Things that annoy you: driving edition

People who drive slow in the left lane... Grrr! 😠

I hate when I'm turning left at a green light without an arrow, and the oncoming traffic drives too slowly, not giving me a window to turn.

Many things. I live in the UK and our roads get more and more overcrowded. I can't really complain because of course I'm also contributing to the traffic, but it means I generally drive at quieter times if I can. For example, I went to the supermarket at 7am last Saturday because I knew I'd be able to find a parking space and the drive there and back would be relatively chilled out.

Other things that annoy me are cyclists, people who tailgate you when you're driving at the speed limit, people who don't wait their turn.

Oh and one that really gets my goat is the amount of parked cars in residential areas. Most houses seem to have 2 - 3 cars each, with maybe room for just one of them on their driveway. So they park on the road. It'd be fine if it were just one or two, but sometimes there's a long stream of them - so it's hard to pass when you have to give way to oncoming traffic.

Drivers who decide to change lanes and turn on their blinker while they *simultaneously* make the lane change.

I was taught that you should wait at least two blinks so surrounding drivers can anticipate.

Tailgating. Unless passing, I always stay in the slow lane at the designated speed limit. I hate when some asshole, especially truck drivers, start crawling up my ass. I'm already in the slow lane, where the fuck do you want me to go?

Not only is tailgating incredibly stupid, it's incredibly dangerous.

People who don't use turn signals deserve to rot in hell.

People making a left turn at a stop sign that pull far beyond the stop line fully blocking the view of people who are making the much simpler right-hand turn.

People on side streets that inch into the lane on the main road until they ultimately cut off traffic on the main road so they can make their turn.

I spent four years transcribing interviews of drivers whose insurance claims were going to arbitration. In my first eight days on that job I had three fatalities. And the death count went on and on.

I’ll spare you the long form and cut straight to the chase: I have a burning, enduring hatred of people who drive in excess of the speed limit and tailgaters. Not least because MY insurance rates go up every year when I haven’t even made a claim because THEY are running into and grievously wounding and killing one another.

I heard things I can never forget thanks to those liars. (Claims where the involved parties’ stories match up do not have to go to arbitration. It only happens when somebody’s trying to weasel out, or when chain collisions have occurred and the adjusters have to try to figure out who hit who and what the result was.)

I just need bicyclists to decide, once and for all, if they're vehicles or pedestrians. I'm fine with either, I just need you to pick a lane, so to speak. If you're a vehicle, behave like a vehicle at all times. You can't be both.

I would add to r9: the "very serious" cyclists who invade rural roads on the weekends and who make themselves impossible to safely pass.

These types of recreational cyclists seem truly insufferable.

People trying to pass on the right in traffic when there is no place to go except to cut off drivers in the passing lane. I'll pass on the right if someone is clogging up the passing lane but would never even attempt it in traffic. And then you wind up passing the same drivers 4-5 times when they get caught up in traffic and being unable to complete their pass.

I'm driving down a road and a car is in such a rush coming from a side street that he doesn't wait for me to pass he has to turn onto my street and basically cuts me off but once he's on my road in front of me he goes 15 miles per hour- NOW he's no longer in a rush. This happens 19 out of 20 times when someone cuts me off.

R12 they are probably on their phone - this is the driving behaviour I hate most, as it's by far the most dangerous, and behind many of the others mentioned here. Road fatalities have been climbing here ever since smart phones have become available to stupid people.

People driving slowly in the passing lane (its the right lane here) as mentioned by R1 is another major irritant as it causes congestion and unnecessary lane changes

We have several two lane interstates where I live. One goes up a mountain. I usually use the left lane to climb, because trucks use the right on the incline. But there’s always some joker on the left in an old beat-up car who has to putter up. So here we all are, slowly climbing at 35 mph.

People who don’t know how to use roundabouts are also frustrating. You yield to enter in most cases and some drivers just hit the gas and make everyone slam their brakes on.

Navigating roundabouts is an art, r14.

People who don't use turn signals. People who drive 20 km/h below the speed limit.

