What is your driving-related pet peeve?

Originally Posted by brkf

@Dave - yeah driving annoys me in CA. People pay so little attention and seem to be doing their own thing regardless of the rest of us.

The Baby on Board thing infuriates me to no end though. I cannot fathom why anyone would have the audacity to put that on a car.

Enticement for pedophiles?
An admonishment to others to watch out for the driver and their precious offspring?
The misguided notion that first responders to an accident would see this diamond and then furiously search for the child at the expense of others?

It's just a kid. Almost everybody has 'em. Like cell phones and an embarrassing CD/song/record in their music collection.

I'm not in CA, but in Houston. I prefer the drivers in CA over Houston any day. Yes, they seem reckless, but I think they are better drivers than the ones in TX.

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

When I'm really annoyed, especially the ones with HID, I let him get around me and put mine on. But I don't think he is irritated as much as I am.

Lots of Americans treat fog-lights as if they are driving lights - they're not - you can tell by the switch - if the switch has the fog symbol in front of the lamp, it's a foglight - in Europe you can get pulled over or ticketed if you drive in good conditions with those lights on.

http://www.garageboy.com/fahrt/fog.html

Read this autoblog report - insurers say as many as 300,000 accidents a year caused in the UK by reckless fog-light use:

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/u...300-000-accid/

This is a British site so it mentioned UK law:

http://www.fogsoff.com/

Fog lights are for.... fog!!
There is a clue in the words:
Fog Lights!

Please respect other road users & use them in "seriously reduced visibility" only, as per the Highway code / LAW!

The purpose of this site is simply an attempt to educate the thousands of drivers that currently drive around in situations where it is dangerous & dazzling to use front fog lights..... i.e. when it's not foggy!

Unfortunately the majority of people who do this are under the misguided impression that they look cool? Simply put YOU DO NOT LOOK COOL! In fact you look like a total dipstick! Also, the vast majority of said offenders do so when it is dark & wet on the roads thus doubling the effect whilst angering other road users.

Granted front fog lights do have a low beam but they are not angled away from oncoming traffic & they reflect of road surfaces straight into oncoming traffic, especially when wet. More importantly they highlight the road directly in front of your vehicle which actually reduces long distance visibility by contracting your pupils…. Rather like having your interior courtesy light on. Is this the next thing? Driving round with courtesy lights on?

Please Please stop this as you are dazzling & irritating other road users!

If all sensible drivers start to flash drivers with fog lights on when it's not neccesary then
eventually they might just get the message? It's worth a go at least.... flash them.... flash them all!!!!

The excerpts to the right are taken from the current highway code & the RVLR "Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations" 1989

Please Please..... respect the highway code and other road users!

Originally Posted by wyb

Lots of Americans treat fog-lights as if they are driving lights - they're not - you can tell by the switch - if the switch has the fog symbol in front of the lamp, it's a foglight - in Europe you can get pulled over or ticketed if you drive in good conditions with those lights on.

http://www.garageboy.com/fahrt/fog.html

Read this autoblog report - insurers say as many as 300,000 accidents a year caused in the UK by reckless fog-light use:

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/u...300-000-accid/

This is a British site so it mentioned UK law:

http://www.fogsoff.com/

Is the article saying that the extra light is confusing or excess in light during clear nights? I suspect the extra lighting they display is less than newer cars HID lamps.

Interesting info on fog lights. I would not have thought them to cause a hindrance. My fog lights project lower than my driving lights on both my e39 and my xterra from the factory. I drive with them in my xterra bc it makes a difference projecting onto the road. I'll drive with them off now.

as far as the tailgating thing goes, I don't feel like a DB at all if I'm getting tailgated by a guy when I'm already going 15 over and their is traffic ahead of me and I hold him up a bit. Perhaps it would be better if I just let him go, but that is hard to do sometimes you must admit

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

I'm not in CA, but in Houston. I prefer the drivers in CA over Houston any day. Yes, they seem reckless, but I think they are better drivers than the ones in TX.

Drivers in Houston can not be any worse than drivers in Orlando and Tampa. Omg. Tourists too busy looking at naps/GPS to look at the road. Then they realize they're about to miss their exit so they cross a few lanes of traffic with one fell swoop. Awesome.

Originally Posted by SailinSand

Drivers in Houston can not be any worse than drivers in Orlando and Tampa. Omg. Tourists too busy looking at naps/GPS to look at the road. Then they realize they're about to miss their exit so they cross a few lanes of traffic with one fell swoop. Awesome.

Yes, with the many trips to Disney World with family and exchange students, I am familiar with the traffic on International Drive.

Originally Posted by skibbySTFU

as far as the tailgating thing goes, I don't feel like a DB at all if I'm getting tailgated by a guy when I'm already going 15 over and their is traffic ahead of me and I hold him up a bit. Perhaps it would be better if I just let him go, but that is hard to do sometimes you must admit

+1. Tailgating me doesn't help if there's a guy in front of me I want to pass. The problem is too many people think they are The Most Important Person On The Road.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

+1. Tailgating me doesn't help if there's a guy in front of me I want to pass. The problem is too many people think they are The Most Important Person On The Road.

