What bad driving habits on the road really irk you?

[james t kirk]

People making right turns and not checking their blind spot.

I ride my bike every day and am nearly hit at least once a week.

As a cyclist, you never want to come up on the inside of a car. (I.e. on his right.)

The car is in the lane, you stay behind him. That's the law.

There was a woman killed on Sterling and Dundas a few years back and that was exactly what she did. There was a truck turning right from the curb lane of southbound Sterling onto westbound Dundas and she figured she could come along side of him as if because she was on a bike it was ok. It's not ok. She was killed and it was ruled her fault.

Cyclists need to obey the rules of the road and what you just described has nothing to do with checking blindspots and everything to do with the cyclist thinking that it's ok to come along side a car turning right. Think of it as if you were in a car behind the guy turning right. You can't pass that car on the right. You stay behind him till he's completed his turn.

 

[drdemento]

Agree with almost everything here and surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet. Gridlockers! Vehicles that enter a signalized intersection without being able to get right across. Then the light changes and now the traffic is stopped in all directions because of these boneheads.

 

[james t kirk]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet.

By far, my number 1 beef is:

PEOPLE WHO RUN RED LIGHTS. I'm talking the 2 second inter red period AND even worse, hard reds (when it's turned green in the other direction).

I see it all the time, especially when I'm in the intersection trying to turn left and the light goes yellow and people keep running the yellow, the light goes red and people just keep on running the red and it's greed in the other direction. Yellow means stop. It doesn't mean hammer it to get through the light. It's fucking dangerous. Similarly, you'd better check to your left before taking off on that fresh green because you are likely to get clobbered.


Next beef....

Coming down a side street with parked cars on one side of the street and some idiot is coming at me and is basically right in the middle of the street. (Sorry, it's usually women.) Even if the cars are on their right, so technically, they are in my lane, they don't have the wherewithal to hug the parked cars. Happens every day.

Next beef.....

I'm going down a section of roadway and some driver is turning right into my lane and rather than wait, he decides to turn and he's slow, or he should have waited, but did not and I have to hit the brakes to avoid piling into him. If you're going to turn out before you should, you'd better floor it at least.

Next beef.....

I signal my desire to change lanes and drivers speed up so as to not allow me to change lanes. Get over yourself. It's not a competition. And I don't know why, but it's far far worse out in the suburbs of the 905 ring around Toronto than it is in the City. I find Toronto drivers to be far more "live and let live" than those in the burbs.


Next beef......

People who don't wave thanks when you let them in. What, do you think that you just made that spectacular move? You couldn't tell that I was slowing down so you could get in. Next time, wave thanks.

 

[rhuarc29]

As a cyclist, you never want to come up on the inside of a car. (I.e. on his right.)

The car is in the lane, you stay behind him. That's the law.

There was a woman killed on Sterling and Dundas a few years back and that was exactly what she did. There was a truck turning right from the curb lane of southbound Sterling onto westbound Dundas and she figured she could come along side of him as if because she was on a bike it was ok. It's not ok. She was killed and it was ruled her fault.

Cyclists need to obey the rules of the road and what you just described has nothing to do with checking blindspots and everything to do with the cyclist thinking that it's ok to come along side a car turning right. Think of it as if you were in a car behind the guy turning right. You can't pass that car on the right. You stay behind him till he's completed his turn.

The exception being if there's a bike lane on the right. Even then, common sense dictates you should ride defensively if you see the vehicle is signalling to turn right. Cyclists have infinitely better situational awareness than a motorist, because they don't have a metal shell obstructing their view.

 

[james t kirk]

The exception being if there's a bike lane on the right. Even then, common sense dictates you should ride defensively if you see the vehicle is signalling to turn right. Cyclists have infinitely better situational awareness than a motorist, because they don't have a metal shell obstructing their view.

Correct.

