What type of driver angers or annoys you most?

Slow drivers "anger" me most, but drunken drivers are the scariest.

I HATE drunk drivers.
People that don't use turn signals or turn lanes annoy me most.

As a pedestrian - it has to be Red Light Runners

Slow drivers, especially those who hog the fast lanes. I think they cause more accidents than speeders because people get frustrated, are made to run late and pass on the wrong side.

Slow drivers who don't have enough sense to move over and let people pass, followed by people who honk at you, though you aren't doing anything wrong. One time I came to a red light and stopped right beside a parking lot turn out, where a lady was waiting to get out. I didn't let her out, and she honked at me. There's no law that says you have to let people out who are waiting to come out of a parking lot. People on the road have the right of way. She was honking at me for not *going out of my way* to be friendly. Self-righteous or what?

Generally, the impatient, rude, violators of traffic laws. Specifically, drivers who blaze through occupied crosswalks when the traffic signal is clearly for the pedestrians, drivers who race through intersections on an amber light from a complete stop, and drivers who create gridlock by entering an intersection on a green light, even though there's no place for them to go after that because the traffic is backed up from the next intersection.

Of this list, tailgaters. In general, it's the apparent clueless who annoy and scare me the most.

well of course drunken drivers, my cousin was killed by one.

Tailgaters, especially a tailgater like my roommate who tailgates himself, then gets enraged when another driver does the same to him. I've had to chew him out several times because he would slam on the brakes to as he put it "teach them a lesson", but all he achieved was making the seat belt/shoulder harness cut across my throat. I told him that he isn't hurting them, but he sure is hurting me and I'm fed up with it. He hasn't done it lately and he had better not if he knows what's good for him. He acts very childish behind the wheel as if the road belongs to him and him alone and curses out people who aren't driving the way he thinks they should be or if they are driving a car that he considers to be crappy. He even started cursing at a person using a pay phone one time because HE wanted to use the phone (he didn't curse directly to the person, just sat in the car and cursed) and I pointed out that it WAS a PUBLIC pay phone, not his private phone at home! That shut him up fast because he knows I won't put up with his childish behavior. Another time I physically stopped him because he was going to chase down a teenage driver who had cut him off...he said he was going to beat this kid up, but I told him that I would report him to the police if he did such a thing. He is a very impatient, inconsiderate driver who doesn't seem to get it through his head that's why I wouldn't want him to teach my son to drive. The thing is that he doesn't do this on long trips, but only when driving in the city. I don't know why, but city traffic certainly seems to bring out the worse in him and as you can imagine, I don't ride in the car with him any more than necessary. Oh...here's the kicker-he drives a delivery truck for a local printing and reprographic company!

Yikes, where does he drive when he makes deliveries? I'm asking because I drive a delivery truck too, but it's probably larger than his as I deliver mattresses. I'm in Beaverton, Oregon, so does he drive anywhere near that? I want to avoid this bozo as much as possible!

No, you're safe. He drives in the Eugene/Springfield area which is at least 100 miles south of you.

Speeders, or drivers -- especially CAB drivers -- that drive too fast going round intersections in the city. There are pedestrians trying to walk across the street. Some are elderly or disabled. These guys are far too reckless when they turn at the same time people are starting to walk across the street. I am a pedestrian and speak from experience.

The cat-calling, disgusting male driver.

That's good to know!

This should have been a ranking survey.
Dangerous drivers (especially drunks) who don't drive with clearly visible intent, and drivers who don't drive in a non-interference style. As I see it, a person shouldn't have to change what they do because of the way others are driving. I am particularly annoyed by people cutting in front of me who force me to drive slower and slower in order to maintain a safe braking distance. Driving should not be a competitive risk.

When I was a new adult, I shared your belief to some extent. I would do San Jose to Santa Cruz in about 15 to 20 minutes, and create challenges like never go under 65 or use the brakes more than three times on the entire route. When we'd get back from late night trips my wife couldn't understand that because I was tired, I was driving quite fast and setting tight standards for the exact distance I would be from the center divider; the concept being that if I didn't force myself into demanding driving conditions, I ran the risk of drifting off somewhere catastrophic. Now I run a much greater risk of drifting off, so I figure I'm safer keeping a slower speed and distance between myself and others.

