Bad drivers, Ignorance? or just careless...

[Chiliagon]

So, as i'm sure we all witness and I KNOW some of us are guilty of it.

bad driving.

things like:

failing to signal on turns or lane changing
speeding in construction zones
weaving
tailgating
doing things like texting, makeup, eating, distractions while driving.
not checking side mirrors
going through cross walks when the light is on and someone is crossing.. (especially if another car is stopped beside you!)


the ones I really cannot tolerate is speeding and tailgating!

but the question really is, are the drivers out there pleading ignorance, like a lack of education or experience on the road? or are they just careless and don't give a (rats $$$) about anyone else around them?

like today for example, on my way to work I am driving into a construction zone and the speed limit is 70km/hr. and there are signs that say "fines doubled"

yet, clearly the majority of the drivers are going 80-90 and some even into the 100km speed range. they don't care and just drive on as if it doesn't exist.

or those drivers that are in a hurry, have no patience for people who want to follow the law and drive safely. so they weave in and out of traffic and into the lanes so they can be first across the finish line (aka intersection)

What is with them? what makes people just wanna drive their way and not be concerned about other people's safety.

(ya don't get me started on idiots driving stupid with kids in their vehicle...)

 

[karrie]

some of us are guilty of it? If anyone thinks they've never done sopmething stupid behind the wheel they're kidding themselves. And those 'bad drivers' you see, you usually only see for one moment. That moment when any one of us has done something stupid, others have looked and us and thought the same things you're thinking about them when you see them in their moment.

 

[lone wolf]

The one thing you learn from living on the road is anyone can screw up on it. The road doesn't care. Some people just don't have as much respect as others.

 

[Praxius]

Based on the supplied list above, I was never guilty of any of those things.

failing to signal on turns or lane changing
^ I always signal, and I even signal when coming out of a two lane merging into single, which I noticed hardly anybody around here where I live does.... and back in New Glasgow from which I came, 93% of the people there never use their turn signals and hardly ever go the proper speed limit (They're usually driving much slower, damn old farts)

speeding in construction zones
^ I don't want to be responsible for injuring or killing someone, nor do I wish to cause any damage to my vehicle, thus I am very aware of the need to slow down and pass through construction with caution.

weaving
^ In the manner in which you described, I do not remember doing that unless to properly pass someone. The closest thing I have done in the past that could possibly relate is when there is a huge pot hole on the road that will take out a tire or two and there are no other cars nearby, I will steer out of the way to avoid the hole if at all possible... otherwise I will reduce speed prior to impact with the hole and release tension on the break before impact which I am told helps reduce damage to tired compared to just holding on the break while impacting the hole.

tailgating
^ I keep at least 1-2 car lengths behind the car in front of me due to response times, or I will pass the vehicle... I see no logic in brown-nosing the car in front of me in such a dangerous manner.

doing things like texting, makeup, eating, distractions while driving.
^ I park if I am eating, I do not own a cell phone to talk on or to text on mainly because I don't believe in paying into such a corrupt system such as our cell phone contracts with additional unneeded fees and high costs. I do not wear makeup and I can not think of any other distractions other then idle chit chat with someone in the vehicle.... but my hands and eyes are always concentrating on the road and my surroundings.

not checking side mirrors
^ I check all mirrors when needed and usually even when not needed. Knowing my surroundings is a key part of driver safety.

going through cross walks when the light is on and someone is crossing.
^ Can't say I ever remember doing that, though the closest I came to this is being 2 or 3 feet away from the crosswalk in motion when the light is turned on, thereby not enough time to slow down/stop, nor is there any time for them to enter the road and risk being hit.

I never treated a vehicle as some luxury fun toy.... I use vehicles to get from point A to point B in the quickest, yet safest manner possible. In response to your question, some of these bad drivers could be chalked up as being ignorant on procedures, but considering everybody who has a driver's license is supposed to go through proper testing before they get their license, by having their license they should be fully aware of the requirements for operating a vehicle in a safe manner.... therefore the fault either lies in the driver, or the fault lies in the person who passed them and gave them their license.

