What kind of Driver are you?

[Jotaux]

I'm a meticulous by-the-rules driver. I never speed (intentionally, at least).

We learned very quickly in driving school that these types of drivers are a hazard on the road and you are better off going with the flow of traffic.

[zenkai]

So, I live in Northern Virginia and commute daily to Alexandria, very close to DC. I would say I was fairly an aggressive driver during college and then when I started to work full-time, I just realized it wasn't worth it to speed or pull absurd moves to maybe get somewhere a few minutes faster. I see some of the most ridiculous things on a daily basis and I am sure a lot of people do. I absolutely hate when people pass from behind me to get in front when already in traffic, makes zero sense. I hate it when people don't use turn signals all at. It's annoying when people need to merge lanes and instead of using their mirrors, they slow down to stop all traffic and look behind them to merge over. Then you see some people hauling ass; is it really worth risking a few thousand dollars of damage or a life to get somewhere a few minutes quicker?

So, that's my rant. What are you some of your experiences, driving habits, things that bother you that other people do?

I am a defensive driver, I expect people to do stupid things and they do and it has saved me from countless wrecks. Things have gotten a lot worse in the past few years, so bad that I plan on buying a dashcam just to show off all the stupid things I see. Since I have been driving years and never once had an accident except for when I was 17 and it wasn't my fault I think I am a good driver.

The craziest near miss I ever had was about 6 years go
I was driving a red 1999 Spider Eclipse convertible. I was leaving work and the 4 lane HWY I travel is 55mph (88.5 KM), which I was doing. I was passing through the intersection in the right hand side of the lane, I passed up car as I was going through the light that was doing about 35-45 mph. This idiot on the other side of intersection pulls out in front of us, worse yet there was NO WHERE FOR THEM TO GO! The turning lain opposite of me was backed up as normal, I was going to T-bone them for sure, I had only a split second to react.

My thought was, I hope the guy next to me slowed down faster than I did and that in either case it was better to not T-bone someone and kill them vs side swiping someone else. I let go of the brakes to regain control and quickly maneuvered around them, my heart was pounding and I was freaking out and I blew my horn as I kept on driving.


Some guy followed me home because he knew who I was by my car, my neighbor apparently babysits for him and he said things like "I can't believe you missed them" "If you hit them you would have had a great witness I am a lawyer out here" "You're a really good driver!" LOL man I wish I had that on camera.

[Maischou]

@Jotaux , I agree.

In hindsight, I could probably have said that better (... sorry for bad English?). I mean, that one time I was by myself on the road and three psycho's came from behind at 100 miles an hour, I was not prepared to "go with the flow" just to be safe, but I agree with your point that allowing traffic to flow rather than obstructing is the safer way, definitely.

The point I was trying to make was that I'm not the type to go 10 above the limit because "it doesn't hurt anyone and I'll get there sooner".

Anyway, I agree with you, and my description was not satisfactory (although I'm half tempted to try and twist out of it by saying that being forced to speed in order to maintain traffic flow isn't "intentional" :P)

[Jotaux]

snip

This happened to me this morning minus the person following me. I was lucky the lane next to me was clear because this cab pulled out and was sideways into the right lane.

[Crackleslap]

Always 10 over the limit. Know where the speed cameras are. Sue me!

[zEmini]

I hate it when people try to cut in at the last minute after everyone else has been waiting patiently. You get the finger and the horn if you try to cut in front of me. I even see the city buses do this. I NEVER LET THEM IN!!

[Rooflesstoofless]

4-5 mph over while on my own or will go with the speed of traffic; which ever is faster. I don't like to change lanes any more often than I have to while maintaining sufficient speed.

I've gone 22 years without an accident or moving violation of any kind and always get where I'm going within the time frame I want. I still don't understand why so many people have so much difficulty with it.

[Holofernes]

Most people believe they are better than average drivers.

Statistics on driving proves that not to be true, and if it were insurance companies wouldn't really be needed.