Boston drivers.

drunk drivers i guess.

Lane weavers make me the most angry of these, because they're often just racing or showing off and being obnoxious. I think drunk drivers are worse, but they don't make me angry in quite the same way. I think mostly they make me sad and a little scared.

Drunk drivers. Also, people who are oblivious to pedestrians. They drive too fast in parking lots and don't use the turn signal on a corner where people are waiting to cross, making people miss their chance. Ticks me off.

You should have stuck your tongue out at her, while putting your hand to your ear wiggling your fingers.

Ones that don't indicate. I hate trying to cross roads and not knowing where the cars are trying to go.

Slow drivers

sloooooooowwwwwwww ones

You should have busted a cap in her ass!
*bang bang*

The slow one's in front of me when I'm in a hurry. Even if I'm not in a hurry, it's still annoying.

The selfish ones (I am probably getting my license at the end of the month).

Speeders and any idiot who tries to get through a rialroad crosing with the lights flashing or the beriers down.

The "slow" drivers who anger me are the ones doing 61 mph in the fast lane and won't pull over.

Back when I really drived, 55 was the limit; if you went about 61, someone else doing 68 could catch the ticket for you. Maybe they don't realise the speed limit's changed. I recall them legalising 65 for way out in the styx, but as far as I can tell from the few times I've recently driven, it's 65 on the urban freeways now.

Yeah, 65 on urban freeways, meaning your better be doing 70-75. I-5 in California is 70mph and average speed is 80+. Interstate 80 through Wyoming, Nevada, etc, limit is 75.

I'm restoring an '69 saab. I'm not sure it even does 70. I used to drive a few beetles that didn't like doing more than 65. My citroen seemed to be about a 65 tops car too. That first car I mentioned doing highway 17 in was a datsun 260Z that could do 120 though. It was memorable borrowing our in-laws mercury marquis and doing 105 on I-5 in the middle of the night too. Most of my life though was driving around 60 in cars not meant for more. In the eighties in santa cruz the majority of cars were 10 to 20 years old. Now in LA it's rare to see a car more than 10 years old.

Well, drunken drivers get the absolute top of the list; they're sort of in a class of their own. Among those drivers whose habits fall into more regular patterns of idiocy, my big problem is with people who don't user their gosh darn turn signals. Around here, it seems that most people are conditioned to think that if they use the turn signal, they're offering up a strategic weakness to other drivers. I think the turn signal thing gets more people around here into heinous accidents than any other type of driving stupidity.

Drunk.

I really get angry when people drive drunk! I drink but I make sure I have a sobber ride home. To many people have gotten hurt or killed by someone elses stupidity. Driving drunk kills and I feel if you drink you should be smart enough not to drive.

I don't mind the slow drivers who are already in front of me. I HATE the ones who pull out in front of me when there's NO ONE behind me and then they go 10 miles under the speed limit.

All of the above!

hym, the drunks by a small margin.

Hym, how about drunken idiots who conutiously change lane, tailgate, weave, run reds while changing lanes. What about that option??

This is your brain This is your brain on alcohol As long as you stay in the fudging bar, I am all for it.

And this is my brain on driving next to various drunken idiots who weave, tailgate, race, last minite lane changes. >

My girlfriend did that for a moment to someone yesterday because she was annoyed that they were driving slow.

Tailgaters, and slow drivers.

In particular, theres one instance of slow driving that REALLY annoys me. As part of my journey to and from work, I have to join a very busy dual carriageway, with the drivers all doing about 70mph on it. Theres quite long sliproads onto this road allowing you to get up to speed so you can merge into the traffic safely. What really annoys is the drivers, and its usually old drivers at lunchtimes, who treat this road almost like its a t-junction. ie, they drive along the slip road, slowly, and SLOW down, sometimes even stopping, before trying to move out into a 70mph lane. This is very dangerous to the trafic coming up to suddenly be approaching a car at say 20mph when they are doing 70. The particularly annoying thing is that by being stick behind the driver doing this, I'm in the same position. ie now its *MY* turn to join this very fast and busy road from a standing start. Grrrrrr. These drivers may not have had many accidents themselves, but I'm sure they are th cause of several deaths due to this

In order...