But the bottom line is that the responsibility falls on the operator of the vehicle and ignorance of the law is no excuse. When I see a car or two pass by me at a speed of say 20-30kmph above my own speed, I just wait to see them 5 minutes up the road pulled over on the side of the road by a cop giving them a ticket.... in which I'll usually suggest my passenger to wind down the window to point and laugh as we pass them, if they so wish.

Now I'm certainly not saying I'm perfect and people do make mistakes from time to time, but the procedures taught in drivers education and the procedures required to perform during your road test are there for a reason, which is to greatly reduce the chances of an accident... though no amount of training and knowledge can ensure 100% you will avoid all accidents, especially when you got wankers on the road who don't look where they're going or do not heed the rules of the road such as those already described.

When a car flies past me at 20-30kmh beyond my own speed, never use their turn signals and I continually see them weave back and forth between cars up ahead.... those are the people I envision in my mind flipping their cars and wrapping themselves around a tree just around the bend...... Natural Selection.

 

[Chiliagon]

glad someone is a safe driver!

 

[YukonJack]

The more expensive the car, the more arrogant and idiotic is the driver.

 

[mentalfloss]

The worst drivers seem to be old men that drive BMWs or Mercedes. I try to turn off my perception bias with this sort of thing, but it's mind-blowing how often it is true. And you would figure oldies are just lacking in precision driving, but the opposite is true. These guys weave, cut off, don't signal and will deliberately hang in your blind spot so you're stuck in one lane. No wonder they made it to the top.

The only one thing I think I'm guilty of is fiddling with my GPS now and then. I try to be as discrete as possible about it, but it gets a bit frenetic when you're searching for the nearest 'whatever'.

 

[VanIsle]

I can be guilty of a "heavy foot" but not in construction zones - ever. I don't like people who whip through school zones but have to plead guilty for one day. I was ticked at the woman in front of me for going so slow through a school zone on a Saturday. When we got to the next light she signaled to me to roll down my window. I did. She said - "It's a school zone" and I said "It's Saturday". She said - No it's not. I just dropped my son off at school. I said - I am so sorry!

 

[Niflmir]

The easiest way to sum it up:

other drivers are frustrating when they behave like humans.

I.E. They make mistakes or change their mind.

 

[Chiliagon]

I can be guilty of a "heavy foot" but not in construction zones - ever. I don't like people who whip through school zones but have to plead guilty for one day. I was ticked at the woman in front of me for going so slow through a school zone on a Saturday. When we got to the next light she signaled to me to roll down my window. I did. She said - "It's a school zone" and I said "It's Saturday". She said - No it's not. I just dropped my son off at school. I said - I am so sorry!

hehe, one of those mental lapses hey? :lol:

ya I have accidentally gone through a red light before, I don't know what the hell was wrong with me at that moment. it's like my brain fell asleep or I was not paying attention at all.

my friend (she) gave me big crap one day for my bad driving habits and I swore to make an improvement.

 

[AnnaG]

Personally, I think too many people both don't give a ratzaz about others on the road and they don't think about what they are doing as they are doing it (driving). IOW, no courtesy and no attention. And some even seem to be consciously and purposefully inattentive and discourteous.

I can be guilty of a "heavy foot" but not in construction zones - ever. I don't like people who whip through school zones but have to plead guilty for one day. I was ticked at the woman in front of me for going so slow through a school zone on a Saturday. When we got to the next light she signaled to me to roll down my window. I did. She said - "It's a school zone" and I said "It's Saturday". She said - No it's not. I just dropped my son off at school. I said - I am so sorry!

lol You should have insisted on it being Saturday and told her her son is at home because you took him there after he found that school wasn't open.

