Driver's Ed 101 - Pet peeve of the day 03/28

[VEFF]

I have a lot of pet peeves about automobile drivers, and I am not going to list them all here (someone cutting you off, in the rain noless to save five seconds, as opposed to simply going behind you, is one thing that happened tonight. There is actually more to it, but that wasn't the peeve that I wanted to go over in this post).

Here is what I really wanted to post:
Why do so many drivers not turn on their headlights when visibility is low and/or it is raining?
Are they that oblivious to everyone else, most of whom have their headlights on...
Some put on their parking (orange corner) lights, which is better than nothing and this at least puts their tailights fully on, but many put no lights on.

Even if it weren't the law, which it is in some (or even many) states (including thje one right next to mine) it makes simple common sense that you would want other drivers to see you.
Having lights on during rain and/or poor visibility also makes you stand out from nearby parked cars and other immobile objects etc.

I like to give other drivers every opportunity to see me and give myself
every opportunity to see things that might otherwise be harder to see.

Actually a much scarier one occurred to me:
Cars driving in the night hours with no lights on!
I don't turn my rearview mirror to night mode, but someone who does might smash right into the ïnvisible driver when switching lanes or during any of a number of other scenarios.

[Ian]

No lights? I thought people not using their turn signals was bad enough.

[hoxlund]

my lincoln has auto lights, only thing i do is floor it weaving in and out of traffic

[stevehp]

I hate it when drivers pass me only to turn onto the upcoming road wow they saved 5 seconds.

While they might not know it some of these cars I pass on the road with there lights on either don't have them aimed right or they bought the super bright give you blacks spots in your eyes when they pass you by headlights.

I also hate tail gaters even cops pisses me off more so at night when there lights shine off my side mirrors blinding me like some nuclear blast just went off.

No turn signals also get on my nerves makes you think should I go now or wait for this car only to have it turn.

[hoxlund]

turn signals are my worst pet peeve about other drivers

[LoneWolf]

The issue with headlights is so many idiots think "Well, I can see fine" and totally forget the "Wait, might it be a good idea that others can see ME?" bit. I've lost count of how many people I've seen drive in fog without their lights on here.

Turn signals really piss me off. They rank right up there with staying in the lefthand lane when there's three cars that want to pass you when you could easily get over. As for tailgaters, they tend to see my spoiler-mounted brake light pretty quickly.

Additional peeves are people that think they can pass a line of five cars on the right and then cut them off because their time is so much more important than everyone else who has been waiting...and one of the worst is people who think they're so important that they have to get through the left-turn even if it's been red for two seconds. I'd have no problem with red-light cameras being installed around here, it might make things fair for the people who actually pay attention and stop when they should, so they aren't kept waiting by morons who feel the rules don't apply to them. Six months back, I actually had some redneck in a newer Mustang GT pull over, get out of his car, and challenge me to a fight because I honked my horn at him for going through a left turn on red and cutting me off (I was turning right onto the same road he decided to cut me off on). Sad.

[socheat]

This is going to sound silly, but the thing that gets me the most is not doing the "thanks/sorry" hand raise. Especially when it's rush hour traffic, I'm trying to get through a light, and I'm nice enough to stop and let someone get through and turn left. I can tolerate a rude driver if they apologize and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they have a more pressing need than I. There's just no reason to be ungrateful or discourteous if someone just did you favor.

[socheat]

Oh, and trying to pass at the last minute on a lane that merges/ends. That gets me too.

[Ian]

People on cell phones while driving bother me the most. Especially when they're going 10 under the speed limit and swerving all over. It also bothers me when they call me up and talk to me using some shitty handsfree setup and it sounds like they're using a tin can and string (yes.. you JamieW).

[aviationwiz]

All of the above piss me off, the turn signals less than other things, like cell phone while driving and swerving all around, putting on makeup while driving etc.

One thing that wasn't mentioned is people who all they do at a stop sign is just go right through it, or just slow down a tiny bit, which does not constiute a stop.

[Ian]

One thing that wasn't mentioned is people who all they do at a stop sign is just go right through it, or just slow down a tiny bit, which does not constiute a stop.

That's me. I do rolling stops all the time. I almost got in a tussle at Walmart for doing that at a stop sign in the parking lot.

[jase]

The indicator/turning signal thing is one of my biggest pet-hates as well.

I don't think you have them in the US, but in the UK we have roundabouts in which three or more roads converge at a point and you give way to the guy on the right of you (or left if you're left-hand drive).

Not indicating on these roads -- as many people don't do -- is downright dangerous. The number of times I've had to stop because some idiot can't be bothered to indicate when I could have kept going. Incredibly annoying.

The lights thing is important as well. In northern areas particularly you really need to have sidelights on at dusk, even if the light is still bright, because the sun is low in the sky and visibility is impaired. But do people do it?

Automatic lights are the worst invention ever. They don't always switch on or off at the right times, and lead the driver into a false sense of security. Are people that frigging lazy that they can't be bothered to turn a switch? Stupid automatic wipers are just as bad. Oh, one spit of rain, I'll put the wipers on full now for the next 30 seconds..... But then I've never understood central locking in a 2-door car, electric windows in the front and not the back (stupid Ford and GM cars especially guilty of that one), or traction control in a 1.6l car (FFS!). Especially when said car doesn't even have an indicator telling you when your windscreen washer is about to run dry.

Driving while using a cellphone is illegal in the UK now and you can be banned from driving if you're caught doing it repeatedly (3 points on the licence, same as speeding, 12 points and you're out). I recall reading that driving whilst on the phone -- even with a handsfree -- can be equivalent or worse than driving with 5 pints of beer in you, such is the lack of concentration, not good.

