The Most Annoying Driving Habits

The Most Annoying Driving Habits

We have all experienced incompetent drivers that have made our blood boil. How some drivers even obtain a license to operate a motor vehicle is beyond comprehension. The cumulative effect of these driving habits can be dramatic in North American metro areas.

First let’s preface this by pointing out that the roads today are better maintained than they were 20 to 30 years ago. Cars are also more efficient not only in terms of fuel consumption but also in terms of handling, braking, power ratios, tires and traction, transmissions, design etc. On the other hand the volume of traffic has increased. There are more cars, bicycles and pedestrians than ever before. In addition there are more complex, sophisticated road networks to negotiate such as overpasses and major junctions.

The advent of tools such as GPS systems, backup sensors, direct monitoring systems and roadside assistance, cruise control and availability of cell phones has provided many conveniences for drivers. They have also; however, provided drivers with a false sense of security and do not force them to be as reliant on actual driving skills, instincts and resourcefulness

The most annoying driving habits are not in reference to blatant violations such as running red lights or excessive speeding. They are about drivers, bikers and pedestrians who do not understand even the basic fundamentals of road protocol who are the source of increased road rage and elevated driver frustration. Why should the majority of drivers be inconvenienced and have to endure compromised levels of traffic movement and efficiency because some people are incompetent or don’t understand the rules of the road?

Let’s view this rhetorically. How would you feel about a dentist who was so meticulous in his work that you had to endure a four hour root canal? What if the majority of plumbers could complete a service call in 30 minutes but there were some who took 60 minutes, and as a result the standard minimum charge was increased to 45 minutes to account for their shortcoming and consumers had to pay more and settle for compromised levels of service? You might suggest getting rid of these slow pokes! You might feel you should not have to pay extra money or waste your time because some people are incompetent. You might maintain justifiably that unless these people can elevate their skill level to the expected norm they have no business doing what they do.

Here are some of the most annoying driving habits in no particular order.

Drivers who pass traffic on the right at intersections where the right lane is a designated turn lane and then force their way left back into traffic. Passing on the right where there is no official lane is illegal in most jurisdictions

Equally annoying are drivers who intend to make this maneuver when the light is red but now they are also blocking vehicles trying to turn right behind them.

Drivers who do not understand the concept of turning into the nearest available lane. They overshoot their lane or they are over cautious about moving into the correct lane. There is a standoff in the intersection to the point of monopolizing all movement until the light changes to yellow and even then there is uncertainty. The end result is that only one car negotiates the turn instead of several during a light cycle.

Drivers who do not understand the concept of the passing lane on highways
They will drive several hundred miles in the outside lane without regard to any other traffic. Worst, these drivers drive too slow in the passing lane and force others to pass them on the right.

Drivers who don’t understand the concept of the 80th percentile and do not move with the consensus flow of traffic.

People who drive considerably below the speed limit or for the road conditions and pose as self proclaimed vigilantes who insist they are advocating safety while inconveniencing almost everyone else

Drivers who don’t look or check blind spots before they change lanes

Drivers who don’t use turn signals or they just provide you the obligatory single flash AFTER they have already made their cut or lane change. Or they are approaching and you are waiting for them to pass but they inexplicably turn off without signaling and you are left wondering why you’re sitting there waiting. They expect you to read their minds.

Drivers who don’t signal a left turn while waiting at a red light until traffic has queued up behind them and the light has turned green.

Drivers who stop 20 feet or more behind other vehicles at stop lights or at the far side of intersections blocking others from moving into turning lanes or stranding vehicles behind them in the intersection after the light has changed.

Drivers who insist on pulling out in front of an oncoming vehicle and then travelling at an inordinately slow speed not making any effort to assimilate into the traffic flow. If they are not in any hurry why not wait until they have an opening commensurate with their intended speed of entry.

Drivers who are totally oblivious to anything around them including traffic patterns and flow in general. The vehicle behind them could be on fire but they would never notice because they don’t look in their mirrors. They don’t notice emergency vehicles or hear relevant sounds around them; some of them because they have music blasting, others because they are not paying attention. They don’t plan their turns or routes to avoid congestion. They don’t exhibit any conviction in actually getting anywhere. They make up their route as they go along.

Drivers that don’t make any more than a token effort to yield to emergency vehicles. They either keep driving until the emergency vehicle is upon them or actually overtakes them, or they stop right in the path of everything and make no effort to get out of the way

Drivers who instead of taking an alternate route, insist on trying to cross 4 lanes of congested traffic to get to their turn lane delaying almost everyone in the process.

Drivers who interpret a middle service lane normally reserved for simultaneous entry and turning from both directions, as a free travel lane that they can drive through for several hundred meters

Drivers who drive to the extreme left down the middle of the street for a hundred meters in advance of the designated entry point for a left turn lane and then are puzzled when others try to enter the lane and don’t expect a vehicle bearing down on them from the phantom lane on their left.

Drivers who have no concept of merging on highways. They make no attempt to move over to let others in or they are not aware that others are merging. When they are merging themselves, they stop in the lane or ramp and wait for an opening.

Drivers who do not stop at stop signs before turning right; and this doesn’t refer to snow or ice conditions where it is understood that drivers need to keep moving slowly for traction. Most will offer a token glimpse in the general direction of oncoming traffic; some don’t even bother to look.