 

[GameBoy27]

It's not the driving with the headlights off, it's once parked I have had need to turn them off without shutting the engine off. As long as there is some way of shutting them off manually.

So park, turn off the car, engage the handbrake, start car. Voila, car running, lights are off. It ain't that difficult.

As for the nanny aids, my standpoint is, if one can't drive a car without the assistance of nanny aids, one shouldn't be allowed to drive at all.

Unfortunately, many drivers aren't very talented, so nanny aids are a way of making driving safer for the masses. They are not a bad thing for the everyday driver.

 

[Uncharted]

Agree with almost everything here and surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet. Gridlockers! Vehicles that enter a signalized intersection without being able to get right across. Then the light changes and now the traffic is stopped in all directions because of these boneheads.

Ohh Yeah. I forgot about that one.

And when did it become normal for 18 wheelers to start doing this? When they do it, it doesn't just block off part of the intersection, It blocks the entire intersection.

 

[shack]

Coming down a side street with parked cars on one side of the street and some idiot is coming at me and is basically right in the middle of the street. (Sorry, it's usually women.) Even if the cars are on their right, so technically, they are in my lane, they don't have the wherewithal to hug the parked cars. Happens every day.

Absolutely agree. Obviously never done it but I sometimes feel like letting them hit me when they have crossed over onto my side just so they'd get charged.

 

[Tony2000]

Trucks are the worst. It drives me nuts when you are on a two-lane section of Hwy 401 or another highway and they insist on pulling into the left lane to pass another truck that is going 2 km/h slower. They're in the left lane and they block traffic for the next 2-5 minutes while they pass the other truck. So annoying.

 

[Uncharted]

So park, turn off the car, engage the handbrake, start car. Voila, car running, lights are off. It ain't that difficult.



Unfortunately, many drivers aren't very talented, so nanny aids are a way of making driving safer for the masses. They are not a bad thing for the everyday driver.

Yeah if the handbrake turns off the auto headlights then fine. And there are many times I park a car at night to pick someone up and don't want to turn off the engine while I wait, but don't want to wake up the whole neighborhood with my bright head lights. Many cars won't disengage the auto lights with the parking break, and many people who drive an automatic have had their e brake cease up long ago.

And to me, nanny aids are harmful to the everyday driver because they allow the everyday bad driver to remain on the road, when they should have been pulled off it long ago.

 

[Darts]

Move right --- when a car, bike, human, boat, etc. is coming straight you, the rule of the road (and sea) is you both move right.

 

[shrek71]

Trucks are the worst. It drives me nuts when you are on a two-lane section of Hwy 401 or another highway and they insist on pulling into the left lane to pass another truck that is going 2 km/h slower. They're in the left lane and they block traffic for the next 2-5 minutes while they pass the other truck. So annoying.

Also usually happens when going up a hill as well. Particularly bad between Kingston and Coburg in that 2 lane stretch.

 

[GameBoy27]

Yeah if the handbrake turns off the auto headlights then fine. And there are many times I park a car at night to pick someone up and don't want to turn off the engine while I wait, but don't want to wake up the whole neighborhood with my bright head lights. Many cars won't disengage the auto lights with the parking break, and many people who drive an automatic have had their e brake cease up long ago.

In my case, if the car is running and the headlights are on, pulling the handbrake won't turn them off. But if you turn off the car, pull the handbrake and restart it, the head/taillights won't come on. Trick with any emergency brake is to use it all the time. That way it won't seize up.

And to me, nanny aids are harmful to the everyday driver because they allow the everyday bad driver to remain on the road, when they should have been pulled off it long ago.

I disagree. Most people don't even know they have nanny aids until they get into trouble. Then they can be beneficial to the average driver. In the case of stability and traction control, they only come into play when the driver needs it.

Active braking systems, also known as Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) or Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) will prevent a lot of collisions. Some vehicles even have technology that detects when you're nodding off at the wheel. Nothing wrong with aids like that. It makes driving safer overall.