People not squaring off their left turns but instead plowing diagonally across the intersection to the lane they're turning into. This is how cars stopped in the right lane get their bumpers damaged, and it's also scary to have a left-turning car appear to be bearing down directly at you.

R15 or “rotaries” as they say up north. When I said roundabout in MA people thought I was being fancy. I said…well, they’re called roundabouts in West Virginia too.

Loud trucks/duelies on super huge tires that are extremely loud on purpose. I don't know what they do to the muffler but it should be illegal. Usually driven by a youngish redneck going too fast and crawling up your ass on the road, weaving in and out of traffic.

Old people driving 20 miles under the speed limit in the left lane and refusing to budge. They've elected themselves as the speed police and, by God, no one is going past them.

I live in a city with lots of migrants and their driving leaves lots to be desired. Either overly cautious or dangerously reckless.

Tailgaters, excessive speeders, people who drive in the left lane only (it's for passing), people texting while driving and distracted drivers, non-signal drivers, tailgaters who veer into the opposite lane when the car in front of them is simply turning, going through a changing/ed light (happens all the time), and the general selfish and nasty attitudes of drivers.

There's a a route close by that has one lane of traffic going in each direction, but the state created a changing lane in the middle for people turning into the stores, mini malls, and roads on either side. Drivers will use this as an extended lane, so they can leap ahead to the traffic stop. It's a suicide lane. A few times I've almost collided with some asshole speeding through it, as I enter it to turn into a store.

R20, a coworker's wife was impatient one day and used the middle lane to pass the truck in front of her. A utility truck was parked in it and she slammed into it. She was okay but their little granddaughter was majorly fucked up and may have permanent brain damage.

People who sit at a busy intersection with no indicator on, leading the cars behind them to believe they are going straight across the intersection when the lights change. But when the lights go green, they put their indicator on and proceed to turn across the traffic, holding up all the cars behind them that just wanted to go straight across.

People who run up on stop signs on side streets. I drive down a frontage road to get to my house, and almost every side street has a driver running up on the stop at full speed.

People who drive with excessive speed (and in CA that's usually 20+ mph over the speed limit and the flow of traffic). Most people do not drive 55 or 65 (the speed limits), they usually drive 70+ on freeways here, so you'll get jerks barreling down the road at usually 80-85mph which is dangerous. Then there's inevitably some sort of problem in a lane (usually the left, the fast lane) and they have to slam on their brakes to get around it, and fly into the 2nd lane. This not only happens on freeways but also streets, which is even worse. Speeding that kills has gotten so much worse since the pandemic. Not sure why, I think people must feel they are owed something or that they are untouchable in their cars- which is not true. You can't stay in the far R lane because it's merging; the speeding problem makes the 2nd lane dangerous due to the speeders, so then you're usually traveling in the 3rd lane from the left and that's where all the trucks are. It's horrible.

People who drive below the speed limit generally just maintain the same speed for their entire drive. For example, I regularly drive to a larger town to shop, it's about 10 miles away and the road has a 60mph speed limit apart from when it goes through villages where it drops to 30mph.

Regularly I'll be driving behind some slow idiot who's doing 40mph on the main 60mph road, but as soon as we reach the villages, I'll drop down to 30mph and they'll stay at 40mph. It means I drop behind them through the villages, only to soon catch them up once the speed limit goes back up. It's not a very straight road, so passing opportunities are limited.

If I do manage to pass them I'll check what they look like and 99% of the time it's someone old. Sorry but if you don't feel safe going above 40mph and you can't read speed limit signs (or take notice of them) in villages, you shouldn't be driving anymore.

Pedestrians at intersections who want to be helpful but aren't. I mean those people at crosswalks who want to cross but waive cars through. Irritates the hell out of me. I appreciate that they want to be nice. But their actions makes the intersection less reliable and unpredictable. The driver doesn't know if they can trust the pedestrian or if the pedestrian even changes their mind. Other pedestrians may ignore the waive-through and just walk. Other cars may take the opening and enter the intersection without waiting. Just follow the rules. If you really want to be nice and helpful just step back from the intersection.

People who drive along a line of cars waiting to exit in an adjacent lane, and then attempt to cut into the front of the line, blocking two lanes of traffic.