 

[Bar Sinister]

So, as i'm sure we all witness and I KNOW some of us are guilty of it.

bad driving.

things like:

failing to signal on turns or lane changing
speeding in construction zones
weaving
tailgating
doing things like texting, makeup, eating, distractions while driving.
not checking side mirrors
going through cross walks when the light is on and someone is crossing.. (especially if another car is stopped beside you!)


the ones I really cannot tolerate is speeding and tailgating!

but the question really is, are the drivers out there pleading ignorance, like a lack of education or experience on the road? or are they just careless and don't give a (rats $$$) about anyone else around them?

like today for example, on my way to work I am driving into a construction zone and the speed limit is 70km/hr. and there are signs that say "fines doubled"

yet, clearly the majority of the drivers are going 80-90 and some even into the 100km speed range. they don't care and just drive on as if it doesn't exist.

or those drivers that are in a hurry, have no patience for people who want to follow the law and drive safely. so they weave in and out of traffic and into the lanes so they can be first across the finish line (aka intersection)

What is with them? what makes people just wanna drive their way and not be concerned about other people's safety.

(ya don't get me started on idiots driving stupid with kids in their vehicle...)

When I saw your complaints I thought "Sounds like he drives in Alberta." I then checked your location and sure enough another Albertan. Tailgaters - whenever I get one behind me I drive slower.

I agree with all of your points.

 

[petros]

Believe it or a parasite that can aquired by humans from house cats and undercooked meat called toxoplasma may slow people's reaction times increasing the odds (double of average) of the infected being in an accident.

BioMed Central | Full text | Increased incidence of traffic accidents in Toxoplasma-infected military drivers and protective effect RhD molecule revealed by a large-scale prospective cohort study

Latent toxoplasmosis, protozoan parasitosis with prevalence rates from 20 to 60% in most populations, is known to impair reaction times in infected subjects, which results, for example, in a higher risk of traffic accidents in subjects with this life-long infection. Two recent studies have reported that RhD-positive subjects, especially RhD heterozygotes, are protected against latent toxoplasmosis-induced impairment of reaction times. In the present study we searched for increased incidence of traffic accidents and for protective effect of RhD positivity in 3890 military drivers.

And here I thought it was just normal behaviour for an idiot when behind a steering wheel.

Isn't science wonderful?

 

[JLM]

some of us are guilty of it? If anyone thinks they've never done sopmething stupid behind the wheel they're kidding themselves. And those 'bad drivers' you see, you usually only see for one moment. That moment when any one of us has done something stupid, others have looked and us and thought the same things you're thinking about them when you see them in their moment.

No doubt I make mistakes driving, possibly every day, but they don't include such things as incessant tailgating, speeding past parked vehicles on the right, speeding while switching back and forth between lanes, honking the frickin' horn because someone remains at a green light for 3/16 of a second (while checking both ways to see no one is running a red). I'd say a lot of it is selfishness, some of it is a huge ego (with nothing to be egotistical about) and some of it because they are in a hurry due to proper planning ahead of time.

 

[petros]

Welcome to the human race.

 

[VanIsle]

Welcome to the human race.

Your "wanted! Dead or alive" almost seems applicable here! lol

 

[AnnaG]

When I saw your complaints I thought "Sounds like he drives in Alberta." I then checked your location and sure enough another Albertan. Tailgaters - whenever I get one behind me I drive slower.

I agree with all of your points.

Yup. Going slower lessens the danger if you have to double ped the brake pedal. Besides, it annoys the annoying idiot who's tailgating. lol
Hubby just taps the brake enough to make the brake lights come on a couple times. If the moron persists in tailgating, hubby just rams the brakes on (his truck has a home-made bumper made of channel iron and it has a ugly looking tow-hitch attached).

Believe it or a parasite that can aquired by humans from house cats and undercooked meat called toxoplasma may slow people's reaction times increasing the odds (double of average) of the infected being in an accident.

BioMed Central | Full text | Increased incidence of traffic accidents in Toxoplasma-infected military drivers and protective effect RhD molecule revealed by a large-scale prospective cohort study



And here I thought it was just normal behaviour for an idiot when behind a steering wheel.