I used to consider that myself. But when you look at my track record (both recorded and off the record) I am probably a pretty terrible driver.

I live in California and I hate the drivers here... far too many fucks on the road who are even worse than myself.

In California the left lane is the "fast lane" and the right lane is the "slow lane"... and there are far too many people who don't observe this. In other states almost no one uses the left lane except for passing, and then you are immediately back into further right lanes.

There are just too many people in Cali, and most of them are just way too self absorbed. For example it has become common practice for people to hang out... in your blind spot. This is beyond ignorant. For the person perpetrating the act, the purpose is to keep you from changing lanes, and too keep the area in front of them clear. For the person this is being done to... its dangerous, it makes changing lanes difficult, not to mention if you are close enough to be directly in my blind spot... then you're just too damn close.

I truthfully feel safer driving at 80+ weaving through traffic, than I do driving 65 (the typical speed limit). That might be backwards thinking and perhaps I am just delusional and I am making the roads unsafe for other people. I just feel like I need to be way more on guard and defensive while driving at lower speeds.

is this for real? they are driving in your blindspot on purpose so u cant maneouver your car? sounds paranoid. probably its just dense trafffic, and yep its not possible to change your lane for a while in dense traffic , thats why u go on right lane several km befor your exit, because of endless line of trucks that wont let u in otherwise.

Here in germany you are not so much watching whats in front of you, but try to estimate how fast the guy behind you in right lane is coming near. is he doing 180 ? or 300? can i go out overtaking the guy in front of me, without forcing the guy 1.5 km behind me to go full iron on his breaks because he had triple the speed of flowing traffic?
The other most intense problem is : will the lorry driver move out in middle lane to overtake , forcing a shitton of people to break , and cause a jam of really slow (100) traffic over all 3 lanes, that needs like 10 minutes to dissolve?

[Rudkobing]

Pedal to the metal, baby, All the time. Weave in and out of traffic. Just to save a minute of travel time...

[gtfo_my_internets]

I speed. That's about it. I don't speed in heavy traffic or weave in and out of lanes while doing so, but if I have open road with no cars in sight I will occasionally step on the gas perhaps a little too hard.

The most annoying thing I can think of is probably yield signs. People (myself included) treat stop signs like they are actually yield signs. People treat yield signs as if they don't exist.

That and trucks pulling out to overtake. Particularly when they're going up a hill, or perhaps when they are travelling at 1 or 2 km/h faster than the truck in front of them vs 15-20km/h slower than the traffic in the next lane over.

[A dot Ham]

is this for real? they are driving in your blindspot on purpose so u cant maneouver your car? sounds paranoid. probably its just dense trafffic, and yep its not possible to change your lane for a while in dense traffic , thats why u go on right lane several km befor your exit, because of endless line of trucks that wont let u in otherwise.

Here in germany you are not so much watching whats in front of you, but try to estimate how fast the guy behind you in right lane is coming near. is he doing 180 ? or 300? can i go out overtaking the guy in front of me, without forcing the guy 1.5 km behind me to go full iron on his breaks because he had triple the speed of flowing traffic?
The other most intense problem is : will the lorry driver move out in middle lane to overtake , forcing a shitton of people to break , and cause a jam of really slow (100) traffic over all 3 lanes, that needs like 10 minutes to dissolve?

Assuming there is plenty of room... and not dense traffic. What would be the reason for hanging out in that exact spot?
It is either done accidentally and ignorantly.
or
Purposefully and maliciously.

I don't envy your situation there in Germany at all. But people in California are crazy.

It used to be if you turn on your turn signal... people speed up to prevent you from merging.

Then people just stopped using their turn signals.

Now, people just hang in the blind spot. In their minds they win. If you come over and clip their car... insurance claim. If you happen to catch a glimpse of them and don't merge... well mission accomplished, no one in front of you.

I actually think its a combination of both ignorance AND maliciousness.

I think they are ignorant to the fact that is a really unsafe place to be.