Tailgaters
Slow Drivers

Tailgaters annoy me. If I can't see someone's front registration plate, they're too close. I usually deal with them by slamming on my brakes for half a second. This usually wakes them up and makes them back off. If not, then I take my foot of the accelerator altogether and gradually slow down to 50mph to annoy them even more.
Slow drivers annoy me even more when the car they are driving is a relatively high performance car. What's the point of buying a souped-up Mercedes if you're going to drive it at 60mph on the motorway?

My other major annoyance is people who change lanes on motorways without indicating.

Well, drunk drivers piss me off the most, cause of moral reasons and I'm tired of innocent people dying cause of dumbasses who don't recognize that they are too drunk to stand up yet they think they can drive so they go out and kill some innocent person. But it also really pisses me off when you are in a hurry and someone pulls out in front of you when they really didn't have the time or room and then they go really slow. Now, I can understand pulling out in front of people, heck I do it all the time, but I don't drive 15 miles an hour after I do it! I drive fast so that you don't have to slam on your brakes! That and tailgaters... I can understand if you do it when I am going 10 miles under the speed limit, sometimes I don't pay attention and when you tailgate me I realize how slow I am going so I speed up, but when I am already going 15 miles OVER the speed limit and there are cars in the other lane so I can't get over, get off my freaking bumper! All I have to do is hit the brakes and it's gonna be your fault and you'll be paying for me to get my car fixed! There are lots of other things that piss me off, I have road rage bad, but those are the biggest things. :)

Especially drivers that REFUSE to use the signal that is mounted on the left side of the steering wheel in every single vehicle in the entire world! Do people think the turn signal arm is a decorative addition that someone at the plant just stuck on the side of the steering wheel for fun? If a person, driving a couple of thousand pounds of vehicle hurtling down the highway at 70+ miles an hour, is unable or unwilling to us a signal to change lanes, exit or turn - then PARK THAT VEHICLE, GET OUT (WITH KEYS IN HAND) LOCK THE DOORS AND WALK YOUR A** HOME because you should not be allowed to drive. I will be happy to take your license and your keys to the nearest police station and turn them in for you.

Drunk drivers really piss me off because they are not only taking their lives into their hands, but my life and the lives of countless other innocent people as well. It makes me so angry. I always call 911 to report them and follow them until the police arrive. If the police don't show up after a while, I'll call back. If you drink, I have no problem with that, but when you get behind the wheel you're messing with me and my child.

My number one pet peeve is someone who drives fast to cut me off & then drives really slooooooowwwwwwwww.>

People who don't use their turning signal to turn & turn at the very last minute.Causing me to break quickly.>

People talking on their cell phones,not paying attention to their driving.> Aaaaaargh!!!!!

People who drive "in" the OUT at shopping centers & expects you to move over so they can get that "oh" so precious parking spot that you just vacated.

People who drive with their "high lights" on & don't dim them when approching you.

I chose drunken drivers, or shall I say Idiots who kill so many innocent people each year.

I can't stand all of you jerks out there that cut you off!

SLOW drivers!

I live in california life in the fast lane baby so the people doing 40 in my lane better move!!!

I hate people speeding and talking on their cell phone..

Funny that red light runners only got one vote so far. They are just as serious a traffic death problem as the high vote getter of drunken drivers.

those people that come to florida on vacation and ride around with there blinker on and THEY NEVER FREEKIN TURN ANYWHERE......some of us actually know where we are goin please get out of our way

If you are going to go 12 miles per hour, then I figure you aren't in any hurry and shouldn't be driving in the first place. However, most people do have places to be, so it's seriously annoying when you end up behind some 90 year old grandpa, especially when they're hogging the fast lane. Why don't they just get a license? Better yet, why isn't there just an age limit for drivers, period. After the age of 70, I think your license should be revoked. No offense, but if you can't walk, and you can't see, you probably shouldn't be driving.

Any agressive type-a road behavior drives me crazy.

The ones that do not die immediately when I shoot them. I hate having to pull over and finish them off.