Yea, they should realise only I am The Most Important Person On The Road

Originally Posted by ilhan1103

Yea, they should realise only I am The Most Important Person On The Road

and I got dibs to be next in line. I'm OK with that since you are on the other side of the pond.

I hate signaling to change lanes to merge in front of somebody in the other lane, and the other guy speeds up to prevent the merge in an apparent "oh no you don't!" gesture. It's gotten so I don't signal as much before changing lanes anymore so I don't "tip my hand" in merging because I don't want to experience that again. But really, I don't think I should have to worry about that.

Originally Posted by chasfh

I hate signaling to change lanes to merge in front of somebody in the other lane, and the other guy speeds up to prevent the merge in an apparent "oh no you don't!" gesture. It's gotten so I don't signal as much before changing lanes anymore so I don't "tip my hand" in merging because I don't want to experience that again. But really, I don't think I should have to worry about that.

Saves the wear and tear on the signal stock too.

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

Saves the wear and tear on the signal stock too.

hmm... I thought it was signal stalk - not stock... lemme google coz my ears may have let me down again...

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

I would rather make the decision of turning on the headlights myself. Maybe one can select the option to be automatic or manual. Nevertheless, I do not believe in those daylight running lights. BMW made and got people to suggest those angels eyes look cool. There is nothing safe about them. In fact, they are annoying to me. "I relate the homeland security issue. We are not any safer, but many people believe that we are," Howard Adler, a professor at Purdue University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The purpose of turning the head lights on during the day is to allow opposing cars see that you are passing a slower car in their lane, ie, coming head on. Yes, I turn my headlights on when I am driving on a 2 lane highway.

I believe that your post regarding automatic headlight control is a continuation of my post, number 80. I brought the subject up by stating that my pet peeve is when clueless drivers operate their vehicles at night with no head/tail lights because the dash board in their cars automatically light up when the car is started.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

Sometimes moving over isn't possible, or more to the point in heavy traffic, you're just trading one tailgater for another. The best advice is to leave enough space in front of you so that you don't have to brake hard, and don't get frustrated when everyone else dives into the big gab you're leaving.

One thing that kills me, sometimes when I pull over and let a tailgater go by - freeway or two lane highway - they'll go up a ways and soon they're going slower than when they were tailgating me. Some people really are like sheep. They need your tail lights to clue them on how fast they should go.

Originally Posted by cmac2012

One thing that kills me, sometimes when I pull over and let a tailgater go by - freeway or two lane highway - they'll go up a ways and soon they're going slower than when they were tailgating me. Some people really are like sheep. They need your tail lights to clue them on how fast they should go.

Even car manufacturers like that. It's called active cruise control.

Originally Posted by Larry Schloss

I believe that your post regarding automatic headlight control is a continuation of my post, number 80. I brought the subject up by stating that my pet peeve is when clueless drivers operate their vehicles at night with no head/tail lights because the dash board in their cars automatically light up when the car is started.

Not to take the thunder away from you, repetition is not all bad as it engages more people. And yes, my peeve is slightly different. People have benefited from automation to the point where they become insensitive to their surroundings, thus, ignoring the fact they need to think once in a while.

Here's one that we see in Chicago a lot, especially from taxi cabs.

Most of the major streets in town are four lanes. Two on each side, one driving lane on the left, one parking lane on the right. At intersections that parking lane becomes the right turn/bus stop lane. Then on the other side of the intersection, the right lane becomes the parking lane again.

Occasionally, at a red light, you will see a car be the first to stop at the light in the right turn lane, but he is not intending to turn right. He intends to outrace the guy stopped in the driving lane, and become the lead driver of that "pack". This can be a dangerous maneuver when there are cars parked all the way back to the intersection on the other side, so he has to swerve in quickly to avoid both hitting the parked cars and the guy he is trying to outrun, particularly if he's trying to outrace another "alpha" driver.

Like I say, cabs do this all the time here, but occasionally civilians do too. They signal their intention first by not turning right, and then by inching forward as they anticipate the light to change soon.

As the first one at the light in the driving lane, I used to be annoyed by such people, but now I just hang back and let them go without any effort to impede them. I've come around to the idea that they have a good reason for wanting to be first, and it's not up to me to stop them.

But I do know many, many people are annoyed by this behavior. It's among the most aggressive driving behaviors I know.

Originally Posted by chasfh

Here's one that we see in Chicago a lot, especially from taxi cabs.

Most of the major streets in town are four lanes. Two on each side, one driving lane on the left, one parking lane on the right. At intersections that parking lane becomes the right turn/bus stop lane. Then on the other side of the intersection, the right lane becomes the parking lane again.

