of a lot of the “bad” stuff mentioned on this thread.
That’s because most cops are men and are less willing to give tickets to women.
I was recently the only car at a double left turn lane (on the right side lane) and had a Trans-Am pull up behind me, then change to the inside lane since he apparently couldn’t stand to be behind anyone.
So I bet myself that he was destined to make a right turn at the next intersection and would plan on passing me. Yup, he was being an ass and was planning to gun it, then swerve into my lane. Which he did, but it was BEHIND me. Nice little drag race. I hate jerks.
Tailgating is aggressive behavior.
I watch these tailgaters in the passing lane, tailgating someone 9 cars from the front. What good does that do? At best, the jerk could only hope to get the driver he is tailgating to tailgate, too.
So, now the onus for road rage is on the driver who has crossed paths with a person who can’t control him/herself? Um, yeah.
People who don’t use their turn signals. I can be waiting to pull out of a parking lot. or onto another street, and car after car will turn without signaling. I coulda pulled out a buncha times, but, Nooooooooo! I gotta wait!
I'll get by you. Even if it means 35 over.
Today's vehicles are so good....70 is yesterday's safe 55.
Drivers that annoy me:
1. People who slow down two miles before the exit because they are afraid of missing it, creating a jam.
2. People who partially block the oncoming lane when they are stopped waiting to make a left turn.
3. People who refuse to use a center turn lane at all, or leave their ass end sticking out, interfering with traffic that isn’t turning.
4. When a light turns green, people who refuse to move until the car in front of them is well ahead. This is especially bad in left turn lanes with a short green and cars are forced to wait through multiple light cycles because people won’t move when they have the chance.
5. People who drive side by side for miles preventing anyone from passing.
When I learned to drive 45 years ago, they told us to move out into the intersection on green and wait for oncoming traffic to pass. This allowed one or two cars to get through even in fairly heavy traffic. (Obviously this applies to normal situations, not a gridlock scenario.)
Now it seems younger people stay behind the crosswalk until traffic passes. The light often goes red just about then, so they don’t turn. It’s a whole lot of fun to sit behind them in medium-heavy traffic through 2 or 3 traffic lights.
Also, when did they start teaching people to drive 25 on freeway entrance ramps and then turn left when they run out of room? Then they step on the gas gently if they are still alive.
>>Neither makes them happy, only stopping you does.
<<
And that right there is the thing in a nutshell. The mindset actually shocked me.
BTW, I liked this line: “A fast car defeats these types of people...”. When I am in my 5 speed Scion xB, I know I don’t have the power to do anything about it and either do nothing or may attempt to use “surprise momentum”. I remember back in 1974 I was in my gutless Vega GT in a 45 zone on a two lane road, and a guy in a 67 GTO with the jacked up rear end and “drag racing slicks” passed me and proceeded to do 30 MPH. Every time I tried to pass him he would speed up. I finally backed way off, got it up to 70, and passed him. His acceleration was not omnipotent against momentum.
Funny epilog. I had like the first set of 60 series BF Goodrich Radial TA’s on that car. The guy chased me for a couple of miles and I turned off on a sidestreet at speed. He tried to follow, slid across the road and jumped the ditch, embedding his car into a ten foot dirt embankment.
Interestingly, I did the same thing to a carload of thugs in downtown Renton a year before that. This time it was a 63 Ford Galaxy 500. I turned. They slid across the intersection, jumped the curb, took out a stop sign,and slammed through the concrete parking lot barriers of the Black Angus parking lot.
I was chased by the cops once in a 1963 Rambler classic with five of my friends in it. We only got away because I knew the streets. That was in 1972. I’ve taken driving very seriously my whole life.
The most important skill I’ve picked up is being able to spot likely speed traps. It is something you sort of learn through osmosis, I think. It amazes my wife when we are on a road that we’ve never been on and I will say, “boy, this looks like a great place for a speed trap” and, sure enough, there is either a cop there or there is someone pulled over a little ways down the road. It doesn’t happen every time, but it sure happens a lot.
“Actually what you’ll do in an emergency is jam both feet to the floor at the same time. “
Not me! Learned to drive on a go kart over 50 years ago. Raced too. Then into stick shift sports cars. Left foot braking is a natural for me, and ain’t no way I’m gonna push both pedals at once.
It should be a $50 fine to fire at a driver like that, which can just be mailed in. On the 3rd offense, then you have to go before a judge, but they normally just dismiss it.
Well, then you get the ones who DO use their turn signals, but DON'T turn, or the ones who signal left and turn right. One of them almost nailed me once.
I agree.
I especially hate being the one in the passing lane, not blocking it but in the process of passing someone, but I'm not going quite fast enough for Aggressive Alfred (or Alfreda) there behind me.
If no one is in front of me, then I'm going as fast as I feel is safe (and that is usually at least a bit above the posted speed limit). If there are vehicles in front of me, then I am most definitely going as fast as I feel is safe. I am not going to tailgate the person in front of me. That is definitely not safe.
This is most especially annoying when the vehicle we are all trying to pass is an 18-wheeler. Believe me, I am getting around that vehicle as quickly as I can. I am not going to speed up because Aggressive A behind me is riding my back bumper!!
>>If you want to know the trifecta of the worst driver on the road is the elderly, Asian woman.<<
Good way of putting it. And you are very correct on that one.
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