Why bother?

Well, I hate to see anyone suffer.

Drunk are definitely the worst, but thankfully I rarely encounter those. On a day to day basis people who don't use signal, people who drive slowly in the fast lane, and people who won't let you change lanes really get on my nerves.

That being the case, you'll definitely want to be doing that before tying their boot laces to your rear bumper.

Ok, drunken drivers goes without saying as being the worst, but then giving that answer, which is of course the best of the choices for everyone who would answer this questionnaire, would negate the other more relevant (to everyday driving) choices. That said, I drive constantly for a living, having clients all over the state. The absolute worst drivers are the ones who, some obliviously (you have to take into account that there are as many non- high-school grads out there as there are $500 cars) , but some absolutely volitionally, clog up any open lane (they are PARTICULARLY partial to the fast lane) and do everything in their power to stop anyone from advancing. It is illegal, immoral, and criminal. I actually witnessed someone become so frustrated after 10 miles behind some service truck hogging the LEGALLY DESIGNATED passing lanes at evening rush our on a Friday that they tried something desperate (I totally did not blame them) to pass only to be run off the road when the truck could no longer block them. The great thing is that I followed the truck to his shop and reported him to his employer. I now play golf with his former boss.

Hi everyone.

Ok, not necessarily a reply to grmbrand specifically, but in part. I drive in (urban) Florida, although I have to spend quite a lot of time in other states and countries. I've found that each locality has a sort of driving "culture". In FL, if you use your direction indicators, you will immediately be cut off by the nearest occupant of whatever lane you intend to merge into. I don't care if the occupant is an Anglican priest. If you signal, even by checking your rear or side view mirror too obviously, that you even MIGHT consider "intruding" into "their" lane, you will be relegated to the back of some erroneously perceived or imagined "line". I enjoy the odd occasion when some self-appointed "traffic-flow restrictor" does that to one of our unmarked cars

In CA, very similar phenomenon, as well as NY. In Louisiana they are not the most gregarious people, but if you put your blinker on, they will actually make you a hole. I still haven't figured that one out. They're nicer in their cars than in person. Of course, they can buy alcohol at drive through windows...

In the Middle East, they just kill you. You'd be amazed at the order. Not worth it though. Believe me.

And of course, in Miami,(not formally recognized as part of the US anymore) there are no traffic laws.

But I'll save the absolute worst offender for my next post...

I hitchhiked with a brazilian visitor once. We were on blind mountain curves yet he blindly cut across the tightest path, even utilising the oncoming traffic lanes. I thought I might die. You're in the 'justice' field?

Brazilians. Gotta love 'em. I'm sure you were terrified, but he was extraordinarily pleasant to almost die with, no?

Bom dia.

I have an experiment to try if you're interested:

If you set your speed control to 75-78 mph, (In a 70 mph zone) you will eventually overtake someone.

Please pass on the left, the passing lane, if you are allowed to. If you aren't, respond accordingly and pass where you can.)

In I would say 70% of cases, perhaps a little less, the person will increase their speed to match yours. They will then either match your speed indefinitely, or realize that they have increased their speed in a sort of Pavlovian response or perhaps territorial envy and choose to SELECT their response and continue on their OWN chosen course and speed, rather than glomming onto yours.

In what I consider clear reflections of human nature and personal character, (because on the road, people consider themselves anonymous and therefore truly honest about who they really are) a person's tendency to react v. respond indicates their true self. If they hadn't been traveling at the speed they were when overtaken, they wouldn't have been. Why increase speed and implement obstructive behaviour? Malevolence, envy, and undeveloped character choices.

And these people are allowed to vote. It's a wonder Jerry Springer isn't president.

Prove me wrong. But PROVE it. Talk won't do it.

i hate people who keep on changing lanes

i hate slow drivers, but i hate those midget chinese people that can't even see over the dash board, they cause to many accidents

They hold up all the traffic and cause accidents too. Especially if you're in a hurry.

Yep, you seem to have the whole picture.

