Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

I’ve been driving for 60 years. Here’s a few observations I noticed about certain types of drivers over the past few years:
Tailgaters…
Whenever someone is tailgating me I look in my rear view mirror. The majority of people who tailgate seem to be young women in their late teens & early twenties. (I’m going to catch hell here for that. Observe this for yourself.) This statement refers to drivers in the lower NY area. (NYC & Long Island.)
I’m not a slow driver so I tend to be in the left lane unless the middle lane appears to have less traffic. I usually drive about 10 mph over the limit.
Tailgating is an “intimidation technique.” Instead of someone who wishes me to move over simply flashing their lights, they just pull up behind so close I can see the hairs in their noses. This is especially true of larger SUVs & pickup trucks.
If you’re behind me at a reasonable distance I WILL move over. Tailgate me and YOU will have to change lanes to get past.

Signaling a lane change…
Apparently, the more expensive the vehicle, the less likely they will signal for a lane change. I guess it’s an unwritten rule that MB, BMW, & other high priced dealers tell their customers. “Because of the price you paid, you don’t have to use your signal lights.”

Hogging the left lane…
Why do the larger vehicles, which a normal passenger car can’t see past, insist on staying in the left lane?

Finally, if I have my signal light on to indicate I need to make a lane change, why can’t a driver let you in?

Uh oh. Here it comes.

One last observation. This has nothing to do with driving. I at many vans & pickups, even new ones, have something wrong with the vehicle’s geometry. Seems like a good percentage appear to be driving down the road a little sideways as if they were in an accident and have bent chassis.

Sorry for my ranting.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This topic deserve ranting.

In my experience, it is usually pickups and SUVs, but driven by men.

"More expensive..." Definitely. "I'm rich, so I can do what I want."

Tailgating is definitely a safety issue, but the police don't care. They can't prove it with radar.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

Wow! I’m glad to see someone agrees with me. And, YES, it is the pickups and SUVs driven by men.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I've rarely seen a Prius driver behave as if they are one-up on every other vehicle on the road. Traffic laws don't apply to them.
--Bob

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

It can be. There is a certain stereotype falsely assumed for Prius drivers. I know this because we own four hybrids, and I've driven a Prius since 2008.

People expect us all to be left wing tree huggers who hyper-mile in the fast lane. (Hyper-miling is the practice of feathering the accelerator, practicing "pulse and glide" techniques, and taking advantage of every downhill to regenerate energy into the battery with the Prius "regenerative coasting" feature.) That's annoying to others if done on busy roads. I never do it. I just drive normally. 40MPG is plenty for me. I bought a Prius to save money on gas when it hit five bucks a gallon in Fall of 2008.

Typically, certain folks in full size pickups or SUVs like to drive about 85-90 MPH on Interstate highways. If you're in the fast lane doing 76 to 80, they will fly up behind you, ride your bumper, flash their lights, give you the finger, honk, yell, or just otherwise be impatient. Never mind the fact that *you're* passing someone in the slow lane...

Kharma is a bee with an itch.

While driving to Florida some months ago, I got passed on a two-lane road (US 1 in SC) by one of these fashionable rednecks, in the manner I just described. He was driving a new Dodge RAM, with a "TRUMP is JESUS" sticker on the back window, and a "Prius Repellant" bumper sticker pointing to the tailpipe. He passed me in a no-passing zone with freshly-painted, double-yellow lines. As he flew past me, an unmarked police cruiser on the side of the road was using radar. It lit up and chased him down. I don't think he learned his lesson... The same truck passed me again about an hour later on I-95.

srg

Prius drivers have a special "annoyometer" that they watch while driving.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm afraid the stupidity level rising.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Maybe the brain damaging effects of leaded gasoline and '50s nuclear bomb tests are finally showing up...

mindzye Loc: WV

lindmike

CHP (California Highway Patrop) and AAA recommend 15 feet for every 10 MPH

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

"Three seconds" is the new norm. No one can computer 15'/10 MPH.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

People remember that 15 foot number and forget to adjust for MPH.

mindzye Loc: WV

Seems like everyone here in WV thinks they are a mountain Mario Andretti! One habit that has caught on here is they will Wait for you until you're 5 seconds from them, and Then pull out. And of course go slow. or maybe pull into a turn off 1/4 mi or so down the road. Thinking here they are doing this just to watch the reaction of a frustrated driver in the rear view mirror.
Can't wait 5 seconds with an oncoming vehicle doing 55 to pass before pulling out??? Seriously?


I don't car if you're doing 5k, or 5 million mph, Someone will catch up to you and ride your a..bumper.
And if you pull over to let them by they will pass and not go any faster than when they were riding your a...bumber.
Apparently drivers here Can't Stand having someone in front of them..........even when they're half a mile up ahead......

bless the Mtn. Mario Andretti's... seems like they are on a regular basis..........

rcarol

How does having a rear facing camera prevent you from getting rear-ended?

FASC Rat

Not infrequently I will be driving the speed limit in the right lane when someone will come up behind me doing 5mph faster and then slow down to tailgate me even though the passing lane is clear. If they refuse to pass when I slow down by 5mph and the passing lane is clear, then I'll go in the passing lane to let them pass on the right and return to the right lane once they are on their way. I think it makes it easier for tailgater to go into autodrive when they closely follow someone. They can continue with texting, applying their makeup, shave, or continue with their conversations. I don't need that kind of driver behind me when I have to suddenly hit my brakes.