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 elses 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!
They completely left out the most dangerous driver of all....
This would be Betty Backseat, who constantly watches, advises and chastises the actual driver.
Betty is responsible for countless wrecks.
Yeah...those “speed spite” jerks and the “what’s a yield sign?” idiots are why I want a 50 caliber mounted on my trike.
[so far, hubby has not complied with my request]
Texas On/off ramps are notoriously short.
I Hate when Grampa Moses wants to enter the freeway ahead of me at 35mph and merge with semis going 75.
I will hang back at a crawl so I have time to punch it and get up to speed when I merge, then I gotta pray that the left lane is open so I dont rear end the old coot.
Really dude?
The Rambler in my past was my mom’s car, and it was an absolute stripper, 6 cyl, 3-on-the-tree, and no power steering. It must have been 6 turns lock to lock. The damn thing didn’t even have an AM radio. When the time came to replace it, I lobbied HARD for a Dodge Charger (this was 1969), and she even went to the dealership and asked about it. The sales guy asked her why the Charger, and she admitted that it was her son’s idea, and he pushed her into a more age-appropriate car. But at least I got her to buy the 318 V8 and disk brakes.
What pisses me off:
Drivers who wait 5 seconds after the light turns green.
Drivers who won’t turn left on a yellow light.
Truck drivers on a freeway who block a lane that’s closing.
And it has drive to the side car wheel
Actually what you'll do in an emergency is jam both feet to the floor at the same time. Giving the car max power and trying to stop it at the same time. Not wise."
OldNavyVet is absolutly correct and you're wrong about "you'll do in an emergency is jam both feet to the floor at the same time."
I've used this methode for over 40 years and since I've, "train myself to brake with my left foot." I've NEVER braked W/both feet.
Besides only GIRLS & UBAMA brake W/both feet.
I would agree; except that here in Baltimore, drivers will pass you on the right rear across your blind spot, even when you are trying to enter an exit ramp on the right. In the latter case, they will speed up to prevent you from exiting. I have never seen such passive-aggressive and dangerous driving behavior in my life; and I've driven all over the U.S. and Europe, including London and Italy.
My most appalling tailgating incident was on a two-lane back road, where an extremely aggressive driver in a open sports car rode my back bumper relentlessly. I was doing nearly ten miles over the limit and there are deer and small woodland critters around here who suddenly jump out into the road, necessitating a sudden stop. I tried slowing down; just then he reached his destination: the cemetery -- but it was late, early evening, not a usual funeral hour. Lucky for him he didn't go there in a hearse.
?
daymn Russian .jpgs!
I got the last laugh on a tailgater once. He was riding my bumper all the way through a good sized town, and we finally got to the outskirts, and he decided that was when he could get around me (double yellow lines, of course). What he didn’t notice was the cop on a side street waiting to turn just as he pulled even with me. Heh, heh, heh.
I can’t stand the guy who passes you then immediately slows down so you either have to brake or pass him.
We have that at the entrance to my workplace, where there is also a ONE-INCH bump between the road and the parking lot. Drivers will slow to 5 mph just to go over that tiny little bump, taking up both entrance lanes to do it, and making the other cars in the left-turn lane have to wait again through a 3-minute light. Especially the big SUVs do this. Why buy a truck transmission if it is too delicate to take a 1-inch bump?
A friend of mine has one, I found the correct machine gun for it but he didn't purchase it
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