I'd love to hear results from your experiment. I bicycle through LA and my speed often matches loading metro busses. I don't want to have to stop or go into traffic at each bus stop so have to make a decision to pass or be passed. I noticed the lane filling, signalling phenomenon in LA; in Santa Cruz, No. CA people gave you plenty of space (unless you were behind them, then it's your fault.) Fast driving was more of a 'know the track' situation then 'know your competition'. I do recall being annoyed as a teen moving from La to SC (live in LA again) that they had no sense of 'fast lane'. Still I prefer SC style. Perhaps everyone tends to prefer their native style.

I'm 33 and have only been driving for 6 months. During that time, I have seen almost 90% of drivers going above the speed limits for lengthy times above the legal allowable passing time. If other drivers are complaining about "slow" drivers, they should check their own driving speeds as well and shut their mouth concerning those who "obey" the posted speed limit. I will agree with them in regards to those who drive too slow. Such as 40 mph in a 60 mph zone, etc.

Hi Jim,

I understand your feelings, but I must defer to you when you have more experience. I once attended a traffic court session with a trooper friend of mine and repeatedly heard law enforcement officials say they don't even give someone a second look if they aren't nearing at least ten miles over the limit. (they were usually stating this in response to individuals busted for 90-100 mph. who claimed they were only going "a couple" of miles over.)

A as a matter of right and wrong, the driver who is driving 3 miles over the limit is breaking the law just as much as the one driving 100. The driver who is driving 75mph and is over-taken by someone traveling 80mph in the faster lanes but refuses to move because "that crazy guy is driving too fast" is exhibiting a psycho-social underdevelopment, not a superior understanding of the law. The manuals will even tell you very clearly, if you are approached from the rear by a faster vehicle, move to the right at the earliest safe opportunity. If you aren't a law enforcement official, you cannot enforce law and are endangering yourself and others, compounding the irresponsibility of the "idiot" behind you.

"I'll see your stupidity and raise you one stupid and two morons..."

The ones that pull out in front of you --causing you to slam on the brakes, and there is no one in back of you for, like,1/2 mile!

You asked why do people increase speed as they are overtaken.

I have done this very thing while driving in america, but not for one of the reasons you suggested. I did a 7000 mile drive out there, nearly all of it on interstates using cruise control. I'd generally set the cruise speed to be a few mph over the limit, say 75 in a 70 limit.
If someone overtakes me at 80, then if there are any police ahead, they will stop him. Thus I can be pretty sure that in upping my speed to 78, I'll not get stopped. He'll have cleared the way for me, as the traffice police will have their threshold set to greater than 80, or be busy giving him a ticket.

I think what Patrick meant was that someone you should be overtaking eventually because your average speed is higher, even though they were in front initially, will foolishly increase their average speed just to prevent someone passing them; not the reverse scene of someone increasing speed while they have someone ahead to catch tickets.

i dont like any of those, but drunk is the worst i think

anyone who can't drive-just about everyone but me

OTHER people may have somewhere to go at a certain time! I consider slow drivers to be selfish and inconsiderate!

Ignorant people who talk on their cell phones as they drive! It annoys me to no end. I mean, really? What's there to talk about that is so important that you are willing to endanger your/others lives? > Those people!

the ones that speed through your neighbourhood killing all the dogs, cats, and small children in their path.

People who don't signal!

Since it was said to only choose one will have to go with drunken drivers.

i hate lane weavers- they scare me, last minute lane changers-usualy either blind or lost and never even glance to watch for others, racers cuz thats just crazy, redlight runners cuz you have to stop at greens and look both ways or you get killed, tailgaters cuz thier impatients is bound to get someone killed and cuz headlights in your mirrors are blinding. i cant dis speeders i know i blow the limit, but drunken drivers i have no respect for i think all cars should have a breathalizer that you need to blow on before the car will start

boston drivers hell ya, i was saying drunks but boston definatly wins

cell phones are pretty bad too, but they arent the worst but i think it ought to be illegal, handsfree only or something

oh and the kind that pull out in front of you without stoping or even with stopping when there is far to little space they are totaly enfuriating, you ruin your brakes on people like that and risk either hitting them or getting hit

the jewish kind

Dangerous elderly drivers who stubbornly refuse to give up the keys because of their own selfishness.