Death penalty.

Agree R25. I had an elderly acquaintance who was routinely driving 40 on the freeway with a minimum of 65 but people were usually doing 75 or more. She was actually creating a hazard. The local police were very familiar with her terrible driving. Her license was finally yanked after too many fender benders and tickets for generally bad driving.

She was funny though because she was convinced that all the people blasting by her honking were just jealous of her high end BMW and trying to hit her to collect insurance.

There’s a park near my house and it has a lot of pedestrian crossings where the pedestrians have the right of way. Some people cut off the pedestrians, which isn’t too awful since most pedestrians assume that the cars will go ahead, and wait for traffic to clear. When I do stop for the pedestrians, they generally wave to signal appreciation. But there are some drivers who so want to demonstrate their sensitivity to the pedestrians’ rights that they preemptively slow down whenever a pedestrian is near, even when they aren’t crossing. We get it. You’re one of the good drivers. Now, move it along, toots. It’s frustrating enough to endure the 25 MPH limit without stopping at every crossing.

I have a tangent: those humongous behemoth trucks and SUVs in parking lots that completely block the view of anyone who drive normal-sized vehicles.

I get so angry when I return to my car, only to find behemoths on either side of me that were not there when I first parked. Especially when there are MULTIPLE free spaces in the lot. I have to inch back slowly because I can't fucking see oncoming vehicles.

Why can't lots create a "separate but equal" parking area for vehicles over a certain length and height?

Highways, Bridges and Tunnels.

You evil bastard things

When I’m waiting to make a left turn as the light turns yellow and a car coming towards me drives thru the red light

Drivers in a merge lane who just keep driving without even slowing down forcing ME in the regular lane to slow down to let them in unless I want my car totaled. So many drivers do this now. It's unusual when they don't. Also drivers who SLOW DOWN when they're driving onto an exit ramp.

r31 years ago, I remember driving through one of the mountain tunnels on the Pennsylvania turnpike.

There are two tunnels, one in each direction. But one was closed. So, the sole open tunnel had traffic driving in both directions. There was very little margin for error, and I was terrified.

[quote] Also drivers who SLOW DOWN when they're driving onto an exit ramp.

I don’t follow you. Typically the exit lanes have much lower speed limits, and often are highly curved. I often slow down here.

R30, that also bothers me along with the assholes who whiz by behind me trying to back out. They could at least honk and let me know they are there. It's like they actually want you to hit them.

Small town person here.

People here don't know how to make discretionary left turns (at an intersection with light signals, but no left arrows).

They will sit behind the line (on a green light), waiting to make their left turn, rather than pull into the intersection. When the light turns yellow, they make their left turn. They're the only one who can make a left turn on that cycle.

If you pull up into the intersection, at least 3 people can make their left turns at the yellow (or even at the green!).

R30, that's why I thank heavens for backup cameras. My little Honda Fit is invariably between two mountain Suburbans when I come back to it.

It's different from place to place. In Massachusetts, it was oblivious old people and nobody using turn signals to communicate what they were about to do. Here in NJ it's tailgaters on the highways. They are aggressive as fuck about it.

Lucky you, R38!. My car is a 2009, so no driver assists.

Big Truck drivers with massive egos but small dicks.

The truck haters would hate my town. So many trucks on the road.

What state are you in, r42?

Overly aggressive drivers.

I've been thinking of this thread while driving.

It's astonishing (and frightening) how many drivers tailgate on the freeway.

The scowling eyebrow car lights. What bloody engineer thought these were a good thing to see behind you?

And semi truck drivers. I’ve had two ignoramusi make a murder attempt on me.

Agree with those who hate it when people park right next to you despite there being loads of free bays. I wouldn't say anything if I was one of those people who always park in the closest bay to the shop entrance, but I generally don't, because I like walking.

Mind you, in my local town, there are several car parks that allow those with permits to park there. Generally those with permits either work or live in town, but can't park any closer to their place of work/residence. The problem is that - even during 'quiet' times it can be hard to park, given permit holders never seem to go anywhere.