But I think its purposely done so that should you flip on your turn signal... they can speed in front of you.

In any case get the fuck out of blindspot you twats!

[AkundaMrdal]

I have simple rule, don't speed in city. Outside city in a car I usually drive 10 km/h above speed limit (90 km/h) and on bike 30 - 40 km/h above speed limit. I have few favorite roads with minimum traffic. First I slowly check for traffic police, tractors and cyclist, then I do U-turn and full gas. Overall I can say I'm considetare toward other drivers.

[grandpab]

Here in germany you are not so much watching whats in front of you, but try to estimate how fast the guy behind you in right lane is coming near. is he doing 180 ? or 300? can i go out overtaking the guy in front of me, without forcing the guy 1.5 km behind me to go full iron on his breaks because he had triple the speed of flowing traffic?

I wish people had that kind of awareness here. They can't even recognize when you're about to pass them when you're only going 5 mph faster than them. They simply look over, see no one is there, so they get over, and give no fucks if they cut you off. I drive a little car (vw gti) and you have no idea how many trucks pull out in front of me just as I'm about to pass them. Of course they don't bother to speed up to match my speed either.

[Tryuk]

Always go with the speed of traffic that of whatever lane I'm in, so typically 5 - 10 miles over speed limit unless it's an area well known for it's traffic cops. I'm not really an aggressive driver at all, don't really see the point of being one, which is pretty typical for Oregon -- generally decently nice drivers here compared to pretty much anywhere else I've been.

[Zindai]

I'm a rather-safe-than-sorry kinda driver. I started my training in our capital city, finished my test in the middle of nowhere in the other end of the country, lol. Then I tried the Autobahn, and a year later I was my father's co-driver in USA. I guess in the beginning I was more willing to show it if I was annoyed with someone tailgating me, but I quit that after a guy tried to push me off the highway because of it (yes, he way overreacted). But even before that, I wasn't a fan of hazardous maneuvres, and I never tried to slalom my way up front or anything like that. Do I sound holy? Well, driving is just stressful, no need to make it worse for myself or others.

[Spl4sh3r]

I don't have a license, but I would consider myself one that goes by the book. As in no speeding and having patience to wait on things.

[Rennadrel]

I usually drive within the speed limit, about 10-15 Km over most of the time. But I have little patience for dickbag drivers and slow drivers alike. Stay out of the left hand lane if you aren't going passing speed and the rest of the people on the road don't care about the fact that you over compensate for having a small dick by putting a fart can and a body kit on a car with engine that can barely pass for a can opener called a Civic, or any other inline 4 cylinder based car for that matter, that car is going to rust the fuck out and still get out muscled by any vehicle with real horsepower.

[Deleted]

i'm the "it takes whatever time it takes" kinda driver

i follow the rules etc, and i tend to brake check the idiots who are 30cm behind my rear !

other than that, i dont think i am a too stupid driver, and i havent gotten many complaints only from people who again, tends to sit 30cm away from my rear when i am driving -.- (lets call them "asslickers" shall we?)

[SL1200]

I drive about 10 mph faster than the speed limit. I try to stay in the right lane unless I'm passing or anticipating the need to pass soon. If a faster driver comes up behind me and I'm in the left lane I move to the right to let them pass.

I think slow drivers in the left lane should be subject to being ran off the road.

- - - Updated - - -

i follow the rules etc

No you don't. It's the law if you're in the left lane and a faster driver comes up behind you, you're supposed to move to the right lane. What you are is a dickface.

[abracmike]

i'm the "it takes whatever time it takes" kinda driver

i follow the rules etc, and i tend to brake check the idiots who are 30cm behind my rear !

other than that, i dont think i am a too stupid driver, and i havent gotten many complaints only from people who again, tends to sit 30cm away from my rear when i am driving -.- (lets call them "asslickers" shall we?)

These idiots tend to get a generous helping of windshield washer overspray from me on the freeway or highway.