Occasionally, at a red light, you will see a car be the first to stop at the light in the right turn lane, but he is not intending to turn right. He intends to outrace the guy stopped in the driving lane, and become the lead driver of that "pack". This can be a dangerous maneuver when there are cars parked all the way back to the intersection on the other side, so he has to swerve in quickly to avoid both hitting the parked cars and the guy he is trying to outrun, particularly if he's trying to outrace another "alpha" driver.

Like I say, cabs do this all the time here, but occasionally civilians do too. They signal their intention first by not turning right, and then by inching forward as they anticipate the light to change soon.

As the first one at the light in the driving lane, I used to be annoyed by such people, but now I just hang back and let them go without any effort to impede them. I've come around to the idea that they have a good reason for wanting to be first, and it's not up to me to stop them.

But I do know many, many people are annoyed by this behavior. It's among the most aggressive driving behaviors I know.

I see your point. To demonstrate your annoyance you could gun it and block him from overtaking you. Make sure you are driving an old clunker. J/K.

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

I see your point. To demonstrate your annoyance you could gun it and block him from overtaking you. Make sure you are driving an old clunker. J/K.

Ha ha! Yeah, I used to be both guys in this scenario at different times.

Like I say, when I see somebody looking to overtake me, I let him. At the tender age of 51, I'm way beyond having or wanting to prove my virility through alpha dominance on the road.

People who don't understand what it means when you flash your lights at them from behind.

The other day I was on the interstate behind some a$$hat in the passing lane doing 65 in a 70. I couldn't pass on the right because it was congested but the car in front of me could. I flashed my lights and saw her look in the rear view mirror then she proceeded to look in all directions like she was looking for a fire or a space shuttle or a dingo on the side of the road.

THe one thing she didn't do was MOVE THE FU@K OVER......that is until I laid down on my horn and motioned with my arm out the window ...then the light bulb went off and she finally moved over.

I guess my biggest pet peeve is people being selfish on the road. They are having a lazy worthless day where they can drive at the speed of dust......and for some reason they equate that to everyone having that type of non schedule. Some of us have places to be! Im not asking people to speed or drive erratically....all im asking for is people to understand the basic laws of the road and to FOLLOW THEM.

Not nearly enough driving school is required in this country. If people don't know what flashing lights mean or that multiple lanes each have a purpose, then they are certainly clueless on how to control that 1+ ton piece of metal under their asses.

There was actually a time I considered for a millisecond becoming a cop JUST so I could pull people over all day for being stupid.

Here in Albuquerque, people have a hard time staying in their lanes when there are multiple turning lanes. Dashed lines mean nothing to these people, and if you honk at somebody for turning into your lane, YOU are the a-hole who honked. Everybody always says the drivers in their city are the worst, but I'd venture a guess that New Mexico drivers are at least in the top 5

Absolutely cannot stand when someone ashes or flicks their cigarette butt out the window.

Today's driving pet peeve is when a driver plays traffic cop by trying to block other drivers from doing something the former doesn't like, e.g., trying to punish someone for merging late instead of merging early.

I understand completely why most people applaud such "traffic cops", but regardless of popular opinion, that's dangerous macho behavior which can and does lead to accidents. It's the same thing as drag racing off the line from a traffic light so one guy can prevent the other from merging into his lane in front of him.

Four lane road - two lanes in each direction -

Red light ahead - right lane has a number of cars waiting - Left lane has only one car in it - a Prius - and yes the Prius does not have its turn signal on - so you scoot in back of the Prius in the left lane.

Light turns green - all the guys in the right lane are proceeding - except the guy in front of you who moves forward at a glacial pace a couple of inches and WHAM turns on his left turn signal...

You mutter some profanity but you are screwed - the traffic in the right lane sees your predicament, but its pay back time - time to speed up and lock out the selfish "hot shot" in the BMW.

So the light changes red - the glacier is still in front of you - you have your right turn signal on - humbly pleading for mercy but inexplicably - the traffic in the right lane has grown to epic proportions and every driver is in a Prius....hopeless....

Originally Posted by Capobranco

Four lane road - two lanes in each direction -

Red light ahead - right lane has a number of cars waiting - Left lane has only one car in it - a Prius - and yes the Prius does not have its turn signal on - so you scoot in back of the Prius in the left lane.

Light turns green - all the guys in the right lane are proceeding - except the guy in front of you who moves forward at a glacial pace a couple of inches and WHAM turns on his left turn signal...

You mutter some profanity but you are screwed - the traffic in the right lane sees your predicament, but its pay back time - time to speed up and lock out the selfish "hot shot" in the BMW.

So the light changes red - the glacier is still in front of you - you have your right turn signal on - humbly pleading for mercy but inexplicably - the traffic in the right lane has grown to epic proportions and every driver is in a Prius....hopeless....

This country does not signal. It's a real travesty.