But the worst thing of all is people who leave their goddamn foglights on when there is no fog. PLEASE STOP IT NOW.

[aviationwiz]

In South Africa, in one particular area where family is near, we call them straight-a-bouts, to turn to go around it would just be stupid, since they are so small. In other areas, you have to actually go around the round-a-bout.

As far as signaling, you can only go around in one direction (at least in the RSA) so not signaling is the norm, not really especially dangerous.

[bill]

This is going to sound silly, but the thing that gets me the most is not doing the "thanks/sorry" hand raise. Especially when it's rush hour traffic, I'm trying to get through a light, and I'm nice enough to stop and let someone get through and turn left. I can tolerate a rude driver if they apologize and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they have a more pressing need than I. There's just no reason to be ungrateful or discourteous if someone just did you favor.

Ditto, I don't think your statement is silly at all.

I know the topic is "driver's ed 101" but the same rude people eventually become pedestrians... Their the ones you want to clip behind the knee when their crossing the road and forget their manners when you let them pass. After you clip them you can smile and say thanks

[bill]

The indicator/turning signal thing is one of my biggest pet-hates as well.

I don't think you have them in the US, but in the UK we have roundabouts in which three or more roads converge at a point and you give way to the guy on the right of you (or left if you're left-hand drive).

Not indicating on these roads -- as many people don't do -- is downright dangerous. The number of times I've had to stop because some idiot can't be bothered to indicate when I could have kept going. Incredibly annoying.

We have a few roundabouts ( called circle here ) in the US. My brother was involved in a pile up at this roundabout because some guy didn't use his signal. It's complete mayhem during rush hour so the state is trying to phase out the circles.

[smartin4]

I agree with BigMonkey, I live in NJ and circles are the worst. Many have been phased out (Freehold & Laurelton come to mind), but Rt 70 still has 4 or 5 that can think of. THe problem is that noone knows how to drive through a circle, wither they are too scared to go, or they go when they shouldn't (instant accident).

My biggest peeve with drivers are the parents who are too damn lazy (or stupid) to buckle their child in their child SAFETY seat.

I have a son (almost 5) who I wouldn't even think about leaving unbuckled while the car is moving, yet I see kids his age & younger all the time jumping around in the backseat of moving cars (many on the Interstates, NJ Turnpike & GS parkway doing over 70MPH!!!). Do these parents realize what they are risking???

[Ian]

We have a few roundabouts ( called circle here ) in the US. My brother was involved in a pile up at this roundabout because some guy didn't use his signal. It's complete mayhem during rush hour so the state is trying to phase out the circles.

My stupid city has been putting roundabouts in. In fac, they put two of them in my damn subdivision last fall. The intersections were not designed for roundabouts so its a pain in the ass to drive around them. Half the time people hit them, drive over them or just go the wrong way. They piss me off so bad that I've actually been tempted to go to city hall and demand to know who the idiot was that put those in.

[socheat]

Roundabouts amaze me, actually. To me, roundabouts are like communism, works real nice in theory, but in actual practice...

I can appreciate 1) never having to turn left 2) never having to look left and 3) keeping traffic moving at all times with less lights (i've never seen one with a traffic light), but what I don't get is multiple lane roundabouts. I can just see my poor mother just circling in the inner lane for an hour, too afraid to get over and turn right.

It just occured to me that they are like neverending on- and off-ramps.

[aviationwiz]

3) keeping traffic moving at all times with less lights (i've never seen one with a traffic light)

Yup, no 4 way stop signs or traffic lights, that's the whole point of them. Having traffic lights would defeat the purpose of them I think.

[jase]

We have roundabouts with traffic lights -- and just to make matters worse, the lights are sometimes in the middle of the roundabout -- so you get the green light, go 20 yards and stopped by a red. This might happen 3 or 4 times until you get to your exit. Pain in the ass, I can tell you.

[jase]

Other evil things on our roads:

The Mini Roundabout -- a more useless thing you couldn't imagine...



And a much worse one here



a bit further on...



There is a roundabout in those images, believe it or not!!!

(above taken from http://www.mini-roundabout.com/details.html

And the double roundabout -- argh!!



I believe there are triple and even quadruple versions of these things as well. I've never encountered one, thankfully.

[socheat]

HAHAHA. Not sure what's funnier, a roundabout that's indicated with paint on the road (rather than grass or whatever) or the double roundabout idea.

For the double roundabout picture, I noticed that the sign has a small break in each of the circles. Is that just the way the sign/graphic is, or is there actually a break in each roundabout? Wouldn't be much of a roundabout with a break in it...

[edit]Nevermind, I just saw you updated your post with a more descriptive picture[/edit]

[jase]

The break in the diagram is standard on all roadsigns -- and to be honest I have no idea what it indicates....

eg

[MediumRare]

Gawd, how I hated roundabouts. There weren't many here until a few years ago, but the ones that did exist were terrible. There was a double one with 3 lanes each on a nearby Autobahn exit that was always plugged- lots of accidents too. But they replaced that with a higher capacity construction acouple of years ago.

The newer ones are a bit better, and if the volume isn't too large, the single lane jobbies are OK.

My personal peeve is more with red light runners. I keep expecting to get rear-ended when I actually stop for a red light. They've adjusted the phases on many intersections so that there are ca. 2-5 sec of red in all directions. And there are lots of "specialists" who take advantage of that. Of course they lose their liscense if their caught, but there aren't enough checks.

G

[aviationwiz]

Other evil things on our roads:

The Mini Roundabout -- a more useless thing you couldn't imagine...

That's not a Roundabout, that's a Straight-a-bout!