 

[doggystyle99]

Morons who drive at night without their full lights on.
I see it more often now than a couple of years ago and I think it has to do with idiot drivers not setting their lights on automatic as well as car companies installing more powerful day time running lights, and dash lights that automatically turn on without the full light systme being on. See it so often at night time and it's quite dangerous specially if driving to cottage country on the 400 north of the city where there are no highway lights.

 

[GameBoy27]

Morons who drive at night without their full lights on.
I see it more often now than a couple of years ago and I think it has to do with idiot drivers not setting their lights on automatic as well as car companies installing more powerful day time running lights, and dash lights that automatically turn on without the full light systme being on. See it so often at night time and it's quite dangerous specially if driving to cottage country on the 400 north of the city where there are no highway lights.

Notice how many of these are Honda vehicles? I blame the car companies for designing systems that let you drive at night without your full headlights on.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

People forget that "right turn on red" means do so after coming to a COMPLETE stop, yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Every day i see "rolling right turn on red" where the wheels never stop and someone needs to slam on the brakes to avoid the idiots. Same problem at many stop signs.

Which leads to ... IF you are turning onto a road - be it a stop sign or red light - only do so if you will not impede traffic that has the right of way. Step on the fucking gas you impatient fool!

Failing to know what a "Yield" sign means. It does not mean STOP if there is no traffic to yield to, and it does mean to yield to traffic with the right of way.

Not knowing how to merge. Not only entering highways, changing lanes on highways. Slowing down to merge or change lanes (especially when there is no one in the desired lane) rather than speeding up helps explain gridlock.

Speeding up in passing zones after blocking traffic in no passing zone, then slowing down after passing zone is ended. Set your fucking cruise control and leave it there! If you want to go slower, then stay the course and let others pass when it is safe to do so.

Waiting until the last possible second to cut across multiple lanes of traffic to exit. You know the exit is coming up, how about starting to safely change lanes in advance so no one has to slam on their brakes to avoid you?

Pedestrians who do not allow cars to make a turn after the walk signal starts flashing red. It means do not enter crosswalk! Cars do deserve some time to make a turn during the green cycle, share the road!

People who forget to dim their high beams, seems more and more lately for some reason. Not to mention the ones who upgrade their headlights but forget to have them properly aimed.

People walking in parking lots who think everyone has a backup camera. Even though you are slowly backing out of a spot they walk right in back of the car. I do have a camera but it is still dangerous to walk behind any vehicle backing up. While insurance says the person backing up is automatically at fault in any accident, that won't help if you are dead.

 

[OnTheWayOut]

Notice how many of these are Honda vehicles? I blame the car companies for designing systems that let you drive at night without your full headlights on.

I think most Korean and other Japanese cars do not have the feature to turn on headlights automatically. Agree, should be mandatory that all cars sold in north america has this feature.

 

[anon1]

I think most Korean and other Japanese cars do not have the feature to turn on headlights automatically. Agree, should be mandatory that all cars sold in north america has this feature.

My Toyota has auto headlights.
The basis of the problem is wiring logic.
We have daytime running lights and the instrument panel lights come on with the DRL's.
At night when you start your car the DRL's and instrument panel lights up and you think nightime headlights are on but they are still in daytime mode.
The cure is to dissociate the panel lights from the DRL's.

 

[Smash]

I sold my car and I'm finally at peace

+1
I moved closer to work and have a 15min bus ride to work and 3mins bus ride to a subway. Its soo stress free just putting on my headphones on the TTC and just vegging out listen to music. I have been car free for the last year and its been great

 

[peeler_feeler]

I have not read the whole thread, but the driving habit that irks me the most are people in cars, when making a left turn, first turn their wheels right to make a wider circle for their left turn, as if they are driving an 18-wheel truck. There is no need to go into right lane next to you to make a wider turn left turn. You should be able to stay in your lane and make a left.