Isn't science wonderful?

I figure the best compensation for a slow reaction time is keeping more distance. lol

Welcome to the human race.

Your "wanted! Dead or alive" almost seems applicable here! lol

lmao

 

[lone wolf]

I'd really like to know what Morse Code message four-way flashers tell tailgaters because it really pee's 'em off....

 

[JLM]

Hubby just taps the brake enough to make the brake lights come on a couple times. If the moron persists in tailgating, hubby just rams the brakes on (his truck has a home-made bumper made of channel iron and it has a ugly looking tow-hitch attached).




lmao

My kind of man.................:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Praxius]

The worst drivers seem to be old men that drive BMWs or Mercedes. I try to turn off my perception bias with this sort of thing, but it's mind-blowing how often it is true. And you would figure oldies are just lacking in precision driving, but the opposite is true. These guys weave, cut off, don't signal and will deliberately hang in your blind spot so you're stuck in one lane. No wonder they made it to the top......

Indeed.... a few years back my ex's father claimed to be having a stroke, didn't want to go to the hospital in the city which was only a few minutes away and wanted to go back down to the valley to see his family doctor about it. Little did I know at the time the idiot was on cocaine and that was what was causing his problems..... anyways, since I was the only one with a license (He didn't have a license but had a car, but based on his health at the time...) my ex and her father wanted me to take his piece of sh*t car and drive him and her down to the valley.

His car had no insurance, I know for a fact it wasn't inspected because just by looking at the damn thing I would have failed it myself, missing a mirror on the driver's side, but that didn't really matter since the driver's side window was gone and covered with a friggin plastic bag and since it was in the middle of the winter, the windows kept fogging up and made it even more impossible to see where the hell I was going because the car couldn't hold onto the heat.... and the muffler was hanging.

I didn't want to step foot in that damn death trap, but me figuring this was a life/death situation I decided to drive him and her down to the valley. The whole way down I was stuck looking through a little spot I kept wiping in the windshield, could hardly see anything around me..... I was extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation and while we approached the Valley, I asked him to tell me what exist to turn off of..... he just say it was this road after some tree or something.... then at the last god damn minute he'd point and yell "Turn here"

At 100km an hour he expects me to jam on the breaks and make a turn that was already passing me as he pointed?? :angry4: Fk'n twit.

I take the next exist and make my way back and all the while I'm asking him where the hell I'm supposed to go (Since I never really drove in the Kentville/New Minas area before nor spent a lot of time there) he kept pointing at the last second yelling "Turn here"

I of course would miss it and had no intention on slamming on my breaks and posing anymore of a friggin danger to those around me, so I'd turn around or take another road when I deemed it was safe...... all the while he's shaking his head and cursing my driving, asking if I got my license in the woods or a cereal box.

a couple of times I was so close to taking my foot and plowing his 65 year old ass out the passenger door while moving I could taste it.

By the time we got to the hospital down there for this entirely pointless, idiotic and dangerous stunt, I finally snapped and yelled back at him "You know what? Next time your fk'n dying, you can drive your damn self you ignorant, ungrateful bastard."

I can take an unimaginable amount of sh*t from all sorts of people in real life and it takes a lot to get me to snap like that to anybody.... especially the father of the woman I am in a relationship with.

At that point I was just waiting for that fk'r to do or say one more thing before I pulled over and beat up his old ass for his own damn good..... for as long as my relationship lasted with my ex, he was always riding my ass over everything I did and all the time when I treated him with respect and offered my help, he treated me like total crap.

And of course weeks later my ex tells me he was on cocaine and his heart was being erratic, there was no stroke...... to say the least, I wasn't impressed and if I knew then what I know now, I would have left him to drive his own piece of sh*t car himself..... or die.

Can't friggin believe I risked my own safety and other's safety for that scum bag with that stupid car.

A few months later I broke off the relationship and thank the magic squirrels I did because that was quite the unhealthy environment for me.

End of